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Champions League 2010-11
Topic Started: Jul 16 2010, 07:51 AM (4,384 Views)
Johnbuildr
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I was thinking the same thing as others here about Crouch's numerous fouls on header challenges, including a couple that the ref didn't even call btw.
What makes it so ridiculous and wasteful is that he could win virtually all of them without the obvious fouling. It's stupid, it happens too often, and should be fairly easily correctable with proper coaching. It is a distraction from his game and also has the obvious negative result of loss of possession almost every time.

Managed to stay awake for the entire game. Kept thinking ACM very well might get lucky and score a goal as they did get some decent passing and shots off, maybe 3 or 4 or so.
To me, Ibra was not so much invisible as he was incompetent. He had touches, was in good position every so often and in the flow of the play, but he could not get off a good turn and shot or dribble and shot to save his life.

A deserved result for the Spurs but as someone else mentioned, the other teams should be licking their chops at the thought of playing them next based on that display.
Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum



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raconteur
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I still remember Crouch scoring a header in the 2006 World Cup against Trinidad & Tobago when he held a T&T defender down by grabbing his dreadlocks! Count me in with those who think his technique for jumping is absolutely horrible and that he fouls practically every time. I could not understand why Spurs did not pull him off earlier and use the quick Defoe who would have trouble Milan's defense much more.

I am with John about Ibrahimovic, he was just plain awful yesterday. Seedorf, on the other hand, played very well in an unaccustomed deep role in midfield. If he continues to play there and play as he did yesterday he could prolong his career.

I can not help but think this was a lost opportunity for Milan but the bototm line is Milan went scoreless in two games against Spurs and that won't get you far. On the bright side they get Cassano and van Bommel for their league games and now Milan can concentrate on winning the scudetto.
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raconteur
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Arsene Whinging Again

Quote:
 
We all understand that you can make wrong decisions but after that it becomes dictatorship, it’s not any more common sense,” Wenger told a news conference on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United.

“I think when you have a football game of that stature you cannot come out with decisions like that and show a lot of arrogance on top of that.

“I deny completely any charge. I do not understand where that comes from,” Wenger added.

“It is a shame for me that the referee took the decision to send Robin van Persie off. It was the wrong decision.

“The first leg was a fantastic advert for football and the second game has been destroyed. People now will only remember the sending-off,” added the Frenchman, who followed Busacca down the tunnel to discuss the decision.

“It would be good for UEFA to show some humility, to apologise for what has happened, not charge people who have done nothing wrong.”


I love Wenger's last line, asking for UEFA to show some humility! :lol:

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Simon
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Tottenham's debut season in the CL has been a real adventure for them, and of course they've done tremendously well. They were hardly at their sparkling best last night and it's interesting to see where Sammy attributes that to nerves. The reason that would interest me is that nerves are the one thing that Spurs haven't shown at all in Europe this season. When the last 16 draw was made back in December, my suspicion was that Milan's experience would count and that they would outwit Spurs. After all, Tottenham have shown only one gear in the competition so far - full steam ahead! Their attacking approach is thrilling to watch but is also a bit naive and so I think that's why I'm impressed with the manner of Tottenham's advancement. Had you said to me back in December that the two legs would finish 1-0 and 0-0, my assumption would be that Milan would be going through. That Tottenham went through in this manner adds another string to their bow IMO. Milan played well, especially in the first half, but Spurs showed a defensive resilience that they certainly haven't always had. Sandro was a really significant presence in midfield and his influence and maturity seems to grow with every game I see him play.

This wasn't Spurs at their best, as we know. Redknapp resisted the temptation to throw the half-fit Bale into the action. But IMO Spurs are no push overs, and can be dangerous now they're in the last 8. They're still outsiders and dark horses and I think that role suits them.
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ursus arctos
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Wenger has clearly lost it.

Not the mindset you really want your manager to have going into a cup tie with Manchester United.
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Don Balon
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ursus arctos,Mar 10 2011
08:40 PM
Wenger has clearly lost it.

Not the mindset you really want your manager to have going into a cup tie with Manchester United.

He really has lost it. You know there is a lot to admire in the confidence clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal have shown in maintaining the same coach for years but depending on the personality of both the coach and club, things can get stale after awhile. I am wondeirng if that is happening now with Arsenal and Wenger? He is becoming increasingly separated from reality and maybe the best thing for both club and coach would be to change pathes? We will see how Arsenal do the rest of the season but a change may be beneficial.
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The Artful Codger
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That is an interesting theory Don and I think it resembles what happened with Benitez at Liverpool. He was successful at the club but after a time I think his methods turned his players off and eventually they were not following his tactical instructions or playing with the passion they had before. Now Wenger has been at Arsenal much longer than Benitez was at Liverpool but he is starting to act irrationally now and that ahs to be effecting his team. It is a valid question to ask now whether Arsene's time at Arsenal is nearing its end?
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Sporting
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I think these things can be over-dramatized, though. Arsenal reached the final of the Carling Cup (and only lost this due to an almightly mix-up), are in the last 8 of the FA Cup, and are within touching distance of a fairly mediocre Man Utd team in the league. The loss to Barclona was disappointing (and even here they were within a whisker of stealing the tie near the end) but how many teams have given the Catalans a good game this season?
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Alexao
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Sporting,Mar 10 2011
10:17 PM
I think these things can be over-dramatized, though. Arsenal reached the final of the Carling Cup (and only lost this due to an almightly mix-up), are in the last 8 of the FA Cup, and are within touching distance of a fairly mediocre Man Utd team in the league. The loss to Barclona was disappointing (and even here they were within a whisker of stealing the tie near the end) but how many teams have given the Catalans a good game this season?

I agree with Sporting, Wenger was just frustrated after the loss, probably knowing his club was pretty close to upsetting Barcelona. His club are still well placed to do well in the league and Cup in England. The sky is not falling there.

I think I am adopting Shakhtar Donetsk as the team I will follow the rest of this Champions League. Starting four Brasilians definitely helps! But so does their stylish play.

Speaking of that I enjoyed watching an English club (Tottenham) play an Italian one (Milan) in a game where they were as many Brasilians in the starting lineup for both clubs, five, as they were English and Italians combined!
Xandão
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Winslow
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On to the next ties. Tuesday's second legs...
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Bayern Munich 2, Inter Milan 3 (aggregate 3-3; Inter advances on away goals); Manchester United 2, Olympique Marseille 1 (aggregate 2-1).

Once again Bayern has Inter under the cosh and can't deliver the final blow. Eto'o leveled the overall scores after just 3 minutes, but the Germans led at halftime--first Julio Cesar fumbled another Robben shot for Gomez to touch in, then Muller's slick diagonal run and an even slicker pass put the young man through to finish with the outside of the boot. But Inter kept plugging, and Sneijder tied the score by driving a low shot inside the far post with about 20 minutes to go. Then just before injury time, Eto'o collected a long ball and laid off for Pandev, who put a sweet left-footer just under the bar.

Not quite as much drama at Old Trafford, as Chicharito Hernandez tallied a pair of tap-ins to put Man U through. OM missed several good chances and arguably had more of the play, but only a Wes Brown own goal with 15 minutes left made it close.
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ursus arctos
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Samuel Eto'o is the great under appreciated player of his generation.
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Simon
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I'd personally argue that United had more of the play and certainly more possession, but we didn't put that match away like we should have done and the final ten minutes were needlessly nervy. United played some nice stuff coming forward, Rooney was superb all evening, Giggs and Scholes were excellent as per usual (although at one point Scholes did give the ball away - one to write in your diary!), and Hernandez played really well, he really is a little gem. Besides his two goals, his movement and intelligence are always impressive. The problems were at the back, as injuries again forced us to pair Smalling and Brown as centre-backs. Both played pretty well as individuals but their communication and understanding was unsurprisingly not too great (nor was it on the only previous time they played together, in the recent 3-1 defeat at Anfield). There were a couple of occasions where they left the ball for each other or didn't track runs, and Marseille made a couple of chances.

The great worry is that the defence is already hit with injuries (so is the midfield), but John O'Shea pulled his hamstring and had to be replaced by Rafael...only for him to go off with a pulled hamstring as well! I'm not sure what kind of defence we can put out against Bolton at the weekend.

Anyway, those are concerns for another day and a different thread...
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Simon
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ursus arctos,Mar 15 2011
02:12 PM
Samuel Eto'o is the great under appreciated player of his generation.

Yep, and it has to be said that Eto'o plus 48 million euros for Ibrahimovic was one of the great transfer disasters of recent times.

Well, from a Barcelona point of view!
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enganche
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Simon,Mar 15 2011
03:16 PM
ursus arctos,Mar 15 2011
02:12 PM
Samuel Eto'o is the great under appreciated player of his generation.

Yep, and it has to be said that Eto'o plus 48 million euros for Ibrahimovic was one of the great transfer disasters of recent times.

Well, from a Barcelona point of view!

And one of the most baffling transfers of all time too. A straight swap would have been fair but all the cash Barcelona also threw in???? :huh:

Chicharito Hernandez has a good eye for goal that is for sure and he and Rooney seem to be clicking together.

I thought the difference in Inter-Bayern was Robben, when he was on the field, Bayern were doing well, once he left (injured again!), Inter regained the initiative.
Prefiero morir de pie que vivir arrodillado
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Yogi
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I find myself agreeing with enganche, Bayern looked in good position until Robben went off injured again. Without him they were not anywhere near as dangerous offensively while their usually brittle defense eventually cracked under Inter's pressure. I really liked Eto'o's calmness on that final goal, may players would have shot but he held the ball enough and found Pancev for a better shot. Eto'o's and Pandev's work saved Julio Cesar some blushes as his error gifted Bayern their first goal. It has not been a very good seaosn for the normally impeccable Julio Cesar.
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