themanupstairs
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Posts posted by themanupstairs
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Before offering my opinion (that no one in their right mind should care about), I'd like to say the following:
- I've hated Liverpool since the first 4-3. I was a bairn at the time and I took it to heart how much they (and their fans) celebrated taking the title away from us.
- I've pretty much hated every edition of Liverpool apart from Rafa's (honest) and sort of kind of this lot.
- The current Liverpool side are quite fantastic going forward, and quite mediocre in midfield, defence and at GK. Despite that I'll not take anything away from their somewhat successful season.
- Sergio Ramos is a quality defender but an absolute prick.
Now to be honest, I was in two minds about Liverpool winning last night. Most of my good friends are Liverpool supporters and I wanted them to enjoy it, but on the other hand the wife is hardcore Real so there was only one winner in the end.
Liverpool, despite blowing some sides away in the competition this year, were a bit lucky to get to this final in the first place IMO. The return games against City and Roma to be exact. Certain decisions went their way at key moments that could've halted their run had the refereeing been better/different. Real were also lucky to scrape past Bayern and Juve in their second legs.
Onto the game, we were all expecting a glorious goal fest which didn't really materialize. Real looked quite nervous at the start and rightly so as the favorites facing one of the most dangerous forward lines (and this year's best player). The injury to Salah was purely accidental IMO. Ramos had no qualms about stay touch tight to him but the incident itself wasn't malicious at all. He actually releases the arm as they both start to tumble (could have hurt himself as well). The incident on Karius is debatable because Ramos is clearly pushed by Van Dijk first before he's anywhere near the GK.
There wasn't much good football played. Real created more chances, and defended well across all their lines. Liverpool were very good in defence and quite ordinary in midfield and attack. Karius obviously had his worst footballing nightmares all come true in one match. Not sure how psychologically strong he is but that might be him finished at the top level of the game.
One thing I wasn't surprised by at all was that without Salah, Liverpool had no gameplan apart from the high press. Apart from the goal and A. Arnold's early chance, they barely threatened the goal. Firmino and Lallana barely touched the ball. Henderson passed sideways and into nonthreatening positions as he only knows how. Wijnaldum tried to make a dribble or two but, like Liverpool's midfield, looked a step below in quality compared to Casemiro, Kroos and Modric (none of whom had a particularly good game).
All in all, I quite enjoyed that. From Liverpool's perspective the events were tragic but they didn't lose because of any Ramos/refereeing malice as most of them are crying about this morning. Maybe Klopp will finally decide to be ruthless and address his glaring goalkeeping problems. He also has to add to Keita in midfield. I wonder if anyone will come in for Salah this summer. For their (and football's) sake, I hope not.
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It'll be Roberto Di Matteo or Avram Grant.
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I think not taking Shelvey or Wilshere is a huge mistake. I'd disagree if he took Wilshere over Shelvey but at least one creative influence in the middle would have been a sensible option. From a biased fan point of view i'd have Lascelles in over pretty much all of those centre backs but their really isn't much of a logical debate not to take Shelvey. Him and Vardy would have been an incredible combination and there's absolutely no one in the middle of that pitch that's going to be able to break down an organised team.
I think what's most worrying is how it was leaked Shelvey wasn't even in consideration. Surely there's something a miss when he's dominated games against top teams and isn't even being considered never mind picked.
Pleased to see Pope, Alexander-Arnold and Loftus-Cheek being included though.
They'll probably play a combined total of 3 minutes and that'll be it.
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He's like a massive blanket that smothers anything and anyone that goes near him. Absolute supremacy out there in midfield today.
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Great result and it sounds like a quality performance, albeit against a shocking Chelsea side.
Forget them, we were brilliant.
Oh yes we were. Could have been 3 or 4 up at HT were it not for Courtois.
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He will re-sign before the month is out.
Papers will be gutted. Mackems will be devastated.
Most important hyphen in forum history.
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The annoying thing if he does go is some PFM wanker will get a chunk of cash to spend.
Doesn't matter to me because if Rafa leaves, I'm officially out and not bothered anymore. Might even be a nice feeling moving on with my life without this constant shit fest
It depends on how and why he leaves, but aye. Totally my sentiment as well.
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You know we want Alan to stay at the club for a very long time, but who knows what will happen?
If Real Madrid want Alan Pardew then I’m sure we wouldn’t stand in his way.
You know, everyone wants to get to the best point they can in their career, but at the moment I know Alan’s very happy here and he’s not thinking about anything else other than being here, we’re not thinking about anything else than him being here, and if something comes up because we’re very successful then what can we do about it?
We’d have to cross that bridge at the time.
Imagine sitting in your mam's kitchen, half-drunk warm pint in hand, staring out the window thinking about nothing else other than Pardew being there
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I remain baffled as to why Chris Coleman thought that Sunderland was a good career choice
Because he's thick as pigshit. He's a League 1 manager anyway so they might as well stick with him.
Took me a good half hour to realise they were officially down until I checked who Bolton played next. This is just fantastic
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Second half today he looked like the best holding midfielder in Europe. Sensational form since West Ham away. Rafa will know if he can produce the same next season or not. Wouldn't be surprised if he was sold in summer with his stock high. Maybe we can recoup at least half of the 28M we paid for him.
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This keeps getting better and better! Every week I expect them to start pulling up the table, but nope...
Glorious
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Shelvey;
“Rafa is very tactical.
“He’s a very detailed coach, yesterday he kept the four midfielders after training to do a passing thing where you’re looking over your shoulder to see if the opponent is coming.
“It was weird, he was using bibs up in the air and you had to shout out the colour of the bibs. It was something I’d never done before but you can tell it’s paying off.
“He pushes us every day. He’s always on to us in training about stepping up a gear, and you’d think being on 38 points it would come down a notch, but the tackles are still flying in and everyone still wants to win, which is good.
“I think he has been good for my career. He’s made me understand the game a lot better, and tactically. I owe that to him.”
He's looking to improve peripheral vision for our midfielders to give them more space and time on the ball. Brilliant stuff as he just gets better and better.
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Kenedy has been linked with Bayern Munich this week, and Benitez said: 'He has the the level to play in a top team, yes. But he is in a top side already! If we can get two or three with experience or more quality, he will be even better.'
That is incredible from Rafa. He knows we aren't Bayern but also knows the massive potential of what he's involved in.
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Gone by Christmas/February/Easter of last year. Rancid football, tells our players to sit back. Sick of him now.
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We'll never get to see the avatars in action because they've all gone eerily quiet for some unbeknownst reason?Once we are mathematically safe, can we put a dunce avatar on a few of the telling-it-how-it-is posters?
Oh the reason is beknownst alright
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Think he rotates a lot in the mid season so he can play the strongest side down the backend.
Someone like Ayozr Who has been fit pretty much all season has only started 21 or so games. Only handful have started 25 or more games. Lascelles, Yedlin and Ritchie. Shelvey and Diamé have both started less than 20 PL games so far.
Yup
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Where are all the knackers who said he'd be gone by Christmas/Easter/Kwanzaa?
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100% deserved result. David Wagner can go fuck himself. He's a massively overrated gobshite and his side and the football they play is completely pointless. Delighted.
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Aye but Hudds fans aren't happy either as they say he's a dirty Leeds fan who hates them..com
Referee: Martin Atkinson - second visit of the season from the West Yorkshire whistler, following the 0-1 home loss to Everton where Jonjo Shelvey saw red.
Atkinson hasn't yet refereed the visitors this season. In fact, he has NEVER refereed a Huddersfield Town game in his last 16 years as an official.
He lives not far from Huddersfield but is thought to have Leeds sympathies and hasn't officiated a game involving Leeds United or Bradford City in his career.
Good. If we can put one over this insignificant scum with a terrible refereeing decision, I'll be delighted.
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Insanely difficult to come up with one favorite goal really:
- Ferguson turn and volley vs Man Utd
- Ginola Ferencvaros
- Cole away at Chelsea
- Lee home to Liverpool
- Cisse at Chelsea
- Robert home to Liverpool
- Lua Lua home to Charlton
- Pancrate
- Ba home to Man U
- Cisse home to Norwich
- Shearer vs Villa
fuck this
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Massive soft spot for Ameobi's goal when he volleyed in Carroll's rebound. Just the atmosphere at the time, we were battering Sunderland, Bramble sent-off, then the roar when that when in.
It looked a far easier finish than it actually was. Superb shout.
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That’s a man who just sharted
Gambled and lost. White shorts too, massive own goal. :lol:
The other games today 2018/19
in Football
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Yup 100%. Ramos is a dickhead there's no doubt about that, but he didn't do much wrong in this incident. Unfortunate for the player and the team but that's about it.