LFC Forever 2017/18

Liverpool 0-0 Man United

MotM- Mohamed Salah

(He's gotten a real confidence boost from playing for country, if only he could put the ball in the bloody net for club! He was the best player on the pitch for most of it. His first touch, close control and turn of pace terrorised Darmian in particular)

We seemed to have survived the international break with quite a few success stories. Salah getting Egypt to qualify of course. England, we had it pretty easy and got over the line so boringly that I was actively supporting the other team, I only watched the first game, I didn't want us to qualify and go to Russia but we have done. So I was looking forward to this, saw someone with a United badge on them and thought we're gonna smash you, got back and Mane's done his hamstring. Damn it! We just can't keep him on the pitch atm! 

It made me really sad in the press conference when Klopp said the time of one team dominating the league particularly us is never coming back. AND neither is the warring watches between us and the Mancs. It just doesn't feel right that no one's on the edge of doing something mad cos it's so personal to them to win at all costs. It's taking some real getting used to not having Gerrard in it still.

I didn't sleep much cos of this game. I had two dreams about it. The first United scored and the second I'd missed the game for some reason and I couldn't find any results so not good either way. I was a bit of a zombie when I got up, I don't know how anyone who got up early to watch it managed.

The  King Kenny stand is finally officially named with his name up. I was worried we'd go and ruin that celebration, I suppose we kind of have with a 0-0. It would've been the best for it to be our turn to just have that one goal that wins the game and sends them home mardy.

Form goes out the window in these matches, right? Not at all for us. That was very much business as usual. We dominated, we got into a lot of pockets of being on the precipice of scoring and it just not happening.

If form goes out the window, that means I can ignore the rest of our games for a minute and talk about  Maybe it's all the years of disappointment against these but I'm happy with everything Liverpool gave today so I have to be happy with the score or lack of. If only we'd managed to put one of them in the bloody net. You all had your time to be come heros today!

On the grand scheme of things, it's another disappointing draw especially when we were so bloody close to scoring! Matip forced De Gea into a right save, Salah got it and then decided hero for country and club was too much for one week and sent it wide.

It's nice to see Lukaku can move to the Mancs, be part of big scores (boo!) and still come to Anfield to disappear. Took him 20 minutes to touch the ball. Mignolet had more touches than him, 22 to 27.

It's something when the fucking ref is more frustrating than your arch rivals. He was so obsessed with trying to keep the game going (thanks for not playing Mourinho's games) that nothing was a free kick and certainly nothing should involve a card. Leaving it for 15, 20  minutes is a thing in these games or in the past the field would've been empty before half time but come on, it's like he really, really forgot he had cards to show idiots going in two footed and whatnot.

Coutinho got himself into a penalty shout. It could've been given, clattered just inside the penalty area. Salah could've put another penalty home. Not given, not exactly protested hard. I can see why the ref didn't see it. In the slow motion Coutinho looked to me to be already going as he tried to weave round them

At one point, about 70 minutes when it was very firmly 0-0 and we're dominant but not quite doing anything with it I found myself wishing the Chelsea game from 13/14 had been this one, it would've been perfect all round, we'd have that one more point, that stupid song wouldn't exist, Mourinho would still be satisfied by his bus parking although I guess the bus parking wasn't all that today when we had out pretty usual MANY shots and even a few on target. 

When I saw Fellaini was out I was like yeah! No one's gonna get whacked in the face. Still Lovren seemed to be arguing it happened at one point. There was also a kick to the face to discuss. Darmian did the kicking but I think it was Phil Jones' face, not that you'd tell. His whole face bounced with it. Can ) got out the way. So obviously he kicked his own team mate in the face but surely that still counts as dangerous play? Where's the red card ref or is that missing like your yellow?

The subs seemed pretty odd choices. We took of Coutinho and Salah, the ones who were doing best. Obiously I love Sturridge and I'm absolutely desperate for him to get that 100th goal but we discussed like a few minutes previous that this wouldn't be a game for him to come into, he did and didn't really get to do anything. Alex, still very much adapting to heavy metal Solanke, only had a few minutes just to let Firmino sit down.

Our defence don't get the chance to be given much praise. Gary Nevile gave Joe Gomez MotM. I thought we did pretty great. Moreno, I can't believe how much he isn't the agh Moreno's doing something Moreno anymore. He kept his positions, he kept the right side of his players. He did his job. So did Lovren, Gomez and Matip although obviously the attack was pretty minimal and was apparently only in the moments when I wasn't watching cos of the stream.

It ends with a string of failed corners (more balls over the bar) and Mouriniho putting some kid on to pass the time.  That's four draws in a row with this club, how the times have changed.

Perhaps we need to work on attacking corners now defending them aren't so terrifying (don't make me regret saying that, you can defend corners, you can!) cos far too many headers are going over the bar or the cross going over everyone.

I've just realised how quiet Dad was throughout this match, he didn't complain about everything and other than pulling up the ref when he was meant to give free kicks and yellow and didn't and right at the end trying to cheer on the corners.

With all these draws I wish we could turn back time to the moment just before Sadio Mane kicked that keeper's cheek and start again from there.

Dad's just told me City won 7-2 against Stoke wow, that's the kind of game we need to get back to having with more of the 7, less of the 2., we've not had one like that in a while. Hope you're sat down, Crystal Palace 2-1 Chelsea WTF is going on?!

Next up, back to the Champion's League Mariboraway, Tuesday 17 October, 19:45.

Hopefully a trip to Slovenia will do us well. That'll be nice.