It’s in all probability the final day of summer time right here. As we speak’s forecast is for sunshine and 25C (actual really feel 28).
After that, issues will revert to the imply, days get shorter, mornings darker. And that’s how you already know you’re within the meat and drink of the soccer season. Maybe that is simply me, however I discover my most vivid reminiscences of soccer seasons – past those the place success comes on the very finish – are within the early weeks. I believe it’s the nice climate.
I’d must look this up, but it surely appears like we’ve performed Liverpool extra typically than some other crew on this interval. The sport at Anfield in 2010 when Laurent Koscielny acquired despatched off on his debut, and the next 12 months there was a sport at residence when it pissed rain, Emmanuel Frimpong acquired despatched off, and Samir Nasri acquired a load of reward for, you already know, doing his job after spending the entire summer time presenting like a cat in warmth to Man Utd and Man Metropolis. That was not lengthy earlier than the Mertateta trolley sprint.
Ignasi Miquel performed for us that day too. I simply regarded him up, he’s at the moment enjoying for Granada, 4 look thus far this season in La Liga however they’re struggling in sixteenth. One win from 4. He turns 31 in the direction of the tip of this month, however till then stays 30. That’s the way it works.
We beat Liverpool 2-0 on a Monday evening in August 2000 when Patrick Vieira was despatched off by Graham Ballot, the Mike Dean of these days. Fortunately no one has given him a tv job. It was Vieira’s second purple card inside 72 hours, having been despatched off on the opening day in opposition to Sunderland. We misplaced 1-0. That was the sport the place a newly arrived Robert Pires sat on the bench, regarded on on the depth of the Premier League and thought ‘Oh candy holy merde, what have I let myself in for?!’
What’s mad, trying again, is that the purple card then didn’t forestall him from enjoying within the subsequent match whereas now it’s automated, but in addition that we performed Sunderland at 3pm on a Saturday after which Liverpool at residence on the Monday night. What the hell? Think about if social media had been round for that? The outrage, the conspiracies, the accusations, it might have been off the charts. Which, when you concentrate on it, tells you it ought to actually be labelled delinquent media and illustrates why one thing like Twitter is dying a gradual loss of life as a result of most conventional folks can’t abide relentless toxicity and can discover one thing higher to do with their time.
Twitter would even have had a discipline day with the rumours that went round after that second Vieira purple card. There was discuss he ‘cleaned out his locker’, livid along with his remedy by referees, and that he was accomplished with English soccer. He threw his shirt away as he went off too. That might have been sufficient for @SupaGooner45389460 to insist he had besmirched the honour of ‘are as soon as grate membership’ and name for his quick departure.
After the sport, Arsene Wenger stated:
“I might not wish to repeat what he stated when he got here down the tunnel. We’re all human and after Saturday’s sending-off this was exhausting to take.”
Liverpool had two gamers despatched off that evening too. Gary McAllister and Didi Hamann. Finally Vieira calmed down, however Graham Ballot remained a large prick. That’s the way it works.
What about Liverpool at residence in August 2016. An attractive sunny day, that sense of optimism that may solely come on on the opening day of a brand new season, which then turns into a head-scratching wake-up name since you began with a centre-half pairing of Rob Holding and Calum Chambers, and a midfield duo of Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny. With all due respect to these concerned, not precisely premium. We misplaced 4-3. Nonetheless, a minimum of Philippe Coutinho, who scored two objectives that day, has seen his profession go off the rails to the purpose the place not even Aston Villa may be arsed with him.
Talking of Calum Chambers although, each week I see him named on the Villa bench and he by no means will get on. It’s a bit unhappy actually. He all the time appeared like a superb man, however accidents actually didn’t assist, and maybe he got here too quickly for the period when centre-halves turned full-backs as a matter after all.
Anyway, hopefully he can bang one in in opposition to Spurs or one thing this season. That’d be good for him. Then he can open a sequence of high-end barber retailers, with its personal vary of beard oils. The long run is shiny for Good-looking Cal.
Very similar to immediately. So I’m going to get espresso and sit exterior within the backyard. Have a superb one people.
