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Kick off is at 5.30pm.
Here's how we line up against @LFC this evening...#LIVSWA pic.twitter.com/vszQZiBBTI
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) December 26, 2017
Here's #LFC's Boxing Day line-up to face @SwansOfficial... pic.twitter.com/CzB03yR58B
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2017
So, today’s teams are:
Liverpool: Mignolet, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Klavan, Robertson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Can, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Coutinho
Subs: Karius, Lovren, Milner, Gomez, Mane, Lallana, Solanke.
Swansea: Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson, Fer, Roque, Carroll, Routledge, Ayew, McBurnie.
Subs: Van der Hoorn, Abraham, Dyer, Nordfeldt, Clucas, Rangel, Sanches
Evening, lads! 👋
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2017
All set to go at Anfield 👊
➡ Follow all the action here: https://t.co/tqnJFZbUyN pic.twitter.com/d83uQCFDbs
1986 - Liverpool haven't lost a home league game on Boxing Day for 31 years, since a 0-1 loss vs Man Utd in 1986 (W7 D3 since then). Festivity.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2017
Liverpool zipping the ball all around the Anfield surface in these early exchanges. A calm atmosphere in the stands as Swansea are happy to stand off and play the role of spectator.
GOAL! LIVERPOOL 1-0 SWANSEA (COUTINHO 6)
GOOOAAAALLLLL! pic.twitter.com/13M8hykGol
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2017
It’s a sublime hit from Philippe Coutinho and the Brazilian really is in the form of his life. Brazilian team-mate Firmino nicks possession 40 yards out from goal before feeding the ball side-ways to the Liverpool number 10.
Coutinho takes one touch to set himself up before curling a stunning effort flying past Fabiański to take an early lead.
I always want Phil Coutinho playing in midfield but in fairness, that goal comes from him being further up the pitch, combined, of course, with him being able to hit incredible shots from just outside the area.
— Sachin Nakrani (@SachinNakrani) December 26, 2017
Another decent chance for Liverpool as Firmino twists and turns inside the box after cutting side following a through ball from Mohamed Salah. His shot is blocked and then subsequently cleared.
More combination play from Salah, Firmino and Coutinho. As Jamie Carragher says, it’s like a five-a-side move — so precise, so slick. The final ball is poor, however. It falls on the edge of the box to Andrew Robertson who boots a powerful effort wide of the post.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2017
Another chance for Liverpool. Coutinho drops deep and curls a cross aimed towards the back post. Salah tries to get his head to it, but there is just too much on the ball into the danger zone for the winger.
It took three defenders to disposes Salah following another break. He dances with quick feet inside the penalty area and Roque Mesa eventually manages to boot the ball into touch. He was teasing with them there, Salah.
It’s all very pedestrian for Liverpool at the moment. If nothing else can that be seen in the fact that Ragnar Klavan decided on a mazy run which lasted all of 10 yards before he was hauled down — the centre back earning Liverpool a free-kick on half-way. Leon Britton’s side looking very reserved right now.
Mohamed Salah breaks forward at pace but the move breaks down inside the box once again. It was the ideal start with Coutinho’s early thunderbolt, but Jurgen Klopp’s side have squandered a number of chances in succession now, as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain crashes another effort from range over the bar.
A cross from Wayne Routledge finds no-one inside the box, but that is better from Swansea. For the first time in a long time they exit their own half with the goal in search of the opposition goal.
As that is said, Liverpool break to punish a sloppy Swansea pass via a swift counter. Roberto Firmino tries an effort from range as the space opens up in front of him but it slides wide of the post to no avail.
Liverpool put under a bit of pressure for the first time in this game as space opens up for Oliver McBurnie after he beat two players inside the box. The chance breaks down, however, and comes to nothing. But better again from the visitors as Klopp’s side sit back.
Coutinho with another chance as Liverpool wake up again from their momentary slumber. He dribbles inside the box with that low centre of gravity he possesses and his shot ricochets off a Swansea body and out for a corner — which is easily cleared at the first hurdle.
Anfield is falling desperately quiet this afternoon. The game is being played at a slow, steady pace with odd chances littered every five minutes or so — but for some reason that electric spark is fleeting as individual voices can be heard shouting from the stands.
Chance! That really should have been 2-0 to Liverpool. It’s very complacent from Roberto Firmino — he cuts onto his right foot but he drags it just wide of the post with only the goalkeeper to beat six yards out from goal.
HALF-TIME: LIVERPOOL 1-0 SWANSEA
Up at half-time...#LFC pic.twitter.com/1j2u8RwmE2
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2017
An impressive stat if ever there was one.
Philippe Coutinho's last 14 starts:
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) December 26, 2017
⚽️ Goal
🅰️ Assist
⚽️ Goal
⚽️ Goal
⚽️ Goal
🅰️ Assist
🅰️ Assist
⚽️ Goal
🅰️ Assist
⚽️ Goal
🅰️ Assist
🅰️ Assist
⚽️ Goal
⚽️ Goal
⚽️ Goal
⚽️ Goal
⚽️ Goal pic.twitter.com/YEfKqVroCJ
Early chance! Mohamed Salah dances into the box, cuts inside and tries to curl the ball into the far corner. However Fabiański keeps level with it, dives right and catches it firmly with a well-taken save.
GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-0 SWANSEA (FIRMINO 52)
GOOOOAALLL! Firmino makes it 2-0 for the Reds! pic.twitter.com/F6WqMufsQG
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2017
It’s another sublime goal with Coutinho instrumental once again. It’s an all-Brazilian move as the number 10 curls in a dangerous free-kick towards the back post where Roberto Firmino knocks the ball with the side of his foot easily past Lukasz Fabiański. 2-0 and Liverpool are up and running for the second half.
A yellow card for Martin Olsson as he hauls down Firmino with an outstretched foot on the edge of the box. The free-kick is straight off the training round — Salah peeling away from his marker at the back post untracked — but his strike curls just side of the bottom corner. Excellent move which earns the plaudits of the Anfield crowd.
A brilliant individual run from Georginio Wijnaldum sees him wander into the box, but he is disposed just as he aimed to pull the trigger and offer an effort on goal to further test Fabiański.
63 - Roberto Firmino has been directly involved in more goals in all comps for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp than any other player (38 goals, 25 assists). Thriving. pic.twitter.com/fcuu5MixNr
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2017
More pressing play from Liverpool on the break as Trent Alexander-Arnold sweeps up a loose ball before crossing deep into the danger zone – Fabiański gets there first and holds firm before any head dressed in Red can get there.
GOAL! LIVERPOOL 3-0 SWANSEA (ALEXANDER-ARNOLD 65)
GOOOOOAAALLL! 3-0! pic.twitter.com/nKB9CBplHl
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2017
It’s a sublime finish from Trent Alexander-Arnold to make it 3-0. He races into the edge of the box and blasts a loose ball flying off the underside of the crossbar and in. A stunning strike from the young defender.
GOAL! LIVERPOOL 4-0 SWANSEA (FIRMINO 66)
GOOOAALL! BOBBBYYY AGAIN! 4-0! pic.twitter.com/gxGXU3ODRy
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2017
Goodness, goodness me — this is turning into an utter rout. Leroy Fer flicks the ball back towards his own defence but none of them are on the receiving end to gather. Mohamed Salah picks up possession, races into the box and side-foots a selfless pass to an unmarked Roberto Firmino who taps in from two yards out to make it 4-0. Unstoppable.
I love you more than life itself Roberto Firmino, but FFS, look at the goal when you’re shooting into it! pic.twitter.com/7fi6HqMqqj
— Sachin Nakrani (@SachinNakrani) December 26, 2017
4-0. The floodgates have opened as Firmino taps in. Changes coming as Klopp attempts to manage fitness levels, knowing this game is over. #LFC
— Glenn Price (@GlennPrice94) December 26, 2017
Liverpool dominating proceedings now as Coutinho oozes quality at almost every turn. Swansea have long since resigned themselves to defeat. They know they will be leaving Merseyside empty handed and will be happy to keep the scoreline down at this stage of the evening.
Klopp’s side have been magic in this second period following a lull close to the first 45 minute where the hosts looked wasteful. That lack of a clinical edge has been done away with with three superb second-half finishes.
Substitution for Liverpool: James Milner replaces Andrew Robertson.
76: Another sub for the Reds:
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2017
⬅ Robertson
➡ Milner
[4-0]
The game is slowly stalling towards its end now. The crowd is going a bit quiet again but this affair is all over. Liverpool are still buzzing around on the pitch following the new lifeblood of Lallana, Miler and Solanke.
However much of this evening’s focus will be on dissecting the dismal showing of Leon Britton’s side and whether or not they have what it takes to turn this sinking ship around in 2018 and maintain their place in the Premier League.
GOAL! LIVERPOOL 5-0 SWANSEA (OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN 83)
GOOOAALLLL! The Reds are on fire! 5-0 pic.twitter.com/eRxeOiIubo
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2017
Jurgen Klopp said following his £40 million move to Anfield that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain needed to add goals to his game, and the ex-Arsenal man has shown his manager he can do just that.
Swansea are on their knees but that should not take away from what was a deft finish from the 24-year-old, who lobbed a brilliant volley into the top corner inside the box following more calamitous defending from the visitors. 5-0 now – will it be even more?
Dominic Solanke almost makes it six with a right-footed volley which narrowly misses the goal. It would have been a carbon-copy of Firmino’s second goal — with Coutinho again instrumental with the cross in the box.
I've run out of words for Coutinho. He's playing against pro footballers and making them look like the fat blokes in my 7-a-side league. Different levels.
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) December 26, 2017
FULL-TIME: LIVERPOOL 5-0 SWANSEA
It's all over at Anfield... pic.twitter.com/BMw5C3m79B
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) December 26, 2017
5️⃣ goals
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2017
3️⃣ points
🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/m3HxtVZsTC
Five star Liverpool show off their attacking prowess once more#LIVSWA pic.twitter.com/A8huOZhgYM
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 26, 2017
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A big decision to hand the reins over to a guy who’s never held a head coach role, only coached for a year, and the bulk of current players trained alongside him less than two years ago. Hopefully doesn’t backfire.
This will all end in tears.
Wish Leo all the best. Journalists and pundits go on about Leinster fans demanding entertaining rugby but I never heard one fan demand that. What Leinster fans did demand was a competent head coach with a clear gameplan and players able to perform basic skis well. This didn’t happen under MOC. It was clear the players were confused going onto the pitch and subsequently they made basic errors. Leo can’t be any worse than MOC. Nevertheless that’s a fair bit of bull#%t from Mick Dawson about Leo being the best candidate. Leinster were turned down by other candidates and Leo was the last man standing. Let’s hope he’s a Franz Beckenbauer and not a Steve Staunton.
Have faith – he’s made of the right stuff.
will leo be used as the escape goat for all the best players heading to France., yes.
Mick Dawson claims all the stakeholders were considered, so basically he doesn’t consider the Leinster supporters as a stake holder in the clubs future.
We have suffered for the last two seasons and deserved a coach with at least a spark or a buzz about him.
Brian O’Driscoll always say he learned so much from joe about the game and that was coming from one of the worlds best players at the time. How many Leinster backs will come away from Leo’s reign and say the same.
The common sense deal was a one year deal and extend it if the first year goes well.
If this was a one year deal I’d have a real good feeling about this season.
Saying all that I truly hope that Leo proves me wrong and that no matter what we can’t be as bad as last year.
Added to that I’m delighted kurt is back full time.
You expect Leinster Rugby to consult the fans when deciding a new head coach do you?
It’d certainly be a novel approach from a pro sports team.
Will this decision prolong the like of boss reddan Darcy etc ( the old men and best mates brigade) and stunt even more the progress of youth? Or will Leo be clever enough to realise that he really had a free shot this season to really have a go and bring players through.
No I don’t but Dawson comes out with this bull that all the major stakeholders were consulted and their views taken on board.
Robson, does this mean you’re finished trolling the Munster articles and have moved onto the Leinster ones? Well, we welcome you with open arms……that are locked and loaded.
Paul Sheehan’s tears
Escape goat…. Ha!
Does anyone know of another professional sports team who has a coach and mascot with the same name?
They were, Leinster fans aren’t ‘major stakeholders’ in the decision process to choose a new head coach.
I wish him well, but I also remember what ROG said about one of the reasons he went coaching in France was because he didn’t feel that as a coach that he would have had the necessary separation from the players who he had previously played with. It’s not going to be easy to move from being one of the lads to telling them what to do and he’ll be doing it in a much higher pressure environment than the average workplace.
Best of luck to him, good to see Irish coaches get their opportunity
Really interested to see how Dempsey does with the backs, always seemed to have the Leinster A team playing entertaining rugby which he can hopefully bring back to Leinster.
Best of luck Leo.
Hopefully he’s given a fair shot without too much bull from fans and media.
Could not have been handed a harder challenge in his first season in charge.Majority of the squad off to the world cup and a horrendous ERCC pool. Wish him well. Hopefully the media and some of the fan’s will have realistic expectations and give him some slack if results don’t go his way this year.
Great to see Irish coaches in Irish jobs!
win win, Leinster get a cheap head coach, Cullen gets an extra €50 a week on top of his dole
Where’s Joan Bruton to announce Jobsbridge latest roll.
Matt O Connor knew how to defend but not much else. I fear that will continue under Leo’s reign but we’ll wait & see. It is what it is now anyway, so let’s be true supporters and get behind him the players. COYBIG
And you boys in blue too! Oops! (World cup on the brain…) :-D
Jimmy Matt didn’t know how to defend. If you looked at Leinster last year there were at least 10 games that we were winning going into the last quarter and we ended up either losing or drawing.
It’s just not true that he knew how to defend.
You never mentioned your disapproval with MOC once last season Chris why now?
Ps.joke
James I wanted to give moc an extension of another two years, purely to brighten up our country cousins but mick Dawson wanted to put a dampener on that.
Moc the best coach we ever had
Matter of opinion I s’pose. When MOC took over, we lost our attacking prowess and never got it back. And we couldn’t build up a lead or hold one on the rare occasion we did. That’s why we couldn’t finish off games or losing it in the last quarter. Anyhoo, that’s in the past, onwards & upwards with Leo.
A Leinster man through and through and will be a great head coach. Best of luck to him and his squad.
Re rookie coaches: When Franz Beckenbauer was appointed coach of the German soccer team in 1984 he not not only didn’t have any coaching experience, he didn’t even have a coaching licence. So according to the rules, he should have never been given the job. Two years later under Beckenbauer Germany reach the WC semifinals; 1990 they win it. Leo Cullen is similarly an exceptional talent. According to Bernard Jackman his forte is man management and leadership. They are the most important abilities a head coache must have. The technical stuff Girve, Richie Murphy, John Fogarty and Kurt McQuilkin can take care of. Best of luck to Leinster’s new coaching “regime”. Arise and follow Leo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For every franz Beckenbauer there’s a Steve “I’m the gaffer” staunton.
A one year deal to be extended should have been issued.
We have suffered for the past two seasons and a gamble such as this if it goes belly up will mean at least 4 seasons of regression.
I am going to get behind Leo after I calm down and build on the positives ( and there are loads ) but I don’t think a 2 year gamble at this stage is the Crieff decision.
Keep it positive, Chris!!!
Let me get over the shock Riocard. I’ll get behind Leo soon enough.
Maith fear! COYBIB!!!
Lonestar I’d like to think I had something to do with it but I’m afraid his inability to do the job he was paid for was why he got sacked.
jaysus the negativity is dumbfounding. he’s been in a supporting role for a yr, he can see what the issues are and knows what’s required. He has a good supporting cast, Kurt signing for 2 yrs is great news. girv gets a shot with the backs, if it doesn’t work our bring in higher profile for 2nd half of season. its fairly clear leinsters hands were tied as no one high profile wanted the job. Leo short on experience but tainting him with any aspect of last season, including forwards, may be wide of the mark as we don’t know the circumstances or directives he was working under. How great will it be if it works out? leinster developing their own Liverpool, bootroom style, succession planning
This never works
About time…. Le-o, Le-o, Le-o
No better man Leo!
Ah there’s quite a few better men in fairness.
Have to say this sounds brutal. 3 times European Champions with a rookie coach. For some bizarre reason I am getting the old “Ireland don’t want to win the Eurovision” feeling again.
This will not end well.
Very true Aaron, I dunno is it because leinster are struggling to attract a top coach or whether they are just willing to take a risk with big Leo but either way I could think of 10 better and more suitable coaches for the job
In fairness Joe was a rookie coach when Leinster took him on and look at home now, he’s possibly the best coach in the world, definitely in the northern hemisphere at least. We got it wrong with O’Connor but maybe he was, on paper, the safe bet back then, maybe a bold move is what we need. Best of luck to him. A leinster man who knows leinster rugby with good men of the old guard behind him who also know how things were run in the good times. This could go very very well. It could also be a disaster but I choose to be optimistic! ;-)
@bazhealey I’m flummoxed! The “Old Guard”? What are you talking about. Cheika won our first cup. Leinster until then were considered a joke in European rugby. Capable of beating anyone but absolutely no consistency. He is doing exactly the same thing with the Australians at the moment.
In order to become champions you have to have a champion coach. The logic behind O’Connor’s appointment was sound. However he was put in the position where his style definitely didn’t suit that of Schmidt’s. I think it was proved definitively last year that Player Power should never be a factor in the appointment of a coach. Yet again we have been given quotes by the team that they are behind Leo. The reality is that if we want to win another European Championship we are going to need the best coach we can get and I can tell you now it is definitely not Leo.
Joe was far from a rucky coach he had coached in New Zealand and Clermont where he was highly regarded. The difference between Cullens and Smiths path to leinster head coach couldn’t be more different.
Hope he was paying attention during all Schmidt’s coaching sessions and video reviews.
i saw him at the big grill festival on Sunday. We are besties now
congrats to Cullen.. as a Munster fan will be interesting to see how he gets on..
Not convinced by this at all. Cullen just doesn’t have the experience for this job.
Leo Cullen has captained every team for which he has played including his country. In that role he would have interacted with coaches, selectors and trainers over the many years he played. I wish him and the team the very best for the coming season which will be difficult due to the demands of the WC. He has a good coaching team around him and a great squad of players to pick from.
Best of luck to Leo. Hopefully they recruit a high profile backs coach post RWC also. Someone that can act as a mentor to him the way Gaffney did for Cheika at Leinster and the Warratahs. Someone like Ex Wallabies and Reds Super Rugby winning attack coach Jim McKay would be excellent. He’s with Tonga for the RWC
Delighted with this appointment. Long may Leo reign!
In Leo what we have is a very intelligent passionate Leinster man, I wish him and Kurt (defensive coach) all the best. What seriously miss fired last season was our use of the ball in attack… so for me Girvan as backs coach ( if I’m right) will bear the mosw pressure from the supporters who demand high quality finishing from our backline
I don’t agree with Leinster Rugby’s very premature appointment of Leo Cullen as head coach, but the proven and impressive Kurt McQuilkin will be the most crucial man for Leinster over the next two years (along with Richie Murphy arguably, who as a coach has worked closely with Joe Schmidt over the past few years and would have learnt a good deal from him), in terms of his input as a member of the coaching team and on the training field.
The extension of Kurt McQuilkin’s stay from an initial three-month contract to a two-year contract is the one, small silver lining from today’s coaching announcement from Leinster Rugby.