The Journeyman Chronicles

chesterfan2 · April 25, 2016

Wednesday March 11th 2020

European Champions Cup First Knockout Round Second Leg

Venue: Juventus Stadium

Juventus (0) vs. Liverpool (2)

A trip to Turin and no easy task. Yes we were two goals up from the first leg and just as importantly we hadn’t shipped an away goal, so it wasn’t a bad situation, but it wasn’t an impossible task by any means for Juventus to come out of this tie with a winning advantage.

We thought we’d got an early break as Hughes headed in a Lopez free kick, but the linesman had his flag raised, for climbing we think, and the goal was disallowed. We spent the rest of the half on the back foot, Juventus being helped by a string of free kicks on the edge of our box, but though we had a couple of scares we didn’t concede and went in at the break goalless on the night.

We were undone with two goals in three minutes just past the hour mark, the quality of Juventus coming to tell at a crucial moment. We were rocked by this and it looked for a time as though we would give up the tie completely. But steady we did and we took the game into extra time.

The first half of extra time flew past with neither side making much of an impression. But in the second period, in the 107th minute, we broke down the field and Lopez scored. An away goal. Salvation.

Juventus threw the bus at us for the last 13 minutes, but it didn’t happen for them and we, not them, move on in the competition.

Final Score: Juventus 2aet1 Liverpool (Agg 2-3)

Scorers : Lopez

Man Of The Match: Lorenzo Crisetig

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Salazar, Lagator, Ishikawa, Crisetig, Hughes, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Romani, Lopez

chesterfan2 · May 16, 2016

Saturday March 14th 2020

Premier League

Venue: The Britannia Stadium

Stoke City (8th) vs. Liverpool (1st)

The lads were tired after their midweek exertions and so I felt compelled to make a number of changes including a first start this season for the injury prone Matty Trewick. It was either pick untested players or tired ones. At least with the untested ones it would give the tired lads a break.

Anyway that’s what I did, and I had 45 minutes to regret that decision. The first half was a horror show. We shot from all angles, miles wide each time. Stoke weren’t a lot better but they did manage to score from a free kick on 20 and a near post corner on 35. It has to be said were lucky to only be two down at the break.

Needless to say I shouted at them at half time and made a couple of changes. Trewick who seems very good at going past people but his selection of final ball was unerringly wrong. Replaced with Paredes and Lagator, the unlucky one of the defence, as they were all bad, but not quite as bad as him, replaced with Salazar.

I’d like to say we played better in the second half. We did, a little bit. Not enough to get back into the game though and it was no surprise when Stoke broke away in injury time and got a third.

Turned over. The ‘Continental Effect’ in action, or was it something worse ?

Final Score: Stoke 3-0 Liverpool

Scorers :

League Position: 1st

Man Of The Match: Roberto Gandola

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Lagator (Salazar 45), Costanzo, Ishikawa, Lucas, Hughes, Gandola, Drage, Trewick (Paredes 45), Salva

chesterfan2 · May 16, 2016

Wednesday March 18th 2020

Premier League

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool (1st) vs. Wigan Athletic (17th)

Wigan had dragged themselves out of the relegation spots over the past few games, but now they faced a goalkeeping crisis which would see their U18 keeper make his full debut here, at Anfield.

We started well and had chances early on. In fact the young keeper made a super save to keep out Yarmolenko early on. It gave the lad some confidence and made our job a bit harder He kept us out until the 20th minute when Salva hit a low drive that was so well placed a keeper with years more experience would struggle. The post and a linesman’s flag prevented us from extending the lead before half time and we went in just the one goal up.

We got our second just short of the hour mark, Galarza taking the ball on midway inside the Wigan half, going past two half-hearted challenges before shooting home from just inside the box. Lagator added a third on 72 as he was first to react to a dropping ball in the Wigan box after a corner was half cleared. Salva scored the fourth, a screamer of a free kick on 74, his second of the game, and we were suddenly cruising.

Ishikawa the got a straight red for being an idiot, trying to punch the ball into the net. We brought Dance on for Lucas and reorganised the defence and it was Dance who added a fifth goal, flicking home a Crisetig corner

Final Score: Liverpool 5-0 Wigan Athletic

Scorers : Salva 2, Galarza. Lagator, Dance

League Position: 1st

Man Of The Match: Leandro Salva

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Yarmolenko, Lagator, Costanzo, Ishikawa (off 77), Lucas (Dance 77), Crisetig, Galarza, Lopez, Salva

chesterfan2 · May 16, 2016

Saturday March 21st 2020

FA Cup Sixth Round

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool (PRM 1st) vs. Blackburn Rovers (CH 7th)

Blackburn lie one point and one place outside the playoff positions in The Championship, so might be better advised to concentrate on that. But no matter how much I dislike their manager they aren’t a team who I should take lightly. They’ll be up for this, I mean, what a scalp if they could get it. To that end I decide not to go in gung ho, and play a 4-2-3-1 with Salva up top.

It proved to be a good move as Salva opened the scoring with a run and shot after only two minutes had gone. On 13 Blackburn failed to clear a hopeful ball in from deep and Galarza knocked the ball in for Salva to get his second from close range.

On the half hour it was three, Yarmolenko with this one, rising unchallenged to head in a Drage corner. On 36 minutes Blackburn were caught with too many men forward we raced down the field and Yarmolenko crossed for Galarza to head home. Just before half time Dance and Romani combined well down the right to create a simple chance for Salva to complete his hatrick, knocking the ball in from three yards out.

There was still time for Blackburn to get one back in injury time, so it was 5-1 at half time. No way back from there, was there ?

That looked even less likely after 48 minutes as a patient build up saw Gandola played into the box where he tucked away what was a rare goal, with some aplomb. Blackburn staged a spirited attempt at getting a second, but they never got close, and on 81 Galarza was allowed to waltz through the Blackburn defence and shoot under the keeper’s dive for the seventh goal. Right at the death Gandola was allowed to exchange passes with Salazar, to then advance to just inside the box where he slammed the ball in for a fine goal. His second of the game and, I believe, a 200% increase in his goal tally for the season.

The final score was 8-1, a truly satisfying result, their manager may think twice before slagging us off in the press again.

Final Score: Liverpool 8-1 Blackburn Rovers

Scorers : Salva 3, Yarmolenko, Galarza 2, Gandola 2

Man Of The Match: Leandro Salva

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Salazar, Lagator, Costanzo, Gandola, Drage, Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Salva

We get Stoke in the semi-final. At least after the debacle at their place at the last time of asking, we’ll be playing at a neutral venue.

Meanwhile the quarter and semi-final draws were made for the European Champions Cup. We’ll face Real Madrid in the quarters, and win that and we have the winners of the Barcelona and Athletico Madrid. No one said it was going to be easy, now did they ?

chesterfan2 · June 6, 2016

Saturday March 28th 2020

Premier League

Venue: Villa Park

Aston Villa (10th) vs. Liverpool (1st)

Our only remaining realistic challengers for the league title, Arsenal and Chelsea both had home games, so this was a match we couldn’t afford to give up. The league remained the number one target, and the team had to reflect this. I couldn’t afford to think too much about Real Madrid the following Wednesday, so I put out the strongest team we had with Lopez up front and Lucas in the middle of the park.

We struggled early on. Villa in the cup had shown us what a good side they were and here they kept us at bay early on and looked threatening coming forward. We settled after a rocky ten minutes and started to play some football culminating in the opening goal on 16 minutes, a slick passing move saw Romani release Gandola into the box and he calmly slotted the ball into the net from twelve yards out. 1-0 and we hadn’t even really started playing yet.

On 19 it was two as we broke down a Villa move on halfway and swiftly moved it up the field, Lopez giving up his own shooting opportunity to square the ball to Galarza who had an open goal to knock the ball into, very unselfish play.

So two-nil up at the break, job not quite done. I told them to not get complacent and they looked suitably focused on the task at hand.

Six minutes in and we were awarded a penalty. Howls of derision from the home supporters but to me it was a stonewall pen. Lucas may well have been going nowhere but the lad went through him to get to the ball, when more patience would have seen Lucas probably lose the ball. Anyway Lopez stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way, three-nil.

Villa tried time after time to get back into the game but their shooting was very poor and we withheld their efforts with ease to see out a very comfortable win.

Final Score: Aston Villa 0-3 Liverpool

Scorers : Gandola, Galarza, Lopez (pen)

League Position : 1st

Man Of The Match: Shinta Ishikawa

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Lagator, Costanzo, Ishikawa, Gandola, Lucas, Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Salva

In the other games, Chelsea won handsomely against QPR despite being down to ten men after only 23 minutes. Meanwhile Arsenal drop points and fall to third in the table, after being held to a goalless draw at home by Newcastle. Our lead is now five points with seven games to go. We still have to play Arsenal away and Chelsea at home, so it’s not over by a long chalk.

chesterfan2 · June 6, 2016

Wednesday April 1st 2020

European Champions Cup Quarter Final First Leg

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool vs. Real Madrid

April really was going to be a defining month for our season, starting right here with a home tie in the Champions League knockout stages against one of the world’s biggest clubs, Real Madrid, and finishing with the FA Cup Semi Final against Stoke. In between we’d face Chelsea and Man City in the league. All in all an important month.

Lucas isn’t in the Champion’s League squad and is therefore ineligible. Salazar misses a game through suspension. Lagator plays left back and Crisetig is the one chosen to fill in in midfield.

The first half went by with very few in the way of chances for either side. We frustrated them very well in the first half and totally nullified their threat. In fact we came closest to opening the scoring as a Ishikawa shot through a crowd was hacked off the line by a Real defender.

Goalless at half time, and I told them we could actually win this game. We went out like we thought we could but we were caught out by a sucker punch, a goal on the break after we had simply overcommitted in attack. 72 minutes gone and we were a goal down.

Thankfully the fight didn’t go out of us and on 82 we were level, as we put together the best move of the match with Galarza the architect and ending with Lopez powering a low shot past the keeper from just around the penalty spot. Then just as the game looked like it was heading to a draw in the second of four minutes injury time Gandola was fouled on the edge of the box and Lopez curled the resultant free kick over and round the wall and beyond the keeper’s grasp for a winning goal, and the narrowest of margins to take back to Spain.

Final Score: Liverpool 2-1 Real Madrid

Scorers : Lopez 2

Man Of The Match: Alfredo Lopez

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Lagator, Costanzo, Ishikawa, Gandola, Crisetig, Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Lopez

Mooski · June 8, 2016

I've read this thread over the last couple of days and must say it has been a terrific read. Full of drama, tears, joy, the lot. The layout and level of detail is just right and I wish you the very best for the rest of the season.

chesterfan2 · June 9, 2016

Thank you Mooski, very Kind

Saturday April 4th 2020

Premier League

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool (1st) vs. Chelsea (2nd)

The big games are just going to keep coming. Our return with Real was next up after this match, on Tuesday, only two days rest after this one. We desperately wanted to triumph in that one, but we couldn’t afford to not put our best possible side out for this one too.

We had the better of the opening exchanges and on the 20 minute mark we opened the scoring, our probing play finally finding an opening and Enriquez was our furthest man forward when the ball broke to him in the box and he turned it in with some aplomb for his first goal of the season.

Yarmolenko should have made it two on 29 as he pulled a shot wide when one on one with their goalkeeper. It didn’t matter in the short term though as Romani got a second goal on 33 minutes as he drove into the heart of the Chelsea box and fired the ball in off two posts.

Half time and I told them they could do even better. I was afraid that the Chelsea boss would take the opportunity to shout his players into some kind of frenzy and it turned out I was right in that assumption.

Chelsea came out like a scalded cat, and piled on the pressure in the opening ten minutes of the second period. They shot narrowly, very narrowly, wide on 52 minutes, and should have probably done better. Their manager will certainly wish they had done better as on 57 minutes we were three up, Yarmolenko beating two down the left before putting over a cross to the far post that Romani volleyed in for his second of the game.

Salva kept his head on the hour mark to score under some pressure when presented with the ball on the edge of the Chelsea box. Four up now and cruising. Salva then set up Romani for his hatrick on 66 minutes and a convincing win was turning into a rout.

Final Score: Liverpool 5-0 Chelsea

Scorers : Enriquez, Romani 3, Salva

League Position : 1st

Man Of The Match: Jorge Romani

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Salazar, Lagator , Ishikawa, Enriquez (Crisetig 85), Lucas, Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Salva

Arsenal drew to go back second, but now eight points behind with seven games to go. It wasn’t all good news though Enriquez picked up bruised ribs in the game and had to be substituted near the end. He’ll be out for up to a week with the knock and was now very unlikely to be fit for the second leg in Madrid.

chesterfan2 · June 9, 2016

Tuesday April 7th 2020

European Champions Cup Quarter Final Second Leg

Venue: Santiago Bernabau

Real Madrid (1) vs. Liverpool (2)

We went out defensively and looked to catch them on the break. After 7 minutes we caught them out in possession in their own half, Yarmolenko feeding Galarza who in turn fed in Lopez who, faced with a one on one with the keeper made no mistake. We had an away goal and a 3-1 aggregate lead.

Real had a lot of possession in the following ten or fifteen minutes but they couldn’t make the breakthrough. Shots were wide, or from too far out, rarely testing Lezcano at all. Then on 37 minutes we were two up, Crisetig thumped a volley goalwards that was well saved but the rebound fell directly to the feet of Lopez and he knocked the ball into the gaping goal for his second of the game.

Real didn’t really look capable of getting back into the match, but in injury time in the first period the ref helped them out, awarding them an penalty for a pretty innocuous challenge as far as I could see. They made no mistake and we were then 2-1 up on the night, 4-2 on aggregate at the half time break.

Within three minutes of the restart they were level on the night and we were only 4-3 ahead on aggregate, a defensive blunder by the normally reliable Salazar gifting them the opportunity. They were throwing the kitchen sink at us and we were buckling under the pressure. Yet the equaliser didn’t come immediately and on 56 we regained the lead on the night as Lopez curled in a freekick, Romani had his point blank effort blocked but Ishikawa was there to knock the ball home. The Real players howled for an offside decision that never came, and we were now 5-3 ahead on aggregate.

It was 3-3 on the night on 66 minutes as Real caught us with too many men too far forward, and made us pay on the break with a very slick goal. On 75 Real had a goal disallowed for a foul on Lezcano, they can’t have many complaints about that one really, and two minutes after that they were down to ten men after their left back pulled Romani back and earned himself his second yellow of the night.

Lopez hit a post late on, and even later than that, in the last minute Real got a fourth goal, and the lead on the night. The end of the game came, and we were through on the away goals rule, 5-5 on aggregate.

Final Score: Real Madrid 4-3 Liverpool (agg 5-5, Liverpool win on the away goals rule)

Scorers : Lopez 2, Ishikawa

Man Of The Match: Lorenzo Crisetig

Team: Lezcano, Salazar, Lagator, Costanzo, Ishikawa, Gandola, Crisetig, Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Lopez

We’d have to face Barcelona in the semi-final, a difficult tie for sure, but, then again, so was this one.

chesterfan2 · June 22, 2016

Saturday April 11th 2020

Premier League

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool (1st) vs. Man City(5th)

The big games keep coming thick and fast. I have to say that we were doing really well in them at this stage, and whilst we weren’t cocky, at least I hoped we weren’t, we were confident coming into this one.

Gandola missed this one, still suffering from the bruised thigh he received in the game at Real, a fresh Lucas Leiva on hand to replace him though, so no downgrade there. One added incentive to this game was that we would secure Champion’s League football next season if we won this one.

The game started out a hard fought contest with neither side showing much composure in front of goal. We took the lead on 23 minutes when a Lopez free kick from midway in the City half sailed over the players and over Joe Hart’s head and into the net. It was a typical Joe Hart error, almost unbelievable that a keeper of his quality would not jump to catch a ball destined for his net. He obviously thought it was going over, but it didn’t. 1-0.

I have to say it, this wasn’t a good match. We were scrappy, they were desperate, we had no real scares up to half time, and we created no real threat either.

One up at half time. I couldn’t see City scoring, but they only have to get one lucky break to get back on terms so I told the lads not to get complacent, they didn’t like that, but then I’m not there to improve their demeanour but to get some performances out of them.

The second half was no better than the first, and as it wore on City threw more and more men forward. They really pushed for an equaliser, especially near the end when they forced six corners in a row, but they couldn’t break through, the lads at the back held firm and we saw off another one of the top teams. Lucky perhaps, but all the record books would show would be a 1-0 win.

Final Score: Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City

Scorers : Lopez

League Position : 1st

Man Of The Match: Lorenzo Crisetig

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Salazar, Lagator, Costanzo, Lucas, Crisetig, Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Lopez

In other games Chelsea lost a bad tempered derby match at Spurs, three players sent off, 1 from Chelsea, 2 from Spurs but a 2-1 victory to the home side as well. Arsenal therefore remained second despite losing 3-2 away at relegation threatened QPR. This meant five games left and an 11 point lead. Two wins would secure our second championship in a row. Now that was something to think about.

mark wilson27 · June 23, 2016

A couple of cracking results their Chester, cant help but laugh at the drubbing you gave Chelsea. However I do have one complaint about it and it is serious. Why oh why did u have to make us wait two weeks for an update, its scandalous sir. I'll be having words with tenthreeleader and gav about this

Darius1998 · June 23, 2016

Still on course to win all four trophies available. Liverpool are my favourite club, so, obviously it's great to see you manage them.

chesterfan2 · June 23, 2016

Thank you very much for your kind words gentlemen. In truth I finished playing this game a while back and hence my update schedule has become a little lax. I shall take my telling off like a man, though, and promise to do better in future, Mark. Ok ?

Saturday April 18th 2020

FA Cup Semi Final

Venue: Wembley

Liverpool (PRM 1st) vs. Stoke City (PRM 8th)

So to the Cup Semi Final, against this year’s perennial cup opponents Stoke. We found in the Capital One Cup Final that the 4-1-2-2-1 formation was the best for tackling their difficult five across the middle formation. Fair play to them It’s done them well this season, but we had the beating of it in the Capital One Cup, and hopefully that would be the case here too.

It looked to be working here too as we had hit the post once before we opened the scoring on 7 minutes, an attack down the right broke down, the ball coming back to Crisetig who sprayed the ball out to the left, where Lagator, playing at left back today had acres to run into, he cut into the box and slammed a low shot into the far corner. A good goal and we were on the board early, just what the doctor ordered.

We struggled to contain Stoke straight after the goal but didn’t concede. Slowly we got back into the game and Yarmolenko really should have made it two on the brink of half time, but his header went narrowly wide.

We went out a little more defensively minded in the second period as I looked to control possession and pass Stoke out of the game.

We extended our lead just shy of the hour mark, Lagator this time the creator of the goal, he was clearly enjoying the left back role and bombed on once more to get into the box on a through ball by Costanzo he drove to the line and pulled the ball back for Yarmolenko to smash the ball home.

On 78 minutes we added a third, and this was the best goal of the day, actually one of the best goals I’ve ever seen. A goal of sublime one touch passing that ripped the Stoke defence wide open and saw Lopez feed the ball with the final pass to Romani who slotted it home from fifteen yards out to round off the perfect team goal.

That saw the fight go out of Stoke and we were in the final.

Final Score: Liverpool 3-0 Stoke City

Scorers : Lagator, Yarmolenko, Romani

Man Of The Match: Sime Lagator

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Lagator, Ishikawa, Costanzo, Gandola, Crisetig, Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Lopez

In the other semi-final Chelsea turned over Man City and they’ll be our opponents on the big day.

mark wilson27 · June 24, 2016

That's better Chester

chesterfan2 · June 24, 2016

Wednesday April 22nd 2020

European Champions Cup Semi Final First Leg

Venue: Camp Nou

Barcelona vs. Liverpool

Here was another big test, the Champion’s League semi-final. At least the first leg was away from home, and we set out to frustrate the hosts as much as we could, though the fact that they set up in an identical 4-1-2-2-1 formation as our own made me think this wasn’t going to be quite what I had expected.

In the team De Felippe came in for Costanzo who had had a touch of food poisoning that meant he was only fit enough for a place on the bench and could only really be used in a dire emergency.

We had the proverbial nightmare start. Two minutes on the clock, a Barcelona corner comes over, sails over everyone’s head, the whistle goes and the ref is pointing to the spot. Not ever a penalty, never in a million years. Not a single appeal from Barcelona players. Yet Messi is not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and it was 1-0 to the home team.

Yet 1-0 was where it stayed right through to half time. We didn’t create that much, it’s true, and Lezcano was in top drawer form and regularly worked, but get to half time just the one down we did, and from there we had something to work with.

I brought De Felippe off and brought Salazar on, with Lagator moving to the centre. I told them they were underdogs and the pressure was off, and hoped that would give them the boost they needed to get something out of this game, or at the very least not to give up anything else.

Things went wrong almost straight away as we gave up a second goal on 49 minutes, a free kick, some poor marking and an easy chance to make it two, which they did. However it wasn’t all their own way and we pulled one back, an away goal, on 52, Galarza feeding in Lopez and he powered the ball past the static Barca keeper.

On 67 we had Gandola sent off for his second yellow of the night. I responded by bringing Enriquez on for Crisetig who was looking tired as I now needed the midfield to do a job of protecting the defence.

We went to all out defence, we couldn’t break out and Lopez ended up looking a lonely figure up front. But hold them out we did, and with an away goal we looked like we had a chance to progress from the second leg.

Final Score: Barcelona 2-1 Liverpool

Scorers : Lopez

Man Of The Match: Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Lagator, Ishikawa, De Felippe (Salazar 45), Gandola (off 66), Crisetig (Enriquez 66), Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Lopez

chesterfan2 · June 24, 2016

Saturday April 25th 2020

Premier League

Venue: Emirates Stadium

Arsenal (2nd) vs. Liverpool (1st)

Arsenal know very well that fail to win here and their title race is as good as over and so I was expecting a very tough test here. But lose here and we’d face a bit of a psychological pothole in our attempts to overcome Barcelona in the second leg of that tie.

Arsenal were all business from the off, they harried, they pressured, they were first to most balls. Lezcano was in fine form, but he couldn’t keep out a near post header from a corner on 17 minutes and we were a goal down. That we held onto that score until half time is a minor miracle, but we did. We lost Crisetig to injury in the process and I replaced him with Drage.

At half time I took the opportunity to shout at them. But I was under no illusions, Arsenal’s success this year is based on the strength of their defence and we now faced an uphill task to get back on terms. Still, they went out for the second half looking motivated, so let’s see what they could do.

In the second half we looked like men possessed. No longer were we second to every ball, we bit into tackles and disrupted their attacking play magnificently. On 50 minutes we crafted a thing of beauty, an equalising goal, another example of our one touch football saw Lucas, Drage, Romani and Galarza exchange quick passes to move up the park from the half way line, then Galarza played it into the feet of Salva on the edge of the box and he then reversed a pass into the path of Yarmolenko in an acre of space in the box. The Ukrainian took the ball round the keeper and it was one all.

End to end it was then, we hit the post, Dance cleared one off the line. But on 71 minutes Arsenal won a penalty when Dance bundled over their winger in the box. In the post-match interview I’ll kind of imply that I don’t want to say anything for fear of upsetting the FA, but it really was a spot kick. Jack Wilshire stepped up and tucked it away. We forced a good save out of the Arsenal keeper near the end but we weren’t destined to get anything out of this game, and the title race just got a tinier bit more interesting.

Final Score: Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool

Scorers : Yarmolenko

League Position : 1st

Man Of The Match: Andriy Yarmolenko

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Salazar, Lagator, Ishikawa, Lucas, Crisetig (Dance 32), Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Salva

So we had four games to go, the table looked like this…

| Pos   | Inf   | Team        |       | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | G.D.  | Pts   | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 1st   | ECC   | Liverpool   |       | 34    | 27    | 2     | 5     | 87    | 24    | +63   | 83    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 2nd   | EC    | Arsenal     |       | 35    | 24    | 6     | 5     | 69    | 24    | +45   | 78    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 3rd   | EC    | Chelsea     |       | 34    | 22    | 7     | 5     | 61    | 33    | +28   | 73    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 4th   |       | Man Utd     |       | 35    | 20    | 9     | 6     | 56    | 24    | +32   | 69    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 5th   |       | Tottenham   |       | 35    | 19    | 9     | 7     | 76    | 46    | +30   | 66    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 6th   |       | Man City    |       | 35    | 18    | 10    | 7     | 59    | 30    | +29   | 64    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 7th   |       | Southampton |       | 34    | 14    | 7     | 13    | 48    | 54    | -6    | 49    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 8th   |       | Wolves      |       | 35    | 13    | 9     | 13    | 65    | 65    | 0     | 48    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 9th   |       | Stoke       |       | 35    | 12    | 10    | 13    | 42    | 43    | -1    | 46    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 10th  |       | Newcastle   |       | 35    | 10    | 13    | 12    | 32    | 40    | -8    | 43    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 11th  |       | West Ham    |       | 35    | 11    | 9     | 15    | 50    | 55    | -5    | 42    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 12th  |       | Aston Villa |       | 35    | 10    | 11    | 14    | 41    | 59    | -18   | 41    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 13th  |       | Everton     |       | 34    | 11    | 7     | 16    | 36    | 51    | -15   | 40    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 14th  |       | Reading     |       | 35    | 9     | 8     | 18    | 46    | 61    | -15   | 35    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 15th  |       | Fulham      |       | 34    | 9     | 7     | 18    | 37    | 53    | -16   | 34    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 16th  |       | West Brom   |       | 35    | 8     | 9     | 18    | 31    | 58    | -27   | 33    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 17th  |       | Norwich     |       | 35    | 7     | 10    | 18    | 27    | 47    | -20   | 31    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 18th  |       | Q.P.R.      |       | 34    | 6     | 10    | 18    | 39    | 59    | -20   | 28    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 19th  |       | Wigan       |       | 34    | 7     | 6     | 21    | 23    | 62    | -39   | 27    | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 20th  |       | Derby       |       | 34    | 7     | 5     | 22    | 34    | 71    | -37   | 26    | 
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mark wilson27 · June 25, 2016

Two losses in a row not good, however on the upside you did get an away goal against Barca so its not all bad

chesterfan2 · June 25, 2016

You're not wrong there Mark, not on either count. But here it comes, the second leg.

Tuesday April 28th 2020

European Champions Cup Semi Final Second Leg

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool vs. Barcelona (agg 1-2)

The key here would be to convince the lads they could actually do this. We’d lost Crisetig to the injury he picked up against Arsenal. He’d suffered a groin strain and would miss three weeks. Gandola was suspended for this one, so Enriquez and Hughes will have to man what looks like a makeshift midfield. I didn’t end up telling them to go out and please the fans, instead I told them to end the run of results and impress me, gambling that they’d want to impress me and get to the final at the same time.

The game started very badly and Barcelona were a goal up with only 4 minutes gone, a free kick on the right swung over and an unmarked header to put the ball in. We now were three-one down, no away goal advantage anymore and a mountain to climb. A mountain.

It got worse as Ishikawa limped off on 26 minutes, to be replaced by De Felippe. Things were looking bleak but we got a little bit of a lifeline on 39 minutes as Galarza dispossessed Messi, then to Salazar, who cut in from the wing, was allowed to run a long way with the ball until he shot from 20 yards out. His shot moved in the air and the keeper spilled the shot, and Salva was on hand to slam in the rebound. 2-3 down on aggregate, maybe we weren’t dead yet.

Half time, and all to play for. This time I did tell them to do it for the fans, and you could see on their faces that my words had had a positive effect.

The start of the second half saw chances go to both sides. Barcelona should have done better with a header on 51, and we had a header from a corner cleared off the line on 55. But the fans didn’t have that long to wait for the next goal. The creator here was the substitute, De Felippe who played a defence splitting pass to play Lopez into the box. He turned on the ball and fired in a blast from a tight angle that their goalkeeper may well feel he should have done better with. 2-1 on the night, 3-3 on aggregate.

The game was really on now but still no clear idea of who would go through. We looked like a team inspired, but Barca still looked like a team who could score on each attack they made. Chances came and went to both sides, with all the players being guilty of snatching at chances and wasting possession. The game generated into quite a scrappy phase.

On 74 minutes we got the breakthrough we needed, Salazar burst into the box and was tripped as he did so. The Barcelona players protested to a man, but it was a) a clear trip and b) in front of The Kop, so no question it was a pen. Lopez stepped up and though the keeper got a hand to it he couldn’t keep it out. 3-1 on the night, 4-3 on aggregate.

We expected the subsequent onslaught and so set up in a counterattack formation. Strangely though the penalty seemed to have knocked the fight out of Barcelona and they lacked their previous threat quite as much as they had.

But they were soon pressing forward and looking for the goal that would take them through on away goals if they scored it. But on 84 the ball broke to Salazar who raced away down the left wing, down the pitch he crossed the ball looking for Lopez or Salva, the only ones up with play, but the Barca defender was able to head the ball clear but only into the path of Galarza. The ball bounced kindly and he smashed the ball into the top left corner from a full 25 yards out. Brilliant goal, 4-1 on the night, 5-3 on aggregate.

They threw the kitchen sink at us after that, but we held firm. Lezcano was great, Costanzo and De Felippe were giants. Then in the fourth minute of injury time we broke clear, the long clearance picked up by Galarza on half way in an acre of space. He ran with the ball and chipped the keeper as he came out to narrow the angle. Fabulous goal, 6-3 on aggregate, game over.

I told the lads I was so proud of them after that.

And you know what, I was.

Final Score: Liverpool 5-1 Barcelona (aggregate 6-3)

Scorers : Salva, Lopez 2 (1 pen), Galarza 2

Man Of The Match: Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Salazar, Lagator, Costanzo, Ishikawa (De Felippe 26), Hughes, Enriquez, Galarza, Salva, Lopez

Ishikawa would be out for 6 weeks with an injured ankle, but that was the only negative thing that came out of that day. In the other semi-final Spurs couldn’t overturn a deficit from the first leg and so it was their opponents Bayern Munich who we would face in the final.

chesterfan2 · June 26, 2016

And so, into May. If April was a month when the wheels could have come off our season then May would be the month where we could put the finishing touches to a successful campaign. May saw us facing 4 league games and two cup finals, still in with the chance of winning all three of those competition to add to the Capital One Cup we had already won. I had to stop myself at that point, now wasn’t the time to dream was it.

Saturday May 2nd 2020

Premier League

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool (1st) vs. Fulham (15th)

This was the evening kick off for TV, and as such I was aware that Arsenal could only come away from Old Trafford with a 1-1 draw. They were now on 79 points from 36 games. Chelsea were third with 76 points from 35 games. We had 84 points from 34 games. A win here, in front of our own fans would mean the league title would be ours. I decided not to tell the lads that, I figured they probably knew, and that the fans certainly would, but I decided that it wouldn’t be me that belaboured the point.

In terms of selection we had Gandola and Lucas fit and rested after sitting out the Barcelona game, so they came back in, and made us a little bit fitter than we would otherwise have been.

The early going is best described as being scrappy, neither team got on the ball and looked to control the game, instead it pinged around for ten minutes like a pinball. Eventually someone had to get the ball down and pay it and this time it was us. On 12 minutes Salva opened the door for Gandola to stride into the box and stroke the ball past the already prostrate keeper for the opening goal. The crowd went wild, the players were now in no doubt that winning this match meant something big.

Our tails were up now and it was Salva who was the provider, again, for the second goal only three minutes after the first, racing down the right and crossing. Galarza’s effort was somehow blocked on the line, but Lopez was there to knock in the rebound from close range. They all count and now there was close to pandemonium in the stands.

Lopez added his second, our third, on 19 minutes with a headed goal from a Boldrini cross. And on the half hour we added a fourth Franzoni scoring from a header from a corner on his league debut. Well and truly cruising we were by now. Half time was reached at four goals to nil, I told them well done, and keep on enjoying yourselves.

The second half was a little bit of an anti-climax compared with the first, and no more goals were added to the tally. The first half show was more than enough though and we ran out very easy winners.

Final Score: Liverpool 4-0 Fulham

Scorers : Gandola, Lopez 2, Franzoni

League Position: 1st

Man Of The Match: Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Yarmolenko, Lagator, Costanzo, Franzoni, Lucas, Gandola, Galarza, Salva, Lopez

The Premier League Title was now confirmed, the most either Arsenal or Chelsea could get would be 85 points and we were now on 86. The fans were jubilant, as were the players, even the board sent down their congratulations. They also said they were worried we might take our eye of the ball, and encouraged us not to. I don’t think they have any worries as our next game is the Merseyside Derby against Everton.

chesterfan2 · June 26, 2016

Wednesday May 6th 2020

Premier League

Venue: Goodison Park

Everton (13th) vs. Liverpool (1st)

Goodison Park was packed to the rafters for this game, but Everton’s keenness not to be beaten, combined with a slightly less than slick performance from us meant that the first half degenerated into a morass of committed tackles and broken up play. I thought for a while that the one highlight of the half would be Lezcano’s flying save to deny the former Liverpool player Sean Murray on 38 minutes, but in injury time Galarza showed the one true bit of class in the half as he played Salva in, and the Argentinean striker finished comprehensively. That was the last kick of the half, we went in a goal up.

The second half was quite frankly dull. Very few chances, we took off Gandola on 57, replacing him with Omrani, the lad had a slight knock and it was a precaution to take him off. Everton pressed for an equaliser but to be honest they didn’t get very close, We saw out a 1-0 win that was really quite a bit easier than the scoreline would suggest.

Final Score: Everton 0-1 Liverpool

Scorers : Salva

League Position: 1st

Man Of The Match: Samuel Boldrini

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Yarmolenko, Lagator, Costanzo, Franzoni, Lucas, Gandola (Omrani 57), Galarza, Salva, Lopez

mark wilson27 · June 27, 2016

Congrats on the title sir and on the excellent comeback over Barca.

chesterfan2 · June 27, 2016

Thanks, as ever, mark, for your kind words

Saturday May 9th 2020

FA Cup Final

Venue: Wembley

Liverpool (PRM 1st) vs. Chelsea (PRM 2nd)

The FA Cup Final is the traditional showcase of English football to the world and this year’s event pitched the top two teams in the Premier League against each other (ok Chelsea aren’t guaranteed to finish second, Arsenal will have something to say about that, but at the start of play that’s where they were).

We got off to the perfect start with a goal within the first three minutes. Our first corner, taken by Lucas Leiva was headed onto the post by Costanzo but De Felippe was on hand to stab home the loose ball. Scrappy, but they all count.

Chelsea weren’t about to give this up without a fight, and were level on 7 minutes, a cross from the left and a thumping header giving Lezcano no chance.

The game settled down into a more measured match, a very even contest. Chelsea got their noses in front with a second goal on 38. More than a suggestion of hand ball in the build up, but the ref wasn’t having any of it and we were behind.

At half time I told them to show me something else in the second half, and to their credit they buckled down and played some scintillating football. We were level on 65 minutes as Galarza hit a screamer from 20 yards out that flew in, giving their keeper no chance.

Galarza, what a buy he’s been, turned provider on 77, getting to the byline and pulling the ball back for Romani to tuck it away. The red half of the capacity crowd went wild, we had one hand on the cup !

Chelsea did, as you would expect, come forward looking for the equaliser but we held a strong line and they didn’t worry Lezcano with their long efforts. On 89 minutes we put the game beyond doubt as a, by then rare, corner was cleared to the edge of the box where Salva hit it as it dropped and it flew through the crowd and into the net.

To their credit Chelsea didn’t give up but we had done enough to see out the win. The cup was ours. A treble, the domestic treble, was ours. I was determined that we wouldn’t finish here.

Final Score: Liverpool 4-2 Chelsea

Scorers : De Felippe, Galarza, Romani, Salva

Man Of The Match: Lucas Leiva

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Lagator, De Felippe, Costanzo, Gandola, Lucas, Romani, Galarza, Yarmolenko, Salva

mark wilson27 · June 27, 2016

Another trophy sir, congrats again. Your getting pretty good at this game

chesterfan2 · July 16, 2016

Thanks, as ever, Mark.

Wednesday May 13th 2020

Premier League

Venue: Carrow Road

Norwich (18th) vs. Liverpool (1st)

Whilst the top of the table is now pretty much settled in terms of champions and European qualifiers the bottom of the table is anything but. Only Wigan are certain of the drop, but any two of the next five could join them. All have played 37 games, other than Norwich who have this as their game in hand. Win this and they will go above QPR, into 17th and in the driving seat for survival. Lose and they start the last weekend in one of the relegation slots.

It’s not really in my nature to be lenient, nor to not try and win every game but I do give Lucas and Galarza the day off. Omrani and Hughes get the start, and a couple of young lads get spots on the bench. Best give them a taste of the first team now we have won the league, eh ?

The game was pretty scrappy from the beginning. We did most of the attacking, Norwich defended as though their lives depended on it, which I guess it did. They didn’t offer a lot in terms of attack though and only one team was ever going to score in that set up.

On 27 minutes we finally broke the deadlock, Enriquez picking out Boldrini in the box and he lashed the ball home from a tight angle. That was nice as he was the only one of the regular first team, other than Lezcano who hadn’t scored yet this season, so it was nice for him to get off the mark.

Norwich picked up after that wake-up call but they couldn’t find their way to goal and the half ended 1-0 to us. At the break I told them they could do better, and then I sent them out there again.

Just past the hour mark it was the other full back Salazar who added the second goal, cutting in from his wind to take a pass from Enriquez on the edge of the box from where he turned and fired home.

On 75 I brought the two lads on, Puga in midfield for Enriquez, superb today but on a yellow card, and Krivanek, a 16 year old striker, brought on for the tiring Salva. Neither one had much of a chance to make an impression on the game as Norwich pressed forward looking for something. Lezcano was inspired and we kept a clean sheet.

Final Score: Norwich 0-2 Liverpool

Scorers : Boldrini, Salazar

League Position: 1st

Man Of The Match: Juan Carlos De Felippe

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Salazar, Dance, Lagator, De Felippe, Enriquez (Puga 75), Hughes, Omrani, Lopez, Salva (Krivanek 75)

chesterfan2 · July 16, 2016

Saturday May 17th 2020

Premier League

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool (1st) vs. Newcastle United(11th)

With the Champions League Final only four days away, and the league already won, I decided to give some fringe players a run out here. We have the parade round the pitch with the WAGs and their kids at the end of the match for the whole squad, so everyone will be involved somewhere today.

I told them to go out and put on a show for fans. They seemed to like the idea of that. Seven minutes were on the clock when the Newcastle defence gave Drage an age on the edge of the box, letting him turn and pick his spot from the edge of the box. The keeper picked that one out, 1-0 up.

Young striker Bertello added a second on 22, a decisive passing move leaving him the simple task of finishing from beside the penalty spot. Having said that he took his goal well. We saw the half out with very few worries after that.

Half time, I told them they were doing OK but I thought they could do better. The second half went by without much in the way of goal opportunity, and we closed out the season with a very straightforward win.

Final Score: Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle United

Scorers : Drage, Bertello

Man Of The Match: Thomas Drage

Team: Lezcano, Boldrini, Salazar, Lebron, Franzoni , De Felippe, Lucas, Hughes, Drage, Finley, Bertello

So the season was over. Liverpool were champions. We will be joined in next year’s Champion’s League by Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, who squeezed into the top group with a good late run. The Euro League would see Manchester City, Tottenham and Wolverhampton Wanderers taking part next year. At the bottom already relegated Wigan would be joined by Derby County and Norwich neither of whom could take advantage of QPR’s last day defeat to overtake them. QPR finished one point above the relegation zone.

In terms of end of year awards, Lucas Leiva was the Player’s Player of The Year, we had a one, two, three in the Young Player’s Player with Leandro Salva beating Alfredo Lopez and Sime Lagator to the title itself. Daniel Lezcano won the Golden Gloves Award with 22 clean sheets. I was named Manager of The Year for the second year running. Lezcano, Lagator, Lucas, Salva and Yarmolenko all featured in the Premier League Team of The Year.

chesterfan2 · July 30, 2016

Saturday May 23^rd 2020

European Champions Cup Final

Venue: Stadio Olipmpico, Rome

Liverpool vs. Bayern Munich

The Champion’s League final, and a chance to extend Liverpool’s fine European pedigree. We go with a 4-1-2-2-1 formation, as do Bayern. We lose Crisetig to injury after only two minutes with Enriquez replacing him. Things only got worse as we shipped a goal on 7 minutes, a goal on the break after we committed too many men forward.

We learnt from that mistake and played increasingly well as the half wore on. We got an equaliser on the stroke of half time, a Lopez free kick headed onto the post by Galarza, but it was the little Argentinean superstar who was quickest to react and turn the ball in. The Germans looked for a flag that just wasn’t going to come and we went in at the break level.

At half time I told them I wasn’t happy with their first half performance. Harsh perhaps, but I needed more from them. They went out into the Roman night fired up, and ready to take on the world.

On 53 we worked the ball out of a crowded wing to De Felippe striding into the Bayern half to provide an option. His inch perfect ball found Lopez, and he turned his man and fired home from 10 yards out. A belter of a shot that nearly ripped the net from its moorings, you’ll be seeing that net bulging image for weeks to come I can tell you.

On 56 Gandola limped off and Drage replaced him. But real drama was to follow as the Bayern right winger was shown a straight red on 64 for a two footed challenge on Sime Lagator. The Germans were upset, but they are terrible whingers aren’t they ? It was a red card every day of the week in my book. Lagator was lucky to be able to walk after that challenge.

It was all uphill for Bayern now, an on 83 we added a third goal. Yarmolenko beat his man on the outside to get to the byline, he crossed to the back post and there Romani headed it back across the face of goal where Lopez beat defender and goalkeeper to the ball, his header looping over the netminder and into the net. Fabulous stuff.

On 86 Drage put in a corner and De Felippe rose majestically at the corner of the 6 yard box to plant a firm header past the keeper. 4-1 up, and cruising, in the Champion’s League final, does it get better than this ?

We saw out the win, another night of glory in Liverpool’s history, a sixth European Champion’s Cup in our history. Fabulous, fabulous stuff. The lads were great to a man, I told them they deserved this success, and to make sure they drink in the joy of this evening. They didn’t need asking twice.

Final Score: Liverpool 4-1 Bayern Munich

Scorers : Galarza, Lopez 2, De Felippe

Man Of The Match: Alfredo Lopez

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Lagator, Costanzo, De Felippe, Crisetig (Enriquez 2), Gandola (Drage 54), Galarza, Romani, Yarmolenko, Lopez

The open topped bus tour was obligatory of course, and we paraded all four trophies (or replicas of them at least) around the streets of Liverpool. The fans came out in their thousands, their joy unbounded. I have never had a prouder day in football management, it was brilliant.

Then I thought, how will I top this ? Four trophies in one season ? But I had England’s Euro 2020 campaign to manage, and that was enough to keep me interested in progressing my career.

chesterfan2 · July 30, 2016

End of Season Review

At the end of season 8 of my career, I had attained 13 trophies, four of them in this season (five if you count The Community Shield, which I don’t).

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

England duty and the European Championships in Turkey were next up. They were preceded by three warm-up games against Scotland, Greece and the hosts Turkey. We won all three, 3-0, 3-1 and 2-1 respectively.

mark wilson27 · July 30, 2016

Well done chester on an excellent season, lets see if you can top it off with England. As for your club career is their anyway you can top this, well you could struggle

Whatever happens I will be following along

Darius1998 · August 1, 2016

Wonderful season there and absolutely brilliant that you managed to win all 4 trophies on offer. Congrats and good luck with England.

chesterfan2 · August 25, 2016

Thank you for the support fellas, it is much appreciated.

Sunday June 14^th 2020

European Championship Group D

Venue: Izmir Community Arena

England vs Wales

Wales got off to a bad start giving away a penalty in a very innocuous position in the very first minute. Rooney, the player fouled on his way away from goal, was the one to pick himself up and to power the penalty into the net.

But they were level on 22 as Butland in nets spilled a routine shot straight into the path of their forward and it was one each.

We huffed and puffed before and after half time to get our noses in front but we had to wait for two goals in quick succession on 75 and 77 minutes to settle the game for us. The first of the two was a fine individual effort by our own Martin Dance, the right back’s first ever goal for England and the second was a fine team goal with Spurs winger Worrell Frankland the scorer.

We saw the game out with ease from that point and got off to a winning start in the group.

Final Score: England 3-1 Wales

Scorers : Rooney (pen), Dance, Frankland

Group Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match: Phil Jones

Team: Butland, Dance, Schiffman, Shawcross, Smalling, Jones, Cork, Wilshire, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Frankland, Rooney

chesterfan2 · August 25, 2016

Friday June 19^th 2020

European Championship Group D

Venue: Adana Community Arena

England vs Russia

A far more serious game this one, against the team tipped to be our big rivals for this group. We start slowly, the game very scrappy, but we gradually gain the upper hand. One sour note was a second yellow card in two games for Wayne Rooney, he’ll miss the final group game.

On 25 the ref spotted holding at a corner and pointed to the spot. Our second pen in as many games. Jack Wilshire stood up for this one and we were one up. It didn’t last though and Russia were level via a goalmouth scramble within four minutes of the restart.

On 37 minutes we regained the lead as Oxlade-Chamberlain scored one of those wonder goals you only see in championships as he swept up the pitch beating four players before lashing the ball in. On 41 it was three, and it was down to Oxlade-Chamberlain again as his mazy run was halted by a trip in the box. Rooney stepped up this time, and he didn’t make a mistake either.

The game was far from being over though, as Russia pulled another one back on 44 minutes, passing through our defence like it wasn’t there, a very worrying sign for a manager I can tell you.

But the second half wasn’t a patch on the first half. Not much in the way of good football or chances and so we saw out a 3-2 victory with a bit more ease than really we should have done.

Final Score: England 3-2 Russia

Scorers : Wilshire (pen), Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rooney (pen)

Group Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Team: Butland, Dance (Walker 72), Schiffman, Shawcross, Smalling, Jones, Shelvey (Cork 72), Wilshire, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Frankland, Rooney

chesterfan2 · August 25, 2016

Wednesday June 24^th 2020

European Championship Group D

Venue: Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi Turk Telekom Arena

England vs Serbia

Even with two wins out of two we are not guaranteed a place in round two, so this remains an important game. Hart in for Butland, out of sorts against Russia, and Finley in for the suspended Rooney. Cork in for Shelvey a straight swap that, these being the only changes to the side.

We open the scoring in the seventh minute, Shawcross heading in a corner without much in the way of a challenge to that header. The game was quiet after that, at least until the 40^th minute when Ian Finley added our second of the day from close range.

A third was added a minute into the second half, Smalling heading home a Wilshire corner. On 48 it was four as the Serbian keeper made a right howler of a mistake as he failed to stop Wilshire’s weak shot and let the ball trickle over the line.

Smalling added a fifth on 87, another header from another corner, and that was it, a complete rout and emphatically into the second round.

Final Score: England 5-0 Serbia

Scorers : Shawcross, Finley, Smalling 2, Wilshire

Group Position: 1^st

Man Of The Match: Chris Smalling

Team: Hart, Dance, Schiffman, Shawcross, Smalling, Jones, Cork, Wilshire, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Frankland, Finley

chesterfan2 · September 10, 2016

Wednesday June 24^th 2020

European Championship Second Round

Venue: Timsah Arena, Bursa

England vs Israel

Shawcross had to sit this one out injured, Jones slips into the back four and in his place at anchor comes Southampton’s inexperienced at international level 18 year old Tyrone Saunders. A fabulous opportunity for the lad, I believe he can take it, too.

A scrappy and hard fought game in which we struggled to show any kind of superiority early on was what we presented the fans with today, but we did at least get our noses in front first. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with the goal, on the 25^th minute mark, he was the lucky one to whom the ball dropped to in a goalmouth scramble.

It seemed that Israel were quite susceptible to the bouncing ball in the box as we added a second, the same way as the first, in the fifth minute of the second half. Smalling the man on the spot this time.

Those were the only real highlights of what was a dour encounter, but one we came out of victorious.

Final Score: England 2-0 Israel

Scorers : Oxlade-Chamberlain, Smalling

Man Of The Match: Chris Smalling

Team: Hart, Dance, Schiffman, Jones, Smalling, Saunders, Cork, Wilshire, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Frankland, Rooney

chesterfan2 · September 10, 2016

Saturday July 4^th 2020

European Championship Quarter Final

Venue: Adana Community Stadium

England vs Russia

An unchanged side for this the quarter final against the team we finished above in Group D, Russia. Not to be taken lightly but we do know we can beat them.

A dull first half ended goalless, not completely without any chances, but not many, and none that got close. We did open the scoring in the first minute of the second half via an own goal, forced by Oxlade-Chamberlain into an error pretty much on his own goal line, and there wasn’t any way out of that.

That was enough, in a very below average game, to get us through to the semi-final.

Final Score: England 1-0 Russia

Scorers : Own Goal

Man Of The Match: Chris Smalling

Team: Hart, Dance, Schiffman, Jones, Smalling, Saunders, Cork, Wilshire, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Frankland, Rooney

chesterfan2 · September 10, 2016

Tuesday July 7^th 2020

European Championship Semi Final

Venue: Izmir Community Stadium

England vs Germany

Germany came out like a train and the first couple of minutes was like the Alamo, but though we ended up clearing the ball off the line twice, they didn’t score. We worked our way back into the game and we were fortunate to get a lucky break on 13 as a Frankland cross was cut out, but only as far as Finley who hammered the ball home from ten yards out.

The Germans kept calm and put us under some pressure but we dealt with it well and they didn’t really get close to getting an equaliser. We saw it through to half time without any real scares.

At half time I told them not to get complacent as we could expect Germany to create some pressure in the second half. I told them they weren’t going to go home without a fight, and then I told them neither were we.

We started the second period well and Oxlade-Chamberlain should have doubled our lead in the 64^th minute when he waltzed through the German defence but shot wide when well placed. In the last ten minutes the Germans threw the kitchen sink at us. On 82 they beat Hart all ends up but saw the shot cannon back off the post and then get hacked to safety. On 84 Joe Hart proved why he is still England’s Number One keeper as he produced a miracle double save to keep the opposition out. Stopping the first shot was great, but how he got up to deny the rebound I’m not sure I’ll ever know.

But we saw it out, and now we were in the final.

Final Score: England 1-0 Germany

Scorers : Finley

Man Of The Match: Tyrone Saunders

Team: Hart, Dance, Schiffman, Jones, Smalling, Saunders, Shelvey, Wilshire, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Frankland, Finley

chesterfan2 · September 10, 2016

Sunday July 12^th 2020

European Championship Final

Venue: Ataturk Olympic, Istanbul

England vs Portugal

Just one change from the team that won the semi-final. Schiffman had picked up a second yellow and would miss the final through suspension. Nathaniel Clyne the one selected to take his spot at left back. Lucky him.

The first half was a tense affair. We defended well and kept Portugal to long shots that didn’t trouble Joe Hart. We came close in a goal mouth scramble, but the ref saw an infringement before we could prod the ball home.

The second half burst into life in the 52^nd minute as Oxlade-Chamberlain, our player of the tournament quite possibly (though Smalling and Saunders would run him close), cut in from his wing and rifled home a shot from the edge of the box. The European Championship Final, and we were ahead !

It was two just past the hour mark, as we caught Portugal on the break. A Portugal corner, cleared by Smalling, picked up by Oxlade-Chamberlain who ran down the left, crossed for Finley to head the ball down for Wilshire, arriving, to power it in. A fabulous goal.

Joe Hart prevented the beginnings of a comeback in the 83^rd minute with a save right out of the top drawer. The Portuguese threat subsided after that and we saw out a win, that confirmed us as European Champions. How good was that ?

Final Score: England 2-0 Portugal

Scorers : Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wilshire

Man Of The Match: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Team: Hart, Dance, Clyne, Jones, Smalling, Saunders, Shelvey, Wilshire, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Frankland, Finley

chesterfan2 · September 10, 2016

Revised End of Season Review

At the absolute end of season 8 of my career, I had attained 14 trophies, five of them in this season (six if you count The Community Shield, which I don’t).

Trophies Won: Belgian Third Division Champions 2012/3 – Deinze

English FA Trophy 2013/4 – Northampton Town

English FA Trophy 2014/5 – Northampton Town

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European Championship Winners 2020 - England

mark wilson27 · September 10, 2016

Eight seasons and 14 trophies including winning one with England, Chester you need to be getting onto the FA and enquiring when they are going to be sacking Big Sam. Well done mate lets hope for more

chesterfan2 · September 12, 2016

Thanks Mark, your continued support of this is very much appreciated. As for the FA I send off my cv every time the England manager's job becomes available, but they never send back any kind of a response. what's going on ?

Obviously I was aware I had some thinking to do before we started the World Cup qualification campaign. We had nine players in the squad for the Euros that were over 30 years old. Some, if not all, wouldn’t be around for the finals and I was very much for now blooding new players as soon as possible.

Anyway that was all well and good. I still had a league team to run and it was time to get back into that roll for the new season. We had already done some business whilst I had been on England duty. Three players in at the end of their contracts at their old clubs, one more bought and two players out, sold for much more than they were worth.

The players in were George Clark,22, an attacking midfielder, signed from Celtic, Pietro Errico, 19, a central midfielder, from Inter Milan and Bruno Tavares, 25, a left winger signed from Atalanta, all three signed at the end of their contracts. The one purchase was Marcos Cespedes, 21 a defensive midfielder from Argentina, signed Boca Juniors for pretty much a nominal sum.

The first of the two players going out was one of our reserve right backs, Fabrizio Benedetti who went to Norwich for £7.5 million. He’s been pushed down the pecking order with arrival of Dance and Boldrini, and wouldn’t get much of a chance here. Also on his way was Shinta Ishikawa off to Barcelona for £23million, quite a bit more than I thought he was worth. He had fallen out of favour towards the end of last season and wanted to be able to talk to Barca, so I thought we’d take the money and move on.

Thinking of the season ahead, I had a think about where I thought we needed to improve the squad. I thought we were pretty strong throughout the side, but there were still some holes I’d like to fill.

The main one would be another left back. Salazar is our only out and out left back, with Lagator being more than capable of filling in. I want Lagator as a centre back though, so an addition here was on the cards. I did have a choice though, either treat Salazar as the starter, which he was quite clearly capable of, and purchase a young left back, not quite ready for the big time. The lad I had in mind was Southampton’s left back Yashawa Marshall, an 18 year old with a very big future. Or I decide to upgrade immediately at left back and try and get Man City and England’s left back Robbie Schiffman he’s 23 and already has 19 England caps to his name. It was a tricky decision and one I spent some time over. But I did make a decision and put a bid in.

Other requirements were a bit more quality in defence and a promising goalkeeper, preferably English for the European squad. Current reserve in that role Sam Walker is ok, but he’s not that good. I’d like to move him on.

chesterfan2 · September 12, 2016

The move I went for in the end was for Robbie Schiffman 23, current England international. In the end he cost me £37 million in the end, a steep sum, but a definite upgrade. Also purchased from Man City was Owen Proffitt, 22, an England U21 defensive star and the defensive cover I was looking for; £19.75 million for that deal. Final addition was England U21 goalkeeper Rickel Fashanu, 20, a £17million capture from Arsenal, our new reserve keeper. You’ll note all three were English as we were beginning to have some problems with the quota rules, that say you need 8 home grown players in your 25.

We had some bids in, but bids for Boldrini and Salazar didn’t meet our valuations and in each case the teams involved, Spurs and PSG respectively, weren’t prepared to go to our valuations of the players. No deal, then, but we still had the rest of August, who knew if they would come back with an improved offer. Both Crisetig and Lucas were subject of bids by Barcelona, but in both cases I rejected the bids out of hand.

chesterfan2 · October 20, 2016

Sunday August 9^th 2020

FA Community Shield

Venue: Wembley

Liverpool vs Arsenal

We won both league and FA cup last year so as usual the FA picked the runners up in the league to play us rather than recreating a rematch of the cup final. I give Schiffman and Proffitt a start and I sit back to see if their pretty good pre-season form could be carried on here.

We got off to a bad start, with Arsenal taking the lead on 10 minutes as the England winger, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pounced on a weak backpass by debutant Robbie Schiffman to score.

We struggled to get back into the game with Arsenal content to play keep ball, and the fans were thus confined to a dull first half, at least until we equalised on 37 minutes as Lagator headed in a Crisetig corner. We had a game on again.

Half time, and I told them they could win the game.

And they went out like they believed it but were frustrated for long periods by an Arsenal team reliant on the counter attack for their chance of the trophy. They had their chances through this method, but our defence did well to prevent them from scoring. Their defence did similar to us, at least until the 85^th minute when a long ball over the top by Romani found Lopez running one on one with a defender, he soon put the Arsenal man on his ar*e, strode into the box and shot low past the Arsenal keeper, for what was the winning goal.

The game petered out after that and Andriy Yarmolenko strode up the steps of Wembley to collect the Community Shield from some minor royal. As he held the Shield aloft I thought that whilst this game didn’t actually stand for anything it had done something. It had sent a message to our rivals that we were still a force to be reckoned with.

Final Score: Liverpool 2-1 Arsenal

Scorers : Lagator, Lopez

Man Of The Match: Lorenzo Crisetig

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

We did move one player out shortly after this game. Samed Yesil, now 26, went to Milwall for £2.5 million. He has spent years in the Reserves, going out on loan in each of the last five seasons, but he had never made the grade in terms of getting into the first team, and the time had come to admit that it wouldn’t happen.

chesterfan2 · October 20, 2016

Wednesday August 12^th 2020

International Friendly

Venue: Wembley

England vs Colombia

I stayed down in London after the Charity Shield, meeting the England players on the Sunday at our training base in Hertfordshire. The game here was our first since the European Championship win, and as such the FA wanted to have a meaningless friendly at which we could parade the silverware round the pitch for the home based fans.

Colombia were our guests, 56^th in the World rankings. We were back to first after our Championship win. 56^th or not they would bring some South American football to Wembley. A little bit irrelevant, perhaps, but what the FA want, the FA get, let’s see how the fans view this one. I wonder how many will turn up ?

We went a goal up after 7 minutes, Berkley finding Bennett on the wing, he went past his man, and crossed where Finley turned it home. We easily held that lead up to half time, but we didn’t create very much ourselves either.

We went two up in the 52^nd minute, Finley rising highest at the near post to flick in a Wilshire corner. It was all plain sailing after that, we added a third on 81, Mason Bennett the beneficiary of a loose ball after a challenge on the edge of the box. He lashed the ball in from where he stood.

The 74,000 crowd, a good number, watched us close out the show, a comfortable 3-0 win

Final Score: England 3-0 Colombia

Scorers : Finley 2, Bennett

Man Of The Match: Ian Finley

Team: Hart, Dance, Schiffman, Smalling, Jones, Berkley, Shelvey (Saunders 71), Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wilshire, Bennett, Finley

chesterfan2 · November 3, 2016

Back to Liverpool duty and the first task I had on my return was to ok the transfer of goalkeeper Sam Walker, 28, to QPR for £1.1million. With the arrival of Fashanu he has become surplus to requirements.

Sunday August 16^th 2020

Premier League

Venue: Britannia Stadium

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

Stoke have been what you might call a bogey side in recent times, so it’s very far from the start to the season I would have wanted. On the other hand you have to play each game sometime, and there will be plenty of teams this season who don’t fancy coming here.

The game started evenly, though I thought Owen Proffitt got the benefit of the doubt when he only picked up a yellow for going through the back of the Stoke forward on 11 minutes.

On 18 minutes we took the lead. Some committed ball winning in the centre of the park saw the ball get to Galarza, who took the ball into the box, past two defenders, before firing home from twelve yards out. A very good goal.

But on 34 Stoke were level. For the first time in the match we didn’t clear the long ball in properly, the Stoke midfield recycled the ball well and played in their new £12million pound Serbian striker, who shimmied round Proffitt and shot home from eight yards distant. A little against the run of play, but I can’t complain really,

Half time, one all. Though to be honest Stoke finished the far stronger of the two of us. I told the lads they could win this game.

In the second half we were a lot more competitive and it was no surprise when we took the lead on 63 minutes, Galarza, at the centre of everything good we did today, setting up Lopez for a shot from the angle that beat the keeper all ends up.

That proved to be enough, and we saw the game out on some comfort despite some late Stoke pressure,

Final Score: Stoke City 1-2 Liverpool

Scorers : Galarza, Lopez

Man Of The Match: Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt (Costanzo 65), Crisetig, Lucas(Gandola 65), Galarza, Romani, Yarmolenko, Lopez(Salva 65)

chesterfan2 · November 3, 2016

Saturday August 22^nd 2020

Premier League

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool (7^th) vs. Queen’s Park Rangers (19^th)

A goal on three minutes to start this contest off. Lagator with the goal, a near post corner, headed powerfully home. We pilled on the pressure thereafter but it took until the 29^th minute for us to extend our advantage, but it was worth the wait as this goal saw Yarmolenko cut in from the left beat three players and the shoot across the keeper and into the far corner.

That saw us to half time in some comfort. Encouragement was what I offered and we went out and played some dominant footy in the second half, just the one more goal, Gandola on 62, driving into the box, past non-existent challenges , before dinking it past the keeper.

All too easy this one.

Final Score: Liverpool 3-0 QPR

Scorers : Lagator, Yarmolenko, Gandola

Man Of The Match: Lucas Leiva

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Costanzo , Lucas, Gandola ,Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Lopez

chesterfan2 · November 3, 2016

Friday August 28^th 2020

European Super Cup Final

Venue: Huseyin Avni Aker

Liverpool vs. Inter Milan

The usual opener to the European season is this, The Super Cup. Today’s opponents are Euro Cup champions, Inter. Our only change from the league game the preceding weekend is bringing in Salva for an out of sorts looking Lopez up front.

The Game opens quite cagily but we are the ones in the right spot to open the scoring on 14 minutes. A half cleared free kick was fired back in by Costanzo, his shot hit the bar, but first to the rebound was Salva, making the most of his first start of the season.

It was two only three minutes later as we used an old fashioned English attack to undo Inter. It was Dance with the long throw, and Lagator to flick the ball into the net. Two up and only 18 minutes gone.

26 minutes and it was three following an incisive run down the right by Romani, he pulled it back and Yarmolenko was on hand to steer it home.

The second half wasn’t nearly as entertaining, for us at least, as the first. Inter got two goals, one either side of our fourth, scored by Galarza on 65, and the game ran out, with us as comfortable winners.

Final Score: Liverpool 4-2 Inter Milan

Scorers : Salva, Lagator, Yarmolenko, Galarza

Man Of The Match: Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Costanzo , Lucas, Gandola ,Yarmolenko, Galarza, Romani, Salva

chesterfan2 · November 9, 2016

Saturday September 4^th 2020

World Cup Qualification – European Group 2

Venue: Wembley

England vs. Northern Ireland

So, the qualification process for the next World Cup starts here. As world number one we are expected to qualify for the finals with some ease, but this is a local derby in international terms and some, but probably not all, of the pre-conceptions go out of the window for this one. We welcome Worrell Frankland, by now our starting left winger back into the squad after injury and he’ll go straight into today’s game.

I’m very clear in my instructions to the team. ‘Go Out and win’ I tell them, and send them out.

…

Ooh, we made hard work out of this. The first half was scrappy and pretty much chance free. I shouted at them at half time, and hoped that would be good enough.

But we struggled again at the start of the second half, but we eventually did take the lead just shy of the hour, Wilshire bundling the ball home in a goalmouth scramble. I had begun to think that one of those wasn’t going to go in for us today, so I was mightily relieved.

Finley added a second on 72, to add some comfort to proceedings. He converted well from close range after good approach play by Oxlade-Chamberlain. On 86 Oxlade-Chamberlain got the goal his play had deserved, this one a tap in after Jones’s near post header was blocked on the line but rebounded out into open play.

So 3-0 final score and second place in the group, as Wales beat Luxembourg by six goals to one and Russia beat the Czech Republic by 4-2.

Final Score: England 3-0 Northern Ireland

Group Position : 2^nd

Scorers : Wilshire, Finley, Oxlade-Chamberlain

Man Of The Match: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Team: Hart, Dance, Schiffman, Jones, Smalling , Saunders, Shelvey, Wilshire, Frankland, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Finley

chesterfan2 · November 9, 2016

Tuesday September 8^th 2020

World Cup Qualification – European Group 2

Venue: Stade Jose Barthel

Luxembourg (6^th) vs. England (2^nd)

We go with an attacking formation for this, which is, on paper at least, our weakest opponent in this group. Anyone who says there are no easy matches in international football quite clearly hasn’t seen this lot play. Still, we can’t be too complacent, so I try my best to not pass my complacency onto the lads.

Luxembourg start off enthusiastically enough, but don’t really trouble us. Five minutes of that and we were in control. We opened the scoring on 8 minutes, Finley cutting in from the left wing before unleashing a drive from the edge of the box that a much better goalkeeper than the one on show today would have had trouble getting to.

Strangely it took until the 43^rd minute for us to add to that, when a ball that was pinging around the box was finally turned in by Luke Freeman. We still had time for a third before half time, a Smalling header, knocking in a Wilshire corner at the near post, 46 minutes on the clock.

Into the second half and Luxembourg really should have got one back on the hour mark, but a glorious chance went begging as the shot was skied. We got our fourth on 72 minutes, Freeman with a screamer from the edge of the box, Ross Barkley setting him up.

The fourth was enough and the lads sat back and saw out a comfortable win that despite Wales winning in Russia 2-1 saw us go to the top of the qualification pool.

Final Score: Luxembourg 0-4 England

Group Position : 1^st

Scorers : Finley, Freeman 2, Smalling

Man Of The Match: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Team: Hart, Dance, Schiffman, Jones, Smalling , Barkley, Shelvey, Wilshire, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Freeman, Finley

chesterfan2 · November 9, 2016

Sunday September 13th 2020

Premier League

Venue: Villa Park

Aston Villa (14^th) vs. Liverpool (5^th)

So back to the league and a tricky away game to navigate. Villa tend to be good at home and average away, and this season doesn’t look like it’s going to be any different, but we set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and set out to keep it tight.

The formation pays dividends early as we passed through a pedestrian defence and the ball fell to Lopez , only eight yards out and he made no mistake from there. The rest of the half was far less eventful, with few chances and some very poor finishing on both teams. We went in a goal up, but far from comfortable.

I told them not to be complacent, but that’s exactly what they did and by 73 minutes on the clock we were 2-1 down, both goals being incisive breakaways as we committed too many men forward. Things were looking grim, but in the 90^th minute Lopez set up Lucas who fired the ball home from 15 yards out. A last gasp equaliser. An entertaining match, but not one I could say I was pleased with.

Final Score: Aston Villa 2-2 Liverpool

Scorers : Lopez, Lucas

League Position : 5^th

Man Of The Match: Alfredo Lopez

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Costanzo, Lucas, Gandola (Drage 65), Romani, Galarza (Clark 73) Yarmolenko, Lopez

chesterfan2 · November 9, 2016

Wednesday September 16th 2020

Champions’ League Group F

Venue: Georgios Karaiskakis

Olympiakos (n/a) vs. Liverpool (n/a)

The opening game of the Champions League tonight and for us a trip to Greece. As much as it goes these are our weakest opponents in this group, and so we will need to make a good start here.

But we started badly, gifting the hosts a goal via an 8^th minute spot kick, Lagator the culprit, rashly diving in when he didn’t need to make a challenge. Terrible, terrible, stuff.

We soon got level, and this was thanks to a piece of individual brilliance by Galarza, taking the ball up 40 yards from goal, and then making a mazy run, past defenders, and into the box, where he dinked it over the advancing keeper as soon as he committed himself.

At half time I took off Lagator, after giving away the penalty he looked a nervous wreck, Boldrini on for him, a spot of reorganisation too. An encouraging word or two and I sent them back out.

The goal that decided the game came in the 75^th minute and it came our way. Romani finding Yarmolenko on the box, he shot on the turn, and caught the keeper knapping. The ball crept in at the near post, but they all count, and this one was enough to secure the match.

Final Score: Olympiakos 1-2 Liverpool

Scorers : Galarza, Yarmolenko

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match: Luciano Galarza

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator (Boldrini 45), Proffitt, Crisetig, Lucas, Galarza, Romani, Yarmolenko, Lopez

chesterfan2 · November 14, 2016

Saturday September 19th 2020

Premier League

Venue: Anfield

Liverpool (5^th) vs. Man Utd (4^th)

We’ve played a game less than the four teams above us, and three more points would take us level with Chelsea at the top. Make no mistake though this game is one to put the pressure on. A visit from our old rivals, Man Utd. They have played 4, won two and drawn two so far, and so will provide us with a stiff test, Nevermind the urging of the fans of both sides to put one over on your rivals, a pressure that usual results in scrappy games. If we can avoid that here I believe we can outplay the visitors.

The game, a lunchtime kick off for TV purposes, saw a fast paced opening quarter of an hour, no real chances to either side but Lopez could have done a bit better with his effort on 10 minutes. Tackles were flying in and cards were being handed out like confetti. United defender Phil Jones picked up his second yellow in only the 23^rd minute and United were down to ten men. United manager Jose Mourinho will doubtless hint at some home team biased refereeing in his post-match interview but the truth was we were doing most of the pressing by then and there were some desperate challenges going in from the defenders.

Of course it’s now up to us to make something happen, and though we pressed, and pressed hard, we failed to make a breakthrough before half time, the best opportunity coming on the stroke of the break as Crisetig blazed a straightforward chance wide from only eight yards out. He should, at the very least have made the United keeper work.

At half time I had little else to do but tell them that if they kept on going like they had been then the really should win. That enthused a couple of the lads and they went out looking full of purpose. Just a minute in and Wayne Rooney picked up a booking for a crude challenge on the edge of the box that prevented Crisetig from shooting. Galarza stepped up and brushed the top of the bar with the free kick, a good effort, but from where it was, a yard outside the box, it would have taken some skill to get it up and over the wall from there.

We kept pressing and on 55 minutes we finally got our noses in front. Lopez curled in a free kick from the left just inside the United half, the ball dropped in front of Romani and the little Argentinean smacked the ball home from twelve yards out. Keeper had no chance, The Kop went wild.

On 68 minutes we had a penalty as Galarza was fouled in the process of shooting, Jose can’t possibly complain about that one. Lopez stepped up, and hit the ball straight at De Gea in the United goal and the defenders managed to spirit the ball behind for a corner from the rebound. A missed pen, would it come back to haunt us ?

De Gea kept United in the game a couple of times in the last twenty minutes, and the value of doing that was shown as United broke down the field in the first of three minutes of injury time and managed to get a goal from one of the very few chances they had made. Gutted, doesn’t quite cover it.

Yet what did we do but go back down the field ? and score ?, Yes, that’s exactly what we did. Schiffman overlapped on the left wing and put over the cross of the day, which Galarza having slipped his marker was able to rise unchallenged to head home. United couldn’t come back from that and we ran out closer winners than our play in the match should have warranted. But winners at least.

Final Score: Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United

Scorers : Romani, Galarza

League Position : 2^nd

Man Of The Match: Robbie Schiffman

Team: Lezcano, Dance, Schiffman, Lagator, Proffitt, Crisetig, Lucas, Galarza, Romani, Yarmolenko, Lopez (Salva 80)

The big Sunday match saw Man City beat Arsenal one-nil at The Etihad, and move into second spot in the league, level on points with Chelsea who could only draw their game over the weekend. We were then in third in the league, a point behind the leading two, but with a game in hand.

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