Liverpool v Real Madrid (CL Match Thread)

[Taksin]

Long time no see dude. Where have you been?

Alright, pal. Been v busy. But I’m having trouble finding anything to say about football - I am furious that the stadiums are still empty with no end in sight to this madness. It looks like football and, with the piped crowd noise it sounds like football but it isn’t actually football.

Needing to win 2-0 against Madrid with a full stadium wouldn’t have seemed such a big ask would it? But there were no fans there.
All the conversations about the game are starting to seem a little surreal to me. It’s like conversing on internet ping pong football or something

It’s not sour grapes either - I accept we have other problems this season - but the effects of empty stadiums is so dominant it’s hard to take the other problems seriously

[justincredible]

I think I've watched two full games this season. Football is finished for me for the time being, it's pathetic.

[Insidious]

Milner ran 6.85km in the first half against Real.

The guy is such a Machine. He realistically can't be expected to do that week-in, week-out or anything, but his Heart and his fitness are exemplary.

[teesred]

Alright, pal. Been v busy. But I’m having trouble finding anything to say about football - I am furious that the stadiums are still empty with no end in sight to this madness. It looks like football and, with the piped crowd noise it sounds like football but it isn’t actually football.

Needing to win 2-0 against Madrid with a full stadium wouldn’t have seemed such a big ask would it? But there were no fans there.
All the conversations about the game are starting to seem a little surreal to me. It’s like conversing on internet ping pong football or something

It’s not sour grapes either - I accept we have other problems this season - but the effects of empty stadiums is so dominant it’s hard to take the other problems seriously

Totally agree with you mate, a full stadium and the second leg is different altogether. I think most of us now are watching out of obligation rather than anticipation.
Its just so boring and like you say its not sour grapes as we felt the same after the restart last year. I had a conversation amongst a couple of my Utd following mates and they said fans in the ground makes no difference and its the same for everyone. I just said oh well bollock's to it, let's just play BCD forevermore as fans aren't important.
Its just soulless and boring to watch.

[Steveo]

Milner ran 6.85km in the first half against Real.

The guy is such a Machine. He realistically can't be expected to do that week-in, week-out or anything, but his Heart and his fitness are exemplary.

That is unreal and he is a credit to the club. We need to find the next Milner EVEN if he isn’t out of contract.

[justme]

I have mentioned it and other also on here.. how players are play acting even more. .Little or any contact they fall down.,.Its never bugged me before to this extent. because players do try and get an advantaged. But they are taking it to all new level.
Could be also lack of a crowd. because they will get on the backs of the players who fall over like a 110 year old.

[justme]

I like Millner for the effort but he has zero quality in midfield. Ive always rated much higher as a right back

[Steveo]

Agreed - not technically the best - and yes we need other ball playing options but he has been a dynamo at times, a key part of that workmanlike midfield. Squad player.

He is as solid as F... You need some steel in your side for certain games, especially in this league.

[shminkyred]

Milner ran 6.85km in the first half against Real.

The guy is such a Machine. He realistically can't be expected to do that week-in, week-out or anything, but his Heart and his fitness are exemplary.

I would like to see him get a coaching role!!!

[Taksin]

Totally agree with you mate, a full stadium and the second leg is different altogether. I think most of us now are watching out of obligation rather than anticipation.
Its just so boring and like you say its not sour grapes as we felt the same after the restart last year. I had a conversation amongst a couple of my Utd following mates and they said fans in the ground makes no difference and its the same for everyone. I just said oh well bollock's to it, let's just play BCD forevermore as fans aren't important.
Its just soulless and boring to watch.

It’s definitely not the same for everyone. Arsenal and Chelsea will have found it quite refreshing

They can believe what they want but it is not football. A Utd supporting hedge funder said to me last year that football is the one industry where the producer and the consumer are the same thing. Quite a good point.

And on the subject of Utd, their fans were all saying how shite they were playing early on in the season - Solskjaer and the team would have been under pressure from the crowd earlier this season and that is one other way the crowd affects the team.