Finnan's Performance in Champions League Final

**Peadar** · 26/05/2005, 7:02 AM

I don't really think that Finnan did a whole lot wrong but he must be asking questions of himself after being part of the Liverpool side which lost the 1st half 3-0 and then when he was taken off, Liverpool won the 2nd half 0-3

A medal is a medal I suppose.
He's done better than Carr, that's for sure.

**tiktok** · 26/05/2005, 7:32 AM

Answer to that question is Didier Hamann, not Finnan.

Steven Gerard proved again that despite being able to hit the odd killer sixty yard ball or being able to pop up with the odd goal, he has neither the talent or the intellignce to dominate the midfield at a high level.
Liverpool played at their best when he was at right back.

Finnan played well, and on another thread it says he came off with a thogh strain.

**Peadar** · 26/05/2005, 7:44 AM

Originally Posted by tiktok

Liverpool played at their best when he was at right back.

I was going to lead into that next.
Gerrard did a better job at right-full than Finnan.
Liverpool fans will jump on this now in their typical unobjective style but save your keyboard the strain, I'm not trying to have a go at the lad.
I'm thinking about the two important Ireland games that we have coming up.

**beautifulrock** · 26/05/2005, 7:55 AM

Finnan was injured hence why he was taken off, although his postioning on a few occasions could be questioned he was not having a bad game. Gerrard did very well in the second half at right back but how much that was to the other tactical moves i.e. Hamann shoring up the midfield is difficult to gauge.

**eirebhoy** · 26/05/2005, 7:58 AM

Originally Posted by tiktok

Answer to that question is Didier Hamann, not Finnan.

And Hamann is a holding midfielder. As I always say, the most important player in a team. It has been proved so many times.

Finnan played well btw. He better be fit for the Israel game though.

**Peadar** · 26/05/2005, 8:03 AM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

He better be fit for the Israel game though.

Yeah, fingers crossed, he's the best we've got at the moment.

**noby** · 26/05/2005, 8:09 AM

I don't think Finnan had a bad game, and even if he wasn't injured, when they went three at the back for the start of the second half, he was always likely to be the one sacrificed (cos you gotta leave Traore on

). He was just unlucky

When it went to 3-3, and Serghino came on, Gerrard filled in, but to say he did a better job than Finnan would have is a little unfair

**zinedineontour** · 26/05/2005, 8:22 AM

finnan had a solid game did nothing wrong ..hopefully his injury will heal in time for israel without carr .. better not have to play maybury

**Donal81** · 26/05/2005, 8:22 AM

For Milan's wonderful third goal, Finnan was nowhere, he stopped tracking Crespo altogether. Having said that, the Pool had no midfield to speak of in the first half and there was a huge hole letting Kaka in to run the show. When a defence has no midfield to protect it, you're always going to suffer so I don't think Finnan was particularly to blame. It was the empty midfield that let in the second two goals. Finnan did ok, good tactics from Benitez in the second half.

That was probably one of the best games of football I've ever seen and I don't even support Liverpool. That's what it's all about, really. Like a mate said, Roy of the Rovers wasn't too far from reality.

**Kingdom** · 26/05/2005, 9:53 AM

Originally Posted by noby

I don't think Finnan had a bad game, and even if he wasn't injured, when they went three at the back for the start of the second half, he was always likely to be the one sacrificed (cos you gotta leave Traore on

). He was just unlucky

When it went to 3-3, and Serghino came on, Gerrard filled in, but to say he did a better job than Finnan would have is a little unfair

Bingo, he had a thigh strain which was why he was substituted, but even if he wasn't injured he would have been taken off because of his inability to fill in at centre half when the Pool went to 3 at the back.
I don't think he played that badly in the first half, certainly there was 4/5 others who were defo worse.

**paul_oshea** · 26/05/2005, 9:59 AM

That was probably one of the best games of football I've ever seen and I don't even support Liverpool.

it wasn't a great game of football though in fairness, bar 10 mins in the second half it was pretty poor from then on.

**macdermesser** · 26/05/2005, 10:28 AM

something slightly pathetic seeing Irish guys in Liverpool jerseys celebrating like it was the best night of their lives. I know that we all want to belong to something bigger, and bask in reflected glory etc. and that is hardly possible with the Eircom league clubs in Europe ..

Then again .. I suppose its not only an irish thing in this global football marketplace.

Give me a 1-0 against Holland anytime above all that stuff.

**tetsujin1979** · 26/05/2005, 10:29 AM

in Finnan's defence, the 3 goals came down Liverpool's defence, where Traore was stretched between playing left wing back and left full, with noone covering in front of him. Nothing came down the right where Finnan had Alonso in front of him covering the right wing

**NeilMcD** · 26/05/2005, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by macdermesser

something slightly pathetic seeing Irish guys in Liverpool jerseys celebrating like it was the best night of their lives. I know that we all want to belong to something bigger, and bask in reflected glory etc. and that is hardly possible with the Eircom league clubs in Europe ..

Then again .. I suppose its not only an irish thing in this global football marketplace.

Give me a 1-0 against Holland anytime above all that stuff.

I could not agree more. It made me sick when I saw the tricolour in the crowd last night. Unless it was there for Stephen Finnan or something.

**beautifulrock** · 26/05/2005, 11:16 AM

Why does it make you sick?

**zinedineontour** · 26/05/2005, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

I could not agree more. It made me sick when I saw the tricolour in the crowd last night. Unless it was there for Stephen Finnan or something.

why the **** cant irish people support liverpool if they want ? irish interest has always been there with liverpool and thought it was great seeing the irish flags in the ground ... though we should all just go to league of ireland games shouldnt we ...

**Dotsy** · 26/05/2005, 11:22 AM

What's to say that an Irish person who was in Istanbul supporting Liverpool doesn't also support an EL club just as passionately. And if they don't whose business is it anyway. It certainly isn't pathetic.

**NeilMcD** · 26/05/2005, 11:24 AM

I am irish I suport Ireland, simple as that, Dont see what an Irish flag shoudl be waved for an English team. It woudl be like waving an Ireland flag at a Juventus game. Pointless.

**NeilMcD** · 26/05/2005, 11:26 AM

RESPECT to Samuel L. Jackson. The screen legend was recently
>interviewed by Kate Thornton on British T.V. about working with
>Colin Farrell in S.W.A.T. when the following conversation took place:

>
>Kate: What's it like working with Colin, 'cos he is just so hot in the

>U.K. right now.
>
>Samuel: He's pretty hot in the U.S. too
>
>Kate: Yea! but he's one of our own!
>
>Samuel: Isn't he from Ireland
>
>Kate: Yeah, but we claim him 'cos Ireland is beside us.
>
>Samuel: You see that's your problem right there. You British keep
>claiming people that don't belong to you. We had that problem in
>America too - it was called slavery.