Ultimate Football (Soccer) Thread (2011-2012)

[Serrland]

well had you asked me if Man U would beat Bilbao...I'd have said yes (given Man U's propensity to improve in the later stages of the campaign)) especially as it is in a lesser comp than the CL...

So quite surprised...but that's football...Bilbao wanted it more. Fair enough.

It's not as if they have a big league game coming up to worry about either, so they can't even fall back on the "we were eying our next fixture and fell flat mentally" excuse - I mean, Wolves is next, and sure it's away, but I'm pretty sure Man U could send their reserves off to Molineux and win, given how Wolves have collapsed this year.

[Phoenigetuzstha]

I LURV METALIST!

They're just amazing.

[Rubiconic Crossings V2 rev 1f]

well had you asked me if Man U would beat Bilbao...I'd have said yes (given Man U's propensity to improve in the later stages of the campaign)) especially as it is in a lesser comp than the CL...

So quite surprised...but that's football...Bilbao wanted it more. Fair enough.

It's not as if they have a big league game coming up to worry about either, so they can't even fall back on the "we were eying our next fixture and fell flat mentally" excuse - I mean, Wolves is next, and sure it's away, but I'm pretty sure Man U could send their reserves off to Molineux and win, given how Wolves have collapsed this year.

True as well...then again to be fair (ok this is a bad sign...I must be losing my grip on reality or something) but even a manager like SAF can have an off season...wtf...Manure (sorry I need to redress the balance) are top of the league and *sigh* probably gonna win it.

Bollocks.

[Serrland]

It's not as if they have a big league game coming up to worry about either, so they can't even fall back on the "we were eying our next fixture and fell flat mentally" excuse - I mean, Wolves is next, and sure it's away, but I'm pretty sure Man U could send their reserves off to Molineux and win, given how Wolves have collapsed this year.

True as well...then again to be fair (ok this is a bad sign...I must be losing my grip on reality or something) but even a manager like SAF can have an off season...wtf...Manure (sorry I need to redress the balance) are top of the league and *sigh* probably gonna win it.

Bollocks.

Try convincing a good lot of Man U supporters of that, though. Top of the league and some of them have already started running around screaming that the sky is falling. Makes me a bit sick, really, that simply winning the league isn't good enough.

/grumpiness from a supporter of a team that spent last year in a relegation battle, is doing the same this year, and most probably will next year, too

[Rubiconic Crossings V2 rev 1f]

True as well...then again to be fair (ok this is a bad sign...I must be losing my grip on reality or something) but even a manager like SAF can have an off season...wtf...Manure (sorry I need to redress the balance) are top of the league and *sigh* probably gonna win it.

Bollocks.

Try convincing a good lot of Man U supporters of that, though. Top of the league and some of them have already started running around screaming that the sky is falling. Makes me a bit sick, really, that simply winning the league isn't good enough.

/grumpiness from a supporter of a team that spent last year in a relegation battle, is doing the same this year, and most probably will next year, too

Yeah...and I am now very much hating myself for posting what I did...

[Fartsniffage]

It's not as if they have a big league game coming up to worry about either, so they can't even fall back on the "we were eying our next fixture and fell flat mentally" excuse - I mean, Wolves is next, and sure it's away, but I'm pretty sure Man U could send their reserves off to Molineux and win, given how Wolves have collapsed this year.

True as well...then again to be fair (ok this is a bad sign...I must be losing my grip on reality or something) but even a manager like SAF can have an off season...wtf...Manure (sorry I need to redress the balance) are top of the league and *sigh* probably gonna win it.

Bollocks.

We're a team in transition.

If we can win the league along the way then great. I'll happily take a Champions league position this season.

But I am enjoying the ABU consternation about us being weak and still in contention for the highest honours in the land.

[Hossaim]

True as well...then again to be fair (ok this is a bad sign...I must be losing my grip on reality or something) but even a manager like SAF can have an off season...wtf...Manure (sorry I need to redress the balance) are top of the league and *sigh* probably gonna win it.

Bollocks.

Try convincing a good lot of Man U supporters of that, though. Top of the league and some of them have already started running around screaming that the sky is falling. Makes me a bit sick, really, that simply winning the league isn't good enough.

/grumpiness from a supporter of a team that spent last year in a relegation battle, is doing the same this year, and most probably will next year, too

We haven't been playing well, and have scrapped way to many results.

[Rubiconic Crossings V2 rev 1f]

True as well...then again to be fair (ok this is a bad sign...I must be losing my grip on reality or something) but even a manager like SAF can have an off season...wtf...Manure (sorry I need to redress the balance) are top of the league and *sigh* probably gonna win it.

Bollocks.

We're a team in transition.

If we can win the league along the way then great. I'll happily take a Champions league position this season.

But I am enjoying the ABU consternation about us being weak and still in contention for the highest honours in the land.

I am so going to drown my sorrows tomorrow.

[Osarius]

Also, apparently Berbatov will be leaving United. It won't happen, but he could do a job for Arsenal.

As much as I thought I was clever telling my friend that Berbatov "wouldn't put in the leg work" when he suggested the guy would be "on his bike" in the summer... I think he'd be a pretty good signing for the Gunners. His intelligent style-of-play could work well at Arsenal.

...dunno how many fans would accept him with his north london past, though. Or whether the player would go for that move himself, even. Also, unless RVP leaves, do Arsenal really need him? I can't see him being happy to be used in a rotation system, or being benched there.

[Cromarty]

Wenger won't sign Berbatov, he's not an unknown 'French' kid straight out of Africa.

[Nazis in Space]

Someone's got an urn? We need some place to put the ashes of english football in.

[Forsher]

Someone's got an urn? We need some place to put the ashes of english football in.

They were better when they were amateurs.

Also, this will result in even more dangerous hooligans. The Barmy Army anyone?

[I V Stalin]

Also, apparently Berbatov will be leaving United. It won't happen, but he could do a job for Arsenal.

As much as I thought I was clever telling my friend that Berbatov "wouldn't put in the leg work" when he suggested the guy would be "on his bike" in the summer... I think he'd be a pretty good signing for the Gunners. His intelligent style-of-play could work well at Arsenal.

...dunno how many fans would accept him with his north london past, though. Or whether the player would go for that move himself, even. Also, unless RVP leaves, do Arsenal really need him? I can't see him being happy to be used in a rotation system, or being benched there.

Well, I'm fully expecting RVP to get crocked in the Euros and be out 'til the New Year.

And we were fairly accommodating with Sol Campbell...

Oh, just remembered we're buying Poldi. Maybe we don't need Berbatov, then. Just the defence to worry about then. AGAIN!

[Nazis in Space]

As much as I thought I was clever telling my friend that Berbatov "wouldn't put in the leg work" when he suggested the guy would be "on his bike" in the summer... I think he'd be a pretty good signing for the Gunners. His intelligent style-of-play could work well at Arsenal.

...dunno how many fans would accept him with his north london past, though. Or whether the player would go for that move himself, even. Also, unless RVP leaves, do Arsenal really need him? I can't see him being happy to be used in a rotation system, or being benched there.

Well, I'm fully expecting RVP to get crocked in the Euros and be out 'til the New Year.

And we were fairly accommodating with Sol Campbell...

Oh, just remembered we're buying Poldi. Maybe we don't need Berbatov, then. Just the defence to worry about then. AGAIN!

lol.

Podolski playing decent anywhere that isn't Cologne.

Just lol.

[Cromarty]

Champions League Draw:

Quarter finals:

APOEL vs. Real Madrid
Marseille vs. Bayern Munich
Benfica vs. Chelsea
AC Milan vs. Barcelona


Semi finals:

Marseille/Bayern Munich vs. APOEL/Real Madrid
Benfica/Chelsea vs. AC Milan/Barcelona

Fans Final: APOEL 3-2 Benfica

Realities Final: Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona

[Nazis in Space]

Champions League Draw:

Quarter finals:

APOEL vs. Real Madrid
Marseille vs. Bayern Munich
Benfica vs. Chelsea
AC Milan vs. Barcelona


Semi finals:

Marseille/Real Madrid vs. APOEL/Real Madrid
Benfica/Chelsea vs. AC Milan/Barcelona

Fans Final: APOEL 3-2 Benfica

Realities Final: Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona

Are the Real Amateurs playing, too?

Also,

>implying Barca will get past Milan

[Cromarty]

Are the Real Amateurs playing, too?

Fuckit, screwed that right up >:/

Also,

>implying Barca will get past Milan

Quite.

[Nazis in Space]

lawl. Hannover first against Atletico, and if they beat them, straight against Valencia. What a draw.

[The Blaatschapen]

What's happening in English football? Only 1 club left in Europe?

Spain has still five teams playing in Europe

[Miasto Lodz]

lawl. Hannover first against Atletico, and if they beat them, straight against Valencia. What a draw.

I smell a massacre. There won't be Kanu and Gakpe on the pitch this time.

[The Blaatschapen]

lawl. Hannover first against Atletico, and if they beat them, straight against Valencia. What a draw.

Assuming AZ loses from Valencia

Which is quite likely, but still an assumption

[Serrland]

lawl. Hannover first against Atletico, and if they beat them, straight against Valencia. What a draw.

Assuming AZ loses from Valencia

Which is quite likely, but still an assumption

Bah, not when Jozy Altidore goes out and scores 6 goals with 4 assists.

/American dickwaving

[Cromarty]

What's happening in English football? Only 1 club left in Europe?

A bad year. *shrugs*

Spain has still five teams playing in Europe

The draw has been kind to Spanish teams this year.

Real had a group which included a Dinamo Zagreb side that shipped 22 goals, the highest number of goals conceded of any team in Champions League history. They then faced a CSKA Moscow side who barely scraped through the group stage and are 6 points off of Zenit St Petersburg in the Championship Stage of the Russian Premier League, despite Seydou Doumbia scoring 24 goals in 30 league appearances this season.

Barca's group should go down as one of the easier groups in recent years, considering that Milan are defensively fragile and yet Barca conceded 5 goals over both ties against them. They then faced a Bayer Leverkusen side that is 5th in the German league, a whopping 16 points off of top, and 7 off of 4th, and who've only scored 38 goals, the second lowest of the top 6 (the lowest being 37 goals for 3rd placed Borussia Mönchengladbach, who have conceded just 15 goals to Bayer's 32).

So they've not exactly had it difficult, even before factoring in increased spending power from getting over double what Manchester United et al get in domestic TV money alone, due to the inherent unfairness in the way La Liga is set up and run, leading to higher spending power (hence why they can pick up players such as Villa etc when teams like Valencia essentially bankrupt themselves trying to play catch-up).

And now we come to the Europa League sides:

Whilst the group stage threw up an interesting problem for Bilbao in the form of oil-rich PSG, the Parisians were ultimately disappointing, and the Basque side dropped just 5 points as they finished top of the group. Things were even more routine for Athletico Madrid, facing Stade Rennes, the joint 3rd highest conceding team in the top half of the French Ligue 1, where they sit in 5th place in the table, 14 points off of PSG, Serie A's 5th placed side, the lowest scoring in the league's top 6, Udinese, 11 points off top placed Milan and 7 off of the still undefeated Juventus.

In the first knockout round, Bilbao had to rely on away goals to beat 5th placed, and joint worst scoring of the top 5, Lokomotiv Moscow, who are 10 points off Zenit. Athletico Madrid went up against a team in third placed Serie A side Lazio that had just 11 fit first team players in their first leg tie, with the Spaniards unsurprisingly winning 3-1 in Rome. Valencia, knocked out of the Champions League, had the incredibly daunting task of beating 13th placed English side Stoke City, who have scored the 2nd lowest amount of goals in the Premiership this season, just 27.

In the round of 16, Athletico Madrid played Eredivisie's 4th placed side PSV, who lost their top goal scorer last summer, who have conceded more goals than everyone apart from Roda JC in Eredivisie's top 8. Valencia faced Turkey's Besiktas, who play in a league almost as one sided as La Liga. 19 points off the top they, like 4th placed La Liga side Malaga, are closer to relegation than the summit of the Super Lig.*

Rather amazingly, Trabzonspor's striker Burak Yilmaz has 30 goals in 25 league appearances this season, contributing over 50% of the 3rd placed (who are just 3 points closer to the title than to relegation) team's total goals for the season. 26 year old Yilmaz, who signed a 4 year deal in July of last year has scored 52 goals in 66 League games for Trabzonspor, firing them to 2nd place in the Super Lig in 2010-11.

In the Quarter Finals Bilbao have Germany's Schalke 04, 4th in the Bundesliga, 11 points off the top with the second most goals conceded of the top 6. Athletico have Schalke's fellow Germans Hannover 96, who have scored just 30 goals in the league all season and sit in 7th place and are closed in points to bottom than to top. Valencia have what looks to be a tougher task in Eredivisie's top club AZ Alkmaar, and that looks to be the tie of the round.

[Central Lothian]

What's happening in English football? Only 1 club left in Europe?

Until Sion got booted out for fielding illegible players, Scotland had fewer teams than either Ireland or Cyprus.

[The Blaatschapen]

What's happening in English football? Only 1 club left in Europe?

Until Sion got booted out for fielding illegible players, Scotland had fewer teams than either Ireland or Cyprus.

Yeah, but that's quite normal for them. This is quite an outlier compared to other seasons for English football.