In order to atone for not having seen a live Champions League game since the knockout stages began I decided to watch three of them tonight. That's right - three games of football simultaneously. Two on my laptop, one on the box. I figured since I sometimes played on about 6 online poker tables at a time I might be able to pull this feat off. Not quite.
It was hard to get a feel for any of the games, but there were still some things that were apparent. Arsenal were bad, in what was a scrappy game. I'm glad they got through, if only because they have a slightly better chance of doing something in the competition than Roma would have had. With Fabregas and co. to return they should prove difficult opponents for any team, but they will rightfully be 5th favourites to win the thing. They did well on the penalties though. I honestly didn't think they would triumph against a more experienced Roma team -- just take a look at some of their penalities, specifically Montella's and Totti's -- but the young players held their nerve so hats off to them for that. That's character building stuff right there. However, do not be surprised if they lose to Blackburn on Saturday.
Man Utd's 2-0 win was flattering to say the least. They really could, and perhaps should, have lost. Berbatov was hopeless, Carrick's limitations were exposed, and any romantics who still think that Giggs and Scholes are top players had cold water poured on them. They are favourites to go on and lift the trophy, but I hope they don't. Not just because I hate United, which I truly do. I just think that a treble or a quadruple would be ridiculously flattering for what I consider to be a good, but not great, team. I mean just look at their midfield! It's really quite average in my opinion. Bah, they're gonna win everything, aren't they? Yep, they are. Damn.
Barcelona may pose the biggest threat to them, but their defense is just too bad for me to jump on the Catalan bandwagon. They conceded two soft goals tonight, and against a more potent attack than Lyon's they could concede even more. They are a fantastic attacking force, despite the profligacy of Eto'o, and will be great entertainment value in the quarter finals. Players like Messi, Xavi and Iniesta deserve to be on the big stage, so I hope they get one of the Premier League clubs in the next round, one in the semi finals, and then beat one in the final. Now what was that about not jumping on bandwagons?
It was hard to get a feel for any of the games, but there were still some things that were apparent. Arsenal were bad, in what was a scrappy game. I'm glad they got through, if only because they have a slightly better chance of doing something in the competition than Roma would have had. With Fabregas and co. to return they should prove difficult opponents for any team, but they will rightfully be 5th favourites to win the thing. They did well on the penalties though. I honestly didn't think they would triumph against a more experienced Roma team -- just take a look at some of their penalities, specifically Montella's and Totti's -- but the young players held their nerve so hats off to them for that. That's character building stuff right there. However, do not be surprised if they lose to Blackburn on Saturday.
Man Utd's 2-0 win was flattering to say the least. They really could, and perhaps should, have lost. Berbatov was hopeless, Carrick's limitations were exposed, and any romantics who still think that Giggs and Scholes are top players had cold water poured on them. They are favourites to go on and lift the trophy, but I hope they don't. Not just because I hate United, which I truly do. I just think that a treble or a quadruple would be ridiculously flattering for what I consider to be a good, but not great, team. I mean just look at their midfield! It's really quite average in my opinion. Bah, they're gonna win everything, aren't they? Yep, they are. Damn.
Barcelona may pose the biggest threat to them, but their defense is just too bad for me to jump on the Catalan bandwagon. They conceded two soft goals tonight, and against a more potent attack than Lyon's they could concede even more. They are a fantastic attacking force, despite the profligacy of Eto'o, and will be great entertainment value in the quarter finals. Players like Messi, Xavi and Iniesta deserve to be on the big stage, so I hope they get one of the Premier League clubs in the next round, one in the semi finals, and then beat one in the final. Now what was that about not jumping on bandwagons?
1 comment:
That was such a deflating round of Champions League football. I went in dreaming of all 4 English teams getting knocked out, just so people would shut up about how much better they are than everyone else.
United because of a deep rooted hatred and the fact that the sooner they get knocked out of one of the 2 remaining cups they are in the better. Can you imagine if they won all five? We'd never hear the end of it. It would negate any other achievement in football. "Oh, you won the League, well, we won the quintupile in 2009'. It would be awful. Awful for me, you and the game itself.
I wanted Liverpool to go out because I'm more tired of their fans than I am United's. Truth be told, with Sweeney gone, I don't find myself in much contact with United fans these days but I can't seem to move for all the Liverpool ones. And what a bunch of confused people they are. And, in a way, I can't blame them. Drawing with Stoke and thrashing Real Madrid is outright split personality stuff. Although, that said, it was hardly the real Real. I turned over to ITV4 after 30 mins the last day, so sickening was their performance.
Let's not forget the ref, either. The penalty was one thing but the hypocrisy of calling up Gago and Diarra for everything whilst letting that madman Mascherano and the slyest of sly foulers, Xabi Alonso off scot free drove me to incoherent screaming at the telly.
Off to Turin for me so. What a great game that was. I wanted Juve to go through but only because I've always liked Juve and not because of my dwindling hatred of Chelsea.
Ideally, I'd love to see what you just said. Barca knock Chelsea out next, then United then trounce Liverpool in the final. But 'realisically' what I want to see is United get Liverpool in the next round and spank them so hard they won't need their shorts anymore. Then losn to someone in the next round.
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