Ah well, the quad is off but at the end of the day it's only the FA Cup isn't it? Like all trophies, it doesn't matter when you can no longer win it and it's the best thing going when you do lift it.
And we didn't play well enough to win. We were F***ing dreadful for the most part, even when we dominated the game we weren't exactly thrilling. We just controlled the game. But despite all that, it took those jammy cu*ts a last kick of the game winner against us. We blew our chances to kill the game off and played at 2-1 up as if we were four or five to the good. Rather than going for the throat like we did with Sparta, we just let them off the hook.
Very unlike us.
But let them cu*ts have their moment of glory, let them bask in the fact that they stopped us winning all four. I don't think it'll mean all that much when we're parading three trophies down the dock road and they're left with nothing but a semi-final defeat to Coventry.
And now we've got the defeat out of our system, we can go back on another unbeaten run to end the season on a high.
What I do find sickening though is we get 7 pages on this forum following a European win but have 39 pages for a defeat.
Kelleher - actually had a decent game I thought, made some big saves to keep us in it. Seemed a bit more reluctant to go long than he has in recent games, especially in the first half. Might be the last we see of him this season as well if Ali is to return to the side following the internationals.
Gomez - looked lost in the first half, grew into the game though. Wasn't helped by the midfielders in front of him not tracking their runners though. Seemed like they didn't wanna chase back.
Quansah - showed his qualities with the ball during the game, showed his inexperience as well as he was caught a couple of times. But I wouldn't lay too much blame at his door. Was exposed by the midfielders being overrun and Gomez being in no-mans land a lot of the time.
Van Dijk - probably the only defender to come out with any credit after yesterday's game. For the most part he was always in the right place in the right time. Was surprised to see him not organise those around him a lot better though. It's usually one thing he's well on top of.
Robertson - wasn't the worst performance he's had from a defensive point of view but going forward, his delivery was woeful. Don't think he put one decent ball in throughout his entire time on the pitch. Also didn't get why he went off via the left hand side when every other club in that situation takes the slowest walk possible across the pitch.
Szoboszlai - I've been rather complimentary of him since his return to the side but yesterday was very much like him pre-injury. Looked good when we were controlling the game but when we were chasing it he was nowhere to be seen. I said after the opening day of the season that both he and Mac Allister would have to improve in games away from home when we need fight more than quality.
Endo - didn't think he was at his best either yesterday. Too many times the United midfielders were just breezing past ours and it was four or five United shirts against two or three of our defence. I know pace isn't his strong point but he has to follow these runners.
Mac Allister - almost a carbon copy of the Szoboszlai analysis for me. Good in possession, not very much without it.
Salah - as per usual he scored but it was a very quiet game from him other than that. Didn't get much change from Wan-Bisaka. And I think bringing him off was probably the right decision based solely on his fitness. If Clark hadn't got injured against Sparta then maybe Mo would of come off there and then played the 90 here but you can't change what's been done.
Nunez - didn't offer much in the first half but caused them a few headaches in the second. Extra time didn't really do much either. Not sure he and Gakpo should be playing together. Both need to be the central figure in the front three. And what the F**k he was doing for their third goal, I have no idea. Just F***ing launch it up the pitch lad.
Diaz - didn't do anything that troubled United fro what I can remember yesterday. Couple of runs up against Dalot but nothing that hurt them. I'm usually championing this lad but thought he was a passenger yesterday.
Elliott - I said in the first half that the game was crying out for Harvey because we needed someone to give us that bit of energy in the middle of the park, we were so slow in everything we did - with and without the ball. When he finally did come on, he did give us that as well as what we thought was gonna be a winning goal. Will obviously be criticised for his role in their winner.
Bradley - was an improvement on Gomez at right back I thought and what a run for the Elliott goal. Could he have taken one for the team and just brought Diallo down, taken the red card and seen us go to pens with ten men? Maybe. But it's not really in our nature to make those sort of cynical fouls and especially not from a young lad trying to make a name for himself.
Gakpo - after looking as sharp as he has done for a long time against Sparta, he finds himself back on the bench. Comes on against United and really didn't cover himself in glory did he? As much as Elliott is no replacement for Mo down the right, Gakpo certainly isn't. He needs to be the central figure in the front three or nowhere for me.
Tsimikas - didn't do much during his brief time on the pitch. I did have hopes of another Wembley moment with the last gasp corner but not to be this time.
Clark - chalk playing for Liverpool against United at Old Trafford off your bucket list young Bob. Not many teenagers get that honour so you must be doing something right.
Overall we wasted too many good chances to kill the game off and were ultimately punished for it. We've been on the other end of games like that this season so we know what happens when you waste chances.
I also found the game to be too slow for too long. It didn't feel like a Liverpool/United game. It felt in slow motion.
But we've got a couple of weeks to get our hands round it and put it right against Brighton at the end of the month when we'll go top of the League again. It's happened, we can't change it so no point in F***ing dwelling on it and beating ourselves up about it. Brush ourselves down and get ready for the Seaguls.
Might not be able to win all four anymore but if two out of three ain't bad for Meatloaf then three out of four is F***ing boss for Jürgen Klopp.
Keep doing what we've been doing for most of this season and we're gonna need a bigger trophy cabinet come May.
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