Purple Scarf
Liverpool v Shrewsbury Town
FA Cup 4th Round Replay
4th of February, 2020.
I wrapped my purple scarf around baby Kelsey, as she was twiddling her thumbs on Davie’s mobile.
Seven – year -old Kelsey was playing a game – just like Liverpool’s kids were about to; some of them were only ten years old than her.
Davie flicked through the channels, trying, like any red I knew, to get a decent stream.
‘I’m sure it’s on here, Crouch’ he said, as ‘Bein’ came through, as if by magic.
We were not sure though if that it was the right channel, but he then found out that a vehicle had over-turned on the M6 so kick-off had been delayed and we would not have to settle for watching Oxford v the Geordie ‘Barcodes’ Newcastle.
It was only me and Davie, as he told me that Deano, was staying at home. ‘Faggot’, I jested, smiling, as we all three hardly miss a game together like Alisson missing a cross.
Sweets were in the bowl – some soft winey gum streaky types, but soon my pink and white staple ‘Refresher’ ones were poured in – saved over from Saturday night when I had shot straight to see the ‘boys’ after the rugby, for a post-match analysis following the Southampton win. I did not need to drink as I was heady – giddy even, on a lead which I still can’t ‘Rubiks Cube’ figure out how we’ve got!
So, to this game.
A replay which our manager, Jurgen Klopp had insisted that he would not be at or any of the first team squad. That was of course not totally adhered to as one James Milner, whom the camera panned to on several occasions, was there amongst the crowd. What a man – he was at Anfield of his own free will and had already offered the lads encouragement. One day he will be a manager – let’s hope not too soon as he is the ‘Swiss Army knife’ of the squad, due to him being able to fill so many positions.
Neil Critchley was the home manager – as he usually is for the Under -23’s which lined-up for this replay. What an experience he and they were gaining. Playing in front of a packed house as well.
As I had stated on ‘Twitter’; when the whistle blows, I just want Liverpool to win; this game was no different.
Me and Davie did not shout anything detrimental because the young lads were playing with such authority and growing confidence, as they attacked the Anfield Road End, that if you blinked, they could have easily been mistaken for the First Team.
They were more than holding their own.
Neco Williams was the stand-out player at right-back and he had one or two chances go just wide. Certainly, he is one to put on the subs bench now. What a prospect and he is Welsh as well – a real bonus for me.
The sweets were going down well. ‘So moreish’ as an absent Deano would have said. I think next time I’ll have to just to be done with it, and get three packs. They were as addictive as the ball was to sticking like glue to our very young reds.
I and Davie did not know all the players but the one called, Cain, was more than able even though he looked as though he should have been locked in his bedroom revising for a school test in the morning.
The all-blue Shrewsbury were being out-skilled by basically Liverpool’s Youth Team. Curtis Jones, being given the honour of being made Liverpool’s youngest ever captain for the night, showed porn like filth skill when he somehow nut-megged an opponent on the right of the Shrews area. It was skill ala Salah and it was a joy to watch as much as re-runs of ‘Number Six’ being won.
There was a rare scare or two as the visitors had the audacity to attack the Kop End, defended stoutly by two young Dutch Masters, schooled and tutored no doubt by possibly the next ‘Player of the Year’, Virgil van Dijk, in the form of the ginger haired Sepp van den Berg and Ki-Jan Hoever, who cleaned every danger without being noticed, such was their professional performances.
Jelly Babies were poured into the bowl at the break. Kelsey had wrapped my scarf back around her at several stages of the half – happily playing on the phone. Such an angel she is getting. No hassle or tantrums at all, before she had to brush her teeth prior to Davie calling her to ‘go-up’.
It was a call, which some of our kids could have had but instead, they were preparing to come out in the second half and attack a roaring Kop End that greeted them enthusiastically as though they had tread the lush green turf of Anfield all their young precocious precious playing lives.
Me and Davie got concerned as Shrewsbury had an attacking spell – causing problems as the kids lost their composure at one stage but they came through that dodgy period. In fact, there was a ten minute period when the kids penned Shrewsbury into their own area as they won a succession of corners and if a man from Mars had come to see the game, he would not have known that the players in red were the Youth Team players, up against seasoned League Division One opponents.
A cross came over from the Shrewsbury left and a bit of skill which resulted in Shaun Whalley, heading into the net, from close range, to give the visitors the lead.
I was really gutted and felt that Liverpool would have a mountain to climb.
Davie though had begun protesting that the goal had been offside.
I dismissed this as I thought that at least it had been a great experience for the ‘Milky Bar Klopp Kids’.
But hang-on. VAR was checking ‘the goal’ and as we sat there, the camera panned to Sam Ricketts, the Shrewsbury manager and before the final decision came, I knew what had happened as I heard the rippled roaring Kop, celebrating the goal being chalked-off.
It was a crucial moment.
Press, press, press at every opportunity. Never giving the visitors a chance to put their foot on the deck and play. It was just like watching Liverpool’s first team, only the boys were much nippier. Klopp must have been loving it.
Then, after about 75 minutes, their keeper, O’Leary, kicked the ball down the middle and one of our players eagerly went to challenge for the ball and a Shrewsbury defender, Ro-Shaun Williams, headed back to safety. However, the ball incredibly found its way into the top left-hand corner of O’Leary’s net, for a comical own-goal!
Oh my, I just jumped off the sofa and ran towards the kitchen in celebration, shock, surprise and joy. It was just nuts; as not even VAR could erase it.
The kids were ahead.
Did they listen to me when our keeper, Kelleher, was on the ball, as I shouted, ‘TIME!’ – as if he could hear me above that din!
Liverpool tried to get a second as Harvey Elliott played a less than successful pass forward through the centre-circle on a break-away. A better ball and Wirral born striker, Joe Hardy, a January signing from Brentford, would have been clean through on goal.
The lads more than held their own. In their own back-yard as though they were out late playing under the white glare of street lamp-lights, like we all used to when growing-up, like during the war, (well, The Falklands one for me!).
The kids had done very well and I wondered if any of them owned a long purple scarf.
5/2/20. 1299 A. Phillips
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