On balance I think Liverpool were the better side. By far the better side in the first half and without doing a whole lot in the secod half I think they at least deserved to be level at the death.
As for Kaka’s sublime pass, I think that’s an absolutely ridiculous assertion. The pass was nothing more than ordinary. I ask the non-Liverpool fans here to answer the question: was Gerrard in 05 better or worse than Kaka in 07? Explain your answer.
Too lazy to get more into it but thought Mascherano was first class, Gerrard poor, Pennant very good and Zenden appalling.
Ref had a very poor game. Blew up 2 and a half minutes into added time when Milan had made a sub in that added time. New found respect for Gattuso who told Inzaghi to fook off the pitch with a couple of minutes left when feigning injury.
Ah Christ I know you’re disappointed but don’t take the criticism personally. If you think Liverpool were the better team and think Milan are poor then you’re entitled to that view point. I’d ask you though if Brady, Giles and Dunphy are anti-English league. They make their living from the EPL but were prepared to criticise the faults of Liverpool tonight.
Just to respond to some of you more specific points:
It wasn’t a great game and the performances were mediocre
Fortunate first goal but a deflection from a free kick 20 yards out is not a freak - it’s a fairly regular occurrence.
Pennant was shocking for the whole match. He won a couple of tackles first half and had the ball in space but played 2 or 3 successful passes all night. His crossing from set pieces and from the wing were brutal and ruined Liverpool’s chances. By the time the second half came around he wasn’t even getting into space, never mind wasting possession.
Alonso was poor alright - I’d have taken him off before Mascherano
Liverpool were indeed poor second half and Zenden was worst of them all.
Kak’s pass for the second goal was a beautifully weighted and timed pass. Waited (pun intended) for the whole defence to become static on their heels as they concentrated on holding the line and then released the pass on the only possible angle for Inzaghi. It was a masterpiece in precision. It looked simple and it wasn’t difficult but it was excellent. The difference between the 2 sides. Liverpool didn’t play one pass like that all night no matter how medicore you think it was.
Crouch did indeed come on too late. Thought Bellamy’s pace might have been useful too.
Milan are not a poor side. They’re an excellent side who have comfortably seen off the best of the EPL.
Remember myself and Bandage in particular have been talking about Milan since they played Celtic in the first leg. They were excellent that night. Don’t flatter your paranoia by thinking everyone’s out to get Liverpool. I’ve seen 210 minutes of Milan in the flesh this season and plenty more on tv. I’m perfectly entitled to comment on their abilities and frankly I couldn’t give a shit whether you think it’s anti-English bias. Delusional.
I really can’t see how you could possibly argue that Milan are a poor side. They comftorbaly disposed with the champions of England and beat Liverpool with relative ease tonight. Kaka is a real class player and has been excellent in the knockout stages but he is not the only class Milan player. Milan have an excellent recent record and I don’t think anyone is basing their high regard for Milan purely on tonight. I saw Milan in Glasgow a couple of months ago and commented as to how good they were. Your EPL paranoia is getting a little out of hand by the looks of it farmer. .Of course there are many many ordinary sides who compete in Europe outwith of the EPL. To categorise Milan as such a side though is pure folly.
Who’s assessment is poor and biased? Genuine question… there’s plenty of them on this thread.
Liverpool had much the better of the first half but they really struggled to create anything. Pennant had a shot saved, Gerrard had a shot he fired over. Other than that Liverpool had an abundance of territory but didn’t achieve anything with that. Flattered to deceive a little though Milan didn’t threaten much at all.
I’ve already explained my thoughts on Kak’s pass in the pace above. To be honest I can’t fairly compare his performance to Gerrard’s in 2005 now because I don’t remember enough of the first game. As a Liverpool fan you’re likely to have seen it a couple of times. I saw it once two years ago - cracking game but I can’t remember everyone’s contribution.
What I will say though is Kak’s involvement created both goals. He was the one threat to Liverpool in the first half because he threatened to go by players - didn’t have much success and all credit to Liverpool for that. And then he pops up in a few yards of space when the players are tired and all of a sudden it’s 2-0 Milan. That’s class for you. Similar to his achievements against Man United, Celtic etc. He’s done it for 2 years now.
Agreed on your Liverpool players assessment other than Pennant - see my post to Farmer above.
So packs of Liverpool supoporters tried to forced their way into the stadium without tickets last night. They did the same at Stamford Bridge for the semi final first leg and I didn’t post about it because I thought it’d be a bit crass to mention it. But I’m saying it now: You’d think Liverpool supporters, of all supporters, would be aware of the dangers of rushing at stadium entrances and trying to force their way past stewards and police into an already sold out section. Then you have Sky News with their ‘Police in Athens are being criticised for…’ stories. Eh, what the fook. The only people criticsing them are Sky News themselves and drink fuelled scousers intent on putting their fellow supporters’ safety at risk.
I see Gaillard was on Sky News today comparing the Liverpool fans to both Milan and Celtic fans. He made the point that there was a problem with ticketless and forged tickets fans at one end of the ground only. Then he said Celtic in Seville had 3 times as many ticketless supporters as they had supporters with tickets but none of them tried to enter the ground and they caused no trouble, they had a party instead.
agree with farmer on this one. Hit the nail on the head with the last point in particular. Certain people on this site seem to have a resentment towards anyone who supports a team in the EPL and never miss an oppurtunity to talk up an opponent to an EPL team. I can understand criticism of the british media but this constant criticism of EPL teams is biased and tiresome.
The main culprits of this blantantly anti english behaviour are:
raven
pied
It’s funny how you get criticised on this forum these days if you praise a team like Milan. They are an excellent team who have proved themselves against many teams over many years. Farmer’s post about Liverpool’s centre half pairing being of equal ability to Milan’s was either one of two things. Either he doesn’t have any knowledge about football or else he is clearly biased. Your comment about Liverpool being robbed last night was similarly flawed. It is not anti-English behaviour or the EPL to point this out bt simply the truth. Most of raven’s and my recent posts have been praising Milan and not criticising the ineptitude of Liverpool. We have had the pleasure of seeing Milan this year and know their qualiities well. Milan are not being over hyped by either raven or myself. Their record speaks for itself.
Funny how the posters who don’t support English league teams are accused of anti-English bias. I suppose UEFA and the Italian media are the same. Oh and The Guardian are biased too - they felt Milan deserved the win (http://football.guardian.co.uk/Match_Report/0,,2086801,00.html).
I honestly cannot believe the criticism of people for highlighting the inadequacies in Liverpool’s performance last night. They were outplayed by any objective reasoning and no amount of blind loyalty to your team should distract you from that.
That’s all understandable though because you’re a Liverpool fan and you’re going to want to see the best in Liverpool. What’s pure nonsense is the idea that those of us who felt Milan deserved to win last night were somehow anti-English.
Myself Bandage and Piper all said Milan were an excellent team. We said it last night and we’ve said it for months. Farmer came up with the patently foolish notion that this is anti-English. He chose not to respond to my replies of course so I’ll invite him to do so again:
How is praise for Milan anti-English? Only in the bitter, twisted and delusional mind of a paranoid Liverpool fan could you seek to define everything by anti-Englishness.
I remember a few weeks ago when United beat Roma and there were quite a few people on here who commented on how strong the EPL was. I didn’t buy the hype then and I don’t buy it now. Yet none of the so-called anti-English posters mentioned this last night. The EPL is frankly largely irrelevant to me. I watch it more than many leagues because it’s on my screens more but I couldn’t give a shit about who wins it. That apathy is not hatred or bias. It has never manifested itself as such and I really have to ask myself questions about those who cannot distinguish between praise for Milan and anti-Englishness.
Get over yourselves lads. The world does not begin and end with the EPL. When Milan beat Celtic (in a much tighter contestI never complained that everyone was anti-SPL. That’s because I don’t have a complex.
Don’t have the time or feel the need to really defend myself here.
But read the BBC website or the official Liverpool website and you’ll see quotes from Gerrard and Carragher declaring that Milan were the better team and deserved their win.
Don’t be so downright delusional for fook sake. Accept defeat with the good grace that your own players have done rather than making unfounded and petty allegations.
Trying to get some stuff finished in work here but I’ll compose a reply to the above over the weekend. I’m quite, quite tired of these EPL arguments but it’s difficult to remain silent cos it may be perceived as me accepting defeat. Far from it.
farmer and gerrardno1 have brought this into the thread.
Surely any objective Liverpool supporter would say they have to do far more with the ball. Pretty much every commentator/pundit/ex-player I have seen speak about Liverpool gives them great credit for their ability to win the ball back and stop others from playing. It’s as clear as day though that they’re not that constructive going forward.
It’s hardly irrational beyond reason to suggest Milan deserved to win the other night. As I already said on this thread the Liverpool players have said so themselves.
I don’t really have much more to say about it myself other than that.
Look i have to say i was happy with Liverpool in the first half, without every really creating clear cut openings. second half in my opinion was less impressive and we just didnt do enough simple as that. Milan deserved to win, i really find it hard to say that liverpool deserved to win more than Milan. They were 2-0 up after all with two minutes to go and Kuyt’s goal looked off-side to me. Hard to argue with th facts.
Still was proud watching the game as i generally am watching Liverpool, just wasnt their night unfortunately and the timing and nature of Milan’s goal was devastating for the players after a good first half.
Liverpool have a number of players who can play good footbal, a good manager and hopefully with a few big names arriving in the summer we’ll be more consistent next year.
