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The 2013-2014 Football Thread

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Offensive foul. For touching the keeper. Chelsea didn't score anyway but compare and contrast to what Carroll did on Sunday. British referees are really rubbish this season

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Well, well. Ba in the 88th minute. Chelsea nearly there

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Plastic flag waiving plastic fans singing "WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE, WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE! CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE, WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE!" Such a joke of a football club. PLASTIC
 
Can't wait to hear Mou brag yet again about something (the Mou article is spot on). PSG only have themselves to blame (Chelsea didn't play well let's face it). At least Dortmund put up a heck of a fight.
 
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Hold your noses, Chelsea might win the CL again. Bah. :(

...unless Atletico come to the rescue.

There's certainly no way Barca will make it, they have no defenders left.

PSG did look pretty lame though. Like Man City, they are still just a very rich club with expensive players - but also like Man City, they are sure to win things eventually as long as they keep spending.
 
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Kariya said:
Bayern, Real and Athleti are all capable of beating Chelsea over 2 legs.
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Everyone said the same thing the year Chelsea won the CL. So yes, you are right and they should get knocked out in the next round. But Mourinho-ball has a way of eking out results. Let's hope they fail to beat the odds a second time.
 
Touché. Will be interesting what happens int he draws. Wonder if Moyes can get United through too.
 
Lovely Ba! <3 Great player.

Unfortunately Dortmund couldn't make it. Came home from the opera after 1st half, saw 2:0 in the shopwindow and ran home. :D
Sad to see Lewa leaving but Micky will step up next season and be another great impact player.
 
Good news!

The only thing that worries me is that 63% voted against the change - which means almost 40% were in favor, a large minority.

That, and uncertainty over what Allam will do now.
 
I'm guessing there will have been a fair number of abstentions in there.

For what it's worth, they can't appeal this decision but they are of course able to reapply for the 2015-16 season. If they try it, we'll be ready. ;)
 
What does this mean long-term? Surely Allam will put the club up for sale and stop laying our money on players? I certainly can't see him tucking in his tail and being a good little boy from now on.

These tycoon types are all vain and any loss of face is bound to trigger some sort of retribution.
 
Over the last few months they've threatened to sell, walk away, not put any more money in... who knows?

I think the most likely thing they'll do is 'something bonkers'. One thing we can be sure of though is that this most likely isn't over...

EDIT: And indeed it isn't over. BBC Sport are reporting that Allam has told them he'll be appealing the FA's decision.

There apparently isn't a mechanism for him to do that with the FA directly, so I'm guessing he's talking about going through the courts. If he does, there'll likely be serious consequences for the club.
 
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Jaffa Cake said:
There apparently isn't a mechanism for him to do that with the FA directly, so I'm guessing he's talking about going through the courts. If he does, there'll likely be serious consequences for the club.
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He'll probably fund his battle to change the name with the club's own money. :(

EDIT: Atletico absolutely flew out of the gate, they hit the bar/post three times and scored once!!! I can't believe they aren't 3-0 up at halftime. I fear they won't last the 90 against Barca but unless they collapse in the second half they deserve to win this. Messi also shockingly missed two good chances.

Meanwhile in Munuch...yawn. Wake me when something happens. Bayern are doing a great deal of harm to their reputation tonight. If they can't beat this Stoke Man Utd squad they certainly don't deserve to be in this competition.
 
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United complacent and consequently given a knockout counterattack. Thought Arsenal were the ones known for going to sleep after scoring but United have given them a run for their money.

To be fair Rooney has been awful. Evra a ghost of himself. Wellbeck the best player on the pitch.
 
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Plenty of time left for more drama. Bayern have put themselves in a very dangerous situation and Man Utd will feel this tie can still be won.

EDIT: comedy defending by Evra and Vidic. Bayern finally take their chances.

Meanwhile in Madrid, Howard Webb is having a bit of a mare. Should have given a penalty to Atletico but bottled the call. Plenty of diving in this match, to be fair. Atletico still lead, Barca are passing it around but not yet showing enough threat to pull the game & tie level.
 
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Athleti have done it and deservedly so, and without their star forward. What a job Simeone has done.
 
Kariya said:
Athleti have done it and deservedly so, and without their star forward. What a job Simeone has done.
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I'm really excited about Atletico Madrid, they are definitely my team for the tournament. Shame Costa is hurt but Villa had a decent game today. They have what it takes to win this, even if they are probably not favorites.

The trouble for Atletico is that this will hurt their league campaign. Barca will now focus on the league.
 
Yeah. True dark horses. They have belief and play as a team. Please 3 out of the last 4 have shown they're vulnerable and beatable. So you never know.
 
I hope I'm wrong, but Chelsea also look like they have a really good chance to win this.They win by doing nothing but defend for 95% of the game and then score on a few lighting breaks or corners. They don't need a lot of possession, or shots, or set pieces - heck, they don't even need 11 men! Bayern, Real and Atletico spend a lot more time building attacks and leaving space in behind.
 
For all their weaknesses Manchester United created very good chances to win the tie; for a team whose attackers are on their game/don't fluff their opportunities, Bayern are there for the taking.

Moyes' in game decision making, again; no problem with the Rooney gamble, but when it is clear it isn't going to pay you have to make the change. The worst of late days Ferguson when he let emotion get in the way; 4-4 v Everton and against Real Madrid after Nani was sent off.

Liverpool; Premier League Champions, Chelsea; European Champions, Kagawa sold. :(

Cheers,
OW
 
oscillatewildly said:
For all their weaknesses Manchester United created very good chances to win the tie; for a team whose attackers are on their game/don't fluff their opportunities, Bayern are there for the taking.
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If Atletico draw Bayern and start their match like they did against Barca today, they might just get something.

Liverpool Champs? It would be a legendary finish but it will not happen. Man City have a better squad and can afford to drop points. Mourinho's Chelsea is, well, Mourinho's Chelsea. They are always contenders regardless of the BS that comes out of Mou's mouth. Liverpool don't just have to be good - they have to be unstoppably good for the entire run-in, and lucky on top of all that. It's just too much to ask. :(
 
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Jaffa Cake said:
EDIT: And indeed it isn't over. BBC Sport are reporting that Allam has told them he'll be appealing the FA's decision.

There apparently isn't a mechanism for him to do that with the FA directly, so I'm guessing he's talking about going through the courts. If he does, there'll likely be serious consequences for the club.
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It's a shame he's pressing on with the fight. Seems like at some point he'd realize he'll lose more money being at odds with the fans than he ever would sticking with a name that's been around for the last century. Not sure any side will be able to come out of a court battle as a winner. Hope he's not willing to crush the entire franchise out of spite.
 
oscillatewildly said:
For all their weaknesses Manchester United created very good chances to win the tie; for a team whose attackers are on their game/don't fluff their opportunities, Bayern are there for the taking.
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they simply didn't create that many chances if we are honest .. Man United had 6 shots (Bayern: 25) ... you can win with few chances (as Chelsea proved in the CL final) but you also depend on super efficent strikes and quite bit of luck

just looking at the goals makes it visible:
Evra: absolute screamer from outside the box.
Mandzukic: Header after a Ribery cross.
Müller: stumbling the ball across the line after a low cross inside the 5m box
Robben: Robben cuts inside. Ignores teammembers. Further cuts inside. Shots.

how many Evra like-goals scored by a defender do we see each season ? How many Bayern goals in exactly those variants have we seen this season ?

Bayern worked their usual options like a checklist until one worked. (Kroos curling long shot ... another usual suspect)


oscillatewildly said:
Moyes' in game decision making, again; no problem with the Rooney gamble, but when it is clear it isn't going to pay you have to make the change. The worst of late days Ferguson when he let emotion get in the way; 4-4 v Everton and against Real Madrid after Nani was sent off.
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the was interesting to see that after the 1:0/1:1 Guardiola reacted on the bench immedatly and brought on Rafihna, so that he can push Lahm in the Midfield and thus support Kroos in the center(who moved more forward), while getting the ineffective Götze (who couldn't break through the center) off the pitch.
Also he widened the formation that Robben/Ribery weren't facing 2 defending players but more 1on1 sitations.

meanwhile Moyes took a 15 minute nap and then brought on Hernandez for Fletcher. Thus surrendering the midfield, where Lahm was now covering.
 
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