PL 2017-2018 Thread
- Thread starter lejackal
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Agree the first penalty was questionable but as he missed it, a non-issue really. I'd be full of sympathy for Liverpool if they had played much better in the second half, but a Liverpool win would have been very unfair based on the game IMO, even from an outsider's POV.
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I agree really, was in and out of the room first half so didn't really see much. Second half Spurs we're knocking on the door until they scored 8 thought? Think a draw was a fair result? :?
The thing with the first penalty for me is the Skysports ref in the studio ignoring the fact that as soon as the ball was played forward Kane was offside, then if an opposing player touches it he's on side from that moment. What a load of bollucks! It's pointless having them on the show if they are going to talk crap like that.
The thing with the first penalty for me is the Skysports ref in the studio ignoring the fact that as soon as the ball was played forward Kane was offside, then if an opposing player touches it he's on side from that moment. What a load of bollucks! It's pointless having them on the show if they are going to talk crap like that.
edd_jedi said:
I don't doubt Spuds were the better side and deserved something from the game, I think I said it about three times in my first post. I just get pissed off at the two penalties. And we all know being the better side doesn't always mean you get the win you deserve. Look at Everton robbing a point at Anfield earlier in the season despite getting out of their own half about twice in the game. Coincidentally that was another joke penalty that went against Liverpool. Though I probably should have picked a different example of daylight robbery cos I probably sound like one of "those" Liverpool atm.
Looks like it's going to be a proper scrap for the Champions League places. City have won it but 2nd-4th are all to play for, even Arsenal are still in it. Too close to call at the moment but I would not be surprised if Spurs and Arsenal both miss out this season. I really want Spurs to go for the FA Cup this season, just win something.
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Steady now, Arsenal finishing in the top 4? :lol:
Arsenal's best shot is the Europa League, but that does require them to do something unusual and NOT get beaten in the first knock out round.
I'm not sure I can see them winning the EL, there are a few decent sides who will probably have too much for them, but they have a dam sight more chance of getting in via it than they do via the PL. They will need to go unbeaten in the PL between now and May to have a chance and given how good their away form is, that aint gonna happen.
I'm not sure I can see them winning the EL, there are a few decent sides who will probably have too much for them, but they have a dam sight more chance of getting in via it than they do via the PL. They will need to go unbeaten in the PL between now and May to have a chance and given how good their away form is, that aint gonna happen.
Imagine what would have happened it Spurs had turned up for the first ten minutes.
Are they the polar opposite of Liverpool? Pool dominate games and then find ways to buck them away. Spuds try to lose them and then come back to get a very credible draw. Combine the two and you'll have CL winners (and a team who couldn't win a game to save themselves, but sure).
Ps, if Higuain hadn't fluffed that second penalty it could all have been very different. Coming back from 2 down inside 10 mins to dominate the game but then ship a very soft one dead on half time. That's a massive boot in the balls and a huge psychological hurdle to get over. WTF Augier was doing carving your man down I'll never know. Between him and Ben Davies, I think Spuds could do with some new full backs. I can think of a certain Javier Moreno who Liverpool will gladly let you have! :wink:
Are they the polar opposite of Liverpool? Pool dominate games and then find ways to buck them away. Spuds try to lose them and then come back to get a very credible draw. Combine the two and you'll have CL winners (and a team who couldn't win a game to save themselves, but sure).
Ps, if Higuain hadn't fluffed that second penalty it could all have been very different. Coming back from 2 down inside 10 mins to dominate the game but then ship a very soft one dead on half time. That's a massive boot in the balls and a huge psychological hurdle to get over. WTF Augier was doing carving your man down I'll never know. Between him and Ben Davies, I think Spuds could do with some new full backs. I can think of a certain Javier Moreno who Liverpool will gladly let you have! :wink:
Except of course that the first goal was offside... Thank god they weren't using VAR :roll:
As for Davies and Aurier, yes both should be shot, but at least Aurier is now suspended for the replay, which I'm confident Spurs will win.
As for Liverstool, I think they should be too good for Porto, and an away goal or two could prove very useful.
As for Davies and Aurier, yes both should be shot, but at least Aurier is now suspended for the replay, which I'm confident Spurs will win.
As for Liverstool, I think they should be too good for Porto, and an away goal or two could prove very useful.
Yeah we were lucky that second penalty didn't go in, could have killed it, but saying that having two penalties going against you in the first half is pretty unheard of too (even though they were both correct decisions) so I'd say it was fair enough. Spurs have a habit of playing better when they concede an early goal, it usually doesn't worry me. In fact I worry more when they score early on, it usually results in 85 minutes of defending.
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Liverpool are gonna win the Champions League I can tell. I'm just saying this so it won't happen. :lol:
Going to be really interesting, very open tournament at the moment.
I think Spurs have got a realistic chance.
Going to be really interesting, very open tournament at the moment.
I think Spurs have got a realistic chance.
Snaketibe said:
Or five!?
edd_jedi said:
Cough, two in the last 10 minutes of a game, cough. Both of which were (I'll be generous) questionable. :wink:
theforceuk said:
That thought had crossed my mind as well. It does have that feel about it. BUT Klopp has a habit of picking Moreno and will come back to haunt us at some point. Plus there are a lot of very good sides in that competition. Sides who won't give Pool as much time and space as Porto did. AND, you've just jinxed it anyway! lol
theforceuk said:
Yeap, by my reckoning there are 11 sides who, on their day, could beat most of the others in it. Maybe 11 is generous, but you could certainly see any of the 5 English sides, Barca, Real, Sevilla, PSG, Juve or Bayern making the semi's and from there all it takes is a bit of luck or a pish refereeing decision and hey presto.
Good to see though. CL was getting boring with Spain's big 2 and Bayern monopolising it. Well, it still is boring in that you could pick the majority of the teams who would get out of the groups as soon as they were drawn but money talks and UEFA don't give a ****. By the time they realise ppl are bored and have moved on it will be too late.
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I'm telling you now Man Utd will not win the CL, categorically no chance. 
I agree with the group stage comment. They should have the second round before the group stage and seed it so all the teams that make up the numbers are knocked out. But like you say money talks, remember when they had two group stages for a couple of seasons!? :roll:
My money is on Barcelona, but As long as Liverpool and Real Madrid don't win it I'm not bothered. :lol:
I agree with the group stage comment. They should have the second round before the group stage and seed it so all the teams that make up the numbers are knocked out. But like you say money talks, remember when they had two group stages for a couple of seasons!? :roll:
My money is on Barcelona, but As long as Liverpool and Real Madrid don't win it I'm not bothered. :lol:
I don't think you need to worry about Liverstool winning it! They're far too inconsistent. One game they can be brilliant, the next bloody awful (plus they seem to like committing Hare Kari towards the end of games they're leading). They've got a lot of potency in attack, but as has been said many times already, defensively they can be decidedly suspect.
Much as I'd love to see Spurs win the CL (and I don't think their chances of doing so are zero), the smart money's got to be on Man City, Barca, Bayern or Real.
They're far too inconsistent. One game they can be brilliant, the next bloody awful (plus they seem to like committing Hare Kari towards the end of games they're leading). They've got a lot of potency in attack, but as has been said many times already, defensively they can be decidedly suspect.Much as I'd love to see Spurs win the CL (and I don't think their chances of doing so are zero), the smart money's got to be on Man City, Barca, Bayern or Real.
That Barca team is, as far as recent Barca teams go, pretty weak. If Messi doesn't click they really stuggle. Ok, he's the best player in the world (**** off cristiano you little scrote) and he clicks most weeks, but without him they look bang average. suarez is a class act, but a lot of other clubs have a great centre forward. Get Barca on a day when Messi is havign a stinker and they are very beatable.
For me the CL should be unseeded. So what if Barca, Real and PSG end up in one group!? All that means is they have to take the games seriously as 1 of them will be out. 6 games between those three with the losers knowing they are off the EL would be a dam sight more entertaining than 6 games where any of them play in second gear, with 4 first teamers rested and still beat Anderlecht, Slavia Prague, Spartak neverheardof, or AEK Athens 3-1. Where is the excitement in watching the latter? We've had it for years and years and years. It'll be even better if some nobody club makes the knock out stages, the money they make will mean a dam sight more to them than any of the big teams. Plus there will be novelty value.
Saying that the EL needs a massive overhaul as well. It's far far too bloated and long winded. And quite why failed CL sides get to drop into it I'll never know. Actually, I do know, it's money. UEFA's primary/ only concern
For me the CL should be unseeded. So what if Barca, Real and PSG end up in one group!? All that means is they have to take the games seriously as 1 of them will be out. 6 games between those three with the losers knowing they are off the EL would be a dam sight more entertaining than 6 games where any of them play in second gear, with 4 first teamers rested and still beat Anderlecht, Slavia Prague, Spartak neverheardof, or AEK Athens 3-1. Where is the excitement in watching the latter? We've had it for years and years and years. It'll be even better if some nobody club makes the knock out stages, the money they make will mean a dam sight more to them than any of the big teams. Plus there will be novelty value.
Saying that the EL needs a massive overhaul as well. It's far far too bloated and long winded. And quite why failed CL sides get to drop into it I'll never know. Actually, I do know, it's money. UEFA's primary/ only concern
Snaketibe said:I don't think you need to worry about Liverstool winning it!
Much as I'd love to see Spurs win the CL (and I don't think their chances of doing so are zero), the smart money's got to be on Man City, Barca, Bayern or Real.
I will no doubt regret saying this, but recently Pool haven't been too bad. With Moreno now out of the side and someone (Robertson) playing LB who actually knows, how to pass, mark, tackle and generally play football, combined with VVD looking an improvement on what Pool had before and Karius looking like a goalkeeper and not someone who plays for the Dog and Duck on a Sunday afternoon, Liverpool's defence has looked a little better recently.
Yeah, they will probably still make mistakes, all three are still learning tomolay in that team, but Robertson, Karius and VVD fill me with more confidence than Moreno, Mingers and Lovern/Klavan etc.
Cue Liverpool losing the second leg 16-0 and losing to WH and scraping a pt from Newcastle.
I think I agree with all of that! I'd love the CL to be unseeded. It would certainly make for much more entertaining early matchesweasel said:
And yes, the CL losers dropping down into the EL is simply outrageous! Personally, I would favour scrapping the EL & current form CL entirely and replacing them with a single, expanded, unseeded CL... Now THAT would be fun! :-D
I agree seeding is bullshit, it should be completely random like the FA Cup. That's what makes it interesting and gives the minnos a chance of progressing. As you say in the current format you can pretty much skip the group stages, they're a gimme for half the sides.
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Problem is if you don't seed it like the FA Cup you could end up with one big team steam rolling the last couple of rounds. Like when Man Utd won the FA Cup a couple of seasons ago we only had to beat Crystal Palace and Everton.
Liverpool would end up beating Some one like Red Star Belgrade on penalties in the final, I couldn't handle that. :lol:
I agree the format needs changing, but when BT are paying nearly £3 million a game for the TV rights, who's gonna bother?
Liverpool would end up beating Some one like Red Star Belgrade on penalties in the final, I couldn't handle that. :lol:
I agree the format needs changing, but when BT are paying nearly £3 million a game for the TV rights, who's gonna bother?
Tv audience figures have been dropping the last few years. I'm not sure if it's cos the games are no longer on free to air TV in the UK or cos people are sick of. I suspect both. But I do know UEFA have noticed and are worried. Lower viewing figures means lower TV rights and advertising revenue and that means fewer back handers for those in the ivory towers.
