Champions League Draw
- Thread starter Morbyd
- Start date
weloveliam@space
Active Member
Didn't see the Chelsea game, but couldn't believe the updates that kept coming up on the screen!
Barca were pretty solid yesterday, never really in any danger.
Olly, i have to take issue with you about our defence, there seems to be this constant misconceived idea we are god awful at defending.. If i got a pound for every time I read / heard "good going forward but weak at the back" or "you can get at them"
Thats the same as every team.. so Chelsea, Man Utd and every other team don't concede dodgy goals? (even more so recently)
we've been pretty good in the last mionth or so, Piquet and Marquez have been outstanding considering half the time they only play with Toure covering the midfield.
Having said this, i'm worried Alves and Puyol are one yellow away from suspension.
I'm curious to see who'll be playing left back for Chelsea now ashley's out.
Barca were pretty solid yesterday, never really in any danger.
Olly, i have to take issue with you about our defence, there seems to be this constant misconceived idea we are god awful at defending.. If i got a pound for every time I read / heard "good going forward but weak at the back" or "you can get at them"
Thats the same as every team.. so Chelsea, Man Utd and every other team don't concede dodgy goals? (even more so recently)
we've been pretty good in the last mionth or so, Piquet and Marquez have been outstanding considering half the time they only play with Toure covering the midfield.
Having said this, i'm worried Alves and Puyol are one yellow away from suspension.
I'm curious to see who'll be playing left back for Chelsea now ashley's out.
matt collins
Active Member
Probably Essien. The boy plays everywhere 
Absolute joke of a yellow card though.
Absolute joke of a yellow card though.
my reasoning is based on the fact, the Barca defence over the last ten years has often come unstuck against the physicality of Premier League sides. Am hoping Pique and Abidals' height will help but I have little-zero confidence in the keeper on high crosses. As Alves, Puyol and Toure like to get forward (Alves is a bit of a Roberto Carlos imo) this can leave the back exposed
It is, however, reassuing tho that Cech is a shadow of his former self and this could prove crucial my reasoning is based on the fact, the Barca defence over the last ten years has often come unstuck against the physicality of Premier League sides. Am hoping Pique and Abidals' height will help but I have little-zero confidence in the keeper on high crosses. As Alves, Puyol and Toure like to get forward (Alves is a bit of a Roberto Carlos imo) this can leave the back exposed
Agree. But we can't have one thing without the other. I mean if Alves and Abidal didn't bomb forward that would take away a lot of our attacking options.
Matt, I think putting Essien left back would be a mistake, he can do the job ok-ish (even if he failed with CR in Moscow last summer), but he'd be missed in midfield won't he?
Whatever happens, I simply can't wait for the matches to start 8)
Morbyd
Moderator
I disagree with that assumption. A lot of the world believes Barca will win, and everyone wants to see a good game of flowing football, but both teams have their supporters. I'd even say in England, for all the hate of Chelsea there is, the majority want the English team to win in any such match-up.Most of the world will want Barca to win
......although it's pretty hard to hate Hiddink really...
first leg prediction 2-2
I think you're right on the prediction...
(and then hopefully 3-2 to Chelsea at the Bridge!)
football people will want barça to win. they have beaten everyone in the league this year at a canter, they barely got out of first gear against valencia and still looked comfortable for a draw.
free plastic flag waving glory hunters will want chelsea to win, if they can work out the difference between armball, offside and being ejected.
and YES, i am bitter!
free plastic flag waving glory hunters will want chelsea to win, if they can work out the difference between armball, offside and being ejected.
and YES, i am bitter!
madwhitegiant
New Member
Knickers!!! I want Barca to win 4 or 5-1.
I support one English side and don't get into the idea of cheering on other English sides. No thank you.
Sorry Morbs but that's just the way it is, well in my household anyway.
you disagree that most people want Barca to win???
sorry to say it but most people in England HATE Chelsea and everything they represent - not in the same way they hate UTD - but people hate the fact Chelsea has no soul, half its 'fans' are featherweight/armchair/nu-fans who were nowhere to be seen when the likes of Kerry Dixon, Nigel Spackman and John Bumstead kept them fighting through relegation battles
club tribalism is so entrenched now that there is no real patriotism in the club game - A lot of people will be rooting for Barca
There is also a lot of love for the way Barca play the game - possibly the last true cavaliers (along with Arsenal) who play it as it should be played
However, as usual, this idealism could well undo Barca which is why I'm crapping it...
madwhitegiant
New Member
Yep said it all for me about Chelsea. Need to give out flags to generate an atmosphere. Two bob.
I hope Barca win the tournament as they have played the best football by far. Too much being said about Messi when they have a whole team to keep an eye on but so do Chelsea. Drogba and Essien are going to be big players tonight. Mind you so are all the Chelsea big guns Ballack, Lumpard and Terry.
Should be good.
Morbyd
Moderator
This is the point I think you've got wrong, perhaps because you've got connections to Spain (as do several members of this forum so it's not the best cross-section). England is still as nationalist as it is tribalist.
One barometer, for me, has been the sports columnists in the newspapers. Usually there's a large contingent of them who are anti-Chelsea but 90% of what I've been reading today is about how Chelsea can beat Barca if they play it right.
madwhitegiant
New Member
Yeah but I don't know one person other than their own fans who want Chelsea to win.
I know you have your loyalty to them Morbs but they really are hated. Even more so than Man Ure! Well down this end of the country.
The media here in the uk as you know are not to be believed or trusted!
Morbyd
Moderator
I can tell!
(but to be fair, that was a cracking quarterfinal, wasn't it?!)
Ya, that's fair. Thinking about it, I realize my cross-section of acquaintances is not necessarily representative.madwhitegiant said:
Although I hope the negativity has subsided a little bit in the post-Mourinho era. I saw a survey somewhere where Chelsea were not the most hated team.. just somewhere around 3rd or 4th
madwhitegiant
New Member
I can tell!
(but to be fair, that was a cracking quarterfinal, wasn't it?!)
Ya, that's fair. Thinking about it, I realize my cross-section of acquaintances is not necessarily representative.
Although I hope the negativity has subsided a little bit in the post-Mourinho era. I saw a survey somewhere where Chelsea were not the most hated team.. just somewhere around 3rd or 4th
Number 1 in my household Morbs!!
Mind you the passion I am showing in praying for Newcastle and their best fans in the country (my @rse) to go down is rivalling that of Chelsea's demise tonight!
Apparently David Blane is gutted after Michael Owen smashed his record of 48 days doing funk all in the box!
you do make me chuckle son.
this is up there with the national winner being a double with buster douglas!!
weloveliam@space
Active Member
Me too (sorry john). Normally I'd have said that i'd like Chelsea to reach the final, but as it is Barça, I'd love for them to beat Manure in the final 8)
forget that, it's a pure numbers game to me, united out as early as possible please and then los cules to win it.
