I can’t remember the last time I dreaded a game quite as much as tomorrow’s CL semi-final at Anfield. Albeit only the first leg, the thought of coming away without a good enough result fills me with absolute horror - I swear there are survivors of major disasters less traumatised by flashbacks than me. From the disbelief of someone evidently moving a goal line, to the pain of the penalty shoot-out. The thought of losing out yet again to the Premier League’s perennial part-timers is just too much to even contemplate. I can already imagine headlines being scrawled by one-handed journo’s fawning over the ‘Kings of Europe’ a little too literally.

Of course it doesn’t help that when it comes to this sort of game, we never seem to play anyone else. Eighteen times in four season – 18 times! And although we’ve won 8 of those compared to Liverpool’s 5, when it comes to the CL, that’s a different story. In the CL, we’ve had 3 draws and only lost two to Liverpool’s one, but the fact remains, they’ve twice put us out in the semi’s. And that hurts! Actually, if they’d wiped the floor with us then maybe it wouldn’t hurt quite so much but when the only thing between us is the odd dodgy decision, then that’s hard to stomach.

Frustrating just isn’t a big enough word to cover this one. Even when we were flying in the league, winning without breaking into a sweat, we huffed and puffed and came away empty handed against Liverpool in any game that mattered. Each game, preceded by the obligatory bitching between Rafa and Jose, taking on more importance than the last. While they were hurling badly veiled insults at each other via the media, us supporters weren’t even that subtle. And why would we be? Each time they get their ‘history’ out of the attic and dust it down to throw it at us, along with accusations of having ‘bought’ our success.

But this time it’s different, this time they’ve spent a few quid themselves. This time the manager’s have more or less omitted the verbal sparring in the press. This time I very much doubt expectations are quite so high, given either the manager’s credentials or our performances of late. This time the onus is on Liverpool to establish a lead at home and not concede an away goal – and we haven’t got the 12^th man to contend with in the 2^nd leg (although I guess that depends who’s officiating). There’s a totally different feel about this one and maybe that’s because I’ve never felt quite this lack of confidence before. But then again…….

MAYBE THIS TIME?

Filed under: Europe, Rants, Rivals