[Archived] Champions League 2016-17

[speeeeeeedie]

6 hours ago, Batman. said:

I remember seeing an interview with him on the day Leicester were presented with the trophy. Suicide inducing stuff, he might literally might be the thickest footballer I've ever seen.

I've never actually heard him speak. I rarely listen to after match interviews. They add nothing to the game. Footballers aren't known for their brains so it's no surprise. I'll see if I can find one of him.

I understand where Gav is coming from regarding players effectively going on strike. Chelsea did it last year, Liverpool under Rodgers looked iffy.

Overall though I'd rather have Leicester in the quarter final draw than Seville.

[wolfie]

Leicester the only English team in the last 8, probably would've got decent odds on that a few month ago

[roverandout]

Premiership. Most overrated league in europe. La liga is head and shoulders above it

[Oldgregg86]

Got to say That Monaco team looks exciting. Some real prospects their. Can see 5 or 6 of them lads off to Spain and England in the summer. The left back was phenomenal. City were poor tonight and the final ball from Sterling was non existent. Gutted for them as I really hoped they would of gone on and kept the English flag flying. They were dominated in the air and lost every second ball. Defensively in the first half, the zonal defending didn't work. It was crying out for toure to come on and win the ball in the air against bakayoko. Up to Leicester now to take on the heavy weights. Can't see an English team in the semis sadly. Come on you foxes

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

8 hours ago, Oldgregg86 said:

Got to say That Monaco team looks exciting. Some real prospects their. Can see 5 or 6 of them lads off to Spain and England in the summer. The left back was phenomenal. City were poor tonight and the final ball from Sterling was non existent. Gutted for them as I really hoped they would of gone on and kept the English flag flying. They were dominated in the air and lost every second ball. Defensively in the first half, the zonal defending didn't work. It was crying out for toure to come on and win the ball in the air against bakayoko. Up to Leicester now to take on the heavy weights. Can't see an English team in the semis sadly. Come on you foxes

I always used to support the English teams in the European Cup - Champions League. It's not quite the same now most of the teams are comprised of 90% foreign players.

It puts me in the mind of the American rocket scientist who was asked by President Eisenhauer why the Russians were more successful with their rocket technology.

He said " The thing is Mr President, their Germans are better than our Germans." 

[K-Hod]

Citeh will get nowhere with that defence.

Full-backs need replacing, their best 'keeper is on loan in Italy and why is someone that's never played CB in his life partnering a young, inexperienced ball player who needs an experienced head alongside him? Madness.

Front three is superb, to be fair.

[donnermeat]

Just now, K-Hod said:

Citeh will get nowhere with that defence.

Full-backs need replacing, their best 'keeper is on loan in Italy and why is someone that's never played CB in his life partnering a young, inexperienced ball player who needs an experienced head alongside him? Madness.

Front three is superb, to be fair.

He's persisted with Kolarov (and an assortment of other full backs) at centre half the majority of the season, he obviously thinks he's being very clever tactically but it hasn't paid off when it's mattered. I know he played Alaba in similar ways at Bayern but there's quite a gulf in class in Alaba and Kolarov. He played centre half last night while Otamendi sat on the bench, or even Yaya Toure, who has played in defence numerous times earlier on in his career. I even seem to recall he played there in a Champions League final, under Pep Guardiola!

[DE.]

14 hours ago, roverandout said:

Premiership. Most overrated league in europe. La liga is head and shoulders above it

I would have disagreed a couple of seasons ago, but right now the quality of the PL really is in the toilet. Everyone below 8th is either extremely average or simply awful. The increase in overall TV money actually appears to have had a detrimental effect - it remains to be seen whether that is short term or long term.  

[speeeeeeedie]

Unless Guardiola wins the FA cup his first season will be worse than Pelligrini's last.

He does make some baffling decisions. Kolarov, Clichy, and Sagna are all past it, and never were world class in their prime. I've no idea why he didn't play Otamendi and Toure to stifle the middle with either De Bruyne or Sterling as sub. Monaco had too much space in the first half and punished City.

On another night Aguero would have scored 4. His touch deserted him.

The draw for the quarters is tomorrow;

• Leicester City
• Juventus
• Atletico Madrid
• Real Madrid
• Barcelona
• Monaco
• Bayern Munich
• Borussia Dortmund

[speeeeeeedie]

14 hours ago, roverandout said:

Premiership. Most overrated league in europe. La liga is head and shoulders above it

 

Just now, DE. said:

I would have disagreed a couple of seasons ago, but right now the quality of the PL really is in the toilet. Everyone below 8th is either extremely average or simply awful. The increase in overall TV money actually appears to have had a detrimental effect - it remains to be seen whether that is short term or long term.  

I disagree with the over rated tag. It's not good that only 1 English team is in the quarters, yet it's been this way for 2 or 3 years now. 10 years ago English teams were regularly in the last 4; usually Man U, Liverpool, and Chelsea. They understood how to play in Europe and ground out results. At the moment they are all in transition. Man U are well and truly not Ferguson's team any more. Moyes and van Gaal failed. Benitez's Liverpool were better in Europe than the league. If Liverpool make the top 4, I expect Klopp to do the same. I reckon that they would have done well in the competition this year if they'd have won the Europa League. Chelsea haven't been stable since Ancellotti. Mourinho's second coming was short lived. Conte seems to have them back on track.

City are new to the upper echelons. Developing a culture takes time. Stability at the manager level will help so I think long term City will get there, if they stick with Guardiola.

Spurs have been good for 2 seasons now. That's it. Will they keep it up?

Arsenal are Arsenal. They don't have what it takes in Europe or at home.

The outlier is Leicester. They won the league on emotion, and have managed to find it again.

[wolfie]

Bayern look like going out to 2 wrong decision from the officials. Vidal sent off for a tackle that wasn't even a foul and the linesman missing an off side for Real's second

[frosty]

4-2 on the night which doesn't portray a true reflection of the game at all. Vidal sent off for nothing yep, Ronaldo a yard offside for his second.

Credit to Leicester as well despite elimination, very good effort.

[speeeeeeedie]

Bayern were robbed by an inexperienced refereeing crew. It's probably not fair to criticize their nationality but having a Hungarian ref and assistants in a game of that calibre is asking for trouble. They just aren't used to games played at that pace and precision. 

Having said that, the best ref I've ever seen was Hungarian; Sandor Puhl. But that was years ago when the European club game was a bit more level. 

Leicester were never going to beat Atletico over 2 legs. I said last year that they were a better version of Leicester and they proved it. The first leg penalty nailed it. 

Tomorrow sees Barcelona trying to overhaul another big deficit, and a flying Monaco taking on a good Dortmund side.  

[speeeeeeedie]

CL semis started last night. A haggard looking Atletico got beat 3-0 at the Bernabeu with Ronaldo scoring all 3. I can't see Atletico scoring 4 at home so it already looks like another final for Real.

Today is Monaco - Juventus.

[AllRoverAsia]

3 great goals too. Well worth staying up for.

[donnermeat]

Higuain's first goal for Juve last night was pure class.

[speeeeeeedie]

5 hours ago, donnermeat said:

Higuain's first goal for Juve last night was pure class.

Alves' ball for his second was decent too.

Juventus have a foot in the final. They defend really well. Chiellini, Bonucci, and Barzagli play together for their club and country, they have a great understanding of each other.

Monaco will be all guns blazing next week but Juventus will deny them the space they need to use their pacey players.

[K-Hod]

Still cannot make sense of Barca selling Alves without a replacement anywhere near the same standard.

I know he's a midfielder by trade, but Sergi Roberto has been roasted every time I've seen him play at RB.....

[Batman.]

On 3/16/2017 at 2:05 PM, speeeeeeedie said:

 

I disagree with the over rated tag. It's not good that only 1 English team is in the quarters, yet it's been this way for 2 or 3 years now. 10 years ago English teams were regularly in the last 4; usually Man U, Liverpool, and Chelsea. They understood how to play in Europe and ground out results. At the moment they are all in transition. Man U are well and truly not Ferguson's team any more. Moyes and van Gaal failed. Benitez's Liverpool were better in Europe than the league. If Liverpool make the top 4, I expect Klopp to do the same. I reckon that they would have done well in the competition this year if they'd have won the Europa League. Chelsea haven't been stable since Ancellotti. Mourinho's second coming was short lived. Conte seems to have them back on track.

City are new to the upper echelons. Developing a culture takes time. Stability at the manager level will help so I think long term City will get there, if they stick with Guardiola.

Spurs have been good for 2 seasons now. That's it. Will they keep it up?

Arsenal are Arsenal. They don't have what it takes in Europe or at home.

The outlier is Leicester. They won the league on emotion, and have managed to find it again.

It really staggers me that nobody ever comments on the competitiveness on the Premier League as being the key reason why our teams have struggled in Europe over the last few years.

Gone are the days of the seismic gap between the great United/ Arsenal teams and the whipping boys such as Barnsley/ Derby (under Jewell) etc. Premier League teams have to fight and scrap physically to earn every point, whereas it is common for the Spanish teams to be jogging around on a Saturday toasting a 4-0 lead with the "oles." At the same time the top English teams will be in the 94th minute (on a Sunday) at Stoke (yes, Stoke) putting all on the line to defend a 1-0 lead. There has been talk on this site about teams selecting particular games to win, it has been common practice for decades on the continent.

I genuinely think if you stuck Madrid and Barca in the PL, their Champion's League performance would suffer greatly. The same can be said for Bayern, Juventus, PSG et al. To suggest La Liga or any other league is "head and shoulders" above the PL in my opinion is nonsense. And using the Champions League as a barometer is just as inaccurate, given the circumstances...

[J*B]

Are Bonucci, Chiellini, and Barzaglia the best back three ever?

[Mike E]

2 hours ago, Batman. said:

It really staggers me that nobody ever comments on the competitiveness on the Premier League as being the key reason why our teams have struggled in Europe over the last few years.

Gone are the days of the seismic gap between the great United/ Arsenal teams and the whipping boys such as Barnsley/ Derby (under Jewell) etc. Premier League teams have to fight and scrap physically to earn every point, whereas it is common for the Spanish teams to be jogging around on a Saturday toasting a 4-0 lead with the "oles." At the same time the top English teams will be in the 94th minute (on a Sunday) at Stoke (yes, Stoke) putting all on the line to defend a 1-0 lead. There has been talk on this site about teams selecting particular games to win, it has been common practice for decades on the continent.

I genuinely think if you stuck Madrid and Barca in the PL, their Champion's League performance would suffer greatly. The same can be said for Bayern, Juventus, PSG et al. To suggest La Liga or any other league is "head and shoulders" above the PL in my opinion is nonsense. And using the Champions League as a barometer is just as inaccurate, given the circumstances...

Hadn't thought of it that way ('Of course you bloody didn't!')

[Batman.]

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

Hadn't thought of it that way ('Of course you bloody didn't!')

Maybe I'm wrong, but it staggers me that it's not general consensus.

[Mike E]

10 minutes ago, Batman. said:

Maybe I'm wrong, but it staggers me that it's not general consensus.

A lot of it may be to do with the (wrong) perception that the high amount of foreigners in the PL's top teams makes people think they're used to 'the European style'?

[jim mk2]

5 hours ago, Batman. said:

It really staggers me that nobody ever comments on the competitiveness on the Premier League as being the key reason why our teams have struggled in Europe over the last few years.

 

The PL has always been competitive but the quality has gone down in recent years. The present Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Liverpool teams aren't a patch compared to those in the recent past. 

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, jim mk2 said:

The PL has always been competitive but the quality has gone down in recent years. The present Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Liverpool teams aren't a patch compared to those in the recent past. 

The quality of the PL is now vastly over rated certainly in the minds of the British thanks to our home grown media and marketing frenzy.

I do believe that the PL is the most competitive major league in the world but the major non-UK European teams have more of the very top world class players and their overall squads are better.

Cream always rises.

There are a lot of good foreign players in the PL but not many superstars.

Tactically and fitness wise the PL also lags behind.