2016-17 UEFA Champions League

Ulysses Gaze · 02-05-2017 8:50pm

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Not sure the squad in those days had to have the quality in depth that they do now. That Barca is, in my opinion, the best team ever but the overall squad wasn't this strong, even if the top 13/14 players were better arguably.

Capello's Milan beat Barcelona without Van Basten, Baresi, Costacurta, Papin or Brian Laudrup in the team. They also had Florin Răducioiu left out of the squad. And Gianluigi Lentini who had been injured in a car-crash.

They had a stellar squad of players to choose from and strength in depth all over the pitch.

deaddonkey15 · 02-05-2017 8:50pm

monkey9 wrote: »

Maybe he should just stop laying bets altogether that one of the greatest goalscorers of our generation won't score. Seriously, he should probably stop that.

Sound advice here. It's an outrageously stupid thing to do.

irishman86 · 02-05-2017 8:51pm

Andersonisgod wrote: »

http://www.marca.com/futbol/champions-league/2017/05/02/5908d928268e3ee5188b4585.html

It's in Spanish but couple of people on my timeline translated it.

It says he was not influencing the game, so it wasnt offside, going by the rules

Billy86 · 02-05-2017 8:52pm

Andersonisgod wrote: »

I'm struggling to think of a better squad.

Barca late 2000s (at least as an XI), Ajax early '70s (Haan, Krol, Hulshoff, Suurbier, the Muhrens, Swart, Keizer, Rep, Neeskens and of course Cruyff) and Milan early '90s (Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta, Tassotti, Panucci, Desailly, Albertini, Boban, Donadoni, Lentini, Laudrup, Savicevic, Papin* and van Basten) would be at least their equals in my mind.

niallo27 · 02-05-2017 8:52pm

The team that Milan put out in the 2005 final was probably one of the greatest teams ever. Really was a miracle that night. Just look through that team.

Jayop · 02-05-2017 8:52pm

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

Sound advice here. It's an outrageously stupid thing to do.

He's got 50 goals now in the Cl knock out stages in 66 games.For comparison the next best is Messi who has 37.

Only does it against small teams though, amirite?

PhilipsR · 02-05-2017 8:53pm

Ronaldo's offside for me for the goal. The defender knows he's behind him and therefore feels pressured to head it away. It's not for the defender to know he's offside behind him.

02-05-2017 8:53pm

Turtwig wrote: »

Griezmann has largely carried Atleti all season not surprising he's been subdued by Madrid tonight.

That's another reason I'd love him see win it out.
He will score yet. Match to finish 2-1 to Madrid tho.

The Talking Bread · 02-05-2017 8:55pm

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Anyway, someone I respect online made a claim that this Real Madrid squad is the best assembled in the history of football, agree or disagree?

Call me biased, a word you are most familiar with

, but the United 2007 2008 squad was very tasty!

Van Der Sar, Neville, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, , Wes Brown (when he was quite decent), Hargreaves (maybe his last proper season), Ronaldo, Saha, Rooney, Gigg, Ji Sung, Scholes, Evans, Fletcher, Anderson, Tevez, Carrick, Nani, Foster, Scholes, Pique

, Fletcher, Silvestre, Solskjaer, O Shea.

Few areas needed tidying up but an excellet balanced squad

Obviously can't say it is the best in soccer history (there is no qualitative measurement for same) but comparing it to Madrid tonight, is it far off??

Trigger · 02-05-2017 8:56pm

M!Ck^ wrote: »

That's another reason I'd love him see win it out.
He will score yet. Match to finish 2-1 to Madrid tho.

TheCitizen · 02-05-2017 8:57pm

The old adage that "decisions eventually even themselves out" doesn't apply to Real Madrid.

deaddonkey15 · 02-05-2017 8:57pm

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Call me bias, a word you are most familiar with , but the United 2007 2008 squad was very tasty!

Van Der Sar, Neville, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, , Wes Brown (when he was quite decent), Hargreaves (maybe his last proper season), Ronaldo, Saha, Rooney, Gigg, Ji Sung, Scholes, Evans, Fletcher, Anderson, Tevez, Carrick, Nani, Foster, Scholes, Pique , Fletcher, Silvestre, Solskjaer, O Shea.

Few areas needed tidying up but an excellet balanced squad

Obviously can't say it is the best in soccer history (there is no qualitative measurement for same) but comparing it to Madrid tonight, is it far off??

United were a serious force back then. Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez, those were the days..

Ulysses Gaze · 02-05-2017 8:58pm

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Call me biased, a word you are most familiar with , but the United 2007 2008 squad was very tasty!

Van Der Sar, Neville, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, , Wes Brown (when he was quite decent), Hargreaves (maybe his last proper season), Ronaldo, Saha, Rooney, Gigg, Ji Sung, Scholes, Evans, Fletcher, Anderson, Tevez, Carrick, Nani, Foster, Scholes, Pique , Fletcher, Silvestre, Solskjaer, O Shea.

Few areas needed tidying up but an excellet balanced squad

Obviously can't say it is the best in soccer history (there is no qualitative measurement for same) but comparing it to Madrid tonight, is it far off??

Some of the interplay between Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo when they all played together was a joy to watch that season.

TheCitizen · 02-05-2017 8:59pm

PhilipsR wrote: »

Ronaldo's offside for me for the goal. The defender knows he's behind him and therefore feels pressured to head it away. It's not for the defender to know he's offside behind him.

The flag should've went up and that should have been the end of the attack. He was offside.

Ulysses Gaze · 02-05-2017 9:00pm

Billy86 wrote: »

Barca late 2000s (at least as an XI), Ajax early '70s (Haan, Krol, Hulshoff, Suurbier, the Muhrens, Swart, Keizer, Rep, Neeskens and of course Cruyff) and Milan early '90s (Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta, Tassotti, Panucci, Desailly, Albertini, Boban, Donadoni, Lentini, Laudrup, Savicevic, Papin* and van Basten) would be at least their equals in my mind.

The Bayern squad from 1974-1976/77 was pretty tasty too.

As were Paisley's Liverpool squads.

ERG89 · 02-05-2017 9:01pm

niallo27 wrote:

The team that Milan put out in the 2005 final was probably one of the greatest teams ever. Really was a miracle that night. Just look through that team.

It was better than the 2007 one but yeah it was without Inzaghi & had Rui Costa, Serginho (one of the best impact subs ever if your a Milan fan), JDT, Ambrosini & Kaladze.
Fast forward to 2017 in comparison is frightening. 10 years since Milan won it. Feels like 10,000 when I see Jose Sosa, Honda (Who I forgot even existed) & Gabi Palleta.

02-05-2017 9:02pm

niallo27 wrote: »

The team that Milan put out in the 2005 final was probably one of the greatest teams ever. Really was a miracle that night. Just look through that team.

Kaka coming into his prime
I remember him scoring 3 (or two I think) against Utd. Initially was crushed but was also in awe

The Talking Bread · 02-05-2017 9:03pm

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

United were a serious force back then. Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez, those were the days..

Only problem was the lack of goalscorers apart from those 3. No other player scored more than 5 that season

Billy86 · 02-05-2017 9:03pm

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Call me biased, a word you are most familiar with , but the United 2007 2008 squad was very tasty!

Van Der Sar, Neville, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, , Wes Brown (when he was quite decent), Hargreaves (maybe his last proper season), Ronaldo, Saha, Rooney, Gigg, Ji Sung, Scholes, Evans, Fletcher, Anderson, Tevez, Carrick, Nani, Foster, Scholes, Pique , Fletcher, Silvestre, Solskjaer, O Shea.

Few areas needed tidying up but an excellet balanced squad

Obviously can't say it is the best in soccer history (there is no qualitative measurement for same) but comparing it to Madrid tonight, is it far off??

As a United fan... absolutely not!

One of the very best (and sometimes overlooked) GK/CB/CB trios of all time in VDS/Vidic/Ferdinand, a majestic CM in Scholes and an all timer hitting their peak in Ronaldo alongside some other very noteworthy players - but as an overall squad, no. Not even close.

Ulysses Gaze · 02-05-2017 9:05pm

niallo27 wrote: »

The team that Milan put out in the 2005 final was probably one of the greatest teams ever. Really was a miracle that night. Just look through that team.

Crespo and Shevchenko up front. Both in their primes. Inzaghi was a great goalscorer. Nesta, Stam, Maldini and Cafu at the back. They could chose from Kaka, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Rui Costa or Gattuso in midfield.

How did they lose that game?

02-05-2017 9:05pm

astradave wrote: »

I mean the CL

Can't see them won the first leg at the moment

Billy86 · 02-05-2017 9:06pm

Ulysses Gaze wrote: »

Crespo and Shevchenko up front. Both in their primes. Inzaghi was a great goalscorer. Nesta, Stam, Maldini and Cafu at the back. They could chose from Kaka, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Rui Costa or Gattuso in midfield.

How did they lose that game?

By Crespo having a perfectly good goal called back for being offside. :pac:

Jayop · 02-05-2017 9:06pm

Real Madrid 2002-2003 was something else too. A few older players but they were something else. Fat Ronaldo, Figo, Zidane, Carlos, Hierro, Makalele

Armchair Andy · 02-05-2017 9:07pm

What is there for Simeone after this with Atlethico? Win or lose? Would be a great coach at Arsenal imo.

Trigger · 02-05-2017 9:07pm

M!Ck^ wrote: »

I mean the CL

Can't see them won the first leg at the moment

I'm laughing cause obviously a team from Madrid are going to win M!cK

Andersonisgod · 02-05-2017 9:07pm

Not a 2nd yellow, nasty tackle by Isco.

TheCitizen · 02-05-2017 9:08pm

Ramos looking for a card:pac:. He's got some cheek

niallo27 · 02-05-2017 9:09pm

Ulysses Gaze wrote: »

Crespo and Shevchenko up front. Both in their primes. Inzaghi was a great goalscorer. Nesta, Stam, Maldini and Cafu at the back. They could chose from Kaka, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Rui Costa or Gattuso in midfield.

How did they lose that game?

Such an expierenced side too. I suppose when you have Djimi Traore in your side anyone is beatable.

irishman86 · 02-05-2017 9:11pm

niallo27 wrote: »

Such an expierenced side too. I suppose when you have Djimi Traore in your side anyone is beatable.

Its why he has never played regularly, it would have been unfair for everyone else

GreNoLi · 02-05-2017 9:11pm

Fans need to lay off Benzema, he's the creator of a new position, defensive centre forward.

murpho999 · 02-05-2017 9:14pm

Bound to be a red card in this tie.

Bridge93 · 02-05-2017 9:14pm

Should be two yellows in a minute for Atletico. No mention of it from some. Funny that

02-05-2017 9:14pm

Soft boy Nacho
Get up with that messing, rolling around screaming like a baby
Can't stand that

The Talking Bread · 02-05-2017 9:14pm

Armchair Andy wrote: »

What is there for Simeone after this with Atlethico? Win or lose? Would be a great coach at Arsenal imo.

Jardim to Arsenal, heard it here (and in every tabloid!) first!

Bridge93 · 02-05-2017 9:15pm

This the same Savic who was useless for City?

Rezident · 02-05-2017 9:16pm

Thats the problem with always playing so defensively, when you do need to score, they look out of practice attacking. Apart from some excellent pickpocketing and griezemann as always, atletico have been poor tonight.