Champions League Semi Finals (26th Apr - 4th May)
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Exactly how it’s gonna go down. Will be lumping money on Madrid tonight.
omg we're gonna lose surely
Kroos…City will be laughing.
Based on what? City are on pace to 90+ points in the PL and are one draw from CL final. They regularly outplay and batter teams to pretty much the same degree as barcelona did. Relative to eras, i don't think there is much between them
They had some prominent losses to Chelsea recently and seemingly can't beat Liverpool. Not sure Pep's Barca had similar "weaknesses"
Come on Madrid, you are our last hope at preventing the worst possible outcome. To be honest, i think they'll actually do it tonight as well.
Famous last words
Famous last words
4 CMs? Why?!
Well one team had Messi which in itself makes a huge difference. There's no individual in City's team who is genuinely terror inducing. And in big matches I'd argue that Iniesta did that as well. City are effective but they don't regularly make opponents look properly inferior the way Peps Barcelona did. Huge gulf between them imo. Then again that's the best club side I've seen and as per many the best of all time.
I'm talking this season specifically. This liverpool side is better relative to era than anything that Barcelona faced
They had a better player on literally every single position. Well I guess you could debate Abidal/Cancelo and perhaps Valdes/Ederson. But other than that Barca had much better players and Messi of course.
They also had an aura about them, couldn’t touch them. Which this City side does not have, going up against City feels hard. Against that Barca it felt impossible.
Messi, Xavi and Iniesta were not just world class, but generational players / among the best ever players. City don’t have any player like that.
So? "Better players" is a hypothetical. We have actual results and performances to compare, and those don't differ much
City don't have that aura? If so, part of it must be down them not being new like that barcelona side was. A barcelona side that lucked their way big time past chelsea in '09. That failed to win CL in '10. That was in real trouble against arsenal in '11. That only won the cup in '12...
Starting kroos at his current format is asking for a disaster.
Hey I might be wrong or nostalgia bias, but I was much more scared of that Barca side than this City side. Xavi/Iniesta/Busquets would pass you to oblivion, their pressing game as a team was ruthless. You got the ball and lost it a second later, with City I feel like their press isn’t as organised and you can play your way out of the pressure. Then you had Messi who pulled stuff out of his ass every single game, him and Iniesta would split open the defense with either an outrageous dribble or pass.
Peps Bayern and City feels like he wants to capture that same level, but that was some lightning in a bottle stuff of everything coming together.
Adding my two cents to the discussion, the Spanish nt's domination gone a long way to further the myth of the invincible ticky taka I think, as to my memory it really gone overboard in 2009/10 after the world cup I think.
They kinda weren't that highly regarded before that I feel, I mean hey we were even the bookies favorite in 2009 final and you could argue they shouldn't have made that final to begin with.
They kinda weren't that highly regarded before that I feel, I mean hey we were even the bookies favorite in 2009 final and you could argue they shouldn't have made that final to begin with.
Valverde will play as a false wing back that can help in midfield and defense giving more freedom to Modric and support for Carvajal.
Is it too much to ask for a 7-1/8-2 style trouncing for Real?
Just kick them out, even if it's a 93d minute super soft pen deflected off the keeper's butt.
Just kick them out, even if it's a 93d minute super soft pen deflected off the keeper's butt.
Was always a bit of a myth by salty Chelsea/EPL fans, tbh. Abidal got sent off in that game because Abidal literally tripped over his own feet but you never hear about it. Only about a big 16 stone tank like Drogba falling over every 5 seconds because someone touched his hip.
Walker back for City is a huge boost. They don’t look the same team without him. He’s the only defender with real pace and is a huge threat going forward.
@padr81 how you feeling?
They were unprecedented. Like Ajax in the 70s or Milan in the late 80s. They changed the sport. By comparison, this City side is "just" an evolved version of that
City's press is better than Barcelona's was. Teams are just more used to it nowadays and better equipped to deal with it
Now this is the one thing that holds true
Largely because football as a whole had learned and evolved from that barcelona. Simply put, they faced better opponents than barcelona did, teams better equipped to beat them
Tie winning injury team diving header goal by the ref, followed by historic celebration going right at Ceferin, taking his shirt off to reveal one underneath that read "Feck you UEFA, Hala Madrid y nada mas"
You know it
Actually feeling the nerves tonight as if it's a United game. Watching this Madrid team with all of the 'past it' and 'aged' stars knock out PSG and Chelsea on pure heart and passion has me believing they can save us the agony of a City or Liverpool UCL win.
Hopefully Modric and Benzema can produce another timeless performance and the Bernabeu make this City team feel the heat.
Hopefully Modric and Benzema can produce another timeless performance and the Bernabeu make this City team feel the heat.
I hope so. I want to see Ancelotti with a cigar in his mouth and sunglasses on at the end of the match even if it’s dark.
Come on City!
The city of Madrid
The city of Madrid
I thought Walker was injured
Huge if he's back
Huge if he's back
I think I’m ok with city winning the whole thing. Not pleased obviously, but ok. I just don’t want Liverpool to win it really.
If they win the lot then they’re undoubtedly the biggest club in England again - more trophies than us including 7 European cups to our 3, they’ve topped our treble by winning a quadruple, a higher league points total, the fecking lot. If city win the league and champions league, well so what? They still haven’t done a treble. Or 3 titles in a row. And they’ve been the best side in Europe anyway the past 3 years, they actually deserve it if we’re being honest with ourselves - they play some insane football.
It sort of bugs me how easy Liverpool have found it. Fergie won it twice in 26 years. Even when United were clearly the best team in Europe, which happened a few times, we’d struggle to win it or even reach the final. I guess I’m just a bit bitter that Liverpool have been good again for 5 minutes and already found themselves reaching 3 champions league finals. We can’t have Klopp winning it twice.
That said, maybe Real can do us a favour and make sure neither win it. Not holding my breath though.
If they win the lot then they’re undoubtedly the biggest club in England again - more trophies than us including 7 European cups to our 3, they’ve topped our treble by winning a quadruple, a higher league points total, the fecking lot. If city win the league and champions league, well so what? They still haven’t done a treble. Or 3 titles in a row. And they’ve been the best side in Europe anyway the past 3 years, they actually deserve it if we’re being honest with ourselves - they play some insane football.
It sort of bugs me how easy Liverpool have found it. Fergie won it twice in 26 years. Even when United were clearly the best team in Europe, which happened a few times, we’d struggle to win it or even reach the final. I guess I’m just a bit bitter that Liverpool have been good again for 5 minutes and already found themselves reaching 3 champions league finals. We can’t have Klopp winning it twice.
That said, maybe Real can do us a favour and make sure neither win it. Not holding my breath though.
Feel like Real Madrid do it tonight.
Champions atmosphere
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Hala Madrid!
I'm slightly worried that Pep appears to have named some kind of normal, sensible side and apparently hasn't gone mental and played 9 centre mids as he usually does when the chips are down in Europe.
City have a better chance against Liverpool imo. But it's always hilarious to see them bottle it in Europe.
If City look up when they step onto the pitch, they're done. If they don't, they'll go through
Man who pulled out all his hair trying to find the correct formation
vs
vs
With Walker back can see Madrid getting battered. Dunno why they didn't rest players either when they're like 50 points ahead in La Liga. Their luck will final run out tonight.
Hoping I'm wrong....
Hoping I'm wrong....
Disagree, that Barca team was dominant to a completely different level. Even top teams would resolutely put 10 men behind the ball when facing them because opening up even slightly would ensure a battering. Keep it watertight and nick a goal or two on the break. That's the only chance an opponent had, and it was still tough. They just never let you have the ball.
Peak Messi, Xavi and Iniesta is one of the greatest trios in football history, comparable to the likes of DiDtefano, Puskas and Gento, the three Dutchmen at Milan, etc. Man City are a top side but they don't have any players on that level IMO. Their best are very good but not all timers.
Couldn’t care less about City winning the CL and they’d have a much better chance against Liverpool, so has to be them tonight.