Liverpool do it again

[inexile]

what a game probably not the best game of football i have ever seen, but for sheer tension and nerves i think it surpassed everything 2 years ago. Im in bits after that!! cheap flights to athens anyone??

[beautifulrock]

Rafa out foxed Jose as well. Chelsea are gone, Drogba their only option. Lampard was never in the game. Essien was class. For Liverpool, the goal keeper and defence were outstanding. Whats the odds on MAn U getting through, now that would be tension.

[nui-harp]

They did deserve it as Chelsea were brutal. Thot Moaninho was gonna resort to his dirty old trick an have the players fallin about as if they'd be shot near the end but thankfully not. Really wanted Drogba to be booked so he would have missed the final had they got through :D :D

[DaveyCakes]

Not the best? Absolute f***ing dross. It beggars belief that 2 of the supposedly best teams in Europe could be so poor. It was like a cic fada competition most of the time. Dire.

[inexile]

still davey it was probably the most compelling football match you will see in a long time.

[DaveyCakes]

I was reading the Observer Food monthly by midway through the second half. If I want tension and nerves, I'll hang a big axe from ceiling by a thread and sit under it. When I'm watching a Champions League semi final, I don't think 3 passes in a row at some point is too much to expect.

[Gaillimh Al]

Compelling viewing alright. Can't agree with Mourinho's view that they were the better team and the only ones trying to win. Liverpool slightly shaded it, but the quality suffered once the tension rose in the 2nd half.

Anyone else hear Dunphy to Brady just as they cut to the penos "50. Go on 50. I'll give ya 2-1." Presume he was backing Liverpool

[eamo1]

every game ive seen at terryland park this season was better then that.but i doubt ive felt more tension in a game.should have had it wrapped up before the end though and pool kept dropping deeper in last few mins and my nails were dropping too.i really hope its not a man utd liverpool final as i just wont be able to watch that in comfort.a repeat of 05' will be alot more bareable.

[Sheridan]

Darragh Maloney must either be a Liverpool "fan" or have had a substantial bet riding on this game, judging by his constant allusions to "unbearable tension." The discerning observer, subjected to the spectacle of 22 men gang-raping a football which never did them any harm for two hours, was just praying for it to be over. I can't think of a better endorsement for Michel Platini's proposed restructuring of the Champions League than this debacle; a few more of these Premiership puntfests at this stage of the competition will kill it off for good.

European football is in a sorry state; of the eight quarter-finalists, only Valencia (the one real football team in the competition) and maybe Manchester United would have survived the group stages six or seven years ago.

[bennocelt]

Not the best? Absolute f***ing dross. It beggars belief that 2 of the supposedly best teams in Europe could be so poor. It was like a cic fada competition most of the time. Dire.

def agree
i was wondering while watchin it, if that was a league of ireland game would it get the same hype after a performace like that? doubt it
that liverpool team is the worst team i have ever seen get into a CL final
rafa and the tactical battle? my a rse, long ball, etc etc
it was rubbish

anyway 5/2 for a liverpool to get through was nice to have all the same:)

[Superhoops]

Dreadful advertisement for football but compelling viewing only cos I half expected Chelsea to nick it.

As someone else has mentioned Essien was the class act on the pitch but Makele was not far behind.

Really pleased that Drogba will not be playing in a CL final, can't understand why such a good player has to resort to falling over at every opportunity, a cheating bast*rd!.

Surprised to see Geremi stepping up as the only kick of the ball he got was from the spot! Strange choice. Did Drogba not have the bottle to take a penalty?

Liverpool winning is a great incentive for Milan to get revenge for Istanbul. Milan to win 2-1 and go through.

[sligoman]

Police in Athens will really be on high alert if theirs a Man U Vs. Pool final. No doubt their will be trouble.

[jebus]

Terrible football game from two poor teams, give me Getafe vs Levante any day of the week ;)

[Cymro]

It was a pretty bad game but you still couldn't take your eyes off it.

I thought Chelsea were probably the better side, but I'm happy to see them go out as I don't like them much. :D

I hope Milan beat Man Utd tomorrow and go on to beat Liverpool in the final.

[inexile]

liverpool deserved to win on the night i dont think there can be any argument with that, i thought mascherano was very good, covered some amount of ground, game really passed frank lampard by, as it did mikel and kalou

[deadman]

I thought Chelsea were probably the better side, but I'm happy to see them go out as I don't like them much. :D



which leg were you watching. chelsea were terrible

[strangeirish]

Woeful game TBH. Kuyt ran his socks off. Liverpool back line looked decent. Was Lampard playing? What's with Drogba? There must be a sniper at every ground he plays at. Liverpool were slightly the better team on the night and deserved the win.

[Soper]

the spectacle of 22 men gang-raping a football

Perhaps that is what Joe Gamble meant after the Cork - Linfield spectacle.

[dfx-]

Semi finals are woeful games. It's never about how you get to a final...it's that you get there.

[gilberto_eire]

i dont think it will mean as much to the players to win it if its an all-english final(providing united get through) it loses the ''EUROPEAN'' feel to it by not playing a ''foreign'' team in the final same goes for semi-final too though....sure of course chelsea we'r going to lose the pens to many english players in their team in comparison to liverpool and we all know what happens when england go to pens!!:)

[deadman]

but it was robben and geremi who blew it ... or reina saved if you wish.

and both started with 4 englishmen

[gilberto_eire]

but it was robben and geremi who blew it ... or reina saved if you wish.

and both started with 4 englishmen

i meant international players!!....

[mypost]

Woeful game TBH.

Wtf d'you want? a 15-man brawl and 6 red cards, or something??

There were 21 shots in the match last night, it was a tense end-to-end show from first to last minute between two evenly matched sides, (over the tie). You had balls hitting the woodwork, goals wrongly given offside, missed sitters from 4 yards, the drama of penos, and people still whinge about how boring it was.

Obviously most here never watched Switzerland-Ukraine at the WC last summer, the worst game in history. :rolleyes:

[Stuttgart88]

It beggars belief that 2 of the supposedly best teams in Europe could be so poor. It was like a cic fada competition most of the time. Dire.I agree, except the whole context of the game still made it compelling - to me anyway.

In terms of finesse you'd swear the two managers were Joe Kinnear and Jack Charlton. Long ball after long ball after long ball. Ashley Cole has been turned into an automaton, hurling the ball diagonally 45 yards to Drogba avery time he gets the ball, without exception. Even players with a bit of skill like Joe Cole couldn't retain the ball for more than a moment.

That said, Liverpool decided that was how to take Chelsea on. They can vary their game to an extent. Chelsea can't & they're being found out.

[eddiestarrs@eir]

what are our options fellow reds any ideas agencies such as gerry mahon travel etc lookin at 2500 depending on red****es result 2nite

[BohsPartisan]

what are our options fellow reds any ideas agencies such as gerry mahon travel etc lookin at 2500 depending on red****es result 2nite

I'm sure the agencies are lining up to rip you off as we speek.

[gustavo]

i meant international players!!....
Yes because Chelseas only penalty was scored by an England international , that really backs up your point there.

[OwlsFan]

Anyone else see Robben shake his head when Mourinho asked him to take a peno and then eventually give in. Surely you put up your best peno takers first so why keep Drogba back?

Even Terry was going down like Drogba as if he had been shot.

Looks like we might have a Champions League Final without a Champion :rolleyes:

[elroy]

Anyone else going to the final?? my decision is pending on tonights result, but have tickets so will probably go at this stage. Aer lingus have kindly put on a flight on the wed back thurs, will only set you back €900!!

[NeilMcD]

This is England
The primitive football served up by Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield was an appalling advert for the English game.
Rob SmythMay 1, 2007 10:01 PM

Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of mixing colours knows that, when you put red and blue together, you get purple, but there was nothing deep about the match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield tonight. While it was inevitably infused with the highest drama, it was lowest-common-denominator football and, to reverse a cliché, a shocking advert for the English game. This is England.

It was perversely just that such a cowardly, risk-free game should be decided by penalties, and hugely ironic that a contest between two erudite, thoughtful managers should be so staggeringly witless. If it was a boxing match it would have been stopped because it was too boring. The freedom of trade in football over the last 15 years has, theoretically, homogenised club sides and stripped them of their national identity, yet this was as excruciatingly English as fish and chips and weekend punch-ups, full of primitive football and barely suppressed illwill. The ball was given more air than a load of wet washing, and football's soul was certainly hung out to dry. Indeed, the match could have been taken from any episode of Match of the Day in the late 80s. Who says retro is cool?

Liverpool pride themselves on the pass-and-move traditions developed in the Boot Room, yet this was more like kick-and-chase developed in the Hoof Room. The intellect of their goal - for which, perversely, the ball barely left the floor - could not absolve the gibberish that sandwiched it. The end may well justify the means; that depends on the individual's view of the balance between success and glory. But it is hard to legitimately argue that it was an edifying spectacle. How must Ronaldinho, Francesco Totti, Lionel Messi and their fellow fantasistas have felt watching 19 pragmatistas (the cheeky-chappy class of Joe Cole makes him a worthy exception) serve up this fare? It was like showing an episode of EastEnders at the Cannes Film Festival.

Liverpool were always likely to bomb Chelsea, given the success of the tactic in the league game between the sides in January, and it was notable that there were only two, relatively minor, changes from that side: Boudewijn Zenden for Fabio Aurelio and Javier Mascherano for Xabi Alonso. But the omission of an aesthete like Alonso spoke volumes about the contest ahead, as did Chelsea's transparent plan to blag a 0-0 draw. In the end, Liverpool were able to lean on their most reliable matchwinner: penalties. With their record in shootouts - 10 wins in 11 now - they will probably become the first team to win a league title on penalties.

In amongst the mediocrity there were, inevitably, some wonderful demonstrations of the human spirit: Michael Essien, asked to play out of position at centre-half again, was majestic, Steven Gerrard's all-action heroism enabled him to wipe the floor with Frank Lampard once more, Jamie Carragher and John Terry put their backs against the wall and valiantly took whatever hits were coming, and Claude Makelele reminded us why his name will forever define a position.

Yet the football remained loveless, full of sour faces and dour tactics. It is, of course, hard to enjoy playing under this pressure - gravity always wins - but the likes of Ronaldinho manage to show their teeth from time to time. The only teeth on show here were those being pulled by unfortunate neutrals. It all evoked the famous headline after the dire draw between Ireland and England at Italia 90: 'No Football Please, We're British'. While there was glory and spoils for the victors, anyone with a knowledge of football knows that this rudimentary nonsense is spoiling the game.

[superfrank]

Well done Liverpool. They deserved it. We didn't create anything half decent til the last few minutes. I honestly thought we were lucky to get to penos cos it was a very tight call for Kuyt's goal that wasn't and, had it been given, I wouldn't have complained.

Good luck Liverpool and if it's Man U in the final, Liverpool will have another fan, at least for one night.

[eddiestarrs@eir]

excellent sypnopsis

[anto1208]

That was so boring i was looking foward to desperate housewives :D

Liverpool in the final again , there going to win it as well .....Lock up your waiters the pool are coming to town .

[OwlsFan]

It all evoked the famous headline after the dire draw between Ireland and England at Italia 90: 'No Football Please, We're British'. While there was glory and spoils for the victors, anyone with a knowledge of football knows that this rudimentary nonsense is spoiling the game.

Eh? British?

In any event, there were two foreign coaches and a handful of Brits on the field last night. So that phase isn't even correct for last night's game.

[NeilMcD]

Thats why he says it evoked. Althought football has become an international game last nights game was a through back to the 80s. I said to my mates after the 1st leg it was like watching Watford V Wimbledon circa 1986.

[mypost]

In terms of finesse you'd swear the two managers were Joe Kinnear and Jack Charlton. Long ball after long ball after long ball. Ashley Cole has been turned into an automaton, hurling the ball diagonally 45 yards to Drogba avery time he gets the ball, without exception. Even players with a bit of skill like Joe Cole couldn't retain the ball for more than a moment.

That said, Liverpool decided that was how to take Chelsea on. They can vary their game to an extent. Chelsea can't & they're being found out.

There are two ways of playing football, the winning way and the losing way. And we won last night. You can play pretty football all you like, but that doesn't win trophies. Ask Arsenal.

[Mouthpiece]

Now all I need is a shagging ticket..........

Would be great to see a repeat of the 05 Final.

[inexile]

Well done Liverpool. They deserved it. We didn't create anything half decent til the last few minutes. I honestly thought we were lucky to get to penos cos it was a very tight call for Kuyt's goal that wasn't and, had it been given, I wouldn't have complained.

Good luck Liverpool and if it's Man U in the final, Liverpool will have another fan, at least for one night.

very gracious frank fair play

[Sheridan]

Eh? British?

In any event, there were two foreign coaches and a handful of Brits on the field last night. So that phase isn't even correct for last night's game.
This is something I'll never understand about national team types. They obsess about British football to the exclusion of their own (and other) leagues, support a team entirely composed of players schooled in the British football tradition (the majority of whom, in the case of Italia 90, were born and raised in Britain), who learned their football, play their football and eventually coach football in Britain, and yet whenever the not unreasonable inference that this makes them, in effect, a British team is drawn, they bristle with indignation. If they want Irish football to have a separate and indigenous character, they have a very funny way of going about it.

[geysir]

I enjoyed the sight of the rattled Mourinho, that alone must be worth something.
I love a rip roaring penalty shoot out (when it's not my team involved).
Tension was always going to play a big part of this game, which was going to effect the quality of the game.
Some of Chelsea's long ball play was quite good, some huge punts, sublimely brought to foot by Drogba, whilst being surrounded.
The game didn't compare to lesser teams lumping it because of their limitations.
Is it my bias or is Finnan thee Liverpool player that plays the game like the Liverpool of old?
Do they ever measure the distance that Kuyt covers?

[DaveyCakes]

Wtf d'you want? a 15-man brawl and 6 red cards, or something??

No. A little bit of football might have been nice though.


There were 21 shots in the match last night, it was a tense end-to-end show from first to last minute between two evenly matched sides, (over the tie). You had balls hitting the woodwork, goals wrongly given offside, missed sitters from 4 yards, the drama of penos, and people still whinge about how boring it was.

How many of those 21 were on target and how many were just punted in from outside the box by players who didn't have the imagination or skill to try to pick out a pass? One ball (singular) hit the bar, One (singular) goal was wrongly given offside, One (singular) sitter was missed from 4 yards. That's about one minute taken up out of 2 hours of awful kick and rush football.


Obviously most here never watched Switzerland-Ukraine at the WC last summer, the worst game in history. :rolleyes:

What has Switzerland-Ukraine got to do with Liverpool-Chelsea?

[NY Hoop]

This is something I'll never understand about national team types. They obsess about British football to the exclusion of their own (and other) leagues, support a team entirely composed of players schooled in the British football tradition (the majority of whom, in the case of Italia 90, were born and raised in Britain), who learned their football, play their football and eventually coach football in Britain, and yet whenever the not unreasonable inference that this makes them, in effect, a British team is drawn, they bristle with indignation. If they want Irish football to have a separate and indigenous character, they have a very funny way of going about it.

Fair play there couldnt agree more. Got to come to terms with agreeing with someone who has such an unhealthy Rovers obsession though:D

KOH

[DaveyCakes]

There are two ways of playing football, the winning way and the losing way. And we won last night. You can play pretty football all you like, but that doesn't win trophies. Ask Arsenal.

Ummmm... Premiership 1997/98, 2001/02, 2003/04, FA Cup 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005...

[Stuttgart88]

Does anyone else think the away goals rule ruins these games from a purist's perspective?

The Carling Cup route where away goals only comes into it AET makes more sense in my opinion and takes the fear of conceding a goal out of the equation for most of the game.

[BohsPartisan]

Ummmm... Premiership 1997/98, 2001/02, 2003/04, FA Cup 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005...

Yeah but the Premiership doesn't count because Liverpool haven't won it! :D

[jebus]

If I weren't such an avid ABU I'd be hoping they walk Liverpool off the park in Athens, should United beat Milan tonight, for the ake of football....if only I weren't such an avid ABU

[mypost]

That's about one minute taken up out of 2 hours of awful kick and rush football.

Do you have a measuring tape handy for matches?? :rolleyes:

There were 21 shots. Argue all you like about the distance, variety, etc, but there have been similiar games with far less action, and a lot more boredom. It was end-to-end, it could have gone either way, but it happened to go our way this time. This is high-risk, high pressure EC football. Look elsewhere if you expect something else.

[OwlsFan]

This is something I'll never understand about national team types. They obsess about British football to the exclusion of their own (and other) leagues, support a team entirely composed of players schooled in the British football tradition (the majority of whom, in the case of Italia 90, were born and raised in Britain), who learned their football, play their football and eventually coach football in Britain, and yet whenever the not unreasonable inference that this makes them, in effect, a British team is drawn, they bristle with indignation. If they want Irish football to have a separate and indigenous character, they have a very funny way of going about it.

I will always "bristle with indignation" if a team representing Ireland is called "British". According to your logic, Irish people who work in Britain are also British!

As one who probably spent a lot more time in the past attending League of Ireland games than most, I accept that the local game will never take off for a host of reasons but primarily because of the hold GAA has on the country. This attitude that you can only be dedicated to the local game and must give the two fingers to the English game as a consequence is parochial in the extreme. In the days when I went to Milltown and all away games in Dublin at every opportunity and followed the national team, I also supported Sheffield Wednesday and didn't see a contradiction and still don't.

[jebus]

Actually what annoys me about the coverage in the papers this morning, is that they all go on about how great the Kop is, 12th man, can suck a ball from twenty yards (:eek: ) etc. And on nights like last night they are right. But where are the 'greatest fans in the world' when Liverpool are playing Watford, or struggling to break down Blackburn? Its the very same at Old Trafford, not a peep to be heard out of them

Thats why I'd take fans of Barcelona, River Plate, or dare I say it, Celtic, over their English counterparts any day of the week

[Stuttgart88]

Come on now mypost, you're almost as defensive as Chelsea! The Italy vs Germany game in WC06 - high tension, all or nothing game but both sides tried to win and it was compelling.

I don't think anyone doubts the context of last night's game made it thrilling, but it's a fair comment to point out that it was a very primitive game with an abundance of long balls. I think Liverpool have it in them to vary their game according to circumstances, in Chelsea's case it's a battle of attrition more often than not.

English league football is the most popular in the world for what we saw last night - atmosphere, rivalry and intensity - so nobody's doubting the entertainment value, I'm not anyway, but the football was not pleasing on the eye. I was hoping to watch the most watchable footballer in English football, Xavi Alonso, play a more prominent role.