Champions League Thread 2013/14

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Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...

Just like counter attacking has failed against teams like Barcelona, which is pretty much every team they have to come up against! I know it's not for you but that means you're predisposed to only seeing the negative in it, there is no definite or absolutely reliable way of playing football.

Eventuallly every team has to change their style, no style keeps winning forever, hence why no team has retained the Champions League - I do reject the notion somehow that Bayern Munich are only possession based this season though that seems to be proliferated in the media; I am fairly sure in terms of average possession they were only second to Barcelona last season and possibly in the Champions League last season only against us and Barcelona were they outpossessed but the quickness of thepassing is the difference.

Barcelona at their best annihilated teams with quick passing and runners from out wide (including the fullbacks), plus they have Messi and Iniesta who primarily are dribblers which helps to create space but unlike say, Robben, they will always look for that incisive pass too.

Counter-attacking is only better to watch if that's what you think. Creating a blanket idea of what is great in football and what isn't is no different to the criticisms Wenger has got for criticising pub teams keeping everybody behind the ball in the past.

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Everytime Chelsea played Barca they barely created a chance, indeed the year they knocked them out only a last minute wonder goal saved them, but as I said Barca had great players and Messi one of the world best players and finisher, they were on a different planet, but even then they could be stifled.

I've seen Bayern a number of times this season and I have to say they haven't impressed me, Robben is usually the bright spark but take him out and they lack any kind of real cutting edge (Muller adds urgency but his finishing is inconsistent), sure they have steamrolled their way to the Bundesligue, but we've seen that it's not all that at the moment, Dortmund haven't been that great and the others have been an embarrassment in Europe. Last season Bayern looked a much better team IMO, but they played with much more urgency then.

I never enjoyed watching Barca even at their best, the pass pass pass pass thing just bored me to be honest, so from my point of view I can say counter attacking is better to watch, Wenger had a great winning style, then he changed it and since then he's won nothing so I'd say possession football just hasn't worked for us at all.

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Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory

It does and it may take Pep a while to get the machine fully oiled. But he may not get the chance. Beckenbauer has already been critical of the style of play and thinks Bayern will become boring like Barca.

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True, I just don't think it's enjoyable to watch personally, there's just too much passing and thus the build up is slow and due to the lack of pace lacks excitement. Not good news for Guardiola, but then with them having won the treble last season and playing some great stuff he was always up against it.

I really don't understand how anyone can think Barca at their best were just pass pass pass, I mean come on when they hammered Real Madrid 5-0 that was hardly soporific and just happiness in keeping the ball near the halfway line and let's not forget those sides allied that passing ability with the same pressing that presumably you hope to see from a nominal counter-attacking team. You could argue Barca at their best actually are a counter-attacking team just not starting from their own half, often the turnover was from the edge of their opponents box. :lol:

Of course, Chelsea did well against them to an extent and they set up well to as you say stifle them (though not sure that's true in their most recent encounter even though they did go through) but the point I am making is you're just isolating a few instances of when it didn't work for them against the many, many times they have come up against teams who tried to do exactly the same thing.

Bayern have lots of very good players but no truly exceptional players and maybe that's why they will ultimately go out but it is mentally wearying trying to win the Champions League twice in a row. If this Bayern team can't do it then I am not sure any side will.

What I don't get is why counter-attacking is seen as this unyielding style of football that can't be tactically nullified? We found that out. Man Utd found that out. Chelsea found that out. Real Madrid have found that out along with so many others.

It's not called Tika Taka for nothing.

Bayern should've kept Heynckes, they've been boring whenever I've seen them play this season

@MesutOzil1088

Another CL-night. Watching a lot of friends on TV. We have to play CL again next season. #championsleague #realmadrid

https://twitter.com/MesutOzil1088

No kidding :lol:

I think Barca at their best were just pass, pass, pass.

So there we have it...

"Clubs won't be excluded from next season's Champions League for breaking Financial Fair Play rules, according to UEFA President Michel Platini
'There will be some tough things... but if you're expecting blood and tears, you'll be disappointed,' Platini told French daily Le Parisien in an interview published Thursday.
UEFA will announce the first sanctions in early-May, and more serious cases will be judged in June."

The talk is to fine clubs who break the rules. That would be fines for clubs with unlimited money - very effective. And so it turns out that Platini and the UEFA mobsters are simply on the make, looking for their cut in the money merrygoround.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...69_634x414.jpg

GETTING HIS CUT

Indeed. Absolute joke tbh.

So the first time that FFP is actually used and brought into force, rather than draw a line, make a stand and show that FFP rules are goin to do their job......they do the opposite and use it as a lucrative opportunity to make plenty of cash.

Fucking twisted, bent, corrupt bunch of cunts.

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Originally Posted by Jeebus

Indeed. Absolute joke tbh.

So the first time that FFP is actually used and brought into force, rather than draw a line, make a stand and show that FFP rules are goin to do their job......they do the opposite and use it as a lucrative opportunity to make plenty of cash.

Fucking twisted, bent, corrupt bunch of cunts.

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That's not entirely fair. They'll also be using it to fine smaller clubs who are trying to make the step up. So FFP should end up producing precisely the opposite result to the stated one. Sounds about right. Say one thing do the opposite and milk as much cash as possible in the process. Routine procedure.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

That's not entirely fair. They'll also be using it to fine smaller clubs who are trying to make the step up. So FFP should end up producing precisely the opposite result to the stated one. Sounds about right. Say one thing do the opposite and milk as much cash as possible in the process. Routine procedure.

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Well yes that's true.

FFP :bow:

Platini :bow:

Actually no, I fuckin hate Platini :sulk:

On the bbc sport page right now

Manchester City and Paris St-Germain are both found to have breached Uefa financial fair play (FFP) rules.

Nothing will happen :lol:

:haha:

PSG and Citeh can opt for a financial settlement so shockingly it's just to give UEFA some money.

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Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...

:haha:

PSG and Citeh can opt for a financial settlement so shockingly it's just to give UEFA some money.

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What a farce :lol:

Hala Madrid :scarf:

If Chelsea pub their way through :sick: , Real have more chance of beating them over one game.

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Originally Posted by LDG

What a farce :lol:

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It's a classic protection racket. Those who can afford to pay get protection, those who can't get fucked over. I can't recall a more criminal organisation than UEFA. Apart from FIFA. Or the Olympic Committee. Or just about everyone in authority in any walk of life you can mention. But apart from the tens of thousands of corrupt and criminal organisations globally that leech of working people - I really can't recall anything as bad as Eduardo's dive.

Zanetti will retire at the end of the season, what a legend.

Won it in 2010, and has stayed with Inter since forever.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BmZ7HJpCIAEpYEM.jpg

Arguing with Materazzi for Thierry 14's shirt:
http://p.twimg.com/A84cIZbCQAA3bHx.jpg:large

Casillas, Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrão, Alonso, Di María, Modric, Ronaldo, Bale , Benzema,

Hope Madrid go through as I feel they'd have a better shot at beating the Chelsea Bus, if that were to be the final.

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Hope Madrid go through as I feel they'd have a better shot at beating the Chelsea Bus, if that were to be the final.

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Same feeling here too

Bayern are boring and easy to defend against

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BmaIE5XIQAAzXKE.jpg

Oh Gotze, oh Gotze
Why would you want to be a bench warmer for them.

Bloody hell.

Now that's a mural.

Hmm, bale love-in or hateful robben. Better if both could lose.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Hmm, bale love-in or hateful robben. Better if both could lose.

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Anyone but Chelsea. Let's face it, they'll pub their way to the final tomorrow.

Madrid should hopefully be the tougher game for them.

RIP Tito and the previous Madrid coach :rose:

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Originally Posted by Munchies

Anyone but Chelsea. Let's face it, they'll pub their way to the final tomorrow.

Madrid should hopefully be the tougher game for them.

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Got to be athletico. :pray:

Odds of first dive:

Ronaldo: 1/182738999373645
Robben: 1/12283834834693456385478635486534

If I hear one more person say "this should be the final"...

This should be the final.

Bale would be the perfect winger for Mourinho. Defend the whole game as a LB/RB, then on the off chance you get the ball, sprint up :lol:

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Originally Posted by Borini Is Boss

This should be the final.

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Noted...

The ref is Ronaldo's friend :haha:

What a pathetic dive and the dumb ref just blows like a robot.

LOL balendo misses a wide open goal.

Bale :pal: If he can't run he can't do nuttin

Should've atleast hit the target !

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Originally Posted by Rors

Bale :pal: If he can't run he can't do nuttin

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"If that was on target Bale would have scored"

Glad your here to tell me these things

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Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie

"If that was on target Bale would have scored"

Glad your here to tell me these things

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Not only that, but if he'd have scored it would have been a goal.