Left back - a football blog

It’s a small man who takes pleasure in another’s misery.

I look at John Terry’s weeping countenance and I admit it freely, I am that small man. I also enjoyed Drogba, the great big bottler, getting sent off. He didn’t fancy a penalty and took the easy way out. English football won’t miss his drama and histrionics no matter how many goals he scores.

What’s great is that basking in the pain of Terry allows me to ignore the fact that United won it. Thank you, JT, thank you.

On the other hand Avram Grant was quietly dignified, consoling a man who many suggest might have been one of those voices from within the dressing room leaking stories to the press about the Israeli’s supposed ineptitude.

On another note, what the hell was Peter Kenyon doing leading the team up to get the medals? He really is a despicable man - but then as a ‘life long red’ his night surely had a silver lining.

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As an Arsenal fan I was rather aggrieved at our exit from the tournament at the hands of Liverpool. The penalty that was not given, a penalty that probably wasn’t given, and on those two crappy refereeing decisions the tie turned.

So I was rather hopeful that Barcelona would give me something to cheer about for the rest of the tournament, and to put it in perspective I fucking hate Barcelona. I lived there for years and had to travel back after the 2006 Champions League final from Paris on a train full of Barcelona fans. Sickening.

So now we’re going to have an all English final and as much as the Liverpool defeat hurt me I have to go with them for the trophy.

My reasoning:

1 - Manchester United and Ronaldo winning it would make me get a bit sick in my mouth. I know this is Ferguson’s dream so I’d hate to see that come true.

2 - Chelsea would be the first London club to win it and it would mean Ashley Cole has a Champions League winners medal.

3 - Liverpool have already won the thing 5 times, what difference does one more make?

My levels of bitterness and hatred for the clubs in question are taken into account here. Perhaps it’s based on the fact that Liverpool haven’t challenged for the league in such a long time. United have been long time rivals and Chelsea is the most vulgar, tasteless football club in existence.

So for those reasons I want Liverpool to win it. If they get beaten tonight then I’m going to completely ignore the final and I will pretend for the rest of my days that it did not happen.

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Jesus, two of the most attacking sides in Europe produced a snorefest last night. United played like they were Bolton, everyone behind the ball, squeezing Barcelona infield knowing they had no height so crosses were ineffective anyway.

Highlight of the game was Ronaldo’s penalty miss. And was it just me or did he look really weird last night? He seems to have become significantly uglier or something. And he was up to his old diving tricks again, every time he was touched he went down, thankfully the ref didn’t buy his con job in the first half but I thought United might have had another penalty in the second when Abidal seemed to take him down.

Henry looked Barcelona’s most dangerous player and he was only on for 15 minutes. Eto’o looked like he really didn’t care, Deco similar.

Advantage United, perhaps. They’ll have to play a more open game in the home leg which might just suit Barcelona as well.

Let’s just hope it’s a better game.

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Sorry for the lack of action around here. We’re having end of season, not in any trophies ennui.

Sparked back into life by this quote from Rafa Benitez though. After last night’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Champions League he said:

Of course I am disappointed with the officials’ performance. It is not the first time this has happened to us and we are really disappointed.

Pardon me? Is he actually for real? I mean, like, seriously!!

Two generous sendings off against Inter Milan, two very favourable penalty decisions about Arsenal, and he’s complaining about a ref who appeared decent enough to me last night (one Cole foul on Kuyt in the second half aside)??

Madness, I tell you. The man is obviously deranged. Liverpool have had great chunks of good luck and generous refereeing decisions in the CL this season. The good luck ran out in the last minute of injury time though.

What in the name of all that is holy was Riise thinking? He has feet, doesn’t he? It’s not like he’s a Vietnam vet with no lower legs and only one of those skateboard things to push himself around on. Why didn’t he kick it? And that’s not the first time he’s done that this season - didn’t he score almost the same own goal against Luton in the FA Cup?

You’ve got to question the keeper a bit there as well. He should have come for that ball. Anyway, it’s nicely poised for the 2nd leg - I still hope Liverpool do it. A United v Chelsea final would be sickening.

My order of preference for CL glory:

Barcelona - Liverpool - United or Chelsea (if either of them wins it I’m going to make a football out of my own poo and throw it up for Ronaldo or John Terry to head back to me).

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From a thread on the Liverpool echo.

Rumour going around draw has been leaked….. this is no doubt rubbish but if Rumour is true it’s LFC - arsenal and Chelsea - fenerbache and manure v roma
No bookies will take bets on the draw either……. 

This was posted at 10.28am. The draw for the Champions League took place at 12.10pm.

Lucky guess or something more sinister?

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A whopping €60 from a €2 stake would be returned if the following results come through. Click for big.

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Marco Materazzi might be football’s greatest pantomime villain but even Liverpool fans would have to admit he was hard done by last night. Neither incident merited a card and the referee spoiled what might have been a very good game of football. Yes, he failed to spot Vieira’s handball but that’s the kind of decision any ref can get wrong at any time. To dish out two soft yellows like that in such a big game was nothing short of disgraceful. Torres was a little too ‘light on his feet’ for my liking too - and this tells its own story.

As it was Liverpool found it tough to break down an Inter side who do have experience of playing with 10 men. They had chances, the keeper making a great save from Torres, and as expected all the pressure came from the home side.

Even then it was only after the impressive Cordoba went off, meaning Inter had lost both the centre-halves they started the game with, that they scored. Dirk Kuyt hasn’t impressed too often this season but has always worked hard. Perhaps he deserved that bit of luck with his finish. Gerrard’s was a decent goal but look at the replays and watch the three Inter players, Vieira particularly culpable, of standing off him and allowing him the time to shoot.

It means that Liverpool will go to Milan for the second leg and shut up shop, attempting to do what they did to Juventus when they brought only a one goal lead. The addition of Torres and Babel to the squad means they’ve got real pace to counter-attack with so it could be a fun game. An early goal would really make it spectacle for the neutrals.

In the other games Chelsea rested players ahead of the crucial Carling Cup final on Sunday and could only draw 0-0 at Olympiakos. A goal or two there would have made the second leg much less nervy. They’ve got the quality to beat the Greeks but could have made life easier for themselves.

Real Madrid have an away goal to take to the Bernebeu for the second leg against Roma who were good value for their 2-1 win while Schalke’s early goal gives them a 1-0 lead to take to Porto.

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€2 on will bring €72.60 if these results come in. As always click for big.

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I’m a Liverpool fan and I’ve suffered this season. So many poor results along with having to endure some terrible football too. It has been hard going I have to say. What’s been worse is the dawning realisation that we’ll never win the Premier League with Rafa as manager. He’s a good cup boss (FA Cup excluded obviously!). Someone who can pick a team to negate the opposition and he seems to be able to motivate players for European games.

In the league he just doesn’t seem to be able to produce a team that can play consistently well. Perhaps it’s his rotation policy, perhaps it’s that he doesn’t have the players but then he’s the one that bought them so he has to look at himself there. Look how far ahead of us United, Chelsea and Arsenal are. And I don’t just mean points. United and Arsenal play nice attacking football, the kind of football we used to get at Liverpool. The kind of football that won us lots of trophies.

If there was constant improvement I’d be willing to give Benitez more time but we’ve gone backwards this season. No time has a divine right to win trophies but Liverpool shouldn’t be battling to try and scrape into 4th place.

If Benitez manages to pull off another European miracle then I’m afraid it might give him a stay of execution. We want the league title, we need the league title. And we won’t get it with Benitez as manager. If he does pull of the miracle I think it would be a fitting end to his Anfield career. Thanks for the two European Cups Rafa but it’s time to go now. It’s not without precedent. Real Madrid fired Vincente del Bosque when he won the trophy and got rid of Fabio Capello when he guided them to the league title.

I hope the Anfield board, whoever they might be, are as brave.

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