*Official* English Football Season 2015-16

[Cabinet96]

No European football is a huge blow to attracting players. I can't believe people are suggesting otherwise, which is Pratters level idiocy.

Didn't you hear Michael Owen? Only Barcelona and Real Madrid are more attractive to players than Liverpool.

 

[Cabinet96]

Weird thing about Klopp is I view him as a great big game manager but he's only won one of his six finals.

 

[sledger]

Always the bridesmaid etc...

Tbf to him though he's never managed a really big side. Apart from Dortmund I suppose.

 

[Cabinet96]

Three finals against Bayern. Lost 3-1 against both Wolfsburg and Sevilla despite taking the lead though.

Not really sure what to make of his Liverpool yet. Think it's easy to overhype them because when they look good they look amazing. A bit like the 13/14 side in that respect. They have a lot of games where they look really rubbish as well. As GIMH said no Europe next season will help their domestic prospects though.

 

[Niall]

I think you'd have to really despise Liverpool not to think they were a little unlucky in the first half, they should have got minimum one penalty, heck in a fair world two.

However the second half performance was a shambles, just looked gassed and no leaders whatsoever.

 

[Cabinet96]

Five times.

 

[cpr]

I think their hands are clearly in an unnatural position and they're usually considered to be handballs via that kind of objective gauge of intention.

I mean, the Sturridge pass is ridiculous, how do you not see that one? He's putting Firmino through and the defender handballs it because he has his hands so low he catches the ball as it is passed along the ground.

I was a bit unsure on the Firmino one, I thought he had a better shout for the foul than the handball though. Second one I didn't particularly see, and they didn't replay it at HT that I saw

The Sturridge one I couldn't give, he's standing low focusing on the ball to block it, his hand is down by his side, and its hit at it from a couple of yards. Theres no way he could've moved it quickly enough, and he certainly didn't move to the ball with his hands.

 

[GIMH]

No European football is a huge blow to attracting players. I can't believe people are suggesting otherwise, which is Pratters level idiocy.

Of course it is but with Klopp in charge it'll soften that blow versus having Rodgers there

 

[Pothas]

It probably matters less than it did, just because of the huge amount of money in the Premier League.

 

[Pothas]

Three finals against Bayern. Lost 3-1 against both Wolfsburg and Sevilla despite taking the lead though.

Not really sure what to make of his Liverpool yet. Think it's easy to overhype them because when they look good they look amazing. A bit like the 13/14 side in that respect. They have a lot of games where they look really rubbish as well. As GIMH said no Europe next season will help their domestic prospects though.

Yeah strange side, as are Sevilla actually, Sid Lowe said they were kind of similar before the game. I know it is easy to focus on what happened to Liverpool but Sevilla were a totally different side after half time, remember they did something really similar against Real earlier this season.

 

[Ikki]

I was a bit unsure on the Firmino one, I thought he had a better shout for the foul than the handball though. Second one I didn't particularly see, and they didn't replay it at HT that I saw

The Sturridge one I couldn't give, he's standing low focusing on the ball to block it, his hand is down by his side, and its hit at it from a couple of yards. Theres no way he could've moved it quickly enough, and he certainly didn't move to the ball with his hands.

If your hand is in contact with the ball, blocking a through ball, when it is on the ground...not sure how that isn't anything other than a penalty really. That's about as unnatural as you can get, even if your arms arms are by your side. It might sound bitter to harp on about it, but it's a final and the ref gave us nothing all game. It really changed the game.

I'm happy with Klopp overall and I think he really got a team with some questionable talents pretty far. Moreno is never a top 4 LB IMO. He just has way too many mistakes and sleepy moments. Lovren is good on his day but his lack of speed will always be something to exploit for other teams.

I also think a good chunk of this rests on Klopp's shoulders: he should have brought in either Origi or Benteke on earlier as Sturridge simply can't hold the ball up and Can looked gassed midway through the 2nd half. I would have brought on Lucas.

I'm interested to see who we get over the transfer period. I'd love Gotze, but I think someone like Reus is gonna make much more of a difference for us but other than Klopp's connection there is no reason he would come to us.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Klopp is a very good manager and he has done the right thing this season at Liverpool, bought nobody and had a good look at what he has got. He will know what areas he needs to strengthen and who he needs to ship out and nobody can say they never got a fair chance either. Would imagine the list of players on the way out will be huge.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Seen this doing the rounds, quite funny.

 

[cpr]

If your hand is in contact with the ball, blocking a through ball, when it is on the ground...not sure how that isn't anything other than a penalty really. That's about as unnatural as you can get, even if your arms arms are by your side. It might sound bitter to harp on about it, but it's a final and the ref gave us nothing all game. It really changed the game.
.

The players already low down, as many are when fronting up a player and trying to stop a low ball through, his hand is in the natural position you'd expect for his stance, and was before the ball was struck. Its hit him from 2 yards without any time to react. I can't understand how you can call that deliberate handball.

I agree the ref gave you little, and honestly the more I think about the initial one the more I'm aggrieved by that one not being given. OK its hit him from close, but his arm was further out and it was there because he was in the act of fouling Firminho.

 

[ripper868]

Will Griggs on fire...your defense is terrified!

 

[Tangles]

I mentioned the other day about the US comms being bad and gushing over Rooney. Lee Dixon and LeSaux are 2 of the culprits. Guess it's the ex players union. The euros will be interesting as without the US to get excited about maybe they will be decently neutral. If they just grab an English feed then not so much.

 

[GIMH]

This League 3 proposal is interesting, not sure if in favour. Could be our passage back in if we **** up the next few years mind

 

[Ikki]

The players already low down, as many are when fronting up a player and trying to stop a low ball through, his hand is in the natural position you'd expect for his stance, and was before the ball was struck. Its hit him from 2 yards without any time to react. I can't understand how you can call that deliberate handball.

I don't think the intention of the "unnatural position" part of interpreting the law is concerned with where his hand was in reference to his stance in that play. Otherwise, it'd set a bad and unwanted precedent with regards to positioning yourself and your hands that low. And I don't think or see any interpretation of the law which excuses stopping a pass that is a through ball in such a way. It's something when the ball hits you close up when your hands are naturally positioned by your sides; but that low? I guess we differ on whether it's natural or not.

 

[Uppercut]

In any case it's hardly a shocker. I'd say you get given it a bit less than half the time. Firmino foul should've been given but again it's pretty routine for refs to bottle those ones in big games. Unwritten rule that you only get a penalty in a final for fouls that look like a foul is depicted in Roy of the Rovers.

 

[Furball]

Can't recall the Firmino one but the Sturridge pass that was handled was blatant, and should have been a red. The defender was almost literally dragging his knuckles along the ground, that's not a natural position and by handling it he prevented Firmino being in with a clear shot on goal.