Post match thread

[tomasjj]

**** OFF MOURINHÒ!!

what a match!!!

Enjoyed that!!

Classic euro night!!

[kurtangle01]

**** OFF MOURINHÒ!!

what a match!!!

Enjoyed that!!

Classic euro night!!

I agree with every word.

[sonsofthedesert]

Can someone explain to me what happened with the Refs timing in the first half. He blew the whistle with 10 secs to go and there should also have been time added for the goals and diving.

[RedProf]

There is an easy answer. Turn the sound down and listen to commentary on the radio instead. Alan Greene, miserable though he can be, is a million times less annoying

The radio is only any good if its in sync with the pics. I've tried that before only to hear us score/concede seconds before seeing it! Immensely annoying! When I was in Athens I watched it in a bar that had radio commentary coming through before the tv pics. Suffice to say it became immensely aggravating knowing we didn't score when a move opened them up or worse when Milan scored!

[dww]

I'd say we were careless at the back and Gerrard at times left us exposed on the break at the back. However in general we played well and at the minute if we are drawing with 20 minutes to go I'm always confident we will nick it. We were under pressure but even when it wasn't coming off all our players were trying to make the break, to take a risk to get a goal. I was proud of the team today.

My one area of concern was how tired Sami looked today. I've said it before but he is very good cover but playing two games a week is too much for him and occasionally it shows and when it shows it can cost us.

[cobain]

That's class.

I read this on the Guardian round up

"The most eye-catching banner was that of Benítez's face incorporated into the famous image of Che Guevara, although the maker is unlikely to appreciate the irony if his revolution ends up suffering as a consequence of an American-backed plot."

Did anyone see this one/has any pics. I'd LOVE to see this.

Here it is mate:



NO PASARAN!

[livvy145]

Can someone explain to me what happened with the Refs timing in the first half. He blew the whistle with 10 secs to go and there should also have been time added for the goals and diving.

I thought the ref had a poor game, far too fussy.

[Guest]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article2964299.ece

Kop offers strongest statement of support for Rafael BenÍtez
Oliver Kay: Commentary

Of the principal players in the unedifying drama that is unfolding at Anfield, it is Rafael BenÍtez’s misfortune to be the one assigned to centre stage. Rather than keep his head down, the Liverpool manager has been required over the past week to appear above the parapet on an almost daily basis, each time offering the club’s American owners another opportunity to look for the signs of petulance that would result in him being dismissed.

Last night, as he reflected on an uplifting victory and the fervent backing of his adoring public, BenÍtez could have chosen to milk it. In one sense he did, joining his players on the pitch after the final whistle and lingering longer than any as he returned the applause of the Liverpool supporters, but afterwards, encouragingly, he expressed regret at the terrible mess that has arisen. It was an olive branch, of sorts.

“I don’t have any personal problems with the owners,” BenÍtez said. “We were talking about the future of the club and other issues, but I wasn’t angry with them. I was just surprised.”

Surprised by what? “By the situation, because I was only trying to improve my club. It was a strange situation, but I just want to do my best for the club. I read somewhere that it was my ego. It’s not my ego. It’s my responsibility. I need to take care of my team, my squad. It would be easy for me to say nothing and just take my wages each month. I prefer to be involved, but I don’t have any problems with anyone.”

This is as close as we will get to an apology for BenÍtez’s clashes with the board. In a sensible world it should be enough, but, given that the word has been that there is “no way back”, he can only hope and pray that, as winter sets in, the tension thaws.

If not, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr will face mutiny. Before last night’s match there was a protest march to the stadium, with 2,500 supporters expressing solidarity with BenÍtez. The back catalogue of songs chanted in his honour was extensive, but more striking was the number of banners on display, many written in Spanish. The most touching simply said “En Rafa confiamos” – In Rafa we trust.

Supporters’ feelings are not meant to count for much in the cutthroat world of modern football, but at Anfield there is cause to think that they should. BenÍtez is cold-hearted by nature, but he agreed that he was “touched” by his reception. He did not expand on those emotions, perhaps for fear of being seen as gloating, but he will doubtless have shared them with his No 1 supporter, a woman who may yet emerge as a player in the Anfield power struggle. In the WAG era, it is almost compulsory for footballers’ wives to be seen to support their husbands on the pitch, but Montse BenÍtez takes it to a new level. An elegant woman she may be, but if her husband is evicted by the absentee landlords, Anfield’s first lady will have to be dragged kicking and screaming from their Merseyside home.

Upon hearing that her husband was attracting interest from Real Madrid in 2005, she told him that “you can go, but I’m staying here”. In the directors’ box last night she and her Spanish companions seemed to expend as much energy, celebrating each Liverpool goal so wildly that they appeared in danger of being thrown out for rowdy behaviour. And at the final whistle she could be seen lip-synching to You’ll Never Walk Alone, an anthem whose words must ring truer than ever for her husband after an evening such as this.

[Skillz]

^^^^^ Class article that

[carrsim]

Montse

she wears the pants and she wants a couple more watches

[Harv]

taken from 6CM who stole it from RAWK: (Translated by AnotherSpanishfan from a spanish radio show)

Jose Ramon: Fernando Torres, Good evening!

Torresin a somewhat subdued tone) Hello, good evening.

Jose Ramon: You’re saying like you just got a draw…but you’ve just won the match, put four goals past Porto, two goals from yourself and you come on ‘hello, good evening’ what’s gotten to you?

Torres:[laughs] No, I’m just a bit tired

Jose Ramon: Very tired?

Torres: Tired but very happy, for everything

Jose Ramon: It’s been a really tough week, no?

Torres:…Yeah, we knew we had to win and the way the match was turning out with the score 1-1 we couldn’t find a clear way to their goal but at the end after the substitutions the team found a way and we scored three more goals. This is Liverpool, and when things go our away we have a lot of firepower.

Jose Ramon: Tell me about the atmosphere…

Torres: Today it was amazing. For many reasons, because all that was going on this week with Rafa, and the people here when the team needs of them they really support you more than ever and it’s been a gift for all of us. For those that had never lived a night like this before and especially for Benitez because we’ve seen that the supporters are really behind him, above everything else, no? So, we must be really proud because it’s very impressing.

Jose Ramon: Guillem was telling me earlier that they’ve put up a website and it had more than 50, 000 messages, lets save Benitez! ?

Torres: Yeah, I think he’s more than a manager. He’s one of the greats in their history and people feel that way about him and they show it. And we all had an idea that he’s somewhat special here but honestly today it’s been really impressing. I’m really impressed of how much he’s loved by the people, above anything else, even the players.

Jose Ramon: And you? How about yourself, do they love you too?Are you starting to become the star of the team?

Torres: Nah, not the star because…

Jose Ramon: They have many

Torres:…they have other players that are well above but I do feel their affection, the support for my team-mates and with each passing day I’m feeling more of a part of this and happier with everything and at the end of the day those things are reflected on the pitch, no?
------------
Jose Ramon: Guillem Balagué, good evening

Guillem: Good evening Jose Ramon

Jose Ramon: Liverpool needs to win now in Marseille in order to qualify..?

Guillem: Correct. It’s been a difficult match but with a good result, 4-1 and two goals from Torres, but like you’ve said they need to win in Marseilles in order to qualify. Today’s match began, like Fernando Torres said, two hours before the start of the match. A thousand supporters gathered near a pub close to the stadium and marched towards Anfield carrying banners, signs in support of Benitez, which has carried over to and throughout the match. But let’s have Benitez himself tell you about it. He’s at the gates and about to go home.

Jose Ramon: Hello Rafa, good evening.

Rafa: Hello, good evening

Jose Ramon: Less tension now?

Rafa:[sounds very calm] Yes, I said in the press conference, and it’s true, that I haven’t got any personal problems with the new owners. The only thing was that I was trying to act as a manager to improve my team now for January and for next season and they told me it wasn’t the time now. I didn’t understand why but now things have been, more or less, clarified and once they arrive here we will clear things up. And if meanwhile we can keep winning, then it’s even better.

Jose Ramon: The news we were getting here in Spain was that Benitez was going to leave Liverpool and once the season was over he was leaving Liverpool, and such things…Like things were really bad

Rafa: Yeah, Guillem here, he’s very exaggerated …

Jose Ramon: [laughs]

Rafa: Nah, the truth is that what carries over from England to Spain is usually over-magnified and at the end the situation ,off the record, as Guillem might say, might be of tension but at least I was trying to do things like always before, knowing that my responsibility is to try and win matches and that’s it.

Jose Ramon: Your relationship with the Americans that have bought Liverpool, what is it really like? And do they like football, do they understand it?

Rafa: The relationship was very good. Even when we played Arsenal, which I believe was on October 28th, we had a meeting and it was fantastic. The ideas and the plans for the future…and they were really happy about it. All of a sudden, I don’t know why, something changed and we exchanged information and that’s where the misunderstanding happened. Because we couldn’t speak directly and we had to do it over e-mails and such and we had contacted that way and it was perhaps where we had a ‘misunderstanding’ as they say here. But in the personal aspect, no problems because like I said, the relationship was very good. And as a matter of fact, they have always shown concern for my state of happiness. “We want Rafa to be happy”, “ As long as Rafa is happy”, so it’s been a bit of a surprise and let’s hope we can sort this out and fix everything.

Jose Ramon: Yes because that statement that came out saying “stop asking for players and coach the ones he has”

Rafa: Yes, but I think it was more the interpretation it was given or perhaps the off-the-record things that were written but I don’t think the situation was explained very well because I wasn’t asking for more money as it was believed. I was looking at two free players, and another player at a really good price after selling another player, which would’ve given us actually more money back and that’s where I couldn’t understand things. But to drop this issue which I think has been talked about enough already, the most important thing, I insist, is that I have no personal problem with them or against them and I think it’s the same way for them. And once we get to sit down we will clear up this matter and that’s it.


Jose Ramon: But the important thing is the 4-1 scoreline against Porto and Fernando’s two goals…?

Rafa: Yeah. Honestly, it was a very difficult match because Porto are a very good team with quality and we were wary about their counter-attacking play but we’ve given them six or seven chances to counter-attack against us, it was like we were training “counter-attack, here we go, and again another one” until we were able to settle and we scored the second goal and with Harry Kewell and Crouch on the pitch we gained more control of the ball and were able to win the air battles inside their area and it allowed us to keep the ball further up the pitch and score those goals.

Jose Ramon: How’s Fernando then? How’s he adapting?

Rafa: Fine. Gets better every time. He creates a lot of goal situations, missed a few the other day, but he is able to create for himself and today he’s scored those two goals. I think he’s a player that will continue to improve and will keep growing as a player.

Jose Ramon: And then there’s this webpage that Liverpool supporters created, saverafa! As in save[free] Willy. You’ve become a star over there…

Rafa: No, the truth is…that’s why I say that what is perceived from Spain sometimes is not true. The supporters here are amazing, I am very happy, they give me a lot of support and we try always like Bill Shankly said to make people happy because we are winning matches and they are enjoying it.

Jose Ramon: At 5pm on that webpage saverafa.com, there was more than 50, 000 messages

Rafa: Liverpool have a lot of supporters around the world. At the end, people join together and like I said the supporters are very, very good. This is a city that is used to suffering and that likes for people to fight for their own cause and I think that’s what they’ve tried to show, no? that the fight is for improving the team and I think that for the supporters that is very important.

Jose Ramon: You need to win now in Marseilles

Rafa: Yes, we knew we had to beforehand. Now it’s better because it’s the same thing but we are more confident.

Jose Ramon: Well, alright then. I give you my blessings, lets hope you are lucky.

Rafa: Thank you, cheers.

Jose Ramon: Good luck, manager

Rafa: Thank you , you too

Very frank interview by Rafa there. Sounds like its all cool behind the scenes, and that Bascombe was talking ****e once again.

[loco_law]

TORRES!!!!

[carrsim]

thanks for posting that. very interesting.

he's too modest. he knows we love him

[Nicey]

Here it is mate:



NO PASARAN!

This is why I am a Liverpool FC supporter and this is the Liverpool Way ..

Makes you proud to be a Red

A cut above the rest you lot are .... Bravo

[The Barber]

four jokers

Kop let owners know who's boss
Richard Jolly
Archive

Liverpool 4 - 1 Porto
The streets around Anfield, narrow and framed by ramshackle buildings, populated by the marching supporters with strong accents and still stronger opinions, represent a world away from the boardroom, an entirely separate universe from that the corporate financiers occupy.


GettyImages
Rafa Benitez acknowledges the support of his adoring Liverpool public.

Proper football men, ugly as the expression is, realise this. But the concept of the owner who doubles up as a fan is appearing outdated. When David Moores was the lone man in the Newcastle directors' box to stand and applaud the substituted Steven Gerrard on Saturday, his were the actions of an anachronism. Some of the current breed absent themselves; others use their club to celebrate the King of Thailand's birthday with excessive enthusiasm.

Still more, unused to dissent, behave intransigently as George Gillett and, in particular, Tom Hicks have done. The latter has displayed that the Texan concept of diplomacy is a novel one. A fondness for beginning unpopular conflicts thousands of miles away, while understanding little of the locals' hostility, is not the soundest basis for international relations, especially when in a minority.

Because while popularity contests are rarely edifying, they can be educative. This one certainly was. Money alone does not earn esteem and leveraged buy-outs certainly don't. Enabling a fundamentally average side to win the Champions League certainly does.

And this popularity contest, starting with the march outside Anfield 90 minutes before kick-off, was a landslide victory for Rafael Benitez. It demonstrated that, to influence Liverpool's future, it is essential to understand their past. It is necessary to have a grasp of the psyche of the city as well as the mentality, to borrow one of Benitez's favourite words, of the supporters.

In Liverpool, they rally round when they feel one of their own is under attack. Notwithstanding his Castilian upbringing, that category includes Benitez. 'Rafa is a Scouser,' was among the chants the protesting fans aired. The match began, as it ended and as much of the first half proceeded, to the soundtrack of a raucous chorus of the manager's name.

Messrs Hicks and Gillett, meanwhile, went mentioned. Outside Anfield, the Spaniard was merged with Che Guevara on one specially designed flag. Whether forming a hybrid picture with another who met an untimely demise, courtesy, albeit indirectly, of the Americans, is an unfortunate portent remains to be seen. At least it was an attempt to grant the Rafalutionary iconic status.

That was enhanced on an anxious, but ultimately satisfactory night for the majority. Liverpool have a tendency to fray the nerves and they were doing so again until three goals in 10 late minutes, coupled with Besiktas' victory over Marseille, provided a passage towards the 16. Benitez's dream of a May in Moscow could yet be realised.

It was a combination of his costliest buy and his most maligned player who delivered the decisive moment. A draw beckoned for the stubborn Portuguese side until the substitute Harry Kewell threaded a pass through to Fernando Torres, who slipped between Bosingwa and Milan Stepanov and lifted his shot beyond Helton. It was a high-calibre goal albeit one that, the American owners may reflect ruefully, they helped finance with the £26 million acquisition of Torres.

As euphoria overwhelmed Anfield, Porto subsided. Stepanov handled and Steven Gerrard converted the resulting penalty before Peter Crouch, another effective replacement, headed in Gerrard's right-wing corner.

It meant the captain was involved in a trio of goals. His corner was converted by Torres for the opener, a reward for a fine start from Liverpool, seemingly roused by the reception their manager was afforded. But when Porto, previously unthreatening, levelled through the unchecked Lisandro Lopez's header from a Przemyslaw Kazmierczak cross, Liverpool lost their fluency.

Passes were mislaid with Gerrard a culprit, at times alarmingly. Urgency took over, but at a cost to composure. And, for all their attacking intent, they only came close when Ryan Babel had a shot cleared off the line. Then came an injection of class, courtesy of Kewell and Torres.

'For me his price doesn't matter,' said Benitez. 'It's not important the money but Torres is a player who can score goals.' He had begun with a message to his vocal fan club. 'I want to say thank you to our supporters because they were as always magnificent.' Of the march he added, with an inadvertent echo of his catchphrase of last week: 'I knew that something was going on but I was focusing on the game.'

Yet, while eager to diffuse talk of a row, he stopped short of backing down. He explained: 'I don't have a personal problem with the owners. We were talking about the future of the club. I was not angry, I was just surprised a little bit [with their reaction].

'I was trying to improve my club. Maybe we need to wait but it was a strange situation. I think we need to talk in the future and we will see. It's not my ego, it's my responsibility. It could be easier for me not to say anything but I prefer to be involved and earn my wages.'

With his substitutions, he did so tonight. If he does again in Marseille, Liverpool will be in the last 16 and Benitez's bargaining position will be strengthened.

'Rafa's going nowhere,' asserted the Kop. The decision is not in their hands, but their backing may sway it. So will this win.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Fernando Torres - The two most significant goals of his Liverpool career thus far were very different, but equally well taken. They showcased the range in his game, as did his incisive dribbling.

LIVERPOOL VERDICT: Given the pressure he was under, it is to Benitez's credit that he was vindicated in the majority of the decisions he took. Yossi Benayoun was inventive in the early stages, Alvaro Arbeloa - selected at left-back - kept Ricardo Quaresma quiet to the extent that the winger switched flanks while Crouch and Kewell emerged from the bench to have an impact. But, Gerrard, Torres and Javier Mascherano apart, few of Liverpool's midfielders and forwards look like automatic choices.

PORTO VERDICT: For some 45 minutes, before Liverpool's late rally, they appeared a very accomplished side, with Lucho Gonzalez especially influential. Despite the late capitulation, a home game with Besiktas in their final fixture means they should still qualify as group winners.

IGOR'S ONLY FAN: For perhaps the first time, someone was spotted at Anfield in a replica shirt with Igor Biscan's name on it. It must be a collector's item.

HAVING A LAUGH? Either the translator was faulty or Jesauldo Ferreira, the Porto coach, was asked why he played with four jokers from the start.