Besiktas (A) - 26th Feb

[Dr Nowt]

Last time I remember such tragicomic inevitability a taker would spoon their pen in a shoot-out was Baresi in the final of the 94 World Cup.

 

Poor fucker, no way a player in his already precarious position should be taking the 5th penalty, under any circumstances.

[Gym Beglin]

Sturridge appalled me, as did Sterling. balotelli was a sack of shit but I dont point a finger at him tonight.

[Nightcat]

Fucking sick of getting done by no marks in the Europa League under Rodgers. Even the Owl had a decent record there.

 

Top 4 or the sack.

Top 4? Why?

 

So we can take the piss out of our next season's Champions League or Europa League campaign? 

[ritchie]

I'm not blaming Lovren. he shouldn't have been there. Where was Sterling? Sterling is supposed to be a front man. He should be stepping up ahead of Lovren.

 

Sterling stepped up to take the winning kick against Boro and fluffed it. Toure should have been on it.

[ZonkoVille77]

I'd argue that Lovren wanted to take the pen, maybe to atone for being a chocolate teapot. Anyway it's done.

 

terrible performance. Terrible subs. Terrible attitude from the front 3. The scene of one of the best triumphs and we turn up looking like Aston Villa.

 

All on Rodgers.

[J-V]

Not arsed we weren't winning it anyway.

 

Not under Rodgers, we won't win fuck all so get used to it.

[Phoenix]

Sterling is getting a lot of flak for not taking the penalty but no one knows whether he volunteered or not and someone else was preferred over him in the order of takers.

[Lurtz]

Absolutely fucking useless in the CL then out of the Euro League at the earliest possible opportunity. Rodgers needs fucking help in Europe, should we manage to scrape our way back in. He clearly has no fucking idea. Embarrassing. I'd trust half the members of this site to get us further.

 

Fucking sickening to witness him turn us into a European laughing stock.

[lebron]

I'm much more annoyed at us not showing any attacking intent after they scored. Given how shit Mignolet is at pens, and how few of our players have got shooting boots, we were doomed before the pens started.

 

Disgraceful performance from Sturridge, apart from the feel-good goal he got against Bolton he's been woeful since his return. Sterling not much better, and both of them seem to struggle particularly on wobbly pitches. Balotelli the least bad of the three, but I guess the yellow he was on played on Rodgers' mind when he took him off.

 

Not the worst thing in the world to go out of the Europa League, but not a good way to do it, leaving us knackered before Sunday and taking much of the wind out of our sails in the same instant.

[an tha]

You know what that might have done us a turn, we simply haven't got the depth of quality and balance in squad needed to manage this Thursday lark, we weren't winning this anyway for my money, tactically not up to it... We can focus on trying to push for top 4 which shouldn't be beyond us against the shite we are competing with.. get back into Europe proper and sort out our unbalanced squad for a proper tilt. We shouldn't be in this anyway, this dropping down lark is a joke.

 

Our season of European football has been nothing short of embarrassing though.

 

Never like losing it hurts now but due to the joke Uefa have made this and how it fucks up league form due to laughable scheduling I honestly believe we are better without it until we are equipped for it.

[Jay86]

Managers decision on order of players. But penalties were always going to be a risk.

 

Should have put the game to bed in the 90 mins.

The only reason Lovren would be taking the fifth one is that nobody else wanted one and by going last there's always the chance it won't make it that fair, then he wouldn't have to take it.

 

He should never have been put in that position though and Sterling should have stepped up, he's essentially paid to score goals and didn't back himself 1 on 1 from 12 yards out.

[ratcatcher]

At least he had the bollocks to step up. I'm not going to slate the bloke for missing a penalty.

 

Overall, we got what we deserved, the keeper and defence played well, everyone else, especially our forwards, were utter gash.

 

Fair shout that.

[J-V]

Top 4? Why?

 

So we can take the piss out of our next season's Champions League or Europa League campaign? 

 

Exactly.  At least we'll get more money to blow on shite again though....

 

[magicrat]

Why let that useless cunt take one.

 

Actually this disaster is on Rodgers, pathetic management.

You're right its on Rodgers , Pathetic use of subs and tactics. Plays two strikers and they play 30 yards from each other . We start getting battered and he waits till we concede to get a striker off and bolster the midfield, He lets Lovren take the critical last pen . All of this but its not a disaster. Its obvious we are not going to mount a successful campaign in the Europa and get top 4. There are injuries right left and centre and some of the players like Can are absolutely fucked. Ibe looks out of gas . We also have the FA cup which should be a priority now. .It was fucking horrible tonight but Thursday night football would have ensured we drew a blank on all fronts had it continued.  Get the lads home and try and put in a show on Sunday and come away with something . Hopefully a few of injuries will have cleared up for the City game 

[mouse1989]

Didn't even look like scoring tonight

[ZonkoVille77]

I feel like a prick for calling out Lovren now but it was in anger. He shouldn't have been put in that position.

[Phoenix]

The only reason Lovren would be taking the fifth one is that nobody else wanted one and by going last there's always the chance it won't make it that fair, then he wouldn't have to take it.

 

He should never have been put in that position though and Sterling should have stepped up, he's essentially paid to score goals and didn't back himself 1 on 1 from 12 yards out.

Sterling doesnt decide the order of takers.

[KevieG]

Can't blame Lovren there. He stepped up.

[Baltar]

Deserved to lose that and quite fitting that Lovren misses the crucial pen. What an absolute disaster he's been.

[JermainePennant]

At least he had the bollocks to step up. I'm not going to slate the bloke for missing a penalty.

 

Overall, we got what we deserved, the keeper and defence played well, everyone else, especially our forwards, were utter gash.

This sums the night up, tactics are irrelevant when players are playing so bad and the only other thing Rodgers could have done from the start was Lallana instead of Balotelli.

[J-V]

To add insult to injury they're not even showing Rover Monsters now.

[JoeyJones65]

This is another nail in the coffin of the claim that Brendan Rodgers is a great manager.

 

He is fucking clueless when it comes to European football. Rafa Benitez had his faults but he did the fucking business when it came to European matches. Sorry Brendan you dont have a fucking clue in European games.

 

[Boss]

The cameraman got the suspense of that moment spot on, the indistinguishable hands placing the ball on the spot, then the slow pan up revealing Lovren's face, it was like a horror movie.

[ritchie]

Absolutely fucking useless in the CL then out of the Euro League at the earliest possible opportunity. Rodgers needs fucking help in Europe, should we manage to scrape our way back in. He clearly has no fucking idea. Embarrassing. I'd trust half the members of this site to get us further.

 

Fucking sickening to witness him turn us into a European laughing stock.

 

What about the European heavyweights Achterberg, Marsh and Pascoe? That's a bench swimming with European experience and know-how. All Gerrard's European experience and he's sat at home or in the TV studio. 

[Tony Moanero]

So, Rodgers is a cunt again then is he?