The Journeyman Chronicles

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday March 23^rd 2021

World Cup European Qualifying Section Group 2

Venue:  Lokomotiv, Moscow

Russia (3rd)  vs. England (1st)

As tricky a game as we have in this group, away at what is on paper, at least, our biggest rivals for this group.  We still have no Joe Hart in goal so Butland fills in. Otherwise we  pick a strong lineup, as strong as current injury problems allow us to anyway. We have four players on a yellow card, but this isn’t the match to leave them out because of that.

The match was cagey initially, with defences being very much on top. After quarter of an hour though we started to take the ball down and play it around. In the 16^th  minute Schiffman found Wilshire down the left, he hit a low hard cross across the face of goal where Ian Finley was arriving to turn the ball home. The keeper didn’t move.

Just two minutes later it was two, Finley the scorer again but the build up this time down the right, Jones and Ibe interchanging passes, Barkley providing the ball in, Finley the shot on the turn that the keeper couldn’t get to.

The Russian keeper was nevertheless playing out of his skin, and he kept the score down to two-nil to the half. Save after good save he made, we’ll hopefully have more luck in the second half !

We did get more luck in the second period, on 53 minutes we scored a third, Jack Wilshire cutting in off the left, and into a crowd on the edge of the box, he let fly with a shot which the keeper saw late, he got a hand to it, but couldn’t keep it out.

Russia had regrouped somewhat at halftime and despite the setback of the third goal they kept to their new formation as it was causing us trouble, on 78 it got them a goal, a rasping drove from the left winger, a good goal.

But Russia had a man sent off for a second bookable offence minutes later and any thoughts of a comeback died with that. We saw out a surprisingly comfortable win. We remain top with maximum points from our five games.  At the halfway point in the qualifying group we sit ahead of three teams on nine points, the Czech Republic in second, they beat third placed Wales today and Russia in fourth. Luxembourg beat Northern Ireland 1-0 in Belfast and go into 5^th, the Northern Irishmen in dead last with 0 points.

Final Score: Russia 1-3 England

Scorers : Finley 2, Wilshire

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Ian Finley

Team: Butland, Jones, Schiffman, Proffitt, Smalling, Cork, Rodwell, Wilshire, Barkley, Ibe, Finley

[chesterfan2]

Saturday March 27^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (2nd)  vs. Blackpool (17th)

Back to league action with a game against a team flirting with relegation. It shouldn’t be a problem but you can be sure they’ll be fighting as hard as they can. Get a result here and their confidence levels would go through the roof. We have to be careful to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Fitness levels were good following the international break, though Gandola, Kemble and Drage had all come back carrying injuries. Still, Gandola and the long-term injured Lopez apart I can put out a full strength side. The downside of the international break was that we were still three games behind, and we now had two weeks less to fit them into.

It took us a while to settle, as Blackpool tried manfully to stop us playing. This was only going to work for so long and in the 26^th minute we took the lead, a scrappy effort but Salva popped up in the right place at the right time and slid the ball home from 10 yards out.

On 37 minute Salva  made it two, squeezing the ball in from a tight angle under quite a lot of pressure, a really well taken goal.

I told them they could do better at half time, but the second half was a bit on the disappointing side, very scrappy, no flow. Blackpool had a goal disallowed on 57, the lad was about a mile offside, so their gaffer can have no complaints. We got a third goal on 74, Romani dancing round a couple to get to the byline and his low driven cross was deflected into his own net by one of the defenders.

That was it for the scoring, we could have had more late on, but a combination of good defending and poor finishing cost us that. Spurs survived an early scare at home to beat Huddersfield by 3-1 so stay four points clear, us with three games in hand.

Final Score: Liverpool 3-0 Blackpool

Scorers : Salva  2,  og

League Position: 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Leandro Salva

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Lucas, Crisetig, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday March 30th  2021

European Champions Cup Quarter Final First Leg

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (ENG) vs. Juventus (ITA)

The leaders of the Italian league are here for this one, well, this is the business end of this competition and I guess you have to play the better sides at that point.

We made one change from the side that beat Blackpool on Saturday, Lucas was tired and Enriquez took his spot. The opening twenty minutes were very tight, as I guess you might expect. Chances were few and far between, the best of the came to us from a Crisetig corner that Lagator headed narrowly over.

On 26 minutes we opened the scoring, some fine wing play by Yarmolenko saw him beat his marker and whip over a low cross that Romani met on the volley, six yards out and gave the keeper no chance, a lovely goal.

This sparked the game into life. Juve hit the post on 29 minutes, Lezcano well beaten, but the ball bounced kindly for us and we hacked it clear. On 35 the Juventus keeper produced a fabulous double save to keep a Yarmolenko effort and the subsequent rebound out. I’m not sure how it remained at just the one goal up to half time but it did. We went in at the break a goal up.

I told them they could do better. I suspect the Juventus manager would be telling his guys much the same thing.

But the second half was a complete frustration on my part. The Juventus keeper, by far the busier of the two was in sensational form, and on the one occasion we did beat him Salva’s shot hit the bar. In the end the 1-0 scoreline flatted them more than it did us, still, we had a lead to take to Turin, nowhere near what I’d wanted, but it would have to do.

Final Score: Liverpool 1-0 Juventus

Scorers : Romani

Man Of The Match:  Jorge Romani

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Enriquez, Crisetig, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Romani, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Saturday April 3^rd 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (2nd)  vs. West Bromwich Albion (17th)

Today sees a debut for 17 year old loanee Ermes Casanova, on loan from Inter and our only fit forward at the mo. Another loanee Mozzini covers on the left and Will Hughes who has confirmed he’ll be leaving at the end of his contract will play on the right. We quite simply don’t have enough strength in depth on the wings and the injury crisis up front has suddenly grown to epic proportions.

The youngsters struggled a bit in the first 45 minutes and we failed to make much impression. West Brom were no better in the final third although they did do well against our midfield pairing of Lucas and Crisetig, who have no excuse for being overawed like that.

It was, unsurprisingly, goalless at half time, and I had a good shout at them. Hughes in particular had been appalling and I decided to give Romani a run out in the second half. I could use him fit, but that’s how bad it was.

The second half started off a little better than the first, we started passing to each other and the midfield looked more secure. On 54 minutes we even took the lead, Casanova played a delightful pass in to Galarza and he played an even better ball into the box where Lucas ran onto it and slammed it home. He doesn’t score many, and enjoyed this one greatly.

On 62 we made it two, utilising the weapon on the Martin Dance long throw to create chaos in the six yard box, Galarza the one to pop up and bury it.

In the 75^th minute we made it three, with a quick break out of defence, Crisetig and Lucas combining on the edge of our own box to feed Romani just inside our half, he ran with the ball, drawing defenders to him, he then fed the ball to the right where Casanova was unmarked and the young man struck a sweet shot from the edge of the box that flew in. Some way to mark your debut !

West Brom had no way back from that and we ran out very comfortable winners, now just one point behind Spurs with two games in hand.

Final Score: Liverpool 3-0 West Brom

Scorers : Lucas, Galarza, Casanova

League Position: 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Lucas, Crisetig, Mozzini, Galarza, Hughes(Romani  45), Casanova

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday April 7th  2021

European Champions Cup Quarter Final Second Leg

Venue:  Juventus Stadium, Turin

Juventus (ITA) vs. Liverpool (ENG) Agg (0-1)

Salva though not back to full fitness would have to start here, Casanova back to the bench despite his goalscoring debut.

We got off to a very poor start, with Juve getting a goal, and levelling the aggregate after only two minutes. They went through us like a knife through butter and it looked like it was going to be a long evening. We only held out in the next few minutes thanks to a bit of luck and the brilliance of Lezcano in our nets.

But after the first quarter hour we got more of the measure of our hosts and even began to threaten ourselves. On 23 we surprised most people by sneaking up the pitch and scoring, Yarmolenko the man on the end of a second rebound after efforts by Salva and Galarza were blocked.

Our tails were up but it didn’t last, on31 Juventus had a goal disallowed for a push on Salazar though I didn’t see it myself, and judging by his histrionics neither did the  Juventus boss. On 38 minutes though that became a bit academic as Juventus retook the lead, a real scramble this one, immense pressure finally telling.

Half time and ahead on away goals only. I told them to concentrate and see the game out.

The second half was real backs to the wall stuff. On 62 I and the whole crowd thought they had scored with Lezcano well beaten at last, but up popped Boldrini on the line and he headed the goalbound shot away. That was the most impressive part of what was a highly disciplined and determined display. We did see it out, and we did go through on away goals. We celebrated that one long and hard, it had been real close.

Final Score: Juventus 2-1 Liverpool (agg 2-2 – Liverpool win on away goals)

Scorers : Yarmolenko

Man Of The Match:  Owen Proffitt

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Salazar (Schiffman 47), Dance,  Lagator, Proffitt, Lucas, Crisetig (Enriquez 51), Galarza, Yarmolenko, Salva

We’ll face Barcelona in the semi-finals, no pressure, and we’ll have to do it without Salazar, who broke a wrist, falling awkwardly under a rash challenge, and will miss 6-7 weeks. Crisetig suffered a concussion and will need a week or so of rest before he can be considered again. Both will be out for this weekend’s FA Cup Semi Finals too.

[chesterfan2]

It's been a while,  but here's the next update.

Saturday April 11^th 2021

FA Cup Semi-Final

Venue: Wembley Stadium

Liverpool (PRM 2^nd) vs. Arsenal (PRM 5^th)

Gandola returns for this one, and enables me to give Lucas a rest, which I don’t think he’ll thank me for but is exactly what he needs.

We get off to a great start, a goal up after only 74 seconds, and that from a goalmouth scramble following a corner The Gunners couldn’t clear. Enriquez was the one that wheeled away and celebrated the goal, he’s  claiming it, he’s got as good a claim as anyone ! Anyway, a goal up inside two minutes. That asks some questions doesn’t it ?

We pressed on and had a spell of intense pressure around the 20 minute mark, but couldn’t get the ball over the line again. Arsenal steadied and the game became more even. In the 39^th minute Arsenal forced an equaliser in a goalmouth melee, a bit of a blow. But it wasn’t to last as only two minutes later Yarmolenko cut in off his wing and into the box where he laced a low drive through a crowd and into the far corner of the net. The keeper didn’t even move.

A goal up at half time and I told them not to get complacent and to keep trying. The message must have got through as we extended our lead on 48 minutes, as Galarza burst into the box and steered his shot in off a post.

Three – one up and we took our foot off the gas a little bit. Arsenal had chances to get back into it, but they failed to do so, we saw it out and we’ll be back for the final here in May.

Final Score: Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal

Scorers : Enriquez, Yarmolenko, Galarza

Man Of The Match:  Jorge Enriquez

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman , Lagator, Proffitt, Enriquez, Gandola, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday April 14^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  The City of Manchester Stadium

Manchester City (6^th) vs. Liverpool (2^nd)

By far the hardest of our games in hand is this one, at Man City. They have had a poor season by their high standards, been through a manager and lie 18 points behind their ‘noisy neighbours’ , Man Utd, currently sitting in fourth spot.  That doesn’t mean that they will be a push over here though, not by any means.  Conventional thinking would have us play on the counterattack, but City set up very defensive on front of an inexperienced keeper (Joe Hart remains injured and they have a U18s keeper in for this match) and so I go looking for goals.

But we don’t go all out for goals. The game starts evenly matched, more of an attritional battle than one with all the attacking flair on both sides on show you might expect. Chances are very few and far between, so when we get a golden opportunity to score we have to take it.

One such opportunity came up in the 26^th minute asRomani was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground as he tried to get to the byline. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, I have to say it looked pretty cast iron to me. Salva stepped up and sent the young lad in the City goal the wrong way.

 We’re not ahead for long as City bundled the ball home only a minute later after Lezcano turned the initial effort onto the bar. It dropped kindly and as I say, you can’t pass up an opportunity like that and the City lad didn’t.

They got a second on 36, the full back overlapping and powering in an unstoppable drive. I thought there were questions of offside, but you’re not going to get those decisions here, are you ?

Half time and we were 2-1 down, and we weren’t fighting hard enough I thought, so I really laid into them. They went out fired up and I hoped for a change of fortunes.

The second half was more evenly contested than the first, but we had Lezcano for a double save on 66 minutes that kept us in the game. As time pushed on we threw more and more men forward to try and get something out of the game. We did manage to get the equaliser in the 88^th minute, a sweeping move that swept into the box and was finished by Galarza from twelve yards out firing through a crowd of defenders.

A point rescued, yes. That’s exactly what it was.

Final Score: Man City 2-2 Liverpool

Scorers : Salva, Galarza

League Position: 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Martin Dance

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Lucas, Crisetig, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Saturday April 17^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Craven Cottage

Fulham (16^th) vs. Liverpool (2^nd)

It’s always nice to come back to a side you used to manage, or at least one you did well with. I always get a good reception here but I guess that might diminish a little if we keep winning here. This is the late match for television and earlier on Spurs had come back late to secure a 4-4 draw at struggling West Brom, so it’s a good opportunity to make up some ground.

But we’ll have to do it with a much changed team. Tiredness is becoming a real factor and we are having to utilise our squad depth. It is, I’d like to think a chance for the fringe players to show me what they can do.

The start was poor, from both sides. I think you could forgive our lads a bit as they aren’t used to playing together as a unit and so it took some time for them to find their feet. And cohesion wasn’t helped by a 24^th minute injury to one of the more established players in the lineup. Yarmolenko the man injured, Kemble the man on to replace him. We’ll have to see how bad that injury is, it could be a real challenge if Andriy is out for a while.

We did settle and started to play the ball around and it was no surprise when we broke the deadlock, 41 minutes gone, Casanova drawing a defender to allow Kemble to take the ball into the box where he fired home from round about the penalty spot, a nicely taken goal.

Some words of encouragement at half time, and I sent them back out.

The second half was no advert for football it was pretty dull in fact. No more goals, very few chances, very little entertainment. But it did get us three points which took us that bit closer to Spurs, now 4 points back, three games in hand.

Final Score: Fulham 0-1 Liverpool

Scorers : Kemble

League Position: 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Martin Dance

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Cespedes, Puga, Clark, Yarmolenko (Kemble 24), Romani, Casanova

Seven weeks, with a twisted knee, that was the physio’s report on Yarmolenko. Terrible, terrible news.

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday April 20th  2021

European Champions Cup Semi Final First Leg

Venue:  Camp Nou, Barcelona

Barcelona (ESP) vs. Liverpool (ENG)

Clark plays out of position on the left in place of the injured Yarmolenko.  Romani, way below peak fitness will have to start, it’s not ideal but it’s where we are. I point out the pressure is all on Barcelona and to go out and try and enjoy the experience. They look relaxed as they go out, I only hope that some focus is in there too.

We started well, but blew the couple of half chances that came our way. Barcelona didn’t dominate as we expected them to, and apart from one particularly big scare midway through the half where we had Schiffman to thank for a hacked goalline clearance, there wasn’t a whole lot of threat. We were at half time, still goalless.

We expected the Alamo in the second period and that’s what we got. But my lads were lions, to a man. Lezcano was awesome, Dance, Lagator, Costanzo & Schiffman were all brilliant, selfless individuals who were quite prepared to throw themselves in front of shot after shot. Brilliant stuff.

As time went on Barcelona got a little tense, tempers got a little flared and cards were dished out liberally. No one was sent off, and that was a little bit surprising by the end of play. Anyway the game finished goalless and we had a great result to take back to Anfield.

 Final Score: Barcelona 0-0 Liverpool

Scorers :

Man Of The Match:  Martin Dance

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Costanzo, Crisetig, Lucas, Galarza, Clark, Romani, Salva

Romani picked up a gashed leg from none other than Lionel Messi, he’ll miss 2 weeks with that. Just what we needed.

[chesterfan2]

Thursday April 22^nd 2021

Premier League

Venue:  The Boleyn Ground, London

West Ham United (9^th) vs. Liverpool (2^nd)

The fixture congestion is now really piling games up. This is the second of three games in six days and as such the side bears very little resemblance to my first choice eleven. The highlight here is a debut for right winger Igor Erjavec,  a 17 year old  Croatian, who was brought in to the reserves a couple of seasons back.

Of course the other thing to note here that West Ham have been in superb form in recent weeks, winning their last three 4-1, 3-1 and 5-0 ! I toyed with the idea of retaining the defensive formation with this in mind, but in the end decided to take the game to them, see if we couldn’t score more than they did.

We made a bright start but the West Ham keeper was up to the task of keeping us out, then, and pretty much against the run of play West Ham scored. 5 minutes gone an incisive attack, a shot from the edge of the box that went through a forest of players. Lezcano was unsighted, and though he got a hand to it, it crept in.

We kind of ignored this set back and kept on playing the quick, intricate football that serves us so well, it took us until the 22^nd minute to level the scores and we did that via an interchange of passes between Gandola and Enriquez before Gandola passed the ball into the box where Salva pounced, twelve yards out, and slammed it home.

Later on in the half both teams could and perhaps should have got another, Salva broke clear, but shot wide under very little pressure and late on in the half Schiffman was on hand to make a goal line clearance, a bit harsh on the West Ham lad who shot it to say he shouldn’t have given Robbie that chance.

Into the second half and a real football match was in progress, chances, or more accurately half chances fell to both sides, it was just a matter of who could convert them. On 66 minutes we had the ball in the net, a fine Erjavec cross headed in by Salva, but the linesman decided that Salva had fouled the keeper though I didn’t see any contact between the two at all, so I’m not sure why it was given as that.

We later on hit the bar, a feat that was matched by West Ham at the other end, and though both teams huffed and puffed it seemed the footballing gods were intent on a draw for this match. This leaves us three points behind Spurs now with two games in hand, next the visit of Everton, in two days time.

Final Score: West Ham 1-1 Liverpool

Scorers : Salva

League Position: 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Roberto Gandola

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola, Enriquez, Mozzini, Galarza, Erjavec, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Saturday April 24^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (2^nd) vs. Everton (10^th)

We go into this game with a side picked partly on the virtue of talent and partly on the virtue of fitness. Some players plain need a rest, Romani and Salva the chief ones amongst those, but there are changes all over this side.

It didn’t seem to matter much though as we took the lead after only three minutes, a slick passing move concluding with a Clark finish from close range.  And that was about it for excitement in the first half. A very dull game, especially for a derby match. Both sets of fans booed the teams coming off, I can’t say I blame them.

I told them to do better in the second half, and they did, eventually. The highlight of the first half hour of the second period was Hughes having to go off injured and then we had to bring Salva on, and rejig the front line. We didn’t want to use Salva but needs must and all that.

Anyway the game finally sprang into life on 80 minutes as Clark added his second of the day from close range. He then completed his hatrick on 86 minutes, the ball dropping to him nicely about eight yards out from a knock-down by Casanova. The on-loan youngster added a fourth goal in injury time in an almighty goalmouth scramble and our demolition of our neighbours was complete. This had the added bonus of putting us back to the top, even if it was only going to be for a few hours.

Final Score: Liverpool 4-0 Everton

Scorers : Clark 3, Casanova

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  George Clark

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Lagator, Costanzo, Proffitt, Gandola (Cespedes 62), Crisetig, Kemble, Clark, Hughes (Salva 62), Casanova

[chesterfan2]

Saturday May 1^st 2021

Premier League

Venue:  The Emirates Stadium

Arsenal (5^th) vs. Liverpool (2^nd)

This is the televised lunchtime game so a win here would put us back on top and lay all the pressure back on Spurs who go to Everton today. Injuries and player rotations to try and sustain some level of fitness sees Drage on the right, Mozzini on the left and Erico in midfield amongst a number of changes.

We were under pressure from the start as Arsenal came out of the blocks fast. They got the opening goal on 7 minutes after a goal mouth scramble where we just couldn’t get the ball away.  It became 2 in the 24^th minute as we failed to get close to an inspired run, the lad laying off the ball to his strike partner to administer the final blow.

Two down at half time and I had a go. A right go. It was the lack of fight that angered me. I made sure that they went back out there with a far better idea of what I, and the fans, expected of them.

The second half didn’t start out too promisingly as though we had more possession and played with more purpose we weren’t getting very close to troubling their keeper.  What we needed was a bit of luck and on 66 minutes we got it. Clark got out to the left wing his cross hit the full back on his back and looped up and over the keeper and into the net. I have never seen anything like it. They all count though and this one got us back in the match.

Three minutes later and we were level, through another slice of good fortune, Clark the recipient of the luck once more. He burst into the box and went for the byline, when he got to the corner of the six yard box he tried to squeeze the ball in. His shot hit the post rebounded and came off the back of the keeper’s head and into the net. A second own goal.  We were level.

On 77 Drage swung over a free kick from the right, just inside the Arsenal half. The Gunners defence was static as only Salva moved for the ball and he was allowed the time to place a header beyond the keeper for a 3-2 lead.

Arsenal were shell-shocked and offered nothing in terms of getting back on terms. It wasn’t all bad for their fans, at least Spurs weren’t on top of the table at the end of this match !

Final Score: Arsenal  2-3 Liverpool

Scorers : og 2, Salva

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Robbie Schiffman

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Schiffman, Costanzo, Proffitt, Lucas, Gandola, Mozzini, Clark, Drage, Salva

As comebacks go, that was a really satisfying one. It was also an important three points for two reasons. Firstly it put us back top, even if it was going to be for just a few hours. Also it confirmed that whatever happened we now had enough points to be sure of Champion’s League football next season.   It was also good personally as well as the board offered me a five year contract extension at £93,000 per week. I accepted. Obviously.

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday May 5^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  The Den

Millwall (20^th) vs. Liverpool (1^st)

Spurs did lose at Everton and so we go into this game top. Meanwhile Romani is back in full training though I decide not to play him in this one. The FA Cup final is at the weekend so I make a couple of changes to save some legs.

If Millwall are going to survive in the Premier League this season it is going to be on the back of their decent home form. They are a different proposition in this tight ground between the railway tracks in South London, and so they prove in the first half. They more than hold their own, though we do have the ball in the net on 7 minutes, and find it disallowed for a foul I didn’t see by Salva on the keeper. I honestly didn’t think beating the keeper to the ball was a foul in itself, but this ref obviously does.

Anyway, halftime and goalless. And another angry team talk.

This one didn’t work as well though as Millwall put up the shutters and saw out a frustrating 45 minutes of fairly chance free football. We shot from too far out as a general rule, and I wasn’t happy with the result. On the plus side in the night’s other match Spurs could only draw at our cup final opponents, Southampton so we stay top. Spurs only have one game left now, we have three, which is nice.

Final Score: Millwall 0-0 Liverpool

Scorers :

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Robbie Schiffman

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Schiffman, Costanzo, Proffitt, Lucas, Gandola, Mozzini, Clark, Drage, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Saturday May 8^th 2021

FA Cup Final

Venue: Wembley Stadium

Southampton(PRM 12^th) vs. Liverpool(PRM 1^st)

Romani returns for this one, whilst Kemble is given the left wing role. The fans are out in force for this, the game that used to be the game that marked the end of the season. We have three games left, and they’ll all be played next week. But for now I’ve got a pretty fit squad !

We opened the scoring in the 17^th minute after a pretty cagey opening quarter hour. Romani had a cross blocked, and when it came back to him there was room to move into the box, he did so unchallenged and was able to squeeze a shot under the keeper’s body and put us into the lead.

On the 30 minute mark we made it two, a sweeping move down the left saw Kemble feed Clark and Clark passed inside to Salva who shot in from the edge of the box, giving the keeper no chance.

Half time and we are two-nil up. I tell them how pleased I am with their performance.

The second half was a different matter entirely. Southampton had obviously been told to up their game and the contest was suddenly more even. Even so we were able to keep Southampton at bay for long periods and cut down their chances to a minimum. Finally on 87 minutes they scored, a scrambled effort, but they all count.

The last few minutes were like the Alamo, but we held firm and won, no, retained, The FA Cup.

Final Score: Southampton 1-2 Liverpool

Scorers : Romani, Salva

Man Of The Match:  Lucas

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Lucas, Gandola, Kemble, Clark, Romani, Salva

[mark wilson27]

Congrats on the FA Cup win and I might aswell say on the title as I can't see you messing that up 

Also its good to see you back posting again sir

[chesterfan2]

Thanks Mark, I've rediscovered my love of FM lately, and whilst I'm not yet writing anything new, I do have this story that I've not yet finished, and here it is.....

 

Monday May 10^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  The Madjeski Stadium

Reading (7^th) vs. Liverpool (1^st)

Reading on the back of their England centre forward, Leon Swift, are no mugs, especially at home. They like to play a very defensive 4-4-2 with the two central midfielders sitting just in front of the defence. To counter this we go with the 5-3-2 setup, hopefully overpowering them in central areas.

The first half doesn’t give much indication that this approach is going to work, as attack after attack is broken up as we approach the edge of the box.  I feel a bit sorry for the fans of Reading as they offer very little going forward themselves, they seem content to try and spoil our efforts. The first half was goalless, and pretty much chanceless. It was a relief when it was over.

At half time I shouted at them, a bit more effort and we could make the Premier League title as good as ours. Not mathematically certain, but three points ahead of Spurs with a superior goal difference with them only having the one game left would do for me. They went back out looking fired up.

For once this seemed to make a difference as we march forward and take the lead via a Salva penalty just two minutes into the second half. Salva himself was the one fouled, held back in the act of shooting, the lad quite lucky not to receive a red card for that one.

On 56 minutes Reading were reduced to ten men as one of their wide men was sent off for use of an elbow, a straight red this time. Whilst Reading were still reorganising we got a second goal, Clark feeding Casanova and the young Italian making no mistake under quite a bit of pressure, a very composed finish.

We got a third right at the death, Lagator turning in a Crisetig corner in the 92^nd minute. That was more than enough and we ran out comfortable winners.

Final Score: Reading 0-3 Liverpool

Scorers : Salva (pen), Casanova, Lagator

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Sime Lagator

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Crisetig, Costanzo, Proffitt, Lagator, Enriquez, Gandola, Clark, Casanova, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday May 12^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (1^st) vs. Manchester City (6^th)

In order to finish the league program for all clubs at the same time it was necessary to play this, the last of our game’s in hand, only two days after the last one. We have some tired bodies out there so a few change are made. Galarza is back from injury but not fit so he’ll start on the bench today, Puga gets the job of keeping his spot in the starting lineup warm.

Given that a point today will confirm us as Premier League Champions it is perhaps understandable that we start off in a cagey manner. The first half is tight and tense with very little in the way of entertainment. Any chances we have are snatched at and we don’t work their young goalkeeper enough. Half time comes around, it’s goalless, and awful quiet here at Anfield. We need, in the second half, to get the crowd involved, I reckon.

I tell them in no uncertain terms to pull their fingers out, these fans deserve better. They go out fired up and I hope for the best.

Early on in the second period we lose two players to injury in quick succession. First Mozzini limped off to be replaced by Casanova and then Puga picked up a slightly more serious looking knock and so, on 62 minutes, we see the return of Galarza from injury.

Less than five minutes later and we are ahead, Romani down the right, a deep cross and Casanova ghosting in at the back stick to head home, 67 minutes gone and we lead.

The match kind of faded away after that, we lost urgency City failed to trouble us going forward, we saw out a standard 1-0 win, and secured the Premier League Title for the third year in a row.

Final Score: Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City

Scorers :  Casanova

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Lucas

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Proffitt, Lagator, Crisetig, Lucas, Puga (Galarza 62), Mozzini (Casanova 57), Romani, Salva

[chesterfan2]

Sunday May 16^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (1^st) vs. Southampton (13^th)

The last game of the season and nothing to play for, I try to get them enthused enough to send the fans home happy, though I’m sure the league win has made them happy enough already. It doesn’t really work it has to be said and the fans sit through 90 minutes of two teams going through the motions.

The match was goalless, the trophy presented on the pitch at the end, and that was to be followed by an open top bus tour around the city. Time to let their hair down. Let’s sink a couple of bevvies this evening.

Final Score: Liverpool 0-0 Southampton

Scorers :

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Jorge Enriquez

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Lagator, Proffitt, Costanzo, Gandola, Enriquez, Kemble, Galarza, Romani, Casanova

[chesterfan2]

So the season comes to an end. On the last day Spurs drew at home to local rivals Arsenal allowing Chelsea, 4-0 victors over Reading to steal second spot.  Man Utd claim 4^th and the last of the Champion’s League spots. Arsenal & Man City lie in 5^th and 6^th respectively and will take part in the Euro Cup. Southampton as the FA Cup representative also get a spot in that competition.  Millwall, Huddersfield and West Brom are all relegated. The final table looked like this:

 

 | Pos   | Inf   | Team         |       | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | G.D.  | Pts   | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 1st   | ECC   | Liverpool    |       | 38    | 27    | 9     | 2     | 84    | 22    | +62   | 90    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 2nd   | ECC   | Chelsea      |       | 38    | 25    | 9     | 4     | 75    | 20    | +55   | 84    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 3rd   | ECC   | Tottenham    |       | 38    | 26    | 6     | 6     | 94    | 49    | +45   | 84    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 4th   | ECC   | Man Utd      |       | 38    | 25    | 8     | 5     | 68    | 27    | +41   | 83    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 5th   | EC    | Arsenal      |       | 38    | 19    | 9     | 10    | 68    | 44    | +24   | 66    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 6th   | EC    | Man City     |       | 38    | 19    | 9     | 10    | 71    | 58    | +13   | 66    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 7th   |       | Reading      |       | 38    | 14    | 9     | 15    | 47    | 53    | -6    | 51    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 8th   |       | West Ham     |       | 38    | 12    | 11    | 15    | 59    | 59    | 0     | 47    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 9th   |       | Stoke        |       | 38    | 12    | 9     | 17    | 43    | 52    | -9    | 45    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 10th  |       | Aston Villa  |       | 38    | 12    | 9     | 17    | 54    | 65    | -11   | 45    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 11th  |       | Wolves       |       | 38    | 12    | 8     | 18    | 58    | 65    | -7    | 44    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 12th  |       | Everton      |       | 38    | 12    | 8     | 18    | 51    | 70    | -19   | 44    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 13th  |       | Q.P.R.       |       | 38    | 12    | 8     | 18    | 37    | 56    | -19   | 44    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 14th  | EC    | Southampton  |       | 38    | 10    | 13    | 15    | 43    | 58    | -15   | 43    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 15th  |       | Newcastle    |       | 38    | 11    | 7     | 20    | 47    | 68    | -21   | 40    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 16th  |       | Fulham       |       | 38    | 10    | 8     | 20    | 34    | 56    | -22   | 38    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 17th  |       | Blackpool    |       | 38    | 10    | 7     | 21    | 43    | 63    | -20   | 37    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 18th  | R     | West Brom    |       | 38    | 9     | 8     | 21    | 48    | 73    | -25   | 35    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 19th  | R     | Huddersfield |       | 38    | 8     | 10    | 20    | 29    | 60    | -31   | 34    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	| 20th  | R     | Millwall     |       | 38    | 7     | 11    | 20    | 26    | 61    | -35   | 32    | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
	|       |       |              |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       | 
	| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

 

Our top scorer was Leandro Salva with 13 league goals, Lopez got 12 and Yarmolenko 9, we really spread it around. Top scorers in the league was Carlos Fierro of Spurs, who scored 36 goals in the league season. As a team we had the second highest number of goals scored (84 to Spurs’ 94) and we were the second best defence (22 goals conceded  to Chelsea’s 20). Our goal difference of +64 was by quite a long way the best in the division.

The end of season’s awards were slightly disappointing. I won Manager of the Year again, but other than spots in the Premier League Best Eleven for Robbie Schiffman and Jorge Romani we didn’t get any other awards.  I sent them all off for their end of season break, asking them all to come back in early July. The season wasn’t quite over for me though as there were a couple of important games for England coming up.

[chesterfan2]

Friday June 4th 2021

World Cup European Qualifying Section Group 2

Venue:  Windsor Park, Belfast

Northern Ireland (6^th)  vs. England (1st)

Butland preferred in goal to a not yet completely match fit Joe Hart, and a return for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. A game we should win by something approaching a cricket score on paper, but you don’t play on paper, do you ? I tell the lads to relax and play their game, the result will follow. At least it should.

We attack from the off and get our reward in just the third minute from the penalty spot, Finley fouled as Oxlade-Chamberlain crossed. Wilshire stepped up and put it away.

Northern Ireland settled somewhat and gave a good account of themselves defensively for the next period. However on 36 they were reduced to ten men when their right back clattered Wilshire to get a second yellow card. This presented the hosts with a bit of a problem, one that hadn’t sorted by 42 minutes when Ian Finley popped up in front of goal to make it two.

On the stroke of half time it was 3-0, Oxlade-Chamberlain heading home a Wilshire free kick from just inside the Northern Irish half. Pressure from Finley saw a defender head in an own goal on 47 minutes. If we thought the flood gates would open then we were wrong as Northern Ireland played some attractive footy.

We got a fifth near the death, Swift pulling the ball back for Finley to blast home. All-in-all a very comfortable win.

Final Score: Northern Ireland 0-5 England

Scorers : Wilshire, Finley 2, Oxlade-Chamberlain, og

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Ian Finley

Team: Butland, Dance , Jones, Schiffman, Proffitt, Cork, Rodwell, Wilshire, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Swift, Finley

[chesterfan2]

Monday June 14th 2021

Confederations Cup Group B

Venue:  Umm Salal Mohammed Community Stadium, Qatar

England (n/a)  vs. Solomon Islands (n/a)

A useful little tournament this, a dry run for next year’s World Cup, here in Qatar. If nothing else It will get our lads used to playing in dry 29 degree heat. This game is apparently against minnows, but the Solomon Islands are apparently going places internationally and at 98^th in the world they are higher ranked than our last opponent’s Northern Ireland (137^th in the world).

Still this is a good opportunity to give some up and coming players a go. So today we have debuts for Marshall of Southampton playing at left back, Stepien of Blackburn at right back and Tim Roberts of Reading in the middle of the park.

Two minutes gone and we take the lead, Proffitt on hand to turn in the ball from a corner. But, amazingly that was the only goal of the half. We had any number of chances and half chances but they were defended stoutly by the Solomon Islanders, their keeper, especially, played out of his skin. They offered practically nothing going forward though so our 1-0 lead was never in threat.

In the second period we lost Leon Swift to an injury. Wigan’s Martin Fagan was the man to come on, he was also the man to score the second goal, shot through a crowd catching the keeper unawares for about the only time in the whole afternoon. It finished 2-0 to us, a win, but it should have been by more than that shouldn’t it ?

Final Score: England 2-0 Solomon Islands

Scorers : Proffitt, Fagan

Group Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Owen Proffitt

Team: Butland, Stepien , Marshall, Jones, Proffitt, Cork, Roberts, Wilshire, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Swift (Fagan 55), Finley

We dropped to second in the group as the other two team in the group played their match. It finished Brazil 3-1 South Korea.

[chesterfan2]

Thursday June 17th 2021

Confederations Cup Group B

Venue:  Khalifa International Stadium, Qatar

England (2^nd)  vs. South Korea (3^rd)

This was a feisty contest, tightly fought, with chances to both sides in the early exchanges. We took the lead on 31 minutes, a Wilshire freekick headed in by Oxlade-Chamberlain, a nice goal. Wilshire added a second on 35 minutes from the penalty spot after he, himself, had been brought down.

Into the second half and on 49 minutes we made it three as Oxlade-Chamberlain once more turned in a Wilshire corner from close range. South Korea tried to get back into the match, but we held them at bay, and did it with quite a bit to spare.

Final Score: England 3-0 South Korea

Scorers : Oxlade-Chamberlain 2, Wilshire (pen)

Group Position: 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Team: Butland, Dance , Schiffman, Jones, Proffitt, Cork, Rodwell, Wilshire, Barkley, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Finley

[chesterfan2]

Sunday June 20th 2021

Confederations Cup Group B

Venue:  Madinat ash-Shamal International Arena, Qatar

England (2^nd)  vs. Brazil (1^st)

Both sides have qualified for the semi-finals of this tournament so there’s only the pride of top place in the group to play for. This does actually prove to be a good enough reason, and the game is quite lively and open. We take the lead on 36 minutes as Finley curls a free kick on the edge of the box up and over the wall and in off the underside of the bar for a brilliant goal.

Half time and a goal up against Brazil not often you can say that now is there ?

Brazil hit the bar with a free kick shortly after the break and it didn’t look like our lead was going to last long, but we held on and defended well. On 81 we made it two as Proffitt headed home a Wilshire corner.

And that’s how it ended. We top the group and so should get the slightly easier semi-final.

Final Score: England 2-0 Brazil

Scorers : Finley, Proffitt

Group Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Owen Proffitt

Team: Butland, Dance (Baldwin 52), Schiffman, Jones, Proffitt, Rodwell, Wilshire, Roberts, Ibe, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Finley

Dance came off with a knock on the shin. He’ll miss the semi-final which will be against South Africa. Brazil will get a tougher draw, meeting a bang in form Mexico, driven by a now fit-again Alfredo Lopez !

[mark wilson27]

Thats a pretty dominant top four their sir, and I must say a cracking start to the Confederations Cup

[chesterfan2]

Thanks Mark, let's just say both Arsenal and Man City were ' disappointing' this season !

 

Thursday June 24th 2021

Confederations Cup Semi-Final

Venue:  Khalifa International Stadium, Qatar

England  vs. South Africa

We pushed up from the start here, but got caught on the break early on, giving away a goal in the third minute, the result of an impressively quick break. We were level soon enough though. On 13 Oxlade-Chamberlain crossed and Ibe coming off the opposite wing volleyed it home.

Shortly after half time the excellent Jack Cork fired a low drive through a crowd of players and into the corner of the net as the ball dropped to him at the back of the box. That was all it took, and we eased into the final where we will once again face Brazil who beat Mexico on penalties.

Final Score: England 2-1 South Africa

Scorers : Ibe, Cork

Man Of The Match:  Jack Cork

Team: Butland, Baldwin, Schiffman, Jones, Proffitt, Wilshire, Cork, Ibe, Barkley, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Finley

[chesterfan2]

Sunday June 27th 2021

Confederations Cup Final

Venue:  Khalifa International Stadium, Qatar

England  vs. Brazil

Perhaps beating Brazil in the Group stage wasn’t the best plan. Not a good plan because it just seemed to make them angry. They were all over us from the off and the only surprise was it took until the 42^nd minute for them to get on the scoresheet. They added another within two minutes and so we went in at half time two goals down.

We made a better fist of it in the second half and were some wayward shooting away from getting on the scoreboard early on in the half. We did, eventually get on the scoresheet, Finley running from the halfway line before shooting low, past the keeper, from the edge of the box.

We pushed on looking for an equaliser, but it just wasn’t coming. Brazil missed a couple of golden opportunities to kill the game off. Finally in the third minute of three minutes of stoppage time we got a free kick on the edge of the Brazil area. Finley took it, straight into the wall, but it came back to him and this time he ripped a daisycutter into the bottom left hand corner of the net. The keeper didn’t see it. No time left and we were level.

Extra time came and went with neither side making the breakthrough that won the game. Neither side came very close to doing so to be honest. And so it was that this tournament would be decided by that bane of English International football, the penalty shoot-out.

 The penalty shoot-out went on for nearly as long as the match. We missed the fourth one, Roberts took that. Brazil had the chance to win it with their fifth, but they missed. 4-4 at the end of the designated takers. We went pen for pen until the 9^th taker for Brazil missed. Owen Proffitt had the chance to win it for us. He missed. The 10^th taker for each country put their pen away, though how Ibe got his weakly hit one past the keeper I’ll never know. It was down to the keepers, 11^th taker for each nation. Brazil’s netminder missed. Ours, Jack Butland, didn’t. We had won a penalty shoot-out. We had won the Confederation’s Cup.

Final Score: England 2-aet-2 Brazil (England win 9-8 on penalties)

Scorers : Finley 2

Man Of The Match:  Ian Finley

Team: Butland, Baldwin, Schiffman, Jones, Proffitt, Rodwell, Wilshire, Roberts, Ibe, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Swift 105), Finley

[chesterfan2]

End of Season Review

At the end of season 9 of my career, I had attained 18 trophies.

Trophies Won:            

Belgian Third Division Champions  2012/3 – Deinze

English FA Trophy 2013/4 – Northampton Town

English FA Trophy 2014/5 – Northampton Town

Blues Square Premier League Champions 2014/15 – Northampton Town

nPower League Two Champions 2015/16 – Northampton Town

nPower Championship Champions 2016/17 – Fulham

FA Cup Winners 2017/18 – Liverpool

Euro Cup Winners 2017/18 – Liverpool

Premier League Champions 2018/19 – Liverpool

Capital One Cup Winners 2019/20 – Liverpool

FA Cup Winners 2019/20 – Liverpool

Premier League Champions 2019/20 – Liverpool

European Champions Cup Winners 2019/20 – Liverpool

European Championship Winners 2020 – England

Capital One Cup Winners 2020/21 – Liverpool

FA Cup Winners 2020/21 – Liverpool

Premier League Champions 2020/21 – Liverpool

Confederation’s Cup Winner 2021- England

 

[chesterfan2]

In the discussions with the board that usually open up the new season, I was given a couple of options. Either challenge for the title and take a war chest of £36million or promise them the title and have a war chest of £49 million. As we have won the league three years running I thought promising them the title was exactly what I should be doing. £49 million would allow for a bit of a rebuild, and so I went for that one.

First up some players out. Drage went on a free transfer at the end of his contract to Real Madrid. He’s been a good servant to this club and goes with our blessing. Will Hughes who has done nothing but whinge whilst he’s been here left on a free at the end of his contract. I was glad to see the back of him.  We sold reserve team centre back Giuseppe Franzoni to Blackburn Rovers for £5miilion, there’s no way he was worth that.

Bayern offered us the going rate for Roberto Gandola but he’s worth a lot more to us than that, so we said no. His agent was in the next morning to ask for a new contract, I was more than happy to keep him sweet, I’m not after a wholesale change of staff, just pruning the dead wood. To that end I turned down a £15million offer for Carmelo Costanzo from Real Madrid, once again he’s worth a lot more to me than that.

The players out didn’t stop. Noteworthy amongst the reserves leaving was central defender Randall Miranda’s £1.5million move to Pisa.  Winger Matty Trewick went to West Brom for £3million. James Burley a winger got on a free from Man U, but never up to the required standard, we got £2.8million for him from Reading. Daylight Robbery.

There was a bit of activity on the loan front too. We took Emres Casanova on another season long loan from AC Milan. I really like the lad, he certainly came through for us last season when we needed him, and I kind of hoped that if Milan didn’t have sight of him the might let him go at the end of his contract.

Going out for a season was Pietro Erico to Southampton. He’ll have fallen down the pecking order a bit with the return of Ferraro and Omrani after seasons out of their own. It should see him get some playing time, and with that he’ll return a better player.

We also made our first big signing of the summer. £25.5 million to bring Reading and England’s Tim Roberts to Liverpool. Primarily a midfielder he can also cover in the centre of defence and as such is a versatile asset to have.

Friendly games started and we started with a couple of run outs for the younger lads and Reserves, playing local sides for a bit of exposure and to get the kids used to what it means to be a Liverpool player round here. A team mainly of U18 kids beat Cammell Laird 8-2, and a team mainly of Reserves beat Connah’s Quay Nomads 5-0.

We also welcomed a player for whom we had made a deal at the end of the January transfer window. Nicolas Lopez is now 18 and a centre-forward, signed for £4million from River in Argentina he is one for the future. He arrives just too late to join us on our training camp in the USA.

We won the first game on tour, against the Brooklyn Knights by 5-0, Omrani, Lopez and Bertello all impressing. And whilst were in the US doing that the club’s staff put the finishing touches to a couple more deals I’d been working on. We got in one on a permanent deal and another on loan for the season. Croatian central defender Zvonimir Istuk, 23 was a £13million capture from QPR, and 18 year old Dutch winger Frank van Steensel came on a season’s loan from Real Madrid. They rate the lad very highly, and we get some cover down the left.

van Steensel was the best player in the next match scoring one and creating one in a 3-2 victory over seventies throwbacks the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Though quite why he was allowed to join the camp and Istuk wasn’t is beyond me.

Bayern then chipped in with a £10.5 million bid for Lorenzo Crisetig, roughly half what I’d think he’s worth. I ask for £22 million, they come back with £12.5million ?????? Barcelona then step in with the full £22 million as an opening offer. I go away to think about potential replacements.

But first a game, the final one of our training trip to America, this time it’s against the MLS team Toronto FC we win 3-1, the star of today being second half substitute, Kemble who gets two goals and the assist for the third as he’s hacked down for a penalty. Romani stepped up for that one.

Our final friendly of the pre-season was a traditional big match at Anfield against one of the better European sides. This time it was Paris Saint Germain who were easily turned over 3-1 by a strong side on our behalf.

Not having found any affordable replacements for Crisetig I push the price up to £25miilion. Barcelona lose interest, and I keep my best defensive midfielder on the squad.

[chesterfan2]

Sunday August 8th 2021

English Community Shield

Venue:  Wembley Stadium

Chelsea  vs. Liverpool

The traditional curtain raiser to the new season, a day out for the fans ,and not usually much more than that.  In this one the game is open and entertaining but without a lot in the way of chances. Chelsea get the only goal of the half, a bit of a disaster for Lezcano as the shot came off the post and went in off the back of his head, a clear own goal.

We played much better in the second half, with a goal curiously disallowed midway through the period. Near the end we were awarded a penalty, and so it ended 1-1. No extra time in this game, straight into a penalty shootout for the win. Chelsea missed their 4^th spot kick, but we missed our 2^nd and 5^th. Chelsea were the winners of this year’s community shield.

 Final Score: Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool (Chelsea win 4-3 on penalties)

Scorers : Lopez (pen)

Man Of The Match:  Lorenzo Crisetig

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Crisetig, Gandola, Galarza, Romani, Yarmolenko, Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday August 11th 2021

International Friendly

Venue:  Wembley

England  vs. Argentina

The timing and wisdom of international friendlies is always open to question, but we have another one here, and this one proved to be quite a draw with the paying public, so we had to turn up for it. We face an Argentina side with four Liverpool players in it, against an England side with only three !

So in terms of a domestic, Lezcano, Romani, Salva & Galarza face off against Proffitt, Schiffman & Roberts. It’s entertaining enough but no goals result. The fans go home without seeing any goals. How disappointed the FA must be.

Final Score: England 0-0 Argentina

Scorers :

Man Of The Match:  Owen Proffitt

Team: Hart, Baldwin, Schiffman, Jones, Proffitt, Saunders, Wilshire (Barkley 45), Roberts, Ibe, Oxlade-Chamberlain , Finley (Swift 45)

Following the interest earlier in the transfer window, Costanzo started agitating for a move. Now he got his wish. Real Madrid came back in for the lad and gave us £20miilion to cover it.  We responded by picking up a kid labelled by the press as ‘The Next Igor Stimac’, an 18 year old Croatian by the name of Miljenko Prlic, bought for £4.5 million from Dinamo Zagreb. He’ll start in the reserves, but with him added I am quite happy with the depth we have even with the loss of Costanzo.

[chesterfan2]

Saturday August 14^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  The Britannia Stadium

Stoke City (n/a) vs. Liverpool (n/a)

And so the season starts with this, a visit to the team we seem to have most trouble with, Stoke. It’s been selected for live TV, the Saturday lunchtime game, and so we’ll be the ones kicking the new season off.

We go with a 5-3-2 formation, which gives Istuk a start and puts both of our quality forwards (Lopez and Salva) on the pitch at once.

We had the majority of the possession and the majority of attempts on goal in the first period. But we were shooting from too far out. Inexplicably shooting when there were better placed players, very frustrating. We did get the only goal of the half, a 40^th minute freekick from a good 30+ yards the was dispatched up , and over, the wall and into the top right hand corner. That was enough to get us to half time in the lead.

I made a change at half time Ferraro on for Gandola, moving Crisetig into the ball winning role with Ferraro as the playmaker. I didn’t feel we had enough control of the middle of the park in the first period so I figured on trying something new.

It seemed to work as we worked the ball up through the defence and on from Galarza into Lopez in the 53^rd minute, Lopez making no mistake from 12 yards. Working the ball into the box, it works.

Crisetig was subjected to a bit of an agricultural challenge on 68 and had to come off, Omrani on in his place. We lost a bit of shape after that but did manage a third goal on 88 minutes, Lagator heading in a Galarza corner at the near post. It’s good to see that some things don’t change.

So, a game won, and quite easily too. It puts us top on the virtue of the fact that the 12:30pm kick off means that this is the only completed game at this point, but who knows, a +3 goal difference might be enough to keep us there all night !

Final Score: Stoke City 0-3 Liverpool

Scorers : Salva, Lopez, Lagator

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Salazar, Lagator, Proffitt, Istuk, Gandola (Ferraro 45), Crisetig (Omrani 68),Galarza, Lopez, Salva

[chesterfan2]

It wasn’t quite enough to stay top. Wolves beat Blackpool by 4-0, but that was the only score bigger than ours, so we lie 2^nd.

We add another player to the squad during that week. Leon Swift is 23 and an England international centre forward. He cost £11.25 million and gives us strength in depth up front. He’ll get a chance to show what he can do in the very next game as Salva picked up a backstrain in training and will miss 4 weeks at least.

Saturday August 21^st 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (2^nd) vs. Queen’s Park Rangers (12^th)

Unchanged formation but Swift and Ferraro start, Gandola and the injured Salva the players missing out.

Early on we were poor. Swift seemed nervous to make an impression and snatched at chances and wasted the ball on a regular basis. I must have looked like the traditional fake Scouser as I waved ‘Calm Down, Calm Down’ hand signals at them.

Eventually though we started to take a bit more time with the ball and that’s when our play started to produce dividends.  We were unlucky not to score until the 43^rd minute, but when the goal did come it was one of those that was just beautiful in it’s simplicity. Galarza to Lopez, Lopez into the box, Swift running on, and tucking it past the keeper from 8 yards. A goal on his debut, and a very well taken one at that.

Half time I told them they could do better, but it was QPR in the ascendancy after the break. They pushed forward and all we were left with were occasional breakaways. I made a couple of minor tactical adjustments midway through the period and we dealt better with the QPR threat, but it wasn’t entirely surprising when they equalised in the 86^th minute. A headed goal from a corner, that’s us all over.

Our turn to throw the kitchen sink forward. It didn’t look like it was going to work as chances, mainly half chances, went begging. Finally in the 94^th minute (only three mins added on initially) Salazar got to the byline, pulled the ball back where it was bundled in from close range by Lopez. A winning goal. Hardly a classic but they all count.

We were now back top, one of only three teams who had won both of their games so far this season. So we led Arsenal and Aston Villa who were the other two teams with 6 points from 2 games.

Final Score: Liverpool 2-1 QPR

Scorers : Swift, Lopez

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Alfredo Lopez

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Salazar, Lagator, Proffitt, Istuk, Ferraro, Crisetig, Galarza, Lopez, Swift

In the week that followed we received a £11.75million bid from Bayern Munich for young midfielder Giulio Ferraro. He has a very bright future so I went back with a negotiated offer of £28.5 million with a further £5million after 10 appearances. To my surprise they didn’t walk away and I accepted it.

[chesterfan2]

Saturday August 28^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Vicarage Lane

Watford (14^th) vs. Liverpool (1^st)

Watford, a side promoted last season has one win out of the three games so far and so sit as high as 14^th. I decide to alter the formation to the 4-2-3-1 formation to bring the wide men back into play, leaving the 5-3-2 as a ‘home only and then only against the poor teams’ formation.

We got on the front foot early and took the lead as early as the 4^th minute, Yarmolenko on hand to sweep the ball in after Lopez had seen his effort parried away. Yarmolenko was the scorer of the second too, on 8 minutes, latching onto a through ball by Gandola and firing it low across the face of the goal and into the far corner.

His hatrick goal, on 25 minutes was a thing of beauty, running from deep, with the ball, striding to the edge of the box and unleashing a drive which flew in.

The second half was one way traffic, but Watford did manage to break out and score the only goal of the second period in the 71^st minute.

Final Score: Watford 1-3 Liverpool

Scorers : Yarmolenko 3

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Andriy Yarmolenko

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola , Crisetig, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Lopez

Transfer deadline day. Came and went. One player out, the deal for Ferraro to go to Bayern for £28.5 rising to £33.5 million on appearances was completed. One player in, youngster Stafforde Chapman, a 16 year old midfielder, signed for £4.4 million from Arsenal. He’s one for the future.

[chesterfan2]

Friday September 3^rd  2021

World Cup Qualification – European Group 2

Venue:  Wembley

England (1^st)  vs. Luxembourg (5^th)

The visitors today are not expected to do much here but they did beat Northern Ireland so we’ll have to be on our guard tonight. Aw, who am I trying to kid, we are expected to hammer this lot, after all they lost their last two friendlies, 3-0 in Cyprus and 1-3, at home, to Andorra. Now we just have to go out and do it.

So I pick a side that’s not going to include anyone already on a yellow. So Schiffman, Saunders and Oxlade-Chamberlain all sit this one out, as does Phil Jones. I make one new cap tonight, Max Clayton, a centre forward, 27, who plays for Hull. He leads the scoring charts at the minute and deserves a go.

The first goal came after just two minutes, an Ibe cross from the right headed in by Jack Wilshire, the keeper, who looks very nervous, could have done one hell of a lot better. On 8 he’s rescued by his defence who hack the ball clear after he spills another routine cross. But it’s only a brief respite as Swift gets the second on 10 minutes, controlling then sticking away Wilshire’s cross from the left.

Wilshire got his second of the night, our third and his 30^th goal for England on 22 minutes after fine build up play by Ibe and Roberts.  He completed his hatrick, after more creative work by Ibe only two minutes later on 24 minutes.

We coasted to half time. 4-0 at the break and in no kind of danger of not winning.

We look to take the game to Luxembourg in the second period, and on 48 we make it 5-0, Jordan Mutch with his first England goal, struck from the edge of the box.

Amazingly Luxembourg tried to rally and even tested Butland once, but after a slow period we picked up the pace again and scored a sixth goal on 78, Max Clayton on his debut picking up the ball midway inside the Luxembourg half, carrying it to the edge of the ‘D’ and then thumping a low drive into the corner.

That did it for the scoring, a very, very comfortable win.

Final Score: England 6-0 Luxembourg

Scorers : Wilshire 3, Swift, Mutch, Clayton

Group Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Jack Wilshire

Team: Butland, Baldwin, Marshall, Proffitt, Shawcross, Roberts, Mutch, Wilshire, Ibe, Swift, Clayton

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday September 7^th  2021

World Cup Qualification – European Group 2

Venue:  Wembley

England (1^st)  vs. Wales (2^nd)

Wales have done well so far in this qualification process, they have held their own against the Czechs and the Russians, and that’s no mean feat. But they have yet to face this challenge. England at Wembley, let’s see how they handle this…

I go with a 4-2-3-1 formation, giving a debut in the hole behind the loan striker to West Ham’s Oscar Pearson. I have four players on a yellow, but these issues always occur later on in qualification tournaments so we’ll just have to get on with it here.

Pearson looked a little nervous before kick off. He seemed to gain a little confidence when I told the lads that not only was this a big game for us, it was even bigger for the fans, and we should win it for them. And I have to say he looked right at home when, after just 4 minutes, he ran into the box, met a cross from the right by Swift and powered the header past the statuesque  goalkeeper. 1-0 up, and off to a flyer.

Wales, to their credit didn’t lie down and threw men forward. They got their reward on 19 when a header from a corner smacked off the bar and their centre forward was the first to react and bundled the ball home.

The rest of the half was a hundred miles an hour, quite unlike any international we’ve ever been in. We didn’t manage to score, but neither did they and we went in square.

I wasn’t happy, and I let them know it.

The second half started a little brighter but Wales grabbed a breakaway second on 68 minutes. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain dance through a couple of challenges and rasped in an equaliser on 72 minutes. The game kind of fizzled out after that. Roberts forced a good save from the Welsh keeper late on, but that’s as close as we got. Russia won in Belfast and so are now six points behind, with two games left. They are the next visitors here, so it’ll all come down to that match.

 Final Score: England 2-2 Wales

Scorers : Pearson, Oxlade-Chamberlain

Group Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Team: Butland, Baldwin, Schiffman, Proffitt, Jones, Roberts, Wilshire, Ibe, Pearson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Swift

[chesterfan2]

Saturday September 11^th  2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (2^nd) vs. Manchester United (6^th)

At the moment we lie second to Arsenal on alphabetical order. We have both won all three of our opening games, scoring 8 and conceding 2. This game is the televised lunchtime game, which given the history of this game is unsurprising but it gives us a chance to put a score on the board and see if the Gooners can match it. United manager Jose Mourinho has attempted to stir things up in the press this week, but we have bigger rivals than United now. Don’t we ?

Not in the mind of the fans, obviously, as they greeted the players onto the pitch with one of the loudest and most emotional ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone” renditions you’ll ever hear. 

Crisetig had come back from the international break injured so the experienced Jorge Enriquez gets the start in the ball winning role. 

We dominate the early stages but come across David De Gea in fine form. You know I recall ‘Miracle Keepers’ from the versions of Football Manager I used to play as a kid, and here De Gea was just like that, making saves you didn’t think it would be physically possible for him to make, amazing, frustrating,  stuff.  It becomes more even as the half passes, and Lezcano is called on to make a smart save. De Gea is still keeping everything out at the other end.

Meanwhile the game is getting niggly and threatening to boil over. In the half we have four players booked, United have three, but one of those is booked twice and has to take an early bath.

Goalless at half time, and the one things I asked the lads to change was to stay on their feet, the ref seemed a bit card happy, even taking into account the needled atmosphere, so no need to pick up a silly second yellow for a badly timed challenge.

The second half is much like the first in as much as we press, De Gea keeps it out, they press, our defence throw themselves in the way of the ball. Finally on 71 minutes the game gets a goal, and it goes to us. Lopez the creator, fashioning an opening on the right side of the box, feeding the ball in for Romani running onto it to squeeze the ball in at the near post. Romani has had a terrible afternoon, and been in the left back’s pocket all game up to that point, but he left him for dead there and we were a goal ahead.

We shut up shop after that, and whilst United came close to an equaliser, and perhaps should have got an equaliser, they didn’t manage to do so, and we make it four wins out of four, over to you, Arsenal.

Final Score: Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United

Scorers : Romani

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Roberto Gandola

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola , Enriquez, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Lopez

In the games that followed the other sides with 100% records both lost them, Villa 4-0 away at Man City and Arsenal away at Fulham, so we now sit on top of the table on our own.

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday September 15^th  2021

European Champions Cup Group F

Venue:  Constantin Radulescu

CFR Cluj (n/a) vs. Liverpool (n/a)

A scrappy opening, in which we snatched at chances was followed on 16 minutes by the opening goal, which we scored as a result of an incredibly scrappy build up and shot, Galarza bundled the ball in at the third attempt. We added a second on 26 minutes, this one a slick passing move that went from Galarza to Romani to Lopez and then to Yarmolenko who took the ball round the last man and beat the keeper from 8 yards.

42 minutes and it was three, Lagator heading in a Gandola corner at the near post, under very little pressure. Half time came round and we were three up, away from home in Europe, it doesn’t get much better than that.

The second half was calmer, fewer chances. We did, however, extend our lead on 74 minutes when the ball dropped in the box and Lopez was on hand to blast it home. He spurned a chance to make it five on 87, hitting a weak penalty and the keeper guessing the right way. The penalty was awarded for an innocuous looking challenge on Yarmolenko, so perhaps justice was done there.

Final Score: CRJ Cluj 0-4 Liverpool

Scorers : Galarza, Yarmolenko, Lagator, Lopez

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Sime Lagator

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola , Enriquez, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Sunday September 19^th  2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (1st) vs. Fulham (17^th)

One change to the side today, a chance for Omrani to show me what he can do in a central midfield role, Enriquez drops to the bench to accommodate him.

Fulham started the game well and it took us a while to get to grips with their attacking intent. But weather it we did, and Lezcano was never seriously troubled for the whole of the first half. We slowly started to pass the ball better and began to move the ball down the pitch. In the 40^th minute we got a corner, the ball fell to Alfredo Lopez whose shot was well parried by the Fulham keeper, but only as far as Proffitt who kept a cool head and slotted home from a narrow angle.

One-nil up at half time then. I told them I thought they could do better, I do that a lot, and I made one change. Galarza just wasn’t at the races today, so I replaced him with George Clark.

The second half was one way traffic, we created chance after chance but were wasteful. When Romani had a goal chalked off for offside on 67 minutes (I’ve seen the replays, he was offside, went a second too early) I began to fear that Fulham might mount a late raid and grab a draw, but that was not to be as Gandola fed the ball, under a serious amount of pressure,  into Clark who fired home a ripper of a shot into the bottom left hand corner, 84 minutes gone. Game over.

Final Score: Liverpool 2-0 Fulham

Scorers : Proffitt, Clark

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Owen Proffitt

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola , Omrani, Yarmolenko, Galarza (Clark 45), Romani, A. Lopez (N. Lopez 80)

The injury news wasn’t great. Roberto Gandola gashed his head in the act of making the second goal against Fulham, he’ll miss a week or so. Worse news came from the Southampton camp, where Pietro Erico is on loan, he tore his knee ligaments in the 5^th minute of their match against Stoke and will be out for 2 to 3 months. He’s on a year long loan at St. Mary’s so he should get back to fitness whilst he’s still there, it’s just not very nice news to hear, is it.

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday September 22nd 2021

Capital One Cup Third Round

Venue:  Craven Cottage

Fulham (PRM 17th) vs. Liverpool (PRM 1st)

As is always the way with these things in football our opponents in this, our entry into this year’s Capital One Cup, are the same as our last league opponents. We are, however at their place this time.

I make a few changes for this, a cup competition which bothers the board not one little bit. In comes Rickel Fashanu for his debut in goal, Nicolas Lopez for his full debut (I know he came on for 10 minutes in the league game, but he starts here) up front. Tim Roberts in for the injured Gandola and Salazar gets a run out at left back, And Leon Swift fills in for Yarmolenko on the left wing.

We started well,  but unsurprisingly looked a little bit disjointed up front. We did take the lead in one of the few bits of good play in the half as Roberts fed the ball to Romani who jinked into the box and slotted the ball between the keeper and his near post. The keeper won’t be happy with that one, but I think it was a well taken goal. Late on in the half Fashanu made a smart save to keep us in the lead to half time.

The second half was much more of the same but we failed to add to our score and so when Fulham finally did manage to apply some pressure they managed to equalise on 77. They looked a good yard offside to me, but it wasn’t given.

So we went to extra time. We had a goal in the first period disallowed for a foul on the keeper, a little harsh to my mind, but then again it would be. No more chances and so we went to penalties.

We missed four penalties in a row. I know, unbelievable. They scored twice and Fashanu saved one of them. So we were out. I suspect the board won’t be that bothered, but I would have liked for the youngsters to have had a little run so I, at least, am disappointed with that.

Final Score: Fulham 1-1 Liverpool (Fulham win 2-0 on penalties)

Scorers : Romani

Man Of The Match:  Tim Roberts

Team: Fashanu, Dance, Salazar, Lagator, Proffitt, Roberts , Omrani, Swift, Galarza (Clark 65), Romani, N. Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Saturday September 25^th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Emirates Stadium

Arsenal (5^th) vs. Liverpool (1^st)

I wasn’t that bothered about going out of the Capital One Cup but I did want us to bounce straight back and this was very far from being the easiest place to come to do that. Arsenal lay in 5^th place in the league despite playing one less game than everyone else. Their last match had been a surprise defeat in a London derby at lowly Fulham so they too would be looking to bounce back here.

We started ok, and kept out the early Arsenal pressure but just as we began to establish ourselves a bit we failed to pick up at a freekick from deep and allowed former Liverpool striker Ian Finley the freedom of the penalty area and time to pick his spot. He did just that, thumping a header home, 21 minutes on the clock.

We tried manfully to get back into the game but found an Arsenal keeper in form and we went in at half time a goal down. I exhorted them to greater things and sent them back out.

We started well enough and seemed to get a break when England full back Nick Baldwin got a harsh straight red for a foul on Enriquez, yet we seemed to lose our way after that incident and Arsenal held onto their lead without too much bother. A narrow defeat, and one in which I think we should have done better.

Final Score: Arsenal 1-0 Liverpool

Scorers :

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Sime Lagator

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Cespedes , Crisetig, Enriquez, Yarmolenko, Romani, A. Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday September 28^th  2021

European Champions Cup Group F

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (1^st) vs. Athletico Madrid (2^nd)

A tired Romani sat this one out, Yarmolenko switching wings and Swift coming in on the left. A backup for right wing would seem to be a priority for the next window.

The visitors today are the team I considered our biggest rivals in this group, and one we couldn’t take lightly. Still I felt the need to try and win at home so we went with the 4-2-3-1 formation.

We started well, Lopez forcing their keeper into a smart save with just 3 minutes on the clock, but the pressure didn’t last and we were behind to Athletico’s first attack on 7 minutes, the lad who put it in looked a yard offside but the flag didn’t come and we had been picked off early on.

We rallied well but it wasn’t until the stroke of half time that we equalised, Galarza beating two down the right and his cross was missed by the keeper, and caught the centre half unsighted as the ball bounced off his knee and straight into the net. Own goal, but they all count. 1-1 at half time, some work to do.

The second half started very well for us with another goalkeeping blunder gifting us a second goal. 48 minutes on the clock as Yarmolenko worked a crossing opportunity on the right wing, not being used to that position he got the cross a bit wrong, too close to the keeper. But the keeper inexplicably left it, and it sailed over his head and into the net. A fluke, and quite definitely his fault.

We then had an eventful spell with Lagator hitting the post as the ball pinged to him after a corner was only half cleared on 51. Then on 54 Athletico had their own corner at which the ref awarded them a penalty. I didn’t see what for but my lads were furious. Justice would seem to be done then as Lezcano guessed the right way and turned the well hit penalty away.

On 68 minutes Lezcano made a flying save to keep us in front, keeping out a wonderful curling effort from the edge of the box. Shortly after that I replaced the rapidly tiring Swift with Romani and switched Yarmolenko back to his favoured wing. It soon paid dividends as on 82 we broke up another Athletico attack, Galarza finding Romani in acres of space, he cut into the box, drew the keeper, squared the ball and Alfredo Lopez was on hand to knock the ball into the empty net. 3-1 up, 8 minutes left.

But was it going to be enough, within two minutes, on 83, Athletico had got one back, a free kick, not cleared, and volleyed back into the net from 14 yards out. This game was far from over.

We had a chance to extend our lead on 88, but couldn’t convert, and Athletico came back down and won a corner in the final minute of the 90. Somehow we smuggled it away and the two minutes of extra time produced no more opportunities and we ran out winners of this match.

Final Score: Liverpool 3-2 Athletico Madrid

Scorers : own goal, Yarmolenko, A. Lopez

Group Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Roberts (Crisetig 26), Omrani, Swift (Romani 70), Galarza, Yarmolenko, A. Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Saturday October 2^nd  2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (2^nd) vs. Bolton Wanderers (10^th)

Man Utd had won the early match, beating sixth placed West Ham 2-1 at home to go top on goal difference, having played a game more than us. Anything less than a win here and we’d likely as not not go back to the top, as Chelsea in third are only a point behind.

Gandola was fit enough to return for the injured Roberts, and Romani had made the most of his rest midweek and returned on the right wing. These our only changes from Tuesday night.

We made good progress early on but found Bolton’s defence to be stubborn. It wasn’t until the 21^st minute that we opened the scoring, a fabulous flowing move that split the defence wide open. Yarmolenko to Romani to Galarza to Lopez, one on one with the keeper and we were a goal up, four touches a thing of beauty.

The rest of the half sailed by, with very little in the way of chances presenting themselves. We went in a goal up. A narrow lead, but a lead nevertheless.

We pushed for a second early on in the second half but it wouldn’t come, Gandola pulled his shot well wide, Yarmolenko headed against the bar, and we were made to pay on 72 minutes as Bolton swung in a free kick, got in ahead of Lagator and flicked a header home. 1-1, against the run of play, but if you only score one goal, what do you expect ?

We huffed and we puffed but we weren’t at the races today and the game ended one all.

Final Score: Liverpool 1-1 Bolton Wanderers

Scorers : A. Lopez

League Position: 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Martin Dance

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola Omrani, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, A. Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Friday October 8^th  2021

World Cup Qualification – European Group 2

Venue:  Wembley

England (1^st)  vs. Russia (2^nd)

We only need one point from our last two games to confirm our qualification for the World Cup Finals in 2022. The first of those games is at home to second placed Russia, a good a place as any to make sure, I reckon.

We got the better of the opening exchanges but Wilshire shot straight at the keeper with the best of our opportunities on 10 minutes. On 17 minutes Wilshire had to limp off, replaced by Saunders a much more defensively minded midfielder. We lost our way a little after that and Butland in the England goals was called upon to make a couple of smart, but not really taxing saves.

Slowly we came back into the match, and on 33 minutes we took the lead, livewire winger Jordan Ibe cut in from the left and hit a laser beam of a shot into the roof of the net from just inside the box, a spectacular goal. One to get us on our way. The rest of the half was less impressive, the closest we came was an Oscar Pearson header under lot of pressure that the Russian keeper dealt with with ease.

A single goal up at half time, the job half done.  I told them to guard against complacency and sent them back out.

Russia dominated large periods of the second half without ever really testing Jack Butland. They should have done better on a number of occasions but were wasteful. In fact it was England who came closest to scoring in the second period when in the 88^th minute Swift who had come on for an injured Ross Barkley hit the bar with a curling free kick.

We saw the game out from there and therefore secured qualification for the World Cup Finals with a game to spare.

Final Score: England 1-0 Russia

Scorers : J. Ibe

Group Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Robbie Schiffman

Team: Butland, Baldwin, Schiffman, Jones, Proffitt, Hughes, Wilshire (Saunders 17), Ibe, Pearson, Barkley (Swift 75), Finley (Freeman 75)

Wilshire had twisted his ankle in the match and would be out for 4 weeks, with the final group game only 4 days away we had to call up a replacement. I would have liked a in form youngster to be the one I added but there were none out there in good enough form. The player in form was 32 year old Jack Cork, not one for the future but one who can do a job. He’ll likely get a game as Saunders picked up another yellow in the match and therefore gets a one game international ban.

The problems didn’t end there, a disastrous training session saw not one but two of my defenders limp out, a clash of heads saw Dance with a broken nose and young reserve left back Marshall with a nasty gash above his right eye. Both would be out for a few days and replacements were needed. Black of West Ham and Luke Garbutt of Norwich were the guys to benefit.

And it still wasn’t over the following day’s session saw Luke Freeman go for a diving header and meet the boot of one of the defenders. He had a massive shiner and would miss out the game. 23 year old uncapped centre forward Michael Morrissey of Reading was his replacement.

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday October 12^th  2021

World Cup Qualification – European Group 2

Venue:  Letna, Prague

Czech Republic (4^th)  vs. England (1^st)

So to the last game of the group, and qualification confirmed but no need to change anything about, in fact the only change to the starting lineup is Jack Cork in for the injured Wilshire, the other replacements get a go on the bench and will hopefully get a chance in the second half.

It took us just seven minutes to get on the scoreboard and a pretty good goal it was too, slick interpassing that had the Czech defence chasing shadows before Hughes slipped the ball into the box where Ross Barkley applied the final touch and blasted the ball home.

But we didn’t have it all our own way, within two minutes the Czechs were level, a corner, dropped by Butland, and prodded over the line from two yards out by the big central defender.

Things went downhill after that, and the Czech’s got a second, with a sublime free kick on 36 minutes. We tried to get back into the game, but failed and went in a goal down.

I felt we were lacking a little up front and took off Ibe and Finley at half time, neither of whom had done much in the first 45 mins. Swift and the debutant Morrissey were the replacements.

We started the second period well, and were level on 52, Swift setting Morrissey free into the Czech half, and the newcomer made no mistake, taking the ball to the edge of the box before cracking home a blistering drive for a peach of a debut goal.

Pearson missed a couple of good chances just past the hour mark, one a good save but one inches wide when it looked easier to score. We were made to pay for this wastefulness and the Czech Republic got a third on 77, getting in first  with a header from a deep free kick, leaving Butland stranded. We therefore fell to our first defeat in 31 games, a national record. The Czechs, the victors, finished third in the group, as Wales secured second place with a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland and Russia slipped to fourth in the group with an embarrassing 1-0 home defeat to Luxembourg

Final Score: Czech Republic 3-2 England

Scorers : Barkley, Morrissey

Group Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Will Hughes

Team: Butland, Baldwin, Schiffman, Jones, Proffitt, Hughes, Cork, Ibe (Swift 45), Pearson, Barkley, Finley (Morrissey 45)

[mark wilson27]

A real mixed bag of results there sir...

Bet you got some grief for the loss against the Czechs

[chesterfan2]

I think having qualified for the finals in the game against Russia, the lads  took it a little too easy in the Czech game, Mark, and if I recall the media were surprisingly light about it too.

 

With World Cup Qualification over it was time to return to the day job.

Saturday October 16th 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Bloomfield Road

Blackpool (20th) vs. Liverpool (3^rd)

Blackpool have been the division’s whipping boys up to this point of the season, and so I fancied our chances for this one. We picked a 5-3-2 setup so that Salva and Lopez could get in the same team and sent them out.

The first half was ultimately frustrating as we hit both bar and post in a goalless first 45 minutes. I told them to show me something else in the second half.

The second half seemed to be going the way of the first with a myriad of squandered chances, but on the hour mark we got a breakthrough as an Istuk shot was blocked on the line but the first to react was Proffitt who slammed the ball in from four yards out. Not pretty but they all count.

Seven minutes later and it was 2-0, Galarza combining well with Lopez to send Salva away. He strode to the edge of the box and then, under some pressure, fired the ball low into the bottom corner, a good goal.

That was it for the scoring as though we tried, and boy did we try to extend our lead, we couldn’t break through again, shaving the post, having shots saved and the like. Anyway it finished 2-0 a flattering scoreline to Blackpool, but still a win, and that’s what was required.

Final Score: Blackpool 0-2 Liverpool

Scorers : Proffitt, Salva

League Position: 3^rd

Man Of The Match:  Owen Proffitt

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Yarmolenko, Istuk, Lagator, Proffitt, Gandola, Omrani (Crisetig 70), Galarza, Salva, A. Lopez (Bertello 70)

[chesterfan2]

Tuesday October 19^th  2021

European Champions Cup Group F

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (1^st) vs. Fernebache (3^rd)

Romani’s continued absence, due to a groin strain picked up on his international duty meant that Yarmolenko needed to play on the right and fringe player Marcos Bertello would play on the left wing. Other than that a standard 4-2-3-1 for this game. Not exactly straightforward, but one we should definitely be winning.

And we started strongly, opening the scoring with just five minutes on the clock, Omrani seeing his shot parried into the path of Bertello who made no mistake from close range. We pushed on after that but found a keeper in rare form, and it wasn’t until injury time at the end of the first half that we added a second, Lorenzo Crisetig firing the ball through a crowd of players after a Galarza corner was only half cleared.

Two up at the break and some kind words from me. They must have encouraged the lads in some way as we pushed on from the first whistle of the second period and added a third goal on 54 minutes, Proffitt, up for a corner, turning home a Galarza cross after his corner was headed out to his feet on the edge of the box.

Near the end Omrani made it four, firing it into an open goal after the ball fell at his feet in a goalmouth scramble in the 88^th minute. And with that we saw out a very comfortable four-nil win.

Final Score: Liverpool 4-0 Fernebache

Scorers : Bertello, Crisetig, Proffitt, Omrani

Group Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Ahmed Omrani

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Crisetig, Omrani, Bertello, Galarza, Yarmolenko , A. Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Saturday October 23rd 2021

Premier League

Venue:  Anfield

Liverpool (3^rd) vs. Norwich (7^th)

Eight games into the season and our visitors today Norwich have made a good start to the season, winning four, drawing two and losing two of their eight games. They lie 7^th,  but I think their league position is misleading with the wins coming against teams struggling this season, such as QPR and Watford and the defeats coming to the bigger sides of Arsenal and Man Utd, with the United defeat coming at home. So a team to respect and not to fear, that’s what I told the lads.

Bertello keeps his place on the left and Giuseppe Vito starts on the right, giving Yarmolenko a much needed rest. Otherwise we are unchanged from Tuesday night’s convincing win.

And we got off to a flying start, a goal up within three minutes, Sime Lagator the scorer, blasting the ball home from only three yards out after a corner dropped conveniently at his feet. Our second, in the sixth minute was a thing of beauty, a slick passing move from inside our own half that saw Schiffman overlap down the left and cross low for Galarza to turn home from the edge of the six yard box.

Two up and cruising, we really were finding this too easy. We added a third on 26, and quite a special moment it was too, as Alfredo Lopez fired home a laser beam of a shot from the edge of the box for his 100^th goal in all competitions for Liverpool. He’s been a fine servant to this club and I was well pleased for him.

A fourth goal came only two minutes later and this was another gem. Norwich made a rare foray forward, the cross was headed clear to Galarza just outside our box, he then proceeded to run with the ball the length of the field before firing the ball under the keeper’s despairing dive.

 Omrani got in on the action in the 30^th minute as he leapt on a defensive error to force the ball home from 15 yards out. So that was five. We attempted to walk the ball in from that point on and made the half time team talk a little more stern than it otherwise might have been. I took off Bertello and replaced him with Swift as we still had some goal difference to catch up on the teams around us.

Norwich had their best spell in the five minutes immediately after half time but they never came close to testing Lezcano and we re-established control.

A sixth goal followed, Swift the scorer, cutting in from the left wing, into the box and lashing a shot past the keeper from level with the penalty spot.

Norwich then had their best chance of the match on 57, but the shot came back off the post and was hacked away by Lagator. But the revival wasn’t to last as Swift turned provider on the hour mark, setting up Lopez for his second goal of the game, with a well placed shot.

Vito then capped his debut with the 8^th goal on 72, knocking the ball in after his first effort was parried by the keeper. We kept pushing forward but Norwich managed to keep us at bay. The match ended on a slightly concerning note as Proffitt had to limp off on 89, but it couldn’t take anything away from the fabulous performance.

Final Score: Liverpool 8-0 Norwich

Scorers : Lagator, Galarza 2, A. Lopez 2, Omrani, Swift, Vito

League Position: 2^nd

Man Of The Match:  Alfredo Lopez

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt (Istuk 89), Crisetig, Omrani, Bertello (Swift 45), Galarza, Vito , A. Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Sunday October 31st 2021

Premier League

Venue:  The Boleyn Ground

West Ham (9th) vs. Liverpool (2^nd)

The last game had put us above Man City and into second, but only on goals scored, so we would have to hope that the rich vein of form we had found would see us through here. Not the easiest place to come, but if you want to win titles you have to win at places like this.

Yarmolenko came back in on the right wing, Swift kept his place on the left. Proffitt’s injury was nothing more than cosmetic and he’s ok to start here.

We carried on our current habit of taking an early lead, this time with a 6^th minute penalty, fired into the corner by Lopez after Swift had been tripped in the box. But unlike recent games our hosts, West Ham refused to lie down and by the 37^th minute they were level, a low cross, turned in from close range. The drama wasn’t quite finished in the half as the West Ham right back, Wulf, was sent off for his second yellow, the second challenge an agricultural one on Swift that left him unable to continue. Vito came on and Yarmolenko reverted to the left wing. No time for the young lad to make impression and we went in level.

I told the lads they could win this, and sent them back out there.

On 57 we retook the lead, a goal by former West Ham player, Martin Dance, who picked up the ball deep, played a one-two on the edge of the box with Crisetig and then slid the ball under the keeper. Once more West Ham rallied, but this time we held firm, an on 83 we added a third, a second of the day for Lopez hitting a shot on the turn through a crowd of players and into the net.

Final Score: West Ham 1-3 Liverpool

Scorers : A. Lopez 2 (1 pen), Dance

League Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Lorenzo Crisetig

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Crisetig, Omrani, Swift (Vito 44), Galarza, Yarmolenko, A. Lopez

[chesterfan2]

Wednesday November 3^rd  2021

European Champions Cup Group F

Venue:  Sukru Saracoglu, Istanbul

Fernebache (3^rd) vs. Liverpool(1^st)

Lebron gets a start here, as Proffitt was looking a little jaded in training after the weekend game. Romani returns on the right, with Yarmolenko, Swift having picked up a nasty bruise in the West Ham match. It’ll only see him out for a day or so more, but no sense in risking him here. Gandola returned at Omrani’s expense. The lad hadn’t done a lot wrong but he could do with a rest.

Of course we beat this lot 4-0 at our place and so we should probably win here, but probably not if they players go in with that attitude !

Fernebache started well but didn’t make Lezcano work. Slowly we came back into the game and we took the lead on 22 minutes as Lopez stroked home a penalty kick after the defender had been penalised for tripping Lagator as he moved for a dropping ball at a corner. The keeper got a hand to it, but couldn’t keep it out and we were a goal up.

32 minutes and it was two and the Turk’s weakness to corners was shown up in all it’s glory. Cristig’s corner fell to a completely unmarked Yarmolenko who lashed the ball home.

Late on in the half Lezcano was finally called on to make a save, going headlong to palm away  a stinging shot. It preserved our two goal half time lead and made my half time talk a little bit easier.

The second half was ninety mile an hour end to end stuff. Both sides managed to hit the post before we managed on the hour to create a break that saw Alfredo Lopez get his second goal of the game, knocking home the rebound after his initial effort was spilled by the keeper.

Crisetig was allowed to carry the ball into the box in the 64^th minute, only 4 minutes after the last goal, hammering it home from twelve yards. The lad isn’t going to ignore an invitation like that. Fernebache pushed on to get something out of the game but Lezcano and the defence held firm and in the 88^th minute we broke down the field in a fabulous sweeping move that saw Romani take the ball as he broke into the Turk’s half and he strode, unchallenged, into the box, hit a low drive and it was five.

Final Score: Fernebache 0-5 Liverpool

Scorers : Lopez 2 (1 pen), Yarmolenko, Crisetig, Romani

Group Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match:  Andriy Yarmolenko

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Lebron, Crisetig, Gandola, Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani , A. Lopez

The win made it four out of four and it assured us qualification to the knockout stages of the competition, though whether we finished first or second was still open to question.

Then completely out of the blue came the offer of the manager’s job at Athletico Madrid, very good wages and an £18 million transfer kitty. They wanted to win the title and were sat in 16^th spot. I know I’m good, but I’m not a miracle worker, so I said no.