Champions League

JamDav1982

Senior Member
2005 Liverpool side was a team full of character and resilience. Very good cup side with several leaders who never gave up. They knocked out one of the best Chelsea sides of the last 20 years, that received 15 goals in 38 PL games and finished with 95 points.

Liverpool's road to the final was Juventus, Chelsea, Milan. All tough ties. Both Milan and Juve played a CL final just 1 year before. A really nice underdog story. Not unlike Chelsea of the recent season. They faced much stronger opponents though.

Imo, and this is not nostalgia, the level in CL is dropping. The competition doesn't feel as special as before, and in my mind, the Premier League is becoming the no1 competition to watch atm.

2005 Liverpool finished 5th in the league and were not a strong side.

Littered with average players. Teams now are far better.
 

Morten

Senior Member
It doesn't happen 5 times over 4 years :lol:

They weren't average. They were good. Just a tick short of elite.

Liverpool was good a couple of years later, when they sorted their team out, upgraded the midfield and forward-line, in 2005 it was a different story.
 

El Gato

Villarato!
Of course, Klopp's Pool is better but the 04-08 one wasn't a joke in cup competitions.

I mean I hate to take Jammy side but this is a slightly patchy position to take.
Pool 04-05 not even the same as years after. Even Dudek who had that mad game in Istanbul did a podcast last week and told stories how Houllier came down to dressing room after the 2005 CL win to take photos with players he assembled. To which Benitez 'took offense' and basically went and replaced 3/4 of the side, because he wanted to validate himself.

They weren't a joke in cups, but they weren't the same side either. And that 2005 side was comfortably worse than the followups despite some mad results leading up to the 2005 final.
 

serghei

Senior Member
Stuff happens, or are you going to tell me Chelsea 12 was an amazing side as well?

There's no comparison.

Just checked the 2005 final stats. Possession 55-45. Shots, overall: 22-15, and on target 10-7. Milan were a bit better, but very competitive game.

Now should I put up stats from Bayern Chelsea in 2012? I will put just one. Shots 35 to 9.
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Chelsea 2012 beat Peps Barca in semi and Bayern at home in final.

On paper looks amazing but doesnt make them a top side. Just as Liverpool were nowhere near one in 2005.
 

El Gato

Villarato!
That said I'd easily take the Houllier side than Benitez side if I had to choose. The fat waiter micromanaging everything was a Pep before Pep so deserves every bit of misery he got.
 

Morten

Senior Member
There's no comparison.

Just checked the 2005 final stats. Possession 55-45. Shots, overall: 22-15, and on target 10-7. Milan were a bit better, but very competitive game.

Now should I put up stats from Bayern Chelsea in 2012? I will put just one. Shots 35 to 9.

Liverpool gets an extra shot on target because of a penalty rebound.
So really, its more like 10-6 on target.

Not as outplayed as Chelsea, but still outplayed by a good margin.
 

serghei

Senior Member
Liverpool gets an extra shot on target because of a penalty rebound.
So really, its more like 10-6 on target.

Not as outplayed as Chelsea, but still outplayed by a good margin.

Check the stats for the semis as well. Liverpool - Chelsea 1-0. Shots on target: 4-1 for Liverpool. So, basically Chelsea who knocked out Barca by scoring 4 against them were reduced to 1 shot on target by Liverpool on Anfield (https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/match/80760--liverpool-vs-chelsea/).

Let it go, just not an average team. As for their league form, Madrid finished 18 points behind Barca when they won CL. Some teams just focus better on Cup competitions.

Their attack wasn't great, sure, but their midfield and defense were among the best in Europe. They were like a better version of mid 2010s Atletico.
 
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JamDav1982

Senior Member
Liverpool in league and the players they had show they were nowhere near a top team.

They were close to going out the CL in group stages then got some good results to win it but that is it.

Top teams dont finish 5th in the league and have a one of CL run like that.

There has been many instances of average sides making a one off run. That is all it was.

The next season they were third in league and out of CL in last 16.
 

serghei

Senior Member
Liverpool in league and the players they had show they were nowhere near a top team.

They were close to going out the CL in group stages then got some good results to win it but that is it.

Top teams dont finish 5th in the league and have a one of CL run like that.

There has been many instances of average sides making a one off run. That is all it was.

The next season they were third in league and out of CL in last 16.

And the season after that they play the CL final, which kind of breaks your whole argument that it was a one-off. And in 2008 they play the semis again and lose in extra time vs Chelsea.

They played like 4 awesome ties with Chelsea in like 5 years. Winning 2 (2005, 2007) and losing 2 (2008, 2009). All close.
 
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