Champions League, Europa League & Europa Conference League 22/23

[paultheroyal]

Bayern Vs PSG and Brugge Vs Benfica are the 2 I would find it hard to predict from that (the latter because, while I lazily assume Benfica are better, I just keep hearing how good Brugge are and how they could be underdogs for the QFs)

Have to feel sorry for Brugge - you just know if they progress further, that team will be unrecognisable next year as all Prem teams will be looking to recruit their players.

[Hendo]

Good stat this. Under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool have been knocked out of the Champions League exclusively by teams from Madrid*. The only season in which they didn't play a team from Madrid, they won it. In Madrid.

*Two finals and a QF to Real Madrid, and R16 to Atletico.

There was a fact on the "quickly Kevin" podcast about the classic 19/20 LFC Klopp side everyone thinks of...never actually started a league game together

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Matip, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Salah, Mane, Firmino.

Same with the 2005/06 Reading team. Everyone remembers; Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Little, Sidwell, Harper, Convey, Doyle and Kitson but they ended up only starting a handful of games with that line-up.

I seem to remember something similar with the Utd side of 1998/99?

[Sanguine]

Good stat this. Under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool have been knocked out of the Champions League exclusively by teams from Madrid*. The only season in which they didn't play a team from Madrid, they won it. In Madrid.

*Two finals and a QF to Real Madrid, and R16 to Atletico.

There was a fact on the "quickly Kevin" podcast about the classic 19/20 LFC Klopp side everyone thinks of...never actually started a league game together

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Matip, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Salah, Mane, Firmino.

Same with the 2005/06 Reading team. Everyone remembers; Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Little, Sidwell, Harper, Convey, Doyle and Kitson but they ended up only starting a handful of games with that line-up.

I seem to remember something similar with the Utd side of 1998/99?

Was Lita over Convey more often, I'd hazard a guess?

Was thinking about that United side, but couldn't decide who the forwards would be (Cole/Yorke/Sheringham/Solskjaer), or remember who the left-back was.

[Loafer]

There was a fact on the "quickly Kevin" podcast about the classic 19/20 LFC Klopp side everyone thinks of...never actually started a league game together

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Matip, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Salah, Mane, Firmino.

Same with the 2005/06 Reading team. Everyone remembers; Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Little, Sidwell, Harper, Convey, Doyle and Kitson but they ended up only starting a handful of games with that line-up.

I seem to remember something similar with the Utd side of 1998/99?

Was Lita over Convey more often, I'd hazard a guess?

Was thinking about that United side, but couldn't decide who the forwards would be (Cole/Yorke/Sheringham/Solskjaer), or remember who the left-back was.

Irwin?

I remember the random like David may, blomqvist, runny jonson and van der gooiw

And I'm sure Jon Greening won a CL medal

[Hendo]

There was a fact on the "quickly Kevin" podcast about the classic 19/20 LFC Klopp side everyone thinks of...never actually started a league game together

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Matip, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Salah, Mane, Firmino.

Same with the 2005/06 Reading team. Everyone remembers; Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Little, Sidwell, Harper, Convey, Doyle and Kitson but they ended up only starting a handful of games with that line-up.

I seem to remember something similar with the Utd side of 1998/99?

Was Lita over Convey more often, I'd hazard a guess?

Was thinking about that United side, but couldn't decide who the forwards would be (Cole/Yorke/Sheringham/Solskjaer), or remember who the left-back was.

I think it was Lita over Kitson who did spend a bit of time out with injury, IIRC.

Yeah, the forwards were pretty interchangeable of that Utd side, IIRC, although I'd guess Cole and Yorke started the majority. Dennis Irwin was the left back.

[Sutekh]

Same with the 2005/06 Reading team. Everyone remembers; Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Little, Sidwell, Harper, Convey, Doyle and Kitson but they ended up only starting a handful of games with that line-up.

I seem to remember something similar with the Utd side of 1998/99?

Was Lita over Convey more often, I'd hazard a guess?

Was thinking about that United side, but couldn't decide who the forwards would be (Cole/Yorke/Sheringham/Solskjaer), or remember who the left-back was.

I think it was Lita over Kitson who did spend a bit of time out with injury, IIRC.

Yeah, the forwards were pretty interchangeable of that Utd side, IIRC, although I'd guess Cole and Yorke started the majority. Dennis Irwin was the left back.

Lita was interchangeable with Kitson and Doyle. Those were the days when Reading had strikers and wingers and never the twain shall cross. Convey was largely interchangeable with the other forgotten man - Stephen Hunt

[Dirk Gently]

Was Lita over Convey more often, I'd hazard a guess?

Was thinking about that United side, but couldn't decide who the forwards would be (Cole/Yorke/Sheringham/Solskjaer), or remember who the left-back was.

I think it was Lita over Kitson who did spend a bit of time out with injury, IIRC.

Yeah, the forwards were pretty interchangeable of that Utd side, IIRC, although I'd guess Cole and Yorke started the majority. Dennis Irwin was the left back.

Lita was interchangeable with Kitson and Doyle. Those were the days when Reading had strikers and wingers and never the twain shall cross. Convey was largely interchangeable with the other forgotten man - Stephen Hunt

The way it worked out that season the striker injuries co-ordinated perfectly. Although both Kitson and Lita had injuries and missed games, by some quirk of fate we always had two fit and available for just about every game.

Doyle started 41 games, Kitson 27 and Lita 22 - so that's 90 out of the 92 starting places that season. Shane Long started once, and, for some reason, away at Derby on New Year's Eve only Kevin Doyle started up front, with Shunt making on e of his 3 starts that season although Convey & Little also both started.

[From Despair To Where?]

Didn't we also play a largely reserve side at home to Stoke?

[Sutekh]

Didn't we also play a largely reserve side at home to Stoke?

Yes.

Reading team v Stoke (h) in 2005/06

Stack, Shorey (Golbourne 64), Makin, Sonko, Halls, Ingimarsson, Sidwell (Dobson 54), Gunnarsson, Hunt, Doyle (Cox 71), Long.

Subs Not Used: Hahnemann, Kitson

[Dirk Gently]

Didn't we also play a largely reserve side at home to Stoke?

Yes.

Reading team v Stoke (h) in 2005/06

Stack, Shorey (Golbourne 64), Makin, Sonko, Halls, Ingimarsson, Sidwell (Dobson 54), Gunnarsson, Hunt, Doyle (Cox 71), Long.

Subs Not Used: Hahnemann, Kitson

The only match that Hahnemann and Convey didn't start, and one of only two that Harper didn't. Significant that Sonks and Ingi weren't rested - they both started all 46, which is a phenomenal achievement for centre-backs in the Championship.

[From Despair To Where?]

Not sure we had any other CBs.

[Conservative_dad]

Didn't we also play a largely reserve side at home to Stoke?

Yes.

Reading team v Stoke (h) in 2005/06

Stack, Shorey (Golbourne 64), Makin, Sonko, Halls, Ingimarsson, Sidwell (Dobson 54), Gunnarsson, Hunt, Doyle (Cox 71), Long.

Subs Not Used: Hahnemann, Kitson

Significant that Sonks and Ingi weren't rested - they both started all 46, which is a phenomenal achievement for centre-backs in the Championship.

Yeah, I rem Neil Warnock commenting about that at the time. Incredible injury and suspension-free record

[Conservative_dad]

Not sure we had any other CBs.

just checked, no-one but a few young loanees who went on to do nothing

[Loafer]

Not sure we had any other CBs.

just checked, no-one but a few young loanees who went on to do nothing

Not talking about man United m9!

[Loafer]

But this is what Golborne is doing now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-englan ... m-63500695

[Sutekh]

Not sure we had any other CBs.

just checked, no-one but a few young loanees who went on to do nothing

Backups for central defence I think, were the youngsters Curtis Osano, Aaron Brown and Johnny Mullins (all retired now ) though I think Bryn could fill in at centre back if needed and also Chris Makin. Think Mullins spent much of the season on loan to Kidderminster (seem to remember reading that in the club’s build up to last season’s debacle there). At the time though I don’t think the transfer window deadlines applied to the FL so if something had happened the club could probably have just gone out and loaned/bought someone.

[Winston Biscuit]

Darwin Nunez

[LUX]

A very pleasing on the eye goal

[Winston Biscuit]

This game is mental

[LUX]

Lolz, that is a Loloris moment