Champions League Thread 2011

[King Nud]

It's the persecution complex around their squad, the attitude of certain players bugs me, Wenger is the most irritating manager this side of Jose Mourinho and their support are overly expectant and look down on those who play "inferior" football in a results-driven business.

basically, they think they are gods because they play "better" football than everyone.

/rant.

[johnhughthom]

Oh, okay. I thought a United fan would be too busy counting their trophies to worry about Arsenal and all their.... possession stats.

[King Nud]

We lose count to easily Unlike Arsenal...

[Juli26]

So Arsenal won. If I say "told ya", will you beat me with a stick?

[DAVIDE]

No. You said Arsenal would have trashed easily Udinese in both legs. But in reality, on 1st leg Udinese dominated and didnt deserve the loss. Today, Udinese wasted the game in the second half. Especially with the choice by Guidolin of moving Benatia at the right of defence line, with Ekstrand in the center. Benatia did not have the freshness or the step for pressing/stay close to Gervinho and it's how Arsenal tied at the beginning of the second half. Then the penalty kick missed did the rest

And hurts looking at Udinese kicked out from the competition (playing better than a stronger team as Arsenal), while teams like Genk, Apoel Nicosia and Viktoria Plzen qualified to group stages

[King Nud]

Italy pays for having a competitive league.

England's top 4 (until this year) has been the same for so long that those clubs always do well in Europe because they get the money from it every year for 6 or 7. Italy's top four changes so often thanks to better competition results in poorer European performance because the teams cannot build on the Euro money they get.

[DAVIDE]

No problem, ACM will win this years UCL

[Erebus Pasha]

I don't think what sympathy I had for Udinese ran out when Walcott got elbowed in the second half.

Arsenal rode their luck, no doubt about it, but ran out deserving winners in the end. Defensively they weren't brilliant but their midfielders put in a good shift and their forward play was incisive. Walcott's goal was well taken (he should play down the centre more often) and Gervinho looks a good signing on tonight's performance. The monkey will be off Wenger's back until Sunday anyway when they'll get trashed at Old Trafford.

Bah...Twente got knocked out...gutted...

On another note. Fenerbahce have been withdrawn for the CL and replaced by Trabzonspor due to the match fixing scandal in Turkey.

[King Nud]

Elbowed? Don't make me laugh. The defender moved his arm back as he ran and grazed poor Theo's chin, who went down like he'd just gone 12 rounds with Tyson.

You're right though, United are going to thrash Le Arse on Sunday

[Miroslav Klose]

Bah...Twente got knocked out...gutted...

Yeah, perhaps we shouldn't have played with 5 attackers the second half, but at least we died trying. Benfica deserved to win.
I am sick of the Portugese way of palying matches, diving, acting, trying to save time (especially the goalie).
Making even the smallest push a spectacle. And the funny thing is, there wasn't a single Portugese player in their team. Not even one...

You're right though, United are going to thrash Le Arse on Sunday

l'Arse

Apparently Arsenal need a new keeper...

Nah... Sczescncy is just fine.

[Erebus Pasha]

Yeah, perhaps we shouldn't have played with attackers the second half, but at least we died trying. Benfica deserved to win.
I am sick of the Portugese way of palying matches, diving, acting, trying to save time (especially the goalie).
Making even the smallest push a spectacle. And the funny thing is, there wasn't a single Portugese player in their team. Not even one...

Yes Benfica deserved it but I would've like Twente to have got through - because they're a good footballing side and not one of Holland's established top three. In fact it's been one of the better things about Dutch football that sides like Twente have won the title and have challenged the more established clubs like Ajax.

That kind of gamesmanship does irritate me. I saw some of the match tonight and it frustrated me immensely the way some of the Benfica lads acted but you expect it playing in Portugal. I won't be supporting them that's for sure - I hope they get trollied home and away by Genk.

[johnhughthom]

Nah... Sczescncy is just fine.

It was a joke, just after that penalty save.

[Treva ★]

So arsenal are through… no less than I expected but now Fábregas and Nasri have left they'll probably have a lacklustre group stage.

[Requies]

No problem, ACM will win this years UCL

With the actually team? Improbable. Toooo much inferior to Barca or Man Udt.
Then Ibrahimovic (aka eternal UCL loser) is an assurance

Maybe if papi buy Messi...

[Basil II the B.S]

England's top 4 (until this year) has been the same for so long that those clubs always do well in Europe because they get the money from it every year for 6 or 7. Italy's top four changes so often thanks to better competition results in poorer European performance because the teams cannot build on the Euro money they get.

Honestly, England's top 4 is a press crap. Liverpool had 2 great seasons under Benitez and that's all. Right now they are rubbish. Arsenal won almost nothing, they can be considired an annoying tough team at best, but ultimately not a competitor for the final victory and they aren't going to be that tough anymore. That leaves Man Utd and after the Russian takeover, Chelsea.
Man City is supposed to replace Liverpool, but has yet to prove anything.

Bottom line, England had most of the time 2 truly top teams with sometimes a third joining. Which is pretty much the same of Spain (with Valencia occasionally joining the other 2), and Italy (Milan-Juventus being the top 2 for a while with a rotating 3rd, then Inter-Roma with a rotating 3rd).

[Cyrus the Virus]

The Italian tv guys certainly seem to love their jailbait, every 5 minutes there's a close up on some hot 15 year olds.

Their TV production is awful. Always.

[King Nud]

Honestly, England's top 4 is a press crap. Liverpool had 2 great seasons under Benitez and that's all. Right now they are rubbish. Arsenal won almost nothing, they can be considired an annoying tough team at best, but ultimately not a competitor for the final victory and they aren't going to be that tough anymore. That leaves Man Utd and after the Russian takeover, Chelsea.
Man City is supposed to replace Liverpool, but has yet to prove anything.

Bottom line, England had most of the time 2 truly top teams with sometimes a third joining. Which is pretty much the same of Spain (with Valencia occasionally joining the other 2), and Italy (Milan-Juventus being the top 2 for a while with a rotating 3rd, then Inter-Roma with a rotating 3rd).

Some good points, but Arsenal, United, Chelski and Liverpool did lock up the top 4 for a lot of consecutive seasons. In Italy you got the two Milans, Juventus, Roma, Napoli, Sampdoria (relegated now), Udinese and Fiorentina. Palermo got in last season, Genoa have challenged - there are many teams fighting it out for 3rd-8th

[Basil II the B.S]

Some good points, but Arsenal, United, Chelski and Liverpool did lock up the top 4 for a lot of consecutive seasons. In Italy you got the two Milans, Juventus, Roma, Napoli, Sampdoria (relegated now), Udinese and Fiorentina. Palermo got in last season, Genoa have challenged - there are many teams fighting it out for 3rd-8th

This is true if we look at the 4 UCL spots, but not so much if we look at the competition for the actual winner.
And even for those 4, things are changing in England too. Liverpool got replaced by Tottenham first, and then Man City. EPL is becoming increasingly similar to Liga and Serie A for that. 2-3 teams that will fit in most of the time, and then you'll have the brawl for the last spot.
(side note, Italy lost the 4th spot, therefore things will lock up a little for the next seasons).

edit: watching the draw live, Ac Milan vs Barcelona.
ahah Bate Borisov representants almost cried..

and Group A is the toughest: Bayern, Man City, Napoli and Villareal.

[King Nud]

Here's the groups and my predictions for their outcomes

KEY: Group Winners and Runners-up IN ORDER and EL qualifiers

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Group A: Bayern Munich, Villarreal, Manchester City, Napoli.

Group B: Inter, CSKA Moscow, Lille, Trabzonspor.

Group C: Manchester United, Benfica, FC Basel, Otelul Galati (WHO THE FUDGE?).

Group D: Real Madrid, Lyon, Ajax, Dinamo Zagreb.

Group E: Chelsea, Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, Genk.

Group F: Marseille, Arsenal, Olympiakos, Borussia Dortmund.

Group G: FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit St. Petersburg, FC Apoel.

Group H: Barcelona, Milan, FC BATE Borisov, Viktoria Plzen.

[classical_hero]

SO which group is the toughest?

I would either say group D or E, with group C being the easiest group.