Football Programmes Centre

pompeypete · Forum Moderator Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 1094

After years of trying to qualify for champions league it appears that liverpool are waving a white flag, looking at tonights line up........

So the champions league has the same importance as a Carling cup match..

Of course they could prove me wrong and park the bus.

Premier league takes top priority, but if they lose to chelsea ???????
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nozer · Joined: 24 Mar 2011 Posts: 1109 Location: Liverpool

Another farse , why is it called the Champions League anyway .

pompeypete · Forum Moderator Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 1094

Have to admit, liverpool played well.......

1 goal is never enough....always in the game

Would pick the same team for the weekend.
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MATT RUSH · Joined: 27 Mar 2012 Posts: 358 Location: WEST YORKSHIRE

Fielded an understrength side in order to put out the strongest possible side against Chelsea so they have a better chance to qualify for the Champions League next season so they can field an understrength side in order to field their strongest side when League points are at stake. Confused

Looks like they want to be in it but dont want to win it. Sad

Sounds confusing? it's meant to be. Dont know what the real supporters think. if I was one it would'nt half pi$$ me off. Mad

ps there should be a "wankers" symbol in the Emoticons for occasions such as this. Nod

silkman1 · Joined: 07 Feb 2011 Posts: 209 Location: poynton

Can you really see Matt Busby or Bill Shankly or even Liverpool managers after Shankly doing this?

I doubt it.

seand · Joined: 07 Jan 2009 Posts: 839 Location: Dublin

I seem to remember Mick McCarthy's Wolves and West Brom among others putting out weakened teams against Chelsea in the Premier League to concentrate on more winnable games. Is that where Liverpool are at? Jeezus wept. The thinking I suppose is that Madrid will win the group so the only real battle is with Basle/Ludogorets... win those two games and they'll progress which matters not in terms of winning the trophy but purely in terms of bringing in another few mill. League points are more important to stay on the gravy train. Look at Arsenal.... 17 years in the Champions League, feck all trophies. Liverpool, it seems would be happy with fourth, fourth, fourth

derby1884 · Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 12:27 pm Post subject:

Can't stand the "Champions League".

It's a sterile, sanitised version of the sport. And, no doubt, a marketing executive's wet dream. All those perimeter ads exactly the same no matter what country the match takes place in.

I switched over to the Cowdenbeath v Rangers game online after watching 5 minutes of Liverpool's reserve team.

Is that an artificial pitch the 'Beath have now? I expected to see lots of mud and was a bit disappointed.
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sharrowblade · Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 1:19 pm Post subject:

Tricky one this, I don't blame Rodgers at all. 'Reserve team' is somewhat of a shallow reference. The starting line up last night still commanded over £100 million in transfer fees that Liverpool have paid.

That's some reserve team.

Given the recent performances of some of the so-called 'first team' then I think the manager was well within his rights to change the team.

The response from pundits and journalists as usual have been over the top, I suppose that's what they are paid for, but very few pundits have ever been managers and certainly none of the journalists have.

The media hyperbole has gone into overdrive again with such extravagant claims that seasoned professionals would be choking after being left out for a game at the Bernebau. Well, perhaps if some of the so called 1st team had shown a better approach to recent games at Newcastle, West Ham and QPR it wouldn't be an issue.

Rodgers is not the architect of this issue, Uefa and its format of the competition is.

A format engineered by europe's richest teams to widen the gulf between themselves and the rest. Uefa simply complied.

The Television companies and all those who ply their trade for them would have you believe that every football supporter in the land believes that the Champions League is the greatest Club Competition there is.

Quite clearly its not. Most supporters unless their team is involved couldn't care less and many that do observe it, can't wait to see the English clubs fail, although our most revered teams are sadly, now English in name only.

The Europa League is an even bigger mystery, a competition that continues to be a miserable failure.

Its time for Uefa to grow some and refresh and rebrand the European club competion.

I've long been the exponent for one major european competion. The European Cup. I'd base the competition on the best cup competition in football. The FA Cup,.... only with home and away ties. The lesser nations can be involved in the qualifying rounds, joined by the lesser sides from the major nations in the 1st and 2nd Rounds with the big boys joining in the third and so on. Sadly, it doesn't look like this or anything similiar will happen because the game isn't about the glory anymore...its about the money.

For the record I passed on the pleasure of watching Real and Liverpool and even Cowdenbeath/Rangers sat in the comfort of a warm living room, and took one of my little un's to watch our local Northern Premier Division 1 South team, the worlds oldest..Sheffield FC play Kidsgrove Athletic. It was effin freezing, they suffered a floodlight failure and during the game I asked him why he preferred being here with icicles hanging from his nose to sat watching Real Madrid.

'Its just honest, dad...Champions League is boring until the knockout stages'.

That's coming from a 9 year old.....Uefa take note
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nozer · Joined: 24 Mar 2011 Posts: 1109 Location: Liverpool

Great post Shadow , has you say Football at the top level is sadly IMO also all about money.
I first started watching the game late 50s early 60s it's a different game all togeather know top level all about the £ sadly.

derby1884 · Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 6:53 pm Post subject:

When the Liverpool centre-forward has a shirt with the number 50 on the reverse, you know something's wrong with the game!

Great post, Sharrow - I see the gate at the Sheffield game was 121.
Just out of curiosity, was a programme easily available or does such a low gate (in relative terms) mean you really have to search hard to find a seller?
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sharrowblade · Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 11:46 am Post subject:

derby1884 wrote:

I see the gate at the Sheffield game was 121.
Just out of curiosity, was a programme easily available or does such a low gate (in relative terms) mean you really have to search hard to find a seller?

I can only assume that the 121 included the coaching staff and the players, I can't recall ever seeing the ground that empty. Confused

It can be difficult at Sheffield Club to get a programme. I like to get there about half an hour early to make sure, as I've seen many a disgruntled fan mumping that they have sold out.

Last season, when Scarborough were the visitors they sold all 85 copies very quickly.

Turns out somebody from Scarborough bought a box of 50.

That was out of order in my opinion.Selfish b******s.

Occasionally, they sell some in the pub next door at half time.

Good programme tho, one of the better non league programmes for sure.
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