Football

the defender situation last night was wierd
mascherano playing as the lone central defender after pique went off
cahill then terry leaving the pitch
how more goals weren't scored i'll never know

aye, but thats 2 clubs man. my point is that chelsea are languishing in 6th yet they are still able to beat barca. I'm not saying I think newcastle could do it, but there is more parity between the top clubs here.

umm most people thought barca should have won that game last night and ditto the first leg inc. alan " it's a miracle " green
i wouldn't class the premiershit as better than la liga using those two performances as a guide

aye, but thats 2 clubs man. my point is that chelsea are languishing in 6th yet they are still able to beat barca. I'm not saying I think newcastle could do it, but there is more parity between the top clubs here.

This is stupid. Barcelona are one of the greatest teams of recent times. Chelsea have achieved a great victory in beating them over 2 legs in the semi-finals. It doesn't make Barcelona less of a great team, or diminish Chelsea's achievement to admit either.

On the other hand, if you want the silliness to continue, Athletic Bilboa, currently 6th in La Liga, beat current PL Champs & leader Man U 5-3 over 2 legs.

Does this prove the inferiority of EPL relative to La Liga?

i think cesc fabregas broke barcelona, since he arrived they've been shit !! ish

Despite coming from dicki this might not be too far off the mark.

The Italians are now considering leaving the player on the sidelines for the rest of the season to ensure he does not fill the necessary quota required to complete the move.
The bizarre agreement - arranged by former director of football Damien Comolli - is set to become a fresh source of frustration for Liverpool as they look to raise transfer funds.
Aquilani cost 20 million in 2009 and Liverpool have been trying to sell him for the last two years, despite the massive loss they will have to accept

Hmm comolli shooting liverpool in the foot again !

No. That's Liverpool shooting themselves in the foot.
dicki, considering you're not from Liverpool you have got the mentality right, always trying to blame someone else.

This is stupid. Barcelona are one of the greatest teams of recent times. Chelsea have achieved a great victory in beating them over 2 legs in the semi-finals. It doesn't make Barcelona less of a great team, or diminish Chelsea's achievement to admit either.

On the other hand, if you want the silliness to continue, Athletic Bilboa, currently 6th in La Liga, beat current PL Champs & leader Man U 5-3 over 2 legs.

Does this prove the inferiority of EPL relative to La Liga?

Although your argument is undoubtedly better founded, I still think the pl is better. Although there has been both characteristic (liverpool/man shitty) and uncharacteristic (man u) falterings this season, i just don't think in its entirety the teams in la liga are as good.

i think cesc fabregas broke barcelona, since he arrived they've been shit !! ish

same with arsenal. Didnt he go there the year after the invincible season?

No. That's Liverpool shooting themselves in the foot.
dicki, considering you're not from Liverpool you have got the mentality right, always trying to blame someone else.

well it would be unfair to blame me for the problem. i had nothing to do with loaning aquilani back to milan.
it's usually the director of foortball who does that right ?

Despite coming from dicki this might not be too far off the mark.

In a lot of games they've shifted out Iniesta, who was part of the best midfield pairings in football, to a peripheral position out wide to make way for Fabregas, and it just hasn't worked as well. That said, they missed Fab on Saturday because he's one of the only ones greedy enough to keep making those runs into the box.

I think Barca have missed having an out-and-out striker. Two years ago they had Ibrahimovic, who no-one liked because he was selfish and arrogant, but that just meant he got the ball near the box and tried to score. Last year they had Villa, who makes runs in behind and fits their style of play, and this year, since he's been injured, they've played with about 5 different attacking midfielders or wingers, all of whom seem to be magnetically opposed to getting in the box.

My hope for the final is that Chelsea win, but that before the game John Terry fails to resist his natural urge to publically praise the national socialist regime and misses the game from his holding cell. Probably better odds on that than there were on Chelsea going through when they were 2-0 down.

The partisan PL is better than La Liga, or Serie A or Ligue 1, or Bundesliga, is a red herring, and a chance for patriotic, nationalist flag waving. Who cares, I don't care about every team in the Premiership, and with promotion and relegation the bottom half of the table is changing anyway, would anyone care to know if Wigan could beat Granada or Real Vallecano, apart from the teams respective supporters? Or if West Brom could beat Parma, or any other permutation of teams. Would that conclusively show which league is best/worst.

What's the point in it, its entirely subjective anyway, if for instance Bayern beat Madrid and then Chelsea and win the Champions League does that make the Bundesliga better than the Premiership?

I tire of the debate/conflict, it signifies nothing. I support a team, not a league. And since no conclusion will ever be found, I find it mystifying that the subject can still be broached on a regular basis..

is guardiola gradually just filling his team with midfielders
strikers - make the attacking midfielders push a bit further forward
defenders - make them defensive midfielders sit back a little bit further

Although your argument is undoubtedly better founded, I still think the pl is better. Although there has been both characteristic (liverpool/man shitty) and uncharacteristic (man u) falterings this season, i just don't think in its entirety the teams in la liga are as good.

I think you're probably right - RM & FCB are 20 points clear of the rest, which doesn't speak for a strong La Liga. However, FCB have been the best club side in the world by any measure for at least the last 3 seasons, and RM have been better than them this season, which suggests that La Liga harbours the two best club sides in the world.

What opinion you may have of how that dominance has been achieved (dodgy bank loans & extremely questionable gifts from municipalities, not to mention a wildly inequitable TV rights deal) is another matter.

same with arsenal. Didnt he go there the year after the invincible season?

Made his debut in the Invincible season (2003/4), but only played in Cups, not in League.

another great game for the neutral. cheers barca and chelsea.

wouldn't have even minded the chelsea win if terry hadn't done what he did.

@TS - you'll be back again soon. probably if you win the final.

great bolton result. sorry ru but we would all crack up if villa went down

it's got a feeling of inevitability about it now.

squeaky bum time indeed.

Why did Joe flounce btw?

joe will be back don't worry about that. when i saw him at souths on monday i said he would be back within two weeks. he was back within 24 hours.

i think he was sick of all the bullying on here lol

fuck - worst home record in the club's history, in any division.

need to ditch McLeish before the weekend.

Baggies, Spurs and Norwich to come.

in our current run of form ru, you'll turn us over..

.

My hope for the final is that Chelsea win, but that before the game John Terry fails to resist his natural urge to publically praise the national socialist regime and misses the game from his holding cell.

The only rational thing to hope for now is for them to win it, just to see his face when the captain on the night (whoever it is that takes his place) is presented with the cup - perhaps he'll cry again...

One of the best performances I've seen by a player who wasn't going to play in the final was Roy Keane's for Utd, against Juventus in 98/99. Heart of stone that man, felt like he dragged them single handedly to the final even though he knew he wouldn't be able to play..

Booked my trip. Prices have sky rocketed. Flights, where there is space, now over £500. Tickets £150. Outrageous. Have had to go for a two nighter with Thomas Cook at £950 per person (including match ticket). My daughter had better appreciate it.

Thank goodness I have a job now. Am also having lunch in Munich with clients which is nice.

lol
Will mcDog Leash manage to get two decent Brum clubs relegated in two seasons?

Reckon they might take advantage of Spurs/Norwich end of season indifference, would feel bad for him if they went down, I can't blame him for jumping ship with all the Hong Kong stuff going on with us.

Booked my trip. Prices have sky rocketed. Flights, where there is space, now over £500. Tickets £150. Outrageous. Have had to go for a two nighter with Thomas Cook at £950 per person (including match ticket). My daughter had better appreciate it.

Thank goodness I have a job now. Am also having lunch in Munich with clients which is nice.

It must be a conspiracy.

^^^Where are you staying clive? we all driving out there. Not got tickets for the game yet.....