Football of the Gaelic variety was my primary hobby as I grew up in a war-torn Belfast. Being a Gael was dangerous back then, gun, bomb and arson attacks on GAA Clubs were commonplace but the craic on the pitch was always mighty as was the innate desire not to bend the knee.
I had a mediocre playing career that was cut short by a medical condition that meant I couldn’t catch a ball, kick a ball or run. The condition was diagnosed by my under 16 coach as “I didn’t think they could pile shit that high”. The transition from participant to spectator had many bonuses not least the sneaky underage pints at Casement which accompanied many an Antrim match and which eased the pain of the inevitable defeat.
Antrim football matches were not well attended during the eighties and nineties, and it wasn’t unusual for there to be more people on the pitch than there were supporters in the ageing Casement stand. The victory over Down in the early nineties gave us a glimmer of better days to come, but as the old adage goes “ it is the hope that kills you”.
The premature closure of Casement in 2013 by those with an eye to the King’s Shilling rather than the needs of Antrim GAA, sucked the life out of the limited joy I had experienced as an Antrim supporter for 40 odd years. The thoughts of standing on an embankment at Corrigan Park getting soaked or travelling up to the Glens to watch Antrim be on the receiving end of another 10-point drubbing just did not appeal to me.
At that stage in my life, I had nothing more than a passing interest in Cromwellian Ground Ball though I always had a fondness for the mighty reds from Merseyside. An impromptu trip to Anfield to watch Liverpool thump a potent Stoke 1-0 , converted me to a full blown fan that has graced Anfield numerous times since. Klopp led us to the holy grail of the premiership before hanging up his boots last year. The unheard-of Slot inherited a team, that had developed a habit of running out of steam at the business end of the season.
How Slot has brought this group of players to the verge of winning the Premier League in his first season has been nothing short of a miracle, one that eclipses Istanbul. The woeful display that merited an early exit from the Champions League is an indicator that Slot needs to buy to rebuild. Liverpool are top of the League and in what appears to be an unassailable position, but this should be viewed in the context of the Man City meltdown and Arsenal doing what Arsenal do.
Financial Fair Play rules means that Slot will have to sell to augment his squad for the 25/26 season. The limited FSG transfer kitty and the exit from the Champions League will impose a prudence the transfer committees plans.
The arrival of Mamardashvili, will surely spell the exit of Kelleher, who would be a starter for any other PL Club. Defensively, VVD is at an age, where even if he does sign another contract Slot will need some succession planning. The young lad from Dungannon will be an adequate replacement for Trent when he goes to sunny Spain, but we also will need back up at both right and left back. Tsimikas and unfortunately Gomez (who has been blighted by injury) will move on looking for first team football. Robertson has lost his command of the pitch, and it looks like he may be charged with preparing his replacement for first team football.
MacAllister, who is a worldie, Gravenberch, who has been the player of the season and Szoboszlai make up a formidable midfield, but it is unrealistic to expect them to produce 100% every match over what has become a gruelling fixture list. They need players who can step in to give them a rest and deliver in the “easier” fixtures. Despite the sentimentality surrounding Elliott and Jones, they just do not cut the mustard, they are not good enough to be Liverpool players but too good to be bench warmers. Endo deserves credit for upping his game and becoming a sub who can close games down and we should have no difficulty recouping his transfer fee and then some.
Up front Salah is the same position as big Virg, even if he signs an extension to his contract, it would be sensible to sign his replacement this summer to allow for acclimatisation to the demands of English football. Diaz it would appear has his mind made up and will do a Suarez to Barcelona. Gakpo has the makings of a good goal scorer but needs a run of matches in his preferred position to establish himself. Jota, excuse the crudity, but he does not look like he could score in a brothel with a pocket full of fifties and has an injury record that means he should be offloaded. Nunez is the enigma, pockets of world class brilliance, interspersed with periods of absolute rubbish. I was fond of him and thought he had potential, but the penalty against PSG heralds his departure from LFC.
25/26 will be the season to judge Liverpool’s progress under FSG and Slots prowess as a manger. While winning our 20th League title makes me warm inside, I would like us to win our 21st title at least before Casement is completed. The hope though, will not get to me.
I had a mediocre playing career that was cut short by a medical condition that meant I couldn’t catch a ball, kick a ball or run. The condition was diagnosed by my under 16 coach as “I didn’t think they could pile shit that high”. The transition from participant to spectator had many bonuses not least the sneaky underage pints at Casement which accompanied many an Antrim match and which eased the pain of the inevitable defeat.
Antrim football matches were not well attended during the eighties and nineties, and it wasn’t unusual for there to be more people on the pitch than there were supporters in the ageing Casement stand. The victory over Down in the early nineties gave us a glimmer of better days to come, but as the old adage goes “ it is the hope that kills you”.
The premature closure of Casement in 2013 by those with an eye to the King’s Shilling rather than the needs of Antrim GAA, sucked the life out of the limited joy I had experienced as an Antrim supporter for 40 odd years. The thoughts of standing on an embankment at Corrigan Park getting soaked or travelling up to the Glens to watch Antrim be on the receiving end of another 10-point drubbing just did not appeal to me.
At that stage in my life, I had nothing more than a passing interest in Cromwellian Ground Ball though I always had a fondness for the mighty reds from Merseyside. An impromptu trip to Anfield to watch Liverpool thump a potent Stoke 1-0 , converted me to a full blown fan that has graced Anfield numerous times since. Klopp led us to the holy grail of the premiership before hanging up his boots last year. The unheard-of Slot inherited a team, that had developed a habit of running out of steam at the business end of the season.
How Slot has brought this group of players to the verge of winning the Premier League in his first season has been nothing short of a miracle, one that eclipses Istanbul. The woeful display that merited an early exit from the Champions League is an indicator that Slot needs to buy to rebuild. Liverpool are top of the League and in what appears to be an unassailable position, but this should be viewed in the context of the Man City meltdown and Arsenal doing what Arsenal do.
Financial Fair Play rules means that Slot will have to sell to augment his squad for the 25/26 season. The limited FSG transfer kitty and the exit from the Champions League will impose a prudence the transfer committees plans.
The arrival of Mamardashvili, will surely spell the exit of Kelleher, who would be a starter for any other PL Club. Defensively, VVD is at an age, where even if he does sign another contract Slot will need some succession planning. The young lad from Dungannon will be an adequate replacement for Trent when he goes to sunny Spain, but we also will need back up at both right and left back. Tsimikas and unfortunately Gomez (who has been blighted by injury) will move on looking for first team football. Robertson has lost his command of the pitch, and it looks like he may be charged with preparing his replacement for first team football.
MacAllister, who is a worldie, Gravenberch, who has been the player of the season and Szoboszlai make up a formidable midfield, but it is unrealistic to expect them to produce 100% every match over what has become a gruelling fixture list. They need players who can step in to give them a rest and deliver in the “easier” fixtures. Despite the sentimentality surrounding Elliott and Jones, they just do not cut the mustard, they are not good enough to be Liverpool players but too good to be bench warmers. Endo deserves credit for upping his game and becoming a sub who can close games down and we should have no difficulty recouping his transfer fee and then some.
Up front Salah is the same position as big Virg, even if he signs an extension to his contract, it would be sensible to sign his replacement this summer to allow for acclimatisation to the demands of English football. Diaz it would appear has his mind made up and will do a Suarez to Barcelona. Gakpo has the makings of a good goal scorer but needs a run of matches in his preferred position to establish himself. Jota, excuse the crudity, but he does not look like he could score in a brothel with a pocket full of fifties and has an injury record that means he should be offloaded. Nunez is the enigma, pockets of world class brilliance, interspersed with periods of absolute rubbish. I was fond of him and thought he had potential, but the penalty against PSG heralds his departure from LFC.
25/26 will be the season to judge Liverpool’s progress under FSG and Slots prowess as a manger. While winning our 20th League title makes me warm inside, I would like us to win our 21st title at least before Casement is completed. The hope though, will not get to me.
⏩Muiris Ó Súilleabháin was a member of the Republican Movement until he retired in 2006 after 20 years of service. Fiche bhliain ag fás.
Very good piece but the mighty Geordies took them apart this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that I felt joy and happiness for Newcastle at finally breaking their trophy hoodoo. Those fans deserve success (even with the help of a Saudi sovereign wealth fund) and it is good that a club outside the London and North West powerhouses have won something. I know you will not take my congratulations for the Toon Army the wrong way, Anthony! What I will say is that Liverpool looked jaded just as we did at QPR on Saturday for periods.
ReplyDeleteMy Liverpool supporting sister has a son who is a Newcastle fan and she was conflicted by the game. So I had that sort of feeling - I wanted Liverpool to win but if they were to lose to any side, no better than Newcastle. I was talking to a former prisoner yesterday and we both agreed that the Geordie screws were never the worst to us in the blocks.
DeleteThis Liverpool just look like the last Klopp team - jaded with very few ideas. At least they rallied a bit after the second goal. I think they are lucky to have a twelve point lead because at the end of the season it is doubtful their lead will be so big. It took the introduction of Chiesa and Jones to cause an attack on the Newcastle goal. They have nothing up front. Salah got no service and Jota might as well have been watching the game from home.
Best team won and thoroughly deserve their trophy. Good on Eddie Howe and his side.
Slot summed it up well, individual battles were lost all over the pitch, which is another way of saying the players were just not good enough. I don't think it was fatigue - Newcastle definitely wanted it more and played us off the pitch. Delighted for Newcastle - Slot has his work cut out for him next season.
ReplyDeleteHe has a serious task next season. He has worked one miracle this season but it is next to impossible to see him repeating it with this squad.
Delete