Glorious Solutions Centre

Hi,

I’m torn between writing this post and not, because I have come to understand that millions of Nigerians are keen followers of the English Premier League and fanatical ones for that matter. It’s a worse case scenario here in Port Harcourt. Yesterday’s UEFA Champions League encounter between two top rival English Clubs may well have been another League game and so, loyalty to one’s club would have been a great concern. In my first post that had anything to do with football, I did mention that I am really not a fan of any particular club. Well, today, I guess as I speak again about Liverpool, and moreso seem to be a sympathizer, I suspect a lot of folks would think otherwise. Anyway, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of my message.

Can Liverpool make a dramatic comeback?

It was really an interesting game we witnessed yesterday. Indeed, with 3 away goals in their kitty in faraway Anfield, it is safe to say that Chelsea is on the way to the next round. But then, I dare ask, is that really so? You see, in as much as the situation looks quite dicey and the mountain called Chelsea insurmountable, I dare say that the name of this game is “it is not over until it is over”. Interestingly, not many people seem to believe this, especially not with the way Chelsea domineered the game throughout the entire duration. Chelsea were unrecognisable from the side that lost so tamely at Liverpool only two months ago. Back then they looked like a team ready to go quietly over the hill together, ageing, uninspired and lacking motivation and direction. Yesterday, new coach Hiddink seemed to have dissected the system with a surgeon’s precision as he explained: “Liverpool have zonal defence and they have no marking. We have players who are tall, time everything well and who are brave. We talked about that and how we could get some benefits.” And get some good benefits they did.

It was a chastening night for a Liverpool side who looked to be on an unstoppable roll after taking Real Madrid, Manchester United and Aston Villa to the cleaners – but they can have no complaints. With Gerrard and Torres nullified after an explosive start, Liverpool’s undercard such as Kuyt and Albert Riera fell short of the quality required to trouble Chelsea. Even though all logic suggests that their game is up in this Champions League, I dare say we don’t need to be reminded just how Liverpool can pull this tie around. Remember Istanbul 2005, against a rampaging AC Milan, from 3 goals down with only 37 minutes left to play, Liverpool made one of the most shocking comebacks in recent Champions Leagues history. I still remember that night vividly because I was doing my Youth Service then in the North (Kaduna to be precise) and only met the game in the 2nd half when Liverpool was already down and presumably out until the miracle began through Captain Fantastic. The rest is history and a good one for that matter, which I hope can be repeated next week, at least to prove me right that there’s no such thing as IMPOSSIBLE.

Hmmm, I am sure Chelsea fans will be screaming “crucify him, crucify him!!!”. Earlier today, I encountered quite a number of them (i.e.Chelsea fans) in the bank and while we watched the playback on CNN World Sport programme, we got into a heated discourse on the possibility/impossibility of any comeback. But hold on a second, even Hiddink warns that Liverpool have proved they can do the “unthinkable” and he does not do complacency. Want do you think the final result will be? Can Liverpool achieve the “impossible” or will Chelsea cruise into the semis? I say, YES! Liverpool can come back again – what say you?

GLORIOUS