• We're currently moving storage for avatars/attachments - please bear with us. We are migrating all files but some may not show temporarily. This may take 24-48 hours for all files to come across.

    Sorry for any inconvenience! New attachments can be uploaded but it would be better to leave avatars for now as they could be overwritten as part of the migration.

    UPDATE: This is moving slower than expected and will continue through the weekend.

Champions League 2010-11

Wait a minute. Of course Ajax were very poor. That's the reason Madrid did not impress me.
Ajax lacked a couple of very important players (Suarez, Vertonghen).
I never said it was a lucky win, i said they were lucky with that first own goal.
But maybe i'm not objective, really not liking Real Madrid.

And then the question if anyone likes those so called small clubs?
I love them.

And i agree with albiceleste that Platini should do more to make it a more even competition. Don't forget that there are massive clubs wo haven't the slightest chance to win the CL: clubs like Ajax, Benfica, Olympique Marseille, Celtic are really big clubs who are "fading away"...that is a shame.
It all went pear shaped when the big 14 clubs made a block...there is only one alternative for the clubs outside the big 14 (who are more than 14 already): join them. Otherwise they will never have a chance.
That is bad for football.

At the moment it's all about money and because this is a forum with a majority of fans of English clubs, most people don't care. I'm pretty sure that in 10 years time, the Russian clubs will be the best if nothing changes...i wonder what all these people will think of that.
 
The problem is the Russian domestic season. If it could somehow be synchronized with the rest of Europe then we may perhaps see more established players go to Russia or the Ukraine.

At the moment the lure of the name is still in many cases sufficient to tempt players certainly from South America to the club's they would have watched growing up rather than just take a look at the pay cheque (which given the nature of the oligarch's that back them is often exorbitant).

And I also agree with you gerd on the Benelux teams. Will Ajac ever come close to a title in future ? Or Anderlecht two former flag bearers for their respective nations ?

The TV deals based on the number of potential viewers and their attraction globally is insufficient.

Perhaps and this is a big if certain leagues merged they might have more monies to compete because that is basically what football has boiled down to.

The more money you have the greater the likelihood of sucess with the odd exception.

However to go against decades of tradition say in scrapping the Jupiler league or Eredivisie would arouse great controversy but perhaps it's the only way to go.

Similarly the big three in Portugual being added to La Liga ?

If monies were shared more fairly there would be no need for this but no clubs would want to lose their advantages.

Hence in Spain Barca and Real have an overwhelming advantage over the rest and the likelihood is that the rest will fall further and further behind until such time both Barca and Real realize the mock contest is not good for them either.
 
Well albiceleste, the Russian FA has just taken the decision to synchronize their league with the rest of Europe. I read that yesterday in the paper.

About Anderlecht, that is very kind of you, but IMO Anderlecht are not a legendary club like the ones i mentioned: Ajax, Benfica, Celtic, Marseille...
I rate them lower than those clubs.

In the recent past there has been attempt for a joined Belgian Dutch league. The negociations failed however...
 
Yes, in Russia this transition to system will be very important "autumn-spring", as now the Russian clubs can take part in various companionable tournaments of Europe, transfer windows will be synchronized, and also the most important thing the best teams will start to play eurocups with the same structures with what they finished a season that will make them more capable to play to Europe. But in realization of this plan there are also complexities, after all in Russia at stadiums of weak teams even there no arenas, and in Russia are cold recently such that is simple in general.:shiver: Btw, the transitive season will go with 2011 on 2013. Still, of course, it would be desirable, that quantity of teams in premier-league have increased to 20, as in England, Spain or Italy for example as at such quantity of games top clubs of Russia receive less than game practice, than top clubs of England for example.:P
 
Artem said:
Yes, in Russia this transition to system will be very important "autumn-spring", as now the Russian clubs can take part in various companionable tournaments of Europe, transfer windows will be synchronized, and also the most important thing the best teams will start to play eurocups with the same structures with what they finished a season that will make them more capable to play to Europe. But in realization of this plan there are also complexities, after all in Russia at stadiums of weak teams even there no arenas, and in Russia are cold recently such that is simple in general.:shiver: Btw, the transitive season will go with 2011 on 2013. Still, of course, it would be desirable, that quantity of teams in premier-league have increased to 20, as in England, Spain or Italy for example as at such quantity of games top clubs of Russia receive less than game practice, than top clubs of England for example.:P
Click to expand...


Thanks for that information gerd. :))

Artem it would be better for the league to be 18 teams in terms of competition and quality.

I guess the stadia will adopt undersoil heating or perhaps use the type of pitch used by Lokomotiv.

Aside from the CL I think it would be better for the Russian FA not to go for the WC2018 . Putin should ask the oligarchs who've taken the rest of the Russian people for a ride to invest in basic infrastructure and improve other sports facilities.

Why waste billions for a month of fun ?
 
ALBICELESTE2010 said:
Why waste billions for a month of fun ?
Click to expand...

I too so think. What for to spend so it is a lot of money? At us for the World cup want to construct 16 stadiums though in the World cup in the republic of South Africa were used only 10 stadiums, where 6 more stadiums? Besides them build in such cities where play enough weak teams, and attendance after the World cup 2018 if we receive it, will be very small if now on matches of the Championship of Russia stadiums are filled no more, than on half. Still we prepare for the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 where very big expenses also are necessary. All right, we will more shortly look that will be, will be. If all of us receive WC 2018 I hope that it will be the best for all history of the World cups.:)
 
Artem said:
I too so think. What for to spend so it is a lot of money? At us for the World cup want to construct 16 stadiums though in the World cup in the republic of South Africa were used only 10 stadiums, where 6 more stadiums? Besides them build in such cities where play enough weak teams, and attendance after the World cup 2018 if we receive it, will be very small if now on matches of the Championship of Russia stadiums are filled no more, than on half. Still we prepare for the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 where very big expenses also are necessary. All right, we will more shortly look that will be, will be. If all of us receive WC 2018 I hope that it will be the best for all history of the World cups.:)
Click to expand...

I agree amigo. I think it would be better if Putin said let's get facilities fixed for kids because that's where Russian sport suceeded from in offering oppurtunities.

And pay coaches over a range of sports good wages so that they do not go abroad to coach the opposition ie ice skating , gymnastics , athletics for instance.

I hear too many times of dilapidated ice rinks , kids who cannot afford to continue with a sport because they cannot afford it despite them being very talented.

Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg is where the money needs to go.

Putin chose Sochi because it is his favourite ski resort despite the fact there may be a lack of it when the Winter Games are held , and no 'indigenous' winter sports culture.

They should have chosen somewhere like Tomsk. The costs will be huge and are rising and all for Putin's own glory.

If you do get it though, it will be a fine tournament. Russia is a great nation and despite what you hear full of lovely people and so much to see esp. in the main metropolises outside of the kitsch that has arrived in the last two decades.
 
ALBICELESTE2010 said:
Why waste billions for a month of fun ?
Click to expand...

GDP - gross domestic product. Increased a lot when we had the Euro 2004 amigo. It was an huge investment but with an absolutely amazing profit to our economy. Unfortunately, nowadays, we're in a deep and seriously crisis but that's another question to discuss in proper forums. :(

Back to football, well... never mind, I won't to talk about football today, I'm sad. :TTTH:
 
I watched Spurs-Twente.
That game had it all: good offensive football, 5 goals, a sending off, 3 penalties and lots of controversy.
The third penalty was a joke, that was never an intentional hands.
A very good match between two sides who will never win the CL...but i enjoyed it thoroughly.

In the other match of that group, Eto'o seems to have been absolutely sensational, 3 goals and 1 assist.
 
Well if Scottish football is deemed in the 'gutter' god knows were Turkish football is, if that's the best of Turkey, you lot are in a bad way.

Guess it's a two finger salute for all the slaters (especially Scottish Press).


FD
 
Now that's something like it, Barcelona - Rubin 1:1...:EASY: As it is a pity that Rubin didn't manage to win because of it a penalty which strangely enough has been appointed after the infringement very similar to what has been made by Barcelona in the first time. Then Ryzhikov milk caps has almost got a ball, but it nevertheless has escaped in the right gate corner. Well 1:1 with Barcelona it all the same outstanding result, now Rubin should prepare for an uneasy away match with Panathinaikos. And Barcelona similar and doesn't manage to win against Rubin, already 3 match successively. I hope on a Camp Nou Rubin can win Barcelona, also as well as last time, well we will look, and now I can tell, the Good fellow Rubin, thanks for such excellent result.:RSCARF:

Also it is possible to congratulate Spartak for such convincing victory over Žilina 3:0, good fellow.:)
 
Well, great result for Rubin Kazan against us again, as usual. But mind you, one day your incredible luck will end. We had 10 clear goal chances, some of them absolutely clear 1 on 1s. The day we score one or two, we will win you, hehehe! No way you can have the same luck as last year at the Nou Camp. Impossible.

Well played with 10 men inside the area for 89 minutes... It's the kind of tactics that guardiola can't chow (Kazan, Inter last season...). Seems we end up playing handball around the area and no one has the guts to take the ball and shoot or cross!
 
To be fair Rubin had a good chance at the end to win it 2-1, with Martins heading off the post.

Rubin's coach, Gurban Berdyiev, is a master tactician - he has regularly outsmarted more acclaimed coaches in the Russian Premier League. Rubin also lost a lot of quality players in the last few months (Bukharov, Semak, even Dominguez from a year ago) and he has done the same with Barca 3 times.
 
Yep, they had 2 chances in the whole match. Barcelona had 12, including 1 post also and 3 wasted chances 3 meters aways of the goal line... I mean, they played great defense again, but also they had a lot of luck...again!

Did you know that in these 3 matches we have had 5 posts overall and Rubin has scored one out of every 2 shots?

By saying it's a lot of luck I'm not denying Berdyiev's merit at all. That man could lead a big team to something as big as his well doing.
 
The_Special_One said:
GDP - gross domestic product. Increased a lot when we had the Euro 2004 amigo. It was an huge investment but with an absolutely amazing profit to our economy. Unfortunately, nowadays, we're in a deep and seriously crisis but that's another question to discuss in proper forums. :(

Back to football, well... never mind, I won't to talk about football today, I'm sad. :TTTH:
Click to expand...

I hear what you say amigo but Portugual is pretty well developed though there is this financial problem hitting many countries inc. the UK.

In Russia though outside of the largest connurbations facilities are in disrepair and infrastructure is in poor shape.

It would be better for the government to spend that around the country improving the grass roots for the benefit of all.

Personally regarding the Summer Olympiad in London my own personal opinion is the money for that would have been better spent on grass roots facilities for a range of sports, hiring better junior coaches and improving schools sport.

Disappointed with Benfica losing at Schalke. :( I hope you bounce back. I had you down as a dark horse in the competition.

Ramires is a bit of a miss in the midfield.
 
ALBICELESTE2010 said:
I hear what you say amigo but Portugual is pretty well developed though there is this financial problem hitting many countries inc. the UK.

In Russia though outside of the largest connurbations facilities are in disrepair and infrastructure is in poor shape.

It would be better for the government to spend that around the country improving the grass roots for the benefit of all.

QUOTE]

Depends from place to place... Some towns like Volgograd, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk are getting more and more developed, also niche places like Norilsk. You know, these days trains and roads in Russia are not so bad, you can get to most places on trains, even when it's freezing in winter (-30.c) you can still get daily trains from Moscow to Murmansk high up in the Artic, in England a little bit of frost stops all the trains.

But yes there are still big problems with health for people in Russia, especially young people and the government needs to spend big money on health awareness and education about provention. And this problem is present in big cities like Moscow and Petersburg too.

When USSR collapsed, it brought so many changes pretty much overnight, not all of them were better, all my friends used to have jobs. You grew up you knew you had a job, you knew the state would help you out for healthcare, you knew that you could travel anywhere in the USSR cheaply and safely... These days, for a lot of people, it's like living minute to minute, you can't make any plans, just try and survive each day and if you fall ill then there is no mechanism to help you. The west gave "freedom", but all it really did is make the rich people richer everyone else has to chase this dream of buying expensive jeans and luxury cars.

(I'm not saying USSR was perfect, far from it, but sometimes it's nice not to live in a place where everyone squashes each other just to get ahead.)
Click to expand...
 
Really disappointed with some of the lesser teams' performances.

Shakhtar, Bursaspor, Braga, etc. etc.

Yes, these teams aren't supposed to go to Emirates or Old trafford and get victories, but they're not supposed to go there and do absolute CRAP either. In champions league, there aren't supposed to be 'easy' matches, but that's exactly what Arsenal have had against Braga and the Ukranian Millionaires and an average United had the easiest game against Turkish champs because they didn't look like they could EVER create 3 chances let alone score one.

Shakhtar was crap from what I saw yesterday! Really shocking stuff. Bursaspor, very disappointing too!
 
There is something wrong with the timing of the CL qualifier matches.
Some teams (not necessarily the teams you mention) prepare specially for those 'jackpot' matches. They are at the summit of their form for those qualifiers and are over the top when the actual CL starts. Be in the CL becomes the real aim and not performing well in it...

I think all the champions should automatically qualify for the CL. I'm not sure if it helps that big countries have 4 CL contenders.
I'm a SPurs fan myself and obviously delighted that they can play the CL, but if you look at it logically it isn't fair that a team that was fourth can play the CL and that some champions can't...This change would make the teams from other countries than the big countries stronger because they would play more often against these big teams...they would also attract better players and have more money (downside: those teams like Ajax, Anderlecht and others would become more dominant in their home league).

Of course the current format was imposed by the big clubs who united themselves...but UEFA should change this.
 
Watched Inter-Spurs yesterday...Spurs are really weak defensively but could come home with some confidence for the second match. Spurs can play with both Modric and Van Der Vaart and discovered Inter's weakness: they have a slow back line...Bale and Lennon could run havoc and Spurs could play Van Der Vaart as second striker...

Spurs are very weak defensively..Gallas, Bassong, Assou Ekoto...they were all dreadfull yesterday. Poor Gomez and poor Cudicinin (the sending off was justified however).
 
Hmmm ... Yesterday's match between Inter Milan and Spurs was really awesome, scored seven goals, wow! It is a pity that Rubin could not beat Panathinaikos, this is the second consecutive draw. Well, nothing, they just need to get together, chances are still there. Very sorry for Spartak, which was completely replayed in London Chelsea in this match may be noted Yuri Zhirkov, who first appeared in the starting lineup of Chelsea and even scored splendid ball, but alas, the gates of the Russian team. It is a pity, and for the Donetsk Shakhtar, who had just defeated Arsenal, a bad game from them I have not seen, sorry... I hope their coach will review all the errors of the game and select the correct composition for the next game.:P
 
201024.jpg


Champions way!!!

Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC, FC Basel 1893, MŠK Žilina , FK Partizan.

16 games, 4 points, +/- goals "-27"

Perfect idea!
 
What is your point my friend?
I would say that that the competition isn't fair and that those results prove that clubs like Man Utd, Inter, Spurs, Lyon are having far too much money compared to the clubs you named.
So what Platini is doing about finacial fairplay is a very good thing and this will make competition more fair in the future. That way the clubs you name will have a fair chance against clubs like Real Madrid who are almost fraudulent in their financial dealings.
But i'm prety sure that this isn't what you meant.

I'm a very, very bigf fan of Platini as UEFA boss...
 
Yeah, this game day gave some very strange results from the Spurs victory over Inter Milan 3-1 to a crushing defeat Zilina from Marseille 0-7! What about the last match, I was not at all shocked by that as Marcel not only defeated, but did not leave wet places from Zilina, such an account in the Champions League - it certainly is in general...I used to think that even Zilina fees, but now, after this result has nothing to say. Very sorry for Rubin and Spartak, hopefully in the next games they will play better.:P
 
gerd i mean reform when in CL playoffs round the champions of low-rated countries plays vs same. And 3-4 clubs strong leagues play against each other.

And what we have ? We have -27 in CL by 4 teams. And have complete dominance in the Europa League by: CSKA, Porto, Zenit, Stuttgart etc.
 
Asiat said:
gerd i mean reform when in CL playoffs round the champions of low-rated countries plays vs same. And 3-4 clubs strong leagues play against each other.

And what we have ? We have -27 in CL by 4 teams. And have complete dominance in the Europa League by: CSKA, Porto, Zenit, Stuttgart etc.
Click to expand...
Of course, what you say is true, but what about the dominance in the European League that you want to say that UEFA automatically sends these teams in Champions League? Yes, it is from this would be even more interesting, but these teams are to blame for the fact that they are not where they ought to be. CSKA barely finished fifth in the championship of Russia, although the force should always only fight for first place, Zenit's own fault that lost Auxerre, after which many in Russia, said that Zenit did not deserve to play in the Champions League when losing Auxerre and what about the rest I do not remember ... Moreover, if in Champions League will play only those top clubs, the smaller the football federation will simply protest against this oppression of their clubs. In short, the weak teams, too, must play in Champions League and Europa League, as it develops their football in general.:THINK:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom