There’s always something about Liverpool away that jars.
That probably boils down to the fact that they’re a very good side and we usually end up on the receiving end of a tonking, but there’s so much about the Anfield experience that can get the hackles up if you’re a visitor – especially one clad in yellow and green.
I’ll not list them because that same Liverpool fan who called me sad and bitter 12 days ago may return for round two, but you all know what I mean. 🙂
But last night it wasn’t Liverpool FC per se who did the jarring. Instead, step forward ITV Sport.
We’ve not had the pleasure of a live FA Cup game on ITV for a very long time (Paulton Rovers in the FA Cup possibly?) and on the evidence of last night, that’s no bad thing.
It all began before a ball had been kicked – 45 minutes worth of Mark Pougatch, Roy Keane and Ian Wright eulogizing over the new Carabao Cup champions while having to begrudgingly squeeze in five minutes of ill-informed Norwich City chat before returning to the Liver-love-in.
It was a tough listen and the players hadn’t even yet lined up in the tunnel.
When they finally did, I swear I heard Keane utter the words “Norwich are a Premier League club, they deserve respect”; ironic given that he’d not shown us an ounce in the preceding 40 minutes but maybe the penny had dropped or, more likely, a producer had had a word in an earpiece.
Then enter “Lee Dixon alongside our match commentator Sam Matterface”.
Neither was clearly listening when Roy mumbled those prophetic words.
To be fair, it’s not an easy balance to strike when you’re commentating on what you’ve already decided will be a mismatch. If you’re not careful you find yourself oscillating wildly between being overly patronizing and overly critical.
Neither Matterface nor Dixon were careful. Both of them did oscillate wildly in both directions and managed to do so while offering the impression that Liverpool were up against a plucky underdog from League Two.
It was unlistenable – at least for City fans.
Luckily, some typically ropey City defending proffered the mighty Reds a 2-0 halftime lead and, even better, was that Matterface was offered numerous opportunities to get his tongue around M-i-n-a-m-i-n-o...
It also gave Dixon a brief chance to stop reminding us how terrible our Premier League record has been this season – as if we needed telling.
For obvious reasons, I gave Pougath, Keane and Dixon a swerve at half-time. I knew what was coming.
That City improved a bit in the second-half and Liverpool didn’t “put the game to bed” was clearly a source of irritation for Dixerface, and worse was to come when, just after the Arsenal legend declared that “no-one will be more surprised than me” [if Norwich score a goal], Lukas Rupp had the temerity to fizz one past Alisson.
That wasn’t part of the plan nor part of Sam’s script.
Imagine the horror if Jonathan Rowe’s shot had flown into the top corner instead of being brilliantly saved.
But the stats don’t lie. We only had two shots on target. The best side won and it was left to Wright and Keane to hammer the final nail home when they agreed City were never going to win the game from 2-0 and it’s all too easy to rally a little once the cause is a lost one.
No sh!t, lads.
The final credits were, typically, a homage to the quadruple-chasers in red with barely a yellow shirt in sight.
For a more insightful analysis, I preferred instead to listen to Dean Smith who of course admitted that the best team won but was also happy that we, at times, were able to ask questions of the Liverpool backline.
He also told BBC Sport, “a lot of players who haven’t had many minutes have come in and done exceptionally well. That’ll help us [in] picking the team.”
What he didn’t mention is that there were also a few who did harm to their chances of making his starting XI, but almost forgotten behind the din of Klopp’s ten changes from Sunday’s starting XI was the fact that Smith made seven changes from the defeat at Southampton.
Perhaps it doesn’t count because we lost at St Mary’s and Liverpool won at Wembley, but the general lack of acknowledgment around us being the have-nots competing in a footballing world of very wealthy haves never fails to irk.
Yes, Klopp made ten changes but so what… he has virtually another team of internationals at his disposal.
Not so Dean Smith.
So, as expected, our FA Cup journey of 2022 comes to an end but it wasn’t the complete mauling on live terrestrial TV that some of us feared.
Other than possibly Przemyslaw Placheta, whose argument with an advertising hoarding looked very painful, there looked to have been no real damage done last night, either physical or mental.
In fact, there were at least a couple who must have pushed themselves to the forefront of Smith’s thoughts ahead of the Brentford game – Rupp and Rowe, in particular, putting forward solid cases for a start on Saturday.
And even better… we’re now spared the ITV Sport treatment for at least the rest of the season.
There is a downside though. They have wrestled the rights for the Championship highlights package from Quest TV. So there is a chance…
If ever there was an incentive to beat Brentford and make a fight of this.
I’m struggling to find something positive to say abut ITVs coverage – the best I can do is that at least they didn’t pick a pundit panel of ex-scousers, although choosing an ex-I****h manager was taking the mick.
Dixon is odd as a co-commentator (I know, stating the bleeding obvious) – When he talks abut defending, perhaps unsurprisingly I find his comments generally quite pertinent and even interesting but everything else (i.e. the majority) is just bloke-in-the-pub level waffle. His comments about Diaz were just embarrassing.
Anyway, some positives to take away and a hope that at least we have a few decent options to choose from now.
Is it just me or does Roy Keane, Ipshit manager legend, always looks like he does not want to be there and never really says anything worth listening too?
Matterface works for talksh1te. Enough said.?
The ESPN commentators were no better.
If there’s one positive it’s that we’re done with Liverpool for the season.
While I agree about the Liverpool love in on itv isn’t about time we had a team to aleast have a chance of getting a result there instead of knowing we’re beaten before it starts god knows we’re had enough chances in last ten years to be a better team then we have at the moment then it would be nice not to have those condescending love ins before every match !
The trouble is our owners are happy with the status quo hobnobbing with the owners of the big clubs.
No investment means no ambition which means we will be one of the big boys in the championship
🤣🤣🤣 “dixerface”
Brilliant. The commentary was indeed the most one eyed sycophantic uninformed twatfest I’ve ever had the misfortune to hear.
The gushing love in is sickening enough. The biased claptrap and lack of basic intelligence is an insult to any viewer with a brain.
Rupps beautifully taken and well crafted goal was described as “speculative” – had it been at the other end the commentators orgasmatron would have been in overload.
Even as 18 year old Jonathan Rowe was skinning his full back and forcing the goalkeeper into a flying save, droning arsenal mank Dixon was dribbling about Liverpools expensive substitute, part of the 100 million pounds worth of horse fresh they brought on to subdue footballs weakest team apparently. Shortly afterwards said pkayer spooned a shot wide of the post from a simple position to the enormous self gratification of dicko.
Merely 5 seconds after the happy gunners nest intervention, his prophetic proclamation that he would be aged if we scored – we scored. The insight, the knowledge, cutting edge.
The diatribe continued unabated, as it became obvious that they were clearly somewhat miffed that we had the temerity to score against Liverpool, possibly embarrassed by the amount of sheer crap they had subjected the viewers to. Probably not though.
Thankfully, my own commentary sufficed to drown out most of their bile as a mixture of roaring encouragement for Rowe, anguished howls accompanying gilmours interventions and informing Dixon and mattress face that I would be seeing them on Tuesday.
Awful evening, awful season, awful game. The only positive is that I won’t be forced to watch any more shite itv football coverage this season, or probably next.
Hi Chris
Don’t hold back mate – say what you think 🙂 🙂 🙂
😁 they just hit a nerve martin!
The Scousers ‘jar’ with me too big-time, Gary! I made a comment on here a couple of days ago re them, which was deleted… But it said essentially, I hate their arrogance, sense of entitlement football-wise, and overriding cockiness when playing lesser teams. Though I quite like Roy as a pundit, his misery and aggression is quite unusual I find amongst the usual fence-sitters
Hi Dan
Arrogance is found at all the top clubs in many forms but it’s the entitlement that grates on me like winning a trophy each season, trying to buy your players on the cheap and setting up the ESL.
Let’s cut them adrift with their Arrogance, entitlement and the ESL and see how long it lasts supporters will soon get tired of travelling to Spain, Italy every other week as someone said its not about football or the history of the clubs but about money money and more money
Although I can’t escape commentaries during the match (bar turning the sound down), I very rarely watch – if ever – the studio pundits before, during and after the game. There’s generally nothing of note to learn from them, and the discussion is always geared around a predictably over-egged ‘talking point’ rather than any meaningful analysis. ITV has always been pretty awful, but there’s something about the unrelenting smugness of Lineker and co that doesn’t make me want to watch MOTD either apart
Not much to say about the game. We were okay at the start, okay at the end, and rather ineffective in the middle bit. I said about a year ago that I never rated Placheta from his very first appearance (even though he scored that day) and I don’t think his display last night will encourage Smith to try him much longer.
Not a horrible thrashing thank goodness, but like so many other games it all felt a bit lightweight.
For me Must Start next game J Rowe , S Byram , C Zimmerman , L Rupp .
Drop Pukki .
End of season promote Neil Adams to Director of Football and hire some ex footballers as Scouts .
Hi Gary
I think Atkinson let everyone know how he was going to control the game after Normann was sent flying and Byram immediately took down a Loserpool player he gets booked and the Loserpool player not even a warning we will not complain and Riley will not apologise to city.
At Anfield 50/50 become 75/25 in their favor it’s as if the Ref’s are scared to go against the crowd.
City seem to have 25mins in the first half that they forgot to play then woke up in the second half we need a full 90mins effort on Saturday.
A Greek friend asked me why city don’t resort to the Greek national sides plan on our right side playing Dimi and Tzolis they are so comfortable with each other and know each others game if Dimi goes on a run Tzolis slips into cover his space and when Tzolis goes on a run Dimi tracks his runs.
Is our coaching set up missing out on this as so far I can’t remember both being selected at the same time
Hi Gary good afternoon to you.
I am 64 years old and the biased ITV coverage doesn’t bother me one jot.
Biased it is but can’t we all remember the “wrong” coloured Manchester United shirts for Southampton v Manchester United all those years ago.
Or allegedly Manchester United booking Wembley hotels before the FA Cup semi-finals were played.
Or my favourite, good old Manchester United stalwart Paddy McCrerand whose analysis on any United game was more than somewhat incredulous.
He once felt United deserved a draw when they had been thrashed 4-1, I can’t remember the opposition but it gave me a great laugh.
Or Terry Neill manager of Arsenal football on the night his “valiant heroes” had been beaten 2-1 by Wrexham in the FA Cup.
Both their goals should have been disallowed he said, the result is not correct. To which Danny Baker said “so there you are Arsenal are still in the FA Cup” and no the Arsenal manager is not delusional. 😂
For years be it United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool there has always been a sense of entitlement.
I loved ITV commentator Brian Moore, a real football man. But a Carrow Road match v Manchester United he commentated on was embarassing. Players like Crook or Bowen were at most murmured not Bryan Robson every time the ” England Captain” ( as if we didn’t know ) received the ball Brian’s energy levels reached fever pitch.
So it doesn’t bother me one jot if they give us praise or not.
What does annoy me is that bloody Chelsea match being changed to in between Brentford and Leeds. So 3 games in a week, and then the stark reality that we have NO Games for 3 weeks.
Why ? because it has to suit Chelsea with all their fixtures.
Now that is a disgrace and boy does it get me angry. Even at 64 !
Some great memories there Tim. For all that complain about coverage now (like I did earlier admittedly) it was beyond awful at times in the past. When we came 5th in 87 we were not selected for one live game, then when City came 4th in 89, were not on TV until Christmas and barely featured again afterwards. Highlights both regional and national were non-existent at the back end of that decade. Punditry was as bad then (if not worse) as it is now (Elton Welsby anyone?)
And Chelsea’s instant rescheduling means I can’t attend the game now. This season is leaving me very disillusioned for many reasons and questioning why I am still bothering with the whole circus anyway.
I’m 64 too Tim as you know and this subject brings my pi$$ to boiling point as well.
I’m not saying these fixture changes will send us down but they’re hardly likely to help – no level playing field any more I’m afraid.
The PL don’t want us, Middlesbrough, WBA, Watford or Bournemouth in that descending order. Particularly not us although the others aren’t far behind. Quite how they tolerate Crystal Palace too is beyond me,
On patronising commentators my best (worst?) memory is John Motson early 90’s I think, “complimenting” us when we were going toe to toe with the scousers… “Wow, this is almost like watching Liverpool playing Liverpool “. Still boils my p!55 all these years later.
For all that Motson and Moore are lauded now (rightly for their early days) they truly went downhill in their latter years, with the former becoming a proper parody of himself.
Mind you I still haven’t forgiven Moore and Ian St John for not giving Bryan Gunn the Man of the Match award at Millwall in 89 after possibly the greatest game of his career. They both sounded distraught at the end of the game after Flecky’s last gasp special.
Wasn’t it Terry Hurlock who was given the MOM award in that game? I remember being incredulous as a 12 year old City fan! Great winner from Flecky though.
I am pleased I wasn’t the only one sitting there seething at the ITV coverage. Matterface’s ‘speculative’ reference to Rupp’s well-taken goal nearly sent me over the edge I have to say!
It was indeed Terry Hurlock. St John said the following week that he just wanted to get out of the ground alive. I still don’t know if he was joking or not, but they certainly sounded very quiet at the final whistle for a game that had been so dramatic.
The speculative reference to Rupp was just laughable.
It is incredible that we cannot appeal the decision as to when we have to play the Chelsea match.
The truth is Liverpool or Manchester City would be screaming from the rafters. But it wouldn’t happen, the EPL wouldn’t do this to their “top” teams.
Three bloody weeks !!! That is a disgrace. Any momentum we pick up if we get 5-9 ( 9 being my mate Marty’s prediction) points against Brentford, Chelsea and Leeds, will be lost by sitting on our ars!s for our own spring break.
And we had to play Villa, Arsenal and Palace without half/ threequarters of our first team during the latest Covid cases, Arsenal get games postponed around this time with having 1 covid case and add their players on African Nations cup duty as also “unavailable” plus let two players go out on loan that week 🤬🤬🤬
Really ? And this sounds fair. Give me a break.
Martin is right the EPL do not want us or the other clubs he mentioned. We were being criticised by so much of the football media, calling for us to be kicked out of the EPL or not being allowed back in when we had more wins than Burnley or Newcastle.
Did any of those journalists look to see how far we won the Championship by in those preceding seasons ?
We spent, perhaps not wisely, big money for us in the close season last year. One of the top European spenders it has been reported. How was that not ambitious ?
That isn’t good, all of it above that I have mentioned is not fair or justified but by prioritising Chelsea’s needs over ours is the most blatant of the lot.
It really calls into the integrity of The English Premier League.