Rodgers' Reds: Class is Permanent

Great man, fantastic win. SS of Migs?

2015-05-06 06:01#212628 Pauker : Great man, fantastic win. SS of Migs?

Thank you!

Welcome to Milan, Italy, and the San Siro, the host stadium of the 2018 Champions League Final. Today, we have two English clubs, age-old rivals Manchester United and Liverpool.

The two sides are arguably the two biggest clubs in England, boasting a number of 40 league titles between them. However, Liverpool have traditionally been the bigger team in terms of stature and trophies won, despite a long dominant spell for United between the 1980s and 2013, throughout the managerial era of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Today, Liverpool are aiming to secure their last possible trophy of the season and a quintuple, and United will be looking to smash those hopes as they finally add a long-awaited fifth European Cup to their trophy cabinet.


A 4th-placed finish in the 2016/17 Premier League meant that United had to first go through playoffs, where they overcame Greek opponents PAOK fairly easily with 8 goals over two legs. Drawn into Group D with Atalanta, Benfica and Monaco, United managed to finish top with 4 wins and 2 draws from 6 games, entertaining fans with some spectacular football, even managing to sweep Benfica away 9-0 at Old Trafford.

Borussia Dortmund beckoned in the First Round, and the Germans failed to score a single goal in the tie as United took the game 3-0. A close fight against Real Madrid in the Quarter Final ended 3-2 in their favor, and the Red Devils proceeded to knock their last victims, Juventus, out of the competition in the Semi Final, holding on to draw 0-0 in Turin, before winning 3-1 back on home ground.


Starting 11: De Gea; Jones, Evans, Rojo, Vertonghen; McCarthy, Strootman, Di Maria, Chamberlain; Mata; Januzaj
Subs: Milinkovic-Savic, Jenkinson, Caulker, Kovacic, Tello, Lamela, Falcao


Joachim Low has not sprung any surprises with his lineup, save for the complete exclusion of Brazilian right-back Rafael da Silva, with Carl Jenkinson taking his place on the bench. The injury of key man Luke Shaw has also forced Low to shift Jan Vertonghen to a left-back position. In midfield, captain Kevin Strootman is joined by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, two United players who will almost certainly be a thorn in Liverpool's side. Linking up in attack is the tricky Juan Mata and Adnan Januzaj, who has an extremely keen eye for goal, as proven from his 29 goals in all competitions this season.


Placed with Roma, Celtic, and Trabzonspor, Liverpool topped Group E with 5 wins and 15 points, despite suffering a humiliating 4-0 loss to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.

Schalke were their first opponents in the knockout stages, and Liverpool ran the Germans over comfortably in the First Round. The threat of Roma came knocking once again in the Quarter Finals, but Liverpool were the ones running out 4-0 winners this time. A 3-2 comeback from the Italians in the second leg were not enough, and Liverpool passed through to the Semi Finals, where they would eventually crush Barcelona with an aggregate score of 7-2.


Starting 11: Mignolet; Clyne, Balanta, Umtiti, Alaba; Romero, Ward-Prowse, Sterling; Balotelli, Coutinho; Zivkovic
Subs: Steele, Joseph, Sakho, Gerrard, Henderson, Ibe, Sturridge


Brendan Rodgers has switched things up tactically, shifting the Liverpool squad's FA Cup formation back into their offensive-minded 4-1-2-2-1. As a result, Steven Gerrard has exited the starting eleven and his place will be given to Philippe Coutinho. James Ward-Prowse is the man with the captain's armband for the game, and the 23-year-old will attempt to work his game-changing magic from the heart of midfield. Mario Balotelli, Raheem Sterling and Richairo Zivkovic are three others that United have to look out for.

0' - The referee blows his whistle to signal the start of the game, and Manchester United kick it off.

14' - Red card! That's the end of the game for Samuel Umtiti! The French defender picks up his second yellow in only 15 minutes, after taking away the legs of Adnan Januzaj with a tackle from behind. Disastrous!


18' - GOAL! Being reduced to 10 men is nothing for Liverpool as they are the ones who find the first goal of the Champions League Final! Richairo Zivkovic is in the area, bypassing Jonny Evans to swing a cross to Philippe Coutinho, and the Reds' number 10 rifles the ball into the bottom right corner of the net!

23' - United get their first chance of the game as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain rises highest to meet a Januzaj cross, but his weak header is easily saved by Simon Mignolet.


31' - Chamberlain goes for another header, this time from a Juan Mata free kick into the Liverpool box, but Mignolet is once again there to deny the winger.

34' - GOAL! It's Liverpool on the counterattack! Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo cannot keep up with Coutinho's pace, and the midfielder races into Evans, before making a terrific pass through the defender's wide-open legs. Mario Balotelli is on the receiving end and experiences no problems beating David De Gea.


35' - Januzaj is unable to get past Lucas Romero, instead deciding to search out Mata with a pass. The Spaniard is unmarked and goes for goal, but Mignolet gets a hand to it, further frustrating United fans and players alike.

37' - GOAL! Unbelievable! Balotelli's great free kick sends the ball to the feet of Eder Alvarez Balanta. Despite being marked by three United defenders, the center-back is able to set up Nathaniel Clyne, who smashes it into the net without any hesitation. 0-3 now!


41' - Oh! An unmarked Januzaj gets onto an awesome Angel Di Maria lob, but the forward's volley is once again kept out of the Liverpool goal by his Belgian compatriot. Stunning save!

44' - United are still desperately searching for their first goal. A swift counterattack ends in Januzaj making a dynamic pass to James McCarthy, and the Irishman dribbles it forward with precise control before striking it. However, Mignolet is there to turn the ball behind.

45' - HT: Man Utd 0-3 Liverpool. Having a man down is not stopping Liverpool from running the game their way. Mignolet is doing crazily well, pulling off saves left and right. A great 45 minutes from the Reds goalie.

45' - Liverpool kick off the second half.

56' - GOAL! 1-3! United finally score their first goal as Mata rids himself of David Alaba and sends the ball into the top right corner from a Di Maria pass.


56' - David Alaba receives a second yellow! After his foul from earlier, the Liverpool left-back is given his marching orders after protesting to referee Antonio Damato about the goal, citing that it was offside. That was certainly not offside, but giving a second yellow is no doubt a harsh move. With their opponents reduced to 9 men, can United seize the opportunity to launch a comeback?

59' - Liverpool are lacking so much defensively but continue to push forward, as Coutinho tries to challenge De Gea, unfortunately the shot is blocked by Kevin Strootman and possession is lost.

61' - GOAL! Januzaj has a terrific opportunity to shoot but an excellent sliding tackle from Balanta prevents that. Unfortunately, Mata is left alone, and he gets onto the ball before anyone else can. All that's left to do is to hit it into the back of the net. And Liverpool's three-goal lead has been reduced to just one!


67' - GOAL! It's just action after action! Clyne swings in a far post cross for Coutinho to score his second goal of the night. Liverpool extend their lead to two goals, how will United respond?

71' - GOAL! They'll respond with a goal, that's what! This Champions League Final is turning into a goalfest. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain punts the ball to Strootman and the United captain looks to hit it on the half volley. It's parried by Mignolet, but Cristian Tello is there to score from the rebound!


75' - Tello and Januzaj combine to test Mignolet, finding themselves with plenty of space in the understaffed Liverpool defense. The Liverpool stopper refuses to let up though, and punches away Januzaj's effort.

89' - A real chance for United to equalize as Tello speeds past Clyne to release the ball in the direction of goal, but his shot goes completely wide.

90' - FT: Man Utd 3-4 Liverpool. After a goal bonanza, Liverpool come out the victors with just nine men standing! That's their seventh European Cup, and also the quintuple! Just brilliant from Brendan Rodgers' men!

What a result! I think that game would have finished about 9-4 if you had 11 men, but even with 9 you were the better team!

2015-05-06 19:24#212642 Feliks : What a result! I think that game would have finished about 9-4 if you had 11 men, but even with 9 you were the better team!

Haha yeah it was amazing, I was genuinely afraid they would pull off something like a 'Miracle of Milan' though. Great to have won it in the end!

Abso-fricking-lutely Brilliant!!! Congrats on the quintuple and needless to say, an outstanding update from and an exciting match!

Onward!

Dat stress doe

2015-05-06 23:22#212656 Titus07 : Abso-fricking-lutely Brilliant!!! Congrats on the quintuple and needless to say, an outstanding update from and an exciting match!

Onward!

Thank you!!!!

2015-05-07 02:00#212664 Pauker : Dat stress doe

That was probably the most stressful game I've ever played in this save!

CHAMPIONES CHAMPIONES OLE OLE OLEEEEE!!

The dream is real Glenn, and with nine men! Great win and Story!

#Rodgersinforever

Liverpool ended the season with a bang as they completed the quintuple, securing every trophy that they could win this season apart from the Premier League title. Their last three fixtures in the league failed to bring much inspiration as they lost 4-0 to Manchester United, but the Reds quickly struck back in the FA Cup and Champions League Finals.

Liverpool May Player of the Month

Mario Balotelli picks up the club's last Player of the Month award for the season. The winger scored 3 goals in 5 appearances and played exceptionally in the two Finals for his side, assisting Richairo Zivkovic for Liverpool's first goal in the FA Cup Final and scoring one himself in the Champions League Final. After Zivkovic, Balotelli was the second best player on the pitch against Barcelona, running the Catalans over with a brilliant display of football. He finishes the season with 37 goals in 59 appearances, and is Liverpool's top league goalscorer.

Injury Report

James Ward-Prowse - 2 months (dislocated shoulder)

The ever-present James Ward-Prowse has been a class act throughout the season and fortunately only got himself injured in Liverpool's last game, the Champions League Final against United. However, it is also a devastating blow for the midfielder, as this means that he will not be joining the England national team in Russia for the World Cup in the summer.

Manager's Thoughts

Not a pretty way to end the season league-wise, but regardless of the loss to United, our place in the table wouldn't have been affected so I don't really care too much. Achieving the quintuple is absolutely fantastic and this Liverpool side has made history. I'm proud of everything they've accomplished this year, and I believe things can only get better. Perhaps a sextuple next season? We will see. For now, onward!

2015-05-07 17:12#212698 Iconic : CHAMPIONES CHAMPIONES OLE OLE OLEEEEE!!

The dream is real Glenn, and with nine men! Great win and Story!

#Rodgersinforever

Thank you Iconic! #RodgersIn

This season, Liverpool won the quintuple, their first ever in club history. Winning the UEFA Super Cup, League Cup, FA Cup, Club World Cup, and the Champions League is certainly no mean feat, and although they failed to wrestle the Premier League title back from Chelsea, Liverpool will definitely be delighted with their achievements. In today's annual club awards, the players get their due deserved recognition.


Richairo Zivkovic really hit the ground running this season. The Dutch striker is at his peak and scored a total of 40 goals in 2017/18 with 24 of those coming in the Premier League.


Mario Balotelli comes second for goals scored in all competitions, but is Liverpool's top scorer in the Premier League with 26 goals, and just narrowly missed out on the Golden Boot.


Mario Balotelli is also the man with the most assists, recording a jaw-dropping number of 30 assists across all competitions.


It couldn't be anyone else. Mario Balotelli, with his 38 goals and 30 assists in 2017/18, takes the Fans' Player of the Year award after his immense contributions to Liverpool's quintuple success.

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After a busy season where Liverpool achieved a quintuple, players will be turning their attention to international duty with the World Cup soon to be kicking off in Russia. However, for Brendan Rodgers, his attention will be shifted to the upcoming transfer window.

We start off the summer transfer rumors with Lloyd Jones. The 22-year-old has been at Liverpool since 2011 after signing on from hometown club Plymouth Argyle, and was tipped for a bright future at Anfield. Jones captained the Under-21s and enjoyed extremely successful loan spells at lower league sides like Bristol City and Shrewsbury.

Unfortunately, he has not managed to break into the first team at Liverpool, only making 3 appearances in the Premier League last season, and is angling for a move away to continue his footballing career.

Rodgers is ready to allow the defender to leave and a host of clubs have already registered their interest, but Swansea are the front runners for Jones' signature.


Without Jones, Liverpool will be left with only three center-backs in the senior team, and thus defensive cover is high on their wishlist.

Manchester City's Eliaquim Mangala is an option. The 27-year-old has made just 17 appearances in the Premier League since his £32 million move from Porto in 2014, and has not played a league game since 2016. Also being considered is Arsenal misfit Kyriakos Papadopoulos, who has failed to inspire since linking up with the Gunners last summer from Paris Saint-Germain.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are both stepping up their interest in Mario Balotelli, after a storming season where he managed 38 goals for Liverpool.

The explosive winger's contract runs out in just two years and might be able to force a move if he so desires, having stated before that he was keen on moving to play in La Liga.


Midfield powerhouse James Ward-Prowse and 40-goal machine Richairo Zivkovic are both wanted by Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund. But Der BVB will have to look elsewhere, with neither player interested in deserting Liverpool.

Argentine goalkeeper Jeronimo Rulli is attracting interest from Rodgers and Liverpool scouts are reportedly getting ready to observe the Argentina international in action at the World Cup.

The 26-year-old kept 13 clean sheets in 37 La Liga games for Real Sociedad last season, and would be seen as an upgrade to current Liverpool first-choice Simon Mignolet.

Mignolet's future at Anfield is in doubt and despite having loyally served the club since 2013, his fate will be sealed if Liverpool and Real Sociedad successfully conclude negotiations over Rulli. He is believed to be rated at around £25 million by his current employers.


Kwadwo Asamoah will push for a move out of Liverpool this summer after promises of first-team football failed to materialize.

The Ghanaian has impressed after signing for £16.5 million from Real Madrid, but was frequently used as merely an impact sub, with 16 out of his 34 appearances in all competitions last season coming from the bench.

Recently-appointed Arsenal boss Roberto Martinez is searching for new faces to improve on the club's 5th-placed finish from last season, and may swoop in for Asamoah, although he may be slightly turned off by the £20 million price tag slapped onto the 29-year-old.

Real Madrid and Roma have expressed interest in taking full-back Jon Flanagan abroad. The Liverpool-born defender has failed to displace Nathaniel Clyne, and his lack of first-team opportunities - he made only 6 appearances in the Premier League last season - has served to alert clubs to his availability.

Locally, Arsenal are also admirers of the England international, but Flanagan is understood to be leaning towards the idea of a foreign league.

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Argentina have lifted the World Cup after beating Uruguay 3-1 in the Final, thanks to goals from Eduardo Salvio and a superb brace from Carlos Tevez.

With Argentina, Liverpool's holding midfielder Lucas Romero also received his winner's medal, as did transfer target Jeronimo Rulli, who is poised to finalize his transfer to Liverpool over the coming days.

The goalkeeper was one of La Albiceleste's best players throughout the competition, duly receiving the Golden Glove after conceding 2 goals in 7 games, and his performance will excite Liverpool fans over their potential new man.


England, which included Liverpool players Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturridge, Jon Flanagan, and Jason Steele, topped their group and went into the knockout stages with an air of positivity.

Unfortunately, they only managed to beat Philippe Coutinho's Brazil, before dropping out at the Quarter Final to Uruguay in a disappointing World Cup campaign.

Samuel Umtiti and Mamadou Sakho formed a partnership in the center of defense for France and contributed as the French topped their group.

A 2-1 win against Ukraine in the Second Round followed, but their dreams of lifting the World Cup for the first time since 1998 were smashed by Denmark, who fought the game to a standstill before winning on penalty shootouts.

Richairo Zivkovic's Holland also suffered defeat to an in-form Uruguay in the Second Round, and Mario Balotelli's Italy were crushed by Argentina 3-0 in the Quarter Finals.

Nice, Messi won a WC! Rulli will be a great addition, and don't let Flanno leave the club </3