Liverpool take on Crystal Palace in the FA Cup. It was a decent game, a hard-fought away victory in which even Mario Balotelli claimed an assist, but the highlight for me came at half-time. I was making my way to the front of the queue for the bar when I was tapped on the shoulder. “Excuse me, mate, would you mind getting us a lager and a cider while you’re there?” said a man with a soft North East accent, proffering a £10 note. I did a comedy double take. It was Alan Kennedy, the man who had scored winners for Liverpool in two European Cup finals. And he was labouring under the misconception that any Liverpool fan anywhere in the world was going to let him pay for a drink in this lifetime. please log in to view this image PA PHOTOS Liverpool return to the Stadio Olimpico, the scene of two of their five European Cup triumphs and, in 1984, of Kennedy’s second winner: a cute little dink in a penalty shootout followed by the most awkward goal celebration ever. Jose Mourinho must make Manchester United sexy again please log in to view this image Jose Mourinho must make Manchester United sexy again BY LEE STOBBS Significantly, their opponents will be the same team: Roma, who will have had 34 years to stew on having Europe’s big trophy snatched away from them… at home, in their only ever final. Liverpool come armed with a painfully unsecret weapon, Mo Salah. The free-scoring winger Roma must be regretting cashing the cheque for has brought the audacity and invention Liverpool have been missing in front of goal since the departure of Luis Suarez – with none of the rodentine bad behaviour. For Scousers, he feels like a throwback to the Eighties – both in a football and a visual sense. His piratical black curls and beard give him a strong resemblance to Chrissie from Boys From The Blackstuff, the brilliant Eighties drama that told the story of how Liverpool declined economically and socially, as surely as it rose as a footballing superpower. please log in to view this image PA PHOTOS/MAGGIE THOMAS But no Liverpool player should come to the Stadio Olimpico expecting a victory lap around its famous running track. You might not have known from the suicidal high line that Roma tried to play against Liverpool’s front three at Anfield, but at home I Giallorossi have built a fortress, not conceding a single goal in seven Champions League games. Having improbably carved back two away goals in Liverpool, a repeat of the 3-0 Roma managed against Barcelona in the quarters would send them into the final. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said from the outset that “If anybody thinks this is the easiest draw then I cannot help this person; they obviously didn't see both games against Barcelona.” But don’t just take his word for it. When I told my stats-obsessed son Keir that I thought Liverpool had the pick of the draw for the semis, he told me – as he frequently does – that I was wrong. He pointed out both the easier draws Real and Bayern have had and the talent that runs through the Roma side: not perhaps the peacocks of PlayStation’s Fifa box covers perhaps, but skilled technicians with plenty of quality to punish the unwary with (see below). Have England lost the World Cup before it’s even begun? please log in to view this image Have England lost the World Cup before it’s even begun? BY MARTIN SAMUEL please log in to view this image PA PHOTOS It’s an intriguing set-up for Wednesday: give a Jose Mourinhoteam a 5-2 head start to a tie and you’d bet the farm on them going through. Give any other team the task of scoring three goals without reply against one of Europe’s most prolific attacks and they might just prepare for damage limitation. But somehow this feels like a real contest and the only certainty is that there will be goals. inRead invented by Teads Jurgen Klopp talks with relish about “heavy-metal football” and Fortress Roma looks set to be his Castle Donnington. Let there be rock. Three Roma players who could spoil Liverpool’s party... Daniele De Rossi Roma’s captain and midfield enforcer is a one-club player who has been a mainstay of the team for 16 years. A World Cup winner with 117 caps and 21 goals, he is the highest-scoring midfielder for the Azzuri since the Second World War. At 34, he will not have too many chances to lift the Champions League, and the memory of Agostino Di Bartolomei, the Roma captain who never got over the 1984 defeat by Liverpool, will be on his mind. Manchester City cast-off. The big striker has made a big impact at Roma, scoring seven goals in eleven Champion’s League games, including two (the vital away goal, plus a good opener in the 3-0) against FC Barcelona. Radja Nainggolan Roma’s midfield engine is perhaps the most complete midfielder in Europe: hard-working, tough-tackling and with a pass-completion rate that outstrips even Paul Pogba. Overcoming the first-leg deficit calls out for a hero. Could this be his moment? Keir Shallcross
De Rossi is past it. We will blow him off park Nainggolan is another matter entirely. he destroyed henderson until the res tof our team ran the rest of them off the park and he was left there on his own in effect while three of our lot were all over the area Dzeko is nothign special. he's a decent player but has no pace. Lovren cocked up giving him a free shot. He we don't give him a free hit he won't create something all on his own I am surprsied kolorov isn't called out as a key man. IMO LFC have got to shut that left side of their team down or suffer the consequence. For me the game will be won or lost on the basis of Our right side and their left side. Salah and trent (plus windy) verses whatever they pull together.
Jürgen Klopp on LFC injury latest ahead of Roma Liverpool will be without Joe Gomez for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final with AS Roma on Wednesday night, but otherwise are in good shape for the encounter in Italy. Gomez sustained a knock in the early stages of Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Stoke City at Anfield and, although he could complete the game, subsequent diagnosis from the medical department ruled him out of making the journey from John Lennon Airport this afternoon. However, the Reds are boosted by the news that Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are likely to be involved in full training at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday night and, therefore, are available for the decisive encounter with Eusebio Di Francesco’s side. Elsewhere, Sadio Mane will return and Alberto Moreno is also set to shrug off a knock to be in contention, though long-term absentees Joel Matip, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Emre Can remain on the sidelines. Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com onboard the team flight to Italy: “Apart from the long-term injuries, only Joe is not here. “He had a little bit of a setback in the early stages of the last game. He came through somehow, to be honest, but after the game the injury was still there so we’ve left him at home. “It’s only a little setback for Joe, but we have to see how long he will be out for. I don’t know at the moment. “Apart from that, I think we are pretty complete. We have 20 players plus three goalkeepers, but a lot of kids are involved and Adam Lallana is here, too. “[Henderson and Alexander-Arnold] have had a two-day recovery and today will train normally. Alberto got a little bit of a knock. We will see, but it looks like he can train tonight. The rest should be available.” Boss gives Adam Lallana fitness update Jürgen Klopp has explained why Adam Lallana was included in the travelling Liverpool squad for Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final, second-leg tie with AS Roma. The playmaker, who has been out of action since sustaining a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace on March 31, has resumed training with his teammates. Lallana will continue to work alongside his colleagues during the sessions in Italy, though it is too soon for him to be considered for selection. Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com: “Adam Lallana is here in the training squad, but not available for the game. He’s in the training squad and that’s very nice. “It shows how close he is. “Unfortunately, the season is not too long anymore, but we’re really happy about having him with us.” http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/300321-joe-gomez-injury-liverpool-fc-jurgen-klopp
Lucas Leiva is expected to drop in on his former Liverpool teammates in Rome ahead of the Champions League semi-final second leg.
I hope we don't concede early tomorrow. A first half goal for us would be amazing although they concede few at home. Frankly, with all of the injuries we've had, I have the feeling that we're limping over the line now, so Klopp needs to ask for 2 more big games, one tonight and one against chelsea. And if we actually get to the final, he won't have to ask anyone - it's the pinnacle for any pro footballer to have played in the final, so motivation won't. be a problem and the players will be rested. Sadly, our squad is not strong enough in quality, which makes for a nervous leg in Italy (even with a 5-2 cushion) and a nervy PL run in.
no. Ok so what i said was go to subs. I put who we were likely to put on in red. For me: First sub all going well.... probably someone like solanke to donkey the ball at. Second sub if no injuries, probably throw on klavan and lock game down a bit. Third sub would be lallana at best (i did mark him red) My view is: If injury... lallana can 't come on first half. We will have to think very carefully about what to do if a midfielder does go down in first half. Second half.. we will see. he surely has 45mins in him. If we lose a cb or full back we are ok. If any one of the front 3 go down it will be serious. My view is we need to sort some system out if we need a later sub to see game out as right now we sub on someone and the team play 5-0-5 still and we are throwing in goals. We need to retain ball by passing a bit more and not have half the team miles up pithc and other half cmaped on 18 year line and then of course the aimless hack it clear thoughtlessness.
Roma cannot afford to sit back, they need to come for us. I hope they are going to play into our hands like city did.
Phil Thompson warns Liverpool to be ready for Roma's cynical tactics http://www.skysports.com/football/n...verpool-to-be-ready-for-romas-cynical-tactics
The worst case scenario is what happened v city. 3 minutes.. stupid self inflicted goal. We just need to settle into this game as i am quite sure we will have a number of nervous nellies who won't really want the ball too long. I fully expect to see us giving roma the possession by just whacking it our of defence. Lovren, VVD and karius should not want the ball. If we can get to about 20/25 mins into the game and settle down then we can start to apply pressure and try run their legs off. For me if we scrape into this final by hook or by crook there will be a few lazarus like recoverys. we are down to bare bones. it is showing but it is what it is and we have to get on with it. to be quite honest we have far exceeded expectations this year. We didn't do enough last summer. We will only be getting the players klopp wanted when the window opens 12 month later. scraping 4th and having a cup run... not too bad. I had hoped for an FA cup run but this is even better. Arsenal's terrible form has meant we have been assured 5th and then cheslea dipped for a good while and fell way off. IF we can just hold them off its a great result. IF we were to go out now at SF there should be regrets from 5-0 up after 75mins but overall we couldn't complain. A CL final... its unbeleivable.
As in they've seen us react to stoke and will be out to get lads sent off, dive pinch foul, stick thumbs up butt holes etc etc.
Just score first one even if it means rolling it to free team mate rather than take glory yourself. I am willing to be mane will miss two sitters then score. just the way the lad is.
The best lesson that both klopp and the team can take from barca's 3-0 defeat in Rome is that the mentality has to be right. Valverde got it tactically wrong but also Suarez and Messi made no effort to defend from the front. You can bet your life that Firmino will not do the same. The biggest issue will be the atmosphere. As far as I can tell, the only Liverpool players that will have encountered anything close to as hostile will be the ones that played in our 1-0 defeat to Besiktas (only Lovren) though perhaps Milner and Salah did at previous clubs. Don't forget that last round they heavily watered one half of the pitch to wrongfoot the barca players. As long as they arent overwhelmed by the occasion, we should get a positive result.
Nice gesture, but I still hope we beat them http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sp...irts-mark-support-Liverpool-fan-Sean-Cox.html
