batman

An entertaining game but not overly filled with class. The first half was quite even but the Liverpool goal was laughable ... two mis-kicks and a ridiculous attempt to clear from Ukelele.

Liverpool definitely had the better of the second half. The equaliser was a classic .... a pity it was Riise 'cos he's one of the few Liverpool players it's difficult to dislike.

After the match we switched over to Sky Sports News for another classic performance of biased bullshit from Phil Thompson.

The second leg should be a good 'un.

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

Third Man

To which we all sing what's the score big nose!!

Edward G

Come of it Bats,
Thompson nose his game.
Seriously, though I think it was a fairly even affair, just tipped by Liverpool. I worried when Torres continually failed to find his range. Liverpool had a chance or three to close out the game (like they did against Arsenal) but failed to take them. I wonder how important that may prove to be... Should be a great decider at the bridge.
You might have one wing in the final but Don't book your flight yet, Bats!

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!

batman

Travel all that way for a game of football .... twenty years ago maybe, not now.

I am not one to count my chicken wings, but I am quietly confident. The own goal may be the start of some good luck in these CL games against Liverpool, we certainly haven't had any prior to that!

ps - Thompson nose snout about football .... he is a clown

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

Edward G

Have to say that Chelsea deserve a break (though it is plain embarassing to watch Drogba die at regular intervals). If Chelsea go through I will root for them both for your sake, Bats, but also to see Avram Grant achieve what the self-appointed "special one" could not do - rise Chelsea to the pinnacle of Europe.
He has been the subject of so much unpleasant and unbalanced criticism that I think it would be a marvellous thing to behold if an uncharismatic but determined man was to enjoy such a burst of unexpected glory.....
Having said that "Come on You Reds!"

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!

David Brent

What a choker.

What was Riise thinking when he stooped to head the ball? He could have more easily have booted it out of the ground - but thats football.

I thought the ref was a bit soft on some of the bad tackles that went in.
Terry certainly put the boot in, and the elbow, knees ect.. into Torres. Terry got away with murder.

I still wouldn't rule the Pool out just yet.

Dave.

Harleybloke

Well! What a to-do!

At 8.00pm on BBC3 Batman & Robin were about to be dunked in Sulphuric acid by the Penguin and later he's home free watching his beloved Chelski on Sky!

God Bless you Dynamic Duo!

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

scholes

Chelsea showed fleeting glances of some wonderful flowing football in the second half, and carved Liverpool open on several occasions.
The early first half offerings were understandably constrained by a large consignment of bodies packing the midfield, and I thought of parallels with Waking the Dead over on BBC1.
Then the game sort of sprung into life, and so at the expense of Tara and Sue and Trev too (which I recorded) decided to see it through.
I thought Liverpool were going to add a second, but Cech's acrobatic save from Gerrard's volley was significant.
Poor Riise, but what a top header!


As far as pundits go, Phil Thompson may be hailed in some parts of Salford as Pinocchio, but he's infinitely better than the odious Andy Gray, whose current appearance informs me that his time spent in the studio canteen far outweighs that spent on researching his subject properly.
The obscenity of a £20,000 per week pay packet is only matched by his equally obscene and uninformed observations.

Edward G

Yeah, Gray is odious and seems to have a pathological regard for referees, continually looking for them to make a "key error" and then replaying the action with his toys and magic pen. He doesn't seem to realise that referees are actually human, have to run around the field and discriminate in a split second between continually cheating and diving players ! Even Roy Keane recently their job "is a thousand times harder than mine"...What a plonker Gray is.

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!

DB7

Riise is famed for having only one foot so I know what he was trying to do - but in front of your goalmouth is terribly risky. As it proved.

stevie boy

whoever wins will be runner up, the winner is playing tonight(not sure Man u or Barca)

batman

When Thompson is talking about games that don't involve L'pool he is OK .... it is his blinkered bias re L'pool games that cheeses me off.

However, even he is preferable to the thick-headed rantings of Gray. His comments during the few matches I have seen this season on SKY have been either inflammatory or grossly over-stated and often inaccurate.

Re last night's ref .... Rafa's comments about free-kicks going to Chelski all the time sums up how objectively we all view games, 'cos I thought he was equally unfair to both sides. Rafa also seems to forget that the injury-time was added as a result of the injury to Arbeloa.

Footie .... it don't half stir us all up don't it!

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

scholes

Indeed, sometimes it makes you want to climb aboard the proverbial fence alongside Trevor Brooking and Gary Lineker.
But..............life would be so boring without opinion!

Third Man

I also thought he was equally officious with his decisions any little touch was blown for, which really did not do anything for the game. In the end I think both sets of players knew this ref might blow for any little push or shove and decided to play act and feign injury, Torres and Drogba where both up to it all night. The Chelsea and Liverpool clashes need a good ref to let the game flow because usually watching these two play each other can be like pulling teeth.

Here's hoping the the return leg favours a much more entertaining and exciting match, something like 4-0 to Chelsea.

Essiens back

Simon

Edward G

Look Simon,
Your gonna need 10 Essien's in front of Cech to keep pace with the mighty reds next week and they just ain't available.

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!