Football news - Victory irrelevant, Jurgen Klopp should have been at Anfield
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Updated 05/02/2020 at 09:28 GMT
Advance warning: if you’re easily upset and a Liverpool fan, today’s Warm-Up may not be for you.
Jurgen Klopp
Image credit: Getty Images
WEDNESDAY’S BIG STORIES
Where were you, Jurgen?
Jurgen smacks refresh again. His display floods with pop-ups, each guarded by a tiny ‘x’ box. As he carefully picks his way through the advert maze, a click sounds. Then another. And another. One word flashes up repeatedly in the sidebar comments: ‘Disrespectful’.
Fuming, the German sinks into his duvet and clicks play again. Why do people not appreciate his team? Do they not realise that Liverpool have played more games than any other team in the history of football? That Dejan Lovren couldn’t possibly play his 14th match of the season? That Shrewsbury Town already have enough cash without having to worry about gate receipts? That he, Jurgen Klopp, has no need to be in the stadium to watch players who will soon be playing in the lower leagues anyway?
The final whistle soon sounds. Liverpool have survived. Surely, Jurgen thinks, this will be the end of the matter...
Wrong.
OK, so apparently Klopp watched via an official feed, and not a questionable streaming website laden with ‘local girls looking for fun in your area’. But the facts here are irrelevant. The fact Liverpool won the game? Irrelevant. The fact Klopp’s experiment was vindicated? Irrelevant.
You see, Klopp’s absence sent a clear message to the U23 side: ‘Lads, none of you will make it’. It also sent a clear message to Shrewsbury: ‘You don’t matter’. Both are acceptable beliefs when you manage one of the richest teams in the world, but it doesn’t say much for the state of the game. Klopp’s one-man crusade against football matches happening is getting dull. It’s a game of football, it’s really not that hard. Especially the watching part.
Which is why the Warm-Up commends James Milner for showing up as Liverpool’s kids claimed an impressive 1-0 win, and why the Warm-Up commends the brilliant home support (now presumably owed a day in lieu) that ignored their manager’s histrionics and roared the youngsters to an unlikely victory.
Magic. Of. The. Cup.
Birmingham City and Coventry City were so determined to eke out every penny from their groundshare that they elected to play 90 minutes at St Andrew’s on January 25 (0-0), 120 minutes in the replay at St Andrew’s on February 4 (2-2), and then top it off with a penalty shootout (4-1).
Elsewhere, Wayne Rooney did enough to steal the headlines for Derby – in this case, score a penalty and drive home safely – as they ran out 4-2 winners over Northampton. Newcastle United showed their trophy credentials with a 3-2 win over League One’s Oxford United and Reading edged Cardiff City on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
Two side points: a) when did Danny Rose join Newcastle, and b) do NOT type 'Newcastle' into Twitter for a few days. You've been warned...
Messi ends Abidal
Lionel Messi has reduced Eric Abidal’s shelf life at Camp Nou after publicly criticising (aka posting on Instagram) the Barcelona sporting director.
Abidal had claimed that Barca’s players had contributed to Ernesto Valverde’s sacking by not working hard, prompting the following from Messi:
When you talk about players, you have to give names because if not, it gives air to things which are not true. Sincerely, I don't like to do these things but I think that people have to be responsible for their jobs and own their decisions. The players [are responsible] for what happens on the pitch and we are the first to admit when we haven't been good. The heads of the sports department have to take their responsibilities too and above all own the decisions they make.
IN OTHER NEWS
Ighalo lives!
The team news we’re all awaiting: Pogba (ankle), Rashford (back), Ighalo (stranded in China).
And yet Odion Ighalo has moved a step closer to his Premier League return after appearing in Manchester United's kit. Whether he’s in England, or United have flown a sponsored backdrop and shirt out to China due to the coronavirus, remains to be seen…
IN THE CHANNELS
Big John McGinn… is actually Big John McGinn.
You know that guy that does the transfer rumours? Yep, this is really him:
RETRO CORNER
Bet you’re feeling mighty cheery Newcastle fans after avoiding an upset? Bad news: on this day 38 years ago, you lost to non-league Hereford.
COMING UP
Tottenham 1-0 Southampton. Motherwell 1-0 Celtic. Havant & Waterlooville 5-5 Weymouth. It’s free money, people.
Andi Thomas was due to write the Warm-Up tomorrow, but he’s reportedly given himself a holiday instead. Find out if he shows up by tuning in tomorrow...
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