Spuds Fans Imploding

[McNamara That Ghost...]

True but that's very rare, being a seed it means you tend to avoid the harder teams. Away goals are a danger for both teams yes, but what a 2 legged tie doesn't allow is complacency, if you have a bad game and get done by a smaller team it's hard to recover from.

You have a point, but I just don't like the idea of 3rd/4th getting in, would rather see a playoff with a cup at the end like the playoff's in lower divisions and a cup winning going into the CL.

Of course it's rare, just like FA Cup shocks are rare, it has happened to Man Utd twice and Liverpool also though (perhaps through arrogance, who can be sure?) Recoveries happen against the smaller teams more than you think. It's 'rare' that a smaller team will win against the bigger team by more than one goal and that's very recoverable.

If there is to be a shake-up in the competition it's not going to have the desired effect you seem to think it will for quite a few seasons down the line, you can't undo the amount of money the bigger clubs make within one summer. And without that Champions League money it will possibly be even harder for a shock two-legged result.

[Özim]

...but in a specific, rather than a general way its stretching a point to say Chelsea bought that trophy on Saturday. They won firstly through sheer good luck, secondly through mental strength, and thirdly through pragmatic Mourinho-style tactics, the second and third of which are the main problems with Wenger's teams. So while the Chelsea win, and its ramifications for more or less ensuring that they will remain a stronger club than our's for the forseeable future - sickens me, it also turns an uncomfortable mirror on our own team.

Totally agree with this and this is the reason we can never get "lucky". Chelsea certainly had the rub of the green, but it takes that extra something to turn that into a trophy, basically what the Graham teams had in abundance.

They weren't the best, but they could upset the odds and beat the best through hard work, organisation and hard work and a sheer desire to win.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Totally agree with this and this is the reason we can never get "lucky". Chelsea certainly had the rub of the green, but it takes that extra something to turn that into a trophy, basically what the Graham teams had in abundance.

They weren't the best, but they could upset the odds and beat the best through hard work, organisation and hard work and a sheer desire to win.

Also Chavs have been trying to win it for ages now tbh, its been their goal more then the league. So they were always going to take it serious and have that hunger to win it anyways.

[Özim]

Of course it's rare, just like FA Cup shocks are rare, it has happened to Man Utd twice and Liverpool also though (perhaps through arrogance, who can be sure?) Recoveries happen against the smaller teams more than you think. It's 'rare' that a smaller team will win against the bigger team by more than one goal and that's very recoverable.

If there is to be a shake-up in the competition it's not going to have the desired effect you seem to think it will for quite a few seasons down the line, you can't undo the amount of money the bigger clubs make within one summer. And without that Champions League money it will possibly be even harder for a shock two-legged result.

To be honest the shocks tend to happen earlier on in competitions when a teams mind isn't as focussed on winning it, the closer you get to the final the more focus there is, hence the reason you rarely see big team getting beaten in semi's/finals.

I think two legged ties from the start would create a less predictable competition personally.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

To be honest the shocks tend to happen earlier on in competitions when a teams mind isn't as focussed on winning it, the closer you get to the final the more focus there is, hence the reason you rarely see big team getting beaten in semi's/finals.

I think two legged ties from the start would create a less predictable competition personally.

How? They'd surely be 'more focused' by your logic because it's a two-legged tie from the outset.

[IBK]

Totally agree with this and this is the reason we can never get "lucky". Chelsea certainly had the rub of the green, but it takes that extra something to turn that into a trophy, basically what the Graham teams had in abundance.

They weren't the best, but they could upset the odds and beat the best through hard work, organisation and hard work and a sheer desire to win.

The other factor, I suppose, is experience. Towards the end of the game, they'd been there, done that, plus they've already won one cup final this season, and many other trophies recently. Bayern have recent experience of making it to CL finals too - but I reckon that playing at home and being favourites was a disadvantage for them at the end.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

The other factor, I suppose, is experience. Towards the end of the game, they'd been there, done that, plus they've already won one cup final this season, and many other trophies recently. Bayern have recent experience of making it to CL finals too - but I reckon that playing at home and being favourites was a disadvantage for them at the end.

Pretty Much, not to mention the Manager Subs been bad and Robben trying to play as a one man team, Oppose to chavs playing like a team. Also Bayern loosing the league and getting Battered in the cup a week earlier was more pressure on them.

Cole
Drogba
Cech

All stood up in that game and can be proud of that.

I do agree though experience is Essential i mean look at Utd with the league they know how to win it so it helps them.

[Özim]

How? They'd surely be 'more focused' by your logic because it's a two-legged tie from the outset.

Teams don't tend to be as focussed earlier on in competitions, just look at the FA Cup and when the top teams tend to get knocked out, generally it's before the quarters and almost always before the semi's. The focus gets greater as you get closer to winning it, likewise with the CL, in the group stages top teams sometimes get complacent.

[Özim]

The other factor, I suppose, is experience. Towards the end of the game, they'd been there, done that, plus they've already won one cup final this season, and many other trophies recently. Bayern have recent experience of making it to CL finals too - but I reckon that playing at home and being favourites was a disadvantage for them at the end.

Experience plays a part for sure, if you've won trophies before you've been there and thus know what it takes. We never win a thing and thus none of our players ever know how to deal with these situations, the mentality just isn't right IMO, we need a few players who have been there for the others to learn from.

[Niall_Quinn]

Too heavy now - let's just laugh at the spuds instead