Champions League Final 2007 Athens May 23rd Offical Thread

[Gaaboardmod3]

I didn't see that post to be honest. Now that I have, It is certainly not in the same league as your post, in my opinion. The difference in my view is that people can disagree with that statement and have a discussion. Your post was inflammatory, and a poster child for the type of posts we are trying to eliminate.

[High Catch]

Hes back. Just ban him again.

[ONeill]

I'm having nightmares about the Moderator this last week.

[Uladh]

Liverpool can rightly feel they left that one behind last night. they dominated the first half, didn't take their chances and were suckered with a lucky deflection. the second half was a different story for long periods with milan controlling liverpool comfortably.

couple of points...

I couldn't understand why Liverpool never cut loose and threw everything at milan in the last half hour. certainly with 15 to go nesta and maldini were out on their feet. rafa's conservatism filtering through the players' psyche?

When Milan were so obviously tiring, why did rafa not throw bellamy on? was that not glaringly obvious?

Harry Kewell. why of why. woeful player but more pertinantly a woeful character. pulled out of the tackle leading to the second goal and then stood complaining as the same move developed with kaka finding just enough time and space where kewell should have been, despite kuyt shouting at him to get back. i think we all knew in advance that this is the norm for him. didn't rafa?

I think serious questions need to be asked of benitez's management. he can set a team up well in advance of games but cannot make decisions in game. his signings haven't been great either.

[spiritof91and94]

How dare anyone blame Liverpool fans for causing trouble. Don't you know rightly it was the fault of the Police as usual. Cue another book,film,play and campaign for justice from the Mersey mopes. I was in Glasgow last week for the UEFA Cup Final and the behaviour of the Spanish fans from both teams and the Glaswegians (including the local Police) was exemplary, I witnessed not one hint of trouble either in the City Centre or the stadium itself

On a further note, is there anything to beat the feeling of seeing English teams getting duffed in Champions League Finals

Oh yeah you p***k, this was the game the mighty Sours were to play in, right!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[High Catch]

Surely you are not casting doubt over Rafa's management skills Uladh? He obviously sees something in Kewell that most of us have not seen yet.  Plus, who else would you have put on instead? Bellamy maybe?

[The Real SlimShady]

86mins gone..... 2 nil down..... who does the Fat Controller bring on to score a hattrick?





Arbeloa 

and why oh why were the Liverpool fans singing for Harry Kewell to come on before he did? Sweet Jesus he's a dungbag!

[lynchbhoy]

Liverpool can rightly feel they left that one behind last night. they dominated the first half, didn't take their chances and were suckered with a lucky deflection. the second half was a different story for long periods with milan controlling liverpool comfortably.

couple of points...

I couldn't understand why Liverpool never cut loose and threw everything at milan in the last half hour. certainly with 15 to go nesta and maldini were out on their feet. rafa's conservatism filtering through the players' psyche?

When Milan were so obviously tiring, why did rafa not throw bellamy on? was that not glaringly obvious?

Harry Kewell. why of why. woeful player but more pertinantly a woeful character. pulled out of the tackle leading to the second goal and then stood complaining as the same move developed with kaka finding just enough time and space where kewell should have been, despite kuyt shouting at him to get back. i think we all knew in advance that this is the norm for him. didn't rafa?

I think serious questions need to be asked of benitez's management. he can set a team up well in advance of games but cannot make decisions in game. his signings haven't been great either.

I'd mostly agree with that Uladh
I have not been convinced with benitez. If he is as good as his record suggests, he has been selling himself short by falling into the houllier trap and not making wholesale changes with the playing personel at the club, instead he has brought in a lot of his own men and tried to integrate them with players that were already there - and just dont fit into his systems.
While Liverpool looked solid, they are still not only short or the kinds of player they need, they are playing some people way out of position to the detriment of the side imo.
Also I agree that milan were flagging - but not just at the end,I thought their defence was last gasp and panicing form the start. Maldini had a stinker and the left back was as bad if not worse. A single striker played into their hands. What if's etc, but the pace and directness of Bellamy last night would have unhinged them. But milan were let off the hook.
Benitez another man who cannot respond to what he sees happening on the field (but just cannot read or react to it).

A game liverpool could have won, but their manager and his tactics let them down.
Milan proved that they are no great shakes once kaka is kept quiet.

[High Catch]

Don't agree with the comments about Rafa at all. Maybe Finnan got injured. Obviously Bellamy has played his last ball for Liverpool and rafa just does not rate him.  At the end of the day, liverpool were beaten by a freak goal.  Nothing the manager can do about that.  Plus he has never had the money to bring in the players who he really wants. Until now. Expect wholesale changes this summer with a couple of big names more than willing to play for Liverpool with rafa at the helm.

[corn02]

Have not heard all the stories or heard all the reports but a few points;

Radio 1 reported yesterday that these forged tickets could only be established as fake under an ultra violet light - therefore I am certain Liverpool fans bought them in good grace.

There was not one arrest overnight, so I doubt it was the riot scene some are hoping for.

On the game itself:

Anti- climax, I felt weird watching it, no real spark or determination from either side. It was all a bit flat. All the good sportsmanship before and after it just sort of felt like it was our turn two years ago, now its ACs.

I seem to be the only one that though Kewell done ok when he came on, he won a couple of corners and got down the line a few times.

Of the starting eleven last night, if we were in the same position next year the only starters I would want would be : Reina, Finnan, Agger, Carragher, Mascherano, Alonso (bad season). Squad places for Kuyt and Pennant.

This may well of been Bellamys last game for Liverpool.

[High Catch]

Corn, surely you forgot to include gerrard in your list for next year.

Kewell did get a few crosses and got down the line but this was mainly due to him mis-controlling the ball and getting a lucky break.  He dived twice and made a poor attempt of a tacxkle that led to the second goal.

[T Fearon]

The real pity is that Barcelona were out of sorts when they played Liverpool and we were denied a dream final pairing of Milan Versus Barcelona, Europe's top two current clubs.

Interestingly with all the money floating about (and the top players comning to England as a result), Premiership clubs fail to win the Champions League once again.

[AZOffaly]

good post Corn, in that it is looking forward at least

My team next year (Depth chart actually, like the Yanks do)

GK - Reina, Carson

LB - Riise, Aurelio, Arbeloa

RB - Finnan, Arbeloa

CB - Carragher, Agger

LM -

CM - Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard, Sissoko

RM - Gerrard, Pennant

ST - Kuyt, Crouch,

As you can see, the main area for concern as far as I am concerned is left side of Midfield, a cover for CB and a top class Striker.

Maybe someone like Alves would be useful at left side, but I'd like someone purely attack minded. Simao or Jaoquin maybe.
Up front, they must get someone like Torres, Villa, Eto'o or even Tevez.

[corn02]

Apologies High Catch, I meant to include Gerrard.

T Fearon, what is your hatred for the Premier League all about. Also if it is so strong how can you support a team in it. Spanish League is better anyway.

[corn02]

AZ, I would be fairly certain that it will be Villa coming our way which I am happy enough about. Milito should be the CB cover and I expect Alves to arrive.

LM is a problem, I watch a fair bit of Spanish football and I can assure you Joaquin is not the player he was a couple of years ago. He got a couple of goals at the death of this season to cover up for a poor season. I hope we get Simao in though.

So: Villa, Milito, Simao and Alves would it satisfy you?