Champions League Thread (the dawn of time - 2014)

[War]

Not possible because if Real Madrid were to win the Champions League, Jose Mourinho would leave on his own.

I don't think there is any doubt he's going. I don't really think he wants to stay there anyway.

I know this, but i always viewed Mourinho's likelihood to leave & Madrid's urgency to get rid of him after the hectic start of the season, due mainly to Madrid trigger happy executives.

Lets not forget this is the same Madrid to got rid of top coach in Capello after he won the league because they didn't like his style of defensive football, which at times Mourinho has played with his current Madrid side.

The rumours say he wants to go back chelsea, man city or PSG. Compared to what he could do @ Madrid in the coming years, it makes no football sense going to any of those clubs.

 

[War]

My point though is the outcome wasn't inevitable. If Chelsea can hold off Barca with 10, Utd can hold off Real. I just think they lost their heads for 10 minutes with the sense of unfairness.

I don't know if you can really draw this parallel to be fair. Chelsea's entire C-League run was the luckiest in tournaments history.

Sure you can say United looked vulnerable in those 10 minutes, but tactically losing Nani on the right messed up the balance of United defensive control over Madrid up to that point.

Welbeck had to move from the hole in United 4-2-3-1 formation, where he was preventing Ozil from dictating the play, while Carrick/Cleverley was keeping Alonso/Khedira in check. He went out wide & United became 4-4-1.

The space between the lines was then became vacant with Welbeck out wide. So then Ozil went wide & Modric came on in place of Arbeloa & he played into the hole unmarked. He found space that was non-existent for 66 previous minutes & Real are too good a team not to exploit that gap & they cashed in clinically. Can't really blame United for that.

 

[barmyarmy]

You need a bit of luck but the key is how you respond to adversity. I just felt Utd spent a little bit too long feeling hard-done-by rather than focusing back on the match.

 

[War]

What about the disallowed goal for Real early on? Anyone else feel that should have stood?

I got to see it again personally. At the time i didn't hear the commentators make much of fuss over it & live it sort of looked like your usual innocuous incident where all the players seemed to accept it was off-side.

 

[puddleduck]

Not identical, but funny how Ferguson thought this was a "definite" red card...

 

[War]

Also, one final point, I'm pretty sure I suggested RVP would go missing in this tie due to being a big stage bottler... well, anyone fancy digging up his chances/goals scored ratio over the two games

What are you defining as "big stage" though?

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I've thought about it a lot & i'd have to say after reflection, not starting Rooney was a bad decision by the great man.

Of course up to 60 plus minutes with 1-0 you argue that SAF was getting his tactics right. But i recall Welbeck making some good runs and had two good shoots at goal, which leaves me thinking if it was Rooney in those positions with his current goal-scoring form, if he wouldn't have scored.

Plus just like he showed in the first leg & many times in his career, he has the engine to play a defensive role for the team out wide. So really one of Giggs or Nani shouldn't have started either.

I'll accept that is nothing more than a coincidence that in this corresponding fixture at Old Trafford in 2003, that SAF benched Beckham & that lead to him leaving. But i hope there is nothing going on behind the scenes that lead to Rooney not starting other than simply a bad tactic by SAF.

 

[ste_mc_efc]

One of the must awful decisions by refree I have ever seen in football. Nani didn't even deserved yellow card, let alone a red.

You mustn't have seen many matches at all then. It really wasn't that bad.

 

[Epic]

I know this, but i always viewed Mourinho's likelihood to leave & Madrid's urgency to get rid of him after the hectic start of the season, due mainly to Madrid trigger happy executives.

Lets not forget this is the same Madrid to got rid of top coach in Capello after he won the league because they didn't like his style of defensive football, which at times Mourinho has played with his current Madrid side.

The rumours say he wants to go back chelsea, man city or PSG. Compared to what he could do @ Madrid in the coming years, it makes no football sense going to any of those clubs.

See, that's not the kind of thing that motivates Mourinho though. The man doesn't want to be recognized as the greatest manager ever because he managed the greatest team ever, but because he could win it all, with all kinds of teams, in all kinds of leagues.

If Real Madrid were to win the CL this season, that would make Mourinho the first man to win 3 CL titles with 3 different teams, that's the kind of thing that motivates Mourinho right there.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

You mustn't have seen many matches at all then. It really wasn't that bad.

Yep, there have been worse ones for sure - it was very dangerous play, but where do you draw the line? As they were saying on ITV - a striker goes for an overhead kick but catches a defender - does he get sent off? In both cases, the 'offender' has only got eyes for the ball.

 

[Epic]

And it's also quite obvious Mourinho wants the Manchester United job(see the "better team lost"), but he's going to have to wait and while he waits, he's going to have to turn down Chelsea and City.

 

[shravi]

Not really. Mourinho is just fishing for a big club and throws enticing statements in every now and then to see if anyone bites.

 

[Epic]

Maybe, it's just so hard to tell with Mourinho, but I guess that's what makes him so great.

 

[Gurjot95]

You mustn't have seen many matches at all then. It really wasn't that bad.

Yup, that's why I added 'One of' at the beginning. But tbf, it's definitely terrible to see such kind of decisions in an event such as UEFA. You don't see this often in big tournaments when a bad decision in any one match can change the winner of the tournament. I don't mean Man Utd were going to win this cup, but whoever team will now play Real Madrid instead of Man Utd in the next draw might have a impact in deciding the finalist.

People are going on rant about Mourinho that he wants a Man Utd job but I probably think that he was being honest and calmly accepted what had happened. If you see his reactions during match after the incident, he didn't celebrated any of his team goals, had a chat with Fergie with left the field even before the match was over. Whatever his true intentions was but he has gained my respect after this match.

Ronaldo expressions after scoring a goal was surprising though, He looked like apologizing to crowds and walked away like nothing happened after the victory. Probably he is fed of Madrid and want to join red devils

 

[MasterBlaster76]

What is it with Mourinho vs Man Utd and match changing decisions at Old Trafford in the CL? Remember the Porto match when Mourinho did his infamous run down the pitch? Scholesy had a perfectly good goal disallowed for offside - which put us out that year.

The Ronaldo thing is weird - I don't think I've ever seen a victorious player leaving the pitch after a massive game looking so glum. Well y'know, Cristiano - you coulda just stuck it in the side netting or something...

 

[Bevab]

Yup, that's why I added 'One of' at the beginning. But tbf, it's definitely terrible to see such kind of decisions in an event such as UEFA. You don't see this often in big tournaments when a bad decision in any one match can change the winner of the tournament. I don't mean Man Utd were going to win this cup, but whoever team will now play Real Madrid instead of Man Utd in the next draw might have a impact in deciding the finalist.

It does occur a lot, ever seen Chelsea versus Barcelona (2nd Leg)? Not the one of the previous year obviously. That did affect things a lot.