. .*. .

sammsky1

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Jürgen Klopp has said this season’s Premier League champions should have an asterisk attached to their name because this seasons title will go down in history as the most difficult to win.
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...9-deny-liverpool-premier-league-title-everton

The Liverpool manager admits he Googled the word “asterisk” when people – aka non-Liverpool fans – questioned the credibility of a title won after a three-month lockdown and behind closed doors. Liverpool are six points from securing their first league championship since 1990 and restart at Everton on Sunday.
Klopp agrees the 2019-20 champions will be remembered differently. But, rather than a question of legitimacy, he believes winning the league during the coronavirus pandemic, with all the problems caused for society and football, will be a unique achievement.
“Usually I do not pay too much attention to what everyone is saying around us,” Klopp said. “Now I have had a lot of time to read and I heard a lot and saw a lot. When that came up I had to google the word ‘asterisk’. I only knew the word from the comic [Asterix] before. This is the most difficult year and season to become champions. It is an interrupted season like has never happened before. Whoever will be champions at the end it will be historical because it is a year that we will never forget because hopefully it is the only year we ever have like this as human beings and a society because I hope we find solutions for this kind of thing in the future.
“It is historic now more than ever. Give us an asterisk. Yes, do it. Because it is the most difficult season ever and the only difference is there is quite a points gap between us and other teams, but if you saw City playing the other night, saw the team they played and saw the bench they had where they changed five times and there was still no Leroy Sané on the pitch, you think: ‘Wow, that is really impressive.’ That is our opponent.
“That is why when they were having discussions about [ending] the season I felt quite tense during the lockdown. Now it is over and we are here. We worked so hard for this and we do not want to get over the line ‘somehow’. We want to play football. Nobody has to tell us we are nearly there. I am not interested in nearly, or in close. I am interested in playing the best football we can play.”
 
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KirkDuyt

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Honestly don't really get the asterisk stuff. Well I do obviously, this is a Utd forum of course, but Covid really doesnt have shite to do with Pool winning the league.

I'll go stand my rational arse in the corner now :nervous:
 

stepic

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The asterisks discussion may have had some credence if not for the fact Liverpool have completely stormed the league this season.
 

Paxi

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No one bothered to read the OP?
 

Dancfc

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Honestly don't really get the asterisk stuff. Well I do obviously, this is a Utd forum of course, but Covid really doesnt have shite to do with Pool winning the league.

I'll go stand my rational arse in the corner now :nervous:
Its more the fact it's going to wind them up than anything else.
 

sullydnl

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If we're being fair then it shouldn't impact on the way their title win is viewed. They've absolutely annihilated the league and were going to win regardless of what happened.

I'm a Manchester United fan though and I'll be damned if I don't use every available argument to minimize their success. If it's at all possible to suggest their win comes with an asterisk then that's exactly what I'll do. Fairness can go feck itself.

And Klopp suggesting the asterisk should be that it's even more impressive an achievement only increases that sentiment.
 

sammsky1

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Its more the fact it's going to wind them up than anything else.
Which is why I think Klopp has been very clever in gaining ownership of the * and providing his own narrative on what it means.
 

ThinkTank@Cafe

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There’s no logic in Klopp’s words. Liverpool de facto won the title before the pandemic outbreak in UK. The fixtures to be played are just formality for them. Even if COVID made this season historical Or special for the league and football in general, it has nothing to do with their title. They didn’t win despite COVID as he is trying to make out.
 

ThinkTank@Cafe

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If we're being fair then it shouldn't impact on the way their title win is viewed. They've absolutely annihilated the league and were going to win regardless of what happened.

I'm a Manchester United fan though and I'll be damned if I don't use every available argument to minimize their success. If it's at all possible to suggest their win comes with an asterisk then that's exactly what I'll do. Fairness can go feck itself.

And Klopp suggesting the asterisk should be that it's even more impressive an achievement only increases that sentiment.
Posted just before me))
 

Annihilate Now!

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Inwardly, I know Liverpool are fair and worthy winners of the league.

Outwardly, this season is a farce, and as a result any title win should be tarnished and viewed as lesser then.

This is the way.
 

Bubz27

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Liverpools win is even better because they beat City. Shut up Klopp.
 

shaky

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I can't see how it's been difficult to win. City have the lowest points total of any 2nd placed team after 29 games since since Spurs failed miserably to push Leicester for the 15/16 title.
 

RUCK4444

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How can we somehow poison their food before the next few games?

We need a mole in their kitchen, give them all the sh!ts. We can’t allow this to happen g’dam it
 

Web of Bissaka

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I think two reasons why them winning it is not as hype as normally it usually is and many football fans in general just doesn't really care about them winning,

1. They "won" it early by leading by a huge mile. Football fans come to terms with it early. The rest of season then is less on who will win EPL but more so will they gain double or treble? and who will finish 4rd and 5th (City and Leicester leading ahead next have similar effects). Basically leading too much early by huge margins makes the season boring, football fans lost interest. Hype is less. There's no point looking forward to this season's top 3 any longer.

Seriously though, do football fans in general care they're winning it ? Only the first 4-5 months, which soon after the "noise" or "hype" dies quickly.

2. Then the C19 strikes hard, giving perspectives to what actually matters the most. After the break, now we're just in the mood of "just end it" i.e. make it confirm past the finishing line, just throw them the trophy. Football fans in general just want to enjoy football for the rest of the games as much as we can before anything bad happens again.. who knows.

TLDR.
I think the 1st reason is the main reason, the 2nd merely help concludes/put-a-lid on top of it.
 

sammsky1

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Yeah, it's a good wind up too. Deep down they might know they deserve it, but no one will ever give em credit for it.
That has to be how Liverpool hating fans must drive the narrative, me included!
 

Wumminator

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In a season that has seen NUMEROUS laws changed and then changed back and then changed again - Liverpool are going to win the league.

I hope we get their luck with refs next year. Liverpool will be champions 2019/2020*, I think if VAR gets fairer it’ll be interesting.
 

Dumbstar

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I want that asterisk now. :drool: Imagine people googling in years/decades to come and always seeing that one asterisk and then bothering to wiki the details and then being wowed every time. :drool:
 

SirAnderson

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2 things I take solace in:
1. Empty stadium and no parade.
2. The Liverpool fans that will be banned from here.

Wrap up that title now so we can get our own party started.
 

Pexbo

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I want that asterisk now. :drool: Imagine people googling in years/decades to come and always seeing that one asterisk and then bothering to wiki the details and then being wowed every time. :drool:
Trumpism
 

Mindhunter

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I want that asterisk now. :drool: Imagine people googling in years/decades to come and always seeing that one asterisk and then bothering to wiki the details and then being wowed every time. :drool:
Exactly.
An asterisk often means something that has mitigating circumstances or additional context typically of a negative nature. No one uses asterisks to blow their own trumpet.
 

Finn MacCool

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I said many weeks ago that there should be an asterisk. You can’t play 1/4 of the season bcd with more subs, drink breaks after a 100 day break and not note that in some way in the record books. For me it won’t detract from our title* win. We’ve been streets ahead of everyone and fully deserve it. I’m just gutted for the players, manager and season ticket holders that the celebrations will be so muted. BUT in the grand scheme of things that is far far down the list of negatives in the world at the moment.
 

SuperiorXI

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Will go down as one of the most soulless wins in PL history. No real competition and rule change towards the end... drinks breaks and 5 subs! And shitty VAR transition.
 

Zlatan 7

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Exactly.
An asterisk often means something that has mitigating circumstances or additional context typically of a negative nature. No one uses asterisks to blow their own trumpet.
Yeah the league was won when squads had a mid season break, players were ruled out from completing the league making squads unfair/balanced and there were no crowds in the stands to add pressure and drama.
I think the asterisk suits the negative nature you mention
 

Red00012

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Yeah the league was won when squads had a mid season break, players were ruled out from completing the league making squads unfair/balanced and there were no crowds in the stands to add pressure and drama.
I think the asterisk suits the negative nature you mention
You forgot 2 Water breaks in each half needed in Manchester
 

rcoobc

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I can't see how it's been difficult to win. City have the lowest points total of any 2nd placed team after 29 games since since Spurs failed miserably to push Leicester for the 15/16 title.
No team has had a proper title win in my eyes since Fergie left.

Not exactly hard to win the league when Arsenal and United and at times Chelsea have imploded.
 

sammsky1

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I want that asterisk now. :drool: Imagine people googling in years/decades to come and always seeing that one asterisk and then bothering to wiki the details and then being wowed every time. :drool:
I think Redcafe should autocorrect the word Liverpool with a *

What do you think @Damien @Niall
 
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amolbhatia50k

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Don't really care. A title is a title. And it's done. Let's move on.