Liverpool 1-0 Besiktas: In game and Post Match 'Half time in this tie' debate

Upset that  it happened, it's a football match and it's  very foolish for the besiktas fans to do that, they could very well be annihilated by the Liverpool fans. They threw a steward to the floor? They deserve to be bashed up.

Yerp looked like a nasty fall aswell over some of the seats, only a minority like but there was kids must have been about 7/8ish there, must have been terrified

I think gerrards comments, while slightly ill advised are being blown out of proportion.

https://vine.co/v/Ox0mLKA3pi5

It was just a comment to what had gone on, on the pitch. But he should have been smart enough to acutally not say anything about it. But sometimes we forget footballers arent always as smart or socially savvy as we think they would be.

Never-the-less, Its not like this is the first time ever in football a player (goalscorer) decides to take a penalty over someone else. This happens regularly.

I just dont get why a current player would do in-studio punditry for a match with his current team.

The risk of saying something that will be blown out of proportion, taken out of context, causing drama, 'revealing inside secrets' seem too big in todays 24hr sports news climate for it to even be worth it. What was the benefit for him to do that exactly?

Surely this can't be allowed ever again?

Performance wise, pretty ordinary. Few times in the first half they threatened but we sorted that out in the second half well. Plenty of half openings for us going forward but the final pass was bloody awful for most of the night.

1-0 is a good result but we're going to need a goal there to go through IMO.

Going to be a tough game away.

Reading the last few pages you wouldn't think we just won a European tie against tough opponents 

Can't help but think this is a mountain out of a molehill.

Balotelli has been rightly criticised this year, but I am beginning to worry he may be seen as a bit of a scapegoat within the club. Rodgers not assigning him to be a penalty taker (despite the fact his record on penalties is exceptional), Gerrard dismissing him on TV, Sturridge showing obvious disdain for Balotelli taking it.....

We bought him for £16 million, he's had a poor start - of which he is to blame also, but when he is playing well - like he has done in the last few days - let's encourage the guy. If we are discouraging him when he's playing well, then how demoralising must that be for him?

Reading the last few pages you wouldn't think we just won a European tie against tough opponents 

Well they are tough opponents. Besiktas are a decent team you know - this isn't 2007.

Anyway, MOTM?

Mine was Ibe and Henderson - Henderson bossed the middle of the park where all our other central players were playing poor. Distribution was good, pressing and penetration was excellent, provided dangerous corners, and out wide his playing was effective with some great crosses.

Ibe continued from last time - what an asset, feels like a new signing.

Worst players? Coutinho was dreadful but Sturridge annoyed me quite frankly. It wasn't so much his game - I can forgive him for tonight as he isn't match sharp, but his role in the penalty incident was shocking.

Sulked off when he wasn't taking it, but worst of all, didn't bother celebrating the goal and looked pissed off even as the ball hit the net. Henderson congratulated Balotelli with a 'fair play mate, you did the job'. Sturridge sauntered off, not even acknowledging Balotelli. Shocking behaviour.

To me, this suggests he cared more about himself tonight than

Well they are tough opponents. Besiktas are a decent team you know - this isn't 2007.

This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I can only assume you've completely misread what I've said.

Mate, come match day in particular, this place is infested with people who are fans in name only. They have no respect; no loyalty. They mock, with vile abuse, their own players; their own manager.

Uneducated, Ill-reared, immature, disloyal f**k-tards the lot. 

Oh...I thought he was talking about the Players when I read his comment.

Gerrard should not have made those comments in the studio....It was completely out of order....you don't criticise your own team mates in public. Say what you have to say behind closed doors..After all your a unit.. you succeed together and bleed together. If I were balo I'd be proper Pissed off not cos of what he said but for the arena in which he said it in!

I think the same could have been said about Balotelli no, he did it in front of a much bigger audience.   I agree with you but Balotelli can't get pissed off for bad PR.  He is no example himself. 

 




Thought it was Joey aka CRK at first.

Win every match 1-0 and we win cups, well done the REDS keep that winning streak going.

Jesus !!!
 are we  all doing the media job here??? we said the media will blow out this out of proportion  and we are doing it ourselves
  we are Talking about an incident  that led  to LIVERPOOL scoring the only goal to win the match
  as I said after the match
 personally I don't care who takes the penalty as long as it goes in
  Balo took the responsabilty, and scored
 What if studge or hendo or mignolet for all that matter took the spot kick and missed?
 So lets start talking  and commenting about  Ibe who caused  the defender to foul him for the penalty, about the team's performance,  the scoring misses, Moreno's shot in the 1st half etc etc
 WELL DONE REDS
YNWA
  YNWA

Anybody else think this was a sh*te game? The pundits and commentators were saying what a thrilling 0-0 it was but I was bored shitless to be honest.

Besiktas came for a draw and they almost got one. We struggled to break them down. I thought we looked a bit clueless going forward. I don't think anybody played particularly well, including young Ibe. I thought it was an average performance by everybody.

The second leg should be interesting. We have a young team so hopefully they keep their bottle in Turkey with the atmosphere and Besiktas coming at us full pelt. If they score an early goal then I hope we don't crumble.  The showed nothing last night to have me concerned though. An organised team but one we should be beating.

Put Can in midfield for the second leg please gaffer.

We certainly weren't at our best last night, too slow and ponderous and we will need to play a lot better over there.
A clean sheet and a lead, no matter how slender was vital.
The penalty incident is headline news mostly because of what Gerrard said afterwards. I wasn't too happy with him being a pundit for last night's game and in view of his comments I hope it's the last time it happens while he is still the Captain of this club!
I was glad Balo took responsibility for the penalty, I wasn't confident about Henderson taking it. The fact that certain players didn't celebrate with Mario after he scored says a lot about those players and their 'team' ethic!

It's easy sometimes to not realise what you're playing against. These are a good team, one who we were pretty unlucky to pull out of the hat to be honest. The best side in Turkey are never ever mugs and these aren't exception. This was a very good result, nod the shoreline is one I'm sure we'd have bitten the hand off for before the game.

We seemed to really struggle with their pressing game they gave our midfield no time at all. Did not help that Couts and Lallana were off their game, holding onto the ball way too long and then getting crowded out or harried off the ball.

The dynamic of the game really changed once Balo and Raheem came on meaning Sturridge was not isolated and losing the ball constantly.

19 year old making his European debut was fearless another star in the making.

Lallana was the main culprit, 2 clear chances given to him and he tried to score a Hollywood goal. Too many backpasses from him instead of surging forward with Ibe and Sturridge subjected our defence to greater pressure. Our crosses into the opposition box is  a nightmare. 

Gerrard should shut his mouth he's never liked or supported Balo since he arrived.
Gerrard basically refused to play right wing under Rafa who is he to talk about disrespect and team orders. Better off without him just now away and sun yourself in LA Stevie and accept the club has moved on from you

Gerrard is Club Captain and as such, is not only entitled to his opinion, but in this case is bang on!

as for his support of Mario... he's not a bad judge!

Did not help that Couts and Lallana were off their game, holding onto the ball way too long and then getting crowded out or harried off the ball.

Lallana looked like he was putting in a performance to avoid selection against Southampton! And after reading his comments about 'I don't know how I'd play against them' I think it might be wise to grant him that wish.

I think we should give Besiktas a lot of credit for a decent European away performance. They were organised, worked hard and made it extremely difficult for us to break them down. That said, we didn't play particularly well, and our attacking game was off thanks to under-par performances from the likes of Cou, Lallana and Sturridge. Bringing Balotelli on was a great move and opened the game up for us a bit.

Huge credit to Ibe, who looks like he's been playing first team football here for years already. He's only going to get better and better.