Topic: Liverpool vs Real Madrid

[GreatEx]

Bring Divock back for the second leg, he's our miracle man. Easily replaces Mane, who has done nothing for months.

[El Lobo]

We need to work out why these performances keep repeating in European Away games.

[RedMan89]

Still mad that Naby Keita started

Starting Naby without prior match fitness into probably the most intense midfield we will face this season was a diabolical decision

[TheShanklyGates]

Except all you ever do is make excuse after excuse when we have a poor performance.

"Everything before the word "but" is horse shit"

[LFCTikiTaka]

It's not like we have our full team at the moment, but we are limited especially at the back there was always a chance this would happen tonight. Had we started with Thiago maybe we wouldn't have made such a bad start, but it would still have been a challenge.

No we don't. Neither did Madrid.

[Andy82lfc]

god, macmamanamanamanan is a clown, he calls everything wrong

Careful cherryred67 will be along to call you a weirdo for calling out Mcmanaman the blue nose fucking weirdo.

[Tony19:6]

Not too many good performances from the men in Red tonight.

Think its going to be really difficult in the return leg without fans, but fcuk it we're not out !

[Father Ted]

Started with no intensity whatsoever which was so disappointing. We did the same against Everton too, a massive game we should be right up for and yet inexplicably, didn't seem to be at all. I'm sure having no crowd plays a part but we should be adjusted to it by now, no matter how shit I'm sure it is playing in empty, echoing stadiums (or training grounds as it was tonight).

Passing was atrocious throughout the first half which makes it difficult to do anything when you only keep the ball for five seconds before booting it out of play again. Second half started better and right before they scored the third we had one of our few real quality attacking moves, that could have led to an equaliser. A minute later we were two down again and petered out after that.

[HeartAndSoul]

You can tell from the first 5 minutes of a game how we’ll play a game. Shockingly bad overall and some of the individual errors at the back was disappointing. I said I would have took 3-1 at half time but really don’t see us keeping a clean sheet there?

Mane is a big big problem in the front 3. Would genuinely rather see shaqiri start over him at this stage that’s how bad it’s got to.

What was klopp thinking about playing keita in a game like this when he’s barely played any minutes lately. Utter madness. Don’t even think a single player comes out with any positive ratings tonight and tactically we were a shambles too. We seem to just play one way and one way only and never look to exploit a team weakness.

[lukeb1981]

Still mad that Naby Keita started

I would say Klopp had instructed him to press Kroos and Modric and give them no time on the ball - it was like a training game for them they had that much space . You dont often see Klopp hook a player like that so id say he is fairly pissed off with him.

[jillcwhomever]

It's going to be tough, mainly because they keep the ball so well and will be patient at Anfield, plus, Hazard will probably start. We are most effective when we play with intensity and play the high press. Hope we have the energy to do that at Anfield and can keep the ball a lot better than tonight.

Only just realised that Hazard didn't play they were hinting that he was going to play a part tonight, obvisouly thought better about it. Hopefully if he does play he will lack his normal rhythm.

[Geezer08]

Technically our 1st team is as good as any on the planet.


The details are why we're not at that level this season.

We made them looked better than they are! We gave the ball away constantly, they never spend more than 15 seconds defending at a time

[red1977]

Careful cherryred67 will be along to call you a weirdo for calling out Mcmanaman the blue nose fucking weirdo.

Mcmanaman literally spent the first 4 minutes of the match talking about Real Madrids make shift centre back pairing,

[Coolie High]

Only just realised that Hazard didn't play they were hinting that he was going to play a part tonight, obvisouly thought better about it. Hopefully if he does play he will lack his normal rhythm.

We best pray he isn’t at his best, this team finds it hard to contain Hazard even with all our first choice cbs!

[jillcwhomever]

No we don't. Neither did Madrid.

It was mainly their defenders though, Hendo is a big miss for us in games like this. He is just a better captain all round.

[darragh85]

Really? You're actually saying that?

Truth is, the whole team, as a unit, played badly, which makes it hard for any individual to shine, as there's nothing to work with

big game away to real madrid. you're a barcelona man, all your spanish buddies playing and you are left on the bench. ofc it would affect him especially when he sees what was playing ahead of him.

[Medellin]

We lack technical ability throughout the team at this level, hence the inability to keep the ball.

Behave lad.

We had Thiago, Gini & Fabinho in the midfield, three very technically gifted players..they didn't turn up & show it.
When your whole midfield lacks everything you need and expect then you are in trouble from the off.
They all have it in their lockers..they turned up to a training session tonight.
First thing you expect from your players is desire..the midfield tonight showed fuckall, too one paced, too lethergic..lazy, tired whatever..there was a moment during the game where I was questioning whether it was really humid in Madrid because what I was seeing suggested that.
A performance lacking pride..it was like they'd forgotten what jersey they had on.

[B0151?]

Hope this myth about European refs all being good can die on here now.

He wasn't even the worst ref on the night, going off what happened in the City game

[Jm55]

Within the first 2 minutes I was stressed out, the ball was been given away too cheaply, we looked massively nervy, the players with less experience looked like they had less experience and the boss players up front never got to touch the ball.

That said - Madrid have missed a trick there, that could have been well worse than a 3-1, they could have basically killed it in the first half.

We just need to win 2-0 at home and we’re through - it’s not what any of us wanted from tonight but I doubt many would have suggested it was the end of days either.

[darragh85]

I would say Klopp had instructed him to press Kroos and Modric and give them no time on the ball - it was like a training game for them they had that much space . You dont often see Klopp hook a player like that so id say he is fairly pissed off with him.

looked to me that he was told to cover trent and didnt bother to do it. went hiding in the middle of the pitch as per usual. maybe he had a little knock and decided he had enough.

[Ray K]

We need to work out why these performances keep repeating in European Away games.

Because teams other than Leipzig and Atalanta know not to play it out from the back, play long balls to beat our press and play a low block in front of their goal so Mo can't get in behind them?

[John C]

Mcmanaman has become intolerable in every aspect of his co-commentary. An absolute gobshite.

[jillcwhomever]

"Everything before the word "but" is horse shit"

Says Mr Moaner extreme. 

[Working Class Hen-Pecked Hero]

Well and truly done over, like watching a fuckin richer Leicester. A million miles better second half but moments of falling asleep. Trent was good bar his header but the media will be out in full force. Disappointed at the level of reffing though and everything and anything being bought while Mane needs to lose a limb before he gets a foul

[Caligula?]

We made them looked better than they are! We gave the ball away constantly, they never spend more than 15 seconds defending at a time

They are a very good side. We're 25 points adrift of the leaders in the Premier League. They're 3 points behind the leaders in their league. They may go on and win La Liga. I've no idea where this myth that they're not that good of a side or the poorest Real Madrid side in years comes from.

[andy07]

It was, above all, a disappointing performance. I really thought when I saw the team that we would put in a high-intensity pressing game, but Modric and Kroos were given so much time. Could that have been tactical, or simply that our players couldn’t be arsed? Still a chance in the second leg, but without fans and without any consistently good form since Xmas, it seems unlikely. Unless RM do an Arsenal...

Some very generous appraisals in here, we were shocking against a very average Real team.  Poor team selection, sloppy defending and a total lack of energy.  No doubt we will play the second leg with the correct team selection and display the energy required to win the tie.  Why we need to make things difficult with such a lethargic performance is beyond me.   Redmen to progress to the semis.

[supaerheraw]

Behave lad.

We had Thiago, Gini & Fabinho in the midfield, three very technically gifted players..they didn't turn up & show it.
When your whole midfield lacks everything you need and expect then you are in trouble from the off.
They all have it in their lockers..they turned up to a training session tonight.
First thing you expect from your players is desire..the midfield tonight showed fuckall, too one paced, too lethergic..lazy, tired whatever..there was a moment during the game where I was questioning whether it was really humid in Madrid because what I was seeing suggested that.
A performance lacking pride..it was like they'd forgotten what jersey they had on.

Let's hope it pisses down rain next game then.

[Andy82lfc]

Mcmanaman literally spent the first 4 minutes of the match talking about Real Madrids make shift centre back pairing,

He couldn’t get his tongue in far enough. It’s bad enough watching that without having to listen to such shite comms.

Like I said after Crouch called bullshit on his comms an said it was a 100% foul on Mane the fact the bellend then said we all knew it was a foul tells you everything about him. Cock.

[Nick110581]

So easy to play against if you defend deep

[redgriffin73]

Is he rated, yeah? Considering how many bad refs are about (particularly in England), I'm tempted to give the decent ones the benefit of the doubt, but yeah that was a frustrating refereeing performance.

Maybe I'm getting him confused with another one as he was dreadful tonight!

[LFCTikiTaka]

Behave lad.

We had Thiago, Gini & Fabinho in the midfield, three very technically gifted players..they didn't turn up & show it.
When your whole midfield lacks everything you need and expect then you are in trouble from the off.
They all have it in their lockers..they turned up to a training session tonight.
First thing you expect from your players is desire..the midfield tonight showed fuckall, too one paced, too lethergic..lazy, tired whatever..there was a moment during the game where I was questioning whether it was really humid in Madrid because what I was seeing suggested that.
A performance lacking pride..it was like they'd forgotten what jersey they had on.

Thiago came on as damage control. The other 2 do not have a patch on Kroos or Modric technically. It was clear the plan was to press, but unfortunately Madrid rendered that completely inneffective with their technical ability.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

They are a very good side. We're 25 points adrift of the leaders in the Premier League. They're 3 points behind the leaders in their league. They may go on and win La Liga. I've no idea where this myth that they're not that good of a side or the poorest Real Madrid side in years comes from.

They are the poorest Real madrid side compared to the side we played 3 years ago. Them being 3 points behind the leaders is a testament to the bottling job that Atletico have done. In any case, they played well tonight.

[TheMissionary]

We were utterly atrocious, yet we got away with 3-1.  That's the one positive from this game, we need to take advantage of that get out of jail card, we can do this lot easily if we go at them, bypass the midfield, turn the defence round towards their own goal.  Madrid weren't much cop, we made them look good, if we can turn up we can make them look shite.

Admittedly we need all the stars to align, including a ref who doesn't buy their cheating, but it can be done.

[TheShanklyGates]

Says Mr Moaner extreme. 

Give it a fucking rest.

[skipper757]

Hope this myth about European refs all being good can die on here now.

Yep.  It was weird seeing everyone praise the refs after Leipzig and complain about the ref tonight.  Look at the sides we're playing.  Of course we liked the ref against Leipzig.  They aren't shithouses.  Time and time again, when we go up against La Liga sides (Sevilla and Real in particular), their shithousery gets to us.  The refs will always "fall" for their tricks because that's how these games are reffed.  The Europa League final against Sevilla stands out in particular.  The refs in the two legs against Barca didn't give us anything either.

I know the likes of Coote/Taylor/Friend/Moss, etc are shit, but did we really think that the European refs who reffed our matches against Sevilla and Real Madrid would somehow one day not fall for tricks?  It's par for the course in Europe.  People just forget it because of how shit PL refs are.  If those same officials against Leipzig were on the pitch tonight, they would've probably put in the same performance as Brych did.

[jillcwhomever]

We best pray he isn’t at his best, this team finds it hard to contain Hazard even with all our first choice cbs!

I haven't followed him much in Spain, hasn't his form been a bit patchy. Clutching a straws maybe but hoping he's not his usual one man wrecking machine next time. 

[diggerling!]

Technically our 1st team is as good as any on the planet.

Technically our first team contains a number of players who are either horribly out of form, injured, or past their best. Tonights team, as the post I quoted suggested, was technically lacking compared to Madrid.

[decosabute]

Nealy thinking its Sadio who needs dropping no Bobby.

Wrote the same to a friend during the game. Mane looking half the player he's been is arguably as big a problem as our defence this season, and yet few talk about it. Sadio is a legend, but he no longer deserves to start every week. Jota in on the left side is a selection I'd like to see soon.

[Red_Mist]

Did you see him having a nice cosy chat with Madrid in the tunnel at HT too?

“I might be German but I was born in Madrid nudge nudge”

(He was!)

[redgriffin73]

He wasn't even the worst ref on the night, going off what happened in the City game

Just seen that disallowed goal, fucking hell!