[Le Moor]

Originally Posted by Kunjufu

Just to repeat this point AGAIN........Chelski 3.....Liverpool 1 season done!!!!! bye Bye rafa bye bye!!

We lost because Chelsea were the stronger force, simple, had nutin to do with luck. You need to get off this tip, its really unhealthy. GET OVER IT, the battering we gave you was ages ago.

[Le Moor]

I knew this game was always going to be about Drogba. Liverpool have never been able to deal with him and Benetiz did the worse thing possible yesterday, wound him up to the extent you just knew Drogba would make him see sense. Never felt we were going to win the game either except a few brief moments after we equalised. They were the stronger force and the wanted it that much more you could feel it. Makelele, Ballack, Drogba, Essein and Ashley Cole for them particularly wanted it that much more.

Im not in the "keep Rafa" camp, i want him to leave. There's Jose Murinho out there who would do a better job of challenging for the Premiership and would definitely take the role. Rafa got the tactics wrong last night. Liverpool were way too predictable. The system of Torres up front ONLY works if Gerrard pushes forward and is on song. Avram Grande sussed this and played Makelele, one of the best in the business at this role, in the gap to neutralise Gerrard. It worked a treat and this is a Gerrard whom he rested to keep fresh. When it was clear this was not working he didnt have a good enough contingency. This is high level managing and he didnt cut it here. I felt Pennant should have not been before Babel also and throwing Crouch into the mix to perhaps confuse the issue with Makelele would have made them have to re-think their game.

Last nights defeat didnt really cut deep as i said at the start it was never about the CL. Yes it would have been nice to win it, but the Premiership was always the priority and still is.

[Kunjufu]

Originally Posted by Le Moor

We lost because Chelsea were the stronger force, simple, had nutin to do with luck. You need to get off this tip, its really unhealthy. GET OVER IT, the battering we gave you was ages ago.

yes they were the BETTER side however you might want to reflect on the penalty decision not given on Hypia, and the 1st goal which was clearly offside.. Plus the comentator spoke about Liverpools LUCK and questioned if it had run out?

But really the kicker is Rafa's ill advised comments on Drogba and Chelski clearly this had an effect as drogba demostrated in his GOAL celebration..LMAO

[Incognito]

A Liverpool win would have been good for their history but Chelsea winning was the best thing for football. The top two UK sides fighting it out for the domestic league as well as the European crown - especially with Chelsea's recent win over Man U is what it should be all about. A statistic reports that recent winners of Europe have never won their domestic title in the same year, this final is the closet thing to actually defining in every way possible who is the best team in Europe and if we are honest we all know this is not Liverpool.

Saying that, once we got the score draw I thought it was ours, we had more cards stacked in our favour, the momentum of coming from behind, away goals, the pace on the bench and the psychological edge if it ever went to penalties - all this with Chelsea's only headway being home advantage and now with hindset, more desire. But Chelsea showed remarkable stamina, I thought Ballack was parched but the rest of the team played like the game had just begun - if anything Liverpool were the more saturated which was surprising in the sense I'm guessing they've played less games this season.

Rafa mistake was taking off Torres and bringing on Pennant, I think this was his attempt to be shrewd instead of going for what has worked in the past - but do not underestimate the quality of Drogba's finishes - real top class stuff.

So yeah, for me this is the best thing that could happen for football, regime change time at Liverpool I think, where's Dalglish@

[The Watcher]

Rafa ingnoring Crouch has been an unexplainable trend of his this season. It makes absolutely NO sense to pick Kuyt ahead of Crouch. It makes no sense to try and make Kuyt an average midfielder just because he clearly can't cut it up front. That means Rafa is picking abysmal Kuyt ahead of not only Crouch but Babbel/Pennant too. Ridicolous. Now it looks like Crouch is fed up and wants to leave Liverpool. Fine, he's welcome at Old Trafford any day lol

[safetyblitz]

The difference was Chelsea played to win, Liverpool played not to lose. Why take out Torres when the game is not over beats me. If anything, he should have thrown Babel up front with Torres and the Pennant for Benyounan was tit for tat.

Still Essien was the difference maker. He has been for Chelsea since he has been back in the line up regularly. Liverpool had no one to deal with him and as soon as he struck (even though it was called back) Liverpool were doomed because it looked as if the chink in the armor had been found.

Babel found a way to get one back, but Chelsea on a man to man basis seemed to want it more. Liverpool looked unsure and nervous as if they were waiting for Gerrard to produce some magic.

The Liverpool defense looked as if they were trying to play Drogba straight up. You can't leave his big @$$ in space. You have to wrestle him. He hates wrestling with players his own size. You could seem him shy away from Hyppia and Carragher, but willing to take on the way smaller Benyounan. Rafa should have shut his mouth because it seemed to affect the way his defense played Drogba in the second game.

Oh well, the two best teams in Europe are going to have a show down in Russia and a race to the finish line at home as either know that a dropped points is a season lost.

[Le Moor]

Originally Posted by Kunjufu

yes they were the BETTER side however you might want to reflect on the penalty decision not given on Hypia, and the 1st goal which was clearly offside.. Plus the comentator spoke about Liverpools LUCK and questioned if it had run out?

But really the kicker is Rafa's ill advised comments on Drogba and Chelski clearly this had an effect as drogba demostrated in his GOAL celebration..LMAO

Kunjufu what you'll find is that the winners in this world tend to be 'percieved' as being lucky, but the truth is they make their own luck. You dont win the European Cup five times and be in the semi final 3 times in 4 years through being lucky. However you do create your own luck along the way.

What you also tend to find, is that it is always the losers in life that tend to complain about others being lucky...

So if the cap fits mate........

[tobitrice]

Last year i said beating chelsea in a semi final three seasons in a row was a big ask. We survived last season, ok fine. When i saw this season's quater final draw and that another chelsea semi was a prospect i felt ill. To beat chelsea in a semi four seasons straight is a headache. What annoys me is also the way we were set up against chelsea. We had our work cut out to beat inter and arsenal to get this far. Who did chelsea have to beat to get to the semis? the mighty olympiakos and the mighty fernebache. No disrespect to these teams, they are good sides, but realistically speaking they dont really have champions league winning prospects right now.

Next season should be interesting. Rafa didnt come into this season with his managerial position being questioned. I wonder how he will respond next season to the critisicm this year.

[fordii]

Liverpool lost because of Riise's mistake or kalou's perseverance and Anelka's cunning and threat. The game was won or lost on a mistake. On subsequent course of events Liverpool would have won at normal full time. To atribute Drogba's performance to Rafa's comment might be doing a diservice to Drogga's natural ability and capabilities.

[Kunjufu]

Originally Posted by fordii

Liverpool lost because of Riise's mistake or kalou's perseverance and Anelka's cunning and threat. The game was won or lost on a mistake. On subsequent course of events Liverpool would have won at normal full time. To atribute Drogba's performance to Rafa's comment might be doing a diservice to Drogga's natural ability and capabilities.

uttter bollox....he called the man a cheater and a diver, the FIRST thing Drogba did upon scoring his FIRST goal was to DIVE right in front of Rafa.... No effect!!! give me a break!!!!

[safetyblitz]

LeMoor

Stop making excuses!!!!! Your team lost because none of the African players on the team had a perm!!!

Hold down Pennant and straighten his hair with "Dark & Lovely" Hair relaxer and I can GUARANTEE that the 'Pool will be in the championship game next year because the perm is aerodynamically proven to make you move faster than your opponents.

[Le Moor]

Originally Posted by safetyblitz

LeMoor

Stop making excuses!!!!! Your team lost because none of the African players on the team had a perm!!!

Hold down Pennant and straighten his hair with "Dark & Lovely" Hair relaxer and I can GUARANTEE that the 'Pool will be in the championship game next year because the perm is aerodynamically proven to make you move faster than your opponents.

Must be the African in me, but im a big Drogba fan, always have been, even when hes destroying our defence.