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

**Lim till i die** · 04/05/2005, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by 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?

As a Liverpool (mostly Limerick

) 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

**stojkovic** · 04/05/2005, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by 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?

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** · 04/05/2005, 11:35 AM

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

**Lim till i die** · 04/05/2005, 11:40 AM

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

**Karlos** · 04/05/2005, 11:48 AM

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!

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

**anto1208** · 04/05/2005, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

As a Liverpool (mostly Limerick

) 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

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

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** · 04/05/2005, 12:32 PM

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

**stojkovic** · 04/05/2005, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Heinze

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** · 04/05/2005, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by stojkovic

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** · 04/05/2005, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Heinze

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** · 04/05/2005, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by stojkovic

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** · 04/05/2005, 1:00 PM

Originally Posted by Heinze

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** · 04/05/2005, 1:04 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

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** · 04/05/2005, 1:07 PM

Originally Posted by stojkovic

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** · 04/05/2005, 1:14 PM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

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

My full quote was:

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

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** · 04/05/2005, 1:16 PM

Originally Posted by Aberdonian Stu

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.

**�anna** · 04/05/2005, 1:19 PM

Originally Posted by Thunderblaster

What a night for football!!! Liverpool in the Champions League Final!! Yipee!!

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,

though, we won nothing yet.

All the M*******er United fans can envy our glory!!

welcome to ireland

**Sheridan** · 04/05/2005, 1:19 PM

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** · 04/05/2005, 1:27 PM

Originally Posted by Sheridan

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.