Great Idiots

The Master


The Apprentice

If you wanted to lose, you could have at least done it like a real man. Go down fighting.

Liverpool displayed a performance so cantankerous no fan could fathom. A Champions League semi-final always produced exciting games, regardless who's playing. But this wasn't the case for last night's match between Chelsea and Liverpool.

The game started off really boring, with Chelsea having the upper hand in ball possession and build-up play. Liverpool on the other hand were constantly kept at bay despite possessing one of Europe's top marksman.

An underfed striker, a dysfunctional midfield and a battered defence provided an impotent lineup which their goalkeeper fell victim to on three occasions.

Even before the match when the lineup was announced I knew it was going to be a waste of time watching the match. You're trailing by half a goal from the previous leg and you still insist on fronting the attack with only one striker. Crouch who displayed beautiful football (for an Englishman) in his previous match was left to warm the bench.

Yes, at first I wanted to blame the pitch, but it would be silly. It's a fact that Chelsea despite being one of the richest clubs are cheap in maintaining their pitch. The rain just worsened things. But then please tell me how could Chelsea still put a good show despite all of this shortcomings? Home support? They're well adapted to their field even how crappy it is? Maybe. But still, Liverpool aren't a Derby County to have minor glitches hampering their football.

Benitez, for some idiotic reason decided to do a Mourinho by talking crap about Chelsea and their players. Well he was forced to eat his own words when the player he criticized opened the scoring. Didier Drogba. Drogba has proven himself worthy countless times by scoring amazing goals for Chelsea for the past few seasons. How could anyone be so absurd by saying he (Drogba) is just mediocre? You yourself possess top strikers who can't properly finish a simple ball and you dare say such things. I know about the mind games gaffers play to have an edge over the other team, but for God's sake! This is Chelsea, at a Champions League SEMIFINAL!!! Your criticism is motivation to the counterpart. Deco, Messi and Ronanldinho made fools of themselves by giving a press statement that they're gonna tear United apart. Not even close. It should have been a lesson for Benitez to shut his mouth from the start.

Of the many Liverpudlians who have done so well this whole season, a number of them were awfully disappointing last night. Alonso was useless throughout the game and Lucas would have been a great replacement. Mascherano has been quiet since he talked his way to a red card against United in the league and Gerrard, it's time you gave up the skippers arm band, till you prove yourself worthy of even wearing one. You dishonoured captaincy by keeping quiet against Masherano's sending off (against United) and you just gave the game away last night. Where was the ever so robust Gerrard? Where were the tackles we all loved to see? Where was the fighting spirit that made your name? Having a yellow card from the first leg doesn't entitle you to be an asshole by playing safe in the second. A leader should go all out even if it means he's not able to carry the flag in the next battle. He should be willing enough to take a shot for his team to come out tops. In the 1999 semifinal against Juventus, Roy Keane was already on a yellow card from the first leg. But he battled out to hold his team together, earning him a yellow card in the process. That yellow card barred him from playing in the final if United were to win the bout. He never bothered playing safe just so that he could take part in the final. He, like many great leaders, wasn't selfish. Gerrard on the other hand, showed every reason why he should be stripped off the skipper's post. He was selfish. Go all out, get banned, but rejoice in the fact that you sacrificed yourself for your mates to pull through. Till today, I'm not really bothered about who scored against Munich, bringing the title back to Manchester after 31 years, but my respect is (and forever will be) for the man who got them to the finals.

Liverpool were lucky to draw the game level with Torres's goal. But they shouldn't have stopped there. Instead they decreased their determination to stretch the match to extra time. How smart. Saw what happened? I don't blame Hyypia for the penalty, never will. He's been one of my favourite players and skipper Liverpool has had for the past 10 years. It was an unintentional foul. Ballack had already dribbled past him and had two options, pass the ball out of the D box, or cut to his right where only Reina is at his mercy. And like any great defender (Moore, Adams, Lee), a pre-emptive strike always helps. But unfortunately Hyypia was plain unlucky.

With just one goal down, Liverpool were still in the game if they had at least tried to push on. But NOOOOOOOOO, they decided to spread wide like a whore selling herself. 3-1. What surprised me after that is the substitution of Torres for Babbel. WOW!! They only guy who can possibly score against Chelsea and you took him off. WHAT?! For what?! Babbel's inclusion proved fruitful but a little too late. Pennants introduction late in the game would have paid IF only Crouch was there. So many long balls, so many crosses, but who's there to finish it? Or at least try?

I've mentioned this to my friends before, that I'll only don a Liverpool jersey to a match only if they manage to beat one of the big four in a season. But from yesterday's display of tactical stupidity, miscalculation and selfishness, I'm only gonna start wearing my jersey (for a match) when the Reds finally lift the League trophy. It has been nearly 20 years since they last did it and with the mentality they have (who cares about physical ability) at the moment, it's gonna take them another good 20.