Champions League 2017/18

[St. Juste]

Sorry I must've missed the Brazil 1970 level of football we showed against the mighty footballing nations of Costa Rica and Hungary; perhaps it was due to the amount of world class players we had on the bench, and that wonderful progressive manager who puts Pep Guardiola to shame.

Would any of our lot (especially the many English born players) get anywhere near the England team at this moment? Perhaps Robertson might, but no one else would; yet we up here always like to have a laugh at them for not, oh no, getting to the quarters or semi-finals of these competitions! They are no great shakes either and will probably not do much in the World Cup; but compared to us, they are world beaters, whilst we would struggle against one of their League 2 sides.

Your first paragraph says it all, Hungary are a much bigger country than Scotland with significant footballing pedigree. Do you know anything about the history of football?

As for Costa Rica, less footballing pedigree but currently a good side who are in the World Cup. This implies you also know nothing about the current state of international football, never mind its history.

The result of this ignorance is that you would put Scotland down even when they win away from home. I can imagine Scotland beating Ivory Coast or Egypt away from home and people like yourself being unhappy we are only beating them 0-1. It's absolutely nonsensical, and you deserved to be called out on it.

Nobody is saying we have world class players on the bench or that McLeish is as good a manager as Guardiola (both of those are a figment of your imagination). However, we have players on the bench comparable to nations of equivalent size and a manager who is more experienced and successful than either the England or Wales manager.

England are a nation ten times our size and clearly have different expectations. They consistently do not meet those objectives and their fans are now realising they are a bit of rubbish, and have been for decades. They do badly relative to their group.

Scotland do middling relative to their peer group.

Robertson would comfortably start for England, which is representative, a nation tenth of the size produces one guaranteed starter.

As for Scotland struggling against league two sides, given all our players play at a higher level than this you are demonstrably wrong. Which, to be fair, is a suitable conclusion to a post full of rank ignorance.

"Fans" like you are the problem - please stop pretending to support a national side you clearly despise.

View attachment 8085

 

[Pagnell]

Anyway, enough of the Scotland: are they or aren't they shit (they are) bollocks that has no place in this thread, back to the CL.

City will win tomorrow I reckon. But I also reckon we'll score and they won't get 5. So we should progress.

2-1 is my bet.

 

[JimJams]

3-1.

 

[epic73]

Your first paragraph says it all, Hungary are a much bigger country than Scotland with significant footballing pedigree. Do you know anything about the history of football?

As for Costa Rica, less footballing pedigree but currently a good side who are in the World Cup. This implies you also know nothing about the current state of international football, never mind its history.

The result of this ignorance is that you would put Scotland down even when they win away from home. I can imagine Scotland beating Ivory Coast or Egypt away from home and people like yourself being unhappy we are only beating them 0-1. It's absolutely nonsensical, and you deserved to be called out on it.

Nobody is saying we have world class players on the bench or that McLeish is as good a manager as Guardiola (both of those are a figment of your imagination). However, we have players on the bench comparable to nations of equivalent size and a manager who is more experienced and successful than either the England or Wales manager.

England are a nation ten times our size and clearly have different expectations. They consistently do not meet those objectives and their fans are now realising they are a bit of rubbish, and have been for decades. They do badly relative to their group.

Scotland do middling relative to their peer group.

Robertson would comfortably start for England, which is representative, a nation tenth of the size produces one guaranteed starter.

As for Scotland struggling against league two sides, given all our players play at a higher level than this you are demonstrably wrong. Which, to be fair, is a suitable conclusion to a post full of rank ignorance.

"Fans" like you are the problem - please stop pretending to support a national side you clearly despise.

Why have you just quoted my post and not said anything?

 

[Pagnell]

"Liverpool like to play 'long ball' football" - Fernandinho.

Probably the most pathetic attempt at mind games I've ever seen.

 

[Stevencc]

They specifically used the same words about United and Wigan's style of football.

Now Liverpool.

That's three of the four teams to beat City this season, the only three English sides.

Take note, everybody. They don't like it up 'em.

 

[Pagnell]

The thing is, there is an argument with United and Wigan that they do. Especially when Fellaini's on the pitch.

But Liverpool a long ball team? He's made himself sound like a right fucking numpty to anyone that has had even a cursory watch of them under Klopp.

 

[Stevencc]

Pep likes it when teams play his sides at their own game as sides can rarely be beaten toe-to-toe like that. He and his players will use disparaging terms like long-ball or defensive as umbrella terms to suggest the way sides should approach games against his teams that in the media - congratulating teams on playing "good football", "going for it" etc.

None of those three teams play long ball football and Fellaini rarely plays for us.

 

[Pagnell]

For fuck sake, I was hoping for a better bite than that.

 

[Stevencc]

I'm secretly seething

 

[SALTIRE]

Liverpool like to play 'long ball' football" - Fernandinho.

Maybe he thought that's the case given the amount of times he couldn't get anywhere near the ball in midfield last week., it was so far away from him.

Anyway Salah trained today and as long as nothing cropped up in that, he should be fine for tomorrow.

 

[Johnnyt]

5 - 0 city nailed on !

 

[Pagnell]

The key tonight for Liverpool is not to shut up shop. It won't work and if they get a couple of goals we will start to get nervous. We've beat this lot twice on the bounce now by going for the throat. We need to repeat that, get the away goal (or even better 2) then control the pace of the game.

In short, regardless of how the Arabian Mouthpiece plays, if we end up going out it will have been down to a bottle job and we will have no one but ourselves to blame and will deserve all the ridicule we will get.

 

[Abertawe]

this should be a classic - citeh 5 - 2 livers

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

City look like they've run out of steam. The only way I see them getting through if they can get a Liverpool player sent off.

 

[Pagnell]

I suspect they'll be numerous attempts to do precisely that. They will be desperate.

 

[JimJams]

Hows about Citeh score in the 93rd minute to make it 4-0, for Liverpool to then stick one in at the other end for the commentary team to go into full meltdown.

 

[Johnnyt]

Hows about Citeh score in the 93rd minute to make it 4-0, for Liverpool to then stick one in at the other end for the commentary team to go into full meltdown.

Stfu

 

[Johnnyt]

The key tonight for Liverpool is not to shut up shop. It won't work and if they get a couple of goals we will start to get nervous. We've beat this lot twice on the bounce now by going for the throat. We need to repeat that, get the away goal (or even better 2) then control the pace of the game.

In short, regardless of how the Arabian Mouthpiece plays, if we end up going out it will have been down to a bottle job and we will have no one but ourselves to blame and will deserve all the ridicule we will get.

I dont think many will say anything were not like that.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

What do United fans want to happen out of interest?

 

[Nilsson]

I'd rather Liverpool went through as they're more likely to fail in the semi-finals or final imo.

 

[epic73]

What do United fans want to happen out of interest?

United to win the league.

 

[Bilo]

This is fine we'll be fine all will be ok

 

[Bilo]

What the fuck is that eleven from Pep?

Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte; Fernandinho, B. Silva, D. Silva, De Bruyne; Sterling, Jesus, Sané.

Makes me feel more confident tbh. Our only change from the first leg is Gini for Henderson whom I presume is injured.

 

[JimJams]

If city line up how skysports have it setup this'll be a comfy evening for Liverpool.
http://www.skysports.com/football/man-city-vs-liverpool/teams/388724

 

[JimJams]

What the fuck is that eleven from Pep?

Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte; Fernandinho, B. Silva, D. Silva, De Bruyne; Sterling, Jesus, Sané.

Makes me feel more confident tbh. Our only change from the first leg is Gini for Henderson whom I presume is injured.

He's suspended. And you call yourself a fan.

 

[G-Dragon]

What the fuck is that eleven from Pep?

Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte; Fernandinho, B. Silva, D. Silva, De Bruyne; Sterling, Jesus, Sané.

Makes me feel more confident tbh. Our only change from the first leg is Gini for Henderson whom I presume is injured.

Hendo is not injured. Suspended for all the yellow card accumulation.

 

[Pickleman1967]

As we play Citeh on Saturday (19:45 kick off I f*cking ask you, where did they get the ridiculous idea for that KO on a Saturday?) I'm just hoping it is a shattering, gruelling tie for the men in blue to soften them up. TBH, I'm a genuine neutral in the game, I guess I'd like to see the home team go 2-0 for half time to leave some anticipation for the second half.
However, I suspect the United defeat will have had a toll on Man City, and they will do well to recover against a very fluid attack minded side like Liverpool, who have every motivation to make this the most important game of their season.
Man City 2 Liverpool 2

 

[Bilo]

He's suspended. And you call yourself a fan.

Hendo is not injured. Suspended for all the yellow card accumulation.

OK GUYS HE'S SUSPENDED

I don't even remember it mentioned tbh

 

[Pagnell]

Great that Salah plays. Could be massive as he's by far the most likely to find the net. Never has an away goal been more important. Ok, an exaggeration perhaps but it feels that way.