‘Liverpool have nothing to lose – the pressure is on Man City’

Oli Fisher
Klopp and Guardiola: Face off at Anfield on Saturday

Man City and Liverpool fans react to the Champions League draw, while our Arsenal readers dissect their win over AC Milan in Your Says of the Day.

Got something to get off your chest? Join the debate here.

 

Champions League draw reaction

I actually think Liverpool could do ok against City, over two legs. Convenient that all three Spanish teams managed to avoid each other.

BlueLion

Horrible draw but City will attack us.

They will score at Anfield. If we lose I hope City win it.

Sean the Sailor

 

Liverpool confidence

On balance, I’ll take that. Let’s not forget that we dominated them for most of the match at Anfield – so it can be done – and we were giving a fairly good account of ourselves at their place until Mane’s red card.

Nothing was going to be easy at this stage and at least we know what we’re dealing with.

Red Herring

I didnt want city not because of its a difficult draw, i think all the teams left in the last 8 are difficult. But i wanted a glamour tie: a traditional euro giants. A bayern or madrid maybe. Its been ages since we played one.

Reds forever

No problem, the pressure will be much higher on City, especially after spending hundreds of millions and still no European trophy.

Liverpool have nothing to lose, we just play our usual game with aggression and put fear into their hearts, plus nervousness and mistakes into their game, can’t wait

Songman

Afternoon guys, don’t think either set of supporters really wanted this tie but hey ho it is what it is and should be a great tie. Hoping you guys beat Ush*ted into 2nd place, rather a footballing side get 2nd spot rather than Park The Bus Ush*ted.

Ashton blue

I’m normally an optimistic guy and always have us down as winning but think we will get knocked out. I think we are just as exciting going forwards on our day and in some ways even more unplayable but defensively they are stronger.

I could see us winning if this was a one off but over 2 legs I think they’ll go through but it won’t be a walkover for them – of that I’m convinced!

Bob-Notts

well then lads, what ya think??? my pool mate has gone under and is going to the pub at dinner just to take the thought of the game away for an hour. Should be one hell of a tie this. Not sure about the user above saying you dominated us at Anfield, stats don’t really suggest that nor did my ageing memory. That aside, I do hope the swamp dwellers will be watching 2 attacking sides playing attacking football and from the off actually going for the win 100% without fear of getting beat. Lovely.

goatistuta

 

Arsenal finish the job

I don’t know whether to praise or criticise the team.So what i’ll do is analyse the performance,like always.
Wenger’s negative approach to the game almost cost us.Starting with five midfielders(as was expected),I can understand them keeping posession and trying to control but what really gets to me and has always gotten to me is their lack of direct approach.We just looked to hold onto posession,but the team really dosen’t know how to make use of it.It was so frustrating,when they scored that screamer I so wanted them to go on and expose this rubbish team(that’s what we are,as much as anyone dosen’t want to admit it).Luckily,we got that penalty.I think they got a few good chances.

Ozil is so so indirect.like i said I love him and hate him so many times.He’s not really exciting to watch.yes he connects the dots,and he’s “intelligent” but for goodness sake try and be more direct.he never shoots,when you’re up against him you know he’s going to pass,always.He had a poor game.Not only him,but other players were so indirect as well.Whatever,that was my opinion of the game.

Yes over the two legs we deserved to go through,but it wasn’t as convincing as the scoreline showed because if you see the attemts and chances milan were just woeful.
We will need to gear up,really.Chuck this idea of ozil and miki starting together.I’d even play welbeck if it means us to be more direct.

the specialone

The passing at the back is still shockingly bad and Wellwide well sorry but that was no penalty. Was it a dive well it was either that or he stumbled on himself just as he did in Milan. For me seeing countless of replays it just looks like a dive. Dont like that behaviour in other teams players and i dont like it in ours.

But us getting past Athletico just dont see it that is the best team left. Lets see who we get next.

Muffler_1

Let’s all be happy we won if you looked at this page you would have thought we lost! I Know we all wanted that. If we win this cup we will get to be in the champions league that is about the club not not the Manager so I can’t see a negative. These games are not about style is about winning, it really does not matter how we do it. I don’t like the five in midfield but it worked this time as we won even if we think Milan were poor we have lost this season against much worst teams! let’s hope for a good draw I don’t care who hopefully an away game first !

Stev2bath1

Well we rode our luck a little bit but over the two legs, we were worthy winners. There seems to be a bit of confidence coming back into the team and we’re looking a lot sharper from the midfield forward.

Xhaka, Rambo and Jack looked like they might be a good combination. Best game that Xhaka has had for us in a long time and although the keeper probably should have done better, it was still a great shot. Talking of ‘keepers, I thought Ospina had a great game apart from their goal – he also should have done a lot better. I still think we’d see a much better player if he had a longer run in the side.

As for Welbeck’s dive, I was really surprised. We do have players who – let’s say – don’t need a lot of persuasion to go down, but I wouldn’t have pegged Danny as one of them. There was definitely no contact and it wasn’t a penalty in a million years, but we’ve all seen him trip over his own feet before and go down with no one anywhere near him.

Three wins in a row – woohoo!

Al the Gooner

 

 

United’s ideal XI

We’re all keyboard warriors here, moaning about Jose and his tactics, what he should do and shouldn’t do, what he’s done and hasn’t done but given the current squad and our complaints about it, what does anyone/everyone think our current starting XI should be?

DDG
(RWB) Valencia (CB) Bailly (CB) Jones (LWB) Shaw
(DMF) McTomminay
(CMF) Matic (AMF) Pogba
(RW) Sanchez (LW) Rashford
(ST) Lukaku
I’d have DDG, obviously in goal, Valencia and Shaw would be wing backs who would get forward to support/overlap with Sanchez and Rashford. McTomminay would be a Makelele style defensive midfielder who basically would sit in front of the Centre backs in rarely cross the halfway line to allow our wing backs get forward and support the CB’s. Matic would be the link between attack and defence although Mata could also fill that role although Matic can also breakup attacks and help McTomminay. Pogba would be allowed to do pretty much whatever he wants because that’s the only way he’s happy or effective. Sanchez and Rashford would be wingers but also allowed to cut inside with Lukaku running off the shoulder of the CB’s and attacking crosses because he’s not a hold the ball up type CF the way Drogba was.

KillyBoye

Shaw looks like he’s been on the pints of custard again so Young gets my vote at left back. That says alot I know. Smalling for Jones, I suppose although I don’t think there’s much difference. Funnily enough I’d just play Lindelof through till May now and see how he runs.

Herrera (when fit) for McTominnay…or Mata for McTominnay as an extra attacker at home to a team we should be expecting to beat, like the Brighton bandits.

You look at that side and it isn’t a million miles away….you can see what needs doing and where. Then you need the manager to show some bollocks and let the horses run free.

Feel strangely better about things typing that little lot out.

Wonderfuel Gas

To some extent it seems irrelevant who we play because the team is so stifled we play badly regardless, and I can only assume thats down to Mourinho’s tactics. But even before him we seem to have the ability to sign a very good player who starts really well but then gets worse and worse. We seem to have optimised that process with Sanchez and got him playing badly right from the off.

So it seems to me theres something fundamentally wrong at the club. We have lots of good players – I don’t buy this everyones sh*t story – I just think we’re not getting the best out of them. In a few cases that might be down to the players attitude – Martial and Pogba spring to mind. But it can’t be true for all of them. And I also don’t buy that we’re moving in the right direction – we seem to be getting worse not better.

I never wanted Mourinho in the first place so getting rid of him would be a good start, but I have a feeling that won’t solve anything either because somethings fundamentally wrong. I wanted Pochettino, but failing that I wish we had given the class of 92 a year to see what they could do (Giggsy/Scholes/Butt.) That might be romantic nonsense, but when experience managers that are so called tactical geniuses can produce the utter garbage we’ve had for the last few years I fail to see how they could have done worse. And at least they would have set up the team to play proper attacking football. If we keep playing as we are no decent player will want to play for us and the fans will be totally alienated and stop coming.

BigAl07

 

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