Off Topic The General Chat Thread.

Must admit I didn't see that result coming after our woeful first half showing. We looked absolutely knackered and there was a collective lack of energy, which isn't surprising from those who played on Wednesday. More kamikaze attempting to play out from the back meant we spent most of the first half pegged back in the last 30 yards of the pitch. Passing was too slow and allowed Liverpool to read and intercept, and they should have punished us. Kasper's attempts to play out were just as bad. Second half wasn't much better until we conceded, and then we suddenly found the energy and started to play. What was that all about? Even then we needed some help from Liverpool's version of the Keystone Cops. Vardy should have ended up with 4 goals. I thought man of the match for us was Wilf. I think that was his best performance for us. He won everything on the ground and in the air, and even his attacking play was excellent. Nice to get the rub of the green and finally lay the Liverpool bogey to rest.

 

Strange one where I felt we were poor for the most part, getting the basics wrong, giving the ball away every time and looking like a lower league side in awe...yet we had the much better chances and could have scored more than we did and on that basis, it feels like a deserved win. You can see watching that how their Villa result happened now, assuming everything went in for Villa that night.
Love a comedy goal like the Vardy one and Maddison’s comments post match about injuries and a dig to the media about the ‘big 6’ were great too!
Surprised Evans carried on top, hopefully he hasn’t done himself more harm there.

 

I didnt think the first half was that bad. Liverpool are expert at pressing from the front and recycling the ball and we kept them at arms length while creating the best chances. I will admit when we went one down I was almost resigned to a defeat but what a response. Agree with Ndidi comments, best player on the pitch by a mile. Predicable most post match comment are about Liverpool and very little credit coming to the team second in the Premier League.

 

Gutted I wasn't able to watch today. Absolutely no idea how that result happened but delighted

 

And one other thing.. Salah is a sensational player but I hate the way he dives often with no contact. Just cheating.

 

I forgot to mention the contribution from Tielemanns. Although he gave the ball away a few times, he also made some very important tackles and interceptions alongside Wilf. After Wilf's pass for Barnes to score maybe Youri and he are learning off each other. If they can both stay fit, they will be the best defensive midfield pairing in the league (if they aren't already!).

 

Wilf was sensational yesterday. Couldn't believe it when McManaman on BT gave Barnes man of the match, as he only came alive in the last 20 mins or so.

Pleasing to go 6 points clear of "The Champions" and hopefully we can kick on and stretch away from 5th place.

 

Was a strange game in many ways. For much of the first half we looked like a bunch of lads in a trial game who had only met for the first time 10 mins before Kick-off ... by the end Liverpool were lucky not to have conceded more ... how Allison saved that one from Vardy beggars belief.

A great battling performance which shows how much our mentality has improved in a year. Hopefully Praet and Castagne not that far away from coming back and having Fofana back for the run in will be immense.

 

I wasn't too sure of Ricardo at left back yesterday. Thought he got done a few times in the 1st half(then again, who didn't) I'd prefer him at right back and Castagne at left (where he plays for Belgium) Do we know how far away Castagne is away from returning?

 

In fairness to Harvey he had a pretty big influence in the game's outcome ... ball to Vardy in the first half when he attempts to lob the keeper ... pen / free kick ... Tielemans may well have been aiming for Barnes with that long ball and if Vardy hadn't run it in, Harvey could have ... shot that Allison saves (and then also the rebound from Vardy)... then that lovely finish ...

... did JJ a huge favour yesterday coz his second half roasting of TTA won't have been lost on Gareth Southgate

 

I think Rodgers said he'd be back in full training on Monday. I doubt he'd be risked in the Europa league, so I assume he'll get some game time against Villa next week, fingers crossed.

 

Only saw the first half of the Europa game and thought no way is this ending 0-0, which shows why I'm not a gambling man. Barnes a little unlucky with the poke between the keepers legs. Happy with the result though as they have been unbeatable at home. Here we are in the knockout stages of a top European competition and we had three Academy players on the park. Sensational.

 

What I saw we should be happy with 0-0 as we weren't great going forward, but as you say it's a top European competition, there won't be any pushovers left. I wasn't impressed with their exaggerating of fouls, especially when Iheanacho caught the man on the neck with his arm. I thought the Physio was reading him his last rites!

 

Shame we couldn’t get an away goal but at least we didn’t lose. Will be tight in the return but we ‘should’ have enough to come out on top.
What a tin pot club and team Slavia were, their cheesy banner and pre-match comments, was clearly their cup final. As for their antics on the night, unbelievable. Going down like they were shot, given Nacho will miss the one game anyway he may as well have snapped one of them properly for the same punishment...
Ref was shocking though, how does Nacho get booked for what he did yet barely a couple of minutes later, a rugby tackle, Boris Johnson style, isn’t? Some of these European refs are so bad it does feel almost political dare I say it as surely it can’t be that level of incompetence....that female ref for the first game was the best I have seen tbf

 

The ref was very poor and some if their play acting was embarrassing. Lack of an away goal is a concern as they could Nick one at ours - but we have much better players man for man.

 

I have to agree with the ref comments and exaggerated fouls. I think that was getting on the players' wicks too, as I noticed Albrighton let out a real scream himself later in the game, so I reckon he was taking the piss, judging by the 'secret smile' when the ref wasn't looking, straight after!

 

which we we prefer to win if given a choice - assuming that we didn't finish in the top five

FA cup (Gives Europa League Qualification)
or
Europa League (Gives champions League qualification)

Personally I would given a choice and if we cant have both would stump for the FA cup
Obviously wouldn't turn down winning the Europa League but it is a bit "mickey mousey" and greatly overshadowed by the Champions league.

 

FA Cup would be my choice. It's the only domestic trophy we've not won, apart from league 2, which I hope we won't be competing for soon. Hopefully we can finish in the top four and have the best of both worlds.

 

Awkward question

I'm going Europa League. It's a European Trophy at the end of the day and although the FA Cup has been illusive, I'd rather fans be there if we win it.

Obviously wouldn't be unhappy with either or both

 

Agreed, surely a European trophy is more prestigious even if it isn’t the CL. I wonder if people would have felt the same about it under its old Eufa cup branding.
Anyway, pure numbers game for me, technically we have a chance with the FA cup every year whereas we haven’t been in the EL before. Oh and didn’t Manchester City purchase exclusive rights to win the domestic cups?