[Archived] European Cup

[Cocker]

The only reason I wanted Liverpool to loose is because I know more of their fans than any other and thats all I am going to hear everytime I go out. You have never won the Prem though will be my answer and so we will all argue long into the night.

It was a brilliant game though. I was thinking of turning it off at half time because I thought that was it - glad I didnt

[The Master]

I have nothing to say in the matter.

[Alex Rover]

Well I'm glad they won, it's good for the status of the English league.

The only problem is that just with 1999 and being 1 -0 down with two minutes left, we'll have to put up with the match being mentioned everytime any team is 3 - 0 down and being outplayed.

[Jolly Giraffe]

Well done the pool.

Anyone touting anything other than congratulations should be ashamed.

We can now claim to have drawn twice (home & away) last season with the champions of Europe

We can also claim to have beaten the mighty conquerers of the Champions of Europe in the FA Cup (only to then be beaten by the eventual winners).

[AggyBlue]

Liverpool - Champions of Europe.

This is something I'm finding hard to get my head around.

So they won a cup, but there are four better teams in England.

Just goes to show, the experts are right when they say you need luck to win a

cup.

One thing for sure though, that was one hell of a comeback.

[SouthAussieRover]

Bloody fantastic Liverpool.

Nothing better than beating the Italians.

Well done.

I hope they get to defend the trophy.

[greggyk]

[Can't quite agree with that, how many British players are there in the Liverpool side? Spanish coach? I can't muster up any affinity for them at all and I used to love Shankly's and Keegan's Liverpool and had massive awe and respect for Paisley's Liverpool.

318590[/snapback]

Hear, hear.

318592[/snapback]

Yeah like we are overwhelmed with british talent

Friedel USA

Neill Australia

Nelsen New Zeland

Todd English

Matteo Jock ( non talent)

Tugay Turkey

Reid Irish

Pedersen Norway

Emerton Australia

Mokena South Africa

Dickov Jock

also add into that Gresko, Encklmen, Johnson

318611[/snapback]

Fair point, was thinking about this after complaining about Liverpool's lack of British talent.

We usually field at least five British players in our eleven.

1) Gray or Matteo or McEveley

2) Todd

3) Savage or Flitcroft

4) Reid

5) Dickov or Stead or Gallagher

That sometimes becomes six if Thompson starts ahead of Emerton. There's a big difference between two and five or six which I actually think is the right sort of blend.

I still can't really see how the neutral British soccer fan can be expected to be any more excited about the current Liverpool outfit achieving success than say someone like Deportivo La Coruna.

To the extent it was a stirring comeback and a triumph for the underdog then yes it represented everything that was good about the game. Again not something necessarily associated with the Liverpool of the last few seasons.

318626[/snapback]

There have been games when we have played no English players at all this season!

wake up mate!

so by your logic- you wouldnt want Rovers to even win 1 game because of having hardly any English people

Edited May 26, 2005 by greggyk

[CAPT KAYOS]

If Benittez pulls the team together to outsmart AC, this could be one of the most remarkable achievements ever by a manager of a British club.

318328[/snapback]

And yet again another boing final - as with most Cup finals - nowadays teams don't seem to go out to try and win, more containing the opposition with the object of snatching a goal.

Personally I have lost interest in most of European games due to the structure of the competitions.

Problem is, its also an element that is creeping into the domestic game which is stagnating the game as we know it.

Lets just hope it turns out to be opposite to what I have said above and is a 'showpiece' final as it should be.

318353[/snapback]

How was that for you?

318532[/snapback]

Quite enjoyed it in all honesty Le Chuck - at least it turned out to be a sort of 'showpiece' with AC milan showing some exquisite Football (1st half)and scoring one of the best goals I have ever seen in terms of teh build up and finish then Liverpool taking it by the scruff of the neck in the 2nd half.

As for showing into be the greatest competition - just showed me why it is exactly not the greatest competition and makes a mockery of its name with a -'non champ' winning it. In addition it also showed yet again that refs don't have a clue about rules especially penalties considering Dudeks positioning.

Restored some faith in me with regards to British Football and was refreshing listening to Carragher after the match, him saying that at half time they thought they where dead and buried but that they didn't want to me known as the losers who lost 5/6 nil so they had to do something about it - and look what happened.

However a good win and a final to grace finals which is how it should be

[Tango]

Fantastic Final. Fantastic Night. Liverpool won my heart round with that second half display and I was delighted when they won - my Liverpool supporting friend's change in mood was something to behold!

[yorkblues]

well done liverpool

[cn174]

Well it looks like Liverpool aren't going to be able to defend their title which is quite rediculous. I'm pretty sure there'd be a place somewhere within the qualifying rounds or something.

[Ninjathunder]

Liverpool - Champions of Europe.

  This is something I'm finding hard to get my head around.

  So they won a cup, but there are four better teams in England.

 

318631[/snapback]

Did you find it hard to get your head around it in 1984 when they won the European Cup?

Well done Liverpool.

[philipl]

I don't normally do this sort of thing but I sent the following e-mail to info@uefa.com under the heading "European Champions League without the European Champions???"

Hello,

I am astonished by the assertions by M Gaillard that Liverpool are to be excluded from defending the Trophy they won outright last night.

I fully understand why the FA are reluctant to bend their rules about the top four Premiership clubs qualifying and believe that UEFA should accommodate Liverpool even if it means they enter the competition in the first qualifying round and perhaps the other English clubs give up a bye into the third round to accommodate them.

You have to remember that Everton and Liverpool are city rivals and that Everton have already paid once before in terms of European competition for their neighbours. When the European ban on English clubs came in following Heysel, Everton had just won the UEFA Cup with probably the best side in Europe at that time and would have been heavy favourites to win the European Cup the following season. There is no way that the FA and UEFA can punish Everton again for events on the other side of Stanley Park.

Surely, Istanbul in which the Liverpool supporters turned the Final into a Liverpool home game show how massive a club Liverpool is and it must be in UEFA's self-interest to change the rules this season rather than next. After all, Ford, one of the sponsors of the Champions League have a major car plant in Liverpool and are certain to come under significant PR and commercial pressure to back the campaign for Liverpool to be given the right to play as European Champions in the otherwise so-called "Champions League".

[DaveyB]

[Can't quite agree with that, how many British players are there in the Liverpool side? Spanish coach? I can't muster up any affinity for them at all and I used to love Shankly's and Keegan's Liverpool and had massive awe and respect for Paisley's Liverpool.

318590[/snapback]

Hear, hear.

318592[/snapback]

Yeah like we are overwhelmed with british talent

Friedel USA

Neill Australia

Nelsen New Zeland

Todd English

Matteo Jock ( non talent)

Tugay Turkey

Reid Irish

Pedersen Norway

Emerton Australia

Mokena South Africa

Dickov Jock

also add into that Gresko, Encklmen, Johnson

318611[/snapback]

Fair point, was thinking about this after complaining about Liverpool's lack of British talent.

We usually field at least five British players in our eleven.

1) Gray or Matteo or McEveley

2) Todd

3) Savage or Flitcroft

4) Reid

5) Dickov or Stead or Gallagher

That sometimes becomes six if Thompson starts ahead of Emerton. There's a big difference between two and five or six which I actually think is the right sort of blend.

I still can't really see how the neutral British soccer fan can be expected to be any more excited about the current Liverpool outfit achieving success than say someone like Deportivo La Coruna.

To the extent it was a stirring comeback and a triumph for the underdog then yes it represented everything that was good about the game. Again not something necessarily associated with the Liverpool of the last few seasons.

318626[/snapback]

There have been games when we have played no English players at all this season!

wake up mate!

so by your logic- you wouldnt want Rovers to even win 1 game because of having hardly any English people

318635[/snapback]

I don't think that was the point (unless I've completely misunderstood!). Obviously we would all support our team regardless of how many English/non-English players we have.

But the number of foreigners in a team does matter when it is supposedly a question of patriotism to support an 'English' club.

So, put simply, would I support Rovers if we fielded a completely foreign 11? Yes. Would I expect the rest of England to support that same team? No, why should they??

[The Master]

So Liverpool have won the Champions League, so what. they've done it four times before that. Liverpool have won it, it's nothing to do with us, lets gets on with the rest of out lives

Do you even realise in about 3 months time we'll be hating their guts. I think thus thread and get on with the reat of our lives.

The Master has made his verdict.

[adopted scouser]

What a night, what a comeback. Even for a neutral watching in a packed pub last night the tension was incredible. Three nil down by half time even die hard fans couldn't have imagined what was going to take place in the second half.

First half Milan were awesome, the reds didn't know what had hit them, at half time did both teams swap shirts ? That's how it seemed and three goals in twelve minutes left everyone gasping for breath. Funny seeing grown men wrapped in Liverpool flags covering their eyes during the penalties, then the eruption when Dudek kept Shevchenko out.

Marvellous for English football, and a sweetener for our 'Engerlund football hooligan' image. 40 thousand over there and hardly any bother.

What a night for football fans everywhere and a sickener for the artful dodger.

[bob fleming]

What a tremendous game that was last night! Brilliant stuff. Started reading the paper at the start of the second half - waiting for Milan to get another 2 or 3 goals. It really was all over. Sky reported this morning that some people were placing bets at half time on Milan to win - something like £20k on - to win - wait for it - £200 ( ) - not a good move. Liverpool were 100-1 to win the cup at half time.

Pleased for Liverpool as they're an English team. As an aside it really has been a bad few weeks for Manchester United fans hasn't it? That's 5-2 isn't it?

So well done to Liverpool - that game will live long in the memory.

Finally all this nonsense about "Oh it's bad news, Liverpool / PNE are in our catchment area for fans". Bolloks. Fine. Let them go. Someone please explain to me how that works then? "Oh I've been watching Blackburn Rovers for the last couple of seasons but now I think I'll switch my allegiances to Preston North End" or "Liverpool won the European Cup last night - think I'll not go again to Ewood". Does anyone know anyone like this? Do you like these people? Do you care that they won't go to Ewood anymore? Will you miss them? I won't. Do people actually exist like this - who change allegiances?

As for attracting "new" fans - well don't worry about that - Vinjay will be sorting it out for us - just look in the "Incoming Players" thread - the only way we'll get the gates up again is via success. Good luck Vinjmeister.

[Rovermatt]

Awesome game of football. Liverpool's comeback was the stuff of legend. Not the greatest victory in itself, but the circumstances probably elevate it to the top of the list in terms of its significance.

I even had a stupid big grin on my face whn Gerrard lifted the trophy-a far cry (cry being the operative word) from the last time an English team lifted the European Cup.

Edited May 26, 2005 by Rovermatt

[USABlue]

What a buggar. I was working while the game was on so I set the VCR and hid from the score. Got home watched the first 90 mins and first 5 mins of the ET and the bloody video stopped. I used the automatic program record instead of manually setting it, of course on Auto there was no allowance for ET. Well miffed.

Anyway, Congrats to the 'Pool they sowed great spirit and character, I don't understand why people hate 'em just because they are better than us. Well done Liverpool.

[GiddyGoat]

It was only a matter of time ...

[rover6]

Yesterday just re-inforced my opinion that Gerrard needs a defensive midfielder to play alongside him to perform. Hence, England will not win anything whilst Sven picks Lampard (attack-minded), Gerrard (attack-minded) as the midfield pairing.

By the way - what a comeback. But Djimi Traore - Champions' League Winner - still doesn't sound right.

[LDRover]

I thought all those players who 'did a David May' at the end was funny.

Salif Diao, Josemi, Le Tallec and Pongy all getting in on the celebration photos was different class. I mean, Salif Diao has been on loan at Birmingham all season hasn't he? I've contributed as much.

By the way, well done to the Scousers.

[Neil Weaver]

Liverpool were 100-1 to win the cup at half time.

Wonder how long till we hear about 'unusual betting patterns' (a Mr C Ancelotti putting 20 quid on Liverpool at HT)

[Jim J]

Apparently, the Welsh side TNS have offered to play Liverpool in a qualifier at the millenium stadium for next seasons champions league, its being considered by the FA and UEFA.

[Jim J]

or maybe not