Champions League Thread (the dawn of time - 2014)

[Auwais]

Ajax's starting XI:

Vermeer - youth product
Van Rhijn - youth product
Alderweireld - youth product
Moisander - 2.5m
Blind - youth product
Eriksen - youth product
Poulsen - free
Schone - free
Sana - 250k
De Jong - youth product
Babel - free (originally a youth product)

Total cost: 2.75m

I love Dortmund and Klopp, fantastic footballing side. Just a shame they haven't got the squad depth to balance Europe and League football yet.

 

[Sulaiman7]

Real Madrid .

 

[Epic]

Ajax 3-1 Man City - CITY OUT AGAIN

Arsenal 0-2 Schalke 04 - And than they say we don't need RVP HAHAHAHA

Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Real Madrid - RM fans-Ref was on Dortmund site

Not totally out, but you're right, it's going to take a miracle.

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I'm more pissed at the way we played than the fact that we lost; sitting back after going 1 up, being lazy on the ball, sloppy finishing to follow. Ugh, disappointed would be an understatement.

Well played to Ajax though, Eriksen looks a top talent btw, PL bound I'd say.

 

[Umair7]

You will have to win all 3 games to Qualify

 

[Epic]

You will have to win all 3 games to Qualify

Well, I don't think that will be enough tbh, we got 10 points last season and still didn't make it through to the 16.

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Barcelona - Dortmund final anyone? And I'm not saying this because Dortmund beat Real today, just a feeling I get.

 

[KBC]

Well, I don't think that will be enough tbh, we got 10 points last season and still didn't make it through to the 16.

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Barcelona - Dortmund final anyone? And I'm not saying this because Dortmund beat Real today, just a feeling I get.

Reus is a real threat and has Lewandowski to add the depth. BVB have a solid defence and they could be in for a real fight but with their league form on hot pan you never know.

Barcelona just pushed through in the last minute, Celtic deserved the draw. Not the ideal defence you'd see from Mascherano, Song and Adriano in the first half but they set up well in the second. Song seems to be troubled to stay back as a supporting defender. He's still not on terms with his role as yet. Alba is a justified signing, his rushes are unstoppable at times and luckily it paid off in the last minute and somehow off a lucky lob.

Wanyama is a star. Can't see him wearing the hoops much longer. He'll have offers coming in. The guy can ward off players from the final 3rd like a threat and moves in and out of the wings quick too.

 

[thedon5]

Agreed on Wanyama - we were monitoring over the summer and you guys supposedly were too. Would fit in really well at United and if he came Anderson could finally leave! I was thinking of him as more of a bargain bin recruitment if we couldn't get Sahin, but he seems better than that now.

Isco and Eriksen are really impressing me too. Isco especially is massive and looks to have everything in his locker to be a great in the next generation Spanish midfield. His release clause is only around 15 m too so he should be off in the summer.

We were pretty pathetic today. Andre Santos put in perhaps one of the worst full-back displays imagineable. Carl Jenkinson was better in his debut in the 8-2 where he got red carded, that's how bad Santos was! We were sorely lacking in creativity barring Cazorla, and we obviously never looked like scoring.

It's funny how the one shot on target we had all game was just before the end of regulation time, and by a 17 year old kid (albeit an incredibly gifted young kid who is almost certain to be a world beater). So much for Gervinho and Podolski... It says a lot about our squad and our options that the former starts as much as he does and that the latter is pretty much a guaranteed starter.

Also since we're playing Park in the weekend, I very much doubt we'll bounce back strongly against QPR...

First loss at home during the group stages in nine years doesn't sound good, and now we won't be able to cruise through the group having already qualified by the fourth or fifth game. Truth is every single team in the group had given us trouble, so we definitely haven't qualified yet. Should be tough.

 

[Haarithan]

If only Juve managed to beat Nordsjaelland would it have made Chelsea's chances of making the Europa League highly realistic damn!

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English sides' chances of making the Europa League (barring Man United who're all but into the knockout stages):


Chelsea

- Draw at home to Shakthar on MD4 and a Juve home win against Nordsjaelland.

- Juve beating Chelsea at Turin on MD5. Chelsea are guaranteed a 3rd placed finish, ie., a place in the Europa League's Round of 32.

50-50 likely imo.


Man City

All but certain to make the Europa League tbh. If anything, they need to avoid the wooden spoon in their group by beating Ajax at home on MD4. Definitely can't see them finishing at the top 2 from here.

100% likely imo


Arsenal

- Schalke beat Arsenal at home, while Olympiacos manage a home win against Montpellier on MD4. Schalke are all but through with 10 points, while Arsenal and Olympiacos are level on points at 6.

- Olympiacos beat Arsenal either 2-0 or by three goals or more on MD6 (A 3-1 win for Olympiacos means it comes down to GD between the two). That puts Arsenal out regardless of what happens on MD5 (where the likely case is Arsenal beating Montpellier at home, while Schalke beating Olympiacos at home.)

Can't see this happening at all..

 

[Ahmad94]

So do you have to win 3 games to qualify

 

[Epic]

So do you have to win 3 games to qualify

10 points usually(that's 3 wins and a draw) gets the job done, but it also depends on which group you are in. For example, last season we were in a tough group with Bayern, Napoli and Villarreal(they weren't so tough afterall), we got 10 points and still didn't get through.

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Ffs, our coefficients will be kerplucked up the butt if we don't earn that Europa league spot and go somewhere with it, like seriously, I wouldn't be a single bit surprised if we get another group like this one next season(provided we finish somewhere in the top 4 again).

 

[War]

Ajax's starting XI:

Vermeer - youth product
Van Rhijn - youth product
Alderweireld - youth product
Moisander - 2.5m
Blind - youth product
Eriksen - youth product
Poulsen - free
Schone - free
Sana - 250k
De Jong - youth product
Babel - free (originally a youth product)

Total cost: 2.75m

I love Dortmund and Klopp, fantastic footballing side. Just a shame they haven't got the squad depth to balance Europe and League football yet.

This is why although the premier league may be the most popular league in the world due to the mass foreign talent in it. These other leagues will always be better, because they from time to time can produce a full home-grown talent team who star in Europe, as we saw last year as well with Athletic Bilbao vs United.


Speaking also on the Man City game, its becoming quite odd how poor they are doing in Europe.

It was clear before the start of the season, that Mancini wanted to play with 3 defenders. But you have to wonder how often he has practised it, since they looked so lost when he tried that formation in the second half.

 

[thedon5]

This is why although the premier league may be the most popular league in the world due to the mass foreign talent in it. These other leagues will always be better, because they from time to time can produce a full home-grown talent team who star in Europe, as we saw last year as well with Athletic Bilbao vs United.


Speaking also on the Man City game, its becoming quite odd how poor they are doing in Europe.

It was clear before the start of the season, that Mancini wanted to play with 3 defenders. But you have to wonder how often he has practised it, since they looked so lost when he tried that formation in the second half.

According to Micah Richards, barely ever in training.

 

[Epic]

According to Micah Richards, barely ever in training.

Well, don't know why the reporter had to ask Richards, the performance in itself was enough for me.

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And another thing, I wouldn't totally go out and blame the formation switch for the loss, we were already 2-1 down when Mancini swapped formations and IRC it only lasted for about 5 mins(and during that five minutes Ajax netted the 3rd goal).

 

[Haarithan]

Ajax's starting XI:

Vermeer - youth product
Van Rhijn - youth product
Alderweireld - youth product
Moisander - 2.5m
Blind - youth product
Eriksen - youth product
Poulsen - free
Schone - free
Sana - 250k
De Jong - youth product
Babel - free (originally a youth product)

Total cost: 2.75m

No wonder their fans are proper pissed when their talents are leeched away by the so called "bigger" clubs...

"Tegen het moderne voetbal" aka "We hate modern football" chants from their fans during their 3-1 win over Man City...

 

[Epic]

Don't even know what to say, game winner disallowed, penalty not given, but whatever, not like we were ever going to beat BVB and RM in our current form.