Leaving the train at Wembley Park I was immediately choked by a red smoking flare that someone had let off on the stairs up from the platform. Outside the station I found my Dad who was staying at friends in Essex, and we all headed to my other mate Jim who'd managed to grab a table to drink and eat at in an Italian restaurant. Something we had done last time for the Sunderland game after soaking up some of the street side pre-match atmosphere, with the help of an off-licence, and the two combined is a good idea for Wembley I think.
On the way to Jim it was again apparent that half of Liverpool was here! (The other half that hadn't left for London in the 80's!). Once there I ate pizza and pasta discussing what might or might not happen on this day.
Soon we were in the ground soaking up the atmosphere and the £5 pints! However as Wembley was taking from us we decided to take from them as I found an unguarded double socket to charge all our phones! It was good to be back around city fans once more and as we headed to our seats literally on the back row, for we were on the third tier, it was clear to see we were in good voice and spirit. I think spurred on to be by the amount of scousers outside, indeed it felt like the city away crowd rather than the home crowd. However the scousers for all their numbers outside were relatively quiet inside and we definitely out-sung them and were the 12 man (we need to translate that more at the Ethiad!).
Looking at the team sheet I didn't agree with it again and I would have actually started with the exact team we started extra time with, putting Zaba and Navas on from the start with Sagna and Fernando starting on the bench. (At this point I would like to highlight from my drunken seat on the couch in Austria I got the formation in my last post wrong and didn't realise Fernandinhio was on the wing for that game, so apologies!)
Anyway the game started and we decided to stand for the game as we were on the back row and not effecting anyone's view, which in my mind made them good seats. The game itself was a bit nervy at first, but it soon became clear who had turned up on the pitch and who hadn't, as we began to grab hold of the game and they were simply clinging on with very few ideas. However we weren't able to capitalise on our pressure and you started to worry it might be one of those days!
That was until Fernandhinio broke the deadlock with a goal Mingolet should really have saved, but it's great he didn't! Then what followed was great pressure and counter attacking from ourselves but no one could finish off that pressure not Sterling, not Aguero, not anyone! Aguero I will obviously forgive, because we all know he's a bloody gorgeous player, but Sterling I am finding it harder and harder to!
The guy needs to learn how to strike at goal, he needs to learn to be sharper when being closed down, and he needs to grow in confidence to skin the man. In his defence I don't think Grini has helped this year in bedding him in and with not settling quickly the price tag does seem to be weighing quite heavily on him. I will admit to sending a text yesterday that inferred 50p might have been a better price for him than 50 million, and to be honest the jury is still out on that one! But to sterling's rescue was one Big Willy, who stood up firm to be counted in the end!
Liverpool weren't great to be honest and anyone in the press who says the deserved something out of the game is wrong and probably hate us and our success!
Other things of note were: Yaya turned up as he does for big games (which just frustrates you for his performance in lesser ones!), I agree with Kompany as man of the match (God he is a rock we so desperately need!), Zaba as well needs to be re-appreciated both as a more dynamic fullback force and a true club man (pep needs to be informed of this!) and finally for me with King Kev his only real rival Fernandhinio is our player of the season and he proved it again in this match.
Anyway on the way home now and looking forward with hope of a run of form and momentum to the end of the season and when you have got a big willy that performs amazingly under pressure why the hell wouldn't you be confident of that!!!
Wembley stadium, Third tier, back row!
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