I think it’s kind of sad indictment of where the game has gone. Teams can no longer just celebrate a good year in which they win something, it has to be looked at in terms of where this places them in the hierarchy and their ability to sustain this success. It’s an extension of the idea that coming in the top 4 is almost as important as winning the title itself. It’s almost like you cannot celebrate the win for itself, but about how it preps you for the “next step.” What fucking next step? You just won the biggest thing in the game. Fucking enjoy it.
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I think that’s something that pisses Klopp off. After our EPL title, talk immediately turned to creating a legacy. Even some suggesting we could or should rival the great teams of the 80’s. For some the 19/20 title was just a statistic to be featured in the LFC wiki rather than something to be enjoyed and savoured.
The last season brought us all back to earth and shows that we need to appreciate a title for what it is when one comes our way. Because they are not easy to come by.
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I think this is why I was mentally checked out for last season. I’d waited my entire life to see Liverpool win a league title and finally they managed it. I remember going and walking my dog right after full time of Chelsea vs Man City. Must have walked for about two hours just enjoying the feeling of that weight being off our backs.
Then a few days later everyone was back to talking about transfers and the new season - behind closed doors with a virus ripping through the country… and I just didn’t care. We had achieved what I’d been waiting for, I was perfectly fine with having a year off after it.
I’m a bit more motivated for this season but even if we finish a lowly 4th (something I think is unlikely as we still have the best starting XI in the league if not Europe when fit) then I won’t exactly be furious about it.
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Yeah, to me last seasons would have been a statistic I would love to win it with the fans there and to have a parade but I’m not now wondering if I’ll ever see us as champions.
It’s done, I do think the start we made last season was because that weight had been lifted. I think injuries caught up.
I still feel it’s us or City but I do think this Chelsea team will be better. Some of freak results may continue mind.
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It’s strong though. I did a hypothetical combined 23 and there were 9 from Chelsea.
Alisson, Mendy, Kelleher, Trent, James, VvD, Zouma, Gomez, Konate, Robbo, Chilwell, Fabinho, Kante, Thiago, Henderson, Jorginho, Keita, Mount, Mane, Salah, Havertz, Pulisic, Jota.
A combined Liv/City, for me, would be along the lines of
Alisson, Ederson, Kelleher, Trent, Cancello, Diaz, Laporte, VvD, Gomez/Konate, Robbo, Zinchenko/Tsimikas, DeBruyne, Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho, Foden, Sterling, Mahrez, Grealish, Mane, Salah, Firmino/Torres, Jota so Liv 12-13, City 10-11
City/Chelsea…
Ederson, Mendy, Kepa, Cancello, James, Laporte, Diaz, Stones, Zouma, Zinchenko, Chilwell, DeBruyne, Kante, Jorginho, Gundogan, Foden, Sterling, Mahrez, Mount, Havertz, Pulisic, Torres, Grealish (City 13, Chelsea 10)
It’s very noticeable that despite both teams spending huge amounts of money that neither of them can provide a decent striker to a combined squad (yet - Kane and Lukaku pending…).
Not really a like-for-like comparison though, is it? Of course you would take starting players from other clubs over our backup players in almost all situations.
You might still take Azpilicueta over Neco Williams, but it’s Trent and Robbo over James and Chilwell all day every day. I’d take Tsimikas over Marcos Alonso for example, if you see my point.
I do see your point, I wish you’d put it away.
But yeah, fair enough. But it’s fine margins and, as we’ve seen, lose just a couple of key players and it can be a real struggle.
Liverpool, City and Chelsea squads are easily the best in the league. There’s then a gap to United, another gap then to Leicester and Spurs, then everyone else.
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Be interesting the pressure that Tuchel will be under having spent all this money.
Few dodgy results and the pressure will build nicely.
Yeah, but they’ve yet to match Citeh’s ‘We beat UEFA on a technicality’ trophy
Each to their own. I think Fab is the best DM in the world. I wouldn’t swap him for anyone
Kante isn’t really a number 6 in the same way as Fabinho is, he usually plays (his best) in a midfield two rather than on his own. But he has been a better player, no doubt about that.
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Kante is difficult to compare to Fabinho but he’s a world class player, I don’t know many sides he wouldn’t improve. I hate it when such a player is such a nice and likeable person and plays for a despicable side. Well, not quite despicable, that description probably suits Man City better, but you get my point.
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Kante is immense, you find a place for him in basically any side in the world.
He’s best in a midfield two, like he does it for France par example (and under Tuchel at Chelsea, since it’s a double pivot again).
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I remember when Chelsea made some signings last season and they were going to win the league.
Same will happen again this year.
3rd. By a distance.
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As an aside to this, Guardian podcast said the two best managers in the league are Guardiola and Tuchel. Baffling.
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Klopp doesn’t invest enough time and energy in cultivating the brooding genius reputation. 
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Doesn’t surprise me. I dont think it is as good as it used to be with the guy who used to do Football Italia back in the day. Barry Glendenning frequently seems to have something against the club.
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That’ll be Abraham off then.
It’s just occurred to me; does Lukaku count as home grown?
I like it in general but I think they could do with having more people who actually know about modern football on there. Max Rushden said he had never heard of anyone of Palace’s signings apart from Conor Gallagher - which just seems kind of lazy even if he is supposed to be the “everyman” of the pod.
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