UCL Debrief: Liverpool fly through, battling Spurs and Newcastle out

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1:27Not necessarily that much success as far as English sides are concerned. Newcastle thrashed 7-2 in Barcelona at tea time to go out 8-3 on aggregate. Spurs, admirable in beating Atletico Madrid 3-2, but they go out after that first leg performance. Liverpool are the side that join Arsenal, the English side in the quarterfinals. They've beaten Galatasaray 4-0 tonight, 4-1 on aggregate and Bayern, who were already through after thrashing Atalanta, 6-1 in the first leg, put another four past them tonight. Atalanta got one, so that's 10-2 on aggregate. Thoughts and reactions come from those games. Let's start at Anfield, though, watched by Paul Robinson and Ian Dennis.

2:09We spoke at half-time, Ian, didn't we, that Liverpool had created many chances in that first half but hadn't taken them, that they weren't ruthless enough, or that changed in the second half. It certainly did, yeah. I mean, this was a dominant display and Liverpool breezing their way into the last eight. But as you say, they were blown away, Galatasaray, with those three goals in 11 second-half minutes. But you think that Liverpool also missed a first-half penalty. They had two goals disallowed and twice they hit the crossbar. Liverpool comfortably through for a quarter-final date with the holders Paris Saint-Germain and the first leg will be in the French capital.

2:45Paul Robertson alongside Ian. it took a while for them to put them away but Galatasaray were never really a threat were they? No I know they've stuttered at times this season Liverpool and coming off the back of a disappointing draw with Tottenham at the weekend a game that they should have won and a lot of the fans left Anfield disgruntled feeling that the team didn't put the team away where they should have won it by half time and actually the performance that they got tonight was so dominant it was so impressive from Liverpool I think the thing that Liverpool fans will go away from here tonight they'll be absolutely delighted but it'll be like why can't we do that on a regular basis the consistency but I think you focus on the positives tonight in the second half they were just superb, they really were for all the possession and the territorial advantage that they've had, not just tonight but in other games they really capitalised on it tonight they looked sharp, they looked quick whatever he said to them at half time really had the desired effect Mo Salah almost looked back to his best he's interchanged the set up for Eketike the finish for his goal, he looked sharp he looked at it, he was chasing the ball down Sir Bozlai's been instrumental to everything that they do and for me he's been their best player this season and everything just seemed to click The fluidity, the front foot, the closing down, the performance in the final third.

3:50That Liverpool performance in the second half is arguably one of the best of the season. Listen, Galatasaray didn't make it too difficult for them, but let's not underestimate. This is a Galatasaray that's already beaten them twice this season. They sat seven points clear at the top of the Turkish league and they came here with a one goal advantage. So for all, Galatasaray were pretty passive tonight. Liverpool didn't allow them into the game. They were very good. Stephen Warnock is also with us. Liverpool fans going away tonight going, why can't we do that more often? Steven Gerrard said to TNT exactly the same thing, Steven.

4:20Tactically spot on. Perfect night for Arnaslott. But the big question is, why can't we see that consistently? Is that your question too? Yeah, I think so. It's a toss of a coin every week which Liverpool's going to turn up, isn't it? And I think that's the feeling at the moment. I think it's how do they motivate themselves? I think that's got to be the big thing. It's almost like at times the game becomes too easy. they come a little bit passive in the way that they play they leave themselves too open at times but I think Robbo's right in what he said tonight the attitude of all the players was spot on I think the system helped them going to a 4-4-2, playing Frimpong at right back, having Soboslai in his preferred position which is either the right hand side of the four or just drifting into that midfield area which I thought he was brilliant at tonight but a little bit different role for Mohamed Salah as well playing through the middle alongside Eketike I think that worked well as well but the big question is now is that Robbo touched on it there Galatasaray are bang average they were poor tonight so this was an easy game for Liverpool yes they made light work of it and their attitude was good but the question will be now is can you do it away at Brighton on Saturday because we've seen shoots of recoveries throughout the season and then the next game they haven't lived up to the standards again I know you talk about mentality there but one of the things you said at the start with Sabozlai back in his more natural position.

5:41If he is Liverpool's best player this season, which I don't think anybody would disagree with, surely you start, don't you, by playing him where he wants to be played, needs to be played, rather than sacrificing him? Yeah, well, the most interesting thing about that is last season Arnazlott spoke about Sabozlai being higher up the pitch and the effect he has for pressing and how instrumental he is to that. And you're taking that out the team and then you're asking McAllister to press, Gravenberg to press. They're not great at that. You need someone else who's going to counter-press and he's brilliant at that.

6:15So you are taking away his best skill set and you're asking him to do it from 60 yards further behind the pitch as well to be able to create, to be able to join up in forward areas. He's just not capable of doing that. What we saw from him today was his best, the way he presses, the way he gets after people, the energy that he brings throughout the pitch. It's infectious. so he needs to be playing in that higher or that more forward advanced position because the other thing what I'm focusing on with you is you know fullback was your position people I know Frimpong had some injury problems as well but then there's also this school of thought well Frimpong's more of a win back than a fullback but surely it's easier to to adapt Frimpong to being a fullback and then capitalizing on Sir Bosley's strengths and using Sir Bosley as a fullback and putting Fring Pong in as a sort of understudy for Salah, which is where he's been used a few times.

7:08Yeah, and I think what we saw tonight from the system was how high Fring Pong played on that right-hand side and Sir Bozlai tucked in, he played a little bit narrower. So Fring Pong then becomes effectively a wing-back and if needed, Sir Bozlai will drop back into that right-back position and help fill in for him. But yeah, listen, you've got to play Fring Pong as a right-back in this situation because they don't have Conor Bradley. if Conor Bradley's fit he's the number one right back but it's an issue that Liverpool have got that they found themselves in after losing Trent Alexander-Arnold that they knew Conor Bradley was going to be well he struggled with injuries right throughout his short Liverpool career but we know he's got those problems Fringpong's never really been a natural right back he covers three positions and that's probably why Liverpool bought him as well because they thought when Mohamed Salah goes away to AFCON he can cover that if needed he can play some games in that position but I don't think he was ever the player that was going to play 20-30 games in that right-back position because I don't think he's naturally very comfortable in that position either but he's better suited than Sabozlai because like you spoke about before you lose the qualities of Sabozlai higher up the pitch.

8:15Stephen there's been a lot of tinkering with Arnazlott this season I don't think he's really found his best XI but watching them tonight they look settled this XI looks like it can be the XI to take them now into the last stages of the FA Cup the Champions League and to try and finish well in the Premier League. Yeah, I completely agree. I think it's trying to settle on not only a team, but a system as well. And I think of Inter Milan away when Liverpool played really well. It was the night Mohamed Salah was, oh, he didn't play in that game. But Liverpool played a 4-4-2 in that game as well. And he played and the team played really well within that system.

8:51And I think it's not only the personnel, but you've also got to look at the system. And at the moment, that system is getting the best out of these players and also out of the team as a collective. So maybe he stumbled upon something, but with Arnaz Slott, we know he likes to tinker and he likes to change things, and that's the problem at the moment. Well, and at some point, Izak will come back, and then all the fun and games start, don't they? Exactly. And then also as well, you've got Ngomoua, who's been exceptional in his last few games, who's going to be pushing as well. So, yeah, listen, that's what you expect at the top teams, but when you need results now, who can you turn to?

9:29who can you look at and say they're going to give me a top performance here because when we talk about players being inconsistent I thought Canate was superb tonight but he was terrible away from home last week so that inconsistency when he's at his best he's very very good when he's at his worst he's very very bad there's no middle ground with him and that's what Liverpool need to find now is that consistency from now till the end of the season We can hear now from Arnaz Slott Yeah from start to finish I think we played the game I was hoping for, the players were hoping for and the fans were hoping for Not only we played from start to finish the perfect game, our fans as well.

10:02Because from the start they were not accepting what we thought would happen. And what happened was that they tried to create a situation where the energy would run out of the stadium by making sure there was not much playing time. But our fans reacted great to that and our players kept on going. So, great dynamic between fans and players and almost the perfect game from us, but also from our fans. So Andros is with us. Thanks to Paul and Ian at Anfield. Let's talk Spurs, who found some positives tonight in beating Atletico Madrid 3-2. Would you not say Chris Coles? Absolutely. And I'm sure everyone who is here today, bar Andy Reid maybe, thought tonight was a very, very positive performance for Spurs.

10:50They were at it from the off. They created plenty of chances. They played like you expect Tottenham to play at home in the Champions League. Big knockout game, big side in town. They didn't really give Atletico any peace. There were some eye-catching individual performances. Young Archie Gray again, very eye-catching in the middle of midfield. Matisse Tell probably had his best game in a Spurs shirt. Colin Warn, he scored a good goal. Two goals for Xavi Simons. So much to like about Spurs that you are left questioning quite how they are where they are in the Premier League. And if they play like they did tonight in the run-in, then you'd think they would be absolutely fine.

11:26And it was shown by the scenes at the end of the game when everyone stayed, applauded all their players. We had that strange phenomenon of the Atletico Madrid fans very happy, understandably, because they're through. And the Spurs fans quite happy because they've seen their team win first time in eight games, first under Igor Tudor. There's lots to like. Although, although, right at the end, Igor Tudor walked straight down the tunnel, didn't he, Andy Reid? I don't know if you saw that on your monitor. I mean, as soon as the final whistle blew, he was down that tunnel. I didn't acknowledge Simeone, not that I saw, and didn't sort of stay out to hear the applause.

12:01Yeah, I thought that was very strange and I thought it was a bit unnecessary. I mean, he hasn't had kind of much positivity since he's come in. We know that some of the performances haven't been great. You pick up a win tonight, you think, right, let's get out, let's get the fans on board, let's kind of give them a bit of a clap and make sure that when they turn up here on Sunday that they're really kind of behind the team. So look, he's lost a tie and he knows that the team have gone out of the Champions League, but you still need to take any shoots of positivity that you can get and they're certainly worth some tonight.

12:32I don't, Andros, really want to repeat the whole conversation that we've just had on Liverpool but there are certain things you could level at Spurs the same way even more so to a certain extent. They need those performances from Tell, from Simons in particular who've both flickered this season. They need them at that level between now and the end of this season. Yes, but I think in a way, it was an easy game in terms of their three goals down coming into the game. They know that just show a bit of effort, show a bit of fight, show a bit of determination. We'll get the fans on our side. And I think it's going to be a completely different game when they play Forest on the weekend.

13:14Spurs are not going to accept, the fans are not going to accept, oh, they're working hard. Oh, they're trying. Oh, they're trying. No, they need to win this game. So I think tonight was a bit of a free hit. the weekend is where the pressure is on. The weekend is where you have to put away the chances and score the goals. I suppose because, Andy, that atmosphere that was there tonight, it's not going to be, as Andros has said, it's not going to be like that, is it, on Sunday? No, it's probably not. And I do agree with Andros. I mean, if you look at what Atletico Madrid done, they knew that they had a three-goal advantage coming into the game and they didn't really go after the game, particularly in the early stages, which allowed Tottenham the opportunity to kind of come on to them, which then in turn got the crowd going and when they got that goal then you're thinking okay yeah there's something to go with it will be completely different on Sunday it's a tough game for both of them two teams that are really struggling for form in the Premier League so it's interesting what I did like about the Tottenham situation tonight was when we seen the team sheets and it looked like with Dragasun coming into the team it was going to be a three at the back but they didn't, Dragasun played it right back Porro played a little bit higher and they kind of went after the game a little bit more and I thought the formation worked for them in terms of the game tonight so that's what these Tottenham fans want to see they want to see positivity they want to see the team playing on the front foot and being aggressive jumping into midfield winning tackles and then when they do win the ball back playing some decent football and playing some good attacking football I still do think that there's a weakness and there's you know you're seeing by the goals conceded tonight there's a weakness there and that when they turn over the ball and that you can get at the back line and you can kind of cause them problems so they're going to have to short it up particularly when they're pressing in that 4-4-2 formation like they did tonight I agree but I'm looking towards the weekend and Richarlison's obviously suspended for today's game he's he has to play I think his energy is infectious it gets everyone going I think he has to play but then I look at Colin Mourney's score tonight Tell was probably their most dangerous player Xavi Simmonds had a very good game so really who who are those three has to come out for Richarlison on the weekend.

15:17Or, I tell you what, Andros, it sounds like you go back to the Aussie Ardealist days of five up front there, really, for specials, what it sounds like. Andu? Yeah, no, I think Colin Mojane will come out of the team and I think Richarlison will go back in. That's just my thoughts on it. I mean, Colin Mojane, he scored the goal tonight and he did do OK at times, but he wouldn't say he was kind of scintillating, you know. He wouldn't say, no, you couldn't leave him out of the team. So I think Richarlison comes back in. I think, I mean this in a good way, Rochelle's a nuisance isn't he he's somebody that you don't want to play against so I think he comes back into it he scored the goal last week at Anfield and he will bring that bit of energy but like you say with them players behind Intel and Simmonds it would be interesting to see what he does at the weekend with Pedro Porro and whether he continues to look at him in that kind of right wing position because he actually done okay even going forward he's got decent delivery into the box and he actually linked it quite well so it'll be interesting to see what he does with him.

16:17I think housery is the word you were looking for rather than nuisance wasn't it? I don't know I like the word nuisance and I know a lot of nuisances so yeah. Let me you just stay here for for this bit and and and Andros is obviously here as well but when you look at the bigger picture here Newcastle Newcastle conceded seven to Barcelona earlier and go out 8-3 on aggregate. So they've conceded 8 over two legs. Spurs have conceded 7 over two legs. Manchester City 5 over two legs. And Chelsea 8 over two legs to Paris Saint-Germain. So you can say, Andy, can't you? Look, they've had some tough draws of the English sides here in the main.

17:03You know, they didn't get a spot, with all due respect, a sporting or a bodo glimt or whatever. So they've had difficult ties, but they've been absolutely walloped in them. Not like gone out 3-2 or 4-3. They have been walloped. Yeah, they have. And I do think that there is a bit of arrogance around the Premier League. And I don't know whether it's media, whether it's players, coaching staff. It's difficult to put your finger on. But I do think that there is a degree of arrogance that the Premier League towards some of the other leagues and some of the teams in the other leagues. And you can't underestimate some of these teams.

17:42They're absolutely top. And you go into some of them games and you think you can just go out and run all over the top of them and you can just go out and pass them off the pack. And then you quickly realize when you come out against some of these teams that they can hit you, particularly on the counterattack. If you come out and you leave yourself exposed, you leave your back line exposed, they can really, really hurt you. and I think that that's probably a level of arrogance of some of the teams thinking we can go toe-to-toe with these we can press them as high as we want we can commit as many men to the press we want and then all of a sudden then you concede goals really quickly you see the Newcastle one earlier on it's bang, bang, bang, goals and then all of a sudden you think the game's over here and what do we do?

18:19Do we come out and continue to press or do we shut up shop and it becomes really difficult then But I think as well Chabas I didn't see the Chelsea game yesterday but I think it's a bit of a coincidence Spurs, they had a horrendous 20 minutes in Madrid last week. But after they got themselves sorted, they got the goalkeeper off, they got settled. They were actually, they matched Madrid in the first leg. And they were the better side tonight in the second leg. Newcastle at Barcelona in the first leg. They were seconds away from taking a 1-0 lead to the Nou Camp. And for half, anyway, they matched Barcelona.

18:54It was only the second half again. A crazy 15, 20-minute spell took the game away from them. So I don't think we're looking at this thinking, oh, the Spanish clubs are so much better than the English sides. I think it's probably a bit of a coincidence on this occasion. Do you think, and Ollie Kay made this point in The Athletic, the journalist, that you watch it and it's almost like English sides, because of how attritional the Premier League has felt this season, it's almost like they're a bit taken aback to come up against expansive, incisive, attacking football. and the games over the last two nights, the last couple of weeks have been fantastic to watch.

19:33I mean, they really have. Some of these have been top quality, end-to-end, high-energy football, which really, Andros, we haven't actually seen that much of in the Premier League this season. Is there a point to that, do you think, or not? Yeah, possibly. I think in the Champions League, they're more, not counter-attacking style, but they're more decisive on the counter-attack. You look at all the games we've watched over the last few days, there's been a lot of decisive counter-attacks where you make a mistake or you lose the ball and you get punished. And that's just footwork at the highest level.

20:06You're playing against the world's best players. You are going to get punished more than in the Premier League, where, like you say, it is a bit more cautious, a bit more men behind the ball, possession-based, slow build-ups, whereas the Champions League is the opposite and we're loving it at the moment. What do you think, Andy? Are we in a bit of a quagmire at the moment? Yeah, I think so. We were talking about styles of play at the weekend. I know Arsenal have been criticised for their style of play and scoring goals from set-pieces. I actually don't mind watching Arsenal play. I quite enjoy some of the rotations.

20:37I actually find City a little bit boring to watch at times, although they come up with brilliant moments, which are great. Liverpool are kind of hit and miss. It's difficult to really hang your hat on the Premier League being top-notch at the moment. I think it's very bitty. I think it's very inconsistent. And I think the Champions League and maybe the feel around some of the Champions League nights brings out that little bit of ambition in clubs. And I think clubs are coming to these English grounds now and thinking, oh, we can have a little bit of a go here. So what you're finding is that there's more open games and there's more kind of transitional moments in it, which is great.

21:15And we love seeing goals. That's what we love. I love seeing really incisive goals, good through balls, great finishes, sharp finishes. So seeing all them things in the Champions League that we have this week, I think has been fantastic. And it's what everybody wants to see. Just one more on the Tottenham side of things. Andros, Igor Tudor in his post-match interview has picked out Archie Gray, saying that he's an incredible guy. He has been playing out of position, but in this position, he can be the best. I mean, that's where he wants to play, isn't it? In the middle of midfield. He's been used here, there and everywhere by Spurs over the past couple of years.

21:54Yeah, and I think it's good to see him finally getting a run in his best position. Like I said, he's been everywhere. He's been centre-back at times as well, full-back. So it's good to see him get a run in his best position. He seems to suit the way Igor Tudor likes to play with his two midfielders. Him and Pap Sarr had a very, very good game in midfield. Very dominant, controlled that midfield. So, yeah, it's great to see from a young player and hopefully continue that not only into the weekend, but for the rest of the season, because Spurs are going to need that dominance in midfield if they are going to get away from the situation they're in.

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24:29Let's hear from the Camp Nou, Chris Sutton and John Murray were watching. Yes, inside the world's most glamorous building site, which is the rapidly transforming Nou Camp. What a night for Newcastle. Chris Sutton's still sitting here with me. 7-2 on the night, 8-3 on aggregate. So that is a, what do we call it? It's certainly chastening. Is it humiliating? Is it embarrassing? Or is there more to it than that? I think there's more to it than that. On the face of it, you look at the scoreline over two legs and you would think that Newcastle had been pummeled by Barcelona over the two games. that wasn't the case.

25:13They were pummeled by Barcelona for one half of football. One half of one half, you could even say. Yeah, you could. And yet Newcastle gave such a good account of themselves. I was always interested to see the way Eddie Howe set up against Barcelona this evening. And he was bold in the approach in terms of Newcastle pressing Barcelona high, going man for man, and getting after them and having that approach, you do take a risk doing that because Barcelona have some brilliant attacking players. They really, really do, and they're technically proficient and good at what they do. But the first half was so enthralling, Barcelona taking the lead on a couple of occasions, but Newcastle always looked a threat with that front three.

26:05Maybe not Gordon so much centrally, but Barnes on that left-hand side, Alanga off the right. That space in behind, which Barcelona give you with the way that they hold that high line because they're trying to condense the game and they feel that's the best way. That suits their style of play. They want to win the ball high up and attack. But Newcastle exploited that brilliantly in the first half. And you could argue we're really unlucky to go in 3-2 down because at 2-2 there was a moment where Lange got beyond Cancelo. I thought that it was a penalty. you know whether it was an accidental trip or whatever inside the box and I wonder what Eddie Howe has to say about that maybe he'll think well because we got beat 7-2 it wasn't such a big moment but yeah it was a big moment this was Cancelo on a langer and how valid is it to talk about that because I know people listening to this will say it's finished 7-2 what are you talking about penalty shout that wasn't given when the score was 2-2 and I understand that but on you You know, on another day, if Newcastle get the penalty, of course, it's hypothetical now.

27:09They score it, they go in 3-2 up, and the atmosphere inside, you know, the Nou Camp could have been completely different, but it wasn't. Barcelona rewarded a penalty. Kieran Trippier stayed on the pitch for a pullback on Rafinha when it looked like Rafinha was going to tap a ball in from the Lopez cross. Newcastle were fortunate in that sense to keep 11 players on the pitch, but Jamal tucked the penalty away and then second half. I always thought that Newcastle would run out of steam, but the second half didn't pan out as I expected. Barcelona wiped the floor with them in the first 15-20 minutes in the second half.

27:44And then it was just a case of white flag, another centre-half on for Newcastle, defending deep, defending the box and trying to keep the score down. And that was a sorry ending and a sad ending, really, from a side who gave so much in the first half as Newcastle did. But when you're at this level, and this is the top level in Europe, you're playing the best teams, they can do that to you, Barcelona. I think they've got enough to go all the way and win it, potentially, Barcelona. But we will see. How do you look ahead then to the quarterfinals, Andros? I mean, they are all mouth-watering, aren't they?

28:24Real Madrid against Bayern and Barcelona against Atletico Madrid. As far as the English sides are concerned, Sporting against Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain against Liverpool and what the English sides have there, because they finished in the top eight as the higher seeded sides, they get the second legs at home, which in Liverpool's case could make a massive difference. Yeah, 100%. We saw even in this game, Galatasaray, their hostile home ground. Liverpool struggled, but once they got on back to the Anfield, they were probing, they were patient. once they opened them up with a set-piece goal. They really did let their dominance show and Liverpool, Anfield, such a tough place in the Champions League for any team to come.