Football: Liverpool vs. Milan @ Günther Murphy's

Look. I am getting nervous about it already OK? I don't care who we play, I just wanna win...

Come on boys. Do us proud!

I will be there quite early I expect...

I will also be there, cheering the boys on, and with everyone coming back to full fitness, and hopefully no further injuries, Liverpool will have their strongest team out.

Can Liverpool win their fifth European Cup ? Of course they can !

Question is now/still, will Liverpool be allowed to defend their title ?

Think I'll be finishing earlier that day, get to GM's for opening time.

Well all rumours can now be put to bed, Gerrard is staying, and UEFA are coming around so that if Liverpool win, they will go into the Champions League automatically, and Arsenal, Man U and Everton must play Champions League Qualifying rounds.

Gerrard now agreeing a new 100k per week contract

[Mr Burns] Excellent [/Mr Burns]

Where have you read that UEFA are allowing Liverpool in if they win? I thought the FA ruled on Friday that only the top 4 in the league qualify?

Arsenal and Man U would have to play qualifying rounds? Your source Mr Pepper?

it's in the link that pepper posted (half way down)
can't see it anywhere else, though (e.g. BBC)

nor in sportinglife or teamtalk...

Wonder if that means that uefa qualification would then be down to 8th spot?

So it's just Scouse propaganda so far then

There have been a few articles about this, UEFA are under a lot of pressure now as the FA are too coward to make the decision themselves, and it would be a scandal if the champions could not play in the champions League next year.

Everton will also be entered now into the Champions League as finishing fourth in the Premier League.

Edit : I said coming around to it, its not agreed yet !

As you can see from the Link, it actually came from the Mirror, hmm.. not sure how true this is now then, but Gerrard staying, its not the first time since Liverpool got to the final, that he has said he wants to stay.

I don't think the FA decision is particularly cowardly - Everton deserve their place

But do the Champions of Europe also not deserve a place ? This is the problem. The Spanish FA did this some years ago, when Real Madrid won the Champions League but finished 5th, so the Spanish FA entered the fourth placed team into UEFA Cup and Real in Champions League.

Suggestion: IF Liverpool wins next week then the FA should force them to play off home and away against Everton for the last CL place

If Liverpool can't finish in the top 4 in the league, then it's tough doodoos.
It's not like the FA or UEFA have suddenly made their rules up, is it?

I think Liverpool would agree to that ! But these suggestions have already been put forward, the FA just have their rules, and if anything falls outside of this, they do not have a clue what to do.

@ Topsy - but the FA se their rules in stone. The Spanish FA are more adaptive !

To be serious I agree with Topsy (although I'm just guessing what a "doodoo" is). Pepper reckons it would be a scandal if the champions were not able to defend their title. To me it's more like incompetence if a team who can beat Europe's best can't finish in the top 4 in their domestic league.

Good Omens?

4 of Liverpools last triumphs in the Champions League have come when they have played in red against teams in white.

I always like to call this the Chumps league as it is a competition that is about money and not about being the best team in Europe. Wenger has branded Liverpool lucky, where as I say they have played the better tactics to get them here. Now the major sponsors are putting pressure on UEFA to extend the 5th place, thus proving that it is the money that drives this competition and not the prestige.

The FA are spot on in giving Everton the 4th place, they earned it.

IMHO, any cup competition should allow the defending champions entry. Its a joke that this rule was scrapped. This isnt about Liverpool, its about whats fair play and honourable.

Perhaps. But the rules were known at the start of the season and shouldn't be changed now to the detriment of someone who was going by them (i.e. Everton).

The way they are looking at changing it is that Arsenal will have to play the qulaifying games as well, therefore freeing up one of the automatic seeding spots.

i think that the FA is right to say the top 4 qualify, as prescribed. if UEFA wants the holders to be in it, it's up to them to add another spot to the tournament, IMHO.

3L That would still be moving the goalposts in the middle of the game

Its the right thing to do.

Nah. Not unless Arsenal agrees to the extra revenue from a qualifying match or two.
Anyway, this is all presupposing that Liverpool wins. Maybe this will soon be a moot point.

well, I'm not sure really. In the same vein you could therefore say that the runners up are also worthy of a place - as its pretty well done to get to the final really.

This is coming back to the FA being cowards. The FA set the rule that the first 4 qualify, not UEFA. UEFA don't care who gets entered, they just limit the country based on a points system, as to how many places each country gets. Currently this is good for England that an English team is in the final.

As for Wengers comments, what's wrong ? just as he could not get past Bayern to get to the quarters, he calls Liverpool Lucky. So Liverpool are so lucky, they have beaten some good teams over two legs all the way through the competition. Wow with that luck, Liverpool will be winning the league next year.

As for UEFA, I do think it is silly that defending champions cannot defend their title.

No, you couldnt, second place wins nothing.

Champions = Automatic Qualification next time round.
Runner Up = Well Done, tough luck, qualify as usual next time.

As for Wenger, I believe he is feeling the pressure from the board. The board will be asking questions of him on why they have not progressed further than the QF in the last 8 seasons since they have been qualifying when Liverpool who are struggling in the league have gotten to the final and of course Chelsea who have got to the semi's in their first two Chaumps league.

My God, Baros is a twat!!!

You sit on the bench because you don't score enough!!!

He plays too much in my opinion!

I read this earlier, and on the Liverpool site, they are saying he can go anywhere he wants for 8 mil.

Song lyrics for all to learn !

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden Sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on,
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk Alone
You'll never walk Alone

I know that there are a few Liverpool fans on TT so reckoned this may be of interest.
Next Wednesday we will be warming up with the Liverpool DVD "Liverpool FC The Official History " at 5pm, we will also give anybody in their colours (Milan or 'Pool) a free beer if your in before 6pm (we will be open at 4pm)
There will be a few Reds fans behind the bar too!

GM's

I will be finishing work early methinks...

I'll try to get off early also, but can't take the next day off

Thursday is a public holiday in Gemany !

excellent!

Well now confirmed, the ref will be a Spanish Ref !

Ref for Chumps League final choosen

Wonder if that will help Liverpool with a Spanish coach and so many Spanish players ?

As a life-long fan, I would say this through clenched teeth:

"I don't mind if we don't qualify next year, lets just win this year"

Its worth sitting out next year for one joyful taste of past glory (in my adult years at least.

I'll be supporting Liverpool (but laughing my arse off at Pepper if they lose).

I see Milan Baros is being his usual self today.. Poor little lamb. Get him some more toys to throw out of his pram...

Go and find another club then as you have SOOO many offers

just about to post that as well - good ridance!

Just goes to show what a prick this guy is. The day before the most important night for Liverpool in over 20 years and he comes out with this crap. Send him home now. I don't even want him on the pitch. Who does he think he is? I mean a jumped up little shit like that is not fit enough to lick the skid marks out of Ian Rush's underpants for gods sake!

Looks like he might be in the starting XI though.

Yeah saw that, the aim was to save Cisse for the last 20 minutes or so, as Cisse is not 100% fit, but will cause huge problems for Milan with his pace and strength. Hopefully Liverpool can hold them off until then, Baros just does not score that many goals, and never sees his team makes as he's always watching the ground.

Baros
Very true Mr Pepper.. Mind you, might be nice to see Cisse actually look up occasionally too.
I'd personally still play Baros. Regardless of the fact that he is a complete tit, does not care about the club, has shite hair, is not actually anywhere near as good as he thinks etc - like anyone he'll be playing his socks off, for shop window reasons if nothing else.

he's tried really hard before - doesn't help, he's just too crap

He is not totally crap. He does have some talent.

As Don says - he is a complete tit who does not care about the club and has basically sent out a message to possible buyers that he wants to leave so watch him tomorrow and see what you could get...

Just ignore the crappy hairstyle...

i am getting soooo nervous...
we can't not win, can we??

I cannot concentrate at all. This is the most important occasion in my life over the last 20 years for goodness sake...

exactly!!! how can anyone expect you to be productive on a day like this! just tried to explain to my colleagues at lunch - they didn't get it!