What the media are saying

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

So says Pat Crerand

His mind goes back to a May night in 1969, when Milan arrived at Old Trafford for the second leg of the European Cup semi-final needing only to protect a 2-0 lead from the first leg at San Siro in order to dismiss the holders.

 

United had pulled one goal back after 70 minutes, through Bobby Charlton, when Crerand hit a cross from the byline that his colleagues believed had been prodded over the line by Denis Law before Mario Anquilletti, Milan's right- back, scooped it back into play.

 

"We knew it had crossed the line," Crerand said yesterday. "And even if it hadn't been a goal, it would have been a penalty because Anquilletti used his hand to pull it back. But the French referee saw nothing. We thought there was something going on."

 

Indeed, Roger Machin, the official in question, waved away United's furious protests and allowed play to continue. He had already had to cope with a five-minute delay while Fabio Cudicini, Milan's goalkeeper, regained consciousness after being hit on the head by a missile thrown from the Stretford End.

 

In Crerand's view, however, the official's refusal to allow a United equaliser was part of a dark and disturbing pattern that resulted, only last summer, in Milan being punished for an attempt to influence the selection of referees for their matches in the Italian league.

 

"I don't think they should be in the final," said Crerand, who now works for Manchester United's TV station. "It's the top club competition in Europe and one of the teams shouldn't be there. I think it's unfair. Milan shouldn't be there the same way that West Ham shouldn't be in the Premier League. It doesn't send out a very good message to the rest of football, does it? And this wasn't a one-off in Italy. It's been going on for years. I think they were getting at the referees when I was playing, too. In the first leg in 1969 we had some funny decisions. And we certainly thought the same in the second leg."

 

Crerand also mentioned the scandal of 1973, when Brian Clough's Derby County were denied a place in the European Cup final by a Juventus team whose general manager was later exposed, thanks to investigations by Brian Glanville of the Sunday Times, as having attempted to influence referees. The Golden Fix, as it became known, led to no serious investigation but its echoes were to be detected in scandals of later years.

 

Milan's involvement in match-fixing goes back to 1980 and the Totonero investigation into a betting ring found them guilty of bribing players and officials. After finishing third the previous season, Milan were punished by being relegated to Serie B, along with Lazio. Their president, Felice Colombo, was given a life ban, while three players received disqualifications of between four years and six months.

[Scally Bob]

Agreeing with Paddy Crerand is the first sign of madness.

 

I suppose that means they will count 1969 as a win? What about us in 1965?

[trowie]

No they shouldn't but there would be some-onelse there we'd still have to beat.

I think now they should be disqualified and just give us the cup.

[Tosh]

No they shouldn't but there would be some-onelse there we'd still have to beat.

I think now they should be disqualified and just give us the cup.

 

Perhaps Platini will have a word in the refs ear....

[don1980]

ssn are saying that they haven't even sold all their ticket allocation

[ManxRed]

Hmmmmm... who did they play in the Semi again?

 

So who should be playing us in the final instead of Milan?

 

And who has the better results between those two teams this season?

 

You heard it here first, Man Utd are the Champions League Winners 2007!! Well done Paddy Crerand!!

[fred milne]

James Lawton: There are reasons to love Benitez...but not because of football his team plays

 

Published: 22 May 2007

 

There are quite a number of reasons to admire, even love Rafa Benitez. In the snakepit occupied by so many overstated and under-principled football managers, in all the hot and often stagnant air and the cold spirit, he is mostly a model of decorum and, even more importantly, decency.

 

His status in Merseyside football lore is already for the ages. However, if it should happen that he delivers a second Champions League triumph for Liverpool over Milan, in Athens tomorrow night, delight in this quarter, if we are honest, will not be without a few complications.

 

This will have nothing do with Rafa the man or the motivator. When his team won in such extraordinary, even surreal circumstances in Istanbul two years ago he handled the glory with beguiling modesty.

 

Unlike that of the most conspicuous victim of his almost eerie ability to neutralise the strength of the most powerful of opposition, Jose Mourinho, Benitez's reaction to the greatest moment of his career included no attempt to deflect attention from the heroics of his players.

 

In the post-match dawn he stood away from the microphones and the television cameras, a small, benign smile lighting up his broadly open features as the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Xabi Alonso fondled the gold winning medals dangling around their chests.

 

The cynical might say that it was reality as much as good character which dictated such exemplary behaviour, Liverpool's victory flowing not from a tactical masterplan but an outpouring of physical and emotional strength from the players which could not have been created by even the most brilliant work on the dressing-room blackboard.

 

However, Benitez wouldn't have been the first coach to cheerfully ride on the fighting instincts of players breaking out of a limited gameplan.

 

No, the problem has nothing to do with any aspect of Rafa's nature. The trouble is his football. It is not the kind which, beyond admiration for superbly genuine competitive honesty, a not exactly ubiquitous quality in the upper reaches of the game, could possibly lift the soul of a neutral.

 

If Jorge Valdano's crude assessment that Liverpool's semi-final triumph over Chelsea represented not the beautiful game but "s*** on a stick" was excessive, no one could deny that the former football director of Real Madrid had touched on an element of truth. Excrement it wasn't, but nor was it the work of Van Gogh or Cezanne.

 

The unavoidable fact about Benitez - and one that makes matchwood of one recent assertion that if he delivers a second European Cup in three years, from a standing start in the wake of Gérard Houllier's moribund reign, he is an immediate contender, or better, for the status of greatest manager in the history of British football - is that he puts such a low priority on the ability of outstanding individuals to shape a game.

 

This was the thrust of Valdano's criticism and, whatever you think of his way with words, there is no question he is a witness of some authority. Few former players on earth are better acquainted with the value of a player free to follow, more than any word from the touchline, his own gut instincts. Valdano scored one of the goals that helped deliver the 1986 World Cup to Argentina. He was also permitted a close-up view of Diego Maradona's last touch in his campaign of bewildering force and virtuosity. It was the lacerating pass which finally demolished West Germany's elaborate plan to have Lothar Matthäus mark Maradona out of the game.

 

Such individual inventiveness, Valdano argues, is not a key part of the game of Benitez, or Mourinho, and the reason for this, he further suggests, is because neither coach reached the upper levels of the game as players. It is a shaky theory when you consider that Arsène Wenger, the author of some of the most beautiful football ever seen in these islands, also failed to get beyond the foothills as a player.

 

Yet, still, Valdano hits a nerve in any ultimate assessment of Benitez the coach who has produced such brilliant results in the Spanish League and the knock-out tournaments of England and Europe. In that creatively wretched semi-final against Chelsea at Anfield, Benitez chose to leave out Alonso, a player of infinite ambition and lovely touch in his passing when he first arrived at Anfield.

 

That surely was a statement that the Liverpool effort would be most vitally concerned with stifling Chelsea. That it worked, via the shoot-out, finally brought unconditional joy to Anfield but there were many doubts expressed on the way to the right result.

 

At Valencia, Benitez also had a habit of benching one of the local heroes, the beautifully talented Argentine Pablo Aimar. Valencia enjoyed fiestas when two league titles were snatched from the jaws of Real Madrid and Barcelona, but the manner of the triumphs lacked a certain flamenco snap.

 

If the right result comes in Athens, the odds are that the fine points of Liverpool's performance will be relegated to the margins of celebration - and Benitez will have encouraged still more sweeping assessment of his place in the game. No doubt he will again react to the acclaim with his trademark humility, and that will be still another reason for applause.

 

There should, though, be no loose talk of the greatest achievement ever by a British club in Europe. That is a place in history which, for all the achievements of Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Brian Clough, Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson, still belongs to Jock Stein.

 

When the Celtic manager took his team to Lisbon to break down the "bolted door" of Helenio Herrera's Internazionale in 1967, he declared that his deepest ambition was a victory for football, something to thrill every neutral. He felt he owed that much to the game and he produced his extraordinary gift with 11 players bred in a 20-mile radius of Glasgow.

 

It would not be Rafa Benitez's style to make such a promise. There are a number of reasons for this. Some of them are good. One of them is bad. It is the fact that nothing in his football would give any weight to such an undertaking.

 

At critical moments, Stein reached for the stars; Benitez from time to time benches his most creative players. Don't mention it on Merseyside, but, putting aside all the moral questions about whether they should even have been competing in the Champions League this season, a win for the Milan of Kaka and Maldini and Seedorf will also be one for football - as it should be played. Hand on heart, you can say a lot in favour of Rafa - but of his football, not that, not yet.

 

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/eu...icle2567944.ece

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

FWIW, I reckon its a poor article myself - reading far too much into one game (the dropping of Alonso against Chelsea).

[ManxRed]

Well, that's the team talk sorted.

[cymrococh]

"football - as it should be played"

doesn't exist.

[John am Rhein]

No, the problem has nothing to do with any aspect of Rafa's nature. The trouble is his football. It is not the kind which, beyond admiration for superbly genuine competitive honesty, a not exactly ubiquitous quality in the upper reaches of the game, could possibly lift the soul of a neutral.

 

Who goves a f*ck about neutrals?

 

More journo-sh*te!

[ManxRed]

In the unofficial programme today, is the face in the crowd Tetti? Not that I?ve ever met her.

 

Is it worth getting (and not just for Tetti's face)?

[Spion kop]

I remember when they were critical of Arsenal a few years ago for refusing to "win ugly" in the champions league.

[McBain]

Yet, still, Valdano hits a nerve in any ultimate assessment of Benitez the coach who has produced such brilliant results in the Spanish League and the knock-out tournaments of England and Europe. In that creatively wretched semi-final against Chelsea at Anfield, Benitez chose to leave out Alonso, a player of infinite ambition and lovely touch in his passing when he first arrived at Anfield.

 

That surely was a statement that the Liverpool effort would be most vitally concerned with stifling Chelsea. That it worked, via the shoot-out, finally brought unconditional joy to Anfield but there were many doubts expressed on the way to the right result.

 

He puts forward a theory that Rafa went ultra cautious against Chelsea then tries to justify his idea by pointing out Alonso was dropped. Madness. He was left out for Gerrard to move into the centre. A far more attack minded and undisciplined player than Xabi

[honourablegeorge]

Only part of that Lawton article I really diasagree with is the notion that Benitez chooses to leave out creative players.

 

We don't bloody well have any to leave out.

[Puskas]

If Jorge Valdano's crude assessment that Liverpool's semi-final triumph over Chelsea represented not the beautiful game but "s*** on a stick" was excessive, no one could deny that the former football director of Real Madrid had touched on an element of truth. Excrement it wasn't, but nor was it the work of Van Gogh or Cezanne.

 

....

Yet, still, Valdano hits a nerve in any ultimate assessment of Benitez the coach who has produced such brilliant results in the Spanish League and the knock-out tournaments of England and Europe. In that creatively wretched semi-final against Chelsea at Anfield, Benitez chose to leave out Alonso, a player of infinite ambition and lovely touch in his passing when he first arrived at Anfield.

This is getting very old now. I clearly remember us playing some excellent stuff away to Barca, where a 1:5 scoreline wouldn't have been out of place. Put it this way we were very good value for a 1:2 win. We also played extremely well for a 0:3 result against PSV. Yet against Chelsea we need to play two grinding 1:0s and need penalties to go through. This is our fault apparently, because we don't play interesting enough football. Let's not mention the salient qualities of our opposition.

 

This hack doesn't appear to realise that playing Gerrard in the middle is a more attacking move than playing Alonso, as Gerrard offers much more going forward and is defensively less disciplined. I do love the fact that playing Gerrard on the right is bemoaned high and wide - and almost universally - by every 'football correspondent' in the UK yet as soon as he's played in the middle it shows a 'lack of creativity'.

 

 

He puts forward a theory that Rafa went ultra cautious against Chelsea then tries to justify his idea by pointing out Alonso was dropped. Madness. He was left out for Gerrard to move into the centre. A far more attack minded and undisciplined player than Xabi

 

This hack doesn't appear to realise that playing Gerrard in the middle is a more attacking move than playing Alonso, as Gerrard offers much more going forward and is defensively less disciplined.

Oops, posted this at the same time. I agree with Mcbain!

 

Only part of that Lawton article I really diasagree with is the notion that Benitez chooses to leave out creative players.

 

We don't bloody well have any to leave out.

Kewell and Garcia - our two most creative players (apart from Gerrard) - have spent most of this season injured.

[_00_deathscar]

Ridiculous.

 

Is that seriously written by Lawton? Standards have gone downhill recently...

[matty]

Of course, Kuyt hitting Chelsea's bar and having a goal wrongly ruled out for offside both happened as we were sitting back and playing for penalties.

 

The thing about Rafa is, he cuts his coat according to his cloth. Anyone who thinks his Valencia didn't play sublime football is an idiot who knows nothing. He assembled a team of superbly gifted footballers who each knew their job and could rip a team to shreds with its passing and drive.

 

He's quite obviously assembling a team and squad capable of the amount of control and verve that Valencia had. It's a work in progress and no decent journalist would fail to recognise that.

 

It's totally disingenuous to now come out and start hammering Liverpool for our style, as though you have to be the harlem globetrotters to deserve anything. The fact that we've been involved in several of the greatest finals in football history in the last few years seems to be so easily forgotten. Do they want drama? Well here we are.

[Ronnie Whelan]

The media would much prefer if we played football like arsenal but won f*** all. The only problem is if we done that they would be too long in pointing out how long it since we won f*** all.

[honourablegeorge]

Kewell and Garcia - our two most creative players (apart from Gerrard) - have spent most of this season injured.

 

Exactly - Benitez has always played Garcia in the big gams, when he's been available, and Kewell likewise - I can think of one very famous and ill-advised example.

 

We are dull at times, but criticising Rafa for doing the best he can with the resources we have is just pointless. The same hacks are kissing Allardyce's behind every day of the week.

[Serko]

Off course the media where happy that it was two really exciting teams to watch, who got to the fa cup final this year. Imagine if it had been a boring final like last year, what a turn off that would have been.

[Redwire]

Is that seriously written by Lawton? Standards have gone downhill recently...

 

Despite the Lawton love-in regularly found on here he often spouts utter sh*te.

[Benitez]

The media would much prefer if we played football like arsenal but won f*** all. The only problem is if we done that they would be too long in pointing out how long it since we won f*** all.

 

 

thing is though, Arsenal haven't 't exactly been entertaining the masses on a regular basis these last 2 seasons. And ironically - where far more defensive and cautious than we where, when they got to the final last year. And doubly ironic, in the FA cup final they fluked 3 seasons ago, they played as turgid and sterile a game as Chelsea and the Mancs did this year.

 

The Arsenal always play great football line is as tedious and wrong as the Liverpool play s*** football line.

 

And that is the problem, people just jump on the bandwagon without making their own minds up, cos it's easy.

Edited May 22, 2007 by Benitez

[Leo No.8]

I just wouldn't know where to start picking apart what's wrong with Lawton's article.

 

All I can think is he hasn't seen us, or even moreso the finished Rafa Benitez product that was Valencia, play very often.

[Cobs]

Lawton talking schit again - who'd have thunk it?

[Guy_Incognito]

This is a nice little piece from football365: -

 

Monster Masch Will Eat Pirlo Alive

Posted 22/05/07 09:43EmailPrintSave

 

 

 

The average Italian football fan loves a bit of history to aid their pre-match predictions and, being particularly superstitious, any lucky coincidental quirk of history always goes down well.

 

When the entire semi-final line-up for the World Cup was made up of European sides last summer, the Italian press got very excited because the last time that happened was in 1982. Back then Italy won the competition, and lo and behold they did it again last year. This is one example of using a spooky parallel from the past to foresee the future and calm nerves. Another, very apt one, regards the 1994 Champions League Final.

 

Against all the odds, an AC Milan side with a defence decimated by suspensions managed to absolutely destroy their much-vaunted opponents Barcelona. The great and good of football writers had written off the Italian club's chances and were all in love with the Catalans' swashbuckling style of play and crafty striker Romario. It was almost a forgone conclusion - the 'Dream Team' were going to take the trophy back to the Camp Nou.

 

But it became a Blaugrana 'mare as Fabio Capello's team humiliated Barca 4-0. No one, not even Mystic Meg predicted that, let alone Russell Grant and Johan Cruyff. Memories, anecdotes and pictures of that Athens masterclass from the Rossoneri are now being dragged back out, and it is a nice little omen for the Italians to believe in. Same city, same sparkling all-white kit on Wednesday.

 

But they would do well to remember another game in the Greek capital, a full ten years after that final, which contained a monumental display of man-marking. August 24 2004 might mean very little to most Milan and Liverpool fans, but it was the day that Javier Mascherano ate Andrea Pirlo. And if he is selected tomorrow, he will relish the chance to not only snuff out fancy-feet Kaka, but also dominate the floppy-haired playmaker once again.

 

It was the Olympic football tournament semi-final, and scoff if you like, but the Italy XI had a certain Alberto Gilardino and Daniele De Rossi in the side and they were taking it very seriously. The Argies themselves were also there to do the business and they actually went on to win the final and the gold medal without conceding a goal in the entire competition.

 

In the pre-match build-up to that semi in the Karaiskaki Stadium in Athens, all the talk had been about the impressive Pirlo and how he was the player of the Olympics so far. He was expected to dictate this match and impose his style on the Argentines. But young Javier decided that wasn't going to happen, and he gave the sleepy-eyed schemer the kind of attention that he didn't want. 'Masche' was a constant thorn in his opponent's side and stopped him from having any genuine impact on the tie.

 

Whenever Pirlo's youthful teammates gave him the ball hoping he could conjure up a killer through ball or coax a chance for the strikers, the then River Plate midfielder snapped into him crisply and fairly, robbing him of the ball or sending him to the deck.

 

On that boiling afternoon this latest, least expected Kop hero suffocated his illustrious prey and laid the foundations on which his nation tamed, and then massacred the much-fancied Azzurri. Obviously there are several significant differences this time, and it isn't a cert that the Argentine anchor will start, but if he does, and Rafa seems to be putting a lot of faith in the once Unhappy Hammer, he will not be intimidated or afraid of Milan's number 21. Granted, he will also need to keep an eye on Ricky Kaka too, but one feels that unlike most people, Pirlo won't have forgotten that other, crucial match in Athens three seasons ago.

 

The Reds couldn't have a better man for the job of stewarding and crunching Milan's dangermen, and Xabi Alonso, himself a wonderful player, has a right to feel very unfortunate to have had his glorious Anfield career somewhat disrupted by the South American fella.

 

In his own way, the serious, Diego Simeone-admiring 22-year old who played with such maturity and bite in the top flights in Argentina and Brazil and the World Cup, before spending far too much time feeling miserable in West Ham's training kit before Christmas, may be about to become a surprise protagonists in another Greek fable.

 

 

Sheridan Bird