Not That Type of Paella- Stoke on Tour, Champions & Europa League 2011/12

eh i don't think we can tbph, they're gonna be there every year and i do think without barca he'd have won four by now.

in the final? doubt it. even barca may not be there every year.

we'll ave a go obviously, you got to ave a go donchoo

I think you have to assume that the final will be Real/Bayern v. Barca, depending on how the knockout stages go, for the foreseeable future.

Udinese is a decent draw - could have been worse, could have been better - but they've sold their best two players, and we haven't yet.

Terrific thread callback btw.

ya srsly

16/17 August Arsenal v Udinese
20 August Arsenal v Liverpool
23/24 August Udinese v Arsenal
28 August Manchester United v Arsenal

This is a tough run of games for August.

WWWD imo - not betting on the fuckers though, 164 times bitten and all that

also RVP and Nasri are suspended for first CL match

I am seemingly the only optimistic gooner out there but yeah, sheesh. As long as we get past Udinese, I don't mind dropping points in the league.

WLDL

man utd
chelsea
liverpool
man city
arsenal
spurs

wolves
wigan
swansea

Arse will be playing LFC w/o Gerrard or Suarez. Think you will get at least a draw.

cozen just dropping the bomb and walking away, ice cold imo

chillops

instant meme, bravo

chelsea
city
arsenal
utd
liverpool
spurs
---
swansea
wigan
qpr

blackburn ffs guys

can't really see them challenging for europe

isnt this the wrong thread

Oh, well played on the thread title. (yeah yeah, but I've only just got here)

Battle of Britain, excellent. I'm kind of interested in this one, maybe cos it's a proper knock-out - haven't they been all dullo group matches since Celtic's run in 2003?

This is just the final qualifying round - groups are still in place once the competition 'proper' begins. Yay.

i was thinking of going to switzerland but i don't think any my pals are up for it :/ wouldn't be surprised if celtic do this mob 2-0 or whatever at home and still end up going out after the return leg.

Team in full: Szczesny, Sagna, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Gibbs, Song, Ramsey, Walcott, Rosicky, Gervinho, Chamakh

Subs: Fabianski, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Djourou, Arshavin, Jenkinson, Frimpong, Bendtner

Handanovic, Ekstrand, Benatia, Larangeira, Neuton, Agyemang-Badu, Isla, Asamoah, Pinzi, Armero, Di Natale.

Subs: Belardi, Denis, Vydra, Abdi, Pasquale, Doubai, Fabbrini.

Could have been worse tbf. No Belardi or Pasquale. Also just found out that Inler went to Napoli this summer, meaning they have lost their 3 best players. If they sell Asamoah and Di Natale by next week they will look like a relegation team.

Pleased Bendtner is still there, not enough true CFs in the side to sell him imo.

pffft i have faith in afobe to step up and be the guy who sits on the bench

/sam

thought bendntnder left?

Ok, the Dutch radio reporter at Twente vs Benfica got a hold of a sheet with the names of clubs attending the match to see Bryan Ruiz in action tonight:

Spurs
Liverpool
City
Blackburn
Barcelona
Lille
Rennes
Marseille
Schalke

o_O

lol Blackburn

looking frwd to seeing di natale tonight

oh and isla as well

really disappointed at the udinese stripes being thicker, looks like an economy juve kit

FEO

<3 Ickle Feo

easy

lol at alan smith claiming theo couldn't miss from there. Thought it was well taken!

lyon 1-0 down at home to Rubin. Sorry Jibe :(. Twente 1-0 against Benfica. I may scout this Brian Ruiz fella.

FFS, first work interrupts my fantasy duties and now I've missed a goal as well!

Feo ever been booked before?

Gomis just scored a peach for Lyon.

Shit, that would have been class

Twente Benfica 1-1 now.

I love how international we are here, all watching different matches :)

nice run.

i... can hear the crowd at the grove?

good game so far.

that's the Walcott i know

Song caught forward again, nice block but he was at fault initially. Great save by Szcz.

everytime i see frimpong on the bench i catch myself thinking "we signed supermario? and he got a bit chubby?"

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu216/le_bateau_ivre/UEKoi.gif TV just showed 'Arry Redknapp in attendance at Twente, Patrick Kluivert (who works for Twente) sat next to him http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu216/le_bateau_ivre/UEKoi.gif

Is 'Arry gonna talk Kluivert back from retirement?

Maybe 'arry is scouting one of Benfica's aging ex-Barcelona starlets Saviola and Aimar.

(Aimar never actually went to Barca did he, except in my wishful alt-history.)

Filthy foreigner Arsene "I didn't see it" Wenger is being given signals from the bench, claims some cunt on Sky

"I could not believe it. I had to think, 'Is this really happening'? European champion ... My life has changed and I'm only 19."

"European Champion"??, he's no Djimi Traore!

how do we see bertrand's career panning out then, new cashley or new danny granville?

Maybe it'll persuade Chelsea to actually put some faith in their youth system rather than letting them sit around gathering dust for ages, I dunno. He played pretty well but Di Matteo only played him because he was forced into it. Probably still better than Paulo Ferreira or whoever.

Did McEachran even play for Swansea this season?

Cos I thought he was the big hope. Romeu looks okay. I haven't seen enough of Bertrand to tell tbh.

think the word on mceachran was he was too lightweight to play toplev football even for swansea

loan still cost them a couple of million though

football players with unaccountably lengthy wikipedia articles

the romeu deal is weird

chelsea dont really have an incentive to develop him

and they're not even good at developing players they properly own

bertrand's the new rose

bertrand actually plays lb tho tbf

so does rose, tho he shouldn't obv

I do not understand the idea that CFC will not win again

surely they are European champs, they can now sign better players, etc etc - they will finish about THFC, LFC, maybe even AFC next year - let's say 2nd or 3rd in the league

chelsea haven't been limited in the quality of player they can sign, tho?

They've had limited first team/squad berths to put them into.

My bold(ish) prediction - CFC will at v best get 5 more points than they managed this season.

Depending on how sated Roman A. feels and how motivated the old guard who have now reached the promised land feel.

tbrr, the only teams that will get more points next year are citeh, villa and lfc.

epl recession

the question must be asked- how hungry can frank lampard really be at this stage?

For all we know they'll be lining up Modric and Hazard behind a front three of Cavani, Falcao and Holt, and nobody else will stand a chance.

lukaka + 30m imo

essentially agree with IK: they'll be stronger -- but City will still be very, very strong and maybe it will be a fight between the two.

Maybe Roman will think his work is done here and allow Chelsea to fade back into mid-table obscurity/liquidation.

Liked the look of Romeu on the few occasions I've seen him. Has Chelsea's RM fixation been discussed btw? Raul Meireles, Ramires, Oriol Romeu, Roberto Di Matteo, Romelu Lukaku.

Roman!

It's all kremlinology tbh. Whether they push on at any speed with the Battersea plan is the best indication of Abramovich's continued interest that I can think of.

I typed 'Roman' at first, couldn't bring myself to click submit.

the question must be asked- how hungry can frank lampard really be at this stage?

― pet tommy & the barkhaters (darraghmac), Monday, May 21, 2012 4:39 PM (24 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol

http://www.talksport.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/ts_magazine_big_picture/chelseaxi.jpg

any teams still playing with a midfield diamond?

and only for another £150m, bargain

The old lags, Mata, and an entirely new team; nice.

George Hamilton - "the big Finn Moisander, with a name like a Scandinavian detective, may have solved the case for Ajax tonight"

Oh my, huddlestones's 'defending' for the opening goal. Laughable.

this thread should be locked
"Sterling rising versus weak Euro?"- Europa League 2012/13