Nightmare vs. Newcastle:
Blech. What else can you say about this game. Newcastle was coming in on a 3-game win streak and they made it 4 straight, despite 1 or 2 quality chances from the Reds. Newcastle Keeper (and World Cup showstopper) Krul came up big late in the game saving a nice header from Coutinho, but this was just another game in which Liverpool underperformed and missed out on points. A win would have put them back in the top 4, but now they remain in 7th, 12 points behind the leaders.
Real Close:
If you told someone before the Champions League game that we would lose 1-0 to Real Madrid in the Bernabeu they might say that was a good outcome. Now if you told them that we did it without Gerrard, Henderson, Balotelli, Sterling and Coutinho on the pitch AND with Kolo Toure (who actually played a pretty good game) leading the back line, that might lead to more shocking response. Liverpool didn’t really have any great chances, but one wonders if it could have been a closer game had we started some of our stars. Could it have possibly ended even worse if we started our top team? Is the team that played that game actually our top team! (Editors note: No. No they are not.) Regardless of the result, Rodgers has been getting hammered in the media for starting this squad, but with Chelsea coming up this weekend, it may have been the correct thing to do. Liverpool can still advance to the next round if the win their next 2 games, and they’re heading into the biggest game of the season so far. I’d like to say that resting some of those players helped, but can anything really help the Reds against the team that has been head and shoulders above the rest of the EPL all season? (Editors note: No. Nothing can help.)
Around the Interwebs
The week started with Gerrard stating that he is waiting to see if he will be playing in Red next season. This got the interwebs abuzz with possible landing spots for the skipper, but it also kickstarted the Liverpool lawyers into figuring out his next contract. Unless Stevie G is coming to NYCFC (it already rhymes!) he better be staying in Red.
News also emerged that Liverpool actually offered Barca 3 million more pounds than Arsenal, but POS Alexis Sanchez begged for a move to Arsenal instead. I’d like to say that this is a non-story, but the fact that Barcelona was willing to take less money in order to appease an outgoing player says a lot about the club.
Also, Ex Liverpool (and England, Watford, West Ham and basically everyone else) keeper David James went bankrupt and his loss is the public’s gain. Click HERE to view what he has up for auction and bid now for your chance to own a piece of Football (and some other sports) history.
Chelsea…Effing Chelsea
Warm up the the remote controls, because an early start means watching this game on the DVR for all fans (without crazy kids that wake up early). Please also make sure to text all your friends that like to talk smack to let them know you are watching the game on the DVR so you don’t wake up to a text saying, “3-0 already! SMDH :'(“
Chelsea really hasn’t been the juggernaut team that started the season by tearing through the EPL. After a 6-0 thrashing of Maribor on October 21, they tied Man U 1-1, just beat QPR 2-1, and then tied Maribor 1-1 just last night. Could this be the day that Liverpool make their charge up the table!? (Editors note: Still no.) The big question is what type of starting line-up we’ll see from the Reds. After a great performance by Toure in the Real game, is he ready for the challenge of Chelsea? I think everyone knows Sterling, Hendo, Gerrard and (maybe) Coutinho will make it back into the starting 11, but I bet you the coach is still not sure what the hell to do in this game.
Make sure your DVR is ready and you’re not recording 2 other shows on Saturday morning because this game is sure to be…something. Official kickoff is at 7:45 so get the coffee (and any good luck charms that you have) ready. Go Reds!