Liverpool vs Brentford Match Reaction | Closing Time

In the Liverpool Girlies podcast season finale, Stephanie, Annika, and Molly Anne reflect on the strange emotions of the season ending, the club’s ongoing grief, and saying goodbye to departing legends Mo Salah and Andy Robertson. They discuss the newly released 1989-inspired home kit and favorite moments from the Inside Training video, including Mo’s coffee bar jokes, tender interactions with teammates, and kids singing his song. The hosts recap Liverpool’s final Premier League home match vs Brentford, highlighting Curtis Jones’ goal, Mo’s assist, Alisson Becker’s return, and the emotional guard-of-honor substitution. They share their separate viewing experiences in Dublin and Seattle, talk about patience with new signings and team chemistry, and look ahead to the World Cup and a future end-of-season wrap-up.

Transcript

Room recording

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Mo Salah. Yeah, we've talked about it, but just the what he's done for this club, what he's done for the city. I saw a fan that, you know, they were like set up mics different places, and fans could come and talk about like what he's meant. And, you know, it's just it's crazy, like what somebody that you will never meet, the level of impact that they can have on your life. And I don't think you have to be most solid to do that, but he has done that. And I think he's changed like culture in Liverpool. He's changed like global football culture. So I give him my player of the the match, the year, the season. Like, so thankful to become Liverpool fans by the time we did to like get to watch him, especially last season. Like just like at his like true peak is incredible.

SPEAKER_00 1:06

Hey everyone, welcome back to the Liverpool Girlies Podcast, a place where we welcome anyone who loves to obsess over Liverpool FC. My name is Stephanie, and I'm here with Annika and Molly Ann. We are three friends who share a love of Liverpool and dream of one day having a cup of coffee at the Axa Training Center coffee bar. Hello. It is the final week of our season. I have a lot of emotions about it. How are we doing?

SPEAKER_02 1:32

No, I can't believe it's already the end of the season. It's been almost a year, but what a season. I'm yeah, a lot of emotions, like you said, Steph. It is very sad for it to be the end. And you know, there's part that it's like, okay, we're excited to look forward to the future and kind of move move away from this season.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Um, yeah, a lot of feelings. I feel like I almost haven't processed that we saw the last game of the season. I was watching replays this morning and just sitting there and I was like, wait, I I like I've known, but I I know it's been almost a year, but it went by so fast. And yeah, I don't know. I think this season was so interesting, and I'm sure we'll get into it, but I'm almost like having a hard time believing that we've made it to the end. So I'm waiting for that to settle, I guess, for myself.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

I don't know. Partially because it's just been like, okay, I'm like ready for this season to be over, but also not ready for it to be over. And last year it just felt so like the we won the Premier League, the final game finally came, and we had like an hour of like post-game celebrations and so much fun. It like felt final. It was like it felt done, it felt complete. But the season just doesn't quite feel like that because everyone is just kind of eager to move on, but like trying to stay in the present as much as we can for our two legends that are leaving, and then possible other people who are leaving, and then of course, excitement about like the World Cup and stuff. So it just feels like a very strange ending. Like, same with me, Annika. It doesn't feel like I've really processed it, it hasn't really hit me and settled in yet.

SPEAKER_02 3:19

And for us, like our first season as supporters, like Klopp left, right? So we've had two, like our first two seasons, Klopp left. So it was like very like final feeling in that moment. Last season stuff, like you said, was premierely very final feeling, and then this one is just like, and we're all gonna trail off.

SPEAKER_01 3:41

And the message from everyone is just like, we're gonna try again. Like, and so it's this kind of weird thing where it like feels like the end, and I'm like, I would like to move on from this, but like I was sitting watching the game, and I was thinking, the next time I see Liverpool play will be a preseason game in person, and we'll be picking up as a team from where we left this game. It that's just like so bizarre for me to process.

SPEAKER_00 4:05

I did not comprehend that until you just said that, and I just got so excited. Like the next I mean, when we are watching them, the next time they're playing in public in front of people, we will be there in person.

SPEAKER_01 4:19

So it's it's so weird because it's like we're on this sabbatical source, and we'll follow them individually as they go on their summer journeys, and some of them are in the World Cup, and you know, so there'll be more things to kind of add into that, but that's just like so weird for me. Like the team narrative sits where it is right now, and then we'll pick it back up in August or July, and which also at the end of the day, like that's a little bit over a month. But yeah, so I was thinking about that, and then just I don't know, I I have this sense of like you don't know what you have until it's gone, kind of thing, especially with like Mo and Andy. I know it's I felt a lot of peace about it being time for them to move on, sadness as well. But like I was watching back old clips from last season, and it just like I feel like every time you move into a new chapter, you're kind of like, man, I didn't even know how good that chapter was. And so I've been trying really hard to just savor all the Mo and Andy of it all, but even so, it's like I feel like I I'm I still feel like I'm taking it for granted. So I'm sure that will settle in when we see them play, and they're not there.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

Yeah, since the last time, well, it's been a long time since the three of us have been on an episode together, like more than a month, like probably a month and a half. My goodness. Uh, since our last episode, a handful of things have happened. One, the new kit was officially released. It's beautiful. It is an homage to what, 1989, the candy obsessed. We love the year 1989. Um, it's really cute. I really like it. I don't know if cute is the word that everyone wants to be hearing for, but I think it's really cute. Uh, how did you I mean it looks really good on a hanger? How did you guys feel it looked on the pitch?

SPEAKER_02 6:03

Hey, I like it. I think once they get like their tailored uh kits, it's gonna look really good. There was a moment right in the beginning of the match I like zoomed in on Curtis and it was like, okay, this is a he's just wearing a shirt that's too big. And so is Mo.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

It has literally swimming in it.

SPEAKER_02 6:24

So I think it will look really good. I love like the all-red, you know, just like classic all-red outfit. Um, but it they just looked like a little.

SPEAKER_00 6:37

I did not notice the oversized shirts, but it did bother me because the red on the shirt was a slightly different red than the red on the shorts, and that was driving me bonkers.

SPEAKER_01 6:50

Yeah. Well, I was gonna say I what I like about the kit is it's a slightly more pinky red, um, which I'll be excited to personally wear. I noticed immediately that Curtis was trying to push his sleeves up and they just kept falling down. Um, so that made me laugh. But I think I said like halfway through the game. Like I was like, oh, these seemed like very natural uh home kits to me.

SPEAKER_00 7:13

And then we also had a really good inside training that Liverpool posted. It was so special. Um, I have a couple of highlights that I wrote down that just like a couple of quick things. Did you guys see one? We got a last like Mo Salah, Dominic Sobasly coffee bar date moment. So that was really beautiful. Um, also, Mo was like washing his mug and it pans over where a couple of mugs are sitting. And did you see that like Liverpool Cop Legends mug with like Virgil's name and Andy?

SPEAKER_03 7:53

Like I didn't notice that.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

Oh, I need that mug. I need to know where they got it, and I need it. Um, we got to see Endo and Connor Bradley. That was very exciting. The number of cuddles that happened between everyone, between all the players, between the players and the trainers and the people in the building was really special. There was a point where Cheese and Mac were just like staring at this like robot lawnmower, and they both just like had their hands on their hips, like cheesing so big and like so excited, like a very small child. That was hilarious. Um, Dom and Mo practicing their free kicks and Mo shooting and missing, and Dom goes, not bad, eh? I didn't know you could shoot this good. And I was like, Oh my gosh, Dom. Um, and and of course, like Mo, we watched him hit the crossbar like five times during that practice. I know. And then he did the same thing.

SPEAKER_01 8:53

I know. I noticed that. I was like, well, you know, we kind of knew where this was going.

SPEAKER_00 9:00

Yeah, yep, yep, yep. Um, and then when Mo was leaving the training center, you could hear he was getting into his van and you could hear a bunch of kids in the distance singing the Mo Salaw song. It was that was really special. So, anyway, those were my handful of things that I thought was really cute. What else did you guys notice?

SPEAKER_02 9:19

I had three things that stood out to me. One, and I know we've seen this in other inside training videos, but something just really struck me of like Mo Salah having to scan into his building to go to work. That just feels so like that's like what accountants do, right? Like somebody that works in like a true office like has to scan into their building. You're Mo Salah. Yes, it's like ID card. I don't know like what it is, what like, but I just I don't that just like really made me chuckle. Then I was like, no, he's just like us. He skins into a building to go to work. I loved that when he was sitting at the coffee bar and he was like, I'm gonna, I'm calling Liverpool and I'm telling them to rename this Mo's coffee bar. I was like, as is my favorite moment.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

I completely missed him saying that. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 10:09

I loved that he said that. And then my like final more tender moment was when Sobo and Mo were practicing their free kicks. It must have been like sometime after, and they're like sitting in the grass, Moe's laying in the grass, and Sobo just looks at him and he goes, Are you sad? And I was like, Oh, like, oh, and you couldn't, I couldn't really hear what Mo uh he says. Say yes. Okay, I couldn't hear what he said, but yeah, it was just like how like right it just shows like the the reality of their friendships and their connections. Um and I just I thought it was really sweet moment.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

Yeah. I thought it was just so tender and so celebratory, and yeah, the way that you want to say goodbye to someone, which is like to be just like doing the things that you enjoy doing together, but also taking a moment to be, you know, grateful for and and acknowledge that it's the end of a a season. So yeah, I liked the vibes of I noticed the same things. Mo's coffee bar was my favorite. I was like, I will be calling it like imagine uh we drop Axa as a sponsor, and it Mo just himself, he just sponsors. Yeah, there's no company, it's actually just Mo.

SPEAKER_00 11:23

He starts a company that's roasting coffee beans.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Yeah. I also think it's really interesting. Like, I was just thinking watching Mo and Andy have a lot of, you know, same departure days and like going through the same thing at the same time, having raised their kids here, going presumably somewhere new. Um, and just I don't know, it's interesting when you're going through a process like that, a big change like that, every person handles it so differently. But it's cool to see the way that they have a brotherhood that it looks like they've been able to um encourage each other and give space for each other. And also, like, I found it really interesting. Their quotes about leaving Liverpool were like showing people who have different emotional processes, where Mo is like, I need to go away for a bit, and like I will be so sad, like coming here will make me sad for a while because I love it so much. And Andy's very much like, this is not goodbye, like you know, and it's just cool to see like that grief and change gets to hold different um places in different people's hearts, and that doesn't like I have no question over the connection to Liverpool that Mo and Andy feel as players. Like that is extremely strong, very prevalent. But like they get to know as individuals go on journeys and and they know that they'll they're never walking alone and like they have a group of people who are always behind them, but exciting to celebrate them. So we had our last Premier League game of the season. We played Brentford, it was a home game, very exciting. I'd love to briefly touch on our viewing experiences to close out the season. We were not able to be together, but I think we all had fun special viewings. Um so, Steph, do you want to start?

SPEAKER_00 13:05

Yes, I uh flew to Dublin. I landed at noon, and the game here was at four. I mean, all the Premier League games were at four in Ireland. So I literally dropped my stuff off at my hotel and went right next door to a sports bar where they're they had every single Premier League game surrounding me. And I grabbed a I got there like five minutes before um the before the match started. And I found like a two-seater table, ordered a Heineken, sat down, and this really sweet couple came over. And like there are people, there were fans from all different teams. And this really sweet woman and her husband came over, and they're like, Is this any like there's only one other seat? And I was like, I mean, no one else is joining me. Like, you're welcome. They're not wearing any gear. But then you'll never walk alone start started, and the woman started singing, you'll never walk alone. And I was like, I have a Liverpool player, I have Liverpool fans with me. This is incredible. Um, so we didn't really talk the first half, but like at halftime, we were talking about she asked me, What do you think about the manager staying or going? And then we just like all the hot topic questions, but they were so sweet. They live here in Dublin. They were like so confused how they just met an American girl who's a Liverpool fan. They were like, Can you tell us how did this how did this go about? Um, so it was really fun to like sit with fellow Liverpool fans in a foreign country. So that was really fun. And just like literally with me walking around the street afterwards, there were just primarily kits everywhere I looked. Unfortunately, about a block away from where I was staying, there was a gaggle of um Arsenal fans that were cheering, but like literally no one cared. Like, literally no one cared. It was it just made me so happy. Um, but it's just like so fun being in a place where like this is such a huge sport because it is really important to me. There were so many people at this pub and the couple that I met, they were like, Okay, so there are a lot of American, like newer American fans now. And I said, It's getting really big, plus we have the World Cup, and they were like, Are you going? And I was like, I'm literally here and it's being played in my city while I'm gone. They were like, That's a really big bummer. I'm like, Yes, I know. So anyway, just getting to talk about the culture of the sport and that versus like American football and all that. It was it was really special. I was very sad I couldn't be in Seattle to watch it wicked all, but um, it was a really fun experience.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

Yeah, how cool to not have to be like find the Liverpool pub, but to just go to a sports bar and know that they're going to show football. Yes. Like that's so nice. Here, that would not be guaranteed. Well, most bars are not open when the game is played, to be fair.

SPEAKER_00 15:58

Yes, it was very, very strange watching it in the late afternoon, early evening hour, and I was drinking a beer, and that was just like like that was very different.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

Football is a morning sport, not an evening sport.

SPEAKER_00 16:13

Exactly. Normally I'm drinking coffee and having a like a breakfast sandwich, but no, it was really fun. Um yeah, it was a really it was a really fun experience. And hopefully, and if you make some bit to go to Liverpool, we'll see.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

What did you guys do? We were at a new location again for our final game. Um, so we were over in a different neighborhood and we went to a bar called the Chieftain, which was a really great space. It actually had a lot of different rooms, and it was a a mixture of all sorts of Premier League fans. So it was not just Liverpool people here, but we found our corner with our Liverpool friends. Um, so we actually got to sit outside again, which is really nice.

SPEAKER_02 16:53

I think it just kind of mirrored the end of the season where it's like, and we all just are here and we all move on. Like because we weren't in our normal pub, like everyone was kind of scattered out. Like it was great, and I'm so thankful that you know they let us be there. And it's typically an Aston Villa pub, so I'm thankful for the Aston Villa fans that like they let us come in, but it just kind of felt like okay, I guess that's the end.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

I it was weird. I felt this like kinship to the club because I was like, I feel like we feel like we're in limbo because our club doesn't have a home right now, in the same way they're just kind of giving limbo because of everything going on, and then saying goodbye to everyone, everyone was just kind of like, we'll see it for World Cup stuff, maybe. Like, you know, it's kind of just uh it was just funny and strange, but it was also nice. I was grateful because I didn't see a single bit of Arsenal coverage. And that is the way I went.

SPEAKER_02 17:48

What I loved is nobody was watching Arsenal, everybody was watching West Ham and Tottenham. Like, yeah, I don't know any, like, none of the TVs that were on after you left had anything but Tottenham West Ham coverage going on. Nobody watched any Arsenal stuff. That game so like I don't even know how to describe what watching that game felt like. It was just it was just like it was the season. Like you could look at that game and put it up against half of the other games of the season, and it would be like, who are we playing? Like there was just nothing distinctive. It just it was it was the season.

SPEAKER_01 18:30

Yeah. Nice to see a few moments I can think of, but like, I mean, really, not a lot stood out about it, in my opinion. Um, you know, we had decent possession, we had so many shots. Like there were moments, so many shots.

SPEAKER_00 18:46

But that again, that final third, they could not finish it. And like the possession was really good, and then one sloppy possession from one sloppy touch is just and it just is ruined, you know.

SPEAKER_01 19:01

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I do want to celebrate Mo had an assist in his final game, which is also like a nice way to end. Would have loved for that free kick to have gone in, but like we mentioned earlier, you know, hadn't quite nailed that at practice yet, so likelihood of that was not high.

SPEAKER_02 19:17

But and when he was a kick it, I was like, Submo, you've gotta take the free kick. Don't let me. That is exactly what I'm saying. I know it's Moe's last game. I know that's your like best bro, but you've got you've gotta take that sub-bone. And yeah, you know, we got Champions League. That's like that was ultimately all we needed from that game. Yes. We didn't need to win. And so if that's how he wanted to respect Mo, I totally understand that. But as somebody watching, I was like, please do not let Mo kick this.

SPEAKER_01 19:51

Yeah. Curtis's scoring was, of course, like a moment of my life. This is what I needed from this season. Thank you, Curtis Jones.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

And Rio's shot was incredible. Incredible, like literally half an inch, it would have been in.

SPEAKER_01 20:08

There was just something that was so insane to me about most of the game being played, and it was like Isak on on the bench, Akite injured, Cortez on the bench, Flo on the bench, Frimpong on the bench, and the only person who was out on the field that wasn't with us last season was Rio. And it's like anything credible. Um, and I don't know, it's just there's just so much that's like so bizarre about the status of our team. But Rio, per usual, gave a great performance, which is great to see. When the substitution happened to bring Mo off, whoa, I was not emotionally prepared for that. I didn't think it was gonna happen at that point that early, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 20:52

No, I thought Mo and Andy were gonna play the whole game. There was not any point pre-match or during the match that I thought they were going to get subbed off. They had their own clap offs.

SPEAKER_00 21:05

That's why they did it. I think that's why they did it so they each could get their own standing advice standing ovation.

SPEAKER_01 21:11

Yeah. I just wasn't expecting it, and so it really like I was like, oh whoa, this is happening. Yeah. And I was fine until Andy hugged Mo, and then I wasn't fine. No, it wasn't.

SPEAKER_00 21:20

Well, the fact I didn't, I didn't the the angle of where the camera was for the TV that we were watching, they did a guard of honor for when Mo walked off. Because I saw him hugging a bunch of people, but I I didn't recognize the fact that they all lined up for a guard of honor for him to walk through. And that just took me out. Oh my gosh. It's sad.

SPEAKER_01 21:43

But it was like those moments, those substitutions felt like the most memorable like parts of the game to me. And otherwise, it was like so nervous.

SPEAKER_02 21:55

It was just a normal game for this season. But I agree.

SPEAKER_00 22:03

I did spend time making the case to my new uh Devlin friends all of the reasons why Andy and Ormo should be signed to the Seattle Sounders.

SPEAKER_02 22:15

So okay, but no, do you know what I remembered last night?

SPEAKER_00 22:20

What's that?

SPEAKER_02 22:21

Because uh during the match I told Annika, I was like, it's so weird that like we're not hearing a lot of speculation about where Mo and Andy are going. And then it dawned on me that Andy, I would assume at this point, because Tottenham didn't get relegated, is going to Tottenham. Because that was that's like the alleged agreement was that if Tottenham stays up, that's where he's going. And my truth is, I didn't want Tottenham relegated. I like to see them teetering the line, right? But I was like, it's just weird if Tottenham goes down.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

It would be bizarre.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

But let me take that back because if I had remembered watching the end of the Tottenham game, that that's probably where Andy's gonna get end up. I would have been rooting so hard for Everton to take them down.

SPEAKER_00 23:06

They disappoint us again. Then my goodness.

SPEAKER_02 23:16

I don't want him at Tottenham. Yeah. So I still don't know. We still don't know, I don't think anything about Mo, but I did was like, oh no, I forgot Andy.

SPEAKER_00 23:31

Yeah, my the people I was sitting with said that he's probably gonna end up at like some Arabic team or something like that. But Seattle Sounders. He imagine the Mo Salah ex Paul Rothrock connection that collabs.

SPEAKER_02 23:48

There's no collab, it is just Mo.

SPEAKER_01 23:51

Yeah, I was like, what would what would Paul Rothrock's role be in this? Paul Rothrock would be Mo's new sobo sly, where he would just be like, No, that's what I mean.

SPEAKER_00 24:02

Not necessarily on the pitch, but like just like on the pitch together as teammates. You know?

SPEAKER_01 24:09

Yes, I see. Yeah, I feel like I I think I do think Paul Rothrock, sorry, we're going into Sounders for a second, but I think he kind of might be the sobo of the Sounders.

SPEAKER_00 24:17

I'll just say Honestly, you're I don't think you're wrong on that.

SPEAKER_01 24:21

I don't follow it so closely, so I could be really off, but from what I understand. But well, a girl can help, okay. If that is what we need to hold on to in this moment to not feel so far away from them.

SPEAKER_02 24:37

Um, other thoughts that I was having, like kind of surrounding the Mo and the departure, and just I think more of the human side of it, is watching both of these guys have to transition out of this team into the World Cup in just over two weeks, finish the World Cup, and then have to like their families out of Liverpool to wherever they're going and join a new team. And I'm just like, I don't even know how you like process or you know, approach like that is so much to hold, so much change, like so much pressure in what two and a half months, three months at the very most. Um and yeah, I think you know, it's it's just crazy what these players are expected to do. And I understand they have a lot of support through different avenues, they're compensated very well, but even with that, like there's emotional pieces that like when do you even get to decompress from any of this? You know, because you're just moving constantly from one thing through the next, and that's a lot, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:47

Yeah, and like also at some level thinking about it as we send off players heading into transition makes me almost think differently about the players that we have recently received coming from transition. Like, maybe I don't know their story as well, but like what is the chaos or the the things that those new players haven't had time to settle in and process because they've been go, go, go, go, go, and like, you know, I anyway, I just I keep thinking in my head, I'm like, okay, just because the season ended the way it did, and I have so many question marks about our new signings, like I really like them and I believe in them, but there's just I'm like, how is this gonna work? And like, is this gonna be great? But there's so much that comes with the settling in and with the growth, and like, yeah, maybe it doesn't work out for everyone, but there probably will be people who just need a minute to even if that minute is a whole season.

SPEAKER_00 26:36

Yeah, I mean, there were I heard a lot of criticism about Florian's performance this season, and I don't think it's warranted because how can we ask an incredible player to come in to a broken team? Like our foundation was not complete this year. So, how can we expect incredible players like Isak and Florian to come in and perform to the level that we expected them to because of the money that they were are paid coming into this club, the amount that we paid for them? We cannot expect them to be as good as they were in already very well established teams, in already very well established um what's the word? The chemistry from their old teams. And we like we talked about this from the fall. The chemistry on the Liverpool team was non-existent. We saw that happening. There are so many reasons as as to why it's not gonna be one person's fault, it's not gonna be a player's fault, it's not gonna just be Arnie's fault, it is the collective. Liverpool runs off of like heart and vibes and chemistry and love. They were picking themselves up off of the ground this season, and so to just say, like, oh, this one player didn't do as good as they should have, I think is unfair.

SPEAKER_01 27:58

So yeah, no, I think that's a great point because we started off with no chem, no natural chemistry and grief. And that is a really hard starting place. And I think that if I think about that and I think about where we are now, I'm like, okay, I do feel like even though I still have questions, I'm seeing more chemistry, and it feels like we you know, more process time has processed through the grief, and like it it's just changes as it does. And I don't know, yeah, there are there are moments, glimmers of connection and vibes and those things.

SPEAKER_00 28:37

And speaking on the grief point, I think you're right. On the grief side of things, I saw some quotes from Virgil because he hasn't really talked about Diogo much at all this season. Like, I appreciate the team because they haven't used it as an excuse at all. But I don't know what interview this is from, but I saw someone quoting this on social media. He said, From the moment it happened, we all returned from our vacation, and ever since then we've been on a train that just kept going on. There was not even a winter break. We just had to keep going on, or we just had to keep on going. We tried to hold meetings about what happened, but at the same time, we kept getting confronted with what happened while at the same time had to play a game every three days. When we would win a game, we would suddenly lose again a few days later. Our emotions went up and down, up and down. It's not been easy for us. And so the fact that Virgil is like saying all of these things now, it's like, okay, I'm so glad he is saying something and pointing to like a hi, we're not okay. Like, I literally as a captain, like he sat on the pitch for four or five minutes just by himself with people still in the stadium. They're not well. Like, I feel so heavy for these people, and just like the first five games were incredible. And like, I just remember Andy during like one of our last minute winter winners, he's like looking up to the skies and like pointing, and just like, hey, do like they were all just like we can feel Dio go here, blah blah blah blah. Um, but then reality just really hit. So again, I don't want to use that as an excuse, but like I'm glad that Virgil has like spoken up and talking about it, talked about it.

SPEAKER_02 30:21

Yeah. I saw I don't know if it was Virgil or Andy, but also just talking about like the first few weeks that they were back, where they were like, somebody wanted to train, like, and they also the whoever was speaking, I wish I remembered who it was, was talking to I think it was Andy, was like even the support staff, right? And so it's not even just the players that are having to figure it on the pitch. It's you know, they're like the physicos that are like here, they don't want to work either, you know, it so it it's just so wide, you know, the grief. And I think as a fan base, we get to move on a lot faster, and they are still very much in it. And you know, then you're bringing in what five, six new players into a team that's like lit, like has no action in them. Yeah, understandably so so incredibly hard and heartbreaking way, you know, to start the season and just incredibly hard and heartbreaking as a human, whether you know, whether you're a footballer or or not.

SPEAKER_00 31:27

I was scrolling through social media the other day and I was seeing a post about Portugal and whatever. And I was reminded that four years ago, Diogo got injured while playing for Liverpool right before the World Cup. So he did not get to play in the World Cup four years ago, and how much he'd been working to make sure he could make it to this World Cup. And I I completely lost it. Like balling my it was like a few minutes after I woke up when I saw that, and I just like started the day crying. Like, I'm so sad, and I just wonder how the Portugal team is feeling, and it's just like, and again, they're all headed into the World Cup, and so they again still do not have time to process what happened. So we'll see. Grief is sneaky.

SPEAKER_01 32:15

It is, it is sneaky, and it it causes you to lack capacity, which is totally understandable. And these, you know, what we're asking of them to build a team like is something that takes a lot of capacity to show up to learn these new systems. And and yeah, I think it's just gonna be slower than anyone wants it to be, than they want it to be, like than the company probably wants it to be, you know, fans. So I'm trying my hardest to just live with patience, be okay that it's frustrating sometimes. The players are expressing that they're frustrated sometimes, but it's like what Mo said um recently about at the end of the day, Anfield doesn't care about the result. They care about you going out there and fighting for it. And I think that's true. It's like we drew with Chelsea a couple weeks ago, and we were all pretty disappointed because it didn't feel like we put in any effort, even though objectively that was not a bad result for how the game went down. It's that satisfaction of knowing they're growing as a team. Like that is ultimately what we like hold on to as fans and the high moments and the low moments, you know. And they've still made still finished fifth, right?

SPEAKER_02 33:23

I think it's just like in the perspective of like everything's gonna be okay. Um, what was like Champions League football watching something or listening to something, and they said yesterday the fans sang three little birds at the end of the oh man, I think that's gonna make me cry. I was like, I'm gonna make it through this episode without crying. Um I'm not, but you know, I was just like, yeah, one, this is football. Like it is it is for fun. Like, we get to do this because we like love the sport and we love the people and what it gives us, and like everything is gonna be just fine, y'all. It is not that deep.

SPEAKER_00 34:01

Like, it's really not that deep. Like my double in new friends. Um, the woman was just like Dominic's so slight, everyone's in love with him, and he keeps missing, he keeps shooting up, and he gets paid so much money.

SPEAKER_03 34:18

And I was like, maybe I appreciate the passion.

SPEAKER_00 34:23

I appreciate the passion.

SPEAKER_03 34:25

I totally get it.

SPEAKER_00 34:27

Yes, he's paid a lot of money, but it's not it's not that serious. But look at him, he did post also speaking of Dominic, so it was like, did you see what he posted on social media an hour ago? Yeah, I did not picture. Hold on, let me don't take up your phone. I will show it to you.

SPEAKER_02 34:45

No, I don't, I'm off social media until the World Cup, so I haven't seen nothing after. Oh my gosh. Okay, this is great to know.

SPEAKER_00 34:51

I will be sending you screenshots. One moment, please. It's the first picture on the um carousel.

SPEAKER_01 35:05

I was like, oh Dom.

SPEAKER_00 35:07

Okay, for anyone who's just listening, he posted a picture of him shirtless with sweaty hair down after he took it out of his ponytail with this toy smile on his face. I was like, okay, this is one of like the thirst trap accounts. Nope, Dom posted it. Incredible. Anyway, see, that's what football's about. It's not that serious, everyone.

SPEAKER_01 35:31

No, okay, please. But like when I think about watching Dom his first season with us, he was saying, like, I love Steven Gerard, I want to be the next Liverpool sex Steven Gerard. And I remember all everyone kind of being like, Oh, that's so sweet. This kid's got a dream. Like, like, that's nice. Good luck with that. And now, two seasons later, like, is he there yet? No, but I'm like, oh, like he could be, like, he's on a like that comparison is a you know, a fair conversation topic. Like, that is open to discussion, open for discussion. So he will continue to like grow and develop. And I'm like, in my eyes, like Soba is well worth please. No, so I'm hoping enough. I don't want anyone to leave. I'm freaking out. I can't handle the idea of anyone being sold at this point.

SPEAKER_02 36:25

So yeah, because yesterday when Joe came on, we were, you know, of course, cheering for Joe, wanting him to get a goal. And I was like, this, Anika, this could really be his last chance. And I feel like Anika took it personally that I was like, I did. That I was like, I literally was like I was probably going to leave this summer.

SPEAKER_01 36:45

I don't want him to, but I think it's emotionally attached to some of these people in a very intense way. I know, but you're not alone. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 36:58

It'll be hard, but that's not what today is for.

SPEAKER_01 37:02

No, I'm like, I'm sorry, I'm getting sad now. It is football. And Mo is coming to Seattle this summer.

SPEAKER_02 37:12

We're all gonna go try to find him and play chess with him. Oh, that's what we need to do. Get our chest poured out and just walk around Seattle. Side note, my four-year-old nephew went to the doctor this week, and my dad, his grandfather took him, and he told the doctor that his favorite player is Mo Sala, and he plays for Liverpool FC. So I was like, I am a good aunt. I am in this well.

SPEAKER_01 37:45

Good job. So ready to go.

SPEAKER_02 37:47

He doesn't know that Mo left, very but he doesn't need to know that yet.

SPEAKER_01 37:51

I was very proud because I mentioned uh Curtis Jones to my brother and sister-in-law, and uh they weren't really sure who Curtis Jones was, but as I went to explain it, I said, Oh, he's the one who's engaged to Safi. And they go, Oh, Safi and Gigi? And they knew who Safi and Gigi was. And for me, important part. I was like, you know what? If you don't know Curtis Jones, as long as you know Safi and Gigi, we're gonna be okay.

SPEAKER_00 38:15

Yeah. I was texting with my co-guide yesterday, and he was like, What are you gonna be up to in Dublin today? And I was like, Well, I have to go catch a football match, um, and then I'll go get some airings done. And he was like, Football, you like football? And I was like, It's only half of my personality, just FYI, like that is just gonna be my focus this summer. Sorry. My goal, so I'm a shore guide. Um, my goal is to get all of my American guests excited for the World Cup. That is the plan.

SPEAKER_02 38:50

I would like to say I got y'all excited for the World Cup, and I that was no small feat. And here we are.

SPEAKER_00 38:56

So I'm no, you got us up at three o'clock in the middle of the night to watch games.

SPEAKER_02 39:04

Yeah, Anika didn't get up that early, but there were so there were games. Hey, I've I've gotten there.

SPEAKER_01 39:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 39:10

Now you're coming into your first World Cup like fully conscious mind, fully aware of what's happening. Yes.

Marker

SPEAKER_02 39:17

Oh, entirely.

SPEAKER_00 39:19

I'm just excited to like get to, I don't get to be at the like in the city or at the games, but I'm excited to be in a place where the World Cup is like a really big deal and get to watch that alongside of other people. So that will be a big deal.

SPEAKER_02 39:37

Um yesterday when we were finishing up, Taylor, one of our friends at the pub, was there's like a local football club, and he was like, We need to go to some games, like, here are the dates. And I was like, Nope, sorry, Uzbekistan, Colombia is going on during that time, can't make it. He's like, Uzbekistan. I was like, it's the World Cup, baby. That is my priority.

SPEAKER_01 40:00

It does feel like very exciting to me because I'm like, really, truly, the last World Cup was the beginning of my journey with football. And it was the first time that I was like, hold on. Is this sport? Sports cool. Well, I was already on board with other sports, but I had not opened my heart to football andor soccer. So it's feels exciting and important. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:24

When they asked me the other day how I became a Liverpool fan, I was like, well, um, let's attract 40 years World Cup. And uh my friend really loves Darwin Nunez. So they were like, oh, okay, that makes sense. Well, both of them were, I was like, you guys are Irish, how are you Liverpool fans? And they were like, we were both born into it. Just our families were massive Liverpool fans. So I was like, no, I was not born into this fandom. Um, I was run in by Darwin Nunez, basically.

SPEAKER_01 40:55

Yeah, you should have been. Darwin Nunez brought us, and then we stayed, and we are forever Darwin Nunez.

SPEAKER_00 41:02

Oh, also, it was really phenomenal to see Seth Vanderberg and Kelly on the pitch, and that Jordan Henderson, yeah, he got his standing ovation. And that was really special. That like Mo really, like, in conversation leading up to, he was like, I really hope that Jordan, I want everyone to praise him and like get really excited for him.

SPEAKER_01 41:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:23

And he was willing to like share the stage with him.

SPEAKER_01 41:27

Not to always heart back to the same topic, but as time goes on, it really just makes the whole Trent situation all the more clear of like, hee, that was a really unfortunate exit. And so this leaves me with the warm fuzzy feelings, which I'm really grateful for.

SPEAKER_02 41:48

Well, well, we talked about the World Cup. It's in 17 days. That's kind of what we're looking ahead to. Very excited. Like I mentioned, I'm gonna take a little social media break between Liverpool and World Cup and detox myself. So, you know, once it starts June 11th, I'm back on full media intake. I've I've emptied out my brain and it can absorb all the information again.

SPEAKER_00 42:19

You really need to set up the home pub like Sean in your room.

SPEAKER_02 42:25

Yeah, I have toyed with the idea since you're not here this summer. I've toyed with the idea of taking your TV and putting it in sleeping over here.

SPEAKER_00 42:34

Please do that, would be incredible. Like I challenge you to do so. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 42:39

Yeah, or moving your TV out to the y'all's living room. Yeah, and you know, so I'm not taking it across the street. But it's okay.

SPEAKER_00 42:48

I'm taking back the street. Good. No, good, good, good, good.

SPEAKER_02 42:53

There will be many screens. Yeah. No, I'm so excited. Yeah, so glad it's here.

SPEAKER_00 43:00

So it's gonna be so fun. I got all the jelly cats for it. At the Seattle airport, um, they had like a black and white soccer ball version, and I was like, oh, what's that one? That was the US one, so I'm fine with the one that I have. That is the generic jelly cat one.

SPEAKER_02 43:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:22

So good choices were made. Yeah. Well, last match of the season. Also, we are now we have completed our very first season as the Liverpool girlies. Goodness. What episode 38 is what this is. Yeah. My goodness. What a journey. Um, so for our final um recap podcast, who is y'all's player of the week? Balian.

SPEAKER_02 43:50

I don't think this is a surprising pick, but it has to be Mo Salah. Yeah, we've talked about it, but just the what he's done for this club. He's done for the city. I saw a fan that you know, there were like setup mics different places, and fans could come and talk about like what he's meant. And you know, it's just it's crazy, like what somebody that you will never meet, the level of impact that they can have on your life. And I don't think you have to be most solid to do that, but he has done that. And I think he's changed like culture in Liverpool. He's changed like global football culture. So I give him my player of the the match, the year, the season. Like so thankful to become Liverpool fans by the time we did to like get to watch him, especially last season, like just like at his like true peak is incredible.

SPEAKER_00 44:50

Annika?

SPEAKER_01 44:52

Well, to close out the season, I gotta pick someone who I've always known as one of my favorites, but I do think through doing this podcast, I have really learned just how much he's one of my favorite players. So I have to pick Curtis Jones, also in honor of his first goal of the season and final goal of the season. But um, yeah, Curtis is one of my favorite players to watch. I love his scouse spirit. I he makes me care about Liverpool the city and feel passionate about um like yeah, just advocating for that energy. So I'm so grateful every time I get to see Curtis play. And yeah, he's a great lad.

SPEAKER_00 45:30

I was so scared that his goal was gonna be considered offside because when it was passed to Mo, I was like, no, it's offside, no, it's offside, and then they scored and I was like, nope, it's offside, it's offside. And they were none of them celebrated. No one celebrated. I was like, it's offside, and then they got it, and I was like, Oh, the delight, that delight.

SPEAKER_03 45:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:53

Um, my player of the week was Allison Becker. I ashamedly until 20, it was probably 20 minutes before we started recording, I realized, oh, that was first Allie's first game back in a long time. So I'm so glad that he's able to come back for the very last match. I mean, Marmin did an incredible job, but it's always really nice to see Allie and her goal. And his save where he kicked the ball away, he was like in the air and kicked the ball. I screamed Allison Becker at the top of my lungs, and everyone sput around to look at me, and I was like, sorry, did you see that, Save?

SPEAKER_01 46:36

Like, that's why he's the best. Like, oh my gosh, like, absolutely incredible.

SPEAKER_00 46:42

I'm so excited to watch him during the World Cup with Brazil. No, Odica, no, Mike, okay, anytime. Okay, four years ago, World Cup, we were not attached to any players, any players except Darwin Nunez for Molly Ann and all of her, all of her peeps over there. Ontica's favorite part of the World Cup was the PKs when they were tied and they would have to go to penalty kicks. It was like so exciting. Now, anytime Onika thinks about Alison Becker having to defend from PKs at any game, she starts crying.

SPEAKER_01 47:24

It is it's not right. And the fact that he's gonna have to do it for Brazil is like it's really stressing out. And I know he's probably not as stressed as I am, and I just need to have the faith that Allie has because he does he is fine, he does not need my stress. But I have been thinking about this for I think two years. This whole season, you've cried every time we talked about it.

SPEAKER_03 47:53

No, I'm sorry, I just love the fact that you're like I'm more stressed than Allison Becker PK's in the World Cup. Eldest daughter.

SPEAKER_02 48:11

That's so good.

SPEAKER_03 48:13

So Alison Becker knows no Brazil.

SPEAKER_00 48:18

I wonder how Natalia feels about it. Do you think Natalia cries about thinking about Alison having to defend against PKs and the World Cup?

unknown 48:28

No.

SPEAKER_01 48:28

I I think his youngest son would honestly you're probably right.

SPEAKER_00 48:34

You're probably right.

SPEAKER_01 48:35

Natalia, no, that's his wrong. Come on. Anyway, so like wish like Alison, he doesn't need your like well wishes. I do. Okay. I need to remain stable this summer, and Brazil going to PK's might send me over the edge.

SPEAKER_00 48:50

So, anyone out there, if you're watching a World Cup game with Brazil in it and they end up having to go to PKs, please keep Annika and your thoughts and prayers, all the T T's and P's to Annika, because she really needs to support y'all. Just know she's gonna be struggling. Anyway, Alison Becker is learned to the player of my heart.

SPEAKER_01 49:11

All right. Well, thanks you guys. This is a lot of fun. I like it when all three of us get to talk together.

SPEAKER_00 49:17

It's my first time talking to you guys since I left, so that's nice.

SPEAKER_01 49:22

All right, well, that is it for this week's episode. We will be back here soon to do an end of season wrap up, talk about all the fun things that we experienced this season and not fun things. But until then, you'll never walk alone.