The European Competitions Thread

[Jase 43,479]

Think I have been more invested in watching Man City v Leicester and Liverpool v Barcelona - all to see Liverpool suffer the agony but obviously one didn't turn out that way - than I've been watching us play this season.

[Blue Armour 4,759]

21 minutes ago, Laylabelle said:

That's it. Hard but credit where it's due. Impact subs. Key players out and it didn't change a thing in terms of how they played. Straight from the word go as well. Job done bam bam bam. Bleh. 

Its just crazy and sad how quickly we've fallen behind. Know was slowly happening but now so so clear how big of a gap it is. We're average. 

Yeah we are average now, but I don't think we are too far away from a fix. Need at least 3 good signings though..striker, FB, CB. Let's see.

[Johnnyeye 7,593]

wow Barca is really shit, bottlers of the highest order just like PSG, not even one away goal at Anfield, unbelievable shit. Credit to the scousers, i feel they will win it now after this comeback, its in the stars. I will be rooting for Ajax all the way now.

[Jase 43,479]

Get ready for a Spurs v Liverpool final, fellas...

[Vesper 31,181]

10 minutes ago, Jason said:

Get ready for a Spurs v Liverpool final, fellas...

[Johnnyeye 7,593]

6 minutes ago, Vesper said:

my feelings exactly, Valverde deserves the sack just for this 2nd leg  capitulation, he did the same last season against Roma. Fuck the scouse cunts and their luck. Unforgivable from Barca.

[1905didierblue 748]

Why do people keep saying "luck". Liverpool were not lucky in this tie. If anything they were unlucky to lose 3-0 to Barca. Should have been 4-2 ish. They outplayed Barca without salah and firmino, let that sink in. 

A front 3 of shaqiri, mane and fucking origi.

A mid 3 of Henderson, fabinho, milner.

If I said that a team of that front 6 was in the finals of CL beating Bayern and Barca, along with having 94 freaking points in PL, people would have laughed at me and booked a one way ticket to a fucking asylum.

Klopp has done WONDERS, with this team. 

[coolhead23 1,147]

What a fucking match was that!!! It was stuff of Champions!!! Liverpool deserved every bit of it. 

After seeing the post match, I could connect with our semi final at Nou Camp and how I wished that would had been at the Bridge. The atmosphere last night seems so electrifying in the stadium, to see everyone so involved, invested ... this is what fans live for. Congrats to Liverpool for crushing Barca. 

Hope to see such night return to the Bridge soon. Fingers crossed!!!

[communicate 2,703]

I don't understand playing Coutinho. Barcelona cannot do any build up since last week. Play either semedo or Arthur. Barcelona problem was their inability to feed their front player. This happened since last week. 

Fantastic performances by pool, their pressing is just brilliant. 

[communicate 2,703]

7 hours ago, Laylabelle said:

Klopp could probably do wonders with our lot.. Shame we never got him. 

Nah, he will have problem with the way our team press. Our team suck at pressing, hazard and CHO are awful at pressing. Our two fb are also not good at pressing. 

[Jase 43,479]

2 minutes ago, communicate said:

I don't understand playing Coutinho. Barcelona cannot do any build up since last week. Play either semedo or Arthur. Barcelona problem was their inability to feed their front player. This happened since last week.

Coutinho or not, Barcelona were utterly hopeless. I tuned it last night after they went 3-0 down and saw that they were so flat and got physically bullied by Liverpool. There was no urgency, no intensity and they looked clueless on what to do. That fourth goal they conceded was a disgrace. Quick thinking of TAA's part but for an experienced side to not be alert at the semi-final stage of a major competition was farcical. And what exactly is Barcelona's plan in building their squad? 8 of their 10 outfield starters from last night are over 30 years old and 1 of the non-30 years old is Coutinho, who might as well have not bothered turning up given his own hopeless display. 

[communicate 2,703]

1 hour ago, Jason said:

Coutinho or not, Barcelona were utterly hopeless. I tuned it last night after they went 3-0 down and saw that they were so flat and got physically bullied by Liverpool. There was no urgency, no intensity and they looked clueless on what to do. That fourth goal they conceded was a disgrace. Quick thinking of TAA's part but for an experienced side to not be alert at the semi-final stage of a major competition was farcical. And what exactly is Barcelona's plan in building their squad? 8 of their 10 outfield starters from last night are over 30 years old and 1 of the non-30 years old is Coutinho, who might as well have not bothered turning up given his own hopeless display. 

The problem is he provide nothing. If dembele is not injured I am pretty sure he will start because he will provide speed in counter. 

This barca team looks old, over two leg they are absolutely dominated. They are just lucky that they have messi, his ability to create chances is ridiculous. But that is it. Somebody need to give him the ball. It is similar to Hazard last season. 

[Special Juan 28,871]

Couldn't even watch the news this morning, I have avoided everything so I am not as furious as I should be.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

They say it's still one match left for the league title and nothing is decided yet, I say last night was only the SF and Ajax is going to save football. It is their story, three qualifying ties last summer so that in the end they defeat the trophy dodgers, the media darlings, the victims. 

How sweet it would be after all the celebrations and the worldwide coverage to finish empty handed haha

[Strike 7,854]

1 hour ago, petre.ispirescu said:

They say it's still one match left for the league title and nothing is decided yet, I say last night was only the SF and Ajax is going to save football. It is their story, three qualifying ties last summer so that in the end they defeat the trophy dodgers, the media darlings, the victims. 

How sweet it would be after all the celebrations and the worldwide coverage to finish empty handed haha

I mean the banter will be fun but beyond all that, gotta respect what this Liverpool side has achieved. 94 points in the league and a Champions League final for the second year in a row beating Bayern, Barca. Klopp is just the unluckiest manager 

[Vesper 31,181]

1 hour ago, communicate said:

The problem is he provide nothing. If dembele is not injured I am pretty sure he will start because he will provide speed in counter. 

This barca team looks old, over two leg they are absolutely dominated. They are just lucky that they have messi, his ability to create chances is ridiculous. But that is it. Somebody need to give him the ball. It is similar to Hazard last season. 

I see them doing a massive turnover (it has already started)

Valverde may be sacked (Barca president hinted at that last night)

I see the following out (or most of them)

24   Belgium   DF   Thomas Vermaelen

17   Colombia   DF   Jeison Murillo (on loan from Valencia) Will be allowed to go back
4    Croatia    MF    Ivan Rakitić

22    Chile    MF    Arturo Vidal
—    Portugal    MF    André Gomes (on loan to Everton until 30 June 2019)
—    Spain    MF    Denis Suárez (on loan to Arsenal until 30 June 2019)
—    Turkey    MF    Arda Turan (on loan to İstanbul Başakşehir until 30 June 2020)

7   Brazil   AMF   Philippe Coutinho

12   Brazil   AMF   Rafinha (If he is healthy, he will be sold)

14    Brazil    RW    Malcom (probably sold, not sure on this, AC Milan want to loan him)

19   Ghana   MF   Kevin-Prince Boateng (on loan from Sassuolo) (will go back)

 

coming in (predicted or already agreed)

Matthijs de Ligt    Centre-Back  Ajax Amsterdam  

   
Frenkie de Jong    DH DMF   Ajax Amsterdam   (signed already, Busquets replacement)

 

I predict  at lest one, maybe two of the following MF'ers (Rabiot is probably going to Juve)
 
Saúl Ñíguez    Central Midfield    Atlético Madrid
Paul Pogba    Central Midfield    Manchester United
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic    Central Midfield   SS Lazio
Tanguy Ndombélé    Central Midfield    Olympique Lyon
Houssem Aouar   Central Midfield  Olympique Lyon
Nicolò Zaniolo    Attacking Midfield  AS Roma 
Pablo Sarabia   Attacking Midfield   Sevilla FC
João Félix   AMF/SS Benfica 

 

If they go for wingers, I would think they are looking at Hirving Lozano for LW and at RW, Nicolas Pepe (grrr at both, as we all know those are my 2 favourites targets for us, but they are both perfect for Barca too and are cheaper than Martial or Sancho. Sancho and Dembele as their wingers, with Piatek or Griezmann as CF (or even Mbappe in 2 years or so) and Messi as a 10 (I think he can play still he is 35 or 36 or so at a top level there) is fucking terrifying. Suso in the mix too, and AC Milan need to sell a player or two. They still (insanely) want Willian as a backup too. I do NOT see them going for a Neymar return or making a move (this year) for Mbappe.

 

finally at CF I expect one of the following

Antoine Griezmann    Centre-Forward   Atlético Madrid    (already turned down, BUT I think they move again)

or

Krzysztof Piatek   Centre-Forward   AC Milan    

or

Iñaki Williams    Centre-Forward   Athletic Bilbao

or

Alexandre Lacazette    Centre-Forward   Arsenal FC (I cannot see this but the papers are pushing it hard)

 

they are going to be FAR better next year, with or without Valverde as a manager (probably going to be board-lynched for this, BUT, if I were them, I would grab Poch)

 

[Vesper 31,181]

1 hour ago, Mana said:

Barca are a glorified version of Chelsea the way I look at it. Poor squad with one special class attacking player (Messi/Hazard). If these two aren't performing, both squads hugely dip in performance.

 

Now come on Ajax...the last thing we want is a Spuds v Pool final...otherwise I'll have to support Liverpool...SHIT

IF Spuds win the CL

Poch will surely leave (he knows it is only downhill from here, they have ZERO chance to win the EPL, not with Shitty and the Dippers and the other 3) and the team will be even more quickly broken up and Victimpool will spend even more than they would have in the quest

so it may be the first time in my 27 years on planet (other than a title race) where I MAY be going for Spuds (purely on long wave thinking)

still unsure

let us ALL hope Ajax win the trophy (THAT would be wonderful for world football)

[Laylabelle 9,754]

54 minutes ago, Strike said:

I mean the banter will be fun but beyond all that, gotta respect what this Liverpool side has achieved. 94 points in the league and a Champions League final for the second year in a row beating Bayern, Barca. Klopp is just the unluckiest manager 

That's it. He's got them playing such amazing football as well. League isn't won yet either. Unlikely but so was last night. Only takes one moment from city. 

Didn't go out with a whimper and all that. Its now theirs to lose. 

Just bored of it now lol. Even general just music radio stations blah blah Liverpool let's go to fans..no play a song! 

[Atomiswave 6,120]

The Spanis press have utterly lynched Barca and rightly so. That was a horrible team effort from everyone, from start to finish. Roma did the same last season, pool didt beat some monster but credit they deserve. They remind me of us 04-07. Direct and pacy footy.....its a sure method if you can pull it off. We would rather stop, wait for the opponent to settle in and pass the world to death just for the sake of it. Chels was always about fast direct football, physical. And we will never have it under Sarri, its not a diss, I just much much prefer option A.

[Vesper 31,181]

1 hour ago, Mana said:

Noooo.

Spuds must not in ANY circumstances win the CL. You think Pool is insufferable? Spuds will take it up a notch against us, Arsenal and West Ham fanbases. Just look at this season, with those dumb "The only stadium to see Champions League" posters in London Underground.

I cannot fathom how I can suffer a whole season listening to those Spuddie nutheads singing Champions and rubbing it in our faces.

I am basing it off of the medium to long term event horizon. Spuds are by far the most precariously-perched big 6 team. Anything that helps hasten their fall is a good thing in my book. Getting Poch out (which I think will happen IF he did win the CL, as, like I have previously stated, it is all downhill from there due to a cheap as fuck owner, (just look at the salaries of those top players, they are a joke, plus NO transfers the past two windows, and the probable loss of Eriksen (RM), Trippier (Napoli) and maybe two of their top 3 CB's) is a good thing to me.