Champions League Thread 2011/12

[Dennis Bendtner]

It's easy to draw tidy conclusions in hindsight but I think the main difference is not having a midfield that had so much energy and ridiculous workrate levels. Need some more runners - although, in theory, Ramsey, Walcott and Gerv could run all day. Maybe need to better the good/shit ratio as well.

Probably fair comment. Reyes and Ljungberg were very good and we had a genuine counterattack outlet in Aliaksandr Pleb. But that season looks a bit of an anomaly in recent times. I do think there was more to it than workrate. The defence was genuinely organised in spite of the injuries. The team were far less gung-ho than what we're used to. Why that did not persist in later seasons is hard to explain e.g. getting creamed by Man Utd at home. Well obviously the entire team fucked off, but it should have been repeatable.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Probably fair comment. Reyes and Ljungberg were very good and we had a genuine counterattack outlet in Aliaksandr Pleb. But that season looks a bit of an anomaly in recent times. I do think there was more to it than workrate. The defence was genuinely organised in spite of the injuries. The team were far less gung-ho than what we're used to. Why that did not persist in later seasons is hard to explain e.g. getting creamed by Man Utd at home. Well obviously the entire team fucked off, but it should have been repeatable.

TBF the mancs had winning experience not alot of our team did and mentally we were poor not to mention Gibbs who messed up that day.

Just think it was another case of us bottling it on a big occasion. I used to think it was the English teams that were our problem im Europe but now its more then that.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

That's true, Garcia . I did remember thinking we'd blown it when Carson screwed up. But then we also firmly parked the bus in Turin. The Leverkusen games were pretty standard.

Even we got bored of our Chelsea saga after a while though. Riise you idiot

Horrific is probably too strong a word.

Benitez did seem to have the CL sussed, phenomenal tactician... welcome back Rafa!!

We really should've beat Juve in Turin the following season, not that we needed to, of course.

I didn't get to see the semi-final games against Chelsea in 2005, probably lucky me but then, I saw all the others. The two 0-0's in 05/06 were awful but I guess a point was good enough for both teams then.

[Syn]

Probably fair comment. Reyes and Ljungberg were very good and we had a genuine counterattack outlet in Aliaksandr Pleb. But that season looks a bit of an anomaly in recent times. I do think there was more to it than workrate. The defence was genuinely organised in spite of the injuries. The team were far less gung-ho than what we're used to. Why that did not persist in later seasons is hard to explain e.g. getting creamed by Man Utd at home. Well obviously the entire team fucked off, but it should have been repeatable.

I think it has been said quite often that Wenger's not the best tactician and the best chance of getting success is filling a team with strong individuals and letting them do whatever they want (in contrast to Man Utd who have a bunch of Carricks). With Lehmann, Gilberto, Pires, Ljungberg, Henry, Bergkamp all around, they all knew the score and it was easier to let them get on to it even if they weren't at their best. Maybe they were less gung ho because they knew the score and had a good football mind. If the manager can't teach them the basics, you can't replace that football knowledge. Was Wenger the one who taught them that in the first place? Probably. But the basics have changed.

In this clamour for athlete ball (which I am still a part of), we can't underestimate what a difference 'clever' players make. Not clever in foreign cheating twat way, but clever in the out-smart your opponents way. When Koscielny made a few howlers last season, many of us were saying he was an intelligent defender who read the game well. Well it just so proved that he has turned into a fantastic defender. How much of it had to do with Wenger? I don't think a lot - we saw those clever interceptions from day 1.

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

We really should've beat Juve in Turin the following season, not that we needed to, of course.

I didn't get to see the semi-final games against Chelsea in 2005, probably lucky me but then, I saw all the others. The two 0-0's in 05/06 were awful but I guess a point was good enough for both teams then.

As I say the first leg I can't remember anything about it. The second leg was just horrible, tense stuff. Just sickening, Gudjohnsen's chance still makes me a bit faint. Probably one of those games that's a bit boring unless you're involved.

I think the other ones, even the ones we ended up winning (overall) have just been repressed.

[Dennis Bendtner]

Charlie - was talking more about approach, really. There have been other extenuating circumstances, but I don't think we've ever set our stall in a similar way since the season we reached the final, which isn't particularly clever.

Maybe it was more down to the players that year, and team pragmatism. The years of CL failure before that are a bit different as we were the best team in the country for a lot of them, so the style made sense. But I think someone like Rafa has/had a much better measure of the requirements to progress in the CL.

[Marc Overmars]

Looks as though Dids is indeed leaving.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...s-leaving.html

[McNamara That Ghost...]

If they get Falcao to replace him I think I will cry.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

If they get Falcao to replace him I think I will cry.

Their saying Torres and Strurridge and Drogba's son. Don't think they will buy a new striker just yet.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Looks as though Dids is indeed leaving.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...s-leaving.html

Good Choice i mean He leaves a Hero and a Legend so right choice.