Different level of competition

[BLionheart 516]

Everyone is expecting Barcelone and Real Madrid to conquer Europe next year , and actually they shouldn't be blamed .

Barcelone are now an out of the world team , they play football from the future .... they have been for the last 3 years and since guardiola , the best team in the word.

And now Real Madrid under the leadership of Mourinho (the best coach in the world ATM) and with their recent additions (Ronaldo - Di Maria - Ozil - Alonso - Sahin - and still adding more may be Neymar as well ) they are now on paper the best team in the world but they are still not great on the field they are not what you would call a Team . However Mourinho has always managed to fix that.

But after The EPL has already proved that it's the strongest competition in Europe over the last decade , Can you really write off EPl teams?!

May be the last two seasons would suggest that yes , you can write off EPL teams.

But i will suggest otherwise .

Liverpool looks like they are not satisfied without a UCL Place , they are investing again and they are definitely gonna start their come back next year , Man city are only gonna get better with more and more additions and they will keep adding till they find the right formula , only our London rivals (arsenal - tottenham ) looks like they are standing still and that's why i think they will both lose out on a place in the top 4 in 2012.

Man United , the EPl champions ( Ops that hurts !!) and the UCL Runners up , has definitely overachieved last season and they are not that great but they aren't satisfied either . as this is the 1st time in many years that UTD invests heavily in the transfer market !! they have already signed De Gea - Jones - Young which are all (good - great additions) and they are still looking to add a CM , Snieder is their priority now .

They don't look bad now , do they ?? If that's what they achieved without those additions what can they do after them under the management of SAF.

Chelsea on the other-hand are having a very busy summer as well , we haven't added any players yet but we have made ourselves the best deal in Europe this year by Signing AVB .

It looks like now and under the leadership of AVB a new era is about to begin , the aging Jose Mourinho's squad will definitely has a lot of changes this year . Expect at least 3 signings and 3 or 4 departures .

Chelsea has the best back 5 in europe (Cech - Iva - Luiz - Terry - Cole) and although we have problems in our midfield in terms of creativity but defensively our Midfield is superb.

Chelsea has Two of the top 3 Lone strikers in the world in Drogba and Torres although i expect Didier to leave and some would point that El nino is no longer a Top CF but my point is that in some way or another we shouldn't be having problems netting goals.

The main problem is obvious and it's lack of creativity , so if we are to sign a CM (modric) and hopefully 2 wingers . Then i think Chelsea will be the most efficient team in whole Europe . Having a mixture of superb fast paced creative attack and Solid and Superb defensive unit .

we had a chance last year to win an easy championship , We could have easily been in wembley in the UCL final !! bu we missed those chances . And now we must know that next year the EPL winner won't need just 82 or 83 points.

My point is that we better get prepared as this year is gonna be different to the last 2 . In the UCL Barca won't be the only team to beat anymore as Real and United won't be any easier opponents.

While in the EPl the title is stil gonna be between United and us but this time around united are gonna be much much tougher , and they won't end up having just 81 or 83 points .

2011-2012 will be very interesting as Barcelone has set new standards and big teams Like Us , United and Madrid are trying to match that . So expect tougher challengers and an overall much more tougher competition in the EPL and UCL.

[zolayes 14,489]

:goodpost: A very readable and well presented post. Who knows how Barca would cope with injuries to Messi and Xavi or Iniesta,

Of course they are the favourites to win the CL again but losing favourites are one of the reasons bookies are richer than us

[TomCFC 356]

We won't win the Champions League.

Ever.

[Tomo 21,733]

good thread

Arsenal won't drop out of the top 4, they always seem to find a way in there by any means how, whether its lasagna or starting like a train they will get in there, Tottenham i don't think have a cat in hells chance, on their day they can beat anyone but they drop too many silly points against the bottom teams to ever be consistent top 4 contenders.

Man.City will be stronger although im not too sure how many of their players have that win at all cost's mentality, they could pay for letting Vieira go and Utd's season will depend on how De Gea settles, if he starts nervously there introuble, remember their kerfuffle after Schmeichel left them?

Liverpool might be top 4 contenders at a push but the title is a no no, we hear many theories every summer how this year will be their year after they end the season strongly and after about 2 months it becomes obvious there team were overhyped again.

This is a glorious chance for us to win the league if we get the right players in and AVB get's the players on side and believing in his way.

As for Europe Barca may be the best team in the world but are defiantly beatable, both Jose and Guus have proved in recent years that with the right tactics they can not only be matched but battered, lets be honest if Drogba finished better and we had a better ref Iniesta's goal would have been a mere consolation.

Real again can be beaten but i do fancy them for La Liga, Jose stopped Arsenal when they looked un-stoppable and i think he will do it with Barca, id dread facing Real in Europe more than Barca but then again under AVB we might have a chance against Jose this time.

[magic weeds 446]

:goodpost: Its really gonna be a tough year.

[Henrique 9,133]

If the english dont improve the current form they have no chance.

In 2008 Giggs was a squad player, played only the extra time in CL final against Chelsea. In 2011, two years later, Giggs was the main Manchester player in the midfield with 37 years old.

It was really silly to believe that Hernandez would made any huge impact in CL final against Barcelona.

SAF is great, but his best days belong to the past. In 2009 and in 2011 CL final he made some really stupid mistakes.

There is only one club in England that can match spanish giants next year, and its Chelsea. Now that Ancelotti is out, we are moving in right direction, but we need a overhaul in the summer. We won't conquer europe with few changes in the squad. A mid with Lampard-Mikel-new player is not good enough to conquer Europe.

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

56 Years Without CL trophy.

What a miss.

We Need Luck+Smart Tactic Game.

[ChelseaChick 430]

We won't win the Champions League.

Ever.

That's the spirit!!

[Guest justin_3d]

If the english dont improve the current form they have no chance.

In 2008 Giggs was a squad player, played only the extra time in CL final against Chelsea. In 2011, two years later, Giggs was the main Manchester player in the midfield with 37 years old.

It was really silly to believe that Hernandez would made any huge impact in CL final against Barcelona.

SAF is great, but his best days belong to the past. In 2009 and in 2011 CL final he made some really stupid mistakes.

There is only one club in England that can match spanish giants next year, and its Chelsea. Now that Ancelotti is out, we are moving in right direction, but we need a overhaul in the summer. We won't conquer europe with few changes in the squad. A mid with Lampard-Mikel-new player is not good enough to conquer Europe.

I wouldn't count City out.

They have the money like us to build an awesome team.

But Mancini.....

[BLionheart 516]

good thread

Arsenal won't drop out of the top 4, they always seem to find a way in there by any means how, whether its lasagna or starting like a train they will get in there, Tottenham i don't think have a cat in hells chance, on their day they can beat anyone but they drop too many silly points against the bottom teams to ever be consistent top 4 contenders.

Man.City will be stronger although im not too sure how many of their players have that win at all cost's mentality, they could pay for letting Vieira go and Utd's season will depend on how De Gea settles, if he starts nervously there introuble, remember their kerfuffle after Schmeichel left them?

Liverpool might be top 4 contenders at a push but the title is a no no, we hear many theories every summer how this year will be their year after they end the season strongly and after about 2 months it becomes obvious there team were overhyped again.

This is a glorious chance for us to win the league if we get the right players in and AVB get's the players on side and believing in his way.

As for Europe Barca may be the best team in the world but are defiantly beatable, both Jose and Guus have proved in recent years that with the right tactics they can not only be matched but battered, lets be honest if Drogba finished better and we had a better ref Iniesta's goal would have been a mere consolation.

Real again can be beaten but i do fancy them for La Liga, Jose stopped Arsenal when they looked un-stoppable and i think he will do it with Barca, id dread facing Real in Europe more than Barca but then again under AVB we might have a chance against Jose this time.

Those two underlined points will never happen at the same time , Us , United and City are definitely gonna be 3 of the top 4 , so it's a matter of either arsenal or liverpool for the only available place in the top 4 .

If liverpool are to keep spending this summer , then i think it will be them . the additions of (Suarez - Henderson - Carrol) and more importantly Daglish may lead them back to the op 4 specially if followed by someone like Mata .

[BLionheart 516]

If the english dont improve the current form they have no chance.

In 2008 Giggs was a squad player, played only the extra time in CL final against Chelsea. In 2011, two years later, Giggs was the main Manchester player in the midfield with 37 years old.

It was really silly to believe that Hernandez would made any huge impact in CL final against Barcelona.

SAF is great, but his best days belong to the past. In 2009 and in 2011 CL final he made some really stupid mistakes.

There is only one club in England that can match spanish giants next year, and its Chelsea. Now that Ancelotti is out, we are moving in right direction, but we need a overhaul in the summer. We won't conquer europe with few changes in the squad. A mid with Lampard-Mikel-new player is not good enough to conquer Europe.

SAF best days are in 2010 - 2011 if you ask me , winning the league and getting the 2nd place in the UCL with this squad was like getting from Brazil to Madrid using a Hyundai vehicle.

Man united are gonna get much better this year , specially if they added a decent CM .

[Henrique 9,133]

SAF best days are in 2010 - 2011 if you ask me , winning the league and getting the 2nd place in the UCL with this squad was like getting from Brazil to Madrid using a Hyundai vehicle.

Man united are gonna get much better this year , specially if they added a decent CM .

Disagree. There was no great team in England. Despite Carlo's pathetic season, 3 games before the end of the PL we were only 3 points behind them. If our "bad moment" wasnt that bad, we would have won the league.

In CL...well, MU is really lucky team, their draw was fucking easy.

His best days belongs to past. He should have left football after 2009 CL Final.

[Tomo 21,733]

Man.Utd were shit last season, they won it because the rest of England were even worse.

There's a reason that this was the first time 80 points was enough for the title since 1999.

[ulsterchelsea 3,221]

You need a good team/squad to stand a chance in Europe and a WHOLE LOT OF LUCK to win it and thats what we consistently lack

[HRiver 1,512]

We won't win the Champions League.

Ever.

Are you God?

[BLionheart 516]

Man.Utd were shit last season, they won it because the rest of England were even worse.

There's a reason that this was the first time 80 points was enough for the title since 1999.

Yes , they were . they had a shit squad with only two above average players (rooney - vidic) and even rooney had a very bad start and his season didn't kick off until late march .

That is exactly why i found it very impressive to win the league!!!!

I know if we were not in a "bad moment" we probably would have won it , but we were and SAF made the most of it . so Credit where credit is due .

A great Manager is the one he can get the best possible outcome with the available squad . i know Man united had many better seasons but in terms of best possible outcome from available resources that definitely is the best.

[Tomo 21,733]

Yes , they were . they had a shit squad with only two above average players (rooney - vidic) and even rooney had a very bad start and his season didn't kick off until late march .

Dont rate Vidic at-all tbh, he is so over-rated its embarrising.

This myth that nothing gets past him is set because he kicks out and tug shirts all the time how he got in team of the decade is beyond me, Rio is world class, Vidic just simply aint.

[TomCFC 356]

That's the spirit!!

When you come so close consistently but can't still get over that final hurdle, you really do wonder what we lack. Luck, probably.