08-05-2019, 16:07
I agree with your general perspective, and I never watch Champions League matches for precisely that reason. But I sat down and watched the highlights of this one when I realised what Liverpool had done, because it was quite obviously a once-in-a-generation kind of comeback against the odds. That Trent Alexander-Arnold corner in particular is going to get replayed for years to come, like the Hunt/Carr donkey-kick, as a shining example of a quick-thinking player outwitting the opposition. And as much as I dislike Klopp for the disrespect he showed us in the past, there's no denying that this win was based on good management of club and team and good honest footballing principles, unless you'd contend that the Liverpool side is somehow more expensive than Barcelona's.
To deny the significance of this would be like denying that the conclusion to the 2012 title-race ("AGUEROOOO!") was a moment of drama right up there with Arsenal in '89, just because Man City had spent money Arsenal never had. It's entirely possible to despise and oppose the direction in which football has gone, while also acknowledging when it throws up moments of utter, unforgettable brilliance.
To deny the significance of this would be like denying that the conclusion to the 2012 title-race ("AGUEROOOO!") was a moment of drama right up there with Arsenal in '89, just because Man City had spent money Arsenal never had. It's entirely possible to despise and oppose the direction in which football has gone, while also acknowledging when it throws up moments of utter, unforgettable brilliance.
"I would rather spend a holiday in Tuscany than in the Black Country, but if I were compelled to choose between living in West Bromwich or Florence, I should make straight for West Bromwich." - J.B. Priestley