Try and get better players in for some positions. I know Bayern has the pick of most German players, but we can improve our scouting network to sign lesser players who could break out. We also need better coaching. Also some more players with balls like Bruno, not quitters.
Champions League Knockouts (12 Aug - 23rd Aug)
- Thread starter Samid
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Apart from that beating we gave Roma when we won 7-1, I can't remember the last time we gave a top team a beating like that. Of course, we've had great results, but not like what Bayern did to Barca. This is not an inferiority complex, it's just a wish. Sorry if I offended you.
Maybe you don't understand, but most people will. It's one thing thrashing a no-name team, and then beating Barca 8-2, no matter how bad that Barca team is.
Buddy, there is a huge difference between beating that Roma team and Barcelona, no matter how shit Barca are at the moment. I think our display against Juve in 1999 semi final is a better result than the Toma game.
What exactly am I comparing?
we did similar with ac milan a few years later. they weren't yet this past it dinosaur they are now. Beatings in the cl of the order of what we saw the other day are just not that common in the cl.
and none taken.
Roma were a no name team and they played much better than Barcelona did. I understand the point but I don't sense in it given its just a clamour to make headlines.
Had our 08 team met this Barcelona we'd have beaten them comfortably. They're a sorry shadow of their great teams of the past. Roma battered them. Liverpool battered them. Juve battered them. This is just a couple of Coutinho goals different from those results purely because they had no chance of getting back into it unlike those games where they often had a lead. And this team is much worse than those Barcelona teams as well.
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I don't think our United side in 07 08 would've beaten Barca the way Bayern did.
Barca in 2008 were just as bad as this team is now. They came third in the La Liga, which wasn't strong itself since Madrid, who won twice in a row from 06 to 08, were not getting past the R16 in the UCL themselves, being beaten by Bayern and Roma.
Even Hargreaves and Rio were saying after the Barca-Bayern game that they gave too much respect to Barca in 2008, something this Bayern team did not.
While Roma in 2007 were probably better or atleast as good as this Barca team, it is completely different to go out attacking against Roma as it is against Barca with Messi. Reputation goes along way when assessing how to play an opponent and we saw that in 2008.
Barca in 2008 were just as bad as this team is now. They came third in the La Liga, which wasn't strong itself since Madrid, who won twice in a row from 06 to 08, were not getting past the R16 in the UCL themselves, being beaten by Bayern and Roma.
Even Hargreaves and Rio were saying after the Barca-Bayern game that they gave too much respect to Barca in 2008, something this Bayern team did not.
While Roma in 2007 were probably better or atleast as good as this Barca team, it is completely different to go out attacking against Roma as it is against Barca with Messi. Reputation goes along way when assessing how to play an opponent and we saw that in 2008.
Any predictions for today? How can Leipzig cover for their missing main striker, Werner. Poulsen up front always feels like playing a CB or defensive mid there. He wins headers and uses his body well but his offensive threat is almost nonexistent. Will Schick start this time?
Are Mbappe and Di Maria back for PSG?
Are Mbappe and Di Maria back for PSG?
Leipzig PSG would have been some match with Werner's counter abilities.
What an idiot for sticking his middle finger to his old club and refusing to finish the season
What an idiot for sticking his middle finger to his old club and refusing to finish the season
That’s insane!
Exactly. Bayern beat Roma 7-1 some years back and no one is talking about it anymore (okay, I just did...). The 8-2 against Barca will be remembered.
Come on PSG!
You have to put context to this, they probably forgot but leading up to the Barca game, we drew with Blackburn away. This was our run of games;
April 19th - Blackburn away
April 23 rd - Barcelona away
April 26th - Chelsea Away
April 29th - Barcelona at home.
So we go to Barcelona away knowing that we have to go to Chelsea away on the weekend and cant afford to lose to them. As it happens, Chelsea beat us on the weekend and now we are on equal points with 2 games to go. The pressure on us and the situation is so different compared to Bayern this year.
It never gets spoken enough, but that Chelsea team were a bad game (from United) away from winning the league and a penalty away from winning the CL in 07/08.
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I kinda get what you're trying to say but we did go to Chelsea and lost and then won the league so clearly, we could afford to lose to them. We knew that all we had to do to win the league was beating West Ham and Wigan. So there was pressure.
In hindsight, it still kind of bothers me a bit that we were so defensive in those two games against Barcelona. It's why I'm always skeptical when people declare that United 07/08 would "wipe the floor" with <insert random modern team here>. That side was very strong but it rarely wiped the floor with any serious opponent. It had its more than fair share of smash-and-grab wins, built on the strength of the insane back four.
We even did that in Rome, but yeah who cares, just a footnote in history
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What was your incentive for creating PythagorasInBoots?
I think tonight is as far as a journey RBL will go which they have done brilliantly. PSG should show it’s class and go to the final. Neymar and Mbappe to light up again
I wanted to create a platform for BAME budding sports analysts as there is barely any presence in sports journalism especially in the football world.
In terms of the content, initially I wanted to create a hall of fame of football greats with the drafting lot of here, but then I began to dabble in YouTube editing and now I just like the freedom to use various mediums to try and get football analysis across and I want it to be blunt and risky - don’t be afraid for making calls on certain players etc - a lot of journalists seem to chop and change their opinions depending where the wind is blowing and try to stay too neutral.
Also as much as I love the caf, the written word and post length can be quite limited so it’s nice to be able to express yourself in a unrestricted way with visuals and sound too.
Should be a great game. If Navas is out, I can see Leipzig shocking the world with a victory.
Red Bull makes you perform well. So clearly they will win it all drinking red bull!
Great job you're doing too!
Play a style of football that allows you to dominate the opposition. Man Utd for years have not been playing football that can dominate top-level opponents. Even under Alex Ferguson's last few years, you are rarely dominating opponent because of the way you are set up to play football.
After Alex Ferguson, you've consistently hired defensive and cautious coaches that prefer to play it safe rather than aggressive pressing the opponent and dominating possession. David Moyes is not the guy to do it. Van Gaal likes to play possession football, but he does not use it to dominate the game in the opponent's half the same way Pep do it. Mourhino is the last person you want if you want to play devastating football. Then there's Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who is another more cautious coach that prefers to rely on counterattacking football.
If you want to dominate the opponent, start hiring managers that actually wants to do so.
Di Maria, Mbappe and neymar all start.
No Navas.
No Navas.
Navas is a big blow, Rico is garbage
My guess is Leipzig will go through, i hope for PSG though, don't want an all German final
My guess is Leipzig will go through, i hope for PSG though, don't want an all German final
Surprised to see Halstenberg not starting, did he have injury problems?
Oil vs Energy drink.
Let's go
Let's go
The whole PSG midfield looks a bit suspect. Also, can't believe Bernat is a starter for them. Guy is a walking security risk, or has been during his time for us, at least.
What happened to Navas that he’s out? Rico used to play for Fulham, didn’t he?
PSG's starting XI:
The most notable point is Icardi being on the bench, but that's a much better starting XI than the last time. Di Maria offers the creativity that they desperate missed, and Mbappe & Neymar offer them the attacking threat that'd pose problems for any side.
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The most notable point is Icardi being on the bench, but that's a much better starting XI than the last time. Di Maria offers the creativity that they desperate missed, and Mbappe & Neymar offer them the attacking threat that'd pose problems for any side.
I hope I am wrong on this one but I think PSG will go through by more than one goal difference
Sergio Rico. Gone from relegated Fulham to starting a Champions League semi final
Interesting to see our ex players so far advanced in the tournament. Depay tomorrow too.
Goes better for them away from us it seems. Although Herrera did fairly well for us and won 3 cups.
Di Maria and Depay were true disasters though.
Goes better for them away from us it seems. Although Herrera did fairly well for us and won 3 cups.
Di Maria and Depay were true disasters though.
Both had one season. Fred would’ve been labelled a disaster if he left after his first season. Depay would have come good here. Di Maria would have come well for Jose.
I see. So as far as you're concerned, there's room for you to provide something different as its predominantly the case where the prerogative of journalists are overly concerned with their reputation, resulting in them sitting on the fence. Also, interesting transition of ideas from legends of the game to also incorporating players trying to make a name for themselves. I wonder if you'll look to interrogate the issue of Asians at grassroots level at some point. To bring this back to the Champions League knockout, I hope your mate is wrong with his prediction.
PSG with 2 french players starting...
Leipzig with 3...
Leipzig with 3...
From a financial perspective is a total miss match, Liepzig total wage bill is only a quarter of PSG.
Leipzig need play near perfectly and get luck to win. They can outwork and outrun psg, that's about it. They did manage 0 0 away against Bayern this year so can have glimmer of hope.
Leipzig need play near perfectly and get luck to win. They can outwork and outrun psg, that's about it. They did manage 0 0 away against Bayern this year so can have glimmer of hope.
It is hard to know. I really wanted Di maria at the time, but something was not right here.
Tactics from LVG were probably the main reasons, but It seems that he didn't enjoy being in Manchester either.