Most Underrated / forgotten European performance

[JohnnyRocket]

The 0-0 in Turin was great, considering our squad limitations and who we were playing against. That Juve team was fantastic, in Serie A at least.

It's not very fashionable these days and I think Hodge has something to do with it, but the 4-4-1-1, 2 banks of 4 approach to holding out a lead like we did that night is still by far the most effective.

 

[Mystic]

The 0-0 in Turin was great, considering our squad limitations and who we were playing against. That Juve team was fantastic, in Serie A at least.

It's not very fashionable these days and I think Hodge has something to do with it, but the 4-4-1-1, 2 banks of 4 approach to holding out a lead like we did that night is still by far the most effective.

Hodge?

 

[Piedro]

Liverpool 2-1 Juve in 2005

I honestly couldn't fucking believe it. I wasn't allowed to watch it cos i'd just been arrested so i was grounded to my room. I had the radio on with the headphones in trying not to make a noise when we did anything

I actually think Juve away was a bigger achievement. No Gerrard, Alonso with his first game back after 3 months out. Biscan playing centre mid. NUNEZ.

Look at that fucking team we had out, and the team they had out. Just look at our bench. And bar the one Traore cleared off the line/hit the post, they didn't even threaten.

Juventus: Buffon, Thuram, Montero (Pessotto 83), Cannavaro, Camoranesi (Appiah 84), Emerson, Olivera (Zalayeta 46), Zambrotta, Nedved, Ibrahimovic, Del Piero.
Subs Not Used: Chimenti, Birindelli, Blasi, Masiello.

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Traore, Nunez (Smicer 58), Biscan, Alonso, Riise, Luis Garcia (Le Tallec 85), Baros (Cisse 75).
Subs Not Used: Carson, Warnock, Welsh, Potter.

That was the performance of the year that, for me anyway. Xabi was majestic.

 

[Piedro]

0-0 at Juve in 2005 was even more amazing - what a gritty, incredible defensive game (+ a monster miss by Zlatan) when everyone just 'knew' Juve would win 1-0 to win on away goals.

^^^^^^

Sorry big Quiff right dere

 

[Silver Sean]

92. Birthday in July

You make me feel ancient lad. 😉

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

^^^^^^

Sorry big Quiff right dere

More like a quiff-plus, because you did provide more info in your quiffing post.

 

[SummerOnions]

You make me feel ancient lad. 😉

18 year olds born in 96 make me feel old!

 

[localny]

Haha. Post of the day. 😀

Mm, it wasn't a stunning volley, it was a stunning Half volley. Let's get these terms right.

Amazing stuff.

 

[localny]

I actually think Juve away was a bigger achievement. No Gerrard, Alonso with his first game back after 3 months out. Biscan playing centre mid. NUNEZ.

Look at that fucking team we had out, and the team they had out. Just look at our bench. And bar the one Traore cleared off the line/hit the post, they didn't even threaten.

Juventus: Buffon, Thuram, Montero (Pessotto 83), Cannavaro, Camoranesi (Appiah 84), Emerson, Olivera (Zalayeta 46), Zambrotta, Nedved, Ibrahimovic, Del Piero.
Subs Not Used: Chimenti, Birindelli, Blasi, Masiello.

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Traore, Nunez (Smicer 58), Biscan, Alonso, Riise, Luis Garcia (Le Tallec 85), Baros (Cisse 75).
Subs Not Used: Carson, Warnock, Welsh, Potter.

That was the performance of the year that, for me anyway. Xabi was majestic.

That was rafa really. he used to get top tier performances out of a mid tier system with his teams

 

[#roadred]

Mm, it wasn't a stunning volley, it was a stunning Half volley. Let's get these terms right.

Amazing stuff.

Don't bite my head off for asking now, but isn't a half volley when you connect while it's still rising from it's first bounce?

 

[SummerOnions]

Don't bite my head off for asking now, but isn't a half volley when you connect while it's still rising from it's first bounce?

I would have said that was a drop kick type shot? I thought a half-volley was just hitting it after the ball had bounced once

 

[nealmac]

My definition of "half-volley" would've been kicking the ball just as it hits the ground.

However, I don't claim to be correct.

 

[doctor_mac]

My definition of "half-volley" would've been kicking the ball just as it hits the ground.

However, I don't claim to be correct.

You are correct.

 

[Actonian]

The great Anfield night I recall, which no one else seems to, was the UEFA Cup Final first leg against Bruges in 1976. Bruges were a great team then and played us off the park in the first half and went in 2-0 up. Sir Bob's response was to take off a striker and put on a midfielder. Seems bizarre, but it worked. We scored 3 in about 5 minutes. The place erupted, best atmosphere I've personally experienced. Next game involved winning the league at Wolves and then drawing the away leg to take the trophy. Great days!

 

[Oncy]

Dunno if mentioned but we beat a team with
Maldini
Seedorf
Kaka
Dida
Crespo
Shevchenko
Cafu
Stam
Pirlo
Nesta
Gattuso
Rui Costa
Costacurta
Serginho
In it

And managed by
Carlo Ancelotti.

That was pretty fucking astonishing. Not the game and how it played out in general...but DAT TEAM!!

 

[Judge Jules]

Well, both really, Our line-up was nowhere near as good man for man, but so many of them contributed on the night. Istanbul was the ultimate proof that it's the team that counts, not the individuals within it

 

[Fabio]

To be fair, they also played as a very good team. The interplay they had that night was unreal.

We caught them with a sucker punch and then got 2 more while they were reeling.

They had the better players and better team that night.

Fortune favoured us however

 

[Judge Jules]

Disagree. Their interplay in the first half was breathtaking, but it crumbled in the second half after the Kaiser came on and we got the first goal, and some of their players didn't turn up on the night. Fortune didn't favour us at all. We earned that win.

 

[Fabio]

Can't say we'll agree on this one JJ, but never mind

 

[Whaddapie]

We were stoked that night, JJ... The one Traore took off the line - TRAORE!!! - would be enough by itself, but add to that the offside flag that the linesman took down in the lead up to our 2nd goal. And let's try to not think about the most epic double miss in the history of the bloody universe!!! 🙂

We showed amazing character to get back into it at all, yes, and we earned some of that luck, but we were blessed mate!

 

[Athens]

And let's try to not think about the most epic double miss in the history of the bloody universe!!! 🙂

It wasn't a double miss, it was a double save!

 

[localny]

Don't bite my head off for asking now, but isn't a half volley when you connect while it's still rising from it's first bounce?

Good question, all I cans ay is a pure volley is when you hit the ball mid air, when it hasn't bounced. If there's a bounce In there, before you touch it it's waaay easier.

 

[Judge Jules]

We were stoked that night, JJ... The one Traore took off the line - TRAORE!!! - would be enough by itself, but add to that the offside flag that the linesman took down in the lead up to our 2nd goal. And let's try to not think about the most epic double miss in the history of the bloody universe!!! 🙂

We showed amazing character to get back into it at all, yes, and we earned some of that luck, but we were blessed mate!

But Whadda ol' pal, that first para.encapsulates my point. The ball didn't accidentally hit Traore, he had the determination to get into position and face it out. The lino was right to put his flag down because we weren't offside in the first place. And Ruairi's right - it was a double save! Maybe luck, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, but in this beholder's eye we made our own that night.

Still, as Fabs says, never mind. All's well that ends well. 🙂

 

[peterhague]

I've always thought the shot Traore cleared was going narrowly wide tbh. Although I've never had the chance to really examine the replay properly.

I think we were pretty lucky in the sense that Milan were just embarrassingly superior to us, and seemed to carve through the team pretty much at will. However, we defended desperate situations incredibly well that night, and had our own bits of bad luck: we should have had a penalty in the first half, and its denial led directly to their second goal. And I'd say that the second goal led fairly directly to the third, given the huge psychological significance of the blow. So I'd make the case that we should have gone in at half-time at 1-1, albeit having been battered, and not 3-0.