Pop. Bang ... Alas!

It could be another magical football night an Anfield. It some way it was. Yesterday’s Europe League match against Atletico Madrid, which we have won 2:1, but lost on away goals (2:2), was in some way ... I don’t know how to describe it. But there was this special tension and special atmosphere in the stadium; as if we all knew that this is the crucial match which can open ,or shut, the door to Europe.

There's no need to hide, Dirk!

There was this special ... something in the air, as the fans were chanting and supporting our Reds. I felt proud. I felt proud to be a Red, I felt proud of the chanting fans. I felt proud of our lads. And I still do. Even if the disappointment is deep and hurts. There’s no need to hide our heads in the sand or anywhere else either.
We’ve had such a bad season and still we managed it into the semifinals of the Europe League! That IS something. And do not say it isn’t!
Furthermore, the lads played very well yesterday. They pushed forward and played concentrated. There were a few mistakes and moments of imprudence, tough. But in total ... it was a good performance by the lads.
Ryan Babel impressed me with his run to catch the ball ... He suddenly just appeared out of the blue ... That was great! Dirk played a good game, with many occasions to score. Stevie as well. And Glen Johnson was also there, where and when he was needed. And finally: Aquilani and Yossi. Both did fantastic job. When Yossi scored, the emotions on the pitch and on the stands genuinely went crazy! Could you see it? The emotions went crazy in my room as well ... But I spare you with the details.
Alas, the ball went in two times only, which is a shame, because we have so many score opportunities! We should have won! But we didn’t, and the lads aren’t the ones to blame for it. They did well. It was that bad luck again. It just wasn’t meant to be.
Anyway, there was this referee issue again. Do we need to talk about this one more time? To be honest: I’m sick of this issue! I just can stand the fact, that the refs always try to decide against us. I mean ... Come on! This was so obvious (not only in this match, by the way) ... Do they have an anti-LFC pact or something?
So, even if we lost, there’s nothing we have to feel ashamed about. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United didn’t even make into the semis. I know, I know. They played in the Champions League, but the difference isn’t that big, is it?
Therefore I couldn’t believe my eyes, when I opened The Tiems today and red this: ....

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