LFC Forever 2017/18

Spartak Moscow 1-1 Liverpool

The press conference, I used to have the stupid question award but recently there hasn't been any memorable enough or whatever, this one needs the most shambolic award. Champions League pressers are awful anyway cos of the translating and reporters wanting to ask about domestic things that mean nothing to the no domestic reporters but it still has to be translated and whatnot. The poor translator didn't have a clue and then "Pochettino loves Harry Kane, do you love your players" I'm sure the Russian press loved reporting Klopp saying "I love Harry Kane" and his players with their track record with LGBT matters. Then Karius comes on and is asked if he'll play today even though Klopp's been clear that he will.

MotM- Dejan Lovren

(Liverpool Echo gave him an 8 with the description "Sensed danger, was composed and produced some vital interceptions along with one particularly crunching tackle. A threat from attacking set-pieces, too"so I'm agreeing and awarding him MotM to avoid Coutinho getting it 3 in a row. I was tempted to go Hendo but I don't know why to explain the decision)

I can't get over how wasteful we're being lately, especially tonight. We should've scored way more than one goal or at least not conceded that goal.

That's all I have to she will be ay the bloody wastefulness was excruciatingly uncomfortable to watch like at the end when we went for a long ball that could not have been easier for the keeper to get if it'd been a pass meant for him. We might as well not have corners, we might as well not have free kicks because we do nothing with them. And it's even more frustrating when the commentators are going Liverpool should win this and they should win the next two and not winning'll only make things difficult, it's been since 2009 since they've won away... STOP! McManaman, you're a Liverpool guy, you're not meant to be trying to our heads!

Bob Paisley had a very simple philosophy, get in the box, put the ball in the net, discuss later, Liverpool be more like Bob! I would hate to see what he thought about now Liverpool (even though we are getting better, going in the right direction) after the Liverpool he knew.

Can got booked worryingly early but he smartens up after that and avoids another.

Spartak Moscow had no attack, none at all and they still bloody scored against us!

Can played a blind ball to a Spartak player, Coutinho has a go in defence and gives away a free kick. Dad went and said if Karius doesn't save it he should be sent home (which thinking about it he will be doing anyway cos it's not the World Cup or something) and I agreed rather than telling him to shut up so I'm blaming him. He put it on Karius to not save it and he didn't when he probably should've done. I'm not kidding conceding is so expected it doesn't hurt anymore (not until it becomes the disappointing draw or defeat). They've learnt nothing from their two away game bans for the fans and fine and set off a firework to celebrate that one goal.

TAA responded with a cross Mane headed home but was very clearly offside so that's one scrapped. Mane comes again, it's saved. Mane plays in Coutinho and this time the keeper has no chance.

Coutinho's first Champions League goal for Liverpool on his 16th appearance. I liked that fact until the it's taken 16 matches part but tbf we've just not had good times in the CL while he's been here for him to be able to score.

That's how you silence the Russians for a while. Man they were loud throughout. Sounded like they were shouting "you fat bastard" over and over since I have no understanding of Russian.

There was a blatant push on Salah, no penalty. He is getting no luck when it comes to getting a penalty awarded.

Spartak get a corner, rather than worry we go on a five on two counter attack so fast Coutinho can't keep up. Henderson crossed to Mane he was a bit offside as he stretched to try to reach it but it doesn't matter anyway cos Salah fired it across goal instead of in the bloody net.

That's half time and they might as well called it quits there because the 2nd half was mostly Spartak players going down injured.

As a reverse of the first half Bochettini booked for off the ball foul on Can.

We take a decent free-kick which Lovren gets a powerful header on but ref sees a push no-one else did. Honestly what the ref saw must have been a hallucination because it wasn't on camera.

Sparkak's keeper ended up in a bit of a clash involving Salah and struggled on for a while  before he finally decides to go off, he has to go off on this stretcher truck thing and then the bloody other keeper has barely taken his training clothing off never mind warmed up or got his gloves on. Come on lad!

I say it should've ended at half time, at least it did get a bit mad and entertaining in the middle with Spartak's goalie dealing with it outside his box and then Karius doing the same at the other end.

Sturridge almost got us the win with his 100th goal with a few efforts most notably the volley from the six yard line that went up rather than in. That century is coming!

Eight minutes is added thanks to the keeper (and subs and the usual stuff but mostly the keeper) we worked out twelve but fair enough, have eight.

Now someone else needs bloody carting off. Thought Russian's were meant to be hard. They're just time wasters. That was another two minutes not added on.

Just to not leave on too much frustration, we left with another point, we did control the game, we did dominate, we didn't give up just because the opposition was making it difficult to get to the goal, we had no problem with their corner(s), we didn't let them have the ball, we didn't let them score in open play.

Next up Rafa's Newcastle away in the Premier League Sunday 1st October, 16:30.

Speaking of Rafa, Xabi Alonso has decided to go into management in his retirement, that's exciting. Imagine him back with us, if only he could score that goal against Newcastle again (which is the kind of thing we're apparently missing, that grab the game and make some majic happen skill of players we used to have). Gerrard's U19s lost earlier which felt like a bit of an omen for the seniors' turn.