God I'd love to get ajax. What a couple of games that would be. Well get barca though, or if Liverpool go out then we'll get bayern, if Juve go through then they are possible. We won't get an English club, I think it's all fixed and have done for years. Always works out to be an ex player or manager returning. It'll be Bayern if they go through cause we just had a great night in Europe and Ole is now our manager. So why not have him face the club he scored the winner at. They could also angle for us to face them in the final though. That's a better story I reckon
Champions League QF Draw | Manchester United v Barcelona
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Ye match-fixing is not a far fetched possibility like it has been proved before. Most likely Real Madrid got somehow favorable ties going just by the number of times they won the trophy. On the other hand, it's fair to say City and perhaps Spurs never got too lucky with the draws. Who could Uefa's favorite team still in the competition? That would mean they'd get Porto/Ajax next.
I don't even think an Ajax fan would think they're similarly talented to us, christ you're weird. What he said was reasonable and well argued, what you said was nonsense, therein lies the difference and why you got a different response. You talked dumb shit about fecking pedigree and he actually offered some insight to his club and himself had the awareness to dismiss the idea that because they won stuff decades ago it gave them an advantage now.
I can rate a club on their talent and set up without thinking they're as talented as Spurs, you know that right, that can be a thing? I rate Wolves, I still think we're more talented. What a strange idea to put across 'oh man you think a top 4 PL side has more talent, clearly you can't rate another sides setup!'. Ajax (and other Dutch clubs) do exceptionally well considering the financial disadvantages they're at compared to a Premier League club like this, thus despite me thinking we're significantly stronger than Ajax overall (and we are, only a moron would think a team who aren't top of the dutch league are a stronger squad than a top 4 PL team, regardless of if you think Ajax would beat us over two legs) I can still praise them and their setup. Just because I think a squad featuring Kane, Son, Eriksen, Alli, Vertonghen, Lloris, Toby etc is stronger than theirs, does not equate to me not thinking they're good.
No, I found this idea weird, I 'lost my shit' (well, not really) at the constant barrage of people like you posting awful reasons to justify that. There are genuine reasons people have posted about why they'd rather face Ajax that I have no issue with.
I said that the tie would be difficult and that they have a talented team, your boring bait attempts are just that, boring. If we're such a nothing club and merely a footnote compared to Ajax, I find it strange that so many of their top talents have found their way to our club.
Yeah, Lucas and Aurier's french leagues, wanyama's scottish title, and I think there's one league cups (Davies) and obviously Llorente with quite a few. But only Davies is a full-on starter of those, right?
@SquishyMcSquish beware with the usage of subjective words such as "talent". I personally don't think Spurs is overall more talented than current Ajax. They are better prepared, probably better organized and with a more consolidated system/team in a much more competitive league. Talent wise Ajax stack up against most top sides, some of their "kids" have all the potential to reach world class. De Ligt, Van der Beek, De Jong, Ziyech, to name a few. Then there are players like Tadic and Blind who are obviously very talented but somehow ended up in Eredisive for varied reasons. So, talent isn't lacking at all in this Ajax side, they still have much to grow but, on a good day, they can put all that potential out and beat any team.
With that said I think Spurs are a very solid team which I'd like to avoid but there are no easy ties from now on.
With that said I think Spurs are a very solid team which I'd like to avoid but there are no easy ties from now on.
btw, also, Daley Blind has a Europa League title (
(+FA and League Cups), Tagliafico captained Independiente to win the Copa Sudamericana (their europa league). Magallan is 3x argentinean champion but unfortunately lost the Copa Libertadores final with Boca a couple months ago (also he doesn't start for us). obviously most of the rest are too young and have only played in Holland, so it's just the EL runners up that you can sort of mention for most of the rest of our starting xi (De Ligt, Vd Beek, Ziyech, Schöne, Neres, Dolberg, Onana, (De Jong), (((veltman, Sinkgraven)))) Oh and German cup for Huntelaar who has an atrocious trophy haul over his career (that being basically it
). We also have a Danish champion if that's worth anything...Talent is very subjective, probably should just say 'stronger team' or something along those lines. We have far more players in their prime who are proven at the top level, basically, and aside from that I think even in raw talent I'd have us ahead, although to each their own. The likes of Kane, Lucas, Eriksen, Alli, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Son etc I would consider to be exceptionally talented footballers. Guys like Tadic and Blind are talented but were pretty middling footballers in the Premier League, maybe that is simply the only level they can really exceed at? Although I agree that they're footballers who on their day can be a serious problem, Tadic vs Madrid was honestly incredible.
I think it's worth noting that a championship footballer this season (Mason Mount) excelled in the Eredivisie last season and got 14 goals and 9 assists. It's really hard to tell who from Ajax's crop has genuine top class talent from the ones who are merely excelling at a lower level, I do wonder for example how good Winks would do over there .. in Europe he's had a couple of fantastic games himself against Madrid and Barcelona. Oh, and Janssen was a top class goalscorer at that level!
No easy ties at all, personally from easiest to hardest I'd have it : Porto, Ajax, Spurs, United, Liverpool/Bayern, Atletico, Barcelona, City.
That's me assuming Atletico/Barcelona progress. Not so long ago I'd have had us ahead of United but Ole has cast a fecking spell on them and we've dropped off in terms of form. Porto and Ajax are also pretty interchangeable, both talented sides who would be far from an easy tie, but I'll always take a team playing in one of the weaker divisions over any of the remaining top tier sides.
Not even Davies to be fair, Rose is pretty much our first choice left back when fit.
Think that's about it, but in fairness we've done well to keep our core players together at the club for a long time, and sadly I'd say our domestic cup record is a combination of being a tad unfortunate at times, but also on a couple of occasions clearly placing priority elsewhere, which is a shame. We're what I would describe as a very good team, but one who are never quite good enough for the league or the CL, and never putting enough in to the domestic cups to win on that front.
The fish finger who thought he was a steak ladies and gentlemen - your arrogance and delusion knows no bounds.
This Spurs squad peaked while United, City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea were out on their arses and still managed to lose a league title to Leicester. But you'll still sit there and act as though it's a fact that you're superior to a side with players coveted all over Europe who just outclassed the winner of the last three European Cups over two legs.
I have no issue with a humble Spurs fan who believes his side would beat Ajax - it's the utter hubris of most of you which I find totally unjustified by anything you have achieved.
I just want to avoid Barca and City. Rest of teams are beatable in current form imo
It's about time We get a favorable draw.
You've basically ticked every crap cliche box in one post, congratulations.
Yes, I think a team sitting 3rd in the Premier League is probably a better team than any Eredivisie side. Are you genuinely so delusional that you aren't aware of the serious gap that exists between the two leagues? The winner and current leaders of the Eredivisie didn't win a single game in our CL group, but you're genuinely sat there acting as if I'm delusional for thinking we're probably stronger than the side who are second to them, whilst yourself rating them purely based on a one off tie against an in crisis Real Madrid. It's actually embarrassing at this point.
I've rated us as the third weakest team left in the competition. Stop acting as if I'm putting us on this huge pedestal. I've already told you that I'd have any top six Premier League side going in as favourites against Ajax, but you continue to treat it as if I'm massively arrogant and totally overrate Spurs. Yes, I think we're a superior team to Ajax, we have a massive financial advantage to them and far more top level international players. They play in a far, far weaker domestic league ( ranked 11th) yet sit only one place higher than us in the 2nd ranked league in the world.
Stop rating them on the basis of two games. If we did that then teams like Sociedad, Girona and Eibar would be world class. This Madrid team is having a terrible, terrible season and are not the side they have been in the past years, it's clear to anyone with eyes that this is the case. Most of their team barely look like they care about playing, the likes of Kroos and Casemiro were an utter disgrace against Ajax and only the youngsters even look like they're bothered about playing for the club at the moment.
Yes, Ajax still deserve a shit ton of credit for an incredible performance, but let's provide at least a little context yeah? Winning the last 3 European Cups doesn't mean shit if your team doesn't have the desire to play in the here and now, in exactly the same way that Ajax winning trophies decades ago doesn't matter now either. We also just beat a team leading one of the top leagues in the world 4-0 over two legs, but you won't recognise that will you? Even though by any stretch Dortmund are a better team than Ajax, and you'd be a fool to think otherwise.
God I really hope Ajax meet Spurs in the quarters.
Not that you'll learn anything from the experience but every time Spurs get put back in their box for another year is a win for the good guys.
We could beat them 5-0 and you'd still be sitting in the corner muttering about pedigree.
Had one last year to be fair.
Wonder what chance you gave us last night?
Porto for me
Did you factor in the xG???
At this stage of the draw it really doesn't matter too much. If you're serious about winning it - as we should be and Ole alludes to - then you're going to have to do the business against a very good side at some point.
If, on the other hand, we want to behave like a small time club feeling a bit dizzy mixing it with this sort of company then, yes, want to avoid the obvious three or four clubs for another round.
If, on the other hand, we want to behave like a small time club feeling a bit dizzy mixing it with this sort of company then, yes, want to avoid the obvious three or four clubs for another round.
5%.
Wait.. people would rather have SPURS than Ajax? Harry Kane over Klaas Jan-Huntelaar? Son over Ziyech? Vertonghen and Alderweireld over De Ligt and Blind?
wow
wow
This. Let them take care of each other and we'll we wait for the winner in the final.
Barca and Ateltico. We can take down City. Guardiolas away record in the CL knockout is enough encouragement for whoever faces city.
Would be happy with anyone expect Barca & Atletico Madrid. One of Ajay, Spurs, Porto would be sweet. We need a bit of luck with the draw in the cup competitions. Have been drawn too many tough fixtures so far.
Barca, Atleti, Juve and Bayern should be viewed as the hardest until proven otherwise, because they are the remaining teams from Europe's top five in recent years.
The two small teams Ajax and Porto are playing well and will be high on confidence.
I think we'll draw Liverpool or City..
I think we'll draw Liverpool or City..
We have already had a difficult stretch with Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and 2 PSG games. I think the football gods will have mercy on Ole and give us a kind draw. I predict we will get Ajax or Porto. I'd personally prefer Porto.
Don't want an English team, we already play them twice a season and more in the cups. Don't want the nerves of Liverpool vs United just yet, in fact I hope Bayern knock them out. I want some non-English club.
Don't want an English team, we already play them twice a season and more in the cups. Don't want the nerves of Liverpool vs United just yet, in fact I hope Bayern knock them out. I want some non-English club.
This. Against Barca and Atletico Madrid, we have no chance at all. Just horrible match-up. Even I fancy ourselves against Juve, we beat them in Turin after all. With City, there's always a chance due to their poor away form. Bayern Munich and Liverpool is a 50/50 with our current form and I reckon we would be favourites against the rest. Hope we get Porto.
Don’t want Barca and English side in the QFs the rest I don’t care.
That's brilliant.We aren't being managed by Jose anymore. Ole will have an almost full strength team bar Matic and Sanchez to choose from.
I reckon we can give Barca a game. They would be 70:30 favorites, but this season, they look quite beatable at times so an upset is quite possible. Atleti is not an insurmountable tie with our full strength squad in my opinion.
Ole has proven he's tactically intelligent and we should theoretically give anyone a game in the CL.
Didn't we just beat PSG?
Let's do City first, then Barca, and finally Liverpool in the final.
Exactly why I don't want them. That's not what the CL's about.this discussion
for what it's worth, I agree quite a bit with @SquishyMcSquish on this one. It's silly to suggest we're a better draw than Spurs just because we've got a (long-ago) history in the tournament.
I will say though that, something I don't feel @SquishyMcSquish really noted, was that we tend to show up above our level in big European games, but also have a really big embarrassment in us to the "lesser" gods.
I will also say that we were the better side vs Nice until we got knocked out by an 80something minute away goal, and that both that and the Rosenborg ties were the first games we played right after Nouri's collapse and basically life-ending brain damage. It's actually crazy that Donny van de Beek, his best friend, was our best player in both games vs Nice.
I'd prefer both Porto and United over Spurs in the QF personally. Partly because I feel an affinity to Spurs and their ex-Ajax players, particularly Vertonghen, and even if we win, I'd feel slightly gutted for him. But also i think they're less well-suited to our type of play.
I know this forum will call me out for preferring United over them, but I just think the games would be more open and chaotic and that this would be a good thing for Ajax' chances.
Btw, I also think that if I were United I'd probably prefer Spurs over Ajax just because there's less chance of being surprised on the night. You know what you're getting with Spurs
Take a bow, sir.
All this because someone initially said they’d prefer to face spurs than Ajax
They're a bit touchy these spurs fans.Hopefully, we have most of the team back by 7-10th April for the first leg. Pogba is back from suspension, and Herrera and Matic should be back, too. Martial might come off the bench against Arsenal, so might Lingard.
Rashford, Lukaku, Lindelof, Young and Shaw should get some much needed rest over the international break.
Rashford, Lukaku, Lindelof, Young and Shaw should get some much needed rest over the international break.
I think he'll be the only one getting rest. From an England perspective Shaw has probably played himself into being the starting LB for now and Southgate likes Rashford, so imagine he will play as well.
Then Lukaku and Lindelof are starters.
Euro qualifications starting now, not friendlies.