Europa League

[DeLorean]

I meant to refer to games in the EL only.

Pld 6 W 2 D 3 L 1...... fairly bog standard stuff for a team that have reached the semi final I would think. Getting draws away to Napoli and Leverkusen were decent results but it hardly constitutes a very good away record overall, especially given the mediocre opposition in the group stage.


With an all Spanish CL final, Villarreal are already with 1.85 feet straight into next season's CL group stage, therefore this EL thingy is just bonus territory for them

I'm sure Villarreal are just as desperate to win it, as all Spanish clubs have been long before there was a CL qualification carrot. They have won a grand total of two trophies in their history, the Intertoto Cup twice, so it's hardly mere bonus territory.


geysir exposed as a charlatan yet again.

The yellow subs aren't doing much to help his cause so far either. :D

[Charlie Darwin]

geysir's reputation in shreds here. He's taken a pummelling.

[geysir]

geysir's reputation in shreds here. He's taken a pummelling.
You always know the pioneers Charlie, they're the ones with all the arrows in the back.

Well done by Liverpool in the end, despite being bog standard by vintage Liverpool standards and well behind in the EPL, they have performed the best of the lot in Europe.
Perhaps they will do more than 'do a Fulham' as they will be meeting a Seville team who are not as good as previous incarnations.

[DeLorean]

A Sevilla team that have beaten Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus this season nevertheless (not to mention sticking four past the usually defensively sound Villarreal). They also drew away to Ateltico. I see Llorente and Konoplyanka didn't even make it off the bench for them last night, what's the story there I wonder? I wouldn't really know where Llorente's at right now but I thought Konoplyanka would have been an important player. Interesting final ahead anyway and for the second year running, two teams who won't qualify for the CL through their domestic league, which is a little surprising I think.

What's 'doing a Fulham' exactly? Making the final and losing?

[KK77]

Looking forward to the final now.

Giddy up!

[Stuttgart88]

I didn't see any of it but I think Sevilla must be decent to have beaten Donetsk so comprehensively.

Liverpool did what I expected to be frank, turned in a big high-tempo performance which overwhelmed Villarreal in the end. Makes you wonder why they can't do it week in, week out.

[DeLorean]

I suppose they're a bit of a work-in-progress and have prioritised the EL for a while now. Villarreal were awful in every way, the only slight positive was that they didn't cough up that many clear cut chances considering how dominated they were. They were ratty and petulant from an early stage, despite the tie being in the balance.

Soldado was one of the worst offenders, a guy you'd expect to show a bit of leadership/experience. Their goalkeeper was a bundle of nerves, he couldn't even catch the ball. Bruno only took centre stage momentarily when he put the ball into his own net (sorry Geysir, couldn't resist, it was Bruno you meant right, as opposed to Bravo?). They hadn't the temperament for the occasion at all and Liverpool, by contrast, were busy, economical and even turned on the style a bit when the time was right to do so.

Owen Hargreaves seems to love Emre Can, waxing lyrical all night. He was excellent and does have serious potential at just 22. Toure and Lovren is Liverpool's best centre back partnership I think, although they've only fallen upon it due to injuries and drug taking.

Hargreaves is clearly still hurting from some of the injury related insinuations made against him during his own (non) playing days, he repeatedly backed Daniel Sturridge's appetite for game time and talked of how insulting it is for a footballer to have that questioned. I like him as a pundit and co-commentator actually.

[Real ale Madrid]

I thought Liverpool played really well last night. Hassled Villarreal at every opportunity and then kept the ball pretty well when they had it. Conversely I thought their general play against Dortmund in the previous round was brutal in the 2nd half - only some really poor defending from set pieces saw them through. I still can't get over how poor Dortmund were defensively - coughed up some amount of chances over the two legs.

[BonnieShels]

AS much as I like Klopp. I really hope against hope that Sevilla knock the shoite out of these tonight.

[DeLorean]

How does Konoplyanka not start for this crowd? The game should be over already really, Sevilla starting to get panicked by the pressing, never a good sign.

[BonnieShels]

Phew!!!

EDIT: Sevilla were 11/1 at HT. Why did I check it if I was not gonna put anything on them. GAH!

[DeLorean]

I can see why Konoplyanka struggles to get a start with this crowd.

[DeLorean]

Dare I say it....

Giddy up

[Stuttgart88]

Loved that game. First 3 goals were all superb. Nightmare second half for Liverpol. Great achievement.

[geysir]

First half bad, second half good :)
Sevilla learned from Villarreal's mistake and decided to play their first goalkeeper and not the boy scout.
TV3 live player coverage is easy to tune into outside Ireland, their coverage is very good and bandwidth is excellent.
Fans can generate a great atmosphere in that Basel ground even if it's small, better than many much bigger grounds.

[DeLorean]

Sevilla learned from Villarreal's mistake and decided to play their first goalkeeper and not the boy scout.

Pretty sure Dave in commentary said the opposite. The guy tonight has only played a few cup games.

[geysir]

I've seen him in this EL competition.
At least he wasn't the boy scout while the nr 1 sat on the bench twiddling his toes.

[DeLorean]

That is precisely what happened though.

[Stuttgart88]

Fans can generate a great atmosphere in that Basel ground even if it's small, better than many much bigger grounds.totally agree.

[SkStu]

Dare I say it....

Giddy up

When's the second leg Del?

[DeLorean]

When's the second leg Del?

Cheap shot Stu... it's only those damn playoffs that have my measure. :D

[KK77]

Loved that game. First 3 goals were all superb. Nightmare second half for Liverpol. Great achievement.

Yes agree totally incredible achievement to win it three in a row. To win any trophy three in a row.

[geysir]

That is precisely what happened though.
There is no way on earth you can compare the effect of having a shaky nervy goalie on a Villarreal team under the cosh, to that goalie who played for Sevilla.

I could watch that Sterling goal on a loop for hours, everything about it,including the goalie's efforts, his positioning, his full stretch dive to save and the perfect bend on the ball to get it around the hands and inside the post.

[DeLorean]

There is no way on earth you can compare the effect of having a shaky nervy goalie on a Villarreal team under the cosh, to that goalie who played for Sevilla.

Hang on now, let's deal with what you actually said, instead of moving the goalposts to suit your argument. You didn't simply recognise that Sevilla's second choice goalkeeper performed better than Villarreal's did. You said...


Sevilla learned from Villarreal's mistake and decided to play their first goalkeeper and not the boy scout.

Sevilla didn't play their "first goalkeeper". The guy last night hasn't played one La Liga game for them, how can he be their first choice goalkeeper? He's 23 and has played very little football, a few cup games this season, just because you happened to see one of them doesn't make him their number one. Is he not the ultimate boy scout? The guy he replaced has played 44 of Sevilla's matches this season.

The boy scout at Villarreal (also 23) you were talking about had at least started most of their games this season (37), as the guy who played the first leg against Liverpool had only recently returned from injury.

So, I can't see how Sevilla learned from Villarreal's mistake. They did the same thing, an even riskier selection if anything, it just had a different outcome.

[geysir]

Hang on now, let's deal with what you actually said, instead of moving the goalposts to suit your argument. You didn't simply recognise that Sevilla's second choice goalkeeper performed better than Villarreal's did. ........
I wasn't trying to shift any goalposts. You're assuming something more deliberate than what it is, a mere misunderstanding and this is not worth getting excited about

I understood from your first reply that he wasn't Sevilla's first choice goalie and I wasn't disputing that.
I then wrote I saw him play a few games in the EL.
As it turned out, he was used mainly in the EL and that's where I have seen Sevilla play 3 or 4 times.

Until now I mistakingly thought the Villarreal goalie at Anfield was their 2nd choice goalie, that they had rested their first choice goalie who played in the 1st leg.
Sorry about that, that was my confusion, which was reinforced by that young Villarreal goalie playing like a petrified boy scout and also there was a camera shot of the "first" goalie on the bench and a commentators reference to that he was rested. I assumed wrongly that the petrified goalie who inspired dread throughout the Villarreal team was a kid thrown in at the deep end for no good reason.

[bennocelt]

Was at the game, master class by Sevilla in the second half, but i do wonder was it really down to how awful the Liverpool back four were, they were shocking. I thought the atmosphere was ****e tbh, definitely not comparable to the Basel lads! I was far from the Liverpool end so dont know what they sounded like, but I didn't hear a good rendition of "you never walk alone" all night. (did miss the first 20 minutes though, and missed the trouble at the start, which was lucky as I came in from that end)
Town was well dead after, pity. No trams, so I had to walk home at 4, just about managed to be in on time for work this morning at 8!
http://foot.ie/attachment.php?attachmentid=2422&stc=1

[DeLorean]

Until now I mistakingly thought the Villarreal goalie at Anfield was their 2nd choice goalie, that they had rested their first choice goalie who played in the 1st leg.

Well I think you were correct that he is their second choice under normal circumstances, but the main guy had been injured most of the season.

Actually Sevilla showed a lot of faith in last night's goalkeeper, given he made this (https://youtu.be/Nc3HjiYpO_8?t=15s) mistake in the second leg of their semi final.

[SkStu]

Cheap shot Stu... it's only those damn playoffs that have my measure. :D

Couldn't help it, sorry! :D

[KK77]

Was at the game, master class by Sevilla in the second half, but i do wonder was it really down to how awful the Liverpool back four were, they were shocking. I thought the atmosphere was ****e tbh, definitely not comparable to the Basel lads! I was far from the Liverpool end so dont know what they sounded like, but I didn't hear a good rendition of "you never walk alone" all night. (did miss the first 20 minutes though, and missed the trouble at the start, which was lucky as I came in from that end)
Town was well dead after, pity. No trams, so I had to walk home at 4, just about managed to be in on time for work this morning at 8!
http://foot.ie/attachment.php?attachmentid=2422&stc=1

You missed the rendition so if you missed the first twenty minutes.

[bennocelt]

You missed the rendition so if you missed the first twenty minutes.

They stopped singing after 20 minutes so:D

[KK77]

They stopped singing after 20 minutes so:D

ha ha very good!

[geysir]

Well I think you were correct that he is their second choice under normal circumstances, but the main guy had been injured most of the season.

Actually Sevilla showed a lot of faith in last night's goalkeeper, given he made this (https://youtu.be/Nc3HjiYpO_8?t=15s) mistake in the second leg of their semi final.
That was a game I missed, I wondered how Bilbao got back into the tie at fortress Sevilla, now I know :)

Here is an interesting article (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/liverpool-v-sevilla-meet-young-7991949) on the the Sevilla goalie by Graham Hunter in a Scottish newspaper, as he was once "on trial" at Hearts and had a thoroughly depressing time trying to get an English or Scottish club interested in him.

[geysir]

Was at the game, master class by Sevilla in the second half, but i do wonder was it really down to how awful the Liverpool back four were, they were shocking. I thought the atmosphere was ****e tbh, definitely not comparable to the Basel lads! I was far from the Liverpool end so dont know what they sounded like, but I didn't hear a good rendition of "you never walk alone" all night. (did miss the first 20 minutes though, and missed the trouble at the start, which was lucky as I came in from that end)
Town was well dead after, pity. No trams, so I had to walk home at 4, just about managed to be in on time for work this morning at 8!

There was a whimper of YNWA close to final whistle, hardly a verse.
Generally the atmosphere was raucous coming across the tv screen. Sevilla's fans were making by far the most noise, i.e.if you don't count Klopp as one of the Liverpool fans.
Perhaps the audio engineers focussed on the mikes where the crowd were making noise. From a home entertainment point of view it was an excellent tv production of a Final and fans' involvement.

[bennocelt]

There was a whimper of YNWA close to final whistle, hardly a verse.
Generally the atmosphere was raucous coming across the tv screen. Sevilla's fans were making by far the most noise, i.e.if you don't count Klopp as one of the Liverpool fans.
Perhaps the audio engineers focussed on the mikes where the crowd were making noise. From a home entertainment point of view it was an excellent tv production of a Final and fans' involvement.

Yeah I guess it must be the mics as a few of us were pretty disappointed with the Liverpool support our end. You know its bad when you see a few guys trying to get the crowd going to no avail. A lot of footballing tourists as well, I even seen a Chinese couple with a baby that looked under a year old. I do wonder if they had to buy a ticket for their baby, probably?

[paul_oshea]

I'd agree with geysir that Villarreal are the better team, but Liverpool probably have a little more individual creativity and ability to create something from nothing. I'd still expect Villarreal to do it, but they'll do so keeping it tight.

Wha?!

[paul_oshea]

Villarreal are very sound defensively, they have a very good away record, they have the stomach for games like these.

I didn't watch Liverpool win the 2nd leg against Dortmund, I can't possibly comment on that oddity :)

Looks like Delores was all over this one. Always found him fairly spot on, for the most part.

[paul_oshea]

I just can't see Villarreal doing it. Logic and sound analysis say they will, but Liverpool can be a force of nature at home in Europe.

They shouldn't even be in the competition though after Sakho.

He might have been wrong about Doyle, and the need to watch videos, but he was spot on here.