Topic: UEFA Champions League. Klopp's got a semi

[Anthony]

He's talking about football, not golf...

More than one club???

[PeterTheRed ...]

I have a feeling that we will twat these bastards ...

[CanuckYNWA]

I have a feeling that we will twat these bastards ...

Since we made the Semi Ive had this feeling we will win 3-1 away and 1-0 at home. Hope I am right. Regardless its nice to be in back to back semi finals, lets hope its back to back finals and a chance to right the wrong of last year.

[the_red_pill]

Pretty sure he played in 2006/07. Obviously not anywhere near the player he has become, but I'm still sure he played.

Yes, he played in both legs. Didn't Arbeloa make his debut in the away leg and mark him out of the game?

Yep- the night Arby kept him in his pocket. That's why I mentioned that night; and Messi was already "Messi" - a terrifying prospect to face.

I don't see us changing our style of play much really. Prolly just curb some of Matip's wonderful runs into midfield and let the fullbacks time their runs better. Prolly like we approached the Bayern match.

[harleydanger]

Real bought Arby basically to trot him out in the Classico to shut Messi down.

[JCB]

We can beat one man, can't we?

Messi will be Messi. He'll prolly score 1 or 2 if he can get past Messi at the back, but that won't be something we wouldn't expect so we'll just score more. We have a team who can be patient and work out the opposition's flaws on the pitch, adapt, then blam! I don't think we realize how tough it is to play against this Liverpool team.

They have Messi, but we have Van Dijk, Mane, Allison, Fabinho, Robertson, Firmino, Gini, Salah... Klopp..
That's a formidable team that- even for the likes of Barca.

You reminded me of this little nugget:

Prior to the game, Shankly had received the United team sheet and he incorporated it into his team talk. His intention was to run us down and, in so doing, boost the confidence of his own players. 'Alex Stepney,' Shanks began. 'A flapper of a goalkeeper. Hands like a Teflon frying pan - non-stick. Right back, Shay Brennan. Slow on the turn, give him a roasting. Left back is Tony Dunne. Even slower than Brennan. He goes on an overlap at twenty past three and doesn't come back until a quarter to four. Right half, Nobby Stiles. A dirty little -beep-. Kick him twice as hard as he kicks you and you'll have no trouble with him.'

'Bill Foulkes, a big, cumbersome centre half who can't direct his headers. He had a head like a sheriff's badge, so play on him. Paddy Crerand. Slower than steam rising off a dog turd. You'll bypass him easily.'

The Liverpool players felt as if they were growing in stature with his every word. 'David Sadler,' Shanks continued. 'Wouldn't get a place in our reserves. And finally, John Aston. A chicken, hit him once and you'll never hear from him again. As the manager finished his demolition job on United, Emlyn Hughes raised his hand. 'That's all very well, boss,' he said, 'but you haven't mentioned George Best, Denis Law or Bobby Charlton.'

Shanks turned on him. 'You mean to tell me we can't beat a team that has only three players in it?' he said, glowering.

[the_red_pill]

You reminded me of this little nugget:

Prior to the game, Shankly had received the United team sheet and he incorporated it into his team talk. His intention was to run us down and, in so doing, boost the confidence of his own players. 'Alex Stepney,' Shanks began. 'A flapper of a goalkeeper. Hands like a Teflon frying pan - non-stick. Right back, Shay Brennan. Slow on the turn, give him a roasting. Left back is Tony Dunne. Even slower than Brennan. He goes on an overlap at twenty past three and doesn't come back until a quarter to four. Right half, Nobby Stiles. A dirty little -beep-. Kick him twice as hard as he kicks you and you'll have no trouble with him.'

'Bill Foulkes, a big, cumbersome centre half who can't direct his headers. He had a head like a sheriff's badge, so play on him. Paddy Crerand. Slower than steam rising off a dog turd. You'll bypass him easily.'

The Liverpool players felt as if they were growing in stature with his every word. 'David Sadler,' Shanks continued. 'Wouldn't get a place in our reserves. And finally, John Aston. A chicken, hit him once and you'll never hear from him again. As the manager finished his demolition job on United, Emlyn Hughes raised his hand. 'That's all very well, boss,' he said, 'but you haven't mentioned George Best, Denis Law or Bobby Charlton.'

Shanks turned on him. 'You mean to tell me we can't beat a team that has only three players in it?' he said, glowering.

That's why I included the *wink*.

[JCB]

That's why I included the *wink*.

Thought as much..

[RedGreen]

We can beat one man, can't we?

Messi will be Messi. He'll prolly score 1 or 2 if he can get past Messi at the back, but that won't be something we wouldn't expect so we'll just score more. We have a team who can be patient and work out the opposition's flaws on the pitch, adapt, then blam! I don't think we realize how tough it is to play against this Liverpool team.

They have Messi, but we have Van Dijk, Mane, Allison, Fabinho, Robertson, Firmino, Gini, Salah... Klopp..
That's a formidable team that- even for the likes of Barca.

This. Trophies aren't won by the team with the best players, they're won by the players on the BEST TEAM. That's something that all the bed-wetters would do well to remember. 

[RedGreen]

Yep- the night Arby kept him in his pocket. That's why I mentioned that night; and Messi was already "Messi" - a terrifying prospect to face.

I don't see us changing our style of play much really. Prolly just curb some of Matip's wonderful runs into midfield and let the fullbacks time their runs better. Prolly like we approached the Bayern match.

I remember reading at the time that Rafa's plan was to play a right-footed player (our new right back) at left-back to make it more natural for the defender to put in a tackle against Messi cutting in from the right onto his lethal left for one of his patented goal-scoring shots.

Hopefully Barca don't remember this strategy and employ the same tactic to counteract the threat of Mo doing the same! 

[88_RED]

Cant wait for the Mo vs Messi Media wankfest in the build up to this.. 

[TealC]

Are any of the barcelona players a doubt or out of our game?

[wige]

Will be having a little flutter on Liverpool to score 4 or more in the away leg. Maybe 3 or more as well.

Genuinely got a feeling that we'll exploit space in behind their fullbacks time and time again and win well.

[abhred]

Completely pumped up for this now. Not giving up on the title. But this one is in our hands. Let's go!

[Dave D]

A week to go. Keeping it all nice and low key.

I don't know what it is but I love it.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Anyone being gutteda bout anything with this game coming up needs their head checked.

[wige]

Will be having a little flutter on Liverpool to score 4 or more in the away leg. Maybe 3 or more as well.

Genuinely got a feeling that we'll exploit space in behind their fullbacks time and time again and win well.

8/1 for 3 or more, 33/1 for 4 or more - via skybet.

Tenner on both I reckon. Should cover the pub bill over title winning weekend.

[Magz50]

We need to Go full charge at CL now. I don’t see city slipping up so we must win the CL.

[Bobinhood]

Pretty sure he played in 2006/07. Obviously not anywhere near the player he has become, but I'm still sure he played.

Yes, he played in both legs. Didn't Arbeloa make his debut in the away leg and mark him out of the game?

Rafa famously used arbs on the left because he said he "has a very fast right leg" and it did work, this prior to arbeloa having hardly played a game for us.

[killer-heels]

The CL is definitely ours. Felt it to be the case for ages now.

[LFCEmpire]

The CL is definitely ours. Felt it to be the case for ages now.

If we reach the final I hope to god we absolutely twat the team we face, getting the message loud and clear out there that we are definitely back.

[Jambo Power]

Rafa famously used arbs on the left because he said he "has a very fast right leg" and it did work, this prior to arbeloa having hardly played a game for us.

Hard to play many games in 3 weeks though Isn't it? That's on Wikipedia too.

[deano2727]

The CL is definitely ours. Felt it to be the case for ages now.

I felt the same way last year.

Beating Barca will require a gargantuan effort, but if we do, we will beat whoever awaits us in the final.

[meady1981]

We need to Go full charge at CL now. I don’t see city slipping up so we must win the CL.

You aren’t allowed at the parade.

[Jack The Lad]

If we reach the final I hope to god we absolutely twat the team we face, getting the message loud and clear out there that we are definitely back.

And finally break Klopps final curse.

[Bobinhood]

Hard to play many games in 3 weeks though Isn't it? That's on Wikipedia too.

sorry i used mymemorypedia on this one so ive no idea what your talking about. I think he probably said fast right foot not fast right leg, but i'll leave it to you to fact check it.

[scouse neapolitan]

Whilst disappointing that the red Mancs feebly rolled over last night, and we shouldn't really have expected anything else,  old Big Ears represents our best chance of winning something simply because it's in our hands.
If we get a tidy result in Barcelona, and that means scoring at least 1 , then with help from the Kop with the same intensity as the Chelsea semi in 2005,  we can do this.
"Barcelona, Barcelona.  There's fuck all down for you"!!
Believe.

[RedSince86]

We're winning this cup.

We'll get a socre draw over there and smash them at Anfield with our high intensity football which is kryponite for this stale aging Barca team.

[LFC when it suits]

The CL is definitely ours. Felt it to be the case for ages now.

After the way way that final went last season, felt the same as well. Never witnessed a final where literally everything went against us. From that twat Ramos injuring Salah, to the two goalkeeping errors to Bale scoring a goal that would hit the stands everytime if he tried another 1000 times.

[Schmidt]

Sort of understandable but I haven't seen much talk of coefficients for next season. I take it we're likely to be in pot 2 instead of pot 3 this time around? A final one year and at least a semi the next should go a long way.

[LallanaInPyjamas]

Sort of understandable but I haven't seen much talk of coefficients for next season. I take it we're likely to be in pot 2 instead of pot 3 this time around? A final one year and at least a semi the next should go a long way.

Yeah we'll be pot two (unless we win the league, then we'll be pot one). 11th in Europe as things stand.

[BoRed]

Yeah we'll be pot two (unless we win the league, then we'll be pot one).

Or the Champions League.

[LallanaInPyjamas]

Or the Champions League.

True that! We'll be pot one then.

[Schmidt]

Yeah we'll be pot two (unless we win the league, then we'll be pot one). 11th in Europe as things stand.

Cheers, should make the group stages a bit less of a hassle hopefully.

[RedSince86]

Nice number crunching from Swiss Ramble from our CL run this season.

[Yosser0_0]

Didn't realise Suarez is now 32? I suppose it makes sense, you know him getting older and all that.

Is he still as good? Haven't watching him play for ages.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

He's not as good as he once was, but he still scores goals at a top class level

[Yosser0_0]

He was an amazing player for us, imagine he's been the perfect foil for Messi. Hope we get through tomorrow unscathed, could be a classic this one.

[ScouserAtHeart]

Can't believe we're in our 2nd Champions League semi-final in a row after last being in one 10 years ago

[Chris~]

Can't believe we're in our 2nd Champions League semi-final in a row after last being in one 10 years ago

It's the first time in 10 years an English club has done it in back to back seasons