VERTONGHEN: THIS FINAL IS SPUR CRAZY
AFTER all the heartache of losing last season’s Champions League final in such agonising fashion, Andy Robertson is well prepared for a proper party this time around.
The Liverpool star could be seen trudging around Homebase the day after defeat to Real Madrid, his purchase of a barbecue designed to fill the empty afternoon that had been pencilled in for a victory parade around the city.
Now, he says with a smile, if they can defeat Spurs, then his barbie will be a much livelier affair.
“Hopefully, we’ve not got that nonsense again,” said Robertson, when reminded of the DIY trip.
“I’ve still got that barbecue actually and, obviously, we’re hoping for much happier feelings. Last year was a massive disappointment – there’s no hiding away from that.
“Hopefully, we’re feeling better this time, but we know what hard work has to go in to achieve that. If we can do that, it’ll be an even better party!”
Hard work. That phrase may be overused in football, but, for Robertson, it is the key to Liverpool’s quest for a first trophy under Jurgen Klopp.
Robertson is adamant they deserve nothing from this incredible season, just because they secured a record-breaking 97 points in finishing as Premier League runners-up. They deserve nothing, either, for their miracle recovery against Barcelona in the semi-final.
For him and his team-mates, it is simple. They will deserve the trophy if they produce on the night against Spurs.
And, unlike the title, that is entirely in their hands.
“I’ve heard a few people say that we deserve a trophy for this season, but we don’t deserve anything yet,” he explained.
“The Premier League shows that. A lot of people would say 97 points deserves the Premier League title, but it didn’t because Manchester City got 98.
“They were that little bit better than us in the end. We deserve JAN VERTONGHEN cannot stop using one word as he smiles his way towards tomorrow’s Champions League final – crazy.
And if Spurs can overcome the odds and Liverpool, the Belgium defender will rank this season as the craziest of his career.
He laughed: “Every player has been used in the Champions League and played his part. It’s been the craziest one ever and being at the end of that crazy campaign now is something unbelievable.”
Asked how many moments made him think something special was happening to Tottenham’s European season, he replied: “Like 16 times, maybe. In the group stages, we should not have nothing, only what we put into the game and what we get out. If we have 100 per cent effort and play to our best, then we’ll deserve it. But we aren’t going into the game thinking we deserve it. Never. That would be stupid.”
There is a sense of steel about Liverpool this time around, though, and that is typified by the granite, Scottish spirit of Robertson.
The pain from last year in Kiev may still linger, but there is also the knowledge that the showdown with Tottenham presents a chance for redemption, with the ultimate trophy to show the progress the Reds have made under Klopp (above). “It’s not lost lost that Inter away game, we got one point after three games, the Barca away game… there are so many I can’t tell them all, but it’s been crazy.”
Vertonghen (left, with fellow countryman Toby Alderweireld) was already established at the club when Mauricio Pochettino took over in 2014. It looked like his future might be uncertain, but the centre-half has, like many team-mates, forged a strong bond with the Argentine.
He said: “We have a great group of players, young guys from the academy, English internationals and guys from abroad who have a proper connection with the club.
“All the guys together, here for so long with the manager, has got us to this level.” Vertonghen is not alone among team-mates in citing their second-half performance at Anfield on any of us what this opportunity means,” added Robertson. “The thing that matters most is that our fate is in our hands. We know that.
“And, if there’s one thing I can guarantee about this team, about this group of players, it’s that we will stop at nothing to try to make our supporters’ dream come true. It feels good to have another crack at this final.
“Nobody deserves it more than our supporters, who have backed us through the good times and the heartbreak.
“We just think we need to win trophies to be a successful team – whether that’s on Saturday or next season or the season after – we won’t stop trying.
“This club, the size of it – and these fans – deserve trophies.
“We know how hard it is to produce, we’ve found that out this season, but, hopefully, we can get over that final step and get the first trophy for the squad and the manager.”
For Robertson, personally, that trophy would be the ultimate comment on the effort he has put into his career and the sacrifices he has made.
“This has been an incredible season, full of so many emotional moments,” he said. “But it’s also been a chance for me to take a step back and see the full picture.
“From sobbing over my curry after being released by Celtic, to making six quid a night grinding away in Scotland, to signing for Liverpool and putting on that red tracksuit, barely believing it.
“It’s massive for all of us.” in the Premier League this season – a game they lost 2-1 due to a late Hugo Lloris error – as proof of their chances of winning in Madrid, despite finishing 26 points behind the Premier League runners-up.
He added: “Liverpool started well, but in my opinion we dominated them. We could have won. Apart from that, how we’ve been working not just for the last couple of weeks but for the last months has put everyone in a good place.”
And if they do win in Madrid, it will become – you’ve guessed it – a crazy place. He said: “How many games have we played to get here? Twelve games? In every single one, something crazy happened.
“At the end of my career, I’ll hopefully look at this and think this was the most beautiful and craziest year of all.”