Last season, Liverpool made giant steps toward establishing themselves once again as a European powerhouse. They managed to clinch a top four sport on the final day of the PL and by that time were already in the Champions
League finals. On their way there, they managed to dispense with teams such as Man City and Roma, which are considered some of the finest in the business. Liverpool broke all sorts of records on their way to Kiev, with the front three of Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane playing talismanic roles. While the team had a decent game against Real Madrid  in Kiev, it was a horror show from goalkeeper Lorius Karius that eventually gave the Spaniards
their 3rd Cl trophy in 3 straight tries. The Merseysiders probably won’t beat themselves up too much about this, seeing as  even reaching the quarters would have been considered an achievement at the beginning of the season.

On the PL side, plenty of gains were made. The Reds managed to qualify for the CL for the second time in a row, which clearly underlines the resurgent mood of Anfield under Jurgen Klopp. They did so despite having a thin squad, which is testament to their quality. Mohamed Salah joined-and then steamrolled- the top names in PL history, becoming the only player to score 32 goals in a 38-game season.

As Liverpool prepares for another shot at glory next season, they have set about deepening their squad. Naby Keita’s arrival is on schedule, and the Reds have already snapped Brazil sensation Fabinho. Moving forward, Klopp and his staff will be required to manage and perhaps build on the expectations set last season at Anfield. It will be a hard thing to do for sure, but the affable German has never been one to shy away from taking on a challenge.

As an extension 0f my previous post, Raheem Stirling vs The Sun, below gives a taste of how the National Press ( primarily The Sun) have obsessed over the Manchester City and England player in recent years. This latest incident, a faux outrageous reaction to his gun tattoo is just one in a long line of ‘stories’ that taken alone are silly, and together border on harrassment. Many thanks to twitter user @adamkeyworth for bringing these examples to out attention.

Unless you’ve been under a rock recently you’ll have seen the drummed up story in the media regarding how ‘outrageous’ it is that Manchester City and England player Raheem Sterling has a gun tattoo on his leg. Of course when these things get media attention as resul of a significant media push, it does seem to sucker in a lot of outrage from groups and individuals. The founder of Mothers Against Guns, Lucy Cope had this to say about the tattoo when asked:

“We demand he has the tattoo lasered off or covered up with a different tattoo.

“If he refuses he should be dropped from the England team. He’s supposed to be a role model but chooses to glamorise guns.”

I have a lot of sympathy for any parent whose life has been impacted by gun violence. That being said, the language used here, the demand aspect especially, while understandable is clearly somewhat overboard and presumptuous.

Sterling sought to open up about the matter by stating :  “When I was two my father died from being gunned down to death. I made a promise to myself I would never touch a gun in my lifetime.”

“I shoot with my right foot so it has a deeper meaning.”

So this is clearly an issue close to his heart too, he’s effectively a ‘Son Against Guns’ after suffering tragedy at a young age due to gun violence. Just because he has an image of a gun on his leg, the actual message is far, far from the glamourisation of guns or gun culture.

You’d think that this would be the end of the matter but The Sun newspaper today doubled down and invited the Father of Damilol Taylor, whose son died in a street attack, to speak out against Raheem Sterling and his tattoo.

To me this crosses a line and is such an unnecessary and over the top response and series of events. There is a very real element of exploitation too because of course people who suffered due to violence are going to have issues with guns. To frame it in such a way though and to target a football player whose own Father was shot and killed when he was a child is the lowest of the low.

This isn’t the first time the press and epsecially The Sun have gone after Raheem Sterling. It’s routine and unsettling. There’s debate on social network over whether racism is at play, or a class issue, or just a fixation on England footballers being that we’re so close to the Russia 2018 World Cup, but whatever the reason it’s pitiful and uncalled for if you ask me.

And so it is here – the biggest game in club football, taking place on 26th May at 19:45. The 2018 UEFA Champions League Final waits in Kiev, with Liverpool, five-times winners themselves, looking to stop European royalty. Real Madrid await in their third consecutive final, looking to make legendary status for the players and the club well and truly sealed. Can the Reds stop Los Blancos?

Liverpool News

The Reds come into this with a weakened squad, it has to be said. Emre Can and James Milner are both doubts for the Final, while Joe Gomez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joe Matip will all sit this one out.

That’s a lot of players to be missing from an already shallow squad. While Milner is more likely to make it than Can, it does leave Jürgen Klopp a touch short on numbers. It means that his team is likely to be a touch more predictable than some might have expected when they arrived in Kiev.

Madrid News

Madrid are literally without a single missing player – rare for such a peak time of the season. With everyone filly fit, including Gareth Bale, Madrid have plenty of firepower to call upon. With Karim Benzema expected to start another big game for Madrid, though it will be interesting to see how he handles himself in many ways.

The two minor doubts, Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo, are both passed fit and ready to go. This is likely to be a draining final, and the energy of both sides will be 100% called into question.

Verdict

It’s hard to say – there is no real way to determine such a Final. For all the arguments of Madrid having the experience and the arrogance to expect to win, Liverpool feel like a team that is emboldened by destiny. Whatever happens, it’s sure to go down as the most exciting Champions League Final in recent memory.