Liverpool v Chelsea CL lst leg - Match Thread and Team News

Well I tried I really did, but still cant come to terms with the gut wrenching final few seconds of this one sided game !
All I can say is what so many others already have, that its only half time !
In games away from home on grounds were unfamiliar with we've done the business namely Marseille 4-0 and Turkey 05 3-3  (after been 3-0 down at half time !) !
This is a ground we play on at least twice a year, more with cup draws 
We know the pitch inside out all we have to do is find the net ONCE !
There is only one team capable of winning at Stamford bridge and that is LIVERPOOL F.C.
WE CAN DO IT !
WE WILL DO IT !
MOSCOW HERE WE COME !
I.R.W.T.
Y.N.W.A.
 
P.S any news of wether or not John Terry is suspended from the 2nd leg ?

Still gutted like everyone else, i thought until the Aurelio injury we were more than a match for Chelsea, it shows how far this team has come since Istanbul, we looked awesome at times.. When Riise came on everything seemed to change he was a clear weak link in the side, so lets all hope Aurelio is fit for Wednesday, I'll take 1-1 I'm fuming they were gifted an away goal in the last second but they only got one and Ive no doubt we can score down there or even score two.I thought the ref was poor at times but not the worst Ive seen and 4 minutes was about right for injuries and substitutions, we should all be positive, whats done is done.

Also Doddzy89 i hope Riise ain't anywhere near the pitch next Wednesday no offence but hes no longer good enough for us.

Well to say im gutted would be a understatement,the journey home from Anfield was sh*te youd have thought wed lost.The ref was sh*te last night were was his cards?And i hate Drogba even more now hes a cheating tw @t.Its gonna be hard now Chelsea will be favourite but we went to the San Siro and beat Inter they hadnt lost a game there in ages so dont be to down hearted yet.

I know the cross should never have come through and there was F***ing no way 4 mins injury time, but there was and the ball came through. For someone who gets paid, I'd assume a fair amount in wages each week, to have no right foot is just unbelievable. I'm sorry John, thanks for the wonderful goals but it's time to move on. I was gutted when Aurelio went off, and I thought the same as ....I can't remember who posted it earlier, but Sami on to CB with Skrtel, Jamie to RB and switch Arbeloa to LB. Oh well it's done and dusted now...we have to live with it and just get on with the job at the Bridge next week.

Don't know if we were many, but I certainly mentioned it! Ridiculous really, but I had been telling my mate we had no decent cover for Aurelio then just a few minutes later he was down!  I thought up to that point he'd been having a cracking game as well, solid in defence, but gave us plenty of pace and a good touch going forward too, and I was thinking how much I preferred him in that position to JAR....... I still think he should have tried to hoof the cross away, you're right when you say at this level he should still have a minimum of skill with both feet.

Totally deflated today, but thanks to everyone posting such positive stuff because it really helps to read how much others believe we can turn them over at the Bridge. I think Redpuppy has got it right when he says it could be better this way, because like this we're going to have to attack them and it's what we do best, rather than having to try and control the game and keep them out.

YNWA

I don't like to admit it as a reds fan, but Torres did not have a good game at all last night and I hope he can make up for it next week in London.  The link up play with Gerrard looked promising but his first touch was poor when he was clean through on the keeper and then he allowed Chelsea to get back and create traffic and panicked.

Hope Gerrard has a word so he can return to form and send them out on their own turf!

So will they use video evidence against Terry for kicking Fernando while he was on the floor?

Will they F**k!

Gutted BUT... CONVINCED we are going to Moscow.

I would have personally feared going to Stamford Bridge defending a 0-1.

It's finely balanced...but we will go to London and win or draw 2-2.

Watch out for the impact Crouch and Pennant could make if we need a goal in the last 20mins.

Do not forget they have a battle with Manure this Saturday and will have to play all their big guns... the last half hour at Stamford Bridge will prove to be our moment of glory when all our fresher stars (rested on Saturday) will shine and take us to a Russian Heaven.

Convinced number 6 is on it's way...!!

I.R.W.T.

Watch out for the impact Crouch and Pennant could make if we need a goal in the last 20mins.

I reckon it will be another w/e job for them tbh.

Terry is a dirty get dunno how he gets away with it but hes riding a yellow in next game so will he be watching his tackles for fear of missing the final?

Terry is a dirty get dunno how he gets away with it but hes riding a yellow in next game so will he be watching his tackles for fear of missing the final?

Good call, we can certainly hope so! Bloody shame Ashley Cole and some of the others got away with it though! 

Still gutted like everyone else, i thought until the Aurelio injury we were more than a match for Chelsea, it shows how far this team has come since Istanbul, we looked awesome at times.. When Riise came on everything seemed to change he was a clear weak link in the side, so lets all hope Aurelio is fit for Wednesday, I'll take 1-1 I'm fuming they were gifted an away goal in the last second but they only got one and Ive no doubt we can score down there or even score two.I thought the ref was poor at times but not the worst Ive seen and 4 minutes was about right for injuries and substitutions, we should all be positive, whats done is done.

Also Doddzy89 i hope Riise ain't anywhere near the pitch next Wednesday no offence but hes no longer good enough for us.

Who would stick at LB for us now then, Arbeloa could play a suppose and Carra could go to the right but Sami and Skrtel at the back is a bit unusual considering they haven't played a lot together. We need a team that knows how to play Chelsea and despite last night I would still play JAR at LB on Wed night with no hesitation. No one should be pointing the finger at Riise, Win as a team, Lose as a team.

Come Wednesday night, we go out as a team and do these little rats on their own scummy turf.

Last night it felt like my heart had been ripped out.

BUT LADS!!!!

The ball is back in our court.  We know that we have to go there and score.  Chelsea either have to try and hold onto the draw or they attack and finish our chances off.  We all know Avram is not the best tactician, so I think we've got every chance.  But the team are going to need those fans going to be heard. 

If they had of scored around the 60th minute or something we would have been disappointed, but not upset because we know that we can beat anyone.

You'll Never Walk Alone.

P.S I don't UEFA look at video evidence after a game, I may be wrong.

No one should be pointing the finger at Riise, Win as a team, Lose as a team.

Come Wednesday night, we go out as a team and do these little rats on their own scummy turf.

Good call that's the right attitude to have, would anyone be slating Carra had he scored the own goal?

Who would stick at LB for us now then, Arbeloa could play a suppose and Carra could go to the right but Sami and Skrtel at the back is a bit unusual considering they haven't played a lot together.

We've used Hyypia & Skrtel in the middle with Carra on the right on quite a few occassions, especially in Europe, and I'd go with that again for the second leg.

Good call that's the right attitude to have, would anyone be slating Carra had he scored the own goal?

TBH no I wouldn't, but then Carra has done a lot for us this season & in recent years. If this was an isolated incident I wouldn't be laying into Riise, but at the end of the day this is just the icing on the cake. I've been saying for two years now that he isn't good enough, for a while his wonderstrikes were papering over the cracks but now that they've dried up it's become apparent that he just isn't good enough as either a left back or left midfielder. I wouldn't go as far as Bartman suggested & throw in the inexperienced Insua, but as long as Arbeloa, Skrtel, Hyypia & Carra are fit then that would be my defence for the second leg.

The reality is Liverpool were able to create some magnificent chances in this match any yet at the same time able to keep Drogba and Co well in check.
Torres blasted a chance against Czech, from point blank range, Gerrard struck a cracker dipping in under the bar which again Czech magnificently saved, and Ballack clearly handballed, (launched his arm) towards the ball to block a dangerous cross. (should have been a penalty)
Another ball to Torres should have put him in on goal but for a careless first touch, and Gerrard almost collected a one two into the box and was marginally thwarted.
All of these chances were in the second half, when Liverpool already one goal ahead.
So you can waffle on about beautiful football all you like (aka Arsenal fans) , but good football is playing tight at the back and yet still creating chances, just as Liverpool did in this match.
You dont hear their fans going on and on about the obvious handball (penalty) either, like Arsenhole does every match.
They just pick themselves up and resolve to go to Chelsea next week and create just as many chances again, but hopefully this time actually take a couple.
Risse must not play again, his lack of coordination is quite obvious to any knowledgeable observer, in this day and age you cannot afford to have players with such huge limitations on one side of the body playing at this level. A simple right foot would have cleared the danger and we would be going to SB one ahead.
I agree that Liverpool needing to score makes this match more mouth watering than it might have been, because Chelsea dont tend to create much against good defences, and if they go defensive they will be inviting Liverpool onto them for 90 minutes, and its true to say that Torres presents a more dangerous scoring option than in previous matches where scoring has not happened.  
The real difficulty lies in beating Peter Czech, you can see why Chelsea get so many results in the league, this goalkeeper is phenomenal.  

I would not say throw Insua in, think the lad is a great player but far too inexperienced for this game. I agree with you Eddie about Riise not being good enough but still this is no excuse for everyone to be laying into him, he loves Liverpool and will know is gutted and I believe if he plays on Wed night then he will be giving it his all, just like any player would. We can't blame one man.

Lets not put the focus on JAR and start thinking about how many El Nino will bang into Cech. Can't wait for Wednesday, counting the days down.

I would not say throw Insua in, think the lad is a great player but far too inexperienced for this game. I agree with you Eddie about Riise not being good enough but still this is no excuse for everyone to be laying into him, he loves Liverpool and will know is gutted and I believe if he plays on Wed night then he will be giving it his all, just like any player would. We can't blame one man.

Sorry but I have to disagree with you there mate, I feel he does deserve the criticism because he has been sh*te all season and this is just the latest in a long line of costly errors, not just a one-off. I don't think anyone has questioned his commitment or the fact that he'll be just as gutted as us, that sort of criticism would be uncalled for, but the simple fact is he has lost us a goal with yet another bit of poor decision making.

Sorry but I have to disagree with you there mate, I feel he does deserve the criticism because he has been sh*te all season and this is just the latest in a long line of costly errors, not just a one-off. I don't think anyone has questioned his commitment or the fact that he'll be just as gutted as us, that sort of criticism would be uncalled for, but the simple fact is he has lost us a goal with yet another bit of poor decision making.

Yeah, agree with your last point. Was a poor decision and I know he hates his right foot but really unlikely he would have scored a OG if he chose to use it. But JAR will know he has had a bad season as does every player but like AJ says if it was Carra in Riises position, would we be moaning so much. Take a brave man to say yeah here.

Yeah, agree with your last point. Was a poor decision and I know he hates his right foot but really unlikely he would have scored a OG if he chose to use it. But JAR will know he has had a bad season as does every player but like AJ says if it was Carra in Riises position, would we be moaning so much. Take a brave man to say yeah here.

If Carra was in exactly the same position, i.e having offered F**k all for the whole season, having already scored an OG through his reluctance to use his weaker foot, taking pot shots all the time regardless of who's in a better position, and playing the defence into trouble on numerous occassions through poor positional play, then yes I would have just as much of a go at him. The fact is Carra hasn't done all that stuff though, and that is why he wouldn't recieve the same level of criticism.

I reckon it will be another w/e job for them tbh.

Agreed. But on as subs for the last 20 minutes against Chavski... if needed.

id play Arbeloa Doddzy  or hope Aurelio is fit.. I'm not blaming Riise, i think we had chance to kill the tie earlier, i just think we looked shaky when Riise was introduced and i sensed Chelsea might get something, its done though now and my opinion is Riise isn't good enough for us anymore,i think we have moved on and are better without him. If he plays i hope he proves me wrong, has the game of his life, and scores a screamer.

I would like to hear what the ref has to say as to why he gave 4 mins of injury time, its usually 30 seconds for a sub and there were 4 subs so thats 2 mins and for the amount of fouls it probably warranted another minute and that equalls out at the usual 3 mins at the end of a match so i think the ref should do some explaining.

So JAR scored a schoolboy OG and gives Chelski a SLIGHT advantage.  Give they lad a break, there are 90mins to go yet.  Why all the negativity?  Rafa's game plan won't change because it was 1-1 and not 1-0.  There was no way he would send the team out at Stamford bridge to play for a 0-0. This Liverpool team can't shut up shop like the team in 2005.  We would have had to go looking for a goal....and we still do.  There are loads of positives to take from last night and the aftermath today: The game plan won't change as I said plus, although we didn't look great, we looked a hell of a lot better than them last night, plus now we have to go and attack (which is something that we are more suited to doing), plus we are now underdogs (which we're more suited to), plus judging by the interviews today, Stevie is just defiant.  He has had his ego bruised and that's when he grabs the game round the throat and bosses it, plus Chelski think its in the bag so will be knackered and in the wrong frame of mind going into wednesday, plus (and this is the big one) this team don't know how to give up whereas Chelski will fold if we grab a goal at their place and take the advantage.
YNWA.  See you in Moscow.

Eddie fair enough it was amature of JAR to react like that, as I stated earlier did we all not see Mascherano's poor clearence that gave possesion back to Chelsea and from the cross the OG insued?

I dont know I just dont like the idea of pin pointing one man, we had ample chances to kill the game off to which you have agreed in previous posts we were unable to do.