Braga post-match

[The Erectile Banana]

I thought last night's line up was spot on as we needed to attack.

Lucas and Merieles have worked well together in the middle before, their partnership was one of the bright spots of Hodgson's reign.

Even if Spearing or Poulsen had started I think we'd still have hit as many long balls.

[Vermilion]

Of course not I wouldn't dare say anything against the totally infallible Rafa...






Psst... over here, while certain people aren't looking... Ok, yes I was sort of suggesting that some of our static players may be down to Rafa, he purchased them after all - I believe. Also I may be suggesting that some of our players, bought by Rafa, are shot and became shot after the season we finished second and should of been moved on. Why they are still here, I have no idea. Oh yeah and this is only my own personal opinion though and am only suggesting it as a view point and not saying it is gospel.

Pssst, Sorry could'nt help overhearing, big ears and all that! Nosey ****er too like.

Ownership ****ed us and Rafa over, I daren't say it too loudly or i'll be accused of wearing funny goggles or some such thing which skews my opinion.

And yes he made mistakes, but his biggest ones were made while under extreme pressure from **** owners and board members with an agenda.

Just to put a bit of perspective on it.

*tip toes away*

[dww]

I thought last night's line up was spot on as we needed to attack.

Lucas and Merieles have worked well together in the middle before, their partnership was one of the bright spots of Hodgson's reign.

Even if Spearing or Poulsen had started I think we'd still have hit as many long balls.

I really don't think that having more attacking players in the team necessarily equates to being more effective in attack. It's not just about who is in the middle but who you can put out wide and Cole's decision making is rubbish and Maxi is not proactive enough in my opinion to balance him. We have the sort of players whose job needs to be made easy - ideally by winning the midfield battle and having options to move the ball out of defense quickly.

[Tee]

Psst... over here, while certain people aren't looking... Ok, yes I was sort of suggesting that some of our static players may be down to Rafa, he purchased them after all - I believe. Also I may be suggesting that some of our players, bought by Rafa, are shot and became shot after the season we finished second and should of been moved on. Why they are still here, I have no idea. Oh yeah and this is only my own personal opinion though and am only suggesting it as a view point and not saying it is gospel.

Pssst, Sorry could'nt help overhearing, big ears and all that! Nosey ****er too like.

Ownership ****ed us and Rafa over, I daren't say it too loudly or i'll be accused of wearing funny goggles or some such thing which skews my opinion.

And yes he made mistakes, but his biggest ones were made while under extreme pressure from **** owners and board members with an agenda.

Just to put a bit of perspective on it.

*tip toes away*

[cled the red]

Not sure about Spearing slaters really mate. I think everyone on Est is of the opinion that he's nowhere near good enough for LFC.

Fair enough. I was just a little bit frustated seeing him coming on instead of Pacheco

Talking of Pacheco what has he done?? Rafa (to a certain degree), The Bodge and now KK seem very reluctant to use him

[Rudo]

More gutted and angry about this today.

Useless ****ers have embarrassed us for about 18 month, one final chance to give us something to look forward to - a European final in Dublin and they **** it up good an proper.

Such a ****ty, dull, half-hearted performance against a side like Braga isn't acceptable as far as i'm concerned. No excuses.

Us Irish Reds deserve alot better.

[Chazza]

Us Irish Reds deserve alot better.

Reds all over the world deserved alot better

[Rudo]

Reds all over the world deserved alot better

Of course but with the final being in Dublin, it would have been extra special for us.
A reward for our loyal support over the years, it's a pity the players go all out for it. It's bitterly disappointing.

Also disappointed with Kenny's team selection and tactics over the two legs.

[Mostar]

Of course but with the final being in Dublin, it would have been extra special for us.
A reward for our loyal support over the years, it's a pity the players go all out for it. It's bitterly disappointing.

Also disappointed with Kenny's team selection and tactics over the two legs.

Who would you play?

I was personally very pleased with the selection but deeply disappointed about how we played.

[Rudo]

Who would you play?

I was personally very pleased with the selection but deeply disappointed about how we played.

I wouldn't have started Poulsen in the 1st leg and Maxi in the 2nd leg.

Spearing should have started last night imo.(although i don't rate him too much)

I just thought it was too predictable and over the two legs i can't recall us creating too many clear cut chances.
If Roy was in charge for them two games he would have been slaughtered.

[SimonNo7]

Pssst, Sorry could'nt help overhearing, big ears and all that! Nosey ****er too like.

Ownership ****ed us and Rafa over, I daren't say it too loudly or i'll be accused of wearing funny goggles or some such thing which skews my opinion.

And yes he made mistakes, but his biggest ones were made while under extreme pressure from **** owners and board members with an agenda.

Just to put a bit of perspective on it.

*tip toes away*

Agree with you completely, but it does appear sometimes that you are not even allowed to suggest that Rafa made some mistakes and that some of his purchases weren't and still aren't good enough for this club.

Of course the biggest reason we are where we are is down to the leaches that are known as H&G.

But like Sky didn't invent football, Roy Hodgson, as **** as he was, did not create the mess we are in either.

[dww]

I wouldn't have started Poulsen in the 1st leg and Maxi in the 2nd leg.

Spearing should have started last night imo.(although i don't rate him too much)

I just thought it was too predictable and over the two legs i can't recall us creating too many clear cut chances last night.
If Roy was in charge for them two games he would have bloody slaughtered.

In some ways I agree with you but you have to accept that your (our) case is not the strongest on the personnel side - it's not as if he was leaving a great talent out of the side.

[Baracus]

braga v dynamo V psv v benfica

Porto/ sparta can't remember the other 1/4 final draw

not any real great teams left. We missed a cracking chance. A cracking chance.

[The Birdman]

I wouldn't have started Poulsen in the 1st leg and Maxi in the 2nd leg.

Spearing should have started last night imo.(although i don't rate him too much)

I just thought it was too predictable and over the two legs i can't recall us creating too many clear cut chances last night.
If Roy was in charge for them two games he would have been slaughtered.

That last bit is 100% spot on. I expected a lot more attacking intent from all of the sides Kenny selected in Europe.
It's piss easy to pass the ball sideways and backwards then launch it 60 yards towards Carroll.
My earlier point about Pacheco is that while he clearly has done something wrong for Hodge and KK not to select him more regularly when he has played he hasn't been scared to try and influence a game.
Spearing was only going to pass back and across, Pacheco would have lost possession more but he would have tried to be positive, tried to create a goal and not taken the easy options.

Kenny is the only manager who can get away with selecting teams that play that badly at home in Europe.
He is an absolute legend but that doesn't mean he is above constructive criticism.

It wasn't the team selected that disappointed me but the absolute lack of invention or desire to create something in open play (after the first 15 mins)

[Maxiedge]

I still think it was an error to not field a more defensively minded DM alongside Lucas to build a platform. We ended up with a very unstructured midfield to far away from the defence when we were building from the back. It encouraged to many long balls and we didn't have players running onto anything that was knocked down either - effectively the worst of both worlds.

Part of that was down to the lack of better options (I mean no one is that enthusiastic about playing Poulsen of Spearing) but I do think Dalglish and Clarke deserve some of the blame.

Yes, i agree with this.