LIVERPOOL VS CHELSEA
Wednesday 31st January, 8:15pm
Liverpool @ 6/10
Draw @ 18/5
Chelsea @ 4/1
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And now, the end is near. We’ve reached the final curtain. And what an unusual January it has been! Only one regular round of Premier League fixtures, and a mid-season break that, for some, never really was – Chelsea, for example, are about to play their sixth match of the month.
The sound of Dry January disciples grinding their teeth has been getting louder and louder as the days have slowly passed – those valiant abstainers not helped by the lack of comfort and structure that consistent football provides during such challenging times.
But it looks like we might’ve made it. This is the end. Gameweek 22 concludes the month and sets things up nicely for a thoroughly indulgent Wet February.
Oh yes, something else is coming to an end in the world of football, isn’t it? Jürgen Norbert Klopp – hero of The Kop, purveyor of ‘heavy metal football’ – has surprisingly announced that he will stand down as Liverpool manager when the 23/24 campaign finishes. And, in doing so, has added a huge heap of spice to what was already an intriguingly poised Premier League title race.
Many have predicted that Klopp’s high-energy, suffocating style of football would eventually have a deleterious effect on his players – those elastic sinews can only be stretched so far for so long. But it would appear that an even greater pressure has been endured by the man himself; the leader of the band. So after all that heavy metal, it is now time for a lengthy spell of soothing ambient sounds in the chill-out lounge.
One expects Klopp’s revelation to have a galvanising effect on his squad; bringing them all together for one big, final triumphant push towards glory. Everyone associated with the club would love to see the German with another Premier League trophy under his arm as he makes his way towards the exit.
But is there a possibility there could be a negative consequence to announcing this resignation when so much football is still to be played? Could it create too much of a distraction from what is actually happening on the pitch? The TV cameras spending more time capturing Klopp’s touchline reaction – is it a grin or a gurn or a grimace? – rather than the actual action?
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