ECHO columnist John Aldridge reflects on Liverpool’s win the FA Cup final and praises the club for two pieces of transfer business...CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
It doesn’t matter if winning cups are decided by penalties, somebody has got to win it.
At the end of the day, it’s hard for a team to lose on penalties, we know that. I’ve been on a similar side of the fence.
It’s in the record book, the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup has Liverpool’s name on it, full stop. It doesn’t matter how you win it, you win it.
It’s quite ironic that Kostas Tsimikas was the one who scored Liverpool’s winning penalty against Chelsea. I was at the game with Alan Kennedy, who did the same in the 1984 European Cup final against Roma.
He was our left-back at the time and it was great for Tsimikas to come on and do the same. He’s had a good season when he’s played, he hasn’t let Liverpool down.
It’s nice to see someone like that come on and be the hero.
Let’s not forget the goalkeeper Alisson Becker, as well. It was a great save to stop Mason Mount in the penalty shootout.
And it was great that Sadio Mane didn’t suffer with his miss, so all in all it was really good.
If a penalty shootout were to happen in the Champions League final against Real Madrid, we’ll take it.
Whatever happens, playing Real Madrid in the final is going to be tough. It’s tough for them and it’s tough for us.
Let’s hope that Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are okay with their injuries, it would be a shame if they were to miss out.
I thought when Joel Matip came on in place of Van Dijk in the FA Cup final he was superb. Ibrahima Konate did well, too.
Last year we had to suffer with youngsters with the centre-backs injured, there was no plan B if anything happened to Van Dijk.
Luis Diaz will only get better
Signing Luis Diaz was great business for Liverpool. Good signings are hard to find in January, but the club have gone out and got someone who is top class.
He’s proved his value at £49m, and he’s probably got close to paying it off. He’s been brilliant and a breath of fresh air.
If Liverpool didn’t sign him then they wouldn’t be where they are right now, I’m pretty sure of that. He’s helped us keep on top of achieving the quadruple.
He’s been unbelievable since he’s come in, but he’ll get better.
Two players who deserve a mention
Konate has been brilliant since he came to the club last summer. It was a brilliant buy from the club for £36m, and Jurgen and everyone behind the scenes.
He’s only 22 years old so he’s only going to get better, he’s a bit of a monster! He’s agile and he’s quick, so he’s absolutely brilliant.
I think Takumi Minamino deserves a mention, as well. He’s been involved this season, and without him Liverpool probably wouldn’t have got to the FA Cup final, so he deserves his medal.
Okay, he didn’t play in the final, but without him we wouldn’t have even got there. Whether he stays or goes at the end of the season, he’s done well for the club.
