Steven Kelly: Liverpool, for all their wins, have big stick-or-twist issues

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp celebrates after the Emirates FA Cup semi final match at Wembley. 

Here's the problem. The last time Liverpool were on the verge of something this great, the world (for balance) was plunged into chaos with a deadly contagious disease that shut down society.

With the Reds now having the chance to win an unprecedented trophy haul, I can’t think straight for fear of what God has planned for everyone this time.

We’ve added another mad European night to our bulging catalogue. 3-3, could and probably should have been 5-5, VAR in its lunatic element. The kind of game you love if you get the win or plan all manner of sadistic excess if you don’t.

Klopp got away with his selection. Picking Milner, as with Ox, Origi or Minamino, says “you can’t hurt us”. It’s not often he gets it this wrong. As in Houllier’s treble chase, we’re running on fumes and if you have the personnel, then risks must be taken. We’re in the lap of the gods now.

Firmino’s goals led to some ungracious crowing, something about doubters put in their place and whatnot. By Saturday, the selection showed where he currently stands in the scheme of things.

Will Klopp’s sentiment become an obstacle to future glory? That’s okay, it was for Shankly too once, and there’s a statue outside the ground for him.

The Villarreal shock meant there was much assumption about Paris and arranging flights and hotels. Emery’s extraordinary European record, including our own Basel spanking lest we forget, must be treated with the utmost
respect.

But City was the main event, unsurprisingly. They were put through the mixer by Dirty Diego, and Klopp had rested key stars. Optimism was in the air, and yours truly reached for the Febreze. If there’s one thing that needs deodorising, it’s cockiness.

I nearly always refer to United as “them”, but City are making their brazen claim now with a superb team, dodgy ethics and interrupted Hillsborough silences. They’re trying way too hard, sadly.

My generation has just been wired to treat them as a joke. Late on, in the last few games, I still looked for Steve Lomas heading for the corner flag to waste time. They’ll always be Typical City to me.

And, by half time, that comedic contempt seemed justified by a wretched performance from them and a majestic one from us.

That midfield three ended the Benfica game and kept the ball so well (despite a late goals scare, not their fault), it felt like Klopp wanted to see them in action before unleashing them at Wembley.

It helps when the goalkeeper dithers on the goal line, obviously, City’s own arrogance ignoring the debacle Ederson narrowly avoided last week.

A large banner attempted to hide thousands of empty seats, and much mockery ensued. So much so that you wondered if we’d won the Sold More Tickets Cup and were now on the verge of an unprecedented Quintuple.

So, 3-0; it’s all over, right? Of course it’s not. Liverpool, for all their wins, have big stick-or-twist issues. Maybe we’re so good that you forget football matches are supposed to have ebb and flow to them, that opponents (especially ‘them’) are allowed to strike back, but it’s happened a little too often this season.

I never had a weak heart before Klopp arrived. Swings, roundabouts etc.

How on earth did Fernandinho stay on? How has he managed it throughout his entire career, come to think of it? Jesus had several chances, but missed them all, making it a wretched weekend for him.

Salah’s wasn’t much better. While everything goes our way it can still be unnerving to watch the little man struggle so much. It was almost as if we agreed not to use our talisman because they’d lost De Bruyne. Sporting, albeit naïve.

The final whistle was greeted with relief more than ecstasy. No time to celebrate, another big game is upon us. It never ends.

Unless the world’s about to…