The Ultimate Soccer Thread 2011-2012. VOL 2 (EPL,LFP, SERIE A, BUND, ETC.)

In other news...

http://www1.skysports.com...ball/news/11661/7381686/
No decision will be made on the Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra racism row until Tuesday at the earliest, says the Football Association.

A disciplinary hearing into claims that Liverpool striker Suarez racially abused Manchester United defender Evra during a Premier League fixture at Anfield in October was opened on Wednesday.

It was suggested that a decision regarding what, if any, action to take would be made by Thursday.

The FA has, however, announced that the investigation will continue until the middle of next week.

"The Independent Regulatory Commission has confirmed there will be no decision this evening and will continue working through the weekend," read a statement released on the FA's official website.

"There will be no announcement on any decision before Tuesday 20 December 2011 at the earliest."
Click to expand...
 
Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Originally Posted by hugebird

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

I'd settle for any combo of Barca/Madrid/Milan/Bayern though. Don't think any other team is really CL final worthy right now.
Click to expand...
A Milan side that trails Juve and Udinese is more "CL final worthy" than another club? If you say so.

Anyway, Barca has enough quality to see them through, but this is not a bye by any means. They have a lot of quality in the side, and with Andre Schurrle and Sidney Sam, they are quite able to hit on the counter, and they will always be organized at the back.

Pretty much all of the fixtures should be interesting to view, and obviously the matchups with the two London clubs will most likely be the most interesting.
Click to expand...
The same Milan squad that went toe to toe with Barca twice. You can't just equate league performance with CL chances. Not that simple, especially with a team like Milan that some would say is built for the CL. 
Click to expand...
And you really can't compare the group stages with the knockout stages. I actually wouldn't go as far to say that Milan is built for the CL, as they are conceding entirely too much, especially away in all competitions.

I am not saying that they may not improve and go deep in the competition, but at the moment, I just don't think that they are in the same tier as the first three club you mentioned.
 
Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Even if Barca has a bye, why shouldn't they, and why wouldn't you want them to? I certainly don't want to see Barca play another great team in the first knockout round. It's always unavoidable to some extent that good teams are matched up early in tournaments stacked with power, but if any team has earned a "bye" it's Barca.

Dream final is definitely Barca v. Madrid. Especially if Madrid gets a result at Camp Nou at the end of the season.

I'd settle for any combo of Barca/Madrid/Milan/Bayern though. Don't think any other team is really CL final worthy right now.
Click to expand...
Leverkusen is a bye? Not sure I understand the logic with that, just because Barca is exceptionally good doesn't make Leverkusen a "bye". Leverkusen is not even close to be the weakest team to advance from the group stage. Leverkusen has experience on the squad and some quality as well. I just think that to some people, regardless who Barca drew it would be considered a "bye".

And not sure how Milan is worthy of playing in a CL final "right now", just because of 2 good results against Barca, they struggled against the weaker teams in the group and having looked very sharp in the Serie A. It really doesn't matter if a team if CL final worthy right now anyway, as all these teams are going to be dealing with injuries, transfers, league title races, domestic cups, etc. The Russian teams will be coming off a huge break as well.
 
Originally Posted by hpscots0906

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Even if Barca has a bye, why shouldn't they, and why wouldn't you want them to? I certainly don't want to see Barca play another great team in the first knockout round. It's always unavoidable to some extent that good teams are matched up early in tournaments stacked with power, but if any team has earned a "bye" it's Barca.

Dream final is definitely Barca v. Madrid. Especially if Madrid gets a result at Camp Nou at the end of the season.

I'd settle for any combo of Barca/Madrid/Milan/Bayern though. Don't think any other team is really CL final worthy right now.
Click to expand...
Leverkusen is a bye? Not sure I understand the logic with that, just because Barca is exceptionally good doesn't make Leverkusen a "bye". Leverkusen is not even close to be the weakest team to advance from the group stage. Leverkusen has experience on the squad and some quality as well. I just think that to some people, regardless who Barca drew it would be considered a "bye".

And not sure how Milan is worthy of playing in a CL final "right now", just because of 2 good results against Barca, they struggled against the weaker teams in the group and having looked very sharp in the Serie A. It really doesn't matter if a team if CL final worthy right now anyway, as all these teams are going to be dealing with injuries, transfers, league title races, domestic cups, etc. The Russian teams will be coming off a huge break as well.
Click to expand...
I swear people go at me so hard on here. 
roll.gif

I never said Leverkusen was a bye. Someone else said it. I said "even if " it is a bye. I even put bye in quotes to get the point across. 

About Milan, I get that they're not on the level of the other teams, but I stand by my statement. They didn't "struggle" with small teams. You can't just look at the table and say that. They handled their business and only lost to the Czech squad when they were locked into second place. Drawing with the Danish squad in Denmark after they had already beat them in Milan is not a bad result and does not constitute struggling.

And yeah, you can't just look at the Barca games, and you can't compare knockout games to group games, but there are other factors in Milan's favor. Aside from Madrid Barca Bayern, they have the best mix of young talent and experienced CL players. They have players like Seedorf and Inzaghi and Nesta who have been through this multiple times. They have world-class talents like Pato and Ibra and Silva and Robinho. 

What other team has a mix of players this suited to CL competition? Arsenal?
laugh.gif
 Chelsea? Inter? Napoli? 
 
Spurs didin't have much trouble sweeping them aside last season. Milan hasn't been relevant in the CL since their 07 title season so I'm not sure what they have shown thus far that puts them so far ahead of a team like Chelsea for instance. I think Arsenal has a good shot at beating as well BTW. Not trying to go at you specifically because I do respect your opinion but we all know you can go overboard sometimes
laugh.gif
.
 
Originally Posted by PersiaFly

I swear people go at me so hard on here. 
roll.gif
Click to expand...

Maybe it's because you say things like, "Pep Guardiola is often outclassed." Just a thought.

Regarding Milan, I'd probably rate them as the fourth strongest contender in the competition, but I agree with hugebird in that they aren't on the same tier as Barca/Real/Bayern. Those three teams are so talented and complete that there's no way I'd put a team with glaring weaknesses like Milan's fullbacks on that level. IMO, the gap between the top three and Milan is much wider than the gap between Milan and Chelsea/Arsenal. Obviously every team has their struggles, but Milan's have been more noticeable and troubling. On top of their weaknesses at FB, their attack at times is plodding and predictable, and linking midfield with their forwards has been a problem from what I've seen. They continue to rely on Seedorf, Van bommel, and Ambrosini who have all shown their age this season. Of course, these criticism are relative to the CL top competition so the noted problems probably sound worse than they are, but an Arsenal victory wouldn't surprise me at all.


In other news sure to infuriate UTD fans, Sir Alex says it's unlikely they'll buy in the upcoming window. Also, their starlet Paul Pogba (being likened to Patrick Viera) is refusing to sign an extension, to the point where Fergie has actually come out in the media and chastened the 18 year old for greed. (
roll.gif
) City and the Milan teams are supposedly circling.
 
Originally Posted by abovelegit1

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

I swear people go at me so hard on here. 
roll.gif
Click to expand...

Maybe it's because you say things like, "Pep Guardiola is often outclassed." Just a thought.

Regarding Milan, I'd probably rate them as the fourth strongest contender in the competition, but I agree with hugebird in that they aren't on the same tier as Barca/Real/Bayern. Those three teams are so talented and complete that there's no way I'd put a team with glaring weaknesses like Milan's fullbacks on that level. IMO, the gap between the top three and Milan is much wider than the gap between Milan and Chelsea/Arsenal. Obviously every team has their struggles, but Milan's have been more noticeable and troubling. On top of their weaknesses at FB, their attack at times is plodding and predictable, and linking midfield with their forwards has been a problem from what I've seen. They continue to rely on Seedorf, Van bommel, and Ambrosini who have all shown their age this season. Of course, these criticism are relative to the CL top competition so the noted problems probably sound worse than they are, but ran Arsenal victory wouldn't susurprise me at all.


In other news sure to infuriate UTD fans, Sir Alex says it's unlikely they'll buy in the upcoming window. Also, their starlet Paul Pogba (being likened to Patrick Viera) is refusing to sign an extension, to the point where Fergie has actually come out in the media and chastened the 18 year old for greed. (
roll.gif
) City and the Milan teams are supposedly circling.
Click to expand...
It's whatever, that Pep comment may have been imprecise as we discussed (most of us have slipped up here or there), but people literally try to call me out on every post I make in this thread. If I had the same attitude towards your posts I would just read what you wrote looking for anything debatable then hit you with a
roll.gif
and not actually have any sort of constructive exchange on the topic. Basically just trying to argue at any cost. I say Madrid can take some positives from their game against Barca and people
laugh.gif
and call me out. When dozens of writers on major soccer outlets are saying the same thing. But it's all
pimp.gif
to me, I still enjoy posting.
I didn't mean to imply that Milan was in the class of the other teams, we have all discussed that Bayern/Barca/Madrid are the three best teams in the world. But to me they are the fourth best team in the competition and are more likely to reach of the final than the other squads. 
 
Wasn't trying to call you out at all, you were just the last person commenting on the "bye" Barca was getting. And in my opinion, having watched Milan this season, they just aren't very good. Arsenal in their recent form (as much as it pains me to say this) has looked just as good if not better. Just because Milan have some experienced players with quality, they haven't even played close to what we all know theyre capable of.

But as I was saying, judging the teams right now is pointless, some teams will be completely different by February.
 
Originally Posted by abovelegit1

In other news sure to infuriate UTD fans, Sir Alex says it's unlikely they'll buy in the upcoming window.
Click to expand...

i'm not at all surprised...Sir Alex can be really stubborn and too proud sometimes...
he'll make claims along the lines of "his squad being good enough" but the truth is they've never looked like getting anyone as good to replace Ronaldo and Scholes...
Utd's humiliating exit in the CL group stages this season will pretty much tell him all that he needs to know...
Originally Posted by abovelegit1

Also, their starlet Paul Pogba (being likened to Patrick Viera) is refusing to sign an extension, to the point where Fergie has actually come out in the media and chastened the 18 year old for greed. (
roll.gif
) City and the Milan teams are supposedly circling.
Click to expand...

unlike Wenger,Sir Alex rarely throw teenagers into his first team squad nowadays(the League Cup doesn't count)...

gone are the days of "Fergie's Fledglings"...i know the game has changed but it seems like Sir Alex doesn't believe in the youth system anymore...
Rossi,Possebon and of course Pique were some of the talented youngsters that were never given the chance at Utd...
and Pogba will find his playing time limited so i wouldn't be surprised if he eventually leaves the club...
who knows,even Fabio and Rafael could consider moves away from Old Trafford at the end of next season to increase their chances of sneaking into Brazil's WC squad for 2014...

i'll put the blame on Sir Alex if the likes of Pogba,Morrison and Tunnicliffe were to leave United...
 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo...hi/football/16230934.stm
Manchester United could return to this season's Champions League if the Swiss Football Association fails to comply with Fifa and punish FC Sion.

Sion were thrown out of the Europa League for fielding ineligible players in their match against Celtic.

The Swiss FA has until 13 January to act and Fifa has threatened to suspend Switzerland and their club sides.

If the ban took effect, FC Basel would be ejected from the Champions League and United could be reinstated.

The Swiss champions knocked Sir Alex Ferguson's side out of European football's elite competition and into the Europa League, earning a 3-3 draw at Old Trafford before winning the home match 2-1.

Sion were put under a transfer embargo over the signing of Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, but proceeded to sign six players in the summer.

The six players took their case to a civil court in the canton of Valais, which ruled they could play, and subsequently fielded them in the Swiss league.

Sion then fielded five of the six players during the Europa League play-off tie against Celtic and were kicked out of the competition as a result, with Uefa's decision to expel them upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday.

Fifa has now ordered the Swiss FA to enforce a ban on registering six Sion players signed during the transfer embargo.

"As a consequence, all matches in which the relevant players participated shall be declared forfeit or three points shall be deducted respectively," Fifa said. "Should this deadline not be respected, the Swiss FA will be automatically suspended from 14 January 2012 onwards."

Under the terms of a Fifa suspension, a country's national and club teams, referees and officials are prohibited from taking part in international matches and meetings, or receive Fifa funding.

Well, I hope Utd don't get in because of this.  They certainly didn't play well enough to deserve it.  Give Bayern the bye instead. 
Click to expand...
 
AVB about to get lit up again for taking off all his attacking threats. The man can't win.
laugh.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

The ultimate sneaker enthusiast community.

NikeTalk was created as a way of giving back to both the sneaker enthusiast community and to the greater global community of which we are all a part.

NikeTalk is NOT affiliated with Nike Inc. in any way, shape, or form. All opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.

© 1999-2024 NikeTalk.com

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom