Very excited for tonight's Champions League Final Page 5

Quote: Mark @ May 21 2008, 11:52 PM BST

It's a good point. I happened to catch BBC1 news at about 22:26 - as the penalties were taking place. Their reporter was telling viewers they were 1-1 on penalties (but obviously couldn't show the action). If you're interested in the football surely you'd be watching ITV, not the news. And if you are watching the news, football must be the last thing you're interested in. i.e. they were talking to no one.

Slow hand-clap for Chelsea though. Terry should never be allowed to take a penalty again - he can never get them in.

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I think these news programmes are so arrogant they convince themselves that they have such bloody loyal viewers that would rather watch the news and hear about what is happening than actually turn the channel and see it for themselves. Like they are doing the ever so loyal viewer a huge favour. "Too lazy (or loyal?) to change the channel? Don't worry, buddy, we've got your back. It's 1-1 on penalties..."

He totally deserved to miss; he's a thug, a moron and an average defender. I'm so sick of hearing of how he's a 'superman' because he can deal with his injuries, every footballer gets injured yet when he does it's "amazing." The only way that night could've been any better was if Lampard missed.

Chelsea have no dignity or shame. They were diving all over the place, berating the ref and causing fights. They are everything that is wrong with football.

I did feel sorry for Avram Grant though, the media have treated him terribly and they really need to let Chelsea move on from Jose Mourinho.

Quote: PhQnix @ May 22 2008, 7:45 AM BST

Chelsea have no dignity or shame. They were diving all over the place, berating the ref and causing fights. They are everything that is wrong with football.

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I'm sorry but I really can't let that go.

Who did they learn itall from?

Quote: David Chapman @ May 22 2008, 8:33 AM BST

I'm sorry but I really can't let that go.

Who did they learn itall from?

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Mourinho?

Quote: PhQnix @ May 22 2008, 8:38 AM BST

Mourinho?

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I can go back over about 40 years of Manchestere United intimadating and pressuring refs, kicking lumps out of players and jumping into the stands to attack people.

But I won't.

Quote: PhQnix @ May 22 2008, 7:45 AM BST

Chelsea have no dignity or shame. They were diving all over the place, berating the ref and causing fights. They are everything that is wrong with football.

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C'mon, get off the fence!

Quote: David Chapman @ May 22 2008, 8:42 AM BST

I can go back over about 40 years of Manchestere United intimadating and pressuring refs, kicking lumps out of players and jumping into the stands to attack people.

But I won't.

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No one intimidates refs in the way that Chelsea do, they argue with every petty decision. Besides Manchester United's past transgressions don't justify the display of petulant, pathetic whining served up by Chelsea every week.

The current Chelsea team is loaded with horrible players and they play boring, mechanical football. They're the worst team in football, currently - that can't be argued with.

Good game'n'all that. As a neutral, I can't understand this 'Chelsea deserved to win' vibe that's been coming out as they didn't turn up in the first half and were lucky not to be 3-0 down at half-time. They were *very* lucky to be 1-all.

Anyway, isn't it time we find an alternative to penalties? It was all alright until about the mid-nineties, when games rarely finished all square and the 'European Cup' (as was) wasn't a league structure promoting 'not losing' rather than winning. Since then, we've had two World Cups decided by penalties, two FA Cup Finals (minimum, unless I'm forgetting one), FIVE Champions League Finals (out of the last 12). It doesn't really promote winning any more. It means Man U can claim to be Champions of Europe but you think: 'Well, you didn't really *win*, did you?' as well as Chelsea fans thinking: 'Well, we didn't *really* lose, did we?'. Also, it means you could (if v. lucky in the group stage) potentially draw every single game and win the trophy -- hardly a voyage of 'Champions'.

Anyway, as the cramp was setting in last night, it occurred to me that the only real way to decide is let them keep playing until the next one scores. Eventually, every player will have cramped up bar one and that player will be able to get to one end of the field and finish! End of. Proper winners.

Dan

Quote: swerytd @ May 22 2008, 8:56 AM BST

Anyway, as the cramp was setting in last night, it occurred to me that the only real way to decide is let them keep playing until the next one scores. Eventually, every player will have cramped up bar one and that player will be able to get to one end of the field and finish! End of. Proper winners.

Dan

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Are we assuming that the match officials are impervious to cramp?

Quote: Geoff Mutton @ May 22 2008, 9:15 AM BST

Are we assuming that the match officials are impervious to cramp?

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Their eyes don't get cramp.

Dan

Some people were saying in the paper that Moscow was not the right setting for a game involving two English teams, and you have to say that taking penalties at 1.30am in a downpour on a questionable pitch is not exactly the ideal situation for a game like this. But it does add something to the event for it not to be yet another game played in England.

As a neutral, David, I can't stand the way the game in England is dominated by 4 teams. You know that if one of the four gets to a final they win it (excepting this years's league cup). This year's FA cup final was the first one I've watched for years. I also wanted Utd to win because they have a British identity, and such players coming through. Chelsea just buy players in, mostly the foreign legion. But then, that's a problem with English football, and one reason why we aren't in Euro 2008.

Ah yes. What a good game. Much better than the turgid FA Cup final between the two last year.

As a Man Utd fan, I have to say that I was very worried in the 2nd half. They started playing a bit better towards the end though and put a few neat moves together. I thought it was all over when Ronaldo's penalty was saved. I was worried when Anderson stepped up as well - I really like him as a player, but thought he was a bit young to handle the pressure. It worked out ok though.

Oh and Petr Cech was Chelsea's best player by a mile. The best goalkeeper in the world, probably. And he's only 26.

Quote: Bad dog @ May 22 2008, 9:26 AM BST

I can't stand the way the game in England is dominated by 4 teams.

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If only it was. I *really* wanted the title to be potentially won by those four teams right up until the last day of the season. It would have been a great end to the season.

Unfortunately, Liverpool (as always) were well out of it at the beginning of March, and Arsenal (despite playing by far the prettiest football) just gave up in February and dropped like a stone.

Man U's footy (whilst much, much prettier and more exciting than Chelsea's) is not on a par with Arsenal at best, but they [Man U] have a desire that none of the others seem to have. Chelsea's battering-ram approach to football is far from pretty (even last night -- first half much better entertainment than second half when Chelsea were on top).

Liverpool's problem seems to be that the players (with the exception of Stevie G) feel that they have the right to just 'get' trophies by virtue of signing for Liverpool.

Dan

Yes, Utd did not play as well as I have seen them in the past. Maybe last night, fate was playing a part after all, what with it being 40 years since 1968 and 50 years since 1958.

In recent times, Arsenal dominated for a while, so did Chelsea. Liverpool are always 4th best, and it does seem to be Utd who come back after rebuilding faster than the others.

Whoever takes over from Ferguson (when it happens) is on to a hiding to nothing. Poor Mark Hughes -- he doesn't deserve it...

Dan