Liverpool Vs Milan the champions league final thread

The thing to worry about with Milan is that they are not entirely creative if Kaka is isolated.

I pretty much agree with COTR. The only thing i disagree is the Crouch-Gila comparison(not because i think Gilardino has been exceptional or something, but i do think he gets too much abuse for someone who has scored 35 goals in 2 seasons with Milan).

I think it will be a very difficult game for us, Pool defend very well and im sure our forward players won't get so much space as they did in the United game. I think the tie is very evenly matched

Players comparison are gay... It is a team sport, you know?

Milan have much more skills in the team and play better ball position . But then, it is no guarantee to win the final!

Ricardo Jol wrote:Players comparison are gay... It is a team sport, you know?
!

Milan is on every position the better team....

the fact it is a team sport is the very reason why liverpool are in the final ricky rather than the other teams with the superior players in every position

COTR wrote:

Ricardo Jol wrote:Players comparison are gay... It is a team sport, you know?
!

Milan is on every position the better team....

the fact it is a team sport is the very reason why Liverpool are in the final ricky rather than the other teams with the superior players in every position

Have i ever said the opposite then?

COTR wrote:

Kaká wrote:I hope Milan realise Liverpool did a remarkable job in 2005 and just because we meet again it doesn't mean that we will win. Forget "revenge" lets be professional, play great football and win and celebrate if victorious.

Too many nonsense comments are coming from Milan players, talking about it is our turn etc. Focus first, play the game, play well!

it felt like it was chelsea's turn against us before the anfield game

that turned out to be nonsense

you obviously have the revenge card to play in the build up for the press and that's what most of your players will be talking about

our players will probably just have a low key run up to the game and focus on catching milan's record to become the joint second best side in europe of all time

There are a lot of similarities between this game and Italy vs France from this past summer. Then the Euro2000 card was being played.

I think there is no danger that Milan will not be focused on the task at hand.

Bump.

That's right, Liverpool are in ANOTHER champions league final.

I'm still enjoying this.

Really? It hasn't really sunk in yet, in a way it's a shame we didn't get United in the end because the talk would be none stop

Luis wrote:Really? It hasn't really sunk in yet, in a way it's a shame we didn't get United in the end because the talk would be none stop

I still can't believe I have an exam the day AFTER the final


absolutly gutted

Good to see harry declaring himself fit though luis

Count yourself very lucky CoTR.

I had my final exam of the year on the day Champions League Final last year and it was a two hour finance exam starting at 5:00 pm.

I only just made it down to the Bar where I usually watch my football, and as a result of that I was no way near the bar and had fairly average view of the big screen. What made it even worse is that most of my Arsenal supporting friends had the whole day to get into the spirit of the occasion.

Now Liverpool season is over, they maybe be fresher with two games to go in Serie A. With the CL qualification clinched, I'm sure Carlo will rest players though.

Kaká wrote:Now Liverpool season is over, they maybe be fresher with two games to go in Serie A. With the CL qualification clinched, I'm sure Carlo will rest players though.

We also use a lot of rotation so that could help, but I think adrenalin will come through over fitness to be honest and as you say Ancolotti is sure to rest some players

not to forget that Liverpool is probably one of the fittest squads in Europe.

^ Yes, they are used to playing all the way till penalties in most big games they play in (UEFA Cup, UCL Final, F.A Cup).

In all honesty, Liverpool have been able to rest players for big CL games since the knockout stages began.

But you're right, they are one of the fittest squads around.

That is a big advantage for Liverpool. Our season started prematurely after Calciopoli, and we paid for it for a good portion of this season.

Liverpool will definitely be less stressed than we.

I don't think Milan are stressed now. More like eager!

Maldini has said he will only play if he is 100%.

Kaká wrote:I don't think Milan are stressed now. More like eager!

Maldini has said he will only play if he is 100%.

Well what I meant was that Liverpool are in Spain preparing and are really focused on this tie and have been for the past few days.

We just booked our spot in the Champions League. Liverpool also prepared properly for this season, while our pre-season was rushed. I also think Liverpool have the psychological edge over us after Istanbul.

From uefa.com:
------------------

Gerrard's Liverpool have no fear
Tuesday, 15 May 2007

by Michael Harroldfrom Liverpool

e-mailPrint

Liverpool FC captain Steven Gerrard insists his side have nothing to fear from AC Milan as they look to win the UEFA Champions League for the second time in three seasons.

'Strong Milan'
Liverpool recovered from 3-0 down against Milan in 2005 to win the final on penalties, and as Rafael Benítez's side prepare to take on the Rossoneri again in Athens, Gerrard says confidence is high they can bring the trophy back to Merseyside for a sixth time. "I've watched Milan a lot this season and they are different from 2005, but they are still strong," said Gerrard, who has been offered a new contract by Liverpool.

'Confident'
"They showed against Manchester United [FC] that they are a fantastic team and deserve a lot of respect and that's what we'll give them on the night, but we won't fear them. We're a good team ourselves and we're confident we can do the job. What's important to us is that we prepare right and that the Liverpool team that's been in Europe all season turns up in Athens. If that good team turns up then Milan are in for a really difficult game and we're confident we can lift that cup."

'Humidity'
Liverpool have flown to Spain for a training camp to prepare for next Wednesday's final, just as they did before defeating FC Barcelona in the first knockout round. That trip was dogged by controversy, but Liverpool responded with a superb win at Camp Nou. "We are taking our golf clubs out there," Gerrard joked. "We are going to prepare normally - do the things we normally do back home but obviously we're going to prepare in the heat because we know it's going to be really humid in Greece and that it will be an important factor.

'Turning point'
"The Barcelona game was a big turning point in our Champions League run. To go to the Camp Nou and beat one of the best sides in Europe 2-1, playing good attacking football, that gave us the confidence and belief we could get to this final. But all the hard work we've done this season against your Barcelonas, your Chelseas and in the group, we don't want to let all that go to waste by getting beat in the final."

Refocus minds
Since knocking out Chelsea FC in the semi-finals Benítez has rested key players for the final Premiership games against Fulham FC and Charlton Athletic FC. Having failed to win either, the Liverpool manager said the time had come to refocus minds. "In the last games we were watching a team thinking about the final," he said.

'Calm and confident'
"Our job is to keep the players calm and confident and to give them the things they need to know. The whole idea [about going to Spain] is to train normally and to enjoy it, but especially to be focused. The difference now is that we are closer to the end of the season and cannot train as hard as before. It is more about atmosphere and team spirit."

Liverpool are preparing well, must give it to Benetiz - very shrewd coach Perhaps with a few quality signings they can mount a serious challenge for the EPL! It will be fantastic if there are more than 2 challengers for the title in england.

bluenine wrote:Liverpool are preparing well, must give it to Benetiz - very shrewd coach Perhaps with a few quality signings they can mount a serious challenge for the EPL! It will be fantastic if there are more than 2 challengers for the title in england.

I'm praying we will finally get the 4 horse race we've been waiting for next season

Arsenal? Seriously??

You gotta be kidding me

Luis wrote:

bluenine wrote:Liverpool are preparing well, must give it to Benetiz - very shrewd coach Perhaps with a few quality signings they can mount a serious challenge for the EPL! It will be fantastic if there are more than 2 challengers for the title in england.

I'm praying we will finally get the 4 horse race we've been waiting for next season

Well Arsenal.........$h!t Tweedle's aiming his sniper better leave it at that!

bluenine wrote:Arsenal? Seriously??

You gotta be kidding me

Luis wrote:

bluenine wrote:Liverpool are preparing well, must give it to Benetiz - very shrewd coach Perhaps with a few quality signings they can mount a serious challenge for the EPL! It will be fantastic if there are more than 2 challengers for the title in england.

I'm praying we will finally get the 4 horse race we've been waiting for next season

Arsenal have had some atrocious injuries this season and still drawn with Liverpool on points.

If they have a relatively injury free squad next year (compared to this year), they will finish third. I'll put money on it

bluenine wrote:Arsenal? Seriously??

You gotta be kidding me

Luis wrote:

bluenine wrote:Liverpool are preparing well, must give it to Benetiz - very shrewd coach Perhaps with a few quality signings they can mount a serious challenge for the EPL! It will be fantastic if there are more than 2 challengers for the title in england.

I'm praying we will finally get the 4 horse race we've been waiting for next season

they were missing their best player in henry for a big part of the season, (and also RVP), so I do expect them to be better, but I also expect manu, chelsea and liverpool to all do better as well.

i thought this was a CL thread =P

OwenThomas4 wrote:

bluenine wrote:Arsenal? Seriously??

You gotta be kidding me

Luis wrote:

bluenine wrote:Liverpool are preparing well, must give it to Benetiz - very shrewd coach Perhaps with a few quality signings they can mount a serious challenge for the EPL! It will be fantastic if there are more than 2 challengers for the title in england.

I'm praying we will finally get the 4 horse race we've been waiting for next season

Arsenal have had some atrocious injuries this season and still drawn with Liverpool on points.

If they have a relatively injury free squad next year (compared to this year), they will finish third. I'll put money on it

We didn't care in our last 3 games though. so + 9 points to us.

Come on Milan!!

i heard milan chose to play in white again, bad move?

BoBo Vieri wrote:i heard milan chose to play in white again, bad move?

No, if we went with Red and Black it would imply that Istanbul still haunts (it probably does, but wearing red and black would be a public display of it).

TOMKINS: A SIXTH-SENSE FOR ATHENS


Just one week until a destiny is met. A win, and Liverpool join their opponents as the second most successful club in the history of the European Cup.



Had anyone told me this would be possible as 2003/04 limped to an end, I'd have laughed in disbelief. Who were Liverpool going to employ as manager that summer, David Copperfield?

A sixth European crown would be a remarkable achievement. And despite what Alex Ferguson says, Liverpool have a good chance of success.

We need to be fully aware that what Milan did to Ferguson's United was not a million miles away from what Portsmouth did to a ragged United a couple of weeks earlier. Milan's 3-0 walkover should not be construed as some kind of children's bedtime scare story – for us, at least. (For United fans, it was just that.)

While a fresh Milan were more than capable of beating any team United could put out, given it was at the San Siro and that they began so brightly against tired opposition, United's starting eleven also lacked the two centre-backs who have given them a good platform all season. Rio Ferdinand was injured, and only the ghost of Nemanja Vidic played. Gary Neville, never a favourite around these parts, will at least get the begrudging acknowledgement of being solid and reliable, and Patrice Evra, who has had a good season on the whole, was also absent.

Yes, Milan also ran riot against Liverpool in Istanbul, before half-time intervened. But it has to be noted that the Reds' defence is far better drilled as a unit than 2005, and also has a more reliable shielding presence in midfield.

Djimi Traoré had an absolute nightmare in the first half two years ago, although later redeemed himself somewhat with a great goal-line clearance.

But he was a player who, on the night, like a lot of other Reds, clearly suffered from first-half stage fright. It was the biggest game in the lives of that starting XI, whereas Milan had been there, done that. Now Liverpool have been there and done that, too.

This year's Milan are a great side going forward, but for me they do not compare with Barcelona in terms of attacking talent.

The Italians look a better balanced side, with more solidity as a unit, but they don't have a front four to compare with the frightening quartet of Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Messi and Deco, whose touch and movement is something else. Also, Milan's current strikers are nowhere near as intimidating as Crespo and Shevchenko were in 2005, but of course, in Kaká they have a real gem who has improved even more since then.

I fully respect Milan, and make them favourites based on their experience. But I don't see any reason to fear them. If Liverpool can win in a partisan Nou Camp after being a goal down to a Barcelona team who were, at that moment in the game, purring like the 1970 Brazilians, then the Reds can win in a neutral setting, with a passionate support willing them on, against a team they psychologically scarred two years ago.

Make no mistake: Liverpool fully deserve their place in the final. At no point in the entire campaign have the Reds been in danger of elimination, ever since dominating Group C.

A narrow defeat at Stamford Bridge was the only significant deficit all season (bar a few minutes in the Nou Camp, and just four minutes early in the qualifier against Maccabi Haifa), and it took just 22 minutes of the semi-final second leg to even it up against Mourinho's men. Even the penalty shoot-out was trouble-free, with the Reds in control from the first kick.

What has pleased me about our defending in Europe has been the lack of panic – of feeling a goal could be conceded at any moment – bar those first 20-30 minutes in Barcelona, and a couple of times when Pepe Reina needed to save at Stamford Bridge. The entire season has been relatively stress-free, particularly at crucial points in the games.

Neither Chelsea nor Barcelona worried the Reds' defence at Anfield; the weird thing was how little Barcelona created on the whole, and especially in the last 10 minutes, when a second goal would have taken them through. And even weirder was how Chelsea, needing just one away goal to force the Reds into scoring three, failed to make Liverpool's defence even remotely twitchy.

As a fan, I still panic to a degree. Perhaps I'll never lose those twitching sensations, from all those years of Phil Babb tackling goalposts with his coccyx and an overweight Neil Ruddock floundering like a beached whale; not to mention David James, before he became the mature goalkeeper of today, rashly flying out of his goal.

While I don't particularly care who wins the final for the Reds so long as someone does, the romantic in me can't help but hope it's someone for whom there's an extra-special story, and, to lessen the sense of déjà vu, someone different to two years ago regarding the players who remain at the club.

One of the things that gave me most joy in Istanbul was Vladimir Smicer's unexpected contribution as a sub: stunning goal, and coolly taken penalty. (I also loved the thought of him smoking a celebratory cigar in Taksim Square at 3am.) The Czech, while a popular figure, never found his best form at Liverpool, but six years of injury-induced inconsistency were forgotten that night, and now we all remember him particularly fondly.

I can't help but want to see Robbie Fowler play some kind of telling role, even if only as a late sub; just as he was so close to doing against Chelsea, as the designated fifth penalty taker. (Ironic that he was a minute from taking a penalty in his Anfield farewell game, too.)

Having been in Istanbul as a fan, his passion for the club is special. And he remains a 'big game' player: someone who never freezes in the limelight. He scored crucial goals in two of the three finals of 2001, despite only starting one of those games, as well as a penalty in the League Cup final shoot-out. He also scored in the semi-finals.

Then there's Peter Crouch, a man who has spent far too much of his career being mocked, but for whom a Champions League winners' medal would be the latest positive achievement in a hard-earned battle to be taken seriously.

Or Harry Kewell. He was sensational in the World Cup game against Croatia last summer, almost single-handedly dragging Australia through to the knockout stage, but has had wretched luck with injuries since joining Liverpool. No player wants to limp out of a cup final, but he's done so in three for the Reds, having worked hard at his fitness in the build-ups to those games.

He's got fit again now, and, given the circumstances, looked incredibly sharp against Charlton. It might be too soon to start the final, but he remains a special player who can excel in every attacking aspect of the game: passing, going past people, crossing, scoring, creating, and is also very strong in the air. A fit and confident Harry Kewell is such a great asset for the club, and someone Milan would justifiably fear.

One of the interesting things to monitor will be Milan's psychological fall-out from 2005. Just as United remain a lucky semi-final opponent for Milan, dating back to the 1950s, then Liverpool have clearly made themselves unlucky final opposition for the Milanese.

I don't believe too much in records stating "team X hasn't beaten team Y in 30 years" because ultimately it's different personnel involved.

But the mental blocks of recent history can be true enough. These blocks are never enough to predetermine a result, but they can have a bearing on how the teams perform. Chelsea now know that, in a cup semi-final, their chances of eliminating Liverpool are unusually slim, and it seemed that they lacked some belief once Daniel Agger scored in the latest clash.

It's like Manchester United and late goals. Teams believe they specialise in them, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as the clock winds down. Both this season and last Liverpool have lost to stoppage-time goals against United. In a similar way, firmly etched into Milanese minds is that Liverpool specialise in comebacks. Especially if they watched last season's FA Cup final.

Unlike Liverpool, Milan are no strangers to losing European Cup finals. Another defeat would make it five; at present, the sombre game at Heysel is Liverpool's only taste of defeat. And of all the teams who've won the trophy more than twice, Liverpool have by far the best success ratio: five out of six finals won to date. Ajax, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, like Milan, all have a high number of defeats as well as successes.

So in that sense the Reds are still pretty unique. Indeed, Liverpool aren't a team who tend to lose many finals, full-stop. The defeat in the League Cup against Chelsea in 2005 is the only reversal in the last seven 'proper' cup finals.

It's like the Reds' penalty record: ten wins in eleven shoot-outs. Any England or Germany fan will know how previous encounters can linger in the mind, for good and bad, and influence current proceedings.

History won't automatically help Liverpool, of course. But we can still hope and believe that it will act as the kind of sixth sense we crave the most.