You wouldn’t get lonely in the Liverpool treatment room anyway.
It has been a tough season for the red half of Merseyside and, only in February, it’s been a long one. A very long one.
Liverpool fell by the wayside from the FA Cup on Tuesday night but, in the big picture, it might’ve done them a God damn favour.
At the start of the year, they were operating without 11 players that would’ve made a fine side on its own.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BANT4PVFVUz/?taken-by=sportsjoedotie
Since Liverpool’s first competitive game back in August 9, they’ve played 40 football matches. 40 by the end of February 9.
What’s more is that they have the potential to play another 23, even without the FA Cup.
The reality of those 40 games is crazy though.
Liverpool are just 90 minutes short of playing every single minute of football they could’ve possibly played so far this season.
Of every fixture and tie they’ve had, across all competitions, Liverpool spared themselves just three extra-time bouts.
Their 25 Premier League games so far are tough enough, particularly over the winter period.
They’ve had six Europa League group games already.
They’ve reached the final of the League Cup and took the scenic route to Wembley.
They went to extra time with Carlisle (luckily there were no replays to face). They went to extra time and penalties with Stoke in their second leg of the semi-final.
They spared themselves 30 minutes of extra time by thumping Southampton and again by seeing off Bournemouth during normal time. So that’s 60 of the 90 minutes.
Jurgen Klopp drained every last ounce out of a two-tie FA Cup run though.
Well, almost every last ounce. Beating Exeter in the replay spared them 30 minutes there – totalling to 90 minutes that the Reds have spared themselves over the course of the season.
Apart from that, they’ve played every minute of football they possibly could have.
It’s exhausting just reading it.