Where it all went wrong

[redheart]

Well what a crap final. Anyone else think that we didnt even give it a proper go?

Where it went wrong?

1:Season finished to early
We qualified for the final and then had meaningless games to play. You mess around with the team and everyone relaxes. It is then difficult to get back into top gear

2:We played them at their game
English football is based upon pace, power, strength and aggression. We should play to those strengths the continentals dont like it. We met Milan and felt we had to play a European game. Thus we went 4-5-1 and played to their strengths.

3:Wrong players and positions
Zenden is a hard working and honest chap but he looks like a 14 year old playing against bigger boys. Out of his depth and too easy to keep out of the game.
Alonso..how did he stay on? Absolute stinker of a game.
Gerrard...played in a position guaranteed to isolate our most influential player. An absolute crime.
Kewell....ahh yes his one or two games of the season when glory time comes around...absolute dross. waste of money and goodbye in the summer.
Kuyt....hardworking and determined. If we are playing one up front the striker has to stay up front and not drift out wide in midfield etc...seems lost on him.

[Red Chilli]

Well what a crap final. Anyone else think that we didnt even give it a proper go?

Nope, I thought we gave it a good go, we controlled the game.

It's easy to play when you're 3-0 down and out of it, you just go all out attack.
We controlled that game and were unfortunate to go 1-0 down. We should have scored a lot earlier and if we had a potent striker out there we might have.

[fowlen]

what rubbish.
we were the better team for most of the game.
where it went wrong - we had oppurtunities which we did not convert - simple as that

Rafa, should hve taken Zenden off way earlier, and also brought crouchy on earlier, but things happen.
We lost and I am proud of the lads for giving it a go!

[fowlen]

Added to that the Ref was abslute pants - some of those decisions were mind boggling

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

We looked the stronger team in the firs half and then let it all slip with a defensive mistake due to uncoordinated play. Second half was like watching a ship sink slowly into the mire. Kuyt's goal didn't even move me off my seat. Bring on next season and some decent buys.

[spud_gun]

**** Off.

RCDNW.

[ningnangnong]

No point criticizing the team.

[Owen20]

Nope, I thought we gave it a good go, we controlled the game.

It's easy to play when you're 3-0 down and out of it, you just go all out attack.
We controlled that game and were unfortunate to go 1-0 down. We should have scored a lot earlier and if we had a potent striker out there we might have.

[Warren]

Added to that the Ref was abslute pants - some of those decisions were mind boggling

[Sprouty]

The Ref.

[spud_gun]

The Ref.

Get a grip. THe ref did not knock two goals in for Milan.

[Tom]

We controlled the game completely until the 44th minute. They then got lucky. We gave it a bloody good go against a team that had just annihliated the english champions.

We played 4-4-1-1 and played them off the park first half. Sorry most of your points are spurious. We could have played our first team in the last pointless prem games and what would we have done if gerrard, masch, carra or agger had got injured?

You're picking on alonso, you must have seen a different game to me.

[bigfooty]

We were the better team but I think that's more to do with Milan being off colour, they made a lot of mistakes when not actually being pressed.

I think Rafa showed tonight one of his biggest flaws is that he picks teams to not lose matches rather than to win them. It's been obvious to anyone watching us in the league away from home this season. Far too often prior to the introduction of Crouch - after 78 minutes - we lacked bodies in the box so all our good play was never capitalised on.

I'm gutted we lost but we have only Rafa to blame on this particular night. I hope he wakens the **** up in the league next season or we're doomed to mediocrity there once more.

Credit to the fans too, were in good voice all evening and didn't give up. Unlike our manager.

[kurtangle01]

Where it went wrong was that we never took our chances.

[Mr Tourette]

You're an ****ing idiot, get over it. We controlled the game, they had a deflected goal and a break away goal of high quality - otherwise we gave it a ****ing great go - and they were hardly in it. Now go and have a drink and shut your arse.