Author Topic: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy  (Read 4684 times)

Offline Barrettski

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Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy

Anfield played host to the most bizarre of European games last night.  Old friends Galatasary were first blitzed by the kind of reception Juve, Butch and Sundance will be familiar with.  Then, as if Wee Willy Winkie was patrolling L4, everyone in a red shirt fell asleep and Gala were back in the game.  An atmospheric Anfield managed to endure the kind of comeback pain that AC Milan know only too well, until the final whistle saved us from unlikely embarrassment.

Liverpool lined up with a rare balanced look.  Reina (3/4 clean sheets) lined up in nets with Aurelio and Finnan the preferred full backs for this encounter.  Carragher returned to join Agger with Hyppia rested.  Gerard and Alonso occupied the middle of the park with Pennant and Garcia looking like genuine wide players outside them.  Crouch returned to join apprentice legend Kuyt upfront.

Galatasary had a sprinkling of familiar names dotted around an organised 4-4-2 formation.  Mondragon kept goal, but failed to return the Kop’s applause.  Rigobert “only one” Song started in the middle of defence with Tomas, Ak (not Barney Rubble) and Haspolati alongside him.  Topal, Akman, Ilic and Turan formed an intended lolly stick bank of four in the middle and Sarioglu and Sukur provided the speed and heading goal threats upfront.  For some bizarre reason Sas started on the bench, but more of him later.

Satisfyingly, the reds kicked off attacking the Annie Road End and instantly began making in roads into a collection of startled Turkish bunnies.  The pace and ferocity of Liverpool’s early charge was a joy to behold just as it was against Chelsea, Juve and Leverkusen.  If the weight of passing and Barnes-like first touches were a training video in the making, then the movement on and off the ball made this pure footballing pornography.  A whiff of goals filled the air inside Anfield.

Early chances arrived in multipacks as Garcia, Pennant and Aurelio provided the kind of width that only Neville Southall can match these days.  Crosses rained in on Mondragon’s goal like an episode of Buffy.  Crouch, Garcia and Agger all strained to get on the end of this bountiful service only to see their efforts drift wide or blocked. 

The whiff of goals was getting stronger and we didn’t have to wait long.  First Aurelio scampered down the left and pinged a sweet cross in for Crouch to run onto and volley home.  We were on our way and that European Cup feeling returned to everyone’s hearts.  Barely four minutes later a pesky Pennant latched onto some wayward defending and, spotting Garcia loitering with intent on the back post, released the intelligent cross the situation required.  Garcia flexed his neck muscles with a powerful header and the onion bag rippled once again.

We were two to the good and it didn’t look like enough for the redmen.  Further chances were carved out for Kuyt, only for Mondragon to race out and deny him a shot, Garcia who flashed his effort wide and Gerrard whose long range (in non-Xabi terms) effort deceived Mondragon.  Having gone the wrong way, he somehow managed to get enough on it to force it over the bar.  The whiff of goals smelt more like the rotting carcass of Gala’s chances at this stage; the only question was going to be how many?

We were half an hour in before Liverpool ran out of octane and Mondragon’s goal now looked likely to hold out until half time.  In front of the Kop, Gala only caused a couple of scares, both with incisive moves down the right and crosses that only served as range finders for strikers that were by now unfamiliar with the ball.

Half time was ushered in with an eerie sense of “job done”.  Galatasary had other ideas and replaced a couple of bunnies with proper rabbits out of the hat.  Karan was on for Haspolati and it was taxi for Mehmet Topal who made way for Hasan Sas.  Aurelio had clearly been identified as the weak link and Sas was labelled as the man to exploit it.  Within minutes of the restart he’d taken the ball past five players on a cross field run, only to pass it ahead of an embarrassingly static team mate on the left.  It looked like a cameo but was actually a vision of things to come.

Meanwhile, refuelled and re-energised, the reds set up another rapier like attack.  One touch football saw Finnan approach the byline at pace and pull a decent looking cross into the area.  Crouch was in a cloud of his own as the ball sailed in.  He pulled a penny farthing of a bicycle kick, caught the ball with his laces and thundered the ball high to Mondragon’s left.  Slow motion will not have done this goal justice, it was like something David Attenborough should have commentated on.

I’m not sure how “shit or bust” translates into Turkish but Galatasary were now signed up to the philosophy.  The match opened up like a sevens game and discipline gave way to athleticism – the lolly sticks went out of the window and Gala’s midfield transformed itself into a dynamic unit of ball players.  Reina made a double save as Sukur failed to pull a goal back.  Within minutes Kuyt saw his crashing drive come back off the post and then Mondragon keep Gerrard’s follow up out with his legs. 

Having rudely awoken the Galatasary passing machine with three goals, Liverpool now looked to be on the back foot.  Sabri zipped a neat free kick round a poorly positioned wall to hit Reina’s right upright.  It wasn’t only the woodwork that was shaken, Liverpool now looked a shadow of their first half selves.

Sas now led the charge to redress the balance, toying with a positionally challenged Aurelio down their right.  His industry led to Karan heading home from between our twin pillar centre backs.  Six minutes later it was the same player, similar position and a similarly crushing header from a Sas cross.  Three – two and now and we looked ragged. 

It was too long before Momo arrived to play the Hamann role and tackle the rejuvenated Gala midfield.  But ten minutes isn’t enough for a midfielder to find the pace of a game like this and we were locked into a final few minutes of nail chomping.  This game had promised to be a 5-0 Nottingham Forest thrashing for this generation but now looked like being an Istanbul in reverse.  The irony was not lost on anyone.

We were one dodgy decision away from deflation, but the referee could only manage to deck Garcia.  For their part, Gala could only manage half chances and scuffed shots.  Sukur was the main culprit and will have made a better job of kicking himself after the game than the two chances he spurned in the final moments here.

Whistles rang round the ground from those who’d run out of nails. Nervousness finally gave way to relief and we were free to laugh at the events of the evening.  Having finished Spurs off so admirably at the weekend, sleepy positioning and complacency had let Galatasary back into this game.  But take nothing away from them, their attacking play and Sas in particular was worthy of both goals and praise.  The return fixture will be interesting.


© Barrettski 2006
« Last Edit: September 29, 2006, 08:29:03 pm by Rushian »
Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass. It is terribly simple - Bill Shankly.

Offline The Evil One

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2006, 04:40:27 pm »
well written commentary

Offline lurganboy

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2006, 05:17:11 pm »
Top read

Offline MichaelA

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2006, 06:18:42 pm »
I like the style of this fella. Has he written this sort of thing before?

Offline Welshred

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2006, 06:59:31 pm »
Quality, had me laughing throughout :D

Offline NeilMac

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2006, 07:57:45 pm »
Another entertaining read. Pleaes keep writing these reports.

Offline CalvinMalteseRed

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2006, 12:05:13 am »
Class writing Barrettski, keep on doing these reports!!
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Offline beardsley4ever

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #7 on: September 29, 2006, 08:22:02 am »
I love the phrase "footballing pornography".

Offline BrettD

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #8 on: September 29, 2006, 08:45:15 am »
[Within minutes Gerrard saw his crashing drive come back off the post and then Mondragon keep Kuyt’s follow up out with his legs.

Wasn't it the other way round? Kuyt's shot hit the post and Gerrard had the follow-up saved.

Offline WellcomeToHell

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2006, 10:36:58 am »
It is exactly the same portraying of the match.
Barrettski, "kahretsin" means "shit" in Turkish :D
We are waiting u to Istanbul. Liverpool will come to HELL.

Offline RedandYellow

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2006, 12:33:40 pm »
Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy

Old friends Galatasary were first blitzed by the kind of reception Juve, Butch and Sundance will be familiar with. 

Feelings are mutual, Friends, is Bob Kurac over there, I have tried to reach him but not managed.2 years ago he was my guests in Istanbul together with 2 of his friends, now it is time to visit same stadium together. You all welcome to Istanbul again, please say my Hello to Bob if you see him somewhere over there.

Offline jfpower

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2006, 12:51:27 pm »
Keep them coming.

Always enjoyable after a win, regardless how nervewracking.

Offline nige

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2006, 02:38:58 pm »
Feelings are mutual, Friends, is Bob Kurac over there, I have tried to reach him but not managed.2 years ago he was my guests in Istanbul together with 2 of his friends, now it is time to visit same stadium together. You all welcome to Istanbul again, please say my Hello to Bob if you see him somewhere over there.

We'll make sure he gets your message - what's your first name ?

Offline Red-juvenated

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #13 on: September 29, 2006, 02:50:25 pm »
Classic that!

Was perplexed at the way we wilted. Gala must have been inspired by what they witnessed at Istanbul last May ;D
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Offline Barrettski

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #14 on: September 29, 2006, 07:41:43 pm »
Thanks lads / lasses.

Wasn't it the other way round? Kuyt's shot hit the post and Gerrard had the follow-up saved.

Yup.  It's the brain going in the old age, not the eyes... Stevie was the one with his head in his hands afterwards after the close range save.

I like the style of this fella. Has he written this sort of thing before?


Nah, complete novice mate.  Still feeling my way round a keyboard thingy.

Barrettski, "kahretsin" means "shit" in Turkish :D

Can't wait to find out what "bust" is.

 ;D
Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass. It is terribly simple - Bill Shankly.

Offline Cim Bom

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #15 on: September 29, 2006, 08:17:54 pm »
"“shit or bust” translates into Turkish "

ya hep ya hiç... is the most accurate translation.

great commentary by the way.
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Offline zabadoh

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #16 on: September 30, 2006, 03:41:16 am »

Crosses rained in on Mondragon’s goal like an episode of Buffy. 


Class writing Barettski!
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Offline Мерфи

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Re: Liverpool 3 Galatasary 2 – From the sublime to the ridiculously sleepy
« Reply #17 on: September 30, 2006, 10:47:32 am »
You and Paul aren't half creative when it comes to match commentary.  Outstanding work again.  I love going back through days later and getting the re-cap.
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Offline groundhog

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Excellent report, thank you.