Our 'implosion'...

[Whaddapie]

I cannot be the only person who bristles when I read such phrases as 'implosion' or 'capitulation' regarding our last few weeks, can I..?

We lost to Chelsea, a ridiculously expensive, experienced and talented team who were in the title hunt up until the 2nd last week, almost made the CL final and beat the eventual champions home and away, regardless of who they are. And then we drew with a team who'd been in the best form of anybody (bar us) in the league over the past two months - Granted the manner in which that draw was obtained left a sour taste, but nonetheless, we all saw that game as a very, very tough one when we looked at our run in...

Beyond that, we've battered some very, very good teams, with deeper, more experienced and in many cases more talented squads than us since the turn of the year, and generally been on a run that has dazzled the football world. Had we dropped five points at the start of this runm rather than at the end, we'd still be in this position, but we'd all be waxing lyrical about how fantastic it's been since Christmas. And we still should be, by the way... We're likely to win on Sunday. That's unlikely to be enough to win the league. But if 12 wins and 1 draw out of our final 14 games isn't enough, so be it... It's a bloody good team that can withstand a run of 37 point out of 42 to end a season.

City will likely be champions. And deservedly so. But that doesn't mean we've pissed it away, or 'given' it to them. We've done fucking brilliantly and there's not a person alive who honestly thought we'd still have a shot at being champions going into our last game of the season... We have massively exceeded the expectations that all of us had when the season began, and we've made many, many cynical old buggers (myself included) fall in love with football again - I'll take that.

We didn't implode. We've been fucking magnificent. The fact that we may come up a few point short does not change that...

 

[keniget]

It is annoying but we'd been built up so much it was almost inevitable that there would be this kind of reaction if we lost it.

Plus the manner in which it happened (a slip by Gerrard of all people and the absurdity of losing a 3 goal lead) hasn't helped.

 

[Frogfish]

Shaded spies is spot on (I'm going to leave that Apple auto-correction there as our new moniker for Whaddapie).

We lost to Chelsea because one of our best players slipped over. It does happen to even the greatest players. Without that error I'm sure we would not have lost and may even have won.

Same goes for Palace, if it was only the win and not the GD too that we were chasing then we'd never have lost that either, pull the FB's back and forbid them to cross the HW line and bring in Agger for 5 across the back and the door slams shut for Palace. 3 points. It was the Chelsea game that cost us the title and for Stevie that is a crying shame but those are the breaks.

However as far as the media are concerned there are far more column inches to be filled by 'investigating' how the inexperienced Liverpool team succumbed to the pressure.

 

[Silver Sean]

It is annoying but we'd been built up so much it was almost inevitable that there would be this kind of reaction if we lost it.

Plus the manner in which it happened (a slip by Gerrard of all people and the absurdity of losing a 3 goal lead) hasn't helped.

It's the narrative the media wanted to portray. Said it weeks ago. They said we had won it so when we don't (due to the tough games we all knew we had) they can fill their bullshit 24 rolling sports news coverage and wank red tops with 'Capitulation', Failure,', 'Same old Liverpool in the title race'.
Cunts the lot of them.

 

[peekay]

If any other team in the league had done it SCM would have a thread with memes related to implosion. If it had happened to Mancs or Everton we would be similarly aggressive in choking, related puns.

So let us learn to take it on the chin. The only way to respond to this is if the team learns from this experience, and comes back stronger and wins the league.

 

[Mojo]

If any other team in the league had done it SCM would have a thread with memes related to implosion. If it had happened to Mancs or Everton we would be similarly aggressive in choking, related puns.

So let us learn to take it on the chin. The only way to respond to this is if the team learns from this experience, and comes back stronger and wins the league.

Agree. My hope is that it turns out like the 91-92 season when Leeds overhauled the Scum, only for the Scum to learn from it and go on to dominate for the next 2 decades.

 

[moron]

We did nothing wrong - if on Sunday we don't win it - it is because it was not meant to be. We play "our style" of football, and it is now all about goals, and unlike some have been saying we can defend but our emphasis is primarily on attack. As for implosion and capitulation - what a load of bollox !!! - If we had won 1-0 at Crystal Palace they would be saying something else because we did not try or found it very hard to reduce the goal difference. Anyone with any sense who saw the game against Crystal Palace ( including those Palace fans who attended the game of which I have 3 in my office) - will have seen a team that was desperate to score goals not defend some shitty 1-0 lead with the idea that somehow that would put Man City under pressure against weak teams like fucking Villa, and West Ham.

If Man City win the league - it will be deserved, they do play like champions and rarely do they look knackered whey they win. For us to win the games we don't do it without going at 100%.

We tried, we scored loads of goals and entertained the nation but ultimately we failed and no one even expected us to be near the top this season. There is nothing more to say unless City lose to West Ham, and we beat Newcastle.

Anyway - I like to think of LFC as a club that has become a Titan amongst the English teams, because we have achieved winning the league 18 times, and the European Cup 5 times. Fuck the league - let the others who have achieved very little in their history fight over it. Europe - WE ARE BACK NEXT SEASON !!!

 

[Farkmaster]

We imploded against Crystal Palace, and its not controversial to say that, it doesn't betray an agenda, it doesn't speak to the overall quality of the season or what has been accomplished, or the overall quality of our play.

The way we played against them is the very definition of an implosion. We played more and more expansively, got tired, there was a vacuum and our entire structure collapsed, aided by the weight of pressure on us. It's just a fact. No we didn't hand the league to City, but we made it a fuck of a lot easier for them.

If Man City go 2 goals up against West Ham and end up losing 3-2 and we win the league... and god do I hope that happens, they'll get the same treatment and worse.

 

[Whaddapie]

The Palace game, yes. That's a fair cop.

When you take 37 of 42 to end a season, you've not imploded.

 

[StevieM]

I think - ran out of gas - is probably a more appropriate description.

 

[Whaddapie]

Agreed. That's fair. And completely different.

 

[Modo]

Ran out of gas, imploded, capitulation, bottled it.....semantics.

We fucked up, that's all.

 

[Whaddapie]

And there's all the proof that I needed...

 

[Farkmaster]

The Palace game, yes. That's a fair cop.

When you take 37 of 42 to end a season, you've not imploded.

I don't think a lot of people, even in the press are saying our whole season was an implosion, or even how we've played in general over the last many games. They're just reacting to the most recent event, as is usually the case.

You are taking umbrage because a dream deferred...

 

[Spaghetti Legs]

The Palace game, yes. That's a fair cop.

When you take 37 of 42 to end a season, you've not imploded.

People still say we imploded and fucked it in 2009 because of Rafas so called rant even though we took 31 from 33 in the last 11 games.

Mud sticks regardless of the actual facts, just like the 'rant' which was never in a million years a rant.

 

[peterhague]

We imploded against Crystal Palace, and its not controversial to say that, it doesn't betray an agenda, it doesn't speak to the overall quality of the season or what has been accomplished, or the overall quality of our play.

The way we played against them is the very definition of an implosion. We played more and more expansively, got tired, there was a vacuum and our entire structure collapsed, aided by the weight of pressure on us. It's just a fact. No we didn't hand the league to City, but we made it a fuck of a lot easier for them.

If Man City go 2 goals up against West Ham and end up losing 3-2 and we win the league... and god do I hope that happens, they'll get the same treatment and worse.

Yes, because that's the precise definition of an implosion that people invoke when they talk about us.

LOL

 

[Rafiagra]

I don't think we can say Chelsea were expected to get a result from us.

We were on form, at home, and they had half their first team missing.

We should have been able to beat that team if we were worthy to call ourselves champions.

The Palace result was an anomaly caused by us going for broke as a consequence of the Chelsea game. Had we got a point against the Chavs, we'd have seen the Palace game out.

 

[Spaghetti Legs]

As soon as Gerrard fucked it we were playing catch up and couldn't catch up, the end.

Sad but true.

 

[Lippy]

As soon as Gerrard fucked it we were playing catch up and couldn't catch up, the end.

Sad but true.

Yeh but on the flip side of that you can't pin it all on one single incident. There's been loads of slip ups over the season especially in defence

 

[Whaddapie]

I don't think a lot of people, even in the press are saying our whole season was an implosion, or even how we've played in general over the last many games. They're just reacting to the most recent event, as is usually the case.

You are taking umbrage because a dream deferred...

I'm taking umbrage because they're wrong, mate. That's all. Your point about the Palace collapse is fair. All I'm saying is that, when looked at over the course of time, be it the entire season, or our run since the new year turn (as things should be viewed for us), one terrible result does not a capitulation make.

 

[Spaghetti Legs]

Yeh but on the flip side of that you can't pin it all on one single incident. There's been loads of slip ups over the season especially in defence

True, we could all reel off dozens (Joe Allens miss in the derby still annoys more than it should) but that bad control and slip was thee moment in the run in that turned it all on its head, it was the moment where it fell out of our hands and went away from us.

 

[Whaddapie]

http://www.espnfc.com/blog/_/name/liverpool/id/2995?cc=5901

 

[mark1975]

Lets face it, we have a decent safety net, in being able to say... "yeah, but we just nearly went from 7th, to Champions".

Its small consolation, but it's better than what those hapless, laughing twats at Everton and Spurs will ever get close to.

 

[Jack D Rips]

Arsenal were 8 points ahead of us when they came to Anfield. That's implosion.

 

[tony]

Fuck implosion! I am consoling myself with the FACT we were robbed of the title by an incompetent linesman at the Etihad. I'm sure loads will say bollocks but the anger is helping me with my grief.

 

[Dreambeliever]

I think - ran out of gas - is probably a more appropriate description.

Yep, we looked dead on our feet after 65 mins

 

[tony]

Yep, we looked dead on our feet after 65 mins

Nothing new there, we 've done that for the best part of two seasons

 

[Halmeister]

We kind of did implode, though. What Keni and Fark have said.

Another point... those divvies who sing "we're gonna win the league" every week don't help.

 

[Rafiagra]

Aye, that always sat uncomfortably with me.

Talk about counting your chickens...

That said, it's been hard not to get carried away with how good we've been.

 

[tony]

Fuck implosion! I am consoling myself with the FACT we were robbed of the title by an incompetent linesman at the Etihad. I'm sure loads will say bollocks but the anger is helping me with my grief.

Not just me then !

Meanwhile, Rodgers believes a refereeing mistake could prove to be the difference in the destiny of the title.
Steven Gerrard's slip against Chelsea last month, which allowed Demba Ba to score, was seen as pivotal in handing the initiative in the title race back to City, but Rodgers believes a wrong offside call against Raheem Sterling in the Boxing Day defeat at the Etihad Stadium could define the outcome of the season.
"When someone of that greatness and ability, it's just unfortunate what happened to him, but it could have happened to anyone," said Rodgers
"It would be more unfortunate if the decision at Man City, when I got fined £8,000, might define the season. The offside. I was the guy who never speaks about referees. Sterling is clearly onside and in on goal. If we get a goal then...
"It's the only time in my life I've been fined. I knew at that time it might be significant. So that might define our season. It won't be Stevie's slip."