UCL Draw Thread

[Jype 6,398]

Stupid rules when something a club did or didn't do five years ago still affects their chances in the draw. Clubs like Porto and Benfica literally can't fail to qualify for the Champions League through their domestic league and even if they don't get past the Group Stage they still get a decent amount of points for their coefficient and because of that they're always in either Pot 1 or 2. Then there are clubs like Man City, Dortmund, Juventus, PSG etc. who are way more likely to do well than the Portuguese but because they weren't this good five years ago they're now punished in the draw and given much tougher groups, making it even harder for them to do any better in the competition this time around. In my opinion they should make it that the points accumulated in the previous season or two would be multiplied, making it much easier for clubs who do well one year to get easier groups the next time they participate. For example it's nothing short of a joke that last year's finalist Dortmund are in Pot 3. They will need to get very lucky to get an easy group and on the other hand it's very tough luck for the team in Pot 1 who draws a team of Dortmund's quality from Pot 3 when someone else gets a team like FC Copenhagen. Anyway, there's nothing us fans can do about it so no point complaining.

After last year's farce I want an easy group, maybe something along the lines of Ajax, Anderlecht and Dinamo Zagreb. However, I could bet a house on us ending up in the same group with Rafa Benitez' Napoli?

[Jase 43,479]

Could we be in danger of dropping down to pot 2 if we have another poor CL campaign? lets be honest 11/12 aside we haven't done anything of any note in the CL since Hiddink was around.

Unlikely. It will require us to do really badly and more importantly, the teams below us in the coefficient ranking to do extremely well. If this happens for next few seasons, then yeah, we might well drop into Pot 2 but definitely not this 1 season alone.

And it also kinda depends by how poor you mean there...

[Hutcho 8,443]

Who remembers what happened last time Chelsea made it out of the group stage?? :eyebrows:

Yeah. When we get out of the group stages it means we mean business. If we are not feeling it we won't qualify and just win europa lol.

[Hutcho 8,443]

Us juve and dortmund would be a bit of big one.

But easy as possible. Get through then let the games begin (queue bane youtube clip)...

[Jype 6,398]

Could we be in danger of dropping down to pot 2 if we have another poor CL campaign? lets be honest 11/12 aside we haven't done anything of any note in the CL since Hiddink was around.

Not really. Our coefficient is third highest after Barcelona and Bayern so even if we finished last in our group and got the minimum amount of points available we'd still have a coefficient of around 120 minimum and at the moment a score like that would still get us comfortably in the top 6. Finishing third in the group and going a long way in the Europa League can actually be better for the coefficient than say reaching the QFs or even the Semis in the Champions League. For example we got 30 points for last season's European campaign while Benfica, the other CL drop-out and EL finalist, got 28 points but teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid only got around 27-29 points for getting knocked out in the CL Semi-finals.

[We Hate Scouse 10,260]

This use to be my favourite time of year. Waiting for the draws to come out whilst sitting on flight comparison websites and book nice and cheap ASAP. Hope we get Ajax and some stinking Eastern European team for the fans

[Manuf 1,448]

This use to be my favourite time of year. Waiting for the draws to come out whilst sitting on flight comparison websites and book nice and cheap ASAP. Hope we get Ajax and some stinking Eastern European team for the fans

oh mate, if legia won that tie and got to group stages, and somehow they drew Chelsea that would make me life as i'm going to college to our capitol in September so I could get on the same sector with you bloody islanders.

[Kojo 4,676]

Last season everyone was complaining about boring groups, then everyone was excited that we got Juve and Shaktar last season.

Look how that turned out.

I'm hoping for the easiest group possible so we can focus on other competitions aswell.

[ulsterchelsea 3,213]

l dont fancy our chances but never know.

[bushman 2,043]

Personally, CL to me means the highest club competition in the world. The cream of the crop plays here.

Therefore, I always watch Chelsea or other top teams if possible.

No matter whom Chelsea play against this year, they must come out of their respective group.

The way I see it, to reach semifinal stage for Chelsea would be a success, I feel.

Currently, there are a bit stronger teams in CL than Chelsea. Hopefully, Chelsea will do well & I will see some exciting games.

[NishC300 1,865]

Hope we get a completely crap group so we qualify early and get a chance to play our youngsters.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Anything but Juve again, please!

[meetdoscar 335]

I think guardiola has weakened bayerns effectiveness by playing with only one DM instead of two like jupp heynckes used to play. For me this is the advantage we have because our attacking trio will always cause problems for any team playing one DM especially. I think our chances look better now than under heynckes considering their DM is either bastian or thiago who are not really DM's

[Sovieticus 743]

Anything but Juve again, please!

Shakhtar !

[bushman 2,043]

Let´s see Arsenal getting hammered tonight. Too bad, I won´t see it because of Chelsea playing tonight.

[John1611 77]

We have very realistic chances of winning this tie. Jose will find a way for our formation and tactics to counteract their attacking style. I'm sure of that.

[Jase 43,479]

Anything but Juve again, please!

Conflict of emotion and feeling...

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Shakhtar !

I think we can handle Shakhtar, especially if they lose Willian.

Conflict of emotion and feeling...

No, just don't want us to get our asses kicked again