Here it is ladles and jellyspoons, the final league match of this up and down (but mostly average) season. What's technically on the line: champions league qualification. What's actually on the line: a chance to improve our goal difference after salah gets his hat trick in the first 12 minutes and locks up 4th. Yes, Liverpool may well be distracted by the champions league but ideally can't see them losing focus under Klopp with 2 weeks to prepare. More likely we are the ones to mess up as we just did against huddersfield. Predictions: 1-1 with giroud netting. A whole lot of bakayoko and everyone lauding him to high heaven when he completes his first pass of the match (after 8 prior attempts) plus an inevitable defensive balls up (probably from gaz). Feel free to discuss other scores here, no need to avoid spoilers for this one. All I ask for is some good old fashioned effort and no weak excuses.
They seem to have been making an effort recently,...not always effectively, though, it has to be said Still, regardless of what happens elsewhere let's at least give a decent performance to round the season off.
Strange team selection from Conte Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill (c); Moses, Barkley, Kante, Bakayoko, Emerson; Hazard, Giroud. Subs: Caballero, Rudiger, Alonso, Fabregas, Pedro, Willian, Morata
they really should be 3 up by now, suicidal team selection and lack of any enthusiasm/effort from the players. And Mo puts the pool 1 up
That was my worry. My closing comments were not directed at recent performances but that we wouldn't show up today and so far we are still on the team bus. Bad sign as it doesn't indicate that we had any belief for top 4 in the first place and the team selection doesn't help.
Was this a move by Conte to show the board what they purchased? The team fielded apart from maybe 3-4 players is a mid-table team and not one that deserves to play in the CL. Hopefully the search for more supposed diamonds in the rough will take a back seat this transfer window.
My interest in this match is on a par with the players. I'm watching the (currently 7 goal) cracker going on at wembley.
Hopefully it wont be this team but a sensible selection. I am glad I have rejected the chance to go to Wembley in favor of a Walking/Wine/Tapas holiday in northern Spain.