Real Madrid (H) - CL Round of 16 1st leg, Tue 21st Feb 2023 (8:00pm)

[Planet Origi]

2 minutes ago, an tha said:

Absolutely no surprise that Fabinho and Henderson have been exposed as game wore on when playing a 3rd game in just over a week.

Hendo was OK for 50 minutes, then totally ran out of steam - Fabinho not much different frankly and they then just started walking through and past our midfield at will and with ease, as well as just taking ball at will.

And of course given all our brilliant options in midfield that all we can offer as first change in there is Milner on 70 odd mins....

Sadly even with the freakish/unlucky nature of some of the goals we let in tonight, it was always likely we'd concede a few tonight.

 

The fast start and earlyish lead looked like they might give us a platform to build on, but ultimately we were expksed for what we currently are by a very good side.....there is no argument about fact that we just are not at the level we were and at the level of the best sides around at present.

That overdue and desperately needed rebuild can't come soon enough, because  make no mistake without it, the great days we had been enjoying are a thing of the past - this team needs new, younger, fitter, more athletic, more mobile and high quality new blood - and quite a bit of it.
 

 

That's why it doesn't make sense why Keita is again suddenly out of favour after a few games. He may not be the answer but he's miles better than Henderson. 

[Red74]

Our defending is pitiful. Every opposition pass constantly finds its target in our box yet we just never address it. 

[Strontium]

It was the Alisson error that killed it.

[an tha]

6 minutes ago, Wezza said:

When is Konate back (not them I’m expecting him to be fit for long)

Initial estimates were he may be out for two weeks.

 

That was 3 weeks ago

[Moo]

6 minutes ago, Captain Willard said:

My theory is that FSG have lost faith in Klopp, there’s no new money for the team until a new manager comes in and he knows it. He’s just waiting for the big pay off in the summer followed by the German job. That’s why he doesn’t give a fuck anymore hence the toothy grin as we get shafted. Look at his reaction to every shit goal conceded and compare that to the passion he used to have, that’s not a man who expects to be here much longer. 

 

Dickhead.

[Jairzinho]

4 minutes ago, manwiththestick said:

There's a documentary on Channel 4 about Josef Fritzl if anyone needs something a bit more cheerful.

 

 

Now there's a fella who would always track his runners.

[Trumo]

Don't know what it is about Ancelotti's teams against us but they so often seem to ride their luck for a lot of the time and then get some really poxy breaks that make stattos wank over some ridiculous xG figure. Then they just step up a gear or two and you wonder if they were just toying with us.

 

We started this game brilliantly, with Darwin's superb opener and then Mo burying a gift from Postman Pat. Mo had moments earlier gone on a surging run only to finish weakly and shoot wide. Our tails were up and we looked a real threat, full of pace, purpose and energy.

 

We just had to keep our composure and not go mental too early. We also had to make sure we didn't allow them to create chances. We also had to make sure we did nothing silly.

 

We didn't do that. The half-time studio pundits kept talking about Joe not stepping out to close Vinicius down for Real's first goal, but he was only late in closing down because Hendo allowed himself to be sold too easily rather than keeping his shape and not allowing Vinicius to get goal-side of him. Joe found himself having to step out when he wouldn't have been set for that. Not a dreadful error but easily avoidable all the same.

 

Even more avoidable was the equaliser, fortuitous though it was in how it ricocheted so kindly. Dreadful dreadful 'Wolves in the cup' error by Ali. We'd just seen Postman Pat drop a bollock at the other end, and then our goalkeeper decides to tell his defenders to "hold my beer". For fuck's sake Ali!

 

Prior to the equaliser, Alaba had had to go off with a hamstring injury so Madrid had to bring on Nacho. I think the pause in play helped Madrid massively in taking the sting out of the game because from that point on, they dominated.

 

We just didn't turn up in that second half, and Madrid capitalised on more good fortune (the deflection off Joe for Benzema's first) and more mistakes (switching off at the free kick from which Militao gave them the lead, followed by Fab losing possession in midfield and Benzema showing his class and composure to absolutely kill off the game, and likely the tie).

 

That last 30 minutes showed that we are now light years off the level we were at last year.

 

The slim chance that we can pull off a miracle in Madrid is heavily reliant upon us not doing anything stupid. Can we really say we will avoid doing so?

 

 

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

8 minutes ago, Captain Willard said:

My theory is that FSG have lost faith in Klopp, there’s no new money for the team until a new manager comes in and he knows it. He’s just waiting for the big pay off in the summer followed by the German job. That’s why he doesn’t give a fuck anymore hence the toothy grin as we get shafted. Look at his reaction to every shit goal conceded and compare that to the passion he used to have, that’s not a man who expects to be here much longer. 

Any theories on whether the earth is flat or not?

[Red Shift]

Well, we’re all reeling and feeling emotional…I wont deny I’m gutted and really down, but we outplayed them in the first half, and were unlucky to not be 2-1 up at half time. We were the better team up to half time, and except for a freak rebound on Ali..who rarely makes a mistake…a 2-1 lead would have been fair.

 

It was our start to the 2nd half that was very poor. Absolutely no intensity, and although I don’t think Gomez’s foul was 100% nailed on, we defended that free-kick so poorly, and to concede a 3rd goal so early was the killer blow. The crowd collectively stopped believing and once the spell was broken, and with more collective errors / poor defending simply allowed Madrid to dominate. Where the hell was our press in the second half?

 

We’ve never beaten Madrid in the time that Jurgen has been with us..they are our achilles heal. 
 

It’s not over, but I haven’t seen enough of the right mentality from us here tonight, collectively, over the whole game, to think we can turn it around. On the Klopp believing / doubting scale I must admit the see-saw is dipping on the doubting side.

 

 

 

 

[TheHowieLama]

4 minutes ago, BeefStroganoff said:

Glad the team and fans I grew up with didn't feel like that.

Oh yea, mediocre, we have been that for sure. I might have seen you ate the big #mooresout protest.

[an tha]

Just now, Planet Origi said:

That's why it doesn't make sense why Keita is again suddenly out of favour after a few games. He may not be the answer but he's miles better than Henderson. 

He just isn't trusted is he.

 

He can't get in ahead of Hendo when it is a third game in 8 days for Hendo and it is dead obvious Hendo's legs can't cope with it.

 

We have about 9 or so midfielders and reality is hardly any of them really are actually worthy or capable of starting game in game out.

[KevieG]

3 minutes ago, Carvalho Diablo said:

Looking ahead? I hope John fucking Henry can see with his own eyes just how many of our all conquering side are now past it.

 

 

Doubt he watches us. Even tonight. And I'm being serious about that

[Harry Squatter]

25 minutes ago, Manny said:

Weird game. We were the better side in the first half and then they score two goals from nothing. We shit the bed at the start of the second half and go 3-2 down and then just when we should be getting a penalty they score another fluke and it's 4-2 and the heads go down.

 

In an odd way we're still slowly getting better but this wasn't half a reality check. But we've got Palace at the weekend and Real Madrid they ain't - nor are any of the other sides in the mix for 4th. It's a transitionary season and we'll just have to pick up and go again.

 

Detest that club though. Everything lands for them all the time, I can't work out what it is but they never seem to suffer with any adversity. A club for cunt fans to fluff themselves with.

Was thinking that. They get the rub of the green all the time. Last year they seemed to ride their luck all the way to the final. Even playing Al Hilal in the fucking final so they can just walk up and get another WCC trophy.

[Planet Origi]

3 minutes ago, stringvest said:

 

our midfield were shite all game, it was that it was disguised in the very early stages as we were pressing.  Once that dropped off, after our second goal, the midfield was non-existent.  Bad tried his best, but as we've seen before one decent midfielder out of three is not enough when the other two are criminally bad.

We've had Bajcetic play with your boy Thiago and been worse against shite teams, when that should be enough to compensate for one bad midfielder in according to your estimation.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Just watching The Thin Red Line, how apt.

[J-V]

4 minutes ago, Carvalho Diablo said:

Ouch! I dared to dream.

 

Seriously, we've come on a bundle from where we were just a month ago, the introduction of young Bajcetic being the catalyst.

 

Looking ahead? I hope John fucking Henry can see with his own eyes just how many of our all conquering side are now past it.

 

Bobby on the downslope, Milner too, and big Joel.

 

Hendo and Gomez have never been good enough, their British passports secure their places in the squad, little else does.

 

Trent needs to defend 1st or be absolved of his responsibilities and moved to (his more natural imo) midfield position.

 

Will Elliott and Carvalho ever be good enough? Who knows.

 

Ox, Keita and Jones, all surely gone?

 

Fabinho had his best game for us in ages...and he was still utterly fucking shit. Like a mentally handicapped blind man, wearing divers boots, wading through treacle. Sell him Jurgen because he's a liability.

 

Bajcetic, Darwin, Gakpo, Konate, these guys are our future. Sprinkle in some Big Virg and a little Mo, Diaz, Jota, Robbo and Ali, and we can go again. But that tight Yank arl twat JFNH absolutely needs to back the boss, or fuck off back to Dodge City.

 

Pronto.

 

YNWA

 

The only future Konate is is for the employment of the medical team.

[s(k)aturation]

5 minutes ago, Strontium said:

It was the Alisson error that killed it.

 

It did.

But it was indeed an error from a good player, rather than shitness.

 

[stringvest]

1 minute ago, Planet Origi said:

We've had Bajcetic play with your boy Thiago and been worse against shite teams, when that should be enough to compensate for one bad midfielder in according to your estimation.

 

that was as bad as it gets, hopefully.  Thiago wasn't playing tonight, btw.

[Section_31]

Funny thing is I've seen worse performances. It was what it was, a team with a few decent players and a few shit ones getting beaten by a side with far more better players.

 

Players of Gomez and Henderson's calibre shouldn't have any business playing against teams like that, and Milner coming on at 5-2 down is outright comedy.

[Baltar]

Real are a bloody brilliant side in Europe, no getting around that. I never fancied us to win this before the match, but I wasn't expecting to lose like that either. Very poor defending from the team as a whole. Fabinho and Hendo are done as regulars, Gomez should be nowhere near the starting 11 and Virgil is in terminal decline sadly. We need massive investment, similar to what Chelsea have been doing but a bit more wiser. 2 top class central midfielders and at least 1 centre back are needed at a minimum. FSG need to make at least £200M available to spend this summer, otherwise we can forget about challenging for anything next season.

[Carvalho Diablo]

4 minutes ago, KevieG said:

 

Doubt he watches us. Even tonight. And I'm being serious about that

I agree Kev.

[BeefStroganoff]

2 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Oh yea, mediocre, we have been that for sure. I might have seen you ate the big #mooresout protest.

Im taking about John Smith, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish. The Club where winners from top to bottom, they didn't give a shit about what the players won every year it was back to business.

 

Not like it is now with absentee owners who just want to make a quick buck, a manager who just wants to hug our players and give them contracts into pension age and players who think its ok not to put a shift in.

 

Listen to John Barnes on that Liverpool podcast talking about the Clubs mentality to training when he joined, probably a world away form the social media generating smiley pics of players having fun.

 

Yeah im pretty pissed off tonight.

[KMD7]

8 minutes ago, J-V said:

 

It didn't even look like a freekick.  Only saw it once mind.

It was mate. Saw it from a different angle and he clipped him. 

[Bjornebye]

8 minutes ago, BeefStroganoff said:

What compared to you and your boys when we lose? Don't see you posting for a few days...

 

What sort of a comment is that? You mean people who think fuck off I can't be reading drivel from gobshites who thrive off giving us down the banks ? 

 

"your boys" so you aren't a Red then? is this your mask slipping moment? 

 

I wasn't even referring to you because I tend to skip your posts. You've only got one angle and it's negative, moaning shite even when we were the best side on the planet you'd give an aspirin a headache. I'd be very very surprised if you are a Liverpool supporter. 

[Anubis]

6 minutes ago, Carvalho Diablo said:

I hope John fucking Henry can see with his own eyes just how many of our all conquering side are now past it.

 

He won’t have watched. In some ways, missing out on CL would allow them to explain the sell to spend in the summer. If we scraped home they’ll be casting around for other reasons.