Liverpool 1-0 Sparta Prague - Post-Match Relief

Well given last nights performance by our 'strike force' we need Carroll in Europe and badly. Ngog had the chance over 2 games to step up and get his name on the team sheet automatically and proved he isn't up to it.

Pretty much - he snatched at the chances he had, was a little unlucky that the one he created for himself was taken off his toe, but really should have had at least one goal.

Adryan
I don't think he is worth the money we are paying him, and nor will he ever be.
We should cut our losses, get in a young player less prone to injury, who can actually think and rebuild from there.
I don't rate cole, and never have - in fact I think he gets bigged up just because he is english and has a few (predictable) tricks.

Surely being cup tied in a Uefa tournament should mean what it says or is it only acceptable if you move to a team that's in their 'elite' tournament? And what happens if Ajax drop out?

No.  

As has been previously explained, if Ajax had gone through to CL knock out stages Suarez wouldn't be cup tied, likewise if they had finished bottom of the group.  We were just unlucky that they finished 3rd so dropped into the EL.

With Nando, we were never in the CL so he isn't cup tied in that competition.  Which is why Chelsea wanted him and why we wanted Carroll who is also not cup tied.

Can anyone with a greater knowledge of UEFA's rules expand on this?

Dave Prentice: The curious case of Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez

FERNANDO TORRES, who has played for Liverpool in this season’s Europa League, was allowed to play for Chelsea in this season’s Champions League on Tuesday.

Luis Suarez, who has played for Ajax in this season’s Champions League, is not allowed to play for Liverpool in the Europa League.

Another clear as mud ruling from UEFA.

Confused?

Enquiries on a postcard please, to M Platini, Geneva.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2011/02/25/dave-prentice-the-curious-case-of-fernando-torres-and-luis-suarez-100252-28233064/#ixzz1Ey6iuVwK

I love how it's the Echo's resident bluenose that is querying European rules!!

Suarez was picked in Ajax's original Europa League squad list back when the draw was made before he moved here, Torres isn't cup-tied because a Europa League team can't move up into the European Cup.

Simples!!

Bascially, because Ajax came third in their group and dropped down to the Europa league Luis cannnot play for us in the Europa league.

And my word what a difference Carroll will make!

Probaby, but I have to be honest that I was very excited when he signed. Loved him when he was at Chelsea but I think the last couple of years for him have been really low. Also pretty unlucky N'gog stole the ball from him after his hardwork only for N'gog to miss his 4th for the night

Just relieved to be in the next round to be honest. More European nights at Anfield to look forward to so thats something that came out of that performance. We won ugly but we F***ing won!

Just relieved to be in the next round to be honest. More European nights at Anfield to look forward to so thats something that came out of that performance. We won ugly but we f**king won!

And lets face it, we have lacked for awhile that ability to win ugly in the dying moments. Its that ability - and being defensively strong (only one goal conceded in 7 games now) that will push us up the table and onto Dublin.

Good win last night, took a while but we got there in the end . Did anybody see Stevie's celebration? He went F***ing mental, never seen him celebrate that much from the stands.

Good win last night, took a while but we got there in the end . Did anybody see Stevie's celebration? He went f**king mental, never seen him celebrate that much from the stands.

Exactly like a Liverpool fan, wasn't it? Hands on the head when we miss, crazy when we score!

Exactly like a Liverpool fan, wasn't it? Hands on the head when we miss, crazy when we score!

Yeah exactly that, really good to see that the captain still has the fire. Surely it means he's staying till the end now, he looks like he is enjoying himself again.

Good win last night, took a while but we got there in the end . Did anybody see Stevie's celebration? He went F***ing mental, never seen him celebrate that much from the stands.

There's an animated gif of it in the Picture Thread if you go have a look there.

Such a shame we didn't have Carroll fit to rough it up with Repka, think Thomas would have been seeing his 19th red card of his career personally, with the grief Carroll would have given him.

Well what a battle,anyone any idea what Repka was saying to the crowd.He looked like a class A tit from were i was!.

I think he said "Splyeesh"

No. 

Simples!

Thanks for the clarification.

I still think it's a bollocks rule though, UEFA are Cack. I think it'd be fairer that a player couldn't play in either tournament, same season, against their old team but for the whole tournament is the usual UEFA overkill for me.

Well what a battle,anyone any idea what Repka was saying to the crowd.He looked like a class A tit from were i was!.

Not sure what he said but he was doing this  and a bit later, he messed up and the whole Kop was shouting, "w**ker!..w**ker!..w**ker!.."

Not sure what he said but he was doing this  and a bit later, he messed up and the whole Kop was shouting, "w**ker!..w**ker!..w**ker!.."

That sounded awful from our Kop I have to say.

Haven't we got anyone better than N'gog, Jovanovic would fare better, at least he offers better aggression, not falling over at any given opportunity. let's not waste anymore time on him, move him along and give pacheco a chance. I have to vote Sotis as the man of the match fora bleeding nose and a gash on the forehead. What he lacked in skills he made up with  great determination and effort.

last night really did prove how much we lack a striker, or at least a goal source when Stevie, Carroll and Suarez are not in the team. I know Kuyt scored but other than that header, did he really offer a goal threat? N'gog wasted chance after chance, as did Meireles and Cole.

Our finishing really did let us down. We should have won that by 3 or 4, rather than a nervous 1-0 where bringing on a defender in the final few minutes was celebrated. The defence as a whole did well and was impressed by all, our 2 hard men at the back really did prove it in Soto and Agger.

To be honest, overall I wasen't impressed with Joe Cole at all. I thought in the first half he was shocking, wayward passes going all over the place, headers on goal actually going nowhere near the goal and ducking out of challenges in which we scored. He offered very little creativity when on the ball in the middle of the park. He had a decent end to the game with a few runs when we were catching them on the break. But that is how he impressed. He was left with the space and exploited it. It still took him an hour to get going, that is very bad for a player we were relying on to fill Stevie's boots. This was supposed to be his big break and it still took him that long to get going and really have an influence in the game. He had a good second half but his touch and finish were awful to kill off the game.

A good second half in the whole game is not  good enough for a player we were expecting a big big game from.

Cole offerd a goal threat to be fair had a couple of efforts as did Raul who missed that great chance and Lucas who went close.

ya he offered a goal threat, but it was still after 45 mins of doing nothing first.

I repeat, the opposition are no mugs and are Czech champions they would give anyone a game, to have the players out that we did and get a good performance and win and a clean sheet is encouraging.

We are defending much better now and that is excellent progress from where we were a few months ago. Kenny needs to see out this season as best as he can, and buy some quality width, we all know that - but be thankful that we still have the opportunity of winning a trophy as 10 games ago we staring a relegation, with a little fortune we could finish 5th or even higher....