[Archived] Champions League

[philipl]

And I'm assuming that you watched the game from your armchair to know how poorly/well he played?

Caught part of it on Fox and I know how poorly an attrocious LALA Galaxy played and that is the point of issue.

Beckham at 32 is plenty young enough to play football at a competitive level. He has chosen not to and so should be excluded from the England set-up.

Beckham looked miles off the pace in the French friendly with Wes Brown playing as his fetcher and carrier.

As a Rovers supporter, it has been painful over the years to see our players denied international honours in favour of players from "glamour" clubs. Now we have a player excluded in favour of someone who has chosen to play for a team that would have been tonked by Accrington Stanley if they had been the opponents.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Let's hope this game goes to extra time and penalties.

I wouldn't mind Liverpools team being too shattered to play against us.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Fantastic finish by Torres.

2-1 to Liverpool

If Arsenal score though they can still go through on away goals.

I'm sure Liverpool will push for a third.

[Guest Kamy100]

Superb match and still could go either way.

[brfcshabba]

Fantastic finish by Torres.

2-1 to Liverpool

If Arsenal score though they can still go through on away goals.

I'm sure Liverpool will push for a third.

3-2 to Liverpool with a penalty decision rather like Arsenal's like week that they didn't get.

Looks like a Chelsea Liverpool Semi Final - That will probably be boring as usual

[ABBEY]

pisses me off the all high and mighty tashed ones always get pens like that and then to think of what we didnt get against spuds

[Rovermatt]

Arsenal's ability to choke when it matters is well known but this evening's surrender brought it to a new level altogether. No doubt Wenger will remain untouchable after his side's all too predictable collapse in the league but any other manager (Fergie included) would be for the chop had he presided over such a raft of bottled trophy attempts during his reign. Until the man coaches some ruthlessness into his aesthetically pleasing team, they will remain forever within touching distance of truly legendary success. The coffers at The Emirates must be brimming (even taking the new stadium into account) and it's blatantly obvious that the squad requires some serious investment to bring in top quality, ready-made talent.

[American Rover12]

As a neutral (who hates Arsenal probably a little too much) I thought it was a very entertaining and compelling game. Walcott is the fastest man alive.

[Hughesy]

Yet another big decision goes for Liverpool in the champs league. Last week Arsenal didnt get a stonewall penalty. Before that Milan got 2 unfair reds, now the scousers get a lucky penalty!! Another final for them is in the making.

[neekoy]

Agree with Rovermatt here, Le Arse were all over them in the first half why that level couldn't continue I have no idea.

Barca are looking at ridding themselves of Henry, I would suggest he return to the Emirates.

I said at the start of the season that Le Arse needed 4 or 5 new ready made class players if they were going to compete the whole year. At least this prediction seems to be true.

[Rover4ever]

Not sure why referees seem so intent on handing the Champions League on a platter to Liverpool......

[T4E]

Really disappointing that a bad decision ruined a great game. I even had a plastic Scouse mate of mine telling me the pen was irrelevant because Babel scored a 4th. They really do live in their own little World.

[philipl]

Really disappointing that a bad decision ruined a great game. I even had a plastic Scouse mate of mine telling me the pen was irrelevant because Babel scored a 4th. They really do live in their own little World.

Pretty similar location to the pen given against Samba. In Samba's case, he clearly laid hands on Heskey but it was impossible to see how that led to the lad ending up on the floor. Last night, there was no deliberate intent but it was very clear how the attacker ended on the floor.

There are loads of fouls which are pure accidents and that penalty came into that category. If I remember correctly, Torres went into a tackle earlier, realised he wasn't going to make it and withdrew his foot but his forward momentum meant the Arsenal player fell over his knee as it slid along the grass- and Torres got booked for that one! Who knows but Torres could miss the CL Final because of that ridiculous booking.

Makes the failure to give the penalty for the NFL style bodyblock on Bentley by 'tother Giberto on Saturday even more inexplicable and vexatious.

[adopted scouser]

Really disappointing that a bad decision ruined a great game. I even had a plastic Scouse mate of mine telling me the pen was irrelevant because Babel scored a 4th. They really do live in their own little World.

err, but they did score four so it really doesn't matter.

[T4E]

Cmon mate, you don't need me to tell you that they only scored the 4th because Arsenal had been forced to push forward looking for a goal due to the dodgy penno.

[LeftWinger]

err, but they did score four so it really doesn't matter.

So you're telling me that if the score was 2-2 (and the penalty had not been given), Arsenal would have thrown everyone bar Fabregas up for the free-kick at the end?

[adopted scouser]

Cmon mate, you don't need me to tell you that they only scored the 4th because Arsenal had been forced to push forward looking for a goal due to the dodgy penno.

Possibly, but the score at the end that counts. Technically it was a penalty (Samba), in real terms of course it wasn't, you only need a breath of contact these days, it's ridiculous.

It was just the drama of the whole thing. Anfield bouncing, Arsenal like lightning out of the traps and taking a well deserved lead. Torres scored without even looking then Walcott skipping over defenders to lay the ball off for the equaliser. When it seemed to be all over with six minutes to go and then to still go against 'I didn't see it' Wenger, I was a happy man.

"We will still win the title and the Champions League"

[T4E]

It occured to me last night that I really don't like Liverpool very much. I can't put my finger on it, but I let out an unexpected cheer when Adebayor scored to make it 2-2 on the night, then I realised I had been subconciously cheering on Arsenal for most of the game, and I really don't like Arsenal much either.

Now I find myself hoping that Chelsea dick them in the semis. And I still don't really know why.

[Rovermatt]

Their fans are almost as intolerable as United's. And only slightly less deluded. I watched the Mersey derby through Fanzone (God only knows why). It was like car crash TV. The Liverpool fan in particular was borderline retarded.

[tcj_jones]

Arsenal lack one world class player who can score a lot of goals and have nowhere near enough strength in depth. A player like Torres, a GOOD centre back (not Senderos) and a couple of experienced and versatile squad players (like Pires when he was at Arsenal) would see them up there with United in competing on all four fronts. Somehow I can't see them shedding out £26m + on a single player though.

I want Liverpool to win the Champions League now, because they're English and I hate United and Chelsea, but it annoys me that they're doing as well as they are because they don't compete on four fronts like the others in the top four. No doub this semi-final has secured Rafa his job for anotehr season.

I also think that it is significant that since Arsenal parted with their older, more experienced players - Henry, Viera, Pires, Cole - along with dropping Gilberto, they have started to bottle it so consistently.

[Tris]

Arsenal lack one world class player who can score a lot of goals and have nowhere near enough strength in depth. A player like Torres, a GOOD centre back (not Senderos) and a couple of experienced and versatile squad players (like Pires when he was at Arsenal) would see them up there with United in competing on all four fronts. Somehow I can't see them shedding out £26m + on a single player though.

I want Liverpool to win the Champions League now, because they're English and I hate United and Chelsea, but it annoys me that they're doing as well as they are because they don't compete on four fronts like the others in the top four. No doub this semi-final has secured Rafa his job for anotehr season.

Four fronts? Have you been following the domestic cups this season!?

[Rovermatt]

Arsenal lack one world class player who can score a lot of goals and have nowhere near enough strength in depth. A player like Torres, a GOOD centre back (not Senderos) and a couple of experienced and versatile squad players (like Pires when he was at Arsenal)

Pires was slightly more than a squad player at Arsenal...

[tcj_jones]

Four fronts? Have you been following the domestic cups this season!?

We all know that this season has been something of an anomoly. Next season will see the familiar faces in the latter stages. I took it as a given that Arsenal would be in the hunt for the cups, the inference was that they are not capable of competing for all four trophies, whereas I feel United and Chelsea are far better placed.

Pires was slightly more than a squad player at Arsenal...

Fair enough, I was thinking more in terms of his versatility.

[philipl]

Looking at l'Arse, there are "only" two things they don't have in either their first team or the kids coming through.

A commanding forward and a leader at the heart of their defence. Next season, they will be without Eduardo and van Persie looks very iffy based on yesterday's heavily bandaged cameo.

Midfield, they'll be OK particularly if Rosicky recovers fully plus if combined with their reserves and youth squads, Arsenal have at least a dozen midfielders of Premiership standard.

Drogba wants out of Chelsea and it isn't as though those two clubs have never done transfer business whilst a reeincarnation of Tony Adams needs to be summoned from somewhere.

Arsenal certainly have the financial muscle to make those sorts of purchases this summer. The only question is the will to do it as next season or the one after, that squad as it is will have become battle hardened enough to sweep the board.

[Claytons Left Boot]

That was a really entertaining game last night and one I sat through for the full ninety minutes - it's months since I've done that. Full marks to Liverpool for turning the game round (eventually) after the superb start by Arsenal. The faces of the Arsenal players, when Liverpool got their fourth, were a picture. Like a dog that's just had its bone taken away. The astute disappointment showed that for once, and only once, they were more interested in the trophy at stake rather than their weekly wage packets.

ps - taxi for Senderos!