CL knock out stage

[rambler14]

How does Cheating and diving all night make Drogba a top player??????IT WAS PATHETIC!!

I'm a Man Utd fan but even I must admit that when he was on the ball he was outstanding in fact he ran the show when he was on the ball but still, even though he was having a stormer of a game he insisted on throwing himself on the ground.

[OwlsFan]

With respect, nobody would have said that - the whole point of having world class players is that they can turn games. Since when is there a strategy of keeping your world class players off the pitch just because a game is won or lost ? This was a truly bizarre decision

The manager did. Benitez decided to set his sights on the league as Liverpool were 3 down with 20 minutes to go. I have been watching football for more years than I care to remember and the number of times I have seen a team score 3 in the last 20 minutes against another top side to win a game are few and far between. In any event Torres wasn't having one of his better games. The first two Liverpool goals were abberations (goal keeping error and stupid penalty) while Chelsea had dominated the second half - there was nothing in it as far as Benitez was concerned. Hindsight makes him look foolish but I repeat the game would have been different if he had stayed on and those goals may not have been scored.

Ifs and buts etc etc. Very enjoyable game though.

[SkStu]

How does Cheating and diving all night make Drogba a top player??????IT WAS PATHETIC!!
Cant wait for Messi,Xavi,Henry,Iniesta,E'to to take them apart!!!I mean if that Lucas guy can score against them then ANYONE can.

The "cheating and diving" as you call it doesnt make him a top player, more the way he terrorised the Liverpool backline, tore each of the defenders a new arsehole and caused, i think, 3 of them to pick up yellows. Carragher was shown up as the useless mug he is yesterday. Living off one decent season a few years back.

Still think Barcelona will destroy them.

[stojkovic]

Bit harsh there Stu.

He bullied Liverpool defenders, fine. They bullied him and he falls over, dives and rolls around on the ground. What are they supposed to do. The man is a cheat.

[SkStu]

maybe a tad harsh but my hate for Chelsea is only superceded (slightly) by my hate for Liverpool so i reckon ive been pretty fair all round...

[NeilMcD]

Ha ha, join the club SKStu ha ha !!! I still Man Utd will win the European Cup. I could be wrong but I think they will. Only team left in it with an Irish player.

[NeilMcD]

Some guy is posing as Ronaldo tonight. Harrying tracking back and getting tackles in. Who is this imposter.

[shakermaker1982]

what a goal that was. O'Shea and Rooney worked well down the right. Berbatov was a disappointment again. Two tasty looking semi finals.

[OwlsFan]

Nice to see O'Shea now as a regular in the Man U starting line up and did well ok. Comfortable win for them as well. Once again the "vital away goal" rule played no part in any team going through.

[KK77]

The "cheating and diving" as you call it doesnt make him a top player, more the way he terrorised the Liverpool backline, tore each of the defenders a new arsehole and caused, i think, 3 of them to pick up yellows. Carragher was shown up as the useless mug he is yesterday. Living off one decent season a few years back.

Still think Barcelona will destroy them.

One decent season emm 2005,2006 & 2007 works out at three to me.

[NeilMcD]

Nice to see O'Shea now as a regular in the Man U starting line up and did well ok. Comfortable win for them as well. Once again the "vital away goal" rule played no part in any team going through.

That is not true because Liverpool were 2 nil up at one point on Tuesday night and were level on aggregate but still needed a goal. As a result they were not as defensive as they would have been if they did not need that goal. Although it was not the decisive factor in any of the games, the concept of the away goal had a significant effect on the Chelsea V Liverpool game and to a lesser degree the Porto V Man Utd game, as Man Utd were nervous for the last 15 mins and were dropping deeper due to the fact that 1 more goal and they were out on away goals.

[OwlsFan]

The point is that it's a goal primarily. The commentators almost treat it as some sort of divine goal. It is only significant when the teams are tied - then it becomes an "away goal". Of the 12 games in the last two rounds, two were decided on the "away goals" rule. As for the Porto match, Man U were defending a one goal lead and would have been defending deep, even if the first leg had been 0-0 or 1-1. It wouldn't have been as nervy ok but they still would have played the same. In the Liverpool game, the away goal rule did have an influence ok but it didn't affect the result, that was really the point I was making.

[NeilMcD]

You used the phrase no part. I don't think this is correct. It was not a decisive part but to say no part is incorrect.

[DeLorean]

I absolutely hate the away goals rule. Scoring the same amount of goals as a team and getting knocked out is mental imo. It's on a par if not worse than the coin toss to decide the winner from the early days. It was introduced to encourage the away team to play more offensive football but this doesn't happen. In fact all it does is makes the home team more cagey and the away team is still pretty well pleased with 0-0. Give me penalties any day of the week or at least play extra time before they come into play, like the Carling Cup semies.

Another pet hate of mine would be the harsh suspensions. Is it still only two bookings to miss the next match? if it is I think it's awful. For example if someone got booked for Barca in the first leg of the last 16 and picked up another one in the semi final 2nd leg (6 games later!!) would he miss the final yeah?

[NeilMcD]

Its 3 yellow cards now.

[OwlsFan]

You used the phrase no part. I don't think this is correct. It was not a decisive part but to say no part is incorrect.

I'll have to choose my words more carefully in future

[Stuttgart88]

I always think that if your team draws 1-1 away first then rather than "having a crucial advantage" it should be thought more as insurance against concession of an away goal at home, which can happen against any opposition. You'd be foolish to play for 0-0 at home.

[DeLorean]

Its 3 yellow cards now.

And is that for the whole competition or are they wiped clean after the group stages? does anybody know where one could check the state of play in regard to yellows/suspensions? I tried uefa.com but couldn't find anything.

[old git]

3 down with 20 minutes to go. The pictures of the downcast Liverpool supporters at this stage behind the goal showed those fans weren't sharing your optimism. Imagine if Torres had been injured in those last 20 minutes. People would have been castigating Benitez: "Why was he left on when there was nothing to play for?" Anyway, if he had stayed on, Liverpool might not have scored those goals.

Hindsight is a great thing.

imagine if torres had stayed on and scored the winning goal ....

can understand taking him off if you have another excellent forward on bench to replace him to try and get back into game .. but unfortunatly liverpool dont.... 20 mins is a long time in football to try and rescue a game ... why did hiddink not take of drogba then with 20 mins to go when chelsea had game sown up & nothing to play for

[old git]

How does Cheating and diving all night make Drogba a top player??????IT WAS PATHETIC!!
Cant wait for Messi,Xavi,Henry,Iniesta,E'to to take them apart!!!I mean if that Lucas guy can score against them then ANYONE can.

cheating and diving all night make drogba a top player ...
he is a top player when he cuts out all that s**T.. even with all his falling over he fairly gave carragher & skertel the run around...
ronaldo / gerrard / torres to name a few are also very fond of cheating & diving for their clubs...