I guess the lack of post-game threads filled with kneejerk, rage, and bollocks are as a result of most people recognising we were wildly unlucky, yes?
If not unlucky, then unfortunate anyway.
We played well. Even with our best team available, we don't go away in Europe and dominate teams. To quote a Rafaism it's about 'controlling the game' which we we did for 89 minutes. We were the betetr side, we were more composed, we had a far better shape and structure than Lyon (who sole way of attacking seemed to be firing it quickly up to Gomis and hoping eh could do something with it until the rest of that ageing midfield caught up with him), and we had the best chances. 3 in the first half, 2 of which (Kuyt and Torres' efforts) were half-chances, the other a fucking sitter for Voronin. Similarly to Aurelio's header at Anfield, he fired it straight at the keeper. Well Andriy, you're fast running out of chances now you bag of Eastern-European dogshite; if you're gonna sit and pull the long face cos N'gog managed to come on against United ahead of you, then you've gotta be damn sure you can produce likewise when it's your opportunity. Tonight would have been a good place to start.
I thought a few performances were good - Reina, Lucas, Torres, Kygriakos, and one was outstanding in Mascherano. Hostile away games in Europe like that are what he's made for, and Christ he was everywhere. I thought we owend the game in midfield, our passing was crisper and more incisive, and but for better finishing - Voronin, and to a lesser extent - Lucas, the game could have been over earlier.
Our problem this season (leaving injuries aside) is that we're not finishing teams off. We should have buried Villa at Anfield before they got back into it, similarly these two games against Lyon. Good, actuallyt great chances dropping in the box and we're not able to put them away. Which leaves us susceptible to a fucking shitty late goal, the like of which we've conceded far too many of. Conversely, last season we were the ones riding our late luck and scoring them, this year we're on the receiving end. We're not an altogethor worse side than last year, we're just an out-of-form unluckier one.
Still, I thought we were playing a bit too deep. I can see why I suppose, a semi-fit Agger, and a slow triumverate in Insua, Kygriakos, and Carra. Not only did it leave us open to pressing and pressure, it occassionally left us with nowhere to go when we won it - Hence Agger's vast vast amount of nothing passes. The goal could and should have been avoided though, Babel and Insua's efforts to win the ball in the air weren't good enough, Kygriakos got too tight to Ederson (or whomever the fuck it was) and Agger got rolled. Shitty errors, but against decent sides in Europe, you get crunched for them.
A draw was unfair, we were the better team, did more to try to win, and deserved the three points. If we fail to qualify, we can point the finger more at the Lyon result at home, and the Fiorentina one away than tonight. That said, we had it in our hands at the Stade Gerland tonight, and contrived to through it away. Been the story of the season really.
If not unlucky, then unfortunate anyway.
We played well. Even with our best team available, we don't go away in Europe and dominate teams. To quote a Rafaism it's about 'controlling the game' which we we did for 89 minutes. We were the betetr side, we were more composed, we had a far better shape and structure than Lyon (who sole way of attacking seemed to be firing it quickly up to Gomis and hoping eh could do something with it until the rest of that ageing midfield caught up with him), and we had the best chances. 3 in the first half, 2 of which (Kuyt and Torres' efforts) were half-chances, the other a fucking sitter for Voronin. Similarly to Aurelio's header at Anfield, he fired it straight at the keeper. Well Andriy, you're fast running out of chances now you bag of Eastern-European dogshite; if you're gonna sit and pull the long face cos N'gog managed to come on against United ahead of you, then you've gotta be damn sure you can produce likewise when it's your opportunity. Tonight would have been a good place to start.
I thought a few performances were good - Reina, Lucas, Torres, Kygriakos, and one was outstanding in Mascherano. Hostile away games in Europe like that are what he's made for, and Christ he was everywhere. I thought we owend the game in midfield, our passing was crisper and more incisive, and but for better finishing - Voronin, and to a lesser extent - Lucas, the game could have been over earlier.
Our problem this season (leaving injuries aside) is that we're not finishing teams off. We should have buried Villa at Anfield before they got back into it, similarly these two games against Lyon. Good, actuallyt great chances dropping in the box and we're not able to put them away. Which leaves us susceptible to a fucking shitty late goal, the like of which we've conceded far too many of. Conversely, last season we were the ones riding our late luck and scoring them, this year we're on the receiving end. We're not an altogethor worse side than last year, we're just an out-of-form unluckier one.
Still, I thought we were playing a bit too deep. I can see why I suppose, a semi-fit Agger, and a slow triumverate in Insua, Kygriakos, and Carra. Not only did it leave us open to pressing and pressure, it occassionally left us with nowhere to go when we won it - Hence Agger's vast vast amount of nothing passes. The goal could and should have been avoided though, Babel and Insua's efforts to win the ball in the air weren't good enough, Kygriakos got too tight to Ederson (or whomever the fuck it was) and Agger got rolled. Shitty errors, but against decent sides in Europe, you get crunched for them.
A draw was unfair, we were the better team, did more to try to win, and deserved the three points. If we fail to qualify, we can point the finger more at the Lyon result at home, and the Fiorentina one away than tonight. That said, we had it in our hands at the Stade Gerland tonight, and contrived to through it away. Been the story of the season really.
