2025-26 UEFA Champions League

IrishOwl...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123929734#Comment_123929734

They're both tracking to be on trent to be almost identical, touches in the defensive half averages are almost the exact same.

Wirtz is a creative No.10 who likes to come deep to link up play and does his best work from the left.

He's being doing the exact same thing at Liverpool that he did with BL. I should know, I've pretty much watched all his matches under Alonso the last 2 seasons.

In no way is he playing a completely new position that he's not used to.

ShamoBuc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123929586#Comment_123929586

Yes, Liverpool waited to see how Ekitike started this season before thinking about buying Isak….

We all know how good Isak is, only talkling about his current form as a rationale for not buying him is nonsense.

Everyone knows Liverpool badly needed to strengthen in the forwards, only buying Ekitike would have been a huge mistake.

Buying a couple of prospects instead was not the way to go.

Thankfully - and not surprisingly - they didn't use your logic.

jacool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123929597#Comment_123929597

You presume incorrectly.

and

I don't take it personally.

I watch a lot of football and Wirtz has actually been very good in his games. He has created lots of chances that others have fluffed e.g. the pass to Chiesa last night that he put beyond the post. Not Wirtz's fault.

Last night Salah could have squared a ball for him for a tap in, but instead he shot at the keeper. Not Wirtz's fault either.

in a team where too many players have been under-performing, Wirtz and Szoboszlai always seem to perform.

I was pointing out that the 0-0-7 merchants will have to pack their bags, and move on.

TheRona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123930431#Comment_123930431

Unfortunately he will still have to do something in the Premier League before the 007 boys move on, just like Gyokeres' brace the other night doesn't get him off the hook with his league record.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123929811#Comment_123929811

Well it's all okay if you don't mind wasting £125 million I suppose.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123930431#Comment_123930431

I don't know what 0-0-7 merchants are. Can you explain?

As regards Wirtz, I watched

him a fair few times over the last two years and he played a more attacking role and he was brilliant. He hasn't looked anything like that since joining Liverpool.

As I said I don't blame him, he has the talent. It's how he's being played.

ShamoBuc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123931509#Comment_123931509

'Wasting'…. you seem intent on showing your serious lack of knowledge and understanding.

Liverpool should have taken your advice and bought Davies, the RB you suggested.

Really not sure why I bother.

Quazzie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123930431#Comment_123930431

It was up to 009 wasn't it?

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123931649#Comment_123931649

I don't remember talking about a right back. If I was to talk about a full back called Davies it would be Alphonso, the Canadian left back.

Your suggestive attitude that you can never be wrong isn't doing you any favours.

If;Isaak ends up spending most of the next couple of years sitting on the bench then that's a waste of £125 million or do you look at that differently?

jacool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123931522#Comment_123931522

There are some people, including this person, who replied to this comment also with

"It was up to 009 wasn't it?", who were judging Wirtz on how many goals-assists-games he had.

Now, some of these people would get very defensive if you made such a comment about a new player they might have bought, who also, up to this week, wasn't exactly looking like value for money.

That is both the beauty, and blindness, of tribalism for you.

Me, I'm just trying to make an extra few Euro each week, and not come last in my FF competition.

Note to self - please remember to transfer out Salah (and he's captain!!)

ShamoBuc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123932367#Comment_123932367

I'm not surprised you don't remember the RB you said Liverpool signed.

'You can never be wrong' is the definition of Pot Kettle Black.

Now you are saying Isak will be a waste of money IF he spends years on the bench!

You move more goalposts than a groundsman.

Good luck.

Infoseeker1975

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123931509#Comment_123931509

Fans get all wound up about the transfer fee of players, there is a lot involved re what the actual cost is over time. The value is amortised over the length of the contract so for this example he costs Liverpool 25m per season. At 25yrs it is likely he will have a decent resale value if things don't work out so cost is nowhere near what people might think in terms of the account.

Wirtz is often quoted at 116m pounds, the fee was 100m. The 16m is add ons and is triggered only if Liverpool win the PL 4 times during his 5yr contract or the CL 4 times. Obviously this is unlikely to happen:)

Isak is a top player and I have no clue why any fan of a club that hopes to win anything would not want them in their team/squad.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123933127#Comment_123933127

I'm not moving any goalposts. I simply said I was 'surprised' that Liverpool continued with their interest in Isaak after how Ekitike started.

I then said I'd be of the opinion that bringing in two young prospects might have been a better option.

So I said I was surprised and gave my opinion on what I think would have been the smart thing to do given how well Ekitike began. Basically in my opinion Ekitike is playing at the level you'd expect from Isaak.

It's all opinion based, there's no statement of fact even though it seems to me that you are trying to suggest that is what I've done.

If Isaak isn't starting regularly for the length of his contract then it's a very bad signing. I suppose if Ekitike isn't then it's a bad signing too because they both cost a lot of money.

In my opinion there was no need to sign both of them given the start Ekitike made.

I think the smart move would have been to put off the Isaak purchase until January and see how things worked out.

That's at the end of the window after we had seen the level of performance from Ekitike. Earlier on before any games were played was a totally different situation if they had got Isaak then.

Edit to add: I got the same treatment at the start of the season when I said that City were serious contenders for the title. I was basically told I hadn't a clue. And by more than one person.

citytillidie

Match Day 4
Tuesday 4th November
17:45 Kick-offs
SK Slavia Praha (CZE) V Arsenal FC (ENG) - Live on Virgin Media Two / TNT Sport 1
SSC Napoli (ITA) V Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) - Live on TNT Sport 2

20:00 Kick-offs
Atlético de Madrid (ESP) V R. Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) - Live on TNT Sport 5
FK Bodø/Glimt (NOR) V AS Monaco (FRA) - Live on TNT Sport 7
Juventus (ITA) V Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR) - Live on TNT Sport 4
Liverpool FC (ENG) V Real Madrid C.F. (ESP) - Live on Premier Sports Ireland / Amazon
Olympiacos FC (GRE) V PSV Eindhoven (NED) - Live on TNT Sport 6
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) V FC Bayern München (GER) - Live on Virgin Media Two / TNT Sport 2
Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) V F.C. Copenhagen (DEN) - Live on TNT Sport 1

Wednesday 5th November
17:45 Kick-offs
Pafos FC (CYP) V Villarreal CF (ESP) - Live on TNT Sport 3
Qarabağ FK (AZE) V Chelsea FC (ENG) - Live on Virgin Media Two / TNT Sport 2

20:00 Kick-offs
Club Brugge KV (BEL) V FC Barcelona (ESP) - Live on TNT Sport 4
FC Ajax (NED) V Galatasaray A.Ş. (TUR) - Live on TNT Sport 8
FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) V FC Kairat Almaty (KAZ) - Live on TNT Sport 7
Manchester City (ENG) V Borussia Dortmund (GER) - Live on RTE Two / Premier Sports Ireland / TNT Sport 1
Newcastle United FC (ENG) V Athletic Club (ESP) - Live on Virgin Media Two / TNT Sport 2
Olympique de Marseille (FRA) V Atalanta BC (ITA) - Live on TNT Sport 5
SL Benfica (POR) V Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER) - Live on TNT Sport 6

Zeek12

Bayern 1-0 up at PSG. Luis Diaz.

Good game in the first 15 minutes

howdydoo83

Good use of var in the Liverpool game. If it hits the other hand it's a penalty imo.

Did you smash it

var corrects an egregious error. Bravo var

IrishOwl...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123962916#Comment_123962916

When you see the 2 handball penos Real have already been awarded in this tournament. That decision is laughable....

Real and Barca have some sway over referees.

mjsc1970

Against any other team that's a peno

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123962929#Comment_123962929

and yet one minute later real get a pen appeal waved away

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123962943#Comment_123962943

and another

DellyBelly

Bradley lucky there...surprised that wasn't looked at. Seemed to whack him in the face

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123962970#Comment_123962970

Whack? You'd see more contact in a game of Scrabble.

eigrod

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123962979#Comment_123962979

Vinicius should have got a second yellow for simulation.

ShamoBuc

Great first half from Liverpool. Courtois making a few super saves.

Conor Bradley is fairly bossing Vini.

Could go either way yet but most enjoyable nonetheless.

8-10

Another farcical VAR moment there. How did only 2mins get added on?

No idea what they were checking, seemed like the original decision was a free kick?

As usual VAR is delaying the game and is completely confusing and we end up with a decision that nobody in the ground understands because there's zero communication

Make it make sense or just bin VAR

jacool

I didn't think VAR was there to allow the referee, re-referee a decision.

He signalled for handball, and the VAR message said "potential penalty check", meaning they only had to agree on whether the contact was inside or outside the box. That's how VAR is supposed to operate.

As for a penalty for a ball hitting Konate on his "lad", I don't think so. Robertson's one looked dodgy, but I haven't re-seen it.

IrishOwl...

I was just about to comment that Luiz Diaz is having some start to the season for Bayern 🙈

CalamariFritti

ridiculous red for Luis Diaz there

8-10

Looked to me like ref gave a free kick, VAR intervened for over a minute, ref goes to the monitor and then overturns the free and gives a drop ball for some reason?

If it's not a free kick isn't it a corner? Didn't the ball go put of play off the Real player behind for a corner? Why a drop ball?

But also I thought VAR can't overturn a free kick?

Delay was unnecessary and confusing. Was it even a handball?