100%. I think the UCL will be a little boring in the next couple of years (unless the team you support wins it obviously) due to how far ahead English teams are.
Champions League | Matchday 6
- Thread starter Samid
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100%. I think the UCL will be a little boring in the next couple of years (unless the team you support wins it obviously) due to how far ahead English teams are.
This is such an English centric mindset. When the Spanish or Italian teams were dominating, I doubt there was ever a view that the CL/EC was boring because their teams were the best.
Just saw the highlights of the Madrid Porto game, to be honest both should be banned from European competition for their antics. It really is time the footballing authorities clamp down on a disgusting culture of diving and fighting between teams. This is not the image you want to see of football (and is something that football is routinely mocked for).
Sevilla are another team that are utter thunderc*nts when it comes to diving and playacting.
Sevilla are another team that are utter thunderc*nts when it comes to diving and playacting.
Morton played really well for someone up past his bedtime. Barely misplaced a pass.
Dang it, not looking forward to having PSG as potential matchup in R16.
Never seen a club as pathetic as Atletico when it comes to this. fecking embarrassment.
I think I would have preferred if Ten Hag played more players on the verge of breaking through like you guys did. If it were up to me all of Gorter, Schuurs, Rensch, Taylor and Daramy (plus Tagliafico who is not a regulare but hardly someone on the verge or breaking through)
You can't attribute Ajax' success to the strength of the PL. They simply have a great team.
It's blatantly obvious United are getting either Inter or PSG for the knockout rounds.
It's a meaningless record that nobody tries to achieve because it doesn't gain you anything. I wouldn't read anything into it. Pep's Barcelona only got more than 4 victories in the group stage once.
So after yesterday's results we can get PSG, Atletico Madrid, Sporting CP and Inter. Most likely you can add Barcelona, Salzburg/Lille and Juventus to that mix.
Roughly a 50/50 chance of getting quite a strong opponent already in the first knock-out round. Salzburg, Sporting CP or even Barcelona would be nice though.
Roughly a 50/50 chance of getting quite a strong opponent already in the first knock-out round. Salzburg, Sporting CP or even Barcelona would be nice though.
In this forum’s words, they are a farmer team, adimttedly an excellent one, even overachieving in the recent years if you want to consider their budget? They can’t be considered legit contenders for the win, though, if you get the four English teams + Bayern, PSG and Real Madrid in the equation.
Morton looked really good, outclassed Kessie and Tonali
No he didn't, was very quiet, especially compared to how well he did against Porto.
The PL is what it is today largely because they were the only league who cared about the Asian market 30 years ago. Which European league have matches at 13:00 PM ? Only the PL.
Is it also because of weather? It should be hard for Spanish clubs to play at 12:00.
They didn’t care about the Asian market, it was to get more games on tv because of the 3pm blackout. EPL is also the most popular league in America and that’s not on at an optimal time?
What would you say are the reasons that it's the most popular league in the US?
See this is why i can't wait for us to get Rudiger
The only one I really want to avoid is Atlético. PSG have a scary forward line but look vulnerable otherwise - which sounds awfully familiar, now that I come to think about it.
Mbappe and Neymar would run riot against our backline, I would expect. Certainly wouldn't mind avoiding Inter and Juve either.
I wouldnt be as confident vs Barcelona as many are. Maybe Ragnick will severely improve us but the likes of Busquets, Frenkie, Pedri, Gavi, Nico Gonzalez are still far better in possession than our players and are able to control the game.
Depay is very hot and cold, not a big worry but if Fati/Dembele were fit it is still a very tricky fixture.
Depay is very hot and cold, not a big worry but if Fati/Dembele were fit it is still a very tricky fixture.
Gengenpress is the natural counter to possession football and one reason why Bayern have so mercilessly battered Barca every time they've played them, think they're 2W-2D-8L vs Bayern. If we had a semi-decent version of Rangnick's Gengenpress implemented by February, I'd be quite confident of beating them, man for man we have the better squad and they have a relative rookie at the helm. That's without taking into consideration the fact we'll have knockout stage Ronaldo.
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They like contact in their sport and none of the so called flopping. English football is blood and thunder when up against a La Liga game as an example.
It's a league where all communication, broadcast, media etc is in English. That's a major factor in is popularity throughout the world.
Yeah back in the 90s the PL was given for free in my country. Serie A was the top league back then but the schedule was terrible. Most matches were like 3 AM in the morning. PL was broadcasting at a much more convenient hour, for free and eventually everyone watching the PL.
La Liga realised this a couple years ago and tried to do the same thing. Many matches were broadcasting at a much more convenient hour than before. But it was a bit too late as now everyone are too used to watch the PL and many become fans of the PL clubs. You don't change club once you become a fan.
I read somewhere that the Asian market alone brought a third to the total broadcast rights of the PL. It's also one of the biggest football betting market worldwide I think.
Germany is kind of the same, that’s why you’re seeing a rise in popularity over there and more players coming to your shores.
There was a view from years of football that boring football was tactical. If you found boring football boring then you didn’t understand the game. Risk-less Italian football was great, the possession you to death and dive to waste time of La Liga was the best example of technical football on earth. Truth is it was boring and the English / German leagues attracted those who saw through it.
Look at the quality of manager in England and tel me that’s not tactical. Look the players and say they lack in a technical sense.
Those leagues fell through by being so insular and dismissive of football that wasn’t their own.
Ya we had two guys become the youngest players to feature for us in the CL in the same game.
Goncalo Esteves at 17 and then Essugo at 16 . We also played nazinho 18 and played Ugarte (20) and Bragança for the first time in midfield together.
Front 3 also never played up together this season with 19 year old Tiago Tomas leading the line.
Back Up keeper also got minutes this game.
Overall I thought it was not a bad showing we made 3 erros which gifted Ajax goals but we were able to give young kids valuable minutes and experience while showing other bench players the confidence to start. Great way to win over the locker room even more and build better team chemistry.
Would of loved to see you lot do the same.
Hopefully we somehow meet again after the R16. Highly doubt Sporting go through next round unless we play lille, Wolfsburg , Sevilla or RBS.
I wouldn't mind avoiding them either but neither Juve nor Inter are particularly frightening this season - yeah, I know, we've been pretty shit too but we have a superior squad to both I think - and we have a very good record against Italian teams historically.
PSG... yeah, on second thoughts, either they or Atlético would be the worst case scenario though for different reasons.
I think this is temporary due to Ajax having had some incredible European showings as of recent. The problem is the only club in the Netherlands who performs in Europe tends to be Ajax since 2017 so unless they consistently perform the way they have the last 3 years they will probable end up being behind Portugal again (France is unreachable because of PSG carrying the load).
Porto Benfica and Sporting tend to consistently perform in Europe either CL or Europa with Porto almost always getting through to the next round and Benfica being 50/50 but in the EL all Three teams consistently get very far in the competition and even Braga have become a club that gets some European wins.
Kepa
Azpi, Christensen, Sarr
James, Barkley, Mount, Saul
Odoi, Lukaku, Werner
I expect a win and a good performance, Zenit has nothing at stake here and they have an important game for the Russian league this weekend, it will be a game to enjoy.
Azpi, Christensen, Sarr
James, Barkley, Mount, Saul
Odoi, Lukaku, Werner
I expect a win and a good performance, Zenit has nothing at stake here and they have an important game for the Russian league this weekend, it will be a game to enjoy.
Werner didn't miss from 15 cm
It's a pretty good time to have those games on man. Your team wins, you have a great weekend, they lose, you have the whole day to feel sad.
Lukaku pointing masterclass incoming. Watch and learn.
Interesting lineup by the look of it, James and Barkley at CM? Good to see Havertz made the bench, was concerned about injury last week.
Having the early kick off is really a pain! Hope to watch second half.
Having the early kick off is really a pain! Hope to watch second half.
Malcom? The Barca Malcom ? 
Zenit should be annoyed with themselves that they've not equalised with the chances they've created.