Peter Anderson ⚽ Thank gawd that's over for another year! 

City's annual trip to Anfield is as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist. There is no stadium in the world like it. It is, without doubt, the hardest away game for any team. Usually, when Liverpool lose at home it is to a smaller team that caught them on an off day, and that ain't often. 

Gary Neville has talked extensively about the difficulty of playing there, the desire to hide, the difficulty of accepting the ball under such pressure, the crowd's hostility and noise. Adding to the stadium's capacity has only ramped that up. Wayne Rooney has said that it is the only stadium that he hated playing in, and that in all his career he almost never played well. Being a Man U player from Everton . . .  and fat, all contributed to his targeting by the Anfield faithful. In recent years City have been absolutely thumped at Anfield, played off the park, and we are not alone among the elite clubs to experience that. Real and Barça have suffered serious hidings in recent times.

The build-up to Sunday's game was all about VvD against Haaland. Virgil has been shit this season by his own standards and Haaland unplayable. I had a sneaky suspicion that VvD would play a blinder and the big Norwegian wouldn't, just like the Community Shield final, and that's exactly what happened. Even more surprising was the right side of the defence with Gomez in the centre and Milner in full back. They were brilliant, Foden didn't get a look in. Elliot would come back and double up on Foden. When Foden did score, VAR chalked it off for a foul in the build-up. Salah certainly isn't the same player since signing his new deal but he was good enough on Sunday to make the difference.

City were good, but not good enough. It was never going to be a drubbing, City were reasonably comfortable, but I would have bitten your hand off for a draw at any point. Liverpool are ten points off City and fourteen off Arsenal - it would require an almighty collapse from both clubs to allow Liverpool back into the title race, but stranger things have happened. 

Personally, the EPL is not a priority for me, five out of the last six would not be good for the league, but I'll be praying fervently to the Flying Spaghetti Monster for City to avoid the Reds in the Champions League. One visit to Anfield this season is enough for me!

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

Anfield

Peter Anderson ⚽ Thank gawd that's over for another year! 

City's annual trip to Anfield is as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist. There is no stadium in the world like it. It is, without doubt, the hardest away game for any team. Usually, when Liverpool lose at home it is to a smaller team that caught them on an off day, and that ain't often. 

Gary Neville has talked extensively about the difficulty of playing there, the desire to hide, the difficulty of accepting the ball under such pressure, the crowd's hostility and noise. Adding to the stadium's capacity has only ramped that up. Wayne Rooney has said that it is the only stadium that he hated playing in, and that in all his career he almost never played well. Being a Man U player from Everton . . .  and fat, all contributed to his targeting by the Anfield faithful. In recent years City have been absolutely thumped at Anfield, played off the park, and we are not alone among the elite clubs to experience that. Real and Barça have suffered serious hidings in recent times.

The build-up to Sunday's game was all about VvD against Haaland. Virgil has been shit this season by his own standards and Haaland unplayable. I had a sneaky suspicion that VvD would play a blinder and the big Norwegian wouldn't, just like the Community Shield final, and that's exactly what happened. Even more surprising was the right side of the defence with Gomez in the centre and Milner in full back. They were brilliant, Foden didn't get a look in. Elliot would come back and double up on Foden. When Foden did score, VAR chalked it off for a foul in the build-up. Salah certainly isn't the same player since signing his new deal but he was good enough on Sunday to make the difference.

City were good, but not good enough. It was never going to be a drubbing, City were reasonably comfortable, but I would have bitten your hand off for a draw at any point. Liverpool are ten points off City and fourteen off Arsenal - it would require an almighty collapse from both clubs to allow Liverpool back into the title race, but stranger things have happened. 

Personally, the EPL is not a priority for me, five out of the last six would not be good for the league, but I'll be praying fervently to the Flying Spaghetti Monster for City to avoid the Reds in the Champions League. One visit to Anfield this season is enough for me!

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

10 comments:

  1. I was expecting to see an accompanying pic of Anthony in one of his Liverpool kits ! Next up for the Reds is a tricky assignment V West Ham on wed night , Forest on saturday . Win both & the gap to fourth is a lot narrower . Still think City will win the title ; the Reds need to sign 2 new cms & versatile cb / rb to be competitive over a season . No sign of usually injured Keita or always injured Ox this season ! #GoodRiddance

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    1. only on my own pieces Red Ron. They should win both games but . . .

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  2. If they are talking about Haaland on the keeper that was never a foul.

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  3. Peter comments

    Red Ron
    Thankfully, we were spared a "Mackers in a footy top" pic this time!

    Steve
    No, Haaland fouled Fabinho in the build up. Just another problem with VAR though. The ref was letting minor fouls go all afternoon. One of them led to a goal and the goal was disallowed by VAR. The ref should just call the foul, ffs!

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    1. Best game of the season Peter - and is an indication that they are pulling away from banning the tackle - it is soccer FFS not tennis. I think a draw would have been a fair result but I am not complaining

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    2. Ah cheers Peter, I thought they were whining about the keeper.

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  4. Watching Allison catch the ball, look up and kick straight out to Salah reminded me of the legendary Pat Jennings. I remember Pat catching the ball in the air with one hand and then kicking it straight out from the same hand...

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  5. Pat scored direct from a kick out in 1968 . May be on youtube .

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  6. It was 1967 Charity Shield, at Old Trafford, Man Utd v Spurs. This was before the Charity Shield was played at Wembley. Jennings kicked out from the Stretford End and it bounced over Stepneys head at the Scoreboard End and into the net.
    Haven't been to Anfield for many years, certainly since the all seater stadia, but they had mics in the Kop roof making the volume fake. The reason for the mics was for the recording, in 1972, of their LP and they were left there. That is why on tv it sounded like, on MOTD, the viewers were in the ground, it was fake. That is not to say there was no atmosphere because there was, similar in those days to Old Trafford, except the Stretford End had no mics to amplify the volume. Newcastle also did not have the benefit if mics, nor did any other stadium
    Today at Anfield, so I am told, the flags seen on tv before the game do not belong to the Kopites, unlike the days of yore, but the club. This is why just after kick off the stewards collect said flags ready for the next game. Once again faked, as are most grounds in the so called modern eara. All manufactured atmospheres for the benefit of big tv companies.
    Then again I'm talking of a by gone era when the reputation of the home end, and volume, was very important. Not so much the size of the end but the volume and credibility of that terrace. All different now as manufactured atmospheres have replaced the real thing alas and that applies to Anfield, Old Trafford, St James's
    Park, Goodison Parke etc.
    Just a point of observation.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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  7. Peter Shilton also scored direct from a drop kick in 1969. Now goalies like Allison are used as emergency centre forwards these days!

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