Author Topic: Jari Litmanen (Read 89811 times)

Helsinki Red · « **Reply #320 on:** November 17, 2010, 08:57:28 pm »

Quote from: redgriffin73 on November 17, 2010, 08:50:16 pm

Just read on Twitter Jari's now the oldest scorer in Euro qualifiers at 39yrs 270days.

Really? Didn't knew that.

Robert_B · « **Reply #321 on:** November 17, 2010, 09:00:08 pm »

Love the guy.

Vinay · « **Reply #322 on:** November 18, 2010, 10:38:24 am »

Is he ever gonna stop?
Mind, he does have at least two characteristics of a Hodgson player!

Jokerman · « **Reply #323 on:** November 18, 2010, 12:47:37 pm »

Quote from: corkboy on October 11, 2010, 10:07:25 pm

He looks very excited. Positively animated. For Jari, that is.

He's starting to resemble Leonard Cohen in that picture.

Helsinki Red · « **Reply #324 on:** December 20, 2010, 09:32:45 pm »

The International Jari Litmanen day

Jari Litmanen celebrates his 40th birthday on 20th of February 2011. To honour this the first International Jari Litmanen day will be celebrated. This tradition is a way to honour the gentleman, world citizen, magical playmaker, ambassador of Finnish football and his long career and all those through-passes. Everyone can celebrate the International Jari Litmanen day in their own way. One can watch his magic on Youtube, one can put on the number ten shirt, or one can develop a cocktail bearing the Litmanen name. Let's make the International Jari Litmanen day a day to remember!

Hail the King!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=149557638428949

DangerScouse · « **Reply #325 on:** December 20, 2010, 10:37:55 pm »

Haha . . .quality.

Yorkykopite · « **Reply #326 on:** December 21, 2010, 11:43:19 am »

The balance of the man. The sheer fucking balance. There was something about the way he stood over a ball - moving or stationary. Total mastery of the next few seconds.

Oddball · « **Reply #327 on:** December 21, 2010, 12:34:38 pm »

Quote from: Helsinki Red on December 20, 2010, 09:32:45 pm

The International Jari Litmanen day

Jari Litmanen celebrates his 40th birthday on 20th of February 2011. To honour this the first International Jari Litmanen day will be celebrated. This tradition is a way to honour the gentleman, world citizen, magical playmaker, ambassador of Finnish football and his long career and all those through-passes. Everyone can celebrate the International Jari Litmanen day in their own way. One can watch his magic on Youtube, one can put on the number ten shirt, or one can develop a cocktail bearing the Litmanen name. Let's make the International Jari Litmanen day a day to remember!

Hail the King!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=149557638428949

Will put my Barca Litmanen top on for that day. May be a wee bit tight mind

Dr Abismo · « **Reply #328 on:** December 22, 2010, 09:22:34 am »

Quote from: yorkykopite on December 21, 2010, 11:43:19 am

The balance of the man. The sheer fucking balance. There was something about the way he stood over a ball - moving or stationary. Total mastery of the next few seconds.

That's it! You're spot on, Yorky. I remember seeing Tom Finney (yes, I'm that old) and George Best and thought the same thing. It's not the balance of a rock, who can't be pushed off the ball, but the sense of being able to move in any direction at any time and evade a challenge, almost like there's no inertia. Iniesta has it too.

redoneusa · « **Reply #329 on:** December 29, 2010, 06:51:31 pm »

Sign him, I am sure we could have a use for him. Even if its the last 20 minutes of a game I always fancy him to get a goal.

Ramon · « **Reply #330 on:** December 29, 2010, 07:42:18 pm »

I remember watching game on TV when he was playing for Ajax and I was mesmerized by skill. I felt the Ged should have given him more chances to show us what he could do.

CB · « **Reply #331 on:** December 31, 2010, 02:36:39 pm »

I recall going to Palace away in one of his first matches. I think he came on as a sub and one of his first touches was to reverse a ball to play Heskey clean through behind the defenders. Needless to say, Heskey completely missed this piece of cunning and skill and the opportunity was wasted.

Helsinki Red · « **Reply #332 on:** February 20, 2011, 10:31:32 am »

We've had many Presidents but only one King

Happy 40th birthday Jari!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey4Uqf3Vw7Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCF_kyqVSSs

Anything Will Do · « **Reply #333 on:** February 20, 2011, 10:36:06 am »

Happy birthday!

I love a bit of Jari

Alf · « **Reply #334 on:** February 20, 2011, 10:39:17 am »

Happy 40th birthday Jari!

anfieldpurch · « **Reply #335 on:** February 20, 2011, 11:26:43 am »

Happy Birthday Jari

CognacBut · « **Reply #336 on:** February 20, 2011, 11:30:34 am »

Life begins at 40 Jari!

Sign him up.

Samee · « **Reply #337 on:** February 20, 2011, 11:35:19 am »

Like a boss.

Happy birthday Jari.

caspertheghost · « **Reply #338 on:** February 20, 2011, 11:38:35 am »

Absolutely cracking player, Happy Birthday Jari!

Saint Kopite · « **Reply #339 on:** February 20, 2011, 05:17:51 pm »

Happy Birthday Jari.

KERRYKOP · « **Reply #340 on:** February 20, 2011, 05:31:15 pm »

Loved him in that great Ajax side, then he came us!

Jimmy Conway · « **Reply #341 on:** February 21, 2011, 01:26:44 pm »

Quote from: Samee on February 20, 2011, 11:35:19 am

Like a boss.

Happy birthday Jari.

Johnny Depp in Public Enemies!

Chaztastic · « **Reply #342 on:** February 21, 2011, 01:59:18 pm »

Legendary player, fantastic bloke. Happy birthday Jari.

Roslagen · « **Reply #343 on:** February 21, 2011, 04:35:21 pm »

For a few months back in 1995, Jari Litmanen was the best player in the world. Absolutely marvellous man.

Also a tragedy he always got injured, really. In 2006, while playing for Malmö FF in Sweden, he got a champagne cork in his eye (form the club director

), missing a couple of months. How bad is that

Happy birthday Jari!

guest · « **Reply #344 on:** February 21, 2011, 04:43:09 pm »

Overrated.

SteveZissou · « **Reply #345 on:** February 24, 2011, 12:41:16 pm »

Should have played upfront with God.

Roger Federer · « **Reply #346 on:** February 24, 2011, 01:28:19 pm »

Quote from: L6 Red on February 21, 2011, 04:43:09 pm

Overrated.

I'm not sure if you're being serious or not, but he isn't. Litmanen was one of the absolute best players in the world in the mid 90's, he had awereness and vision like few others in the game. To bad injuries meant he couldn't show it as consistently later on in his career, but a superb player at his best.

Not that it's saying much, but after Michael Laudrup, the best player to come out of Scandinavia for the past 20-30 years.

placidcasual · « **Reply #347 on:** February 24, 2011, 02:52:18 pm »

Brilliant player. Really loved Liverpool too. I remember him being asked the starting line-up of the 1984 European Cup final side and he rhymed it off effortlessly.

Happy Birthday, Jari.

Jorgen · « **Reply #348 on:** February 25, 2011, 10:12:00 am »

Quote from: Roger Federer on February 24, 2011, 01:28:19 pm

Not that it's saying much, but after Michael Laudrup, the best player to come out of Scandinavia for the past 20-30 years.

Where is Sami on your list?

Roger Federer · « **Reply #349 on:** February 25, 2011, 10:21:46 am »

Quote from: Jorgen on February 25, 2011, 10:12:00 am

Where is Sami on your list?

Good question. I haven't really made up a list, but he must be in the top-5 atleast. Perhaps even third behind the two I mention. All my fellow Swedes will probably protest and have Zlatan and Larsson at the top, but I think Hyypiä at his best were a greater CB than those two are/were forwards. I'm biased though.

Grobbelrevell · « **Reply #350 on:** February 25, 2011, 10:32:46 am »

Quote from: L6 Red on February 21, 2011, 04:43:09 pm

Overrated.

Really? Not for me. Every bit as good as the likes of Bergkamp. I think he was a fantastic player in his prime and I just wish we had got him when he went to Barca.

Happy birthday Jari.

Yorkykopite · « **Reply #351 on:** February 25, 2011, 11:05:36 am »

I salute Litmanen.

That 9th photograph. It's simple and unspectacular but it captures the essence of the player. The balance over the ball, the domination of the next few seconds, the creation of space out of a melee.

Think of all the cavemen who've played for Liverpool in the last ten years. And then think of this sublime piece if football engineering from the 22nd century. It's a sad thing that we saw so little of him in Red.

lfcshaunod · « **Reply #352 on:** February 25, 2011, 05:54:21 pm »

Jari litmanen...awesome

Happy Birthday!!!

Ramon · « **Reply #353 on:** February 25, 2011, 09:20:20 pm »

Happy birthday Jari, one of my favorite players. Technically amazing and I'll always remember the goal he scored in a European cup game for Ajax where he belt it ball with the outside of his boots and curled it around the keeper.

Helsinki Red · « **Reply #354 on:** February 25, 2011, 10:34:01 pm »

Litmanen is by far my favourite footballer ever. Of course being Finnish has something to do with it but what a player he is/was. True professional on and off the pitch. He's never been a passionate leader on the pitch but he's been a great father figure to younger players and has helped them a lot. Off the pitch he is modest gentleman to tries to avoid being in the spotlight. You never see Jari talking about anything else than football in the media. He protects his wife and kids from the media. I have been lucky enough to met Jari many times and have heard some brilliant stories about him from Finnish international players. You get the impression that he is shy and silent but he has a great sense of humour. There was a video clip in Finnish FA's site a while ago where every player intoruced himself by saying a name and position. When it was Jari's turn he said: "Jari Litmanen, striker. Or midfield, or on the bench...or in the stands."

At the moment he is considering his options. His club FC Lahti were relegated at the end of the season. Jari lives in Helsinki and in Tallinn so if he continue his career he might end up playing next seasn for HJK or one of the Estonian clubs.

its cold in the stands · « **Reply #355 on:** February 25, 2011, 11:10:46 pm »

he was unlucky that he arrived here at a time when we started playing a more direct style of footy.
if he played for us in any other era he would have been a great player for us.
he didnt play the amount of games that he should have but he was well respected by the fans who saw him as a proper `liverpool player`, if i had a pound for everytime i heard someone say ` for f##k sake put litmanen on!` i`d be a rich man.

gamble · « **Reply #356 on:** February 25, 2011, 11:37:35 pm »

amazing footballer. wish we got him a few years earlier

Ecuared · « **Reply #357 on:** February 26, 2011, 12:12:29 am »

He looks like Robbie Robertson.

Robbie.

Jari.

Helsinki Red · « **Reply #358 on:** March 21, 2011, 11:29:22 am »

40 years old Litmanen has been training with HJK for some time now and it looks like he will play for them next season. Litmanen returned to HJK shirt after 20 years on saturday in a league cup game against Kups. Check out the highlights. What a player he still is. 4.25 on the video he comes on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xl3IzzPJiU&feature=player_embedded

Spanish Al · « **Reply #359 on:** March 21, 2011, 11:37:36 am »

How much longer is he gonna play for? With the pace of that game he's got a few more years in him yet! Touch still class. Does he still play international football yeh? Remember watching Wales vs Finland last year and Jari bossed the game completely, him and big Sami were class.