Real Madrid Vs. Liverpool Discussion Thread

Glennathinaikos wrote:

TM finds another fan

Everyone loves the wannabe spanish slumdog.

Can't see what he's moaning about. He gets the deserved praise for his record in Europe and he gets the deserved criticism for his record in the league.

Rosicky wrote:

Glennathinaikos wrote:

TM finds another fan

Everyone loves the wannabe spanish slumdog.

Still not as popular as your chin.

Could this be the day for....

You know it's hard times at RM when we're relying on Juilen Faubert, the WH reject.

De las glorias deportivas, que campean por España
va el Madrid con su bandera, limpia y blanca que no empaña.
Club castizo y generoso, todo nervio y corazón,
veteranos y noveles, veteranos y noveles,
miran siempre sus laureles con respeto y emoción.

¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!
Noble y bélico adalid, caballero del honor.
¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!
A triunfar en buena lid, defendiendo tu color
¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!

Enemigo en la contienda, cuando pierde da la mano
sin envidias ni rencores, como bueno y fiel hermano.
Los domingos por la tarde, caminando a Chamartín,
las mocitas madrileñas, las mocitas madrileñas
van alegres y risueñas porque hoy juega su Madrid

¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!
Noble y bélico adalid, caballero del honor.
¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!
A triunfar en buena lid, defendiendo tu color
¡HALA MADRID!, ¡HALA MADRID!, ¡HALA MADRID!

Parks lives wrote:Can't see what he's moaning about. He gets the deserved praise for his record in Europe and he gets the deserved criticism for his record in the league.

Not true. The English media hates him, any praise he gets for his record in Europe is generally backhanded - it's always the other team playing badly, negative tactics, Gerrard the one-man team etc. In the league he hasn't been great, but it's definitely an improvement on previous managers and the media talks as if we should have been challenging with our squad from the moment he arrived. He certainly doesn't deserve the phone-ins calling for him to be sacked any time we draw a match.

Expectations of Liverpool in the league are still ridiculously high, whenever Rafa mentions this it is seen as a defeatist mentality.

The expectations in the league only mirror those of the fans each season. It's not like he's even come in the top 2 so far and never come close to really challenging, unless you really want to include this season where you were pretty much out of it by February.

Plus I've yet to read articles where they've claimed negative tactics even when Liverpool have advanced against good European opposition. Most of the papers spun the story after the first leg to make out that Liverpool played by far the better football even though most of their play resolved around defending deep and Reina pumping the ball long to Kuyt or Torres.

Liverpool defender, Alvaro Arbeloa, has declared that Real Madrid are the "favourites" when they take on the Reds in the Champions League this evening.

The English side lead the tie 1-0 after the first-leg and are widely expected to make it through to the quarter-finals at Anfield.

However, Arbeloa told La Sexta that he believes his side are the underdogs in the tie still.

"The favourite is always going to be Real Madrid because of everything they represent, for everything they have done in Europe; even though perhaps we do have a slight advantage," he commented.

Certainly Liverpool seem to be in pole position to qualify with the lead and home support, and Arbeloa went on to praise the Anfield atmosphere.

"At Anfield the Champions League nights are special, the fans push you, they help you and they are behind you. Here, the fans are another player, pushing you, making you sacrifice, each ball you fight for they reward you and in the end it gives you more energy," he explained.

The defender also said that his team will be going out to win the game in front of their home fans, rather than draw it.

"If they score then everything is even, but our objective from the first minute is going to be to try and win the match. You cannot go out and see what happens, especially not against Real Madrid," he declared.

One of the main men that Arbeloa will have to stop if Liverpool are to win is Raul, a player that the defender has played with before.

Speaking today, he praised his former team-mate and admitted that he knows he will want to score at Anfield.

"For Raul these days there is no pressure, I believe that completely. He is going to enjoy playing here and I am sure that he will be very motivated," he mused.

Reputation means nothing, Liverpool in the CL under Benitez have an excellent record, where as Real have yet to get past the second round in the previous four seasons.

It's not going to be an end to end game, but if we can sneak a goal, it would really make the tie interesting.

Who's saying what?

Pepe Reina: "We need to be able to feel that the supporters are with us and behind us like crazy. The atmosphere on the night when we played Barcelona was unbelievable and I would like to remind the people of moments like these that we have enjoyed together and now to try and create some new ones. We always talk about wanting Anfield to be like a fortress and this is one of those occasions when we need it to be this way."

Raul: "I hope the home crowd has an influence on us, I have been here as a fan, and it is a spectacular atmosphere.We are looking forward very much to playing on such a stage, and hope we can find that sort of inspiration from the noise and atmosphere."

Ian Rush: "Madrid haven't played at Anfield and they won't be ready for the atmosphere. They'll say they know about it but look at Juventus in 2005. They said they were expecting it, but were blown away in the first-half. Chelsea were 1-0 down before they knew it that year too. When the players walk out onto the Anfield pitch in the Champions League it's a completely different atmosphere to anything you'll find anywhere else, and that could be the difference for us."

Fabio Aurelio: "If you look at the last few Champions League campaigns, Liverpool have been in the last four consistently. And we have reached two finals in recent seasons. Where were Madrid? They are a great club with great history in Europe, but Liverpool are also famous in the competition."

Gabriel Heinze: "The crowd will not affect us because we are used to playing in this type of atmosphere. We just have to get a good result."

Discipline: Albert Riera (Liverpool) is suspended. Alvaro Arbeloa and Javier Mascherano (both Liverpool) will miss the next match if booked.

Fabio Aurelio: "If you look at the last few Champions League campaigns, Liverpool have been in the last four consistently. And we have reached two finals in recent seasons. Where were Madrid? They are a great club with great history in Europe, but Liverpool are also famous in the competition."


Bloody hell.

That's not the usual diplomatic response you get from most players now days.

Fabio's being influenced by the Madrid misplaced arrogance!

Parks lives wrote:The expectations in the league only mirror those of the fans each season. It's not like he's even come in the top 2 so far and never come close to really challenging, unless you really want to include this season where you were pretty much out of it by February.

Plus I've yet to read articles where they've claimed negative tactics even when Liverpool have advanced against good European opposition. Most of the papers spun the story after the first leg to make out that Liverpool played by far the better football even though most of their play resolved around defending deep and Reina pumping the ball long to Kuyt or Torres.

Well, how many sweeping generalisations can you make in one post?

1: How do you know what the Liverpool fans expect? The expectations of winning the league are made by the newspapers, Sky and a minority of idiot fans who phone into talksport. Liverpool fans are desperate and impatient, but they don't expect to win the league by default.

2: We came one point off second in Rafa's second season. And this season we had been challenging for a good portion. Of course you forget to mention that for the majority of Rafa's time here he has been up against 3 managers with a far easier job than his. Realistically for us to have won it in the last 4 years you are looking at Chelsea and Man U having to both mess up big time.

3: Every Guardian podcast complains about Rafa's tactics. Perhaps we just read different media, but they may say we deserved to go through often, but usually its in terms of wanting it more, making less mistakes and so on. Or they just give Gerrard all the credit.

I think I can just about make as many sweeping generalisations as you can excuses.

The expectations from the fans is normally more than the media's. You're talking rubbish if you think most Liverpool fans are happy with 5th, 4th or 3rd each season.

As for Chelsea or Man United messing up, I'd say Chelsea did for large parts this season. However despite you 'challenging for a good portion' you're about to hand them 2nd.

Luis wrote:Fabio's being influenced by the Madrid misplaced arrogance!

Where did you get this from?

Parks lives wrote:I think I can just about make as many sweeping generalisations as you can excuses.

The expectations from the fans is normally more than the media's. You're talking rubbish if you think most Liverpool fans are happy with 5th, 4th or 3rd each season.

As for Chelsea or Man United messing up, I'd say Chelsea did for large parts this season. However despite you 'challenging for a good portion' you're about to hand them 2nd.

Excuses.. No, wrong again. It's called context. Liverpool and Rafa don't exist in a vacuum, you can't just say hes spent so much money, had so much time without looking at the other teams around us.

About the expectations, also wrong. Who said anything about being happy? I said they were desperate and impatient, which is why they believe the media bullshit and think Rafa is doing a bad job. If we fired him, his successor would have an even tougher job. It would be an endless downward spiral. No they aren't happy not winning the league, but that doesn't mean they expect to win it every season. Massive generalisation again. I'm not sure you know what the term means.

Also, this season I think we could have done better, which is why I specifically did not mention it. If you are going to reply again at least do me the favour and read my posts properly.

Surely the Liverpool atmosphere is overrated...it's decent at best if you compare it to others.

Anyway, I hope Kuyt will score a hattrick but Madrid to win! Sadly im in the gym then, so wont see the first half..most likely boring anyway

YNWA

Six wrote:

Parks lives wrote:I think I can just about make as many sweeping generalisations as you can excuses.

The expectations from the fans is normally more than the media's. You're talking rubbish if you think most Liverpool fans are happy with 5th, 4th or 3rd each season.

As for Chelsea or Man United messing up, I'd say Chelsea did for large parts this season. However despite you 'challenging for a good portion' you're about to hand them 2nd.

Excuses.. No, wrong again. It's called context. Liverpool and Rafa don't exist in a vacuum, you can't just say hes spent so much money, had so much time without looking at the other teams around us.

About the expectations, also wrong. Who said anything about being happy? I said they were desperate and impatient, which is why they believe the media bullshit and think Rafa is doing a bad job.

I've read what you have written, it's just you're overdoing the hard done by story. Alot of the media bullshit as you put it stems from the expectations of the fans, surely you can see that?

Parks lives wrote:

Six wrote:

Parks lives wrote:I think I can just about make as many sweeping generalisations as you can excuses.

The expectations from the fans is normally more than the media's. You're talking rubbish if you think most Liverpool fans are happy with 5th, 4th or 3rd each season.

As for Chelsea or Man United messing up, I'd say Chelsea did for large parts this season. However despite you 'challenging for a good portion' you're about to hand them 2nd.

Excuses.. No, wrong again. It's called context. Liverpool and Rafa don't exist in a vacuum, you can't just say hes spent so much money, had so much time without looking at the other teams around us.

About the expectations, also wrong. Who said anything about being happy? I said they were desperate and impatient, which is why they believe the media bullshit and think Rafa is doing a bad job.

I've read what you have written, it's just you're overdoing the hard done by story. Alot of the media bullshit as you put it stems from the expectations of the fans, surely you can see that?

There's definitely an irrational amount of expectation from a vocal section of Liverpool fans. But I wouldnt say the media bullshit stems from it, same way it doesn't in the case of Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle's fans. Most Liverpool fans back Rafa, which is in opposition to the media who have only two journalist's that back Rafa (balague and tomkins).

Again, I'm not saying we are hard done by. If anything I am complimenting the other clubs and their managers. They have made it difficult for Rafa, so much so that you can't realistically expect him to have done significantly better than he has done. Assume we ignore whatever management style or skills they have, just look at their situations - Has Rafa had more money than the other 3? No. Has he had more experience in the English league? no. Was the squad he inherited as good as his rivals at the time? No. He has had the toughest job and the results have reflected that.

The Hunter sleeps tonight....

Awemoweh awemoweh awemoweh
Awemoweh awemoweh awemoweh
Awemoweh awemoweh awemoweh
Awemoweh awemoweh awemoweh

Julio Ricardo CruZZZ wrote:The Hunter sleeps tonight....

Awemoweh awemoweh awemoweh
Awemoweh awemoweh awemoweh
Awemoweh awemoweh awemoweh
Awemoweh awemoweh awemoweh

Hehe, you naughty boy

Hope this match lives up to it's billing !


....may the team with the most Dutchies on the pitch win

Six wrote:

Parks lives wrote:Can't see what he's moaning about. He gets the deserved praise for his record in Europe and he gets the deserved criticism for his record in the league.

Not true. The English media hates him, any praise he gets for his record in Europe is generally backhanded - it's always the other team playing badly, negative tactics, Gerrard the one-man team etc. In the league he hasn't been great, but it's definitely an improvement on previous managers and the media talks as if we should have been challenging with our squad from the moment he arrived. He certainly doesn't deserve the phone-ins calling for him to be sacked any time we draw a match.

Expectations of Liverpool in the league are still ridiculously high, whenever Rafa mentions this it is seen as a defeatist mentality.

Spot-on. You only have to look at how the media has portrayed Rafa's comments as how he "lost it".

Good post, Six. Keep them coming.

Amazed Babel starts. Guess it means they'll try to counterattack.

HALA MADRID!

Hallo Madrid

Also : Hello Liverpool

What a fucking turn by Torres

What did Liverpool take? they're on fire!

Torres

Torres 1 - 0

What a defence.