Cup fever gripped Shrewsbury yesterday after Sam Ricketts men staged a second-half comeback to seal a money-spinning replay with Liverpool at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp made multiple changes from the side that beat Wolves on Thursday night, and his young team eased into 2-0 lead after an excellent finish by eighteen-year-old Curtis Jones and an own-goal by Donald Love in the opening minute of the second half.
However, Salop were rewarded for a fine display when substitute Jason Cummings netted twice in ten minutes, including converting a controversial penalty to earn the League One outfit a well-deserved replay and spark delirious scenes at the New Meadow.
FA Cup replays have become a controversial subject in recent weeks. Some Premier League managers and high profile pundits such as Gary Lineker and Jim White have called for them to be scrapped, and the reaction of Klopp after the game only added to fuel to the fire.
The Liverpool boss said he would not be in the dugout for the game, and the club will field no first-team players, so respecting the upcoming winter break and protecting the welfare of his tired players.
Jurgen Klopp says that no senior players will be involved in the FA Cup fourth round replay and he won’t manage the team. Neil Critchley will be in charge #LFC
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) January 26, 2020
Fortunately, many Liverpool fans showed a touch more humility when they took to social media to react to the result. Most Reds were very complimentary to Shrewsbury and, in a spirit of respect lost on many of those in positions of influence in the game, complimented them on earning a replay. Most understood the game would make their less illustrious opponents the sort of money that could have a lasting positive impact on the club.
Here is a small selection of responses to the result by Liverpool fans on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/Nath_h1979/status/1221554990038298630?s=20
https://twitter.com/Dezzy_LFC/status/1221563344521441281?s=20
Well played, our toughest game on 12 months to be fair.
— John Prescott (@jp_lfc) January 26, 2020
https://twitter.com/FootballKjos/status/1221553595188903940?s=20
https://twitter.com/Angelin40320513/status/1221531531857936389?s=20
Great result and performance! Great turnout, if you can stir up the same level of interest in the league your support will get you results. Replay at Anfield, all to play for against our youngsters! Good luck for the rest of the season!
— G Dog (@GHL72) January 26, 2020
https://twitter.com/Akshay_Liv4ever/status/1221555275569614848?s=20
Your second half turn around was boss. Solid performance. Deserving of a replay at Anfield. I hope you guys enjoy your day out in Liverpool… but nothing more 😉 😉 😉
Well played.— Rooh (Legacy Fan) (@wanderingrooh) January 27, 2020
Great game and great spirit. Well done The Shrews. You deserve the replay at the very least. The replay offers the Liverpool youngsters an opportunity to redeem their reputation. Looking forward to a good game.