Champions League Final 2007 Athens May 23rd Offical Thread

[Declan]

Liverpool just weren't good enough. Milan didn't really perform and that was a combination of Liverpools good pressing and effort and their own form but at the end of the day it was their greater quality that was the difference. How Benitez didn't even try Bellamy was beyond me.

[I SHOT JR]

Benitez obviously doesn't fancy Bellamy for big games, apart from Barcelona away, i don't remember him starting many of the so called big matches - Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U etc

[An Fear Rua]

Pip Pip!

[Dinny Breen]

Commiserations to the Liverpool fans, Liverpool up on till the first goal looked the better side and I can't help wonder how much a better side Liverpool would be without Pennant and that god-awful Zenden and the very limited Kyut. They are still a few players short imho.

[High Catch]

It was all abit of an anti-climax in the end. It looked inevitable from the moment Milan got that fluke goal. Up until then, Liverpool were the better team.  Thats the way it goes, pay back for 2005.  I thought Riise was as poor as i have ever seen him, looked very nervous. Kewell was very poor when he came on, his first contribution was to dive and he repeated the act shortly after.  He got a few runs/crosses in but they were largely due to the ball falling kindly to him after he mis-controlled.

Gerrard tried hard but missed a good chance, Pennant looked lively in the first half but also missed Liverpool's best chance.  Alonso and Masch played well, Masch looks the real deal.  Kuyt was his usual self but is lacking pace at this level.  Carra, Agger and Finnan were solid.

The only thing to take from the fact that Bellamy wasn't involved is that Rafa does not rate him and he won't be at Anfield next year.  Crouch could have been brought on earlier in my opinion.

Pity that Robbie didn't make the bench but Rafa is ruthless and has no time for sentiment.

[Rossie11]

Pool have won games in recent years where they werent the better team so cant really complain when they get caught like last night.

We are well short of whats required in my book. 4 of the back 5 are safe and Marcherano. After that I wouldnt be crying if any of front players were sold. Gerrard showed last night something I have doubted for ages that he doesnt have a footballing brain. He is an all action explosive player but has no craft, no guile and cant spot the simple pass to a better placed team mate.
Its always the "Silver bullet" with him. The 30yard net buster or attempting the difficult pass.
Pennant Zenden Kuyt arent up to it. Alonso has gone completely off the boil and has become niggly in tackiling and gave away stupid frees last night.

Am more depressed about the future than losing last night as I think for Pool to progress there has to be a complete change of tactics from Rafa and 4-5 attack minded players. Thats something I cant see happening for foreseeable future to be honest

[SlimShady]

i see 'hundreds' of Scouser Scum charged the turnstyles without tickets last night. What sort of gypsy bastards are they? You'd think they'd have learned from Hillsborough.

[Gaaboardmod3]

OK. first time in in a couple of days and I see this from Slim. You can't say you weren't warned. Can I please ask that other posters do not bring the tone down by retaliating. He is banned, but I am leaving the post here in case there is a question as to why.

[High Catch]

Bye Slim.

[cavan4ever]

That was a very good point by Slim, but he could have said it without the insults.

[High Catch]

The point he made was incorrect. Fans with genuine tickets were locked outside because people with forged tickets were inside in their seats.

[AZOffaly]

OK, well disappointed at the result but in all fairness I think it was symptomatic of the season as a whole, and LFC can't really complain at all. What comes around goes around, and this time I think Liverpool were slightly better on the balance of play, but lost the game, in contrast to the final in 2005.

Liverpool are obviously short of quality in the final third of the field, and for the umpteenth time this season agains quality opposition have failed to turn possession or pressure into goal chances. If you don't make clear chances you do not deserve to win, no matter how much pressure you apply.

Forza Milan, well done on a great win, you are deserving champions. I think there is a couple of Rossinieri on here, so well done. It was great to see the Milan team show respect to a beaten team, and I am delighted for Gattuso, Maldini, Nesta and Kaka.

As for Liverpool, this is still progress, and we must not forget that. The team that lost last night is a better team than that which won in 2005. I think we all know the main weak area(s) so if they can be addressed in the Summer, Liverpool will continue to progress, and that is all we can ask for.

[AZOffaly]

In fairness, I think Slim breached all of the topics mentioned in the posting standards with that one

[cavan4ever]

The point he made was incorrect. Fans with genuine tickets were locked outside because people with forged tickets were inside in their seats.

They still pushed there way threw security trying to get into the ground.

[High Catch]

Maybe, maybe not. But i would be pretty pissed off if I had a real ticket and was told someone had my seat.  Imagine getting a ticket, getting to Athens, heading to the stadium before kick off and then to be told that the stadium is full, hard luck.  That is a joke. The authorities fucked up big time here.