08 Apr 2026 06:49:09
Well, I am looking forward to tomorrow morning's game.
Yes sir, 7am kick off down under woohoooooo and I am on leave for the school holidays.
Me and the little ones will be up, well not the littlest 2 year old, but the 11 and 7 yr old for sure.
Ready for another match of hope and maybe despair lol.
Seriously tho, in all the years I've ben supporting and able to watch games regularly, I've enjoyed these periods almost as much as when the football has been good.
Perhaps I am a glutton for punishment, but in times like these I enjoy watching more for the psychology of the team, the players and how they're going to get themselves back on track.
I fear the worst, but am picking a defiant away performance that I hope returns us a score draw or one goal difference either way.
That'd be positive heading back to Anfield next week.
C'mon lads, another opportunity to fight for the shirt!
08 Apr 2026 07:19:40
I wish I had your enthusiasm, I expect another laboured underwhelming performance.
08 Apr 2026 07:40:19
I am just praying for an upset. We catch them on an off day, Dom scores a world-class free kick from 30 yards, get out of Paris with a 0-1 win!
Look at 2005. You can win the Champions League as the underdog. In a cup competition, crazier things have happened.
It's the hope that kills you, though. We'll probably get battered 5-0.
{Ed078's Note - Australia time I have a 6.24am tee off time. So, after watching the first half I'll either turn up in an optimistic mood, expecting to beat my best score, or I'll be the grumpiest player in the group.
Actually, that's not true, my expectations are at a 3 year low, so won't let it phase me.
08 Apr 2026 07:53:03
"I've enjoyed these periods almost as much as when the football has been good."
Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. I find this one very odd. But hey.
08 Apr 2026 08:17:24
I think a big difference to 2005 is the team is better now, but has no heart or motivation currently. That team in 2005 had the will to want to win and do better than they were.
Not to mention a captain in Gerrard who always gave everything every match.
Stranger things have happened, but I think our chance of winning the Champions League is less than 1%.
08 Apr 2026 08:34:55
The alternation of a high press and a low block (and not this passive style that we have with a super weak front press and a passive mid block) that we deployed against Madrid will work against PSG. They struggle against low blocks just as we do and have also found it hard to cope with teams that engage them aggressively high up the field. We need a proactive off the ball plan, either be brave and press, squeeze them into the wide areas high up, or drop back, concentrate and defend as a unit, keep it compact.
I feel like the off the ball plan is the biggest key as to how much of a chance we have in the game. On the ball it's just a matter of keeping a cool head, not having heads drop when you miss a chance, stay in the game and don't rush or scuff at chances, believe you can score the next one, because PSG will give you chances. They aren't a defensively watertight team and can cough up possession in their own half or get caught on the counter. Use the wide spaces effectively with the fullbacks, get them to engage in the press high up, Against Chelsea, PSG gave them lots of joy out wide.
Most importantly, don't give up once PSG score, because they will definitely score. They might even score early. This is where I feel most despondent because Slot just isn't the coach to pick the team up when they're feeling low. PSG are a frightening team at the best of times, against Chelsea their last 5 goals were scored on 5 consecutive shots, not having missed a single one. It can happen that they make something out of nothing, don't give up when that happens. Just put in a resolute off the ball performance, focus, and be on the same wavelength as your team mates, and believe in your quality on the ball, because we do have that.
I know we all think we don't have a chance in hell, but the performance in Madrid is a blueprint for how we can survive this game. Let's hope the players' heads haven't gone and Slot has a similar blueprint for how we can advance in this competition.
08 Apr 2026 09:04:06
We can win if we set up tactically to expose their weakness which PSG do have. They don't have a proper 9 who will cause problems in the penalty box, so if we force them to have to put in crosses then we will not concede many big chances. This means Gomez and Robbo should be fb to tuck in. Make it narrow, and force them wide. Dembele should not be beating Virgil and Konate in an aerial battle. Close down shooting from range opportunity from Vitinha and Neves, and we do have tools to punish them when we attack.
Salah is unfortunately not one of those tools. Last season he was pocketed by Mendes and got absolutely no joy from him. If we get out of there with nothing more than a one goal deficit, it's a decent result. A draw or a narrow win is excellent. If we stay focused for the full 90+ we could get a good result, but Slot is not a tactical manager. He's just not good enough to instruct the team properly.
08 Apr 2026 09:12:44
I have a bet on PSG - hardly ever bet against us, that is how bad it is. My youngest will wake up early - I am going to enjoy my bed and winnings when I wake up.
08 Apr 2026 09:29:10
I'm guessing the original poster lives in Perth? My kick off time is 5am so I could get up and watch it before I go to work? Having just given up nicotine 6 days ago, I'm not sure my nerves could take seeing us get beaten 4-0 again.
I might just watch the highlights later when I get a break. Should be a short day tomorrow at least.
Hope we at least have something to play for at Anfield next leg.
08 Apr 2026 09:33:24
Never ever bet against your team.
08 Apr 2026 09:46:34
Nah, NZ
SSSS - I do go on to expand on what I mean by that.
08 Apr 2026 09:47:56
@Faithinworks, better double check your kick-off time, mate. I'm in WA, and here it starts at 3am. There's no way you are 5 hours ahead of Perth.
08 Apr 2026 10:13:44
Darwin, I think you'll find NZ is 5 hours ahead of Perth. I'm in QLD, I'm 3 hours ahead of you, depending on daylight saving time. NZ is 2 or 3 hours ahead of me.
08 Apr 2026 10:21:55
When I first came to Australia in 1987, I was confused because I'd read that there was 30 minutes difference between Sydney and Brisbane so I asked a young lady, who was working on the same team as me, what time it was in Queensland and she replied 1952. Still makes me chuckle.
08 Apr 2026 11:38:43
We just had daylight savings end. Anyways, it's 7am NZ time. Chur!
08 Apr 2026 11:50:44
Don't forget to get up early on Sat, gents, for the planned Fulham match ticket price increase protests.
08 Apr 2026 12:23:25
Agree with Taurus, we have better players than in 2005, but that team had heart n fight, sadly missing from this team... but hoping they put a performance in tonight.
08 Apr 2026 13:11:09
Indeed, Strom. We had winners, experienced guys who had won things, coached by a manager who was a winner, and knew how to win in Europe, tactivally.
A far cry from the ship show we have right now.
08 Apr 2026 13:28:24
We had winners, experienced guys who had won things, coached by a manager who was a winner
I'm guessing you chose not to watch last season as well, Oli.
08 Apr 2026 16:57:48
Against PSG, you need speed in the counter, which is how Balogun caught them out twice.
Unfortunately, Mo has lost a yard of pace and did absolutely nothing against Mendes last year, so I'm not sure if I would start him tonight.
I hope I'm wrong, but I'm not sure he offers anything going forward tonight, and we all know he doesn't like to track back either.
I'd save him for Fulham.
08 Apr 2026 22:51:49
@faithworks, lol I subtracted when I should have added and went in the wrong direction. It was late to be fair.
I didn't get up to watch the game anyway, but reading the match report and posts, it sounds like I have seen it all before anyway.
Still, a glimmer of hope for the return leg.
Time to go to work then.