***Official Premiership, FA Cup, Carling Cup, Champions League etc. Thread***

[42graystreet]

That game was insane!!!

Come on Ajax.

[Ascf33]

Yeah what a world. However, its nice we'll get Barca at least one leg at Anfield. That's a huge advantage. That and Virgil Van Dyke. Facing them in a one game final in Madrid would be much tougher.

[jrkarger]

I just watched the highlights. Absolutely crazy! What a day when Juve and City get eliminated.

I’ll be watching in a couple of week. Com’on you reds!

[42graystreet]

We are still on track for an all English Champions League final and an all English Europa League final. Neat!

[jrkarger]

Raheem sterling is such a douche

[whodat]

Originally Posted by 42graystreet

We are still on track for an all English Champions League final and an all English Europa League final. Neat!

That would be a pretty powerful statement if it happens.

[DaveHead36]

It’s good English clubs are advancing. How many clubs advance and how far determine how many spots a country gets for CL/Europa. I know England had slipped a while back and there was talk of taking away a spot. Having 4 spots is good for competition.

[42graystreet]

Tottenham, Arsenal, Man U and Chelsea all lost in the past 3 days.

No one wants to qualify for the Champions League.

[DaveHead36]

Never thought I would say this but I hope Man United Show up on Wednesday and take City to task!

[42graystreet]

Are Liverpool fans shitting their pants now or does that not happen until 0-0 78th minute?

[Ascf33]

well fuck

[Strider_BTCS]

Fuck. Outside of the first twenty minutes or so we were thoroughly outclassed by City today. We are just not good enough.

[42graystreet]

I honestly felt a little bad for Liverpool fans. It went away after 10 seconds but it was there!

[DaveHead36]

I’m so gutted. Sooooo fucking gutted. One loss the entire season and still don’t win the title. That’s just insanity. I mean, im not crying foul or saying that city didn’t deserve it; we drew one too many games, but only one loss and still no title... shocked and stunned. It’s still just utterly disappointing. I just want to see Liverpool win one league title. It’ll be hard to have another season like this one again.

[42graystreet]

I see no reason why Liverpool won't be in the title mix for at least the next 3 years.

[whodat]

Spurs v Ajax is off. Expecting a pretty open game, lots of end to end action.

[42graystreet]

Messi is still pretty good, huh?

[drakan]

Originally Posted by 42graystreet

Messi is still pretty good, huh?

Fucking Messi. That third goal.

[42graystreet]

Originally Posted by drakan

Fucking Messi. That third goal.

It started 5 feet left of the post.

[drakan]

I thought that was too far out even for Messie and two seconds later it's in the back of the goal. Magisterial?

After he got body checked Messi was fouling everything that moved too.

[Ascf33]

Absurd that this team is going to win no silverware this year. But that's baseball, Susan.

[whodat]

Exciting final weekend in the EFL. Derby, with a certain former Chelsea player at the helm, with a strong final match to move into the playoff over 'Boro, and a certain former Stoke manager. Then at the other end of the table, Bolton doing their best impersonation of early 2010's Portsmouth and finding themselves in such final turmoil that the players strike over unpaid wages, essentially forfeiting one game and losing their last match, on their way to League 1 next season. Hopefully with better ownership, a solid squad and no point deductions.

[42graystreet]

Originally Posted by whodat

Exciting final weekend in the EFL. Derby, with a certain former Chelsea player at the helm, with a strong final match to move into the playoff over 'Boro, and a certain former Stoke manager. Then at the other end of the table, Bolton doing their best impersonation of early 2010's Portsmouth and finding themselves in such final turmoil that the players strike over unpaid wages, essentially forfeiting one game and losing their last match, on their way to League 1 next season. Hopefully with better ownership, a solid squad and no point deductions.

Commiserations on Man U being confirmed for Europa League fun next season. The fact that Ole Gunnar even got them into a spot to challenge for top-4 was impressive. They just ran out of steam. I still think they moved too quickly to sign him to a long-term deal. I don't see what the downside was by waiting until the end of the season and keeping your options open.

[drakan]

Originally Posted by Ascf33

Absurd that this team is going to win no silverware this year. But that's baseball, Susan.

I see what you did there.

[whodat]

Originally Posted by 42graystreet

Commiserations on Man U being confirmed for Europa League fun next season. The fact that Ole Gunnar even got them into a spot to challenge for top-4 was impressive. They just ran out of steam. I still think they moved too quickly to sign him to a long-term deal. I don't see what the downside was by waiting until the end of the season and keeping your options open.

As Ole said over the weekend, it is where ManU belong. They didn't do enough, even if they tried and ran out of steam, to get to top 4. As great as it was to beat PSG in the CL, I think in the end it hurt more than it helped. There are pieces within the squad that can win, but they are not a team in any way. There is no defined leader, no talisman that challenges the squad to do more. Can Pogba be that guy? Lukaku? Lindelöf? They need to find a player that has the respect of the other players and can step to the front to lead on the pitch.

As for signing Ole when they did, I am not sure what other options were going to be available. Zidane would have been the dream catch, Deschamps would have been great as well, and Pochettino is not going to leave Spurs with how far they have come this season. Plus trying to place a manager with as high expectations as ManU have, being in the Europa League, with a rebuild in front of them would have been a tall ask and the pressure would have been nuts if things didn't go well from the get go.

In my heart of hearts, I think Ole can be successful if given time to build a squad, build back up the tradition of the club and find the pieces on and off the pitch to make it happen. I just don't know if the ownership and fanbase can take finishing outside the top 4 again next year if that is what it will take. Or sacrificing the two domestic cups, and the growth for the youth player opportunities that offers, to focus on top 4 and Europa. And in reality it is a top 2 chase with Liverpool and Chity being head and shoulders above the league.

[drakan]

We gonna act like Vincent Kompany didn't crush that goal?

[whodat]

Originally Posted by drakan

We gonna act like Vincent Kompany didn't crush that goal?

Yes. Never happened.

[whodat]

I loath Liverpool, but you have to give credit where it is due. This is nothing short of amazing. To comeback from 3-0 down in the first leg to win 4-3 overall. Versus Barca of all teams.

[DaveHead36]

Originally Posted by whodat

I loath Liverpool, but you have to give credit where it is due. This is nothing short of amazing. To comeback from 3-0 down in the first leg to win 4-3 overall. Versus Barca of all teams.

We have the knack for coming back from 3-0 in CL matches

[whodat]

Originally Posted by DaveHead36

We have the knack for coming back from 3-0 in CL matches

As my friend reminded me of, and who is a LFC supporter, 'it is 2005 all over again.'