CL-kommentarer - från Alan till Tony
Många vill analysera onsdagens match mellan Chelsea och Liverpool i Champions League. Här är några kommentarer, med i vissa fall länkade texter.
José Mourinho, tränare Chelsea:
'I'm happy with the players, and very happy because it's a positive result, a 1-0 victory. When the game starts in Liverpool, Chelsea is winning 1-0. The first-half was top for my team and we felt frustrated at half-time the result was only 1-0. (…) They are a strong side at home. They have that historic advantage of success in the Champions League over decades but we have an equal chance. The players have their dream and we go there to try to be in the final.”
Rafael Benítez, manager Liverpool:
"In the first half we were not playing well, we were giving the ball away and they were playing counter-attack. But we go back to our supporters for the second leg. I don't know who is favourite now. We know they are very good on the counter-attack and we have to be aware of that."
Tony Cascarino, krönikör The Times och fd irländsk landslagsanfallare:
“Liverpool cramped the midfield. Chelsea’s response: so what? They simply bypassed it, going direct to Didier Drogba. Joe Cole will always give you a moment of magic. Drogba? Sheer, relentless graft. You need a hulking, old-fashioned centre half to stop him. That isn’t Daniel Agger and it isn’t Jamie Carragher. If Drogba is on song, so are Chelsea.”
Mike Adamson, krönikör The Guardian:
“While the affable Spaniard had seemed indifferent to the Portuguese's comments in yesterday's press conference - during which he talked Liverpool up as favourites because the Champions League is their only priority this season - the way the Reds lined up tonight suggest Benitez was indeed swayed by Mourinho's babble. After their stunning victory at Barcelona, it was almost as if Liverpool and their calm coach had been lured into a false sense of security. (…) Chelsea are now unbeaten for 22 games and it will need something special for Liverpool to end that streak in six days' time as now they must. Their best chance surely is to use the same tactics that enabled them to be the last team to defeat Chelsea: namely, the big man up front and a bit of English up-and-at-'em aggression. On tonight's evidence, they are not going to overcome Chelsea's robust rearguard any other way.”
Sandro Mazzola, italiensk backlegendar:
''Carvalho is like Cannavaro. Bringing the ball out of defence for that goal reminded me of Cannavaro against Germany in the World Cup. (...) Chelsea are favourites now, but it will be very tough at Anfield."
Martin Lipton, krönikör Daily Mirror:
“Advantage Chelsea, advantage Jose Mourinho. And while they will have to withstand the Anfield passion play that crushed them two years ago, this time the Blues have the most priceless currency of all in their possession. Joe Cole's first-half strike was slim reward for a night in which Chelsea might feel they could have put the tie beyond Rafa Benitez's strangely-restricted Reds. (…) Whether one goal will be enough will only emerge on Tuesday. But it is one more than they had last time and if they nick another at Anfield, you can't see Liverpool scoring three.”
Graham Taylor, fd engelsk förbundskapten:
“After the Champions League first leg at Stamford Bridge the tie has swung Chelsea's way. A 2-1 defeat would have been better than a 1-0 loss for Liverpool. Their manager Rafael Benitez would not admit it, but he will be disappointed by the way his team played in the first part of the game. (…) I liked the spirit of this game. There was definitely a form of respect between the players on the pitch, though I'm not so sure that applies to the two managers!”
Alan Smith, krönikör Daily Telegraph och fd engelsk landslagsanfallare:
”To be successful, the forces of nature decreed that a fair degree of luck simply had to play a part. This time, Liverpool didn't get that bit of luck to back up the tenacity, discipline and at times desperate defending that had come to their rescue in previous European encounters. This time they simply couldn't handle the Premiership's top scorer, the man who, with Andrei Shevchenko labouring badly, has carried Chelsea's attacking threat virtually alone for large chunks of a campaign that now comes to the crunch. Last night at a highly charged Stamford Bridge, Drogba was like a rampaging bull on the narrow streets of Pamplona. With nostrils flaring wildly, especially in the first half, a succession of bodies scattered helplessly in his path as he charged relentlessly towards the Liverpool end that seemed to pass for a red rag.”
Mats Olsson, krönikör Expressen:
"Om 1–0 räcker? Kanske. Det är att gå på slak lina, men ”Den utvalde” har tillräcklig balans för slak lina och är tillräckligt självsäker och tillräckligt arrogant för att Chelsea ska spela minst 0–0 på Anfield Road i Liverpool på tisdag. (...) Han (Mourinho) har inget emot att kallas 'Den utvalde', han tycker till och med det är rätt....och ingen har sagt att man måste vara ödmjuk för att vara fotbollsfrälsare."
Simon Bank, krönikör Aftonbladet:
"Rafa Benítez log efteråt, skämtade och pratade om en vändning.Men han vet.Om det här varit ett annat spel än fotboll hade läget nu varit sådant att José Mourinho kunnat luta sig framåt och viska: 'Schack, herr Benítez …'”
Det bästa till sist - some specials from a special one:
Mourinho i intervju med tysk tv efter matchen:
Reporter: Men ni förlorade mot Liverpool förra året, hur ska ni vinna nu?
JM: Nej, vi vann med 4-1!
Reporter: Ja, men i januari förlorade ni med 0-2
JM: Ja, men utan försvarare - jag borde spelat - eller min syster!
Graeme Souness kommenterade syrligt i engelsk tv att José Mourinho såg pressad ut. När en reporter konfronterade Chelseas manager med detta svarade han kort:
"Where's he (Souness) working now?".
