Liverpool (h) - CL QF post match thread

[HarrytheBlue]

Roll on VAR !!

 

[Bluep*ss]

If the referee, supposedly on of the best that UEFA has at its disposal, as well as the linesman and the extra official behind the goal, didn’t see the touch from Milner, then none of them should be involved in a Champions' League quarterfinal tie.

Absolutely disgraceful officiating.

This Ref. is well known in the Spanish league - for making the game "All about him".
Pep has suffered from this ref. in the past

 

[City Man]

Just got back. Nowhere near as bothered as I was on Saturday after the derby. It was always going to be a big ask to rescue something from tonight whereas it should have been straightforward on Saturday and we’d have had the most important trophy in the bag.

Great start but we seemed too hyped up and were making poor decisions with too many pointless or just plain poor balls at key moments. Never seen so many bad balls from Silva & KDB particularly, both of who look physically and mentally shattered. Pep actually got it right tonight tactically but we simply didn’t offer enough of a goal threat after we scored. Just watching the first half again and we’ve exerted loads of pressure but Karius has only had to make one save.

Then in the last 5 minutes there was Bernardo’s deflected shot onto the post and the disallowed goal. I think they may have got that decision right as, if I understand the rule correctly, Milner has to play it deliberately for Sané not to be offside and the question then hinges on whether he did play it deliberately or it just came off him. If the ref decided it wasn’t deliberate then the decision is correct.

Everything changed around 55 minutes when our energy levels seemed to drop, Fernandinho dropped into the back four and we let them have more of the ball. As soon as that happened they scored and it was game over. Otamendi then went full-on Otamendi and that was that. Unlike us, Liverpool know how to protect a lead and deserved it.

Thought Bernardo was excellent (& MOTM for me) and Laporte was also excellent. Sterling was very good but goes over far too easily. He needs to be stronger. Silva, KDB and Fernandinho were very average by their standards. Sané and Walker were OK, Jesus was anonymous after the goal and Otamendi proved he’s the new Richard Dunne.

There’s not enough steel or guile in this team to win the CL unfortunately.

Just got back too and agree with all of this especially the last sentence. I'd just add that I think we've ridden our luck with this defence all season when what I'll call the front lot attacking have meant we've been able to avoid too much pressure on the back. Now that the front guys are understandbly getting a bit jaded (KDB must be knackered) the defence is at times being asked to step up and frankly in the middle they're not good enough to do so.

Two CBs needed imo.

 

[SalfordCityBlue]

I haven’t seen it as I’m away for work, but I can’t believe there’s another potentially game changing ref error against us again.

That’s either quite the run of bad luck or the ****s really are cheating. Three huge games, with at least one colossal ref fuck up in each? All against the same team?

Add in that ‘coach greeting’ bullshit and we’ve been royally fucked this week.

 

[Blumers Bloomers]

How can Otamendi go from being our best defender all season to doing a very good impression of Kit Symons in the space of a week?

 

[kiam06]

Defence not good enough over two legs and bent referees.

We can correct one of those in the summer.

 

[pavelsrnicek]

Just got back. Nowhere near as bothered as I was on Saturday after the derby. It was always going to be a big ask to rescue something from tonight whereas it should have been straightforward on Saturday and we’d have had the most important trophy in the bag.

Great start but we seemed too hyped up and were making poor decisions with too many pointless or just plain poor balls at key moments. Never seen so many bad balls from Silva & KDB particularly, both of who look physically and mentally shattered. Pep actually got it right tonight tactically but we simply didn’t offer enough of a goal threat after we scored. Just watching the first half again and we’ve exerted loads of pressure but Karius has only had to make one save.

Then in the last 5 minutes there was Bernardo’s deflected shot onto the post and the disallowed goal. I think they may have got that decision right as, if I understand the rule correctly, Milner has to play it deliberately for Sané not to be offside and the question then hinges on whether he did play it deliberately or it just came off him. If the ref decided it wasn’t deliberate then the decision is correct.

Everything changed around 55 minutes when our energy levels seemed to drop, Fernandinho dropped into the back four and we let them have more of the ball. As soon as that happened they scored and it was game over. Otamendi then went full-on Otamendi and that was that. Unlike us, Liverpool know how to protect a lead and deserved it.

Thought Bernardo was excellent (& MOTM for me) and Laporte was also excellent. Sterling was very good but goes over far too easily. He needs to be stronger. Silva, KDB and Fernandinho were very average by their standards. Sané and Walker were OK, Jesus was anonymous after the goal and Otamendi proved he’s the new Richard Dunne.

There’s not enough steel or guile in this team to win the CL unfortunately.

Good summation but the offside decision was terribly wrong in that if Milner hits a ball through to Sane inadvertently or as bad back pass Sane can’t be offside as no City player played if forward unless Sane was offside from KDB’s pass (which he wasn’t). If what you say was the case any player who back passed to an opposition forward who scored could claim it was inadvertently backwards.

The only way that goal could have been correctly ruled out is for a foul on Karius or a foul by Sane neither of which appear to have happened.

Another situation which the same rules apply would be if Karius was being pressed by Jesus and rushed a clearance which comes off the backside of Lovren and breaks for Jesus he can’t be offside. Lovren doesn’t play the ball deliberately but no City player plays the ball so he’s not offside.

 

[SB Blue]

No but if you get personal abuse and even up to the point of direct message with threats of violence all because you said Liverpool is a horrible team to get in the draw I’d quite like an apology

Well message the people who DM'd you for an apology, rather than coming on saying 'I told you so' again....

 

[Beanhead]

I feel sorry for our players.

Attacked on the coach to fuckin Anfield in a well-Police-organised gauntlet run of pure hatred. What would have happened without that?
Had to swallow an offside goal going 0-1 down. What would happened to dippers momentum if disallowed?
Pressure on then, dippers flying, momentum got us down 3-0.
3-1 disallowed, I didn't see an offside.
So, 3-0 instead of 2-1. Big influence of the tactics going into the 2nd leg.

Bernardo hitting the post at Etihad. 2-0 disallowed. That's like pulling the plug. No justice, fighting against 12 men.

It's so disappointing to be unfairly treated again and again and you cannot change anything about that.
I don't care for Ota's shocker, the away goal already had ended the tie.

Thanks a lot for your great support you have shown tonight before the ref killed us (again).

I have to say, it really takes away my joy for football, if City gets shafted time and time again.
Having VAR City were through to the semis, no doubt. IMO.

Burnley did defend well tonight but sorry, that's easy after all I've written above.
Dippers were not the better side, 5-1 on agg is a pure joke, but wil be rubbed under our noses for umpteen decades.
What do we have to do to be just fairly treated? Nothing more than that. Just fair.

It’s really been a tie of influential bad decisions and horrible events that imo have had an effect on the overall result.... but it’s a cup completion and let’s not forget that. If it was a league bad decisions although still present tend to get diluted especially if you are as dominant as we have been.

I’m a big advocate in fairness regardless of whether it benefits city or not I don’t want a debate in the pub over decisions. I want closure on a fair decision and the events that subsequently lead to a fair result and the only way this can achieved 99% of time will be introducing VAR asap to every professional competition.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

its made it annoying, knowing we didnt play a first team against united.