Champion's League 18/19

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Diamond Dog
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Re: Champion's League 18/19

Postby Diamond Dog » 10 May 2019, 19:32

Rorschach wrote:
Diamond Dog wrote:
Rorschach wrote:The last few days they went to Paris while I was working so I got to see Liverpool v Chelsea, Barça v Man U and Man City v Spurs.
Bloody hell. I don’t remember football being this good when I used to watch it regularly.


That is really interesting Tym. I don't watch nearly as much as I once did either but this season I have seen some truly magnificent matches. The first half of the second Man City v Liverpool league match this season was the best 45 minutes I've ever seen in English football. And there have many more that were absolutely superb too.

Maybe the game has taken a turn for the better and, if it has, I think a lot of it is directly traceable to Guardiola and his insistence on playing open, attacking football to try to win every match.


And so it continues, Pete.
I can't believe all the amazing football that keeps happening. And it's not just about good football; some thrilling stuff has been quite scrappy with last ditch defending and goals out of nowhere, and reams and reams of 'narrative'.
I may be imagining it but I can't remember any season that's had so many fantastic comeback wins.

Mind you, I'm not that excited about the final. Nobody wants a CL final with two teams from the same country, do they?


There's a certain indomitable spirit about Liverpool, Man City and Spurs (in the CL at least) that has been something quite extraordinary this season. It's the most enjoyable season I can remember for quite some time and, yes, it's not just been great football - it's been courage and belief just as much.

The thing for me is - Guardiola has been remarkable but I'd argue Klopp closing a 25 point gap and reaching the CL final has been even more so. And Pocchetino getting Spurs in the top four and the CL Final possibly even surpasses the pair of them, considering he hasn't signed a player since January 2018.
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Re: Champion's League 18/19

Postby Lord Rother » 01 Jun 2019, 21:02

Robertson’s contact with Trippier’s face was accidental. Should he have been sent off? Of course not.

Sissoko’s handball was accidental, in fact he was trying to get his arm out of the way but the 100th of a second twitch movement took him towards the ball resulting in accidental contact - yet a penalty was given.

Unsatisfactory.

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Re: Champion's League 18/19

Postby Lord Rother » 01 Jun 2019, 21:54

Spurs have been terrible in every way. Terrible from their manager to their captain, their supposed best players Alli and Eriksson... just woeful. Everything I predicted about Kane came true. Not his fault, he shouldn’t have been on the pitch. Same with Firminho. It NEVER works bringing someone back into a big game after long term injury. We’ve seen it in numerous World Cups. Honestly it’s pathetic.

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Re: Champion's League 18/19

Postby trans-chigley express » 01 Jun 2019, 22:01

poor game, poor performances - especially by Liverpool - fantastic result :D

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Re: Champion's League 18/19

Postby KeithPratt » 02 Jun 2019, 08:32

Liverpool deserved something from a ridiculous season. Spurs in many ways were slightly fortunate to be there given how close they were to exiting the tournament on at least three occasions. As such, whilst Spurs were the better side on the night, the luck fell Liverpool's way. And the narrative of their keeper being the difference between success and failure in both this and last year, plus Origi's cameo felt like a narrative arc that had a definitive conclusion to it.

Both sides are a credit to the game, not only in their managers, who are 2 of the best 3 in the world, but in how they are run and how they play football. It was a shame that the final wasn't a great game, but both teams have made large steps in becoming big clubs that hasn't needed vast injections of dubious cash.

The way both managers have transformed their respective clubs is testament to how people at the heart of the game can still do it.

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Re: Champion's League 18/19

Postby ChrisB » 02 Jun 2019, 08:40

Never been so close to turning a match off. Awful from both sides

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Re: Champion's League 18/19

Postby Lord Rother » 02 Jun 2019, 09:38

Things keep coming back to me as to just how shit Spurs were. They bring on Llorente (far far too late) and we (everyone!) knows what he is good at.... with about 2 minutes left they get the ball about 1/3rd into Liverpool’s half wide on the right with clear space to deliver the ball into the penalty area where the big fella is waiting. What do they do? Look up and, not seeing a clear forward pass to feet, play it backwards where they get pressed and have to go right back into their own half.

If they were Man City with a bunch of short-arsed forwards then you could just about understand it but with Llorente in there it just defied belief.

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Re: Champion's League 18/19

Postby Diamond Dog » 02 Jun 2019, 12:36

Dreadful game from start to finish. Both sides were uncharacteristically devoid of ideas and energy, resulting in a game that never once got exciting for the casual fan. I doubt it ever got exciting for the fans of either side either.

A couple of observations - I can understand starting Kane (I don;t think it was the right decision, but I can see why he was selected) but I cannot think of a single justification for leaving him on the pitch for 90 minutes. He contributed zero throughout and I very much doubt Van Dijk & Matip have had an easier 90 minutes this season.

Also, and this continues a theme throughout the season for me, there is simply no excuse -when you're fifteen minutes from losing a Champions League final- for bringing Eric Dier on as a sub (unless you're replacing a centre back, and even that's almost a like-for-like swap). None. Inexcusable.

Liverpool deserved it because they scored two goals and Spurs never looked likely to score one. Simple as that really - much as it pains me to say it.
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Re: Champion's League 18/19

Postby KeithPratt » 02 Jun 2019, 14:36

He played Kane in a 4-4-2 and in some respects I think it worked because the full backs did not threaten until 60 to 65 mins when Moura came on and they switched to 4-3-3. Spurs threatened much more afterwards, but they were also prone to counterattack. It felt a bit like the devil and the deep blue sea for Pochettino - he couldn't set up Spurs normally because they would be annihilated, so he switched to contain the full backs but went a goal down in less than a minute and was chasing the game.

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Re: Champion's League 18/19

Postby trans-chigley express » 02 Jun 2019, 16:29

I think the ridiculously long 3 week break from their last match affected the quality of the game as players will lose some sharpness and momentum. Plus the hot temperatures won’t have helped. Even as a fan I found the game tedious so I can imagine how dull it must have been for a neutral.

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Re: Champion's League 18/19

Postby Diamond Dog » 02 Jun 2019, 19:22

Toby wrote:He played Kane in a 4-4-2 and in some respects I think it worked because the full backs did not threaten until 60 to 65 mins when Moura came on and they switched to 4-3-3. Spurs threatened much more afterwards, but they were also prone to counterattack. It felt a bit like the devil and the deep blue sea for Pochettino - he couldn't set up Spurs normally because they would be annihilated, so he switched to contain the full backs but went a goal down in less than a minute and was chasing the game.



As I said I understand why he picked Kane - I just think it quickly became evident that Kane was in no way ready to play, and certainly not for 90 minutes. To be fair, Liverpool didn't need their full backs to bomb on after the penalty. I think they looked at the goal threat Spurs presented with Kane and felt comfortable playing a bit safe. It also didn't help Spurs' cause that Eriksen had an absolute shocker so their one real creative force failed dismally too.

In the end, whichever way we look at it, Spurs were utterly toothless and Liverpool won pretty much without being seriously tested.
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