da bet esporte： Over the years Liverpool have been graced with immense talent, from Kevin Keegan to Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard, to name a few.
da pinup bet： Joey Jones was never widely regarded in that bracket of elite stars, and he may not have grabbed the headlines, but he earned cult-hero status among the fans for his passion and dedication.
The Bangor-born footballer was a tough-tackling left-back whose loyalty on the pitch was never questioned.
It is easy to romanticise Jones’s hard-working, no-nonsense approach to matches for his boyhood club, but his CV is not to be sniffed at.
During a three-year spell with the Reds, the left-back won the First Division title, the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and two European Cups.
In fact, Jones was part of club history in the 1976-77 season when he helped Liverpool lift their first ever trophy in Europe’s elite competition with a 3-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Forty-one years and four more European titles later, the Merseyside outfit are preparing to return to the famous Italian stadium to take on Roma in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Firstly, both clubs will show their cards at Anfield on Tuesday night, with the Reds aiming to be in a strong position for the decider at the Stadio Olimpico.
Jones knows all too well the magnitude of the challenge that awaits Jurgen Klopp’s men, and in an exclusive interview with FootballFanCast.com, the 63-year-old wound back the clock.
“We lost the FA Cup final on the Saturday before – Liverpool were going for the treble at that time. Unfortunately we lost to Manchester United. [The European Cup final, though,] was a great occasion.
“It was like the whole of Liverpool was there, they must have outnumbered the Gladbach fans by at least 4:1. To walk out and see that amount of fans gives you that extra lift. You can’t lose this game, you’ve got to do it for the fans because they’ve made so many sacrifices to get there.”
In the modern game, aside from winning the league crown, reaching the Champions League final is the pinnacle in club football, but interestingly, Jones has admitted that he felt more anxious ahead of the FA Cup final, which Liverpool lost 2-1 to United at Wembley.
“I knew how big the [European Cup] was and how great an achievement it would be to win it because some players – better players than me – go throughout their careers not getting past the qualifying rounds of the European Cup, let alone the final.
“I was very fortunate to play in every round and play in the final as well. It was a big occasion, but I felt less nervous in that game than I did in the FA Cup final.
“I felt more nervous walking out for that game because as a youngster growing up, when we were kids that used to be the only game on TV. Straight after the Cup final we’d go out and replicate which teams had been playing on the local field. I had it in my head that the whole of the country is watching this game and I was part of it. I can definitely say I was more nervous for that game than I was for the European Cup final.”
Perhaps the nerves were greater when Jones’s boots connected with the Wembley turf, but his heart was warmed when he spotted the now-famous banner that was unfurled in the crowd at the Stadio Olimpico.
Liverpool fans playfully referred to their left-back’s performances against Saint-Etienne and FC Zurich from earlier matches in the European tournament, and made a bold prediction for the final against Gladbach by proclaiming: ‘Joey ate the frogs legs, made the Swiss roll, now he’s munching Gladbach.’
“Seeing that banner behind the goal when I walked out, it made me feel 10ft tall,” Jones recalled. “I think of much as that banner as I do the medal. It’s now back with one of the people who actually made it. I had it in my garage!”
Liverpool fans are expected to be out in full force in both legs against Roma over the coming days, and it is safe to say that they embraced the challenge of being the 12th man at Anfield in the quarter-final showdown against Manchester City.
Not many would have predicted that Klopp’s Reds would have made it into the final four alongside Roma, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, but alas they have upset the odds, and Jones hopes that will continue.
Throughout the season, Liverpool’s defensive frailties have been difficult to ignore, but there was a shift in January when the arrival of Virgil van Dijk gave Klopp’s back line more structure and discipline.
“There is no coincidence that they’re playing better since he’s gone there,” said Jones.
“Up until he went there, they looked like they would concede. They looked great going forward but we always looked like we were going to concede. I think they have tightened up and it could be down to Van Dijk. In any position, it’s confidence anyway. In any sport, it’s all about confidence – football, tennis or cricket – people who do a half-decent job at any stage, confidence is one of those things that you need.”
Another player that has certainly impressed Liverpool fans is Andy Robertson, who grasped his opportunity following Alberto Moreno’s injury and never looked back.
The Scotland international has made the left-back role his own and his hard-working nature has even drawn comparisons to Jones.
“I think he’s better than what I was! The way I look at it is that he needs to keep going out and do his best. I knew my limitations, but I must have offered something to the team otherwise Bob Paisley wouldn’t have played me.
“People talk about players and say ‘he’s a great passer of the ball’ but nobody ever says, ‘he’s a great tackler’. Tackling is as much a part of the game as passing the ball. For people to pass the ball, you need people to go on and win it. The passer of the ball might not be able to win the ball. So, you need a mixture in your team. You couldn’t have 11 Glenn Hoddle’s in one team, you have to have a mixture.
“I think Andy Robertson, and myself when I played, are not flair players. All I wanted to do was tackle people, and don’t get me wrong I never always got that right because I got sent off a number of times. It’s like a misplaced pass – you can be the best passer of the ball but at times they all make a misplaced pass, which is like when I mistimed a tackle! I’d like to think I got it right more than I got it wrong, though.”
The impressive attack that Jones has mentioned is spearheaded by Mohamed Salah – once a Chelsea reject but is now lighting up the Premier League with 31 goals and 41 in all competitions.
Salah is not the only figure adored at Liverpool at the moment; Jurgen Klopp’s charismatic nature and tactical approach is warmly welcomed by the fans and Jones alike, but the former left-back believes that the Reds cannot afford to stand still.
“I like [Klopp’s] personality on the side of the pitch,” said the former Wales international. “He gets them playing with a high tempo. I just hope, like every Liverpool fan, that he can improve on this season and go and win the Premier League. You need to push on – that’s what Manchester City have done, look at the players they have bought. It will be silly season again in the summer. Liverpool need to improve the team in certain areas.
“[Salah’s] been brilliant. I think it’s important that they keep hold of him if they want to progress and win the Premier League. They have every chance next season if they get the right recruitments – it doesn’t matter which team you have, they all often need recruitment at times. Try to strengthen the team.
“They’ve sorted out the defence and they’re getting goals going forward. They have a young lad, I had him in the youth team [while coaching] at Wrexham – Danny Ward. I think he’s a half-decent goalkeeper.
He played for Huddersfield Town on loan last season, and he was an important part of their team. Will he get a chance? I don’t know. They might look to get another goalkeeper, maybe that’s one area where they can improve. I’m not having a go at [Simon] Mignolet or [Loris] Karius. I don’t think they’re up to Ray Clemence’s standard, though!”
While the transfer window will certainly be in the back of the club’s mind, the next 10 days are all that matters for Liverpool as they try to navigate their way to their first Champions League final in 11 years.
“Certainly going forward, attacking teams, they can beat anybody,” said Jones. “I don’t think they have anything to fear against Roma, or even if they played Real Madrid or Bayern Munich – they could defeat any of them. I think they’ve got a great chance [of reaching the final]. I certainly hope they win.”