Got this story from the maker of the documentary below who has interviewed Vladi Smicer for the programme:
Straight away Rafa sat them all down and started working on the tacticx board straight away. He was making a few points about bringing on Didi to screen the centre-backs & take Kaka out of the game, about how he was bringing Cisse on to add some penetration down the right flank & push Maldini back...after 5 minutes of tactics chat Vladi said - "gaffer, you have 12 players" - Rafa hadn't even noticed & also at that point he was unaware that Finnan was injured. Great little story, just shows that even the most relaxed managers can get caught up in the emotion of it all.
5th Aug 2005 2100Hrs Liverpool: One Night In May Sky One
8 Aug 2005 2200hrs Sky Mix
"New series of documentaries about sport, the obsession that unites the world, focusing on incredible achievements and compelling characters. This year's Champions League final was possibly the greatest of all time as Liverpool stormed to victory after a wretched first half. The incredible Istanbul experience is retold from the fans' perspective."
True enough, you do need an element at luck to win the big prizes. No denying that although the changes Rafa made at HT (could also be argued that he was foolish to start w/o Didi in the first place) combined with his positive attitude contributed in a massive way to that glorious comeback.
I don't know why Liverpool fans are already developing such a chip on their shoulder about the Final win. Look, they had a bit of luck, maybe even more than a bit, on their way to winning the thing, what trophy-winning side in any sport doesn't?
I don't know why Liverpool fans are already developing such a chip on their shoulder about the Final win. Look, they had a bit of luck, maybe even more than a bit, on their way to winning the thing, what trophy-winning side in any sport doesn't?
Lot of Pool fans I know get very touchy if you even suggest they had a wee bit of luck in that final. In fairness, it's already known on the continent as the final Milan simply fucked away.
Lot of Pool fans I know get very touchy if you even suggest they had a wee bit of luck in that final. In fairness, it's already known on the continent as the final Milan simply fucked away.
Debatable. If Liverpool hadn't taken the game to them as they did would they have wilted? That's doubtful. It all comes down to the two teams on the day, and the fact is (sheva's miss aside) Milan were put on the rack after half-time, and they simply didn't have any response. All credit to Pool for doing so.
I think it raises serious questions about Ancelotti's managerial skills too... add this final to pissing away the Scudetto to a vastly inferior Juventus side, fluffing what should have been an unassailable lead against Depór the year before, the pitiful collapse of his Juve side on the final day in 99/00, and of course that semi-final in '99. It's no surprise that he's got a reputation for being a bit 'soft' in Italy.
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Debatable. If Liverpool hadn't taken the game to them as they did would they have wilted? That's doubtful. It all comes down to the two teams on the day, and the fact is (sheva's miss aside) Milan were put on the rack after half-time, and they simply didn't have any response. All credit to Pool for doing so.
I think it raises serious questions about Ancelotti's managerial skills too... add this final to pissing away the Scudetto to a vastly inferior Juventus side, fluffing what should have been an unassailable lead against Depór the year before, the pitiful collapse of his Juve side on the final day in 99/00, and of course that semi-final in '99. It's no surprise that he's got a reputation for being a bit 'soft' in Italy.
I don't think Milan's collapse in the second half was Ancellotti's fault actually. Milan looked very beatable against PSV as well, despite having all the advantages going into the game. I think they have a few bottlers in key positions. For example, I wouldn't like to have Pirlo, Seedorf or Kaka in the trenches with me if you get my drift.
What Rafa really said at HT in Istanbul
Shows that the most important attribute a manager can have is a bit of luck.
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