Rodgers' Reds: Class is Permanent

2015-04-30 20:53#212279 Titus07 : Thanks bro, seems to be working pretty well actually, the only concern is the high line when playing again a team with fast strikers and top quality wing-backs who pick them out with diagonal balls on the counter, happened against Arsenal, who have Anthony Martial.

But...I did draw with them, and I'm Bristol Rovers, 2-2, I'm coaching 3 teams in my current save, Newcastle, Inter and Bristol Rovers, formation seems to be working well for all, just awaiting them to become fully savvy with it.

Again thanks!

Balotelli should fetch you a really good price should you sell him, saw him sold for somewhere about 50 mil in my game, and that was early, like the first 2 seasons, there obviously will be backlash from the fans and board tho...

3 teams in 1 save, wow, good luck with that man! Yeah welcome, always happy to help.

Balotelli's going to fetch me a reaaally high price if I decide to sell him, Real Madrid and Barcelona have been interested in him for like 2 seasons straight, his current value is about 30 million so yeah I think I could bargain for quite a bit. He's basically on the level of Messi and Ronaldo in my save right now though imho, so I don't think I'll sell unless he tries to force a move on his own.

With many minnows making it into the knockout stages of the Champions League, the First Round served to remove them - Ukrainian club Metalist suffered a 5-1 trashing at the hands of Chelsea, while F.C. København also failed to show up against Juventus and got dominated 8-0. However, only the big clubs remain and there are definitely going to be some exciting games on display in this season's Quarter Final.

Teams

Real Madrid
Roma
Chelsea
Manchester United
Juventus
Barcelona
Liverpool
Paris Saint-Germain


Liverpool took the Champions League by storm in 2017 and will be looking to do the same this year. The current European champions scraped past Schalke in the First Round with a 2-0 aggregate win, and they're ready to repeat their feat of 1977 to 1978, where they claimed the European Cup twice in two consecutive seasons. The Reds boast of a highly-capable defensive back line containing the likes of David Alaba and Eder Alvarez Balanta, and also have powerful midfield options in James Ward-Prowse, Mario Balotelli, and Raheem Sterling.

Key Player: Raheem Sterling

Roma have certainly demonstrated their strength in Europe, upsetting Bayern Munich in the First Round and easily smashing 4 goals past their German opponents. The Giallorossi have yet to lift a European Cup, although they came close in 1984 where they finished runner-up to, rather coincidentally, Liverpool, and will be keen to find the European success that they have been craving for. 22-goal striker Seydou Doumbia is one that opposition defenders have to pay close attention to, while big things are also expected of the exciting Roberto Pereyra, who has been largely unplayable this season.

Key Player: Roberto Pereyra


Beating Dortmund 3-0 in the First Round, Manchester United are entering the Quarter Final in search of their fifth European Cup. The Red Devils have plenty of history in Europe, and clinched their last Champions League title in 2016 under the management of Joachim Low. David de Gea has been an immense presence for United this season and will be relied upon to keep out Real's goal-hungry forwards. Luke Shaw will also be an important figure as well as United vice-captain Kevin Strootman. But the true danger men are undoubtedly going to be Adnan Januzaj and Juan Mata, both of whom share a whooping combined total of 37 goals and 39 assists.

Key Player: Juan Mata

Despite having somewhat of an aging squad, Real Madrid are no pushovers, showing as much when they easily outclassed Arsenal 3-0 to make it to the Quarter Final. As the team with the highest number of European Cups, Real are eager for an eleventh Champions League victory, but have largely failed to impress since La Decima in 2014. Things might very well change this time though, and with key players like Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Toni Kroos, and of course, Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain himself, Real are ready to make a rampant charge to the Final, although they will have to get past Manchester United first.

Key Player: Cristiano Ronaldo


The last of the English clubs in the Quarter Final, Chelsea made quick work of Metalist to advance and will be relishing a bigger challenge against Juventus. Jose Mourinho's Blues are having one of their best seasons, and they possess a huge incentive to win the Champions League this season having finished runner-up two years in a row, to Manchester United and then to Liverpool last year. Fans will look toward Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado to provide the assists and Diego Costa to score the goals. Of course, another major factor for success is going to be the performances of Ballon d'Or winner Eden Hazard.

Key Player: Eden Hazard

Knocking out F.C. København with 8 goals like they were nothing, Juventus is certainly one of Europe's strongest giants. Six Serie A titles in six seasons serve to prove just that. Unfortunately, they have not done as well in the Champions League, only managing to win it on two occasions in 1985 and 1996, although they have finished as runner-up five times. This year, Juve are going to attempt to change that, and have armed themselves with 34-year-old striker Carlos Tevez, who has only gotten better with age, Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen, and star midfielder Paul Pogba.

Key Player: Paul Pogba


After vanquishing Monaco in the First Round, Barcelona will have to face another French opponent in Paris Saint-Germain. The Catalans have been trapped within the shadow of rivals Real Madrid in recent years, but have emerged back into the light splendidly this season and are currently top of La Liga by eight points. As of now, Barca are on form, and might just be able to use that form to win their sixth European Cup. A back pairing of captain Gerard Pique and the ever-reliable Marc Bartra is going to deter many strikers, but what will truly strike fear into other teams' hearts is the dream trio up front of Luis Suarez, Neymar, and Lionel Messi.

Key Player: Lionel Messi

After an impressive 5-2 rout of Czech side Viktoria Plzeň, oil-rich PSG remain the only French club in the last eight. Thanks to their mega-money Qatari owners, PSG have been turned into arguably the best team in the nation. However, they have yet to expand their domestic success further into Europe, and are hoping to do exactly that. The aging pair of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 36, and Edinson Cavani, 31, are in the twilight of their career but they remain important players and can still produce the goods. Nevertheless, it is young Spanish winger Fede Cartabia that opponents have to look out for, and full-back Mattia De Sciglio.

Key Player: Mattia De Sciglio

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has conceded defeat in the race for the Premier League title after two successive league losses against Norwich and Chelsea.

Liverpool failed to inspire against an on-form Norwich side, and were put to the sword by the prolific Giovanni Simeone. The Argentine striker, who has an impressive record of 16 goals in 16 Under-21 international caps, was brought to Carrow Road from hometown club River Plate only this summer, but he has flourished in England and scored a brace to put a massive dent in Liverpool's title hopes.

Just eleven days after that, Chelsea handed the Reds another defeat after Diego Costa added to his 25-goal tally with another two goals to sink Liverpool in a 2-1 win, giving his side a 10-point lead at the top of the table.

"We couldn't play to the standard we had to when it mattered the most," said Rodgers in his post-match press conference after the loss to Chelsea. "It's hard to admit it but in this situation it's impossible to make a ten-point comeback with just four games left to play.

"The title is very much Chelsea's. The only thing we can do now is look ahead to next season and hopefully build on what we've achieved."


Despite their failure to capture the league title, Liverpool are still on course for a grand total of five trophies this season.

The Merseyside club have already secured a treble of the UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup, Capital One Cup, and could end the season with their first quintuple in club history.

A narrow 1-0 win over archrivals Manchester United in the FA Cup Semi Final have awarded them with a place in the Final in May against Chelsea.

Richairo Zivkovic, who has been a mainstay in the first team this season, scored the game's solitary goal to book his side a return to Wembley.


In Europe, things are also going well for Rodgers and his squad after a 6-3 win over two legs against Italian opponents Roma.

The Giallorossi were crushed in their away trip to Anfield, conceding 4 goals, and attempted to muster a comeback on home ground but failed to do so even after a commendable 3-2 win.

The win takes Liverpool to the Semi Finals of the Champions League, where only Juventus, Manchester United, and Barcelona remain.


Liverpool are currently the holders of the Champions League title and are the third most successful team in the prestigious tournament, having won it on six separate occasions.

And they could take that number to seven if they play their cards right.

"Winning both the Champions League and FA Cup is definitely possible," proclaimed Reds center-back Eder Alvarez Balanta in a short interview conducted by the Mail. "The team is feeling very positive right now as a whole, we're in good spirits and we want to end the season on a great note.

"We're going to be playing against Chelsea in the FA Cup Final and in the Champions League there are still teams like United, Barcelona, and Juventus. They are all very, very strong opponents and hard teams to play against. But we're better than them and we can prove that.

"In the end it's going to come down to who wants it the most."

Good luck in the CL brother! Let's hope that you can manage to fin the FA Cup as well

After a couple of excellent Quarter Final games, we are finally down to the final four in Europe's biggest competition. Rivals Liverpool and Manchester United represent England and the Premier League, and are accompanied by fellow European powerhouses Juventus and Barcelona.

Teams

Liverpool
Manchester United
Juventus
Barcelona


Juventus only just managed to edge it through to the Semi Final after their nail-biting clash with Chelsea, which ended in a 5-5 scoreline. The Italian champions benefited from the away goals rule though, and left last year's Champions League runners-up in the dust as they continued their pursuit of European glory.

For Manchester United, they are eager to finally get their hands on their fifth European Cup, something that fans have been dreaming for after Liverpool accomplished that number in 2005. They are so close too, after securing their fourth in 2016, just two years ago.

The Red Devils, like Juve, almost failed to make it to the Semi Final, and had to employ their solid defenses to survive a late Real Madrid onslaught. A comfortable 3-0 win at Old Trafford seemed to have sealed the deal for United, but Real responded with 2 goals in the second leg, only to miss out in the end after failing to find a third.

United will be buoyed by the possibility of facing longtime rivals Liverpool in the Champions League Final, and Juve are definitely going to be the underdogs in this fixture. However, both sides can boast of magnificent team quality and it certainly promises to be an interesting matchup.


Barcelona is the team that will be carrying the hope of Spain, after Real Madrid dropped out to United in the Quarter Final. The Catalans came out the winners in a tense battle against the ambitious Paris Saint-Germain, thanks to goals from Neymar and Lionel Messi and some solid defending.

Liverpool are slightly ahead of their Spanish counterparts, with six European Cups to Barca's five, and are in the hunt for a seventh. The Reds have been fantastic in Europe so far this season, demolishing Roma 6-3 to earn their spot in the Semi Final.

A place in the Champions League Final against Manchester United, and winning, is something that Liverpool's players and fans are going to savor. But first, they will have to get past Barca, and their star-studded forward line of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez.

2015-05-02 18:04#212408 ToppTobbe : Good luck in the CL brother! Let's hope that you can manage to fin the FA Cup as well

Thanks! Let's hope so!

A mixture of erratic form has seen Liverpool sink to 10 points away from the top of the Premier League table, but they're continuing to do well in other areas, reaching the FA Cup Final after a 1-0 win against Manchester United and setting themselves up in a good position for the second leg of the Champions League Semi Final, after drawing 2-2 with Barcelona at the Camp Nou and scoring 2 important away goals.

Liverpool April Player of the Month

Richairo Zivkovic scooped the Player of the Month award after an impressive 6 goals in 8 games. The 21-year-old scored significant goals in the Champions League this month, slaying Quarter Final opponents Roma with his brace in the first leg before adding to his record with another in the second leg. He also hit home the winner in the FA Cup Semi Final and is slowly but surely writing his name into Liverpool folklore.

Manager's Thoughts

Not a good month at all, though I've all but given up on the league and focusing more on cup football now. We're poised to win the club's first ever quintuple and hopefully we can fight until the end. As of now, we're in a really, really good position in the Champions League. To score 2 goals and draw against a side of Barcelona's quality at their home ground is fantastic for us and I am sure that we will run them over at Anfield in the second leg. The FA Cup Final against Chelsea is also on the horizon, an extremely tough opponent to play and win against especially considering their current form, but that's just what we're going to have to do.

Shame about the league.. Do Chelsea have that good of a team to reach 97 pts last season and make you trail them this season >.<? Good work on a European basis, though.

2015-05-03 10:25#212463 Pauker : Shame about the league.. Do Chelsea have that good of a team to reach 97 pts last season and make you trail them this season >.<? Good work on a European basis, though.

They don't really have that good of a team, but they're being carried by Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, who are like Ronaldo and Messi in one team :S

Thank you!

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Liverpool have reached the Champions League Final for the second year in a row, after a crushing 7-2 win over Barcelona.

Barca held their own in the Camp Nou, with Neymar and Lionel Messi scoring to draw level, after their opponents got themselves a headstart through goals from Mario Balotelli and Raheem Sterling.

For the game, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers shifted from his trademark 4-1-2-2-1 formation to a 4-3-3, which apparently aimed to seize more control and possession over the ball, and it helped to get the best out of his players, with Gustavo Cuello turning in a masterclass against Barca's own midfield general Andres Iniesta.

However, the second leg at Anfield saw Liverpool return to their attacking-styled 4-1-2-2-1, a move which saw them slot home five goals to subdue the La Liga leaders.

Mario Balotelli had another terrific game and added to the scoreline as did Philippe Coutinho, but the real star of the show was Richairo Zivkovic, who has been going from strength to strength and reinforced his growing status as one of Europe's most lethal finishers with a superb hat trick.


In the second leg, Liverpool, renowned for their form at home, had 26 shots on goal as compared to Barca's 8, and also enjoyed most of the possession, in a dominating performance that showed just why they had won the Champions League last season.

Manchester United also managed to beat Serie A champions Juventus in a 3-1 win, and are set to face their bitter rivals in the Final.

The Red Devils are in search of their fifth European Cup and things will no doubt be made all the sweeter if it is won against Liverpool.

"The lads showed great character today and I'm looking forward to more impressive stuff," said Rodgers after the match. "Winning 5-0 against a team of Barcelona's status is no easy feat, but I say we save the celebrations for when we win in the Final. It isn't over yet.

"The last time Liverpool won two European Cups back to back was in the 1970s. I firmly believe we have a better team now in the present, so there's no reason why we can't accomplish it again."


Stand-in captain James Ward-Prowse also added on to his manager's words. "We've come so far and we're so close, now what we have to do is reach out and seize that trophy.

"It felt amazing to play in the Champions League Final last year, the atmosphere is just so fantastic and I'm looking forward to experiencing that again. And ultimately, what I want is for our team to be the ones celebrating on that pitch after 90 minutes."

Liverpool and United will go head to head on the 26th of May, at the San Siro in Milan, Italy.

The two Premier League sides are going to be blessed with a healthy squad going into the Final, save for Jordan Henderson, who is struggling to recover from a torn hamstring, and Luke Shaw, unavailable for selection due to his double hernia.

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Liverpool have finished the 2017/18 Premier League in 2nd place after ending the season with a 0-0 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

It will be regarded as a disappointing season, with many having expected Brendan Rodgers' side to pose a stronger challenge to eventual title winners Chelsea.

The Blues managed to win 31 games, taking 97 points from a possible 114, and are 12 points ahead of Liverpool, who have 85 points.

James Ward-Prowse, Mario Balotelli, and Richairo Zivkovic have been the standout players of the season, and all three are in with a shout to win the club's Fans' Player of the Year award.

Ward-Prowse has been a mainstay in the Liverpool midfield for the past two years, thanks to his consistency and luck in not picking up any nasty injuries, and regularly captained the side this season in the absence of Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson.


Balotelli's 26 league goals and 16 assists also contributed immensely, while 21-year-old Zivkovic burst onto the scene with his 24 goals, and is Liverpool's top scorer in all competitions thus far with 39 goals for the 2017/18 season.

On the other end of the table, Nottingham Forest finished at 20th place, and will consequently be playing in the Championship next season. They are joined by Queens Park Rangers and Stoke, leaving Sunderland to escape the threat of relegation by just a hair's breadth.

Under fan favorite Neil Adams, Norwich finished top of the Championship in 2015, and in their first two seasons back in the Premier League, enjoyed top-half finishes at 8th and then 10th. The Canaries have gone a step further this time around, finishing in a very impressive 6th place, which means that they will be playing in the Europa League next season.

A team that has underperformed is Arsenal. The Gunners could only muster a 5th place finish, failing to secure Champions League football, with manager Frank de Boer being sacked as a result.

At the Premier League's annual awards, Liverpool managed to win the FWA Footballer of the Year as well as the PFA Young Player of the Year, while also having four of it's players being named in the PFA Team of the Year starting eleven, and another three on the bench.


David de Gea has, amazingly, won the Golden Glove for a third year running, keeping 20 clean sheets and conceding only 20 goals in 37 appearances for Manchester United.


Patrick Roberts clinched the Goal of the Season with his magnificent long-range effort for West Ham against Swansea.


Diego Costa is the recipient of the Golden Boot, scoring 28 goals in 31 appearances this season. Mario Balotelli of Liverpool trails close behind with 26 goals, while Manchester City's Divock Origi is in third place with 24 goals.


Jose Mourinho is the Premier League's Manager of the Year again after steering Chelsea to a successful defense of the league title and taking 97 points from 38 games.


Mario Balotelli wins the FWA Footballer of the Year after his brilliance in a Liverpool jersey this season, the winger having scored 26 goals and creating another 16.


Ballon d'Or winner Eden Hazard can add a second PFA Player of the Year award to his steadily growing list of achievements, after his 20 goals and 15 assists in 34 appearances for Chelsea.


Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling picks up his third PFA Young Player of the Year after a great season, where he scored 11 goals and created 13 in 30 games.

Very good season and amazing Balotelli & Zivković scoring form. Anyway Chelsea proved that is better club but I'm counting on you in the next season. Good Luck

2015-05-05 21:30#212587 Spajkowy : Very good season and amazing Balotelli & Zivković scoring form. Anyway Chelsea proved that is better club but I'm counting on you in the next season. Good Luck

Thanks mate! Won't disappoint you hopefully!

Here we are, back in beautiful Wembley Stadium for a clash between two all-time greats in the footballing world. Liverpool versus Chelsea, Red versus Blue.

Chelsea pipped Liverpool to the title by an amazing 12 points this season, but the Merseyside representatives will have a huge chance to redeem themselves in this FA Cup Final.

Apart from this, they will be playing in the Champions League Final against another English club, Manchester United, next week, and stand a chance to win a quintuple, which would be a first in the club's history, in fact.

Chelsea should not be overlooked either, and the title winners are looking to add on to their amassing collection of trophies. Diego Costa and Eden Hazard have been a driving force this season, and both will definitely be unleashed against Liverpool.


Chelsea did not enjoy an impressive start to life in the FA Cup, with their first match being a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa. However, they were overcame in the replay and Chelsea went on to have a dominating run to the Final, crushing Newcastle and Huddersfield, before doing away with Arsenal and Manchester City in the Sixth Round and Semi Final respectively.


Starting 11: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Vallejo, Bertrand; Can, Willian; Cuadrado, Oscar, Hazard; Costa
Subs: Allsop, Hysaj, Luis, Fabregas, Shaqiri, Bruma, Schurrle


Chelsea's title-winning lineup certainly means business, and Jose Mourinho has not hesitated in playing all his cards for the Final. Emre Can will be playing against his former club, where he was not given much of a chance to feature by Brendan Rodgers, and is a surprise inclusion in the starting eleven ahead of the experienced Cesc Fabregas. Meanwhile, Eden Hazard, Oscar, and Juan Cuadrado are set to start and will provide the Blues with a very, very dangerous attacking edge. 48-goal striker Diego Costa leads the line and is the man to look out for.


Liverpool entered the FA Cup with a bang, first crushing minnows Plymouth and then going on to give Wolves the same treatment. Nottingham Forest suffered a quick defeat in the Fifth Round, but the Sixth Round proved to be a harder challenge for Liverpool as Hull fought desperately for a replay. A narrow 2-1 win was soon followed by a 1-0 triumph over rivals United in the Semi Finals, paving the way for a return to Wembley.


Starting 11: Mignolet; Clyne, Balanta, Umtiti, Alaba; Gerrard, Romero, Ward-Prowse; Balotelli, Sterling; Zivkovic
Subs: Steele, Joseph, Sakho, Moreyra, Coutinho, Ibe, Sturridge


Brendan Rodgers is pulling no punches with his selection as well. The 'iron wall' pairing of Eder Alvarez Balanta and Samuel Umtiti will be handed the task of crippling the lethal Diego Costa today, while Steven Gerrard is also given a start to lead his team out against their London rivals. In what appears to be a change of Rodgers' usual formation, Lucas Romero partners James Ward-Prowse in midfield, while Raheem Sterling and Mario Balotelli look to push further up the wings as inside forwards.

0' - Can Liverpool exact revenge on Chelsea for beating them to the league title, or will it be the other way around? Find out now, as Chelsea kick off the 2018 FA Cup Final.

1' - GOAL! Diego Costa does it again! A smart pass from Oscar frees the Spaniard into space and he releases the ball to beat Simon Mignolet for his 49th goal of the season. And just one minute in, Chelsea have taken the lead!


19' - GOAL! Liverpool are not to be outdone! Mario Balotelli leaves Ryan Bertrand completely in the dust as he dances past the England left-back in a show of pure skill, before crossing the ball for the awaiting Richairo Zivkovic. Gary Cahill can do nothing to stop his man and Zivkovic makes no mistake.

44' - Some extremely disciplined passing from Liverpool result in Zivkovic darting his way past Jesus Vallejo and having an effort, but Thibaut Courtois gets to it this time around.


45' - HT: Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool. All square at the break, with neither side looking better than the other so far.

45' - Liverpool kick off the second half.

57' - Chelsea almost take the lead again as Willian rises highest to get his head to a free kick into the Liverpool box by Juan Cuadrado, but control is quickly regained as Eder Alvarez Balanta gets his body in the way and takes back possession.

68' - Eden Hazard's superb free kick hits the post! Mignolet was completely beaten and that was a fantastic chance for Chelsea, but it is not to be as Balanta clears it away.

77' - GOAL! What magnificent team play from Liverpool! Balotelli is the offender again as he comes dashing into Chelsea's danger area, taking the ball past a helpless Cesar Azpilicueta, before giving it to Philippe Coutinho. The attacking midfielder's low pass to the left finds the onrushing James Ward-Prowse, who is rid of his marker and proceeds to unleash a furious strike past Courtois. Loud cheers from the Liverpool supporters!


84' - Chelsea miss yet another goalscoring opportunity, as Mignolet just manages to punch away the free kick from Oscar. Willian gets onto the rebound and looks certain to equalize, but Mignolet utilizes his lightning quick reflexes to deny the Brazilian.

88' - Chelsea are searching for that one goal they need but it's just not happening. A great pass from Willian finds Emre Can, who has gotten himself into the area, and the midfielder fires a half-volley from close-range, but Mignolet is there again to turn the ball away.

90' - FT: Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool. Liverpool make it double digits as they secure their tenth FA Cup in history, and have also taken one step closer to their dream of the quintuple. A majestic display of football, and what goalkeeping heroics from Simon Mignolet as well.