“WITH more than 100,000 downloads a week, The Anfield Wrap Podcast is consistently in the upper reaches of iTunes’ sports and recreation podcast charts and is one of the most successful one-club shows in the UK. Regularly listened to in 200 countries worldwide, The Anfield Wrap was described by the influential American lifestyle magazine Complex as the best team-specific podcast in the world. In 2012, The Anfield Wrap was awarded the Best Podcast award by The Football Supporters’ Federation.”

I like Liverpool supporters and I love The Anfield Wrap podcast.

I sympathise with their predicament in not winning the league in decades. We (City) were in that boat too until Mancini.

Liverpool are an elite mega-club with a stunning history both domestically and in Europe. Not many doubt that Klopp will bring them success in the not-too-distant-future.

I enjoy listening to podcasts run by other clubs’ supporters. It’s fascinating to know what they make of us and our progress and The Anfield Wrap are extremely reasonable and are clearly a great bunch of guys.

The recent episode Sunny Delight was extremely revealing.

I’d encourage you to listen. However if you don’t have the time, let me share with you some quotes about City.

Initially there is fair and balanced comment that after Liverpool scored their first goal at Anfield and ‘ramped it up’ inspired by the crowd, City kept trying to play and finally it ‘clicked back in for them‘.

The guys also concede that City showed a lot of character when they hemorrhaged further goals but that if you take your foot off the gas against City they can bite back and score goals.

It was also acknowledged that the tie is unlikely to be done and dusted going to the Etihad for the second leg.

The chaps acknowledge that it is a potential weakness that Guardiola knows Klopp so well. (And vice-versa!)

Liverpool‘s strengths were expertly captured recently by Marti Perarnau (Pep Confidential) on City‘s 93:20 podcast when he described Klopp‘s defensive strategy as like a wolf’s mouth:

When you enter the wolf’s mouth it will close around you and if you try to go wide they will respond by going two versus one on the attacking player.

(paraphrase)

I was impressed by the The Anfield Wrap panel’s realism and moderation.

I think they also reasonably point out that Klopp‘s teams are the only ones that Pep alters his plans for.

I think that’s true. I think if City are honest enough to admit it, we do worry that Pep and Manuel Pellegrini do share something in common:

“This is the way I play. Try to stop it!”

As we all know this strategy was brutally exposed in Pep‘s first season when we got tanked by Leicester.

Any man and his dog could tell you that the one thing Leicester were good at was hitting long balls for Mahrez and Vardy to run onto!

Hadn’t Pep watched Leicester?

Some comments however are definitely of the type that our fans will take issue with.

What do you think Blues?

• “They (City) haven’t got an out-ball”
• “It’s difficult for them to play as direct as we can play.”
• “You don’t wanna annoy Liverpool fans. You don’t wanna wind them up.”

(Who drew first blood there, lads?)

• “There’s a general attitude with City fans that the atmosphere won’t make a difference.”

On The Etihad:

• “That’s not what an atmosphere is!”
• “They (City) didn’t come out of the Anfield experience well.”

(Hmmm…apart from the 3 consolation goals which didn’t really matter. Not in the league game, no, but in the context of a two-legged tie?)

‘Title wins don’t come down to one game.’

• (Hmm…Agueroooooo!?)
• Gerard‘s slip?

On 93:20:

‘That was more about QPR throwing it away.’ 

???? So in this case the rapture of the crowd was not a factor?

“It was all about a moment of madness from Joey Barton”

“I don’t wanna win the title the way City have won it.”

“It’s the wrong type of orgasm!”

 Come on guys!

Make up your minds!

What do you think Blues?

Well as for the staff at http://www.boltfromtheblue.live, we respect Liverpool, we respect The Anfield Wrap.

We are nervous.

We fear Salah.

But we think YOU should fear us too!

(Aguero, Leroy, Bernardo, Raheem, David Silva, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Kompany, Ederson?)

I fancy our chances! Even if you concede that the two teams are well matched in attack, who has the better midfield and the better goalkeeper?

 

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