UEFA Champions League 2018/19

[CosbehFox]

I sometimes think Pep is not the best builder of a team and doesn't appreciate experience or senior pros.

 

He succeed very well with Puyol at Barca as a on-pitch assistant. Bayern he had a very up and down relationships with senior players.

 

At Man City, his player for this role is Kompany whose just looks spent and actually lacks Champions League experience. Man City in these moments need players who've been there and done it. When actually look at their squad - only Bravo has won the Champions League (but never played) and only one of them has played in a Champions League Final (Gundogan).

 

You could say the same for Spurs - but my point of view stems from Man City had the lead, great teams control that.  

[fuchsntf]

8 hours ago, RonnieTodger said:

Considering Spurs had 1 point after 3 games and they're in the semi final, you have to take your hat off to them. 

 

Saying that, all Ajax aren't we?

No!!!  I am for Spurs..!!!  L'pool & Spurs final....It's time the PL  players started to earn the plaudits!!!

[Plastik Man]

21 hours ago, st albans fox said:

next season that goal would be disallowed as any contact between arm and ball which contributes directly to a goal will be considered handball. this season it still has to be deliberate and the flick of the ball across the strikers arm before it strikes his hip is not handball. He isn’t making his body larger and he doesn’t move his arm towards the ball. He doesn’t affect the direction of travel. Perhaps the reason that the ref wasn’t shown that angle which showed the ball flickeing off his arm was because it wasn’t considered relevant. What was relevant was what part of his body directed the ball into the net. It wasn’t his arm. 

Good point, whilst it made contact with his arm I wasn't sure if it constituted handball. The changes in both interpretation (adopted mid season?) and law on handball currently appears to add more confusion not less!

 

 

[StanSP]

 

 

[KingsX]

On 17/04/2019 at 17:11, TheUltimateWinner said:

VAR is gonna **** with the psychological aspect of the game. Imagine going from elation to dismay in a matter of seconds. How do you bounce back in a game like that? 

 

On 17/04/2019 at 20:26, Dan LCFC said:

Do agree with the point about VAR being a slippery slope too. The ultimate highs and euphoria of football is scoring a goal. You're going to lose a lot of that now and no matter what, nobody will convince me that celebrating again after initially celebrating with doubt is anything close to the euphoria that you get from goals now. It's a huge change to the sport and a massive gamble.

 

A perspective from American football, because we’ve been there … Penalties are enforced after-the-fact, and wipe huge plays off the board in every game.  Of course that dampens the experience.  The price paid to have (fallible) officials doing their best to enforce the rules.  At least we have flags thrown as the infraction is observed.  It becomes instinctual to scan the field for "laundry on the lawn" before you let loose to celebrate that third-and-29 conversion.

 

Now take (world) football.  One goal often makes the entire difference.  The whole significance of your afternoon crammed into one moment.  So delays and overrules will really screw with the fan experience.  But it must be said, errors in awarding goals screw even more with the integrity of the results.

 

If VAR does work to cut the number of obvious errors on scoring plays, it will be accepted as too much of a net plus to go back.  Pray it doesn’t become just another layer of human error.

 

VAR will get smoother, but there will always be infuriatingly long delays over 50/50 calls.  Our problem is ever-increasing use.  “Catch or no catch” ten times a game, mind-numbing ultra-slo-mo replay repetition while pundits argue over that blurry tenth of an inch where the ball might have hit the turf.

 

They made a quick and infallible goal-line review system; it should be technically possible to do the same for offsides.   VAR for goal-line, handball, and offsides on scoring plays may come to be seen as a must, even though it interrupts that one orgasmic moment.  Much use beyond that … well, welcome to your new three-hour afternoons, and don’t forget to pick your brains back up on the way out.

 

[Brainy]

Probably been answered elsewhere but what would happen if, say, Spurs and Chelsea won the CL/EL and finished 5th and 6th in the league? 6 English sides in the CL or nae?

 

ahh nevermind, explained here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47806720

[egg_fried_rice]

Waiting for the team news as Spurs are quite depleted, but I think this could be the toughest test for Ajax so far. Lots of ex-Ajax players in the Spurs ranks, and they play much quicker transitionally then either Real or Juve did/do. Son is a big, big miss for them though and they could well be starting a CL semi final with players like Wanyama and Llorente. Looking forward to it - come on Ajax!

[stripeyfox]

Please don't let Spurs win....

 

 

[StanSP]

58 minutes ago, egg_fried_rice said:

Waiting for the team news as Spurs are quite depleted, but I think this could be the toughest test for Ajax so far. Lots of ex-Ajax players in the Spurs ranks, and they play much quicker transitionally then either Real or Juve did/do. Son is a big, big miss for them though and they could well be starting a CL semi final with players like Wanyama and Llorente. Looking forward to it - come on Ajax!

Big miss that Son and Kane are missing. Huge chance for Ajax to capitalise. 

 

We're all Ajax tonight aren't we?! 

[Nalis]

Crazy to think it wouldnt be a major shock to see two all English European finals at this late stage of each competition.

[Dan]

26 minutes ago, Nalis said:

Crazy to think it wouldnt be a major shock to see two all English European finals at this late stage of each competition.

Has this ever happened before? Surely it hasn't.

[purpleronnie]

1 hour ago, Nalis said:

Crazy to think it wouldnt be a major shock to see two all English European finals at this late stage of each competition.

I'd be shocked.

[Nalis]

1 hour ago, Dan LCFC said:

Has this ever happened before? Surely it hasn't.

Was thinking potentially with Spanish teams about 4/5 years ago?

 

Edit - At quick search, looks like the most was 3 out of the 4 teams in 2016. Happy to be corrected though.

[CosbehFox]

6 minutes ago, Nalis said:

Was thinking potentially with Spanish teams about 4/5 years ago?

3 Spanish clubs in the finals of 2016 and 2014 - ironically the same three club as well - Real, Atleti and Sevilla - other finalists were Liverpool and Porto. 

 

But never all four finalists have been from a single nation. 

[ealingfox]

The Spanish teams dominance in Europe since 2000 has been unbelievable

 

[Dan]

Horrible feeling Ajax will do what Roma did last year.

[Izzy]

4 hours ago, StanSP said:

Big miss that Son and Kane are missing. Huge chance for Ajax to capitalise. 

 

We're all Ajax tonight aren't we?! 

I'm a bit torn if I'm honest.

 

Since English teams were banned from European competition from '85-91 I've always wanted them to do well as I feel we missed out. As a neutral, Man Utd winning the CL v Bayern in '99 and Liverpool in Istanbul '05 were great nights and felt more special to me as they were English clubs. I also really wanted Arsenal to beat Barca in '06.

 

But Leicester were shit then and the big English clubs weren't really our rivals. It's a bit different now since we won the PL and the whole Spurs 'coming to yet you' thing, so I'll find it difficult to root for them tonight (and I massively admire what this Ajax team have done so far).

 

As long as a Barca don't win the CL then I'm not too fussed really. I'm bored of them and Real dominating so I'd be quite happy if Spurs, Liverpool or Ajax win it.

 

Just hope both semi's are good, competitive games.

[stripeyfox]

9 minutes ago, Izzy said:

I'm a bit torn if I'm honest.

 

Since English teams were banned from European competition from '85-91 I've always wanted them to do well as I feel we missed out. As a neutral, Man Utd winning the CL v Bayern in '99 and Liverpool in Istanbul '05 were great nights and felt more special to me as they were English clubs. I also really wanted Arsenal to beat Barca in '06.

 

But Leicester were shit then and the big English clubs weren't really our rivals. It's a bit different now since we won the PL and the whole Spurs 'coming to yet you' thing, so I'll find it difficult to root for them tonight (and I massively admire what this Ajax team have done so far).

 

As long as a Barca don't win the CL then I'm not too fussed really. I'm bored of them and Real dominating so I'd be quite happy if Spurs, Liverpool or Ajax win it.

 

Just hope both semi's are good, competitive games.

yeah I've always (generally) got behind English teams in Europe.

 

But this is Spurs. They never win anything. That's the whole point to their existence is to eternally try, and fail, to win things. If they were to accidentally win the Champions League... I know too many Spurs fans. I couldn't take it...

 

[Izzy]

4 minutes ago, stripeyfox said:

yeah I've always (generally) got behind English teams in Europe.

 

But this is Spurs. They never win anything. That's the whole point to their existence is to eternally try, and fail, to win things. If they were to accidentally win the Champions League... I know too many Spurs fans. I couldn't take it...

 

I hear you mate, I really do.

 

I've lived down South for nearly 20 years and know many Spurs fans. Some are alright and some are nobs - just like any other club really.

 

I do find our obsession with Spurs a little odd though. So what if they win it? It doesn't affect us really and we'll always be able to shove 15/16 down their throats. If they did manage to pull it off (especially without Kane and Son) you've got to hold your hands up and say fair play to be honest.

 

Saying that, I don't think they'll beat Ajax over 2 legs. 

[stripeyfox]

1 minute ago, Izzy said:

I hear you mate, I really do.

 

I've lived down South for nearly 20 years and know many Spurs fans. Some are alright and some are nobs - just like any other club really.

 

I do find our obsession with Spurs a little odd though. So what if they win it? It doesn't affect us really and we'll always be able to shove 15/16 down their throats. If they did manage to pull it off (especially without Kane and Son) you've got to hold your hands up and say fair play to be honest.

 

Saying that, I don't think they'll beat Ajax over 2 legs. 

I guess I'm not that bothered either way really. I suppose a Liverpool v Spurs final would be pretty good though really (unlikely though)
 

[KingsX]

Spurs are going to bring in around ₤100M from the CL this year.  More if they make the final.  A few years of that, and their ₤600M stadium debt will look more like a lucky charm than a huge albatross around their neck.

 

They may well compete with us for Tielemans and other players.  Our chances are poor unless they are skint.  Whether you despise them or are neutral, that should be all the reason you need to pull for Ajax to put them out.

[spacemunky]

I'm excited to see Ajax play. Haven't seen much of them in recent years, although I'm familiar with a few of their players.

[AKCJ]

24 minutes ago, spacemunky said:

I'm excited to see Ajax play. Haven't seen much of them in recent years, although I'm familiar with a few of their players.

I've seen them play 3 times this season.

 

They lost 6-2 to Feyenoord, they beat Real Madrid 4-1 and they beat Juve 2-1.

[Footballwipe]

Aside from my dislike of Spurs, I really want Ajax to do well because it feels like a waste for them to get this far, beating Madrid, reigning champs then Juve, Italian matsers, and then tumbling out to the third best team in England. Would be a bit crap for such a fairytale campaign.

[TheSomersetFox]

Saw Tadic’s stats for the season earlier. 51 games 34 goals 21 assists. What the ****