Champions League 2018-2019

[Bigdoggsteel]

33 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

I watched Liverpool v Bayern until HT, 4 am-ish here, and fell asleep. Woke up thinking Bayern might have just sneeked a 0-1.

I now fancy Liverpool to score at least 1 in the away leg so in with a chance with van Dijk back.

Thought a few Liverpool players were a bit off in the half I saw, Robinson was one of then but both Bayern wingers (?) are hot.

I am not wasting sleep on City though.

Ya, Roberston doesn't have many nights like last night. Tough day at the office for him for sure 

[Husky]

There's nothing wrong with a bit of hoofball if you've got some pace ?

[Ewood Ace]

Atletico V Juventus a really enjoyable game that had a bit of everything. Atletico deserved winners, 2-0 flattered Juventus if anything. Another Simeone masterclass, what a fantastic manager he is. 

Edited February 20, 2019 by Ewood Ace

[K-Hod]

That free kick from Sane was absolutely mint. Quality finish.

[speeeeeeedie]

2 good games yesterday.

City were their swashbuckling selves. It's great to watch but it won't win them the cup. Top sides will be able to pick them off if they play like that. Guardiola admitted as much after the game. They need more defensive solidity.

Atletico - Juventus was also good, although annoying at times.

I can't see Juventus putting 3 past a Simeone drilled team. They'll frustrate the Italians to death in Turin. Godin and Giminez are the best central defensive partnership in Europe. They don't give much away. It's also good to watch Diego Costa. He is missed in the Prem.

[Husky]

Everyone round to Ramos's house for the QF?

?

[old darwen blue]

Well I’m not a Tottenham fan at all but what a great performance tonight. First class defending all round including Loris. 

[Norbert Rassragr]

It's sad to think all Ajax's players will be sold next summer and this can't be a revival of an old giant of the game. I loved the team of the De Boer twins, Kluivert, Litmanen etc.

[K-Hod]

One is already going to Barcelona and Real Madrid are after their left back, apparently. So it's already started!

[G Somerset Rover]

De Ligt will go too - he’s going to be a colossus. 

[speeeeeeedie]

The Real-Ajax game was a belter. Tadic impressed at times when he was playing for Southampton but not like last night. He was incredible. Both teams could have had more goals. Madrid hit the bar and post, and Ajax missed 2 sitters.

It would be good for the game if this Ajax team was allowed to grow, but as has been pointed out their best players will get picked off by the big boys quickly. Marc Overmars is their technical director, he said last night that his squad's (yes, squad) season wage bill is the same as Gareth Bale's on his own. He wasn't complaining though, just stating reality. Which coming from a player who started at Ajax then made big money at Barcelona and Arsenal shows that he is OK with it.

Real Madrid weren't going to be the same team without Ronaldo or Zidane. Their reign is over and it's going to cost them a lot of money to get back to the top. Ramos, Modric, Kroos, Marcelo, Benzema, and Bale are all hovering around 30. They will all need replacing soon.  

Well done Spurs too. A disciplined performance. Despite Pochettino moaning and groaning about an extra day off for Dortmund they did what they had to do and after Kane's goal got to relax.

[Husky]

3 hours ago, speeeeeeedie said:

The Real-Ajax game was a belter. Tadic impressed at times when he was playing for Southampton but not like last night. He was incredible. Both teams could have had more goals. Madrid hit the bar and post, and Ajax missed 2 sitters.

It's terrible how there's no terrestrial TV coverage any more.

Even long after pay TV had taken over (last season) there was still a late night highlights show on ITV.

Now there is nada.

[Rover_Shaun]

Agreed. Like cricket the champions League is made out to be a big deal on sky sports news and talksport when frankly 90% of the country couldn't give a rats arse.

These days nobody even cares about a home ashes series because it's on pay TV.

Two competitions with low viewing figures when they should be getting over 10 million on terrestrial tv

[DE.]

Incredible seeing PSG bottle it again. Literally gifted United three goals and blew a host of chances. Was a bit like watching Rovers, minus having a lot of chances to score.

[Husky]

31 minutes ago, Rover_Shaun said:

Agreed. Like cricket the champions League is made out to be a big deal on sky sports news and talksport when frankly 90% of the country couldn't give a rats arse.

These days nobody even cares about a home ashes series because it's on pay TV.

Two competitions with low viewing figures when they should be getting over 10 million on terrestrial tv

It's made even more laughable when they can't even show the goals on Skysports. They are only allowed to talk about it, then talk some more....then continue talking.

As for The Ashes, it became massive in 2005 when it was on channel 4, I remember being at work when the Edgbaston test was on and even 'non cricket fans were watching it on the TV that was put on'. Then cricket disappeared from the TV.

Back to the CL. Yeah I don't really give a crap about it. It becomes a hassle to try and set up any kind of way to watch it live. I only really get interested when there's a shock result like Ajax last night, or Man U're tonight

There are still an awful lot of 'casual football fans' out there that would only watch it if it was on terrestrial TV. I would include myself in that (mostly) and especially my dad (who actually watched the 2nd half of England v Japan in the Shebelieves cup last night 'because it was on bbc' - hence easily available - but certainly wouldn't have even considered watching had there been any 'hassle' involved).

 

Edited March 6, 2019 by Husky

[Husky]

Just to add. Whatever your thoughts about Man Ure are it was nice to see a young English player put a high pressure injury time penalty into the top corner.

[Rover_Shaun]

A few years ago there was only one game I would watch on TV without fail and that was the champions League final on ITV. I never watched a full game in the league or knockout stages but I'd watch the final. This was also because it was on a Wednesday evening after a day at work.

I have no interest whatsoever in watching the final now it's on Saturday even if it was on every Freeview channel simultaneously. I gave up religiously watching the FA cup final about 10 years ago long before they destroyed it further by having it at stupid oclock on a Saturday evening so 95% of attending fans can't even get home. Tbh I only watched England in the world cup because it was sunny and I was holidaying in Wales ?

Edited March 6, 2019 by Rover_Shaun

[Oldgregg86]

7 minutes ago, Rover_Shaun said:

A few years ago there was only one game I would watch on TV without fail and that was the champions League final on ITV. I never watched a full game in the league or knockout stages but I'd watch the final. This was also because it was on a Wednesday evening after a day at work.

I have no interest whatsoever in watching the final now it's on Saturday even if it was on every Freeview channel simultaneously. I gave up religiously watching the FA cup final about 10 years ago long before they destroyed it further by having it at stupid oclock on a Saturday evening so 95% of attending fans can't even get home. Tbh I only watched England in the world cup because it was sunny and I was holidaying in Wales ?

Please don't take this as a dig or insult as it isn't intended as one but when I read things like this it suprises me as people spend alot of time on here discussing rovers so one can only assume you have a strong passion for football. Yet so many people just dismiss other games , especially things like the fa cup final. I get your average fan or the usual plastic mancs but if you discuss rovers with such passion daily how can you not have that love of the game feel and interest and dismiss things like the champions league final and fa cup etc. 

I genuinely want to know what makes someone like yourself clearly love rovers and football and not have the some level of interest in the other competitions. 

I love rovers more than anything else in football and they come first but that love I have of rovers is because I love the beautiful game which ignites my interest in other games and competitions etc. 

[Rover_Shaun]

I have no interest in other competitions because I have better things to do when the finals are played on nice warm weekend evenings.

Weekday evenings or even traditional 2nd Saturday in may 3pm cup finals are different.

The first I am sat on my couch munching pringles with nothing better to do after work than watch the champions League final (before it went on to minority TV) and occasionally I am at home for the 2nd but that's become rarer as I have got older. Theres a world out there.

Maybe it's coincided with my contempt that has slowly built up for the over hyped, over paid, largely bang average top flight football. The premier League to me is a snooze. I don't even speed watch (30 second skip till the  score changes  then watch the goal) my recordings of MOTD 1&2 these days

Edited March 7, 2019 by Rover_Shaun

[Norbert Rassragr]

Bit like me Rover_shaun. I have a season ticket at Coventry RFU (yes I edge towards union being half Welsh, bitches), and follow Rovers. The Premier league I record the odd game on BT but not really watch it. I have a fondness for Liverpool being a child of the 80s, and Borussia Dortmund as they were the nearest city to where I lived during that time, but I hate real Madrid (Fascist scum), PSG (a small dog in a handbag owned by a Kardashian) and Barcelona (Pep made them pretty home grown, now they are like PSG). I hope Neymar cried out of his mangina after they lost. Shaun Edwards would have minced that ponce.

FYI I have done a 10 hour shift as usual but have been on the Jim beam, so apologies for any offence and outrage caused.

[philipl]

Incredible result!

City should go through but odds on Liverpool going out.

[Paul]

6 hours ago, Oldgregg86 said:

Please don't take this as a dig or insult as it isn't intended as one but when I read things like this it suprises me as people spend alot of time on here discussing rovers so one can only assume you have a strong passion for football. Yet so many people just dismiss other games , especially things like the fa cup final. I get your average fan or the usual plastic mancs but if you discuss rovers with such passion daily how can you not have that love of the game feel and interest and dismiss things like the champions league final and fa cup etc. 

I genuinely want to know what makes someone like yourself clearly love rovers and football and not have the some level of interest in the other competitions. 

I love rovers more than anything else in football and they come first but that love I have of rovers is because I love the beautiful game which ignites my interest in other games and competitions etc. 

I would largely agree with @Rover_Shaun and yourself except in the case of your argument I fully agree with and understand those who have so little interest.

I don't know your ages but at 64 I'm old enough to recall when the European Cup (Champions League), Fairs Cup, FA Cup etc. were special. Dark, grainy images of a rain soaked Anfield, Old Trafford etc. with exciting players I knew pouring forward in search of a victory. It didn't matter who you followed on a Saturday on those nights you'd want a Utd win.

Today - I couldn't give a fig. Absolutely no interest in any of it. Why? Very simple. What used to be very special and unusual has been turned in to the mundane and ordinary. It's simply fodder sold to an audience who have little, if any, real interest. We have to listen to players, managers, commentators pontificate about the same subjects with the same answers after every single game. Not an ounce of originality in anything any of them have to say. Why should I care? In any other field if I'm fed the same old, same old week after week I eventually walk away.

I'm not criticising any but basically the TV audience is being fed crap and lapping it up. 

Why would I want to watch 22 players running around, cheating, feigning injury, wasting time, back chatting the ref, etc. when I don't care who wins and have probably never heard of the player?

There was a time when football was special and you planned a day around watching the game. Today the only special thing for me is Rovers. The rest are an irrelevance.

Good friend of mine is a Stockport County fan. That's the game we discussed this week.

Edited March 7, 2019 by Paul

[speeeeeeedie]

6 hours ago, Paul said:

Today - I couldn't give a fig. Absolutely no interest in any of it. Why? Very simple. What used to be very special and unusual has been turned in to the mundane and ordinary. It's simply fodder sold to an audience who have little, if any, real interest. We have to listen to players, managers, commentators pontificate about the same subjects with the same answers after every single game. Not an ounce of originality in anything any of them have to say. Why should I care? In any other field if I'm fed the same old, same old week after week I eventually walk away.

Is that any different than following Rovers? They have a media department and players are coached on what to say. Mowbray does say more than most but it's still the same old platitudes.

I'm probably the opposite of most on here, I follow football first, and Rovers happen to be my team. I don't watch live games so my interest in BRFC has waned, especially after the events since Venkys took over. I'll never follow another team and keep up with Rovers news.

The best players play in the Champions League so I watch it. This week has seen some great games. I wrote about Ajax yesterday, and the Man U game was equally impressive.

 

[speeeeeeedie]

On ‎13‎/‎02‎/‎2019 at 08:16, speeeeeeedie said:

It's looking like it. I can't see them scoring 3 without reply in Paris, No Pogba either.

Last night was a reality check for Man U. PSG are a good side. Man U were never at the races. They looked more like Mourinho's team than the one that's been beating inferior opposition over the last few months.

I got part of it right......

What a strange tie with an amazing end. PSG were streets ahead of Man U in both legs yet ended up going out. They were guilty of overconfidence last night. Lukaku's first showed that. Mbappe was a big offender too. Buffon had an off night as well.

I said after they went out last year that PSG lack a tough game mentality. It's still there. They don't get tested in their domestic league. I think that they are 30 points clear at the moment. That's mental. As long as the disparity between them and the rest exists they will struggle in the knockout stages. The Kuwaitis should buy up 4 other teams to give them some competition.

The only French team to ever win the Champs League/European Cup was Marseille, and they cheated to do it.

[Paul]

32 minutes ago, speeeeeeedie said:

Is that any different than following Rovers? They have a media department and players are coached on what to say. Mowbray does say more than most but it's still the same old platitudes.

I'm probably the opposite of most on here, I follow football first, and Rovers happen to be my team. I don't watch live games so my interest in BRFC has waned, especially after the events since Venkys took over. I'll never follow another team and keep up with Rovers news.

The best players play in the Champions League so I watch it. This week has seen some great games. I wrote about Ajax yesterday, and the Man U game was equally impressive.

 

I'm sure our players are coached and the manager will have an agenda to work from. The difference being for me that I cannot remember the last time I read or listened to an interview with either. The exception being if Radio Lancashire happen to get Mowbray on before we get home.

That aside I hear no club propaganda whatsoever.

I guess the Utd Ajax game would have been great to watch but I don't have time to watch CL football on the off chance of seeing a good game. Which of course can equally be said about my weekly trips to Ewood. I'm afraid I don't understand how a football fan get by without live games. The TV version is, to my mind, totally sanitised..  As it happens health prevents me getting to Ewood on Saturday so I'll find coverage somewhere.. The difference being it's my team ...,.........