Football 17/18

[mjsell]

30 minutes ago, zahidf said:

Liverpool have now reached as many European Cup finals as Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal combined.

Why stop at United, Chelsea and Arsenal? - Liverpool have now reached as many European cup finals as the whole of the current Premier League combined...

But then if we are discussing historical records, Real Madrid have won as many European cups as every English club combined.

[zahidf]

1 hour ago, pink_triangle said:

In terms of winning the final I would put it as Madrid 75% Liverpool 25%

Ill assess it depending on who if fit for the final. if its Salah, Mane and Firminio, id have is as 55/45 in RMs favour

 

regardless, liverpool reaching the champs league final is great for them. An unexpected achievement from them this season.

[mjsell]

Is a champions league final enough for those that moan about Klopp not being successful enough to keep quiet or do they have to win it?

[thetime]

4 minutes ago, mjsell said:

Is a champions league final enough for those that moan about Klopp not being successful enough to keep quiet or do they have to win it?

Getting to a final doesn’t mean success does it? With klopps record in finals he needs a win to keep that stick away for a bit. 

[Wooderson]

One of the biggest results in ages last night. Can’t get over the strides being made at Slough Town in the Southern Premier.

 

 

[The Nal]

3 hours ago, mjsell said:

Is a champions league final enough for those that moan about Klopp not being successful enough to keep quiet or do they have to win it?

Fantastic achievement and a great final ahead. Really looking forward to it. Genuinely don't care who wins as long as its a good game. 

Regarding Klopp, Liverpool are a point ahead of Spurs in the league . 21 behind City, soon to be 24. The only good team they've beaten in the CL so far is City. Cups can be deceiving in terms of actual squad progress, as amazing as they are for the fans and to attract and keep players. Which this will do for Liverpool. 

They need a better defence basically. Im sure they'll spend in the summer. Time to wrap up Salah and Firminho in cotton wool for 3 weeks now though.

 

[eFestivals]

If Liverpool win the CL and Arsenal the Europa, the team who comes 4th don't get a CL place.

That'll be interesting.

(it'll probably be a dead duck by tonight).

[mjsell]

3 hours ago, thetime said:

Getting to a final doesn’t mean success does it? With klopps record in finals he needs a win to keep that stick away for a bit. 

Id say it means success, but thats just me. I realise losing would be a dissappointment but only 2 teams in the whole of europe can make that final, not sure how that isnt a successful acheivement

 

[zahidf]

3 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

If Liverpool win the CL and Arsenal the Europa, the team who comes 4th don't get a CL place.

That'll be interesting.

(it'll probably be a dead duck by tonight).

is that right? its 5 teams maximum per association in the group stage and liverpool will be in the top four. So arsenal would get the 5th place.

[zahidf]

3 hours ago, thetime said:

Getting to a final doesn’t mean success does it? With klopps record in finals he needs a win to keep that stick away for a bit. 

ha ha ha ha

Id say getting to the champs league final  and top 4 is a massively successful season

[eFestivals]

4 minutes ago, zahidf said:

is that right? its 5 teams maximum per association in the group stage and liverpool will be in the top four. So arsenal would get the 5th place.

i believe it's right from something I read last night - it's 5 teams max from the Prem.

I didn't word it very well tho. I think that only happens if Liverpool also fall outside the top 4 - which isn't impossible as things stand.

 

[The Nal]

8 minutes ago, zahidf said:

ha ha ha ha

Id say getting to the champs league final  and top 4 is a massively successful season

Easy there. I'd say the footie they're playing and the hammerings they've dished out at times is the most successful part of the season. If they get a decent defence sorted and bulklthe squad then they're in business for a run at the league next season with a good start.

Beating one good team in the CL (so far) and finishing 25+ points off the top of the league, on the same-ish points as the previous season, is not a massively successful season. Its decent. 

I'm not getting how Madrid are red hot favourites in the final though. They lost 3-1 to Spurs and scraped a draw at home to them. Recent history sure and they know how to win but Salah would've put 3 or 4 past them the other night. 

[zahidf]

5 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Easy there. I'd say the footie they're playing and the hammerings they've dished out at times is the most successful part of the season. If they get a decent defence sorted and bulklthe squad then they're in business for a run at the league next season with a good start.

Beating one good team in the CL (so far) and finishing 25+ points off the top of the league, on the same-ish points as the previous season, is not a massively successful season. Its decent. 

I'm not getting how Madrid are red hot favourites in the final though. They lost 3-1 to Spurs and scraped a draw at home to them. Recent history sure and they know how to win but Salah would've put 3 or 4 past them the other night. 

hmmmm. You can only beat whats in front of you. Liverpool were also undefeated in the champs league until last night and gave out some right hammerings. 

 

And of course, look how utd did wirh sevilla....

i think madrid are favourites just because of their history and the fact they wont get the same nervrs as liverpool. Saying that, as above, if they keep the front 3 fit, i think liverpool will do it.

[Gnomicide]

Libpool's points tally would have been higher if they weren't having this run in the Champs League. There's been three draws due to changes, substitutions etc that wouldn't have been made if we didn't have the cup games.

Sunday will interesting.

[eFestivals]

21 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Easy there. I'd say the footie they're playing and the hammerings they've dished out at times is the most successful part of the season. If they get a decent defence sorted and bulklthe squad then they're in business for a run at the league next season with a good start.

Beating one good team in the CL (so far) and finishing 25+ points off the top of the league, on the same-ish points as the previous season, is not a massively successful season. Its decent. 

yep, it's decent progression - progression beyond what might be expected with a CL final - but still not really anything more than that. You might call that a successful season considering where they're coming from, but not 'success'.

I made a post at the beginning of the season, saying that consolidating a top-four spot and last-16 of the CL would be a successful season, so it looks like they've achieved that; success would be winning the final, too.

I couldn't watch the match last night, but I get the impression from the bits & pieces i've seen that they've treated last night as a major win ... which leaves me worried for the final. It gives the appearance of just being in the final is enough.

[Wooderson]

56 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Fantastic achievement and a great final ahead. Really looking forward to it. Genuinely don't care who wins as long as its a good game. 

Regarding Klopp, Liverpool are a point ahead of Spurs in the league . 21 behind City, soon to be 24. The only good team they've beaten in the CL so far is City. Cups can be deceiving in terms of actual squad progress, as amazing as they are for the fans and to attract and keep players. Which this will do for Liverpool. 

They need a better defence basically. Im sure they'll spend in the summer. Time to wrap up Salah and Firminho in cotton wool for 3 weeks now though.

 

They’ve a smaller net spend than Stoke.

[eFestivals]

15 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

Libpool's points tally would have been higher if they weren't having this run in the Champs League. There's been three draws due to changes, substitutions etc that wouldn't have been made if we didn't have the cup games.

Sunday will interesting.

squad's ended up too thin again, due to injuries, but they knew they'd be playing more games. That's a bit of a failing (tho also a bit of bad luck too).

I'm a bit surprised that Solanke hasn't made more of an impact too, even tho he's had minimal chances. It looks like they need to get better back-up strikers too, cos they'll be exceeding lucky next season to keep that front 3 fit for just about all season as they have this time.

 

[zahidf]

Just now, eFestivals said:

squad's ended up too thin again, due to injuries, but they knew they'd be playing more games. That's a bit of a failing (tho also a bit of bad luck too).

I'm a bit surprised that Solanke hasn't made more of an impact too, even tho he's had minimal chances. It looks like they need to get better back-up strikers too, cos they'll be exceeding lucky next season to keep that front 3 fit for just about all season as they have this time.

 

they have keita coming in, but yeah, def need one more back up striker and some defenders

[eFestivals]

3 minutes ago, Wooderson said:

They’ve a smaller net spend than Stoke.

tho Klopp has still spent £225m. The net spend is distorted by Coutinho's sale.

[zahidf]

goodnl article

 

[eFestivals]

Just now, zahidf said:

they have keita coming in, but yeah, def need one more back up striker and some defenders

they prolly have Can going out, and Milner is aging, so I reckon they need at least one more midfielder on top of Keita.

[eFestivals]

1 minute ago, zahidf said:

goodnl article

 

last team setting those sorts of records was Real about 5 years ago.

Which sounds hopeful for the final ... until you look at the teams Real and Liverpool have beaten to get there, then it doesn't look so good.

[Wooderson]

Utd fan calls Liverpool season “decent” the day after they qualify for the final of the CL. 

If (if!) they win “meh, was an okaaaay season, tactically suspect.”

[eastynh]

Viva Ronaldo

[The Nal]

49 minutes ago, zahidf said:

hmmmm. You can only beat whats in front of you. Liverpool were also undefeated in the champs league until last night and gave out some right hammerings. 

Yep and yep they did. Against Maribor and Moscow. 

Not taking anything from them though, they've probably been the best team in the competition on the whole. Well, and Madrid I suppose. Two best teams in the final. 

30 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

yep, it's decent progression - progression beyond what might be expected with a CL final - but still not really anything more than that. You might call that a successful season considering where they're coming from, but not 'success'.

I made a post at the beginning of the season, saying that consolidating a top-four spot and last-16 of the CL would be a successful season, so it looks like they've achieved that; success would be winning the final, too.

I couldn't watch the match last night, but I get the impression from the bits & pieces i've seen that they've treated last night as a major win ... which leaves me worried for the final. It gives the appearance of just being in the final is enough.

Madrid were celebrating like crazy aswell. Huge result regardless of who they beat. This season has been nuts in the CL so anything can happen. 

It'll be a disappointment if they don't win it though. That Madrid team are coming to an end as a squad where Liverpool are on the ascendancy and growing. 11 v 11 I'd fancy Liverpool purely because of the front 3. The Madrid fans have had the white hankies out a lot this season in the league. 

27 minutes ago, Wooderson said:

They’ve a smaller net spend than Stoke.

True, a bit of an anomaly with Coutinho but theres money there to spend in the summer on quality. 

The low net spend is the reason Liverpool aren't higher in the league. Klopp hasn't really had options for a plan b in games they should've won. 

Libpool's points tally would have been higher if they weren't having this run in the Champs League. There's been three draws due to changes, substitutions etc that wouldn't have been made if we didn't have the cup games.

Yeah, which shows there needs to be investment in the squad in the summer with all this momentum. Can't fight on all fronts with 11 players. Knocked out of the FA Cup by West Brom and the pisspot by Leicester. Only lost 4 in the league though but then theres a load of flat draws against shite which could be easily rectified for next season.

Sunday will interesting.

Very. Chelsea vs Liverpool and Barca vs Madrid in a row!

Edited May 3, 2018 by The Nal