[Archived] Champions League 2016-17

[jim mk2]

The world's best players are in Spain - and have been for some time. 

[frosty]

25 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

The PL has always been competitive but the quality has gone down in recent years. The present Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Liverpool teams aren't a patch compared to those in the recent past. 

Spot on. Current top PL teams are streets behind Bayern, Madrid, Juve, Barca, Atletico etc. I also think there's very little quality in the league from 8th down (Leicester aside), despite those teams spending more than ever they're pretty dire.

 

 

[Batman.]

29 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

The PL has always been competitive but the quality has gone down in recent years. The present Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Liverpool teams aren't a patch compared to those in the recent past. 

It's certainly another way of putting it. I guess the price you pay for having six teams that can genuinely fight for the title means that the real top talent is spready across the six, rather than the two/ three we've been used to for the last two decades or so. Certainly another factor.

[jim mk2]

Just now, frosty said:

Spot on. Current top PL teams are streets behind Bayern, Madrid, Juve, Barca, Atletico etc. I also think there's very little quality in the league from 8th down (Leicester aside), despite those teams spending more than ever they're pretty dire.

Disagree there. One of the great strengths of the PL is that teams at the bottom are capable on their day of beating those at the top. In the context of the Champions League though, our top teams don't have the quality to challenge the best

[Batman.]

26 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Disagree there. One of the great strengths of the PL is that teams at the bottom are capable on their day of beating those at the top. In the context of the Champions League though, our top teams don't have the quality to challenge the best

I'm not 100% with you. I'm not convinced there's any incredibly strong teams in Europe at the moment, and it seems to be a universal "transitional period." The fact that this Madrid team is on the verge of winning their third Champion's League in four years is ridiculous. They're nowhere near the level of many a great team of the past two decades, including a fair few from this country.

Whilst I concede the level of the top teams in our league has dropped, I can't accept that given a level pegging regarding competitiveness and style of other domestic leagues, they wouldn't be challenging for the Champion's League.

[frosty]

The quality of football overall has dropped I think. Look at some of the national sides of the 90's and early to mid 2000's. Superb. Much better than any national team since apart from maybe Spain 08-12. I don't think there's a national side today that I'd call a world-class team to be honest.

[speeeeeeedie]

Some good points have been made regarding the quality of the Premier League v. the rest.

As I've already stated, the top teams from 10 years ago aren't what they were, creating the dearth of last 4 Champions League participants. Batman is right in that the top 4 back then was almost a closed shop. Arsenal, Man U, Chelsea, and Liverpool. Everton got 4th in 2005 but that was it. 

Spurs ascendance and CIty's new found wealth has added them to the challengers. 

I also agree that the overall quality of the Premier League has improved due to TV money. Cabaye, Benteke, and Zaha at Palace. Arnautovic and Shaqiri at Stoke. Tadic, Romeu, and Bertrand at Southampton to name a few are all players who have the quality to play on a top 4 team. Before the money arrived they would have not played in England, or they would have been at the "top 4". 

I'll also agree with Jim in saying that the creme de la creme of footballers don't play in the Premier League, or if they do at least not for long. Certainly since the start of the "modern era" of football - 1982 onward for me - England's top division can't keep or attract the best. Maradona, van Basten, Brazilian Ronaldo, Romario, and ZIdane never played in England. Gullit, Klinnsmann, and now Ibrahimovic arrived at the end of their careers. Ronaldo, Modric, and Bale went to Real Madrid at their peak. The Premier League has the odd star (Hazard, Costa, Aguero), home grown talent, both good and over rated, and players who will make a name for themselves later on.

Just to make people cry, and as a point of reference, Rovers finished 6th under Hughes in 05-06, only 4 points behind 4th placed Arsenal. What happened?

[Batman.]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39836415

[Mike E]

Breaking News:

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte revealed to actually be Batman!

[TAFKAP]

He has a point. Chelsea have disastrous season not helped with fixture overload, finish 10th with 50 points. Leicester win English top division with 81 points and no fixture overload.

Following season, the reigning champions struggle in league, (but have good run in Europe) and have fixture overload. Chelsea already on 81 points and had no distracting fixture overload due to European comps, and almost certain to win English top division.

 

 

[speeeeeeedie]

The Champions League final teams are set; Real Madrid v. Juventus. Serial winner v. serial runner up.

I'll go out on a limb and predict a 0-0 extra time game with Ronaldo bagging a winner late on.

It's Man U. v. Ajax in the Eurpoa League final. Mourinho is already moaning that he will have to play weakened teams in the Prem until then. He has a stable of 30 internationals. I don't feel sorry for him in the slightest.

[K-Hod]

I've a sneaky feeling for Juventus in that final. They are a good, strong team who are very difficult to play against and have goals in them.

I honestly think if they get 1-0 up early on, they'll make it very, very difficult for Real.

[AllRoverAsia]

Its odd how Mourinho feels that picking other than what he knows to be his best 11 from a squad is a weakened team.

Surely all players in the squad are equal like they are in the EFL Championship regardless of position played or number of previous first team appearances.

Surely whatever team is picked on any given day is the best side.

That's how it works surely...

[frosty]

Come on Ajax!

[speeeeeeedie]

Here's an article quoting Klopp saying that English teams are doing badly in Europe at the moment because the Premier League is such a hard slog.

Bayern would struggle if they played in England

 

[Salgado Is Still A Hero]

Bayern put 5 goals past the team in 5th for fun each time they play them

They would wipe the floor with most English teams

[frosty]

The best teams aren't in England, that's why PL teams aren't doing well in Europe, it's as simple as that.

[Batman.]

Klopp and Conte agree with me.

Frosty, AllRoverAsia and SISAH disagree with me.

Hmmm...

[matt83]

I heard the other day some fella has a £5 accumulator on chelski, Newcastle, Sheffield Utd, Portsmouth winning respective leagues and Juventus winning the champions league.

So if juve win he stands to win north of £50k. Cash out only £10-15k apparently. I think if I was in his position I'd put £25k on Real Madrid at evens then he will pretty much win £25k either way. Well assuming he can stump up the cash that is.

[speeeeeeedie]

I read the BBC preview of the Europa league final; http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/40003173

The article isn't anything special but mentions of the 1995 Ajax champions league winners fascinated me. 

The team that beat AC Milan was young, largely homegrown, with most going on to be star players wherever they went. Seedorf, Van der Saar, Davids, the De Boers to list a few all won lots of trophies after Ajax. 

Will another team ever repeat what they did?

 

[Iceman]

On 5/18/2017 at 16:45, speeeeeeedie said:

Here's an article quoting Klopp saying that English teams are doing badly in Europe at the moment because the Premier League is such a hard slog.

Bayern would struggle if they played in England

 

whatever Kloppie... If Bayern with the players they had, were to play in the PL against teams like Burnley lol, do people honestly think Bayern would lose that match? Not even Stoke on a cold rainy Tuesday Evening would stop them. Bayern might get battererd and bruised, but their class would be miles ahead. 

[Rover_Shaun]

Haven't Liverpool jetted off to Australia on a post season jaunt? Klopp you are a nob

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, Rover_Shaun said:

Haven't Liverpool jetted off to Australia on a post season jaunt? Klopp you are a nob

Yes! played Sydney FC today and won 3-0

[Clearwater]

Come on Juve. It would be great to see Buffon lift the trophy.

Since I was a child growing up in Ireland with very little access to English football I became a huge Italian football fan via channel 4. Being honest I was always more of a milan fan but i would support an Italian team against any team other then Rovers.

[chaddyrovers]

Haven't watched one single game of Champions league football since it went to BT Sport as I refused to pay 25 pounds per month. I wouldn't get to watched the games live midweek anyway with working Nights

Hope Juve win tonight.

I remember watching Italian football on Channel 4 and James Richardson presenting it. Always like Juve cos of Del Pirlo and Roberto Baggio