Liverpool vs. AC Milan

[pasty]

Liverpool weren't rubbish, they were the better side. But Pennant squandered far too many good opportunities for getting a decent final ball in. I never had any confidence in him whenever he got the ball. Made a few good tackles, but you could sense that nothing productive would really ever come from him.

Milan were so below-par it was embarrassing. A good second goal, and a couple of neat bits of skill from Kaka, and that was about it.

An extremely under-whelming way to win the Champions League for me.

Twaddle!

85 minutes before Dida had to make a significant save - how does that make Liverpool not rubbish.

Once Milan scored, they defended perfectly. Boring yes, below-par, no.

I honestly could not see where a Liverpool goal was going to come from, and around the hour mark I said to my mate that Milan would score next.

Liverpool were a shadow of the team they really can be, and I was very disappointed in them tonight.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Twaddle!

85 minutes before Dida had to make a significant save - how does that make Liverpool not rubbish.

Once Milan scored, they defended perfectly. Boring yes, below-par, no.

I honestly could not see where a Liverpool goal was going to come from, and around the hour mark I said to my mate that Milan would score next.

Liverpool were a shadow of the team they really can be, and I was very disappointed in them tonight.

Agreed, there seems to be a thinking that if you have more of the ball you have played better, thasts not the case unless you do something with it.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Maybe, but he could have kept the two defensive midfielders (Mascherano and Alonso) to cancel out Kaka, and played Gerrard on the left instead of the equally useless Kewell and Zenden, and then put Crouch upfront. There was just nothing in the box for Liverpool. Say all you like about stopping Kaka, which is fair enough, but they were never going to score goals with that pathetic attack.

He played with two up front in 2005 and they got slaughtered. It was only because of a freakish 6 minute spell that Liverpool won that game. Probably Benitez was mindful of this so wanted to match them in the middle. And it pretty much worked. They conceded a very unlucky goal at the end of a half that they had played pretty well in and had created the best chances in.

The biggest problem for me with Liverpool's formation was that the wide men didn't offer enough. They seemed to ignore the leftside completely and Pennant despite having plenty of the ball didn't do anything with it. PLus Gerrard didn't have his best game.

Why Benitez didn't do more to change it around in the last 10-15 minutes is anybody's guess though.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Twaddle!

85 minutes before Dida had to make a significant save - how does that make Liverpool not rubbish.

Once Milan scored, they defended perfectly. Boring yes, below-par, no.

I honestly could not see where a Liverpool goal was going to come from, and around the hour mark I said to my mate that Milan would score next.

Liverpool were a shadow of the team they really can be, and I was very disappointed in them tonight.

It's funny how differently people see a game. I couldn't disagree with you more(I don't think!)

Dida was forced into a save in the opening minutes, a save that if he didn't make Liverpool would have scored. He also made several other saves, most notably from Gerrard, presumably seconds after you declared you couldn't see where Liverpool were going to score from!

I certainly didn't think Milan defended perfectly. They were robbed of possesion a couple of times, they conceded chances. They defended well, yes, but not perfectly IMHO.

Finally that was the best I've seen Liverpool play this season! Admittedly I only get to see them irregularly in the prem but considering the last two games I saw were the abject defeats against Fulham and Charlton I thought they played pretty well tonight and certainly better than I was expecting!

 

[Les Biehn]

Twaddle!

85 minutes before Dida had to make a significant save - how does that make Liverpool not rubbish.

Once Milan scored, they defended perfectly. Boring yes, below-par, no.

I honestly could not see where a Liverpool goal was going to come from, and around the hour mark I said to my mate that Milan would score next.

Liverpool were a shadow of the team they really can be, and I was very disappointed in them tonight.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

See my post above yours Les, for a rejection of said points and an alternative analysis of rare insight and intelligence...

 

[Gazwag]

Lampard plays for Chelsea, who win every game, and he has about 20 shots a game. Of course he's going to score goals.

Wow so did Man Utd win more than all their games last season.

The World Cup last year proved that you can have 200 shots a game but unless you can hit the target you're not going to score.

Do England players get a goal bonus maybe that explains things

 

[Les Biehn]

See my post above yours Les, for a rejection of said points and an alternative analysis of rare insight and intelligence...

I did and I still agree with Pasty

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Finally that was the best I've seen Liverpool play this season! Admittedly I only get to see them irregularly in the prem but considering the last two games I saw were the abject defeats against Fulham and Charlton I thought they played pretty well tonight and certainly better than I was expecting! [/B]

I wonder if Rafa would play those games differently now?
Yes he rested players however that seemed to have back fired last night, If Gerrard was match sharp would he have put that chance away?

 

[enigma]

I'll take my pick and sling out Hargreaves, what has he EVER done to warrant as many caps as he has? He hasn't earned ONE!

And Lennon. He looks pretty with those jazz hands and the occasional numeg, but his percentage of success at crossing the ball is down to about 10%.
Replace EVERY time with Wright-Phillips if you want that kind of player.
Jenas would make way more sense than Lennon.

One thing proven from tonight, and I don't know why it was ever in doubt;- Gerrard is not a midfielder who can double as a forward in the same freakin' game. Whatever was Benitez THINKING? ...and WHY was Bellamy even on the bench if he couldn't see that Liverpool needed that sort of in-the-box player?

Benitez used to have more of my respect, until tonight. Now I see why Liverpool were so many points adrift of the league leaders.

Hargreaves has done well in the games he has actually started in his proper position, eg the portugal game. Playing regularly for Bayern Munich and doing a good job means he probably was deserving of a chance.

How on earth would Jenas make more sense? He's probably the weakest midfielder in the England squad and he's not a right winger. Lennon might not be that efficient sometimes, but he's only young and he's one of the few players who can beat people in the England team

 

[Icy Gull]

NMH, Lennon and Hargreaves were about our only two players to come out of the last world cup with any credit. Why do you want to get rid of them both?

For the same reason as he wants to bring back Beckham...senility

 

[NS Herald]

Twaddle!

85 minutes before Dida had to make a significant save - how does that make Liverpool not rubbish.

Once Milan scored, they defended perfectly. Boring yes, below-par, no.

I honestly could not see where a Liverpool goal was going to come from, and around the hour mark I said to my mate that Milan would score next.

Liverpool were a shadow of the team they really can be, and I was very disappointed in them tonight.

Twaddle to your twaddle. As others have said, Dida DID have saves to make - don't remember Reina having to fling himself around very much if at all. Their first goal was COMPLETELY against the run of play and was VERY lucky (handball deflection).

Milan WERE poor but were lucky. Liverpool played well with the exception of being more incisive in the final third (where have I heard that before) and for large parts of the game played Milan off the park - FACT

 

[Icy Gull]

Twaddle to your twaddle. As others have said, Dida DID have saves to make - don't remember Reina having to fling himself around very much if at all. Their first goal was COMPLETELY against the run of play and was VERY lucky (handball deflection).

Milan WERE poor but were lucky. Liverpool played well with the exception of being more incisive in the final third (where have I heard that before) and for large parts of the game played Milan off the park - FACT

The team with the best forward won, Kuyt and Zendon must be due for replacement next season. Kuyt is a bit of an OGH and is just not crafty or skilfull enough for top level football. Maybe OK in the Prem but not been impressed by either in Europe.

Inzhagi was the difference and that 1st goal would have been a creaming your pants job if Liverpool had scored it. As it is it was lucky

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Twaddle to your twaddle. As others have said, Dida DID have saves to make - don't remember Reina having to fling himself around very much if at all. Their first goal was COMPLETELY against the run of play and was VERY lucky (handball deflection).

Milan WERE poor but were lucky. Liverpool played well with the exception of being more incisive in the final third (where have I heard that before) and for large parts of the game played Milan off the park - FACT

Had to field a Kaka shot, which was as much as a threat as the one Dida flapped at.

 

[Les Biehn]

Should have played Bellend, he has the pace an quality to destroy top teams.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

The team with the best forward won, Kuyt and Zendon must be due for replacement next season. Kuyt is a bit of an OGH and is just not crafty or skilfull enough for top level football. Maybe OK in the Prem but not been impressed by either in Europe.

Inzhagi was the difference and that 1st goal would have been a creaming your pants job if Liverpool had scored it. As it is it was lucky

Quite, If it had been Liverpool that had scored that goal the panal on sky (who had been completly bias all match I might add) would have said it wasnt hand ball and it was right to count.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Twaddle!

85 minutes before Dida had to make a significant save - how does that make Liverpool not rubbish.

Once Milan scored, they defended perfectly. Boring yes, below-par, no.

I honestly could not see where a Liverpool goal was going to come from, and around the hour mark I said to my mate that Milan would score next.

Liverpool were a shadow of the team they really can be, and I was very disappointed in them tonight.

Utter twaddle to your twaddle. Milan were very very poor last night, Pasty. Inzaghi's second goal was a brilliantly-timed run on to a great ball from Kaka, but other than that they did very little indeed. Their passing was woeful all game, they kept gifting possession to Liverpool and were very fortunate that Liverpool were poor in the final third.

Think Milan will be mightily relieved that they won last night, playing like that. Milan were bending over backwards begging to be f***ed up the arse. But Liverpool couldn't get it up when it mattered.

 

[Yoda]

Twaddle to your twaddle. As others have said, Dida DID have saves to make - don't remember Reina having to fling himself around very much if at all. Their first goal was COMPLETELY against the run of play and was VERY lucky (handball deflection).

Milan WERE poor but were lucky. Liverpool played well with the exception of being more incisive in the final third (where have I heard that before) and for large parts of the game played Milan off the park - FACT

Handball defection? It was nearer his shoulder and it would never have been given as handball in a million years as the free kick was stuck with such ferocity even if Pipo’s arm was slightly raised (which it wasn’t) he’d never have got it out the way in time.

Unlucky deflection for Liverpool, yes, but not handball.

On a second not though, Milan were poor last night. Thought they gave the ball away far too cheaply, far too often, but still crafted out the best goal of the night with a well worked moved to spring the offside trap.

Thought the Liverpool goal had a hint of offside too.

But as in two years ago, the better team on the night lost.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Handball defection? It was nearer his shoulder and it would never have been given as handball in a million years as the free kick was stuck with such ferocity even if Pipo’s arm was slightly raised (which it wasn’t) he’d never have got it out the way in time.

Unlucky deflection for Liverpool, yes, but not handball.

On a second not though, Milan were poor last night. Thought they gave the ball away far too cheaply, far too often, but still crafted out the best goal of the night with a well worked moved to spring the offside trap.

Thought the Liverpool goal had a hint of offside too.

But as in two years ago, the better team on the night lost.

Kaka also got flagged offside when he clearly wasnt when through on goal.