The Boys Are Back In Town!!! Great Night For Football!!! Cmon The POOL!!!!!!!!!!

[Thunderblaster]

What a night for football!!! Liverpool in the Champions League Final!! Yipee!! :D I watched the game on telly and I cried after we won the game. We ended one famine and that was getting back to the European Cup Final for the first time in twenty years. Now we are going to end the 21 year famine when Stevie G lifts the cup in Istanbul tomorrow three weeks. Also it would be great to see a good Limerick man getting a European medal, Stevie Finnan. It is a brilliant feeling as a Liverpool fan. I got a phone call from a friend in Liverpool after the game. It is brilliant, absolutely brilliant, :D though, we won nothing yet. :eek: All the M*******er United fans can envy our glory!! :D

[dancinpants]

What a night for football!!! Liverpool in the Champions League Final!! Yipee!! :D I watched the game on telly and I cried after we won the game. We ended one famine and that was getting back to the European Cup Final for the first time in twenty years. Now we are going to end the 21 year famine when Stevie G lifts the cup in Istanbul tomorrow three weeks. Also it would be great to see a good Limerick man getting a European medal, Stevie Finnan. It is a brilliant feeling as a Liverpool fan. I got a phone call from a friend in Liverpool after the game. It is brilliant, absolutely brilliant, :D though, we won nothing yet. :eek: All the M*******er United fans can envy our glory!! :D

Quite possibly the worst team to ever get to the Champions League final. I have no doubts that against AC or PSV the POOL will be found out.

[hamish]

Sent my godson in China an e-mail with the result. He gets up at 5-ish so would just be waking to the good news!
Fair play to Liverpool, even though I'm a West Ham fan.
Final will be a tough one, though.

[DolansWaistcoat]

Quite possibly the worst team to ever get to the Champions League final. I have no doubts that against AC or PSV the POOL will be found out.


Here we go the grudgers are out,I suppose you said they'd never get past Bayer or Juve or Chelsea.

[stickyjoe]

a great night for football ? I certainly wouldn`t say that. One of the most defensively minded teams to ever reach a champions league final. as a neutral the match was awful last night

[Dotsy]

a great night for football ? I certainly wouldn`t say that. One of the most defensively minded teams to ever reach a champions league final. as a neutral the match was awful last night

That's right they were sooo defensive against Olympiakos at home, Leverkeusen in both legs and at home to Juventus. :rolleyes:

Last night they were playing a superior team (man for man) and Benitez tactically got it right. If Liverpool had gone hell for leather at Chelsea they would have soaked it up and murdered Liverpool on the counter. That's the game Chelsea like to play (especially without Robben or Duff).

Getting to the final is an unbelievable achievement given the sqaud at Liverpool. With Benitez on board and the reveneue this will bring in hopefully it will be a springboard to greather success over the next few years.

Liverpool have every chance of beating Milan or PSV. Whatever about their premiership form this year they have shown that they know how to get it right in Europe.

[Stuttgart88]

I support neither side but I thought it was thrilling stuff. Short on quality, high on entertainment, just like the Premiership usually is. Only the most ardent MUFC fan would deny that the atmosphere last night was really special. Proper football ground, proper football club, proper football fans...

[Mourinho]

a great night for football ? I certainly wouldn`t say that. One of the most defensively minded teams to ever reach a champions league final. as a neutral the match was awful last night

i agree (even though I would because im a chelsea fan) but it was a poor match, i mean we didnt even get to see a goal!! that linesman just felt the pressure of the kop. And all that talk pre match about how the kop atmosphere would effect the chelsea players I didnt see 1 bit of it :confused: fair play to the pool though even thoough we played it right into their hands (high balls) they did defend really well especially carra, even though it hurts2 say it best of luck 2the pool hope ye win it. :(

[Hibs4Ever]

Quite possibly the worst team to ever get to the Champions League final. I have no doubts that against AC or PSV the POOL will be found out.


I agree, a sad night for football. A team who'll play in Champions League final with a 9-1-0 formation. Most boring team I've ever seen.


Won their 1st corner in the 90th minute, said it all.

[noby]

as a neutral the match was awful last night


That was as much down to Chelsea, who for the second week running were tactically pish-poor - hoof it up to the big men (3 or 4 of them by the end of the night)


Liverpool got the early goal, then did what they had to do.

[drinkfeckarse]

I agree, a sad night for football. A team who'll play in Champions League final with a 9-1-0 formation. Most boring team I've ever seen.



A sad night for football!!?? :rolleyes: Liverpool did exactly what they had to do and if it was your team you'd expect the same. I don't see how it would be any better if Chelsea had got through, it's not as if they played fast flowing football and had 17 shots on target. They huffed and puffed and Liverpool dealt with it. What were they supposed to do :confused:

Without Duff and Robben, I find Chelsea to be one of the most boring teams around. You only have to go back to the start of the season to remember all the stick they got when they were grinding out 1-0 wins.

[stojkovic]

I agree, a sad night for football. A team who'll play in Champions League final with a 9-1-0 formation. Most boring team I've ever seen.

Won their 1st corner in the 90th minute, said it all.
Stats for last night ;

SHOTS ON TARGET ;
Liverpool - 4
Chelsea - 1

If an Italian team defended like that last night, you'd be saying how great they are.

[Mourinho]

Without Duff and Robben, I find Chelsea to be one of the most boring teams around. You only have to go back to the start of the season to remember all the stick they got when they were grinding out 1-0 wins.[/QUOTE]

what the hell is that supposed to mean!! if you took stevie g and carragher out of the pool team where the f**k would they be? :confused: at least if you duff and robben from or team we'd still b in the top 2 or three in the prem (if not top :p ) and if you took henry alone from arsenal where would you think arsenal would b??? so i dont see your argument.

[OwlsFan]

Quite a few corrections needed here.

Firstly, I believe it was a goal. If it wasn't, the ref was going to blow for a peno and probably send Czech off so Chelsea were not hard done by. Just because the TV angle isn't conclusive doesn't mean it wasn't a goal. ANyway the ball looked over the line to me when it was cleared and I didn't see the Chelsea players protesting much. If it wasn't given there would have been an even greater outrage with people

Secondly, it wasn't a great night for football. For Liverpool yes but not football. Chelsea barely created a chance all night and the first save Dudek had to make was on the hour from a free kick! Liverpool were defensive (can't blame them when playing a superior team) and Chelsea didn't have the ability to break them down because of their defensive formation.

Thirdly Liverpool were not the most defensive team ever. I remember some JUgoslav team from Belgrade I think playing for penos in the European Cup Final.

Good luck to Liverpool. They can only play to their strengths.

[ColinR]

fair play to liverpool. as much as i dislike them, they did exactly what they had to do, played to their strengths. there is no point in them trying to play attractive football just to please the neutrals - judging by the text messages i rec'd immediately post the final whistle, it didn't bother their own fans that they played negative football, at least they've got a final to look forward to!

plus, also as much as it pains me to say it, the atmosphere was wonderful - i know liverpool are planning on leaving anfield, nights like last night should make them think again. even the big nights in old trafford its hard to get atmosphere, where when it was a 40,000 ground it was rocking, bigger isn't always better.

a good night for football? well not a good night for attractive football, but a great night for atmosphere, and also for stopping money winning all in the game.

just hope milan beat them in the final ;)

[drinkfeckarse]

what the hell is that supposed to mean!! if you took stevie g and carragher out of the pool team where the f**k would they be? :confused: at least if you duff and robben from or team we'd still b in the top 2 or three in the prem (if not top :p ) and if you took henry alone from arsenal where would you think arsenal would b??? so i dont see your argument.

All I'm saying is that I don't see what some people's argument is about when saying "it's a sad night for football". I don't see why, it wasn't a classic match but both teams didn't offer a whole lot offensively not just Liverpool.

Of course teams will miss their big players, all I'm saying is that without Duff and Robben, Chelsea are fairly one dimensional. Liverpool on the other hand have been inconsistent all season with or without Gerrard, Alonso etc. :D

[jockser]

I agree, a sad night for football. A team who'll play in Champions League final with a 9-1-0 formation. Most boring team I've ever seen.


Won their 1st corner in the 90th minute, said it all.


:D :D :D I love it!!!!!! Final here we come!!!

[tonycuna]

How many matches Chelsea won by one-nil during this Premiership, making just a couple of shots????

Now, this is, in my opinion, the right return for Mourinho.. He doesn't love matches that end 5-4 (I'm a gooner, I can't forget that sentence against Wenger and our way of play).. He prefers 1-0 results, well, now he got it! :mad: :p

[Aldini98]

Any united fans in here, get out !!! Jealousy is a terrible thing.

Go on the REAL REDS !!!!!!!! :D

[Aberdonian Stu]

We're are just 90 minutes away from having potentially the funniest Champions League winners ever. I was nearly in stitches last night. Traore played well, Luis Garcia has now scored in three straight rounds and in the two later ones his goals have been decisive. On paper the Liverpool team stink of mediocrity yet somehow get their act together big time in Europe. This isn't an attempt at begrudging Liverpool, far from it. But lads Djimi Traore in a Champions League final, am I the only one who finds this amusing?

[Lim till i die]

We're are just 90 minutes away from having potentially the funniest Champions League winners ever. I was nearly in stitches last night. Traore played well, Luis Garcia has now scored in three straight rounds and in the two later ones his goals have been decisive. On paper the Liverpool team stink of mediocrity yet somehow get their act together big time in Europe. This isn't an attempt at begrudging Liverpool, far from it. But lads Djimi Traore in a Champions League final, am I the only one who finds this amusing?

As a Liverpool (mostly Limerick :p ) fan I also find it amusing but in all fairness I think the likes of Traore and Biscan are finally starting to look like players under Benitez. Also lose Judas Gerrard next year who needs him we've got Jamie Carragher, a far more honest Scouser. Something which I cant believe wasn't brought up yet in this thread is the SIX minutes of injury time at the end. That quite frankly stank of Russian money :mad:

[stojkovic]

We're are just 90 minutes away from having potentially the funniest Champions League winners ever. I was nearly in stitches last night. Traore played well, Luis Garcia has now scored in three straight rounds and in the two later ones his goals have been decisive. On paper the Liverpool team stink of mediocrity yet somehow get their act together big time in Europe. This isn't an attempt at begrudging Liverpool, far from it. But lads Djimi Traore in a Champions League final, am I the only one who finds this amusing?
You're dead right. They'll be laughing, I'll be laughing. What will you be doing ya begrudging fcuker.

Anfield - The Home of European Football.

[ColinR]

in fairness, i thought six minutes was just about right - there was the normal slow play that any team would do in the given situation, plus two pitch invasions, and a couple (i think) of injuries that got treatment, plus substitutions.

mind you, it would have been an absolute sickener for liverpool to lose it at the end, with gudjohnsens (sic) chance at the end :eek:

[Lim till i die]

If Gudjohnscum of all people scored there would have been holy war :eek:

[Karlos]

Congrats to Liverpool. Game certainly wasn't a classic, neither team being that pretty to look at going forward although I'm not knocking that. I had many a year winning championships and getting to european finals with George Graham and loved everyone of them so enjoy it, i say.

Well, was it a good night for football?? On the pitch I'd say no, I still believe that both Man United and Arsenal are better footballing teams than both who played last night and are easier on the eye but in this competition results count and again more power to Liverpool.

Off the field however I do feel it was a big night and in turn has been a big year for english football. Taking the whole money aspect aside the premiership needed a new champion outside of the Arsenal-United 10 year dominence and while most would have rather seen it done another way, I think it will have been a memorable year for that reason alone. Also, Liverpool getting to a Champions League final has rekindled some of the old magic surrounding what is undoubtedly a great club and this I believe can only be good for the english game. Coupled with a big FA Cup Final between the two most dominant forces in recent times in England fighting it out for a lone piece of silverware, i think this season will be remembered.

Living through the season, it hasn't seemed memorable and the football played hasn't been brilliant at times but in years to come I do think it will be looked back on as a significant season in English football and regardless what we'll say about the quality in England, the fact remains that only one country had two champions league semi-finalists and neither where the two best teams in recent times and this alone is testament to the quality of english football.

I hope Liverpool go on and do themselves proud in the final. I've a feeling they won't win it, can't say why, just a hunch but think it would be good if they did for a few reasons

1. nobody celebrates a victory like the scousers
2. The pain it will cause Manchester United fans to have Liverpool win five, yes five European Cups!! One would be nice!! :)
3. Because it's much nicer than seeing a team with a big bank balance and no history win it! :p

Best of luck to the pool, you certainly made alot of people in the red half of North London happy last night!

[anto1208]

As a Liverpool (mostly Limerick :p ) fan I also find it amusing but in all fairness I think the likes of Traore and Biscan are finally starting to look like players under Benitez. Also lose Judas Gerrard next year who needs him we've got Jamie Carragher, a far more honest Scouser. Something which I cant believe wasn't brought up yet in this thread is the SIX minutes of injury time at the end. That quite frankly stank of Russian money :mad:

6 mins was spot on after all the subs injuries and the pitch invasion it adds up .

biscan is a great player he was just allways played out of position , carragher again was class , he should get a game for england at right back of course he isnt going to take terry or rio's place .

"honest scouser " first time ive seen those two words in the same sentence :D :D :D

i hope they win it now it will be great for the english game , plus it looks like uefa are considering giving them a 5th spot so they will be able to take part next year .

[Heinze]

Atmosphere: Great
Match: S**t
Both teams: Played S**t
Winners of the champions league, What a travesty if that happens!

[stojkovic]

Atmosphere: Great
Match: S**t
Both teams: Played S**t
Winners of the champions league, What a travesty if that happens!
Hope we play sh1te in the Final, get totally outplayed by superior opposition and then we score twice in the last two minutes to win. ;)

[ColinR]

Hope we play sh1te in the Final, get totally outplayed by superior opposition and then we score twice in the last two minutes to win. ;)

its the best way to win ;) ;)

[Stuttgart88]

What a travesty if that happens!

Not as much of a travesty as the side who were by far the second best team in the CL final & saw the ball hit their own woodwork 3 times in 10 minutes before scoring twice in injury time winning it. Not to mention the scandalous decision not to send Smeichael off in Milan and awarding a penalty for what was nothing short of a rugby tackle on Zamarano.

Come on, keep things in perspective and don't let your club loyalties cloud your judgment. Would it have been a "travesty" if the side who scored deflected goals galore & fouled the 'keeper in scoring the winner in the last 16 went on to win it. Not to mention the disgraceful reaction of Chelsea's management to losing in Barcelona. Liverpool beat Chelsea at their own game last night. Get the defence right first and then see how many you get.

Of course there have been better finalists than Liverpool but that's the beauty of knock-out competition. I didn't hear anyone complain about it being a travesty that Coventry won the FA Cup, or that Millwall got to the final, or St. Francis getting to the FAI Cup Final. Was it a travesty that Porto (one of the most negative and cynical sides I've ever seen) won it last year and that little Monaco got to the final? Or was it refreshing that smaller clubs overcame financial disadvantage to get to the final?

[anto1208]

Hope we play sh1te in the Final, get totally outplayed by superior opposition and then we score twice in the last two minutes to win. ;)

hope ye play sh1te !!! ye will play sh1te ,why change a winning formula ye have nt played well all comp ( maybe excluding the first 20 mins of the juve game but that was a freak )

[ColinR]

Winners of the champions league, What a travesty if that happens!

much as i'd like to be-grudge liverpool what they've achieved so far, you cant really argue with it;

topped their group featuring last years runners up & a beaten sime-finalist from last year
beat leverkusen convincingly twice,
knocking out juve ( italy's 2nd best (imo) team)
knocking out chelsea (england's best)
and to win it, they'll most likely have to beat milan (italy's best (imo))

nobody thinks they are the best in europe, but greece aren't the best team in europe either.

its not easy to sit through, but i'm sure it wasn't easy for liverpool fans in 99 either - but there's still one more game to go

[OwlsFan]

Or was it refreshing that smaller clubs overcame financial disadvantage to get to the final?

What is this rubbish about Liverpool being a smaller club and financial disadvantage. Over the past few years Liverpool have spent millions upon millions on new players and are a bigger club than Arsenal and all but Chelsea and Man U in the Premiership. Liverpool should be in the CL every year based upon their resources - it's just they've under achieved for the past 20 years. Financial disadvantage to Chelsea, yes (but then so is everyone) but not many others.

[Aberdonian Stu]

You're dead right. They'll be laughing, I'll be laughing. What will you be doing ya begrudging fcuker.

Anfield - The Home of European Football.

Hmm the fact that I said I WASN'T begrudging Liverpool seems to have escaped you.

[Stuttgart88]

What is this rubbish about Liverpool being a smaller club and financial disadvantage.

My full quote was:

Was it a travesty that Porto (one of the most negative and cynical sides I've ever seen) won it last year and that little Monaco got to the final? Or was it refreshing that smaller clubs overcame financial disadvantage to get to the final?

OK, so neither club was a pauper but neither could they compete with any of the really big European teams.

[stojkovic]

Hmm the fact that I said I WASN'T begrudging Liverpool seems to have escaped you.
You're slagging off Djimi Traora who's a legend. ;)

[Éanna]

What a night for football!!! Liverpool in the Champions League Final!! Yipee!! :D I watched the game on telly and I cried after we won the game. We ended one famine and that was getting back to the European Cup Final for the first time in twenty years. Now we are going to end the 21 year famine when Stevie G lifts the cup in Istanbul tomorrow three weeks. Also it would be great to see a good Limerick man getting a European medal, Stevie Finnan. It is a brilliant feeling as a Liverpool fan. I got a phone call from a friend in Liverpool after the game. It is brilliant, absolutely brilliant, :D though, we won nothing yet. :eek: All the M*******er United fans can envy our glory!! :D
welcome to ireland

[Sheridan]

Chaps, this game was never going to produce a satisfactory result. When faced with a straight choice between an affront to morality (Chelsea) and an affront to football (Liverpool), either outcome is hard to stomach. I suppose the only remedy would be for PSV (who, like Liverpool, play with considerable garra but, unlike Liverpool, season their fanatical energy with a large sprinkling of technical ability) to go on and win the competition, but that won't happen. This certainly represents a low-water mark in the history of European football. We can but hope that last night's game will extirpate any remaining doubts in UEFA mandarins' minds concering the admission of an additional English team to next season's competition. Deplorable stuff.

Mourinho didn't aid his team's cause by appearing on a touchline in a scruffy tracksuit, looking as though he hadn't slept or shaved for a week. He emitted the aura of a beaten man, and his team, perhaps taking their cue from the manager, looked jaded throughout.

[Stuttgart88]

This certainly represents a low-water mark in the history of European football.

Can you have a low-water mark? :)

Anyway, you are overlooking the Marseille vs Red Star final. The worst stuff I've ever seen.

I think fair play to Liverpool although I thought their ball retention was brutal. I'm looking forward to seeing Xavi Alonso grace a European Cup Final. He certainly won't be out of place.

[Aberdonian Stu]

You're slagging off Djimi Traora who's a legend. ;)

It's Traore I believe :D

[OwlsFan]

Anyway, you are overlooking the Marseille vs Red Star final. The worst stuff I've ever seen.

I mentioned that one earlier. Awful stuff with Red Star playing for penos from the 1st minute.

Who knows - when you expect a bad final it sometimes turns out to be a cracker.

[stojkovic]

It's Traore I believe :D
Sorry, Stew.

[Seano]

Traore, Traora or just plain old 'Crazy Legs' himself, in all fairness he had a great game last night.

[stojkovic]

Traore, Traora or just plain old 'Crazy Legs' himself, in all fairness he had a great game last night.
How about Djimi Long Legs

[Seano]

Djimi Long Legs .. I like it

[Metrostars]

Hope we play sh1te in the Final, get totally outplayed by superior opposition and then we score twice in the last two minutes to win. ;)

thats true:

http://www.manutdzone.com/playerpages/solskjaerbayerngoallargephoto.jpg

[green army]

I agree, a sad night for football. A team who'll play in Champions League final with a 9-1-0 formation. Most boring team I've ever seen.


Won their 1st corner in the 90th minute, said it all.

its about winning not about how many corners you get in a game :rolleyes:

[green army]

a great night for football ? I certainly wouldn`t say that. One of the most defensively minded teams to ever reach a champions league final. as a neutral the match was awful last night

being good in defence is just as important as being good in attack. chelsea had only one shot on goal in the two games.
about the injury time. when the chelsea subs were being made the player leaving the pitch left at the touch line closest to them so it didnt take up too much time.

[Bosco]

welcome to ireland

:D :D :confused: :D :D

[4tothefloor]

This certainly represents a low-water mark in the history of European football.

What a load of toss. Perhaps the 'low-water mark' that you're banging on about is the over-paid and over-rated prima donnas at clubs like Real Madrid? European football is all about tactics, due to the two legged ties, away goals etc. So far Benitez has got it 100% spot on. Liverpool are there on merit and deserve to be there. When Italian teams defend like that they are lauded, their defending is called 'an art'. When Liverpool do it they're 'Sh1t'. Sh1t teams do not get to the final of a competition over 12 games, 14 if you include qualifiers. Sh1t teams do not beat the likes of Juventus and Chelsea over two games, keeping 3 clean sheets in the process.

A champions League final in his first season is a superb achievement by Benitez. How many CL finals has the 'great' Sir Alex reached in all his years? One. Great my arse, tactically useless in europe more like. Ditto for Arsenal, who wouldn't win a European Cup even if all the other teams pulled out. Again, Wenger tactically useless in europe. And a nice little fact about this great Chelsea team is that last nights defeat at Anfield was their fourth straight defeat away from home in the CL this season. But we'll overlook that and just concentrate on how sh1t Liverpool are. Slag Traore, who is turning into a fine defender, instead of praising Carragher etc etc. :rolleyes: