Archive for the 'Champions League' Category

23
Apr

We are ’still’ going to Moscow!!!

FERNANDO WILL FINISH OF THE BLUE SCUM IN THE SECOND LEG!!!!!

JOHNY JOHNY!!!!! Use your right foot, outside of the left, put it into THE KOP, anything…..just don’t do that…..

Never mind, what is done is done. Although seriously deflated at the present time I have complete faith in our lads to produce another memorable European away fixture and get us to the final where we belong.

Stamford Bridge has never been regarded as a fortress and although they have a good record there with Rafa in charge, we will rise again, just as we have done in other crucial away fixtures in Turin, Barcelona, Marseille etc.

Speaking straight after the disappointing 1-1 semi final first leg draw at Anfield, a shell shocked but still confident Stevie G said: “We haven’t played there (Stamford Bridge) with Fernando Torres, have we?”

He added: “Obviously we’re disappointed with the late goal but it’s done. We’ve got to pick ourselves up. We’ve got to get a result at the weekend then give it everything we can at Stamford Bridge. We know this tie is not over.

“It’s my job as captain to pick the boys up and make sure we’re ready for next week.

“Let people say Chelsea are favourites, let them. We’ve got to block that out and do what we’ve got to do. We are confident we can beat Chelsea on their patch.

“We’ve created the better chances against them here. I don’t think Pepe had anything to do besides pick the ball out late doors. Petr Cech has had to pull off two or three great saves. To be honest, we’d have been disappointed if this game had ended 1-0 when it could have been 2-0.”

CMON LADS DO IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

24
May

Gutted

Absolutely gutted.

We arrived in Athens full of confidence and over powered a strong Milan side but I guess it just wasn’t to be our day in Athens.

Rafa and the lads can hold their heads high knowing that Milan were fortunate to come away with this match as the victors.

The first goal was undoubtedly a hand ball but was too quick for anyone to realise.

ROBBED

Milan then successfully slowed the play down with their time wasting tactics and came away with the Cup. I’m absolutely gutted but am sure we come back better than ever next season and challenge for all four competitions.

What some of the lads said after the match.

Skipper Stevie G: “It’s difficult to take but that’s football for you, you’ve got to take it on the chin and move on and try and pick yourself up but at the moment it’s heartbreaking.”

“I thought we started the game really well,” he said.

“We were controlling it how we’d like to but I think when you are on top you’ve got to score.

“Their first goal was a bit of luck and that was a big, big lift for them and it was difficult from then on.

“We’ve got the confidence in our team that if we’re getting beat we can still turn it around.

“We gave it everything we’ve got but it wasn’t to be tonight but credit to our players we worked so hard.”

Dirk Kuyt: “(At half-time) we were in control,”

“We had a few little chances and you have be lucky to score a goal.

“They were really lucky (to score) one minute before half-time, one of their players touched the ball in the area.

“We tried it for 90 minutes but unfortunately it didn’t happen.”

Rafa: “The rules talk about substitutions, yellow card, and players’ injuries - but anyway that is not a reason we lost against a very good team with top-class players,”

“And the difference sometimes is that you can work hard, but you cannot close the space or the pass, or the penetrative pass from Kaka, or a Seedorf or Inzaghi.”

“The first half we did really well, we played really, really well and then we conceded a deflection at the end of the first half,”

“Second half we were pushing, pushing, but then you leave space and then they have quality and it made the difference.

“We tried to keep the ball and press high, but you need to take your chances - we did have a lot and went close, but the quality they have if you lose the ball you will be in trouble.

“I think the team in the first half was really good.”

QUADRUPLE NEXT SEASON LADS…


YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE

22
May

Flashback

FLASHBACK TO THAT GREAT DAY IN ISTANBUL

I WILL BE PUTTING UP A NEW VIDEO AFTER WE WIN No 6 TONIGHT…. IM PUMPED!!!!

22
May

Crouch thrilled with final chance

Crouchy has expressed his excitement to be part of the upcoming Champions League final in Athens.

Crouch told The Independent: “I remember thinking what a fantastic stage it was to play on, so to actually have a chance of repeating that is the best part of it,”

“People may have thought after 2005 that wouldn’t happen again for a good few years but once the boys had a taste of success it made them hungry. And we seem to do it in this competition.

“I have enjoyed this season, we have played well and when I have played in the Champions League I seem to have scored.

“Having got to the final and having the chance of winning it I am proud of the goals I have scored to help get us there.”

He added: “Beating Barcelona in the Nou Camp was a fantastic achievement that all the lads can be proud of,”

“Against Chelsea, there was so much to lose and thankfully we came out on top. I don’t think anyone cared what kind of game it was as long as we got to the final.”

When asked if there was any possibility of him leaving the club this summer, he said: “I don’t want to go anywhere, I’m happy,”

“I have had a fantastic two years, I won the FA Cup in the first year and I hope I can add the Champions League.”

22
May

Harry or Bolo. Who would you start?

Bolo Zenden is desperate to be picked in the run-out side that will face AC Milan in the Champions League final this week.

“I hope my performances against Chelsea in the semi-final will mean I will be given a start,” said Zenden.

“I played in most of the Champions League games this year. I think I have been involved in maybe 80 or 90 per cent of the games so I am really looking forward to the final again. ”

He added: “We have a mentality we can deal with anything that can be thrown at us,”

“They are a fantastic team and have a lot of experience. They are a team that have played a lot of big games and finals and some of them have won the Champions League several times.

“And although we have players who are in the final for the first time, the occasion will be an extra motivation to bring the cup back home.”

On his own future, he added: “I do not want to talk about my future at the moment,”

“For anyone to be playing in a final would be fantastic, but I will let people know about my future after the game. A Champions League medal on my CV would be quite nice, though.”

Harry or Bolo?

21
May

Gerrard: We will see if Gattuso can stop me

Captain Fantastic Stevie G has warned Milan big mouth Gennaro Gattuso in the lead up to the big match this week.

“I am not preparing to play against Gattuso, I am preparing to play against AC Milan,” said Gerrard.

“He is a fantastic player with a lot of experience, he’s won the World Cup and for many years he has proved himself at the top level, but I am not going into the game worried about Gennaro Gattuso - I am worried about AC Milan and how Steven Gerrard is going to play.

“If I can get myself right, we will see if Gattuso can stop me.”

CMON STEVIE GIVE US ANOTHER NIGHT TO REMEMBER FOREVER

2 DAYS TO GO

CL Image

17
May

Boss could play Kewell

The boss has talked about the possibility of including Harry Kewell in his plans for the Champions League finale in Athens.

Benitez told www.liverpoolfc.tv : “We could see against Charlton how fantastic Harry can be,”

“You could see him trying to beat players, keeping possession and working really hard. He set up one goal and scored the penalty.

“We will now have a week of training - it is not easy to say anything for sure about him now.”

He added: “It will be difficult for him to play from the beginning of the match, but if he improves a lot this week at the training camp, maybe we can consider possibilities.

“He may well be an option for me to use him from the bench, but not from the start. I think maybe he could do it for 60 minutes.”

I know H is not a favourite amongst all us Reds (I would say 50%/50%) but I do think he can add a spark if needed in the final.

I know Charlton is not AC Milan but I still think he can rise to the challenge if called upon by Rafa.

10
May

Rafa ‘to test’ Kewell

Rafa says he is going to test the fitness of Harry Kewell.

He said: “We need to test him because right now you could say physically that he is fit but really you need to play, you need to tackle, and to sprint.”

Not sure if he is hinting that he could make a surprise appearance in the Champions League final but I hope not.

I really like Harry when he is fit but think he should sit out the season and get ready for a good solid campaign next term.

Full-back Steve Finnan has expressed his happiness to see a fit-again Kewell: “I don’t know whether Harry expected to play again this season but it is good that he came on and managed to get some minutes,”

“It’s great because he’s been out a long time, so it is like having a new player. He might play his part in the final.

“It has been a difficult season for him with operations, so I just think he has been trying to recover.

“Probably the main objective for him is to get ready for pre-season and if he can play a few games then all well and good.

“He gives us a balance on the left-hand side and gives us competition. He can also play on the right and up front.”

07
May

Carra hammers loud mouth Mourinho

Jamie Carragher has slammed Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho for his inability to lead his team to Champions League glory.

He told the Daily Star: “Jose Mourinho might be saying that Chelsea were the better team (In the Champions League semi final against Liverpool). But I don’t think Roman will be thinking that,”

“If you go three years at Chelsea spending that sort of money and not getting to a Champions League final you might be in trouble.

“We have beaten them twice in three years in the semi-finals. We really didn’t do ourselves justice in the first leg this time.

“And Chelsea were massive favourites coming to Anfield. If they had got one goal it would have been virtually over

“We have done well to keep them out with players of the quality of Didier Drogba, who is as good as any striker in the world.

“I’m not someone who really believes in fate. But you get what you deserve in life - and we’ve deserved to go to the final.

“Now we want to win the European Cup for a sixth time.”

07
May

OFF TO ATHENS WE GO

Well what can I say….we have done it again.. PEPE YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE LEGEND!!

I personally think we won the match when Dirk Kuyt’s goal was wrongfully disallowed in extra time but hey, we will take the win any way we can.

We are now in our second final in three years and will face the same opponents. AC Milan. The Italian side qualified for the final by CRUSHING THOSE MANCS and boy it was a great match to watch.

I might sound a little bias but I honestly think we will defeat Milan again on May 23rd and lift our sixth title.

CMON THE MIGHTY REDS