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Review of Liverpool’s 2012 Season: It is the end of the season and so on this week’s main listening report Damon takes a look at his club’s Liverpool highs and lows from this season. While reading the report or listening to the podcast, learn useful football phrases and vocabulary (in bold) by checking the language support at the bottom of the report. You can listen to the report by clicking on the link below
The Good
Liverpool won a trophy, there is some silverware in the cabinet, and that hasn’t happened since the FA Cup win in 2007. OK, it is the least important cup in the English top flight, the Carling Cup, but it was a welcome victory. On the way, Liverpool beat Chelsea and Manchester City, so they did it the hard way, too. Liverpool also had another good cup run, this time in the FA Cup, and they weren’t far off winning it either only losing 2-1 in the final to Chelsea. On the way to the final they claimed the scalps of Manchester United, their huge rivals, and Everton, their local rivals. So again, that was cause to feel pleased with their performance. Andy Carroll scored in the semi-finals against Everton and in the final against Chelsea, too – signs of hope for next year for the big centre forward.
The Bad
19 games, six wins, nine draws, four losses: Quite simply, the Reds’ home form was dreadful. The club have been quite rightly proud of the famous sign in the players’ tunnel whhich simply reads ‘This is Anfield’. The sign used to be a symbol for the fact that playing at Liverpool was always a difficult proposition – most clubs were happy to come away with a draw and not many expected to win. The 2011-2012 season saw that turned on its head. Some of the league’s less successful clubs came and beat Liverpool in their own backyard: Wigan, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion all beat Kenny Dalglish’s side.A Very bad.
The Ugly
The whole Suarez affair was handled very poorly by Liverpool and their manager Kenny Dalglish. By being so public in their support of their player against charges of racism, the club appeared in many peoples’ eyes to be soft on racism. It was a very bad own goal indeed and didn’t help the player involved either: he was still given an eight match ban and is now booed wherever he plays. The club should have accepted the FA’s decision and shut up. Let’s hope for better next year!
Vocabulary
silverware in the cabinet: when a club wins a title or a competition, they win ‘silverware – cups and trophies. These are displayed in the club’s trophy cabinet
did it the hard way: had to play well and beat some dificult teams or come back from losing positions to win
claimed the scalps: beat; defeated; especially win against a big team – it something to be proud of
dreadful: awful; terrible; very bad
a difficult proposition: a challenge; a hard game; a difficult opponent
turned on its head: reversed; change something completely
own backyard: at home; in your territory
be soft on: to not be serious about; to not be tough with
own goal: when you score against your own team – in this context it means to give bad publicity to your own club
booed: jeered; heckled; shouted at
Check out our glossary of footballing phrases here If you have any suggestions, contact us at admin@languagecaster.com
