Post match - Marseille

[Fiddy]

Reading on Saturday was one of those games. It's not great when it happens and I was certainly dissapointed but sometimes, for whatever reason, you end up losing when you shouldn't.

Look at the scum against Bolton or Arsenal at Boro for example. It happens and at the time I can guarantee I was as dissapointed as you but you have to move on because there's nothing you can do about it now. All you're doing is getting yourself het up over it.

Tonight is the night to forget about Saturday. Enjoy tonights result, look forward to Sunday, and put the result on Saturday behind you.

Probably the best post on this whole thread

**** happens, every team drops crappy points sometimes, their penalty wasn't one and we should have had one, whenever we lose and Rafa has changed even ONE player from the game before he is gonna get stick from certain people, blah blah.

Why people feel a need to whinge after another quality European night is beyond me, especially with a huge game to look forward to this weekend where if we get 3 points we'll be right up there. Miserable cunts the lot of 'em!

[Craig_H]

There are some people here that are just never happy ...

"Tonight confirmed that the league is more important than the CL" ??

That is a load of **** in my opinion. What would you have liked to see ? Momo and Mascher midfield, Kuyt and Voronin up front and Gerrard and Torres rested just to show you that the league is important too ??

I was just as pissed as you that we lost to Reading, but considering that the game tonight and then 5 days later we have the Mancs, I can understand Rafa's thoughts. Torres was kicked all over the place and lets be frank, we need him over the hectic schedule we have coming up ...

If we cannot beat Reading without Torres or Gerrard, then we have some SERIOUS issues. Rafa is doing what he does best, managing the fitness of the players over the entire season. I know you say it's only 20 minutes extra, but that extra time on the pitch may have hindered Gerrard and Torres in their stunning performances tonight or against the Mancs...

I agree.

It actually confirmed that the CL is more important than the league.

[AFII]

I agree.

It actually confirmed that the CL is more important than the league.

I'm happy that Fergie thinks that too.

He rested Ronaldo against Bolton, a 100% clear proof that the CL is more important, or maybe not.

[Craig_H]

You're utterly clueless AFII.

[Harv]

You're utterly clueless AFII.

you've finally cottoned on have you

[Fiddy]

[QUOTE=Sir Bob;832437]I think its perfectly obvious that Saturday's mess was a direct result of preparing for tonights game. Like it or not, and I don't, tonights game was bigger because of the cash involved. However, if we are to win the league under Rafa, this season or any season for that mater, then the league game at places like Reading will have to take priority over CL games that follow.

Last season, the Mancs played a full strength 11 in the league whenever possible. The result being they won the league but were goosed by the time the CL semi came around. Had they rested key players during the season in league games, they may well have won the CL but not the league. I think its virtually impossible to win the CL and a major domestic title in the same year.[/QUOTE]

I understand what you're saying. I do think though that perhaps Rafa favoured tonight over Saturday for two reasons. First reason is that if we lost on Saturday we still have time to turn it around. Not an ideal scenario but I suppose it's the way it happened. If we'd lost tonight though it was all over.

Secondly, I think if Rafa hadn't qualified he would've been in a very tricky position when he goes to meet Gillett and Hicks next week.

Just the way I see it.

Rafa basically HAD to make sure we qualified for the next stage of the CL, both for personal and financial reasons...ultimately we got lucky in the league with Arsenal losing too and there's still half a season with plenty of 'six pointers' left. However from now on I doubt we'll see too much compromised in league games - but at the start of the season did anyone seriously expect us to win the league? For me personally it's great just to be mounting a proper challenge - next year is the one I'd be looking for Rafa to deliver that trophy back to Anfield.

[AFII]

You're utterly clueless AFII.

If I'm clueless then so are you because I only used the same argument as you did.

I think that you just kurtangled yourself.

[Craig_H]

If I'm clueless then so are you because I only used the same argument as you did.

I think that you just kurtangled yourself.

I was just saying generally, i wasnt referring to your previous post - hence why i didnt quote it.

You're genuinely clueless. I'm not having a go or messing about.



You just are.

I still like you though.

[CAD]

Why aren't more people completely outraged by this? Do none of you care about the league anymore and what it means to this club?

It was a typical Rafa move. Playing Momo with Masch was clueless. Just playing Mono was clueless. Crouch as a winger was hilarious. YES, Rafa threw away another 3 points in the PL. As he has so many times before. I can't get outraged anymore. Only hope for better players so rotation won't hurt us so bad. Rafa will never stop rotating.

I can only conclude that we are 4 point off the lead if we win the Hammers game in hand mid-season and that we have just progressed in the CL. With a win Sunday and Chelski beating Arse things will be completely open and you, Niall, will have to put a sock in it. I am no great Rafa fan myself, so I guess it goes for me as well.

We are very much alive these days

[AFII]

I was just saying generally, i wasnt referring to your previous post - hence why i didnt quote it.

You're genuinely clueless. I'm not having a go or messing about.



You just are.

I still like you though.

I can't blame Rafa for anything until I see the results at the end of the season. It's not fair to blame anyone until we have the whole picture and we will have that at the end of the season.

[AFII]

Benitez hails his united Liverpool
tribalfooball.com - December 11, 2007

Liverpool produced a superb performance to qualify for the Champions League knockouts with a resounding 4-0 victory at Olympique Marseille.

The Reds sealed a second-placed finish in Group A thanks to a stunning victory at the Stade Velodrome, courtesy of first-half goals by Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres and strikes after the break by Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel.

It was the first time Marseille have lost to an English team at home in Europe, and means the Merseysiders have now scored 16 goals in their last three Champions League games.

They will face one of the giants from Italy or Spain in the last 16, but Benitez reckons his men can cope with whoever they are put up against.

"It doesn't matter who we play now," said the Spaniard. "All of them are good sides but we are just enjoying ourselves.

"My team is growing and playing better every week. I am happy with the way we are attacking and defending.

"These are good times for us at the moment. We are playing well and with confidence - it's not a problem who we play against now."

Benitez admitted performances of this kind made him "proud" to be Liverpool's manager.

He added: "I was not thinking about the meeting. I must simply try to do my job.

"You could see the players, supporters, everyone were together. Everyone wants to win and we should talk about that, not the meeting.

"I am always confident - you can see that the players and supporters are happy, and this is good for the future of the club.

"I am not thinking about my situation every day, I am just thinking about my team and how they can improve."

When Torres scored a sumptuous second after 11 minutes, the contest was all but over.

Kuyt made it 3-0 with a powerful finish from 10 yards after yet more static defending by OM, and Babel added gloss with a breakaway fourth in injury time.

Benitez was delighted with the way his men played, even thought they could have scored more.

"The performance was really good. We played compact as a unit, played well in attack, had our chances and didn't concede.

"People will talk about the second goal of Torres, but the third goal and fourth were good and everything went well."

[Harv]

I was just saying generally, i wasnt referring to your previous post - hence why i didnt quote it.

You're genuinely clueless. I'm not having a go or messing about.



You just are.

I still like you though.

[tomasjj]

Get yourself a moderatorship then you can **** me off this forum.

Moaning Scottish bagpipe...

[Skillz]

DJS gets far too much abuse in my opinion.

Pigs arse. This is the after match thread for the "Vs Marseille" game. If he wants to talk about "v Reading" he can piss off to thread. Why is he and CMS allowed to completely derail what should be a positive thread.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Pigs arse. This is the after match thread for the "Vs Marseille" game. If he wants to talk about "v Reading" he can piss off to thread. Why is he and CMS allowed to completely derail what should be a positive thread.

Free speech?