Man City Carling Cup semi final

[Guest ShoePiss]

for fucks sake, we've just got to the final of the league cup, can people stop posting in the rafa and carroll thread for a day at least?

 

Enjoy this, it doesn't happen too often.

[s(k)aturation]

for fucks sake, we've just got to the final of the league cup, can people stop posting in the rafa and carroll thread for a day at least?

 

Enjoy this, it doesn't happen too often.

 

Will do.

 

About to knock the top off a beer in a minute, followed by copious amounts of white, then red:yes:.

[chauncey]

[Guest ShoePiss]

 

When I look at that the top and bottom is black but the bit in the middle is just fine.

[Reckoner]

“What did you think of the penalty?” asked a reporter after the match.

“What do you mean?” asked Dalglish.

“The handball,” said the reporter.

“Exactly,” said Dalglish.

[mypost]

So so happy and so relieved, I must confess I shed a tear at the end, it`s been to long.

 

Great to see the League Cup taken seriously by everyone at the club for a change. Win the final or not, I hope that we take it just as seriously next year, if we're back in Europe as well.

[kalasoma]

 

That's exactly how I felt as well after the game, Sir. See you at Wembley.

[Pool518]

Not that I aint happy that we got tru, but it's like seeing your best friend, who in the past, gets laid with loads of beautiful chicks on a weekly basis, now lost all confidence, and after getting a fat drunk chick's number, celebrating with a banquet with it. It's just sighh.

 

Anyway, on the more sunshine part, the win would be good for morale for the squad. And this would be good in helping for the upcoming buttfucking of man utd on saturday. I believe in small achievements helping create bigger achievements, and so this tiny achievement would be helpful in team progress, starting with beating man utd on saturday, in a cup that is actually slightly more meaningful.

 

Having said that tho, a more important achievement than beating man utd on saturday would be to focus on beating the remaining small teams in the league, because that's where we are weakest at. Take one game at a time tho.

[xerxes]

Semi finals are just about getting through- and that is what we did.

 

Anyone bemoaning our ill fortune with refs in some games can take comfort from last nights decisions.

 

Crucially we should now be assured of a Europa league spot as a minumun. being out of Europe for a club of our stature has been painful.

 

Bellamy reminded all what determination,movement and skill can achieve. With the Mancs struggling with injuries for Sat we are in a tremendous position to score a morale boosting double.

[satansmutt]

I hope we are not flat on saturday after all the excitement of last night because I really want us to turn those cunts over and for someone tear Evra a new arsehole. I might be in a minority of 1 but after what happened with Suarez I want us to beat them more than I wanted to win last night

[Galactico]

for fucks sake, we've just got to the final of the league cup, can people stop posting in the rafa and carroll thread for a day at least?

 

Enjoy this, it doesn't happen too often.

 

Spot on mate.

[Trumo]

Taken from Stevie's Bellamy interview on the offal:

 

"People sign for this club to play in front of atmospheres like that," added Gerrard. "The lads are talking about it now, all the new signings.

 

Those players in particular need to remember just how much of a lift an atmosphere like that gives them, and do everything in their power to make it a regular occurrence. If the fans see hunger and desire to score from our players, boy or boy do they reciprocate! When those new players do something simple like popping to the shops today and bump into a Liverpool fan, they will no doubt register the delight on that fan's face and the spring in their step. Suddenly, they will really understand what playing for Liverpool is all about. I could write more, but then I already have.

 

Is there enough hunger for success?

[Galactico]

The game showed what we can achieve when we are up for it. Many of our best performances have come against better teams in recent years - not just under Kenny. He is right to try to instil the old Liverpool philosophy that the next game is the most important. If we played with such passion against the likes of Blackburn and Bolton, we would be in a better league position. The fans need to play their part too, as they did last night.

 

As for the game itself, it was probably tighter than it should have been. We were very dominant, we wanted it more and City were outplayed. Yet we still conceded two goals. On both occasions,m we gave them too much space in front of our back four, which is where we miss a natural holding player, especially as Adam is so weak defensively. Gerrard did ok, and can play that role, though it's not his natural game - we need Spearing back for Saturday or to look at who else can play there - still think Henderson may be worth a go in a deeper role.

 

There were lots of positives last night. Bellamy was superb, Kuyt had his best game this season, so arguably did Downing. The defence was solid apart from their second goal and Gerrard, Henderson and Skrtel all had fine games. Adam played a couple of great paases and his shot from the angle was impressive, though he still lacks so much defensively that we have to have someone alongside him with a specific remit to hold. He can't tackle - very nearly cost us a pen.

 

And as someone sad earlier, we got the rub of the green last night. Deserved it on the play, but on another night we could have conceded that penalty, Richards would not have been penalised and we could have gone in two down at half time. mr Dowd's incompetence worked in our favour for once.

[Galactico]

Taken from Stevie's Bellamy interview on the offal:

 

 

 

Those players in particular need to remember just how much of a lift an atmosphere like that gives them, and do everything in their power to make it a regular occurrence. If the fans see hunger and desire to score from our players, boy or boy do they reciprocate! When those new players do something simple like popping to the shops today and bump into a Liverpool fan, they will no doubt register the delight on that fan's face and the spring in their step. Suddenly, they will really understand what playing for Liverpool is all about. I could write more, but then I already have.

 

Is there enough hunger for success?

 

It's a good point. Kenny called on the players to create an atmosphere last night, but in truth they didn't need to - the fans were really up for this one. I do think our legendary 12th man has not been seen often enough in recent years. Too often there's a nervousness and negativity about the place, like people expect our hopes to be dashed at some point. If we go in 0-0 at half time against a 'lesser' team, patience tends to wear very thin.

 

When I was growing up supporting Liverpool, I lost count of the number of teams who came and parked the bus, that we managed to break down eventually after a war of attrition, often in the last ten minutes. The crowd kept on supporting and believing, there wasn't the sniping you hear now (which is magnified x 1000 on the internet). The atmosphere used to occur naturally - obviously the night time European games were special, but it was an amazing place to go on a Saturday afternoon too. These days, the backdrop is too often a glum near-silence.

 

So i think it is chicken-egg. Yes the players need to do more to inspire the fans, but the fans need to do more to inspire the players too.

[bouncebrigade]

Taken from Stevie's Bellamy interview on the offal:

 

 

 

Those players in particular need to remember just how much of a lift an atmosphere like that gives them, and do everything in their power to make it a regular occurrence. If the fans see hunger and desire to score from our players, boy or boy do they reciprocate! When those new players do something simple like popping to the shops today and bump into a Liverpool fan, they will no doubt register the delight on that fan's face and the spring in their step. Suddenly, they will really understand what playing for Liverpool is all about. I could write more, but then I already have.

 

Is there enough hunger for success?

 

Good that Henry was there too to see how passionate things can get on these big nights. He might put his hand in his pocket a bit easier were he to see some more of these.

 

I fear the atmos at 3 o'clock Sat games won't change though.

[zico]

Reporter: "What did you think of the penalty decision?" Dalglish: "What do you mean?" Reporter: "The handball" Dalglish: "Exactly"

 

That is maybe the best put down I've seen by a manager ever..... Still laughing 3 minutes on...

[PaulMcC]

Brilliant performance last night. Outplayed them.

 

City have so many good players, they can always get a result even when being outplayed.

[xerxes]

Good that Henry was there too to see how passionate things can get on these big nights. He might put his hand in his pocket a bit easier were he to see some more of these.

 

When we get the usual over demand and under supply for tickets at prices of up to £90ish a ticket it may also prompt him to get his as in gear over a new stadium too.

[Tyler Durden]

Bit gutted we had to keep Bellamy in for near the whole game, could do with him Saturday

[PaulMcC]

Aye, we'll really miss him on Saturday against the other Mancs.

 

Can't see his knees being up to it after the shift he put in last night.

[Heinze]

For once Downing looked like a proper footballer.

 

Just hope we can kick on from here.

 

With Suarez back we should be murdering teams.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

For once Downing looked like a proper footballer.

Just hope we can kick on from here.

 

With Suarez back we should be murdering teams.

 

Amen to that. A few times last night he was launching into battles with people who are bigger and stronger than him (the way Bellamy does all the time). Proper commitment.

 

Also, to everyone who has ever come to Anfield to sing "Where's your famous atmosphere?" - I think we've found it.

[Soleilrouge]

Downing has been playing like that for most of the season.

The difference is that last night we had strikers who showed movement and took some of the chances we created.

Downing is one of our best footballers this seaosn and his link-play on the left is superb - but he has been dreadful on the right hand side when played there.

His movement is excellent and his passing genrally spot on.

His finishing is terribly suspect but you can't have everything.

A great buy from Kenny and as soon as we sort out the strikers he will be even better.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Downing is one of our best footballers this seaosn

 

I think he has been pretty terrible for most of the season. An improvement last night, but no real masterclass that some are painting it out to be.

[razor]

Downing has been playing like that for most of the season.

The difference is that last night we had strikers who showed movement and took some of the chances we created.

Downing is one of our best footballers this seaosn and his link-play on the left is superb - but he has been dreadful on the right hand side when played there.

His movement is excellent and his passing genrally spot on.

His finishing is terribly suspect but you can't have everything.

A great buy from Kenny and as soon as we sort out the strikers he will be even better.

 

I think he has been pretty terrible for most of the season. An improvement last night, but no real masterclass that some are painting it out to be.

 

 

As ever, the truth lies somewhere in-between.

 

I think he's been playing ok, some good things and some great link up play with Enrique. I hated the bottled tackle the other week.

 

Last night was his best performance since the opening couple of games.

 

It may or may not be coincidence that Enrique plays better with Downing in front of him.