UEFA Champions League 18/19

Well, shit. Was counting on City to kick Spurs ass in UCL. And Spurs steal a win in the league.

Eh. Whatever. I’ve given up on trying to plan any of this. What happens, happens.

Probably the best two PL clubs in history just happen to exist in the same time now. Shit is going to be crazy.
 
Well, shit. Was counting on City to kick Spurs ass in UCL. And Spurs steal a win in the league.

Eh. Whatever. I’ve given up on trying to plan any of this. What happens, happens.

Probably the best two PL clubs in history just happen to exist in the same time now. Shit is going to be crazy.
Surprised to see you talk about the 1999 ManU team, and Arsenal’s undefeated team was 2004, so the two best team span two different seasons.
 
Surprised to see you talk about the 1999 ManU team, and Arsenal’s undefeated team was 2004, so the two best team span two different seasons.
lol. Not even close.

And you know that, too. Neither of those teams could touch either City or Liverpool.

Especially not 79 point ManU.
 
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lol. Not even close.

And you know that, too. Neither of those teams could touch either City or Liverpool.

Especially not 79 point ManU.
Yeah, go win some hardware first and then talk about points.
 
Lol. 5x.

ETA: musical proof.

Funny, what’s Liverpool won this year in the way of hardware? Who have they bested and outlasted? So far, nobody. The hardware they won in the past doesn’t make them the best, they didn’t win the treble and they didn’t go undefeated. They got knocked out of the EFL and FA cups in the 3rd round, that’s a bold foray to the finish. Maybe they win the league, and maybe they win the CL, or perhaps both, but that doesn’t make them the best ever.

They’re a fun team to watch Midas, and they could still win hardware, but anointing them the best ever is laughable.
 
Funny, what’s Liverpool won this year in the way of hardware? Who have they bested and outlasted? So far, nobody. The hardware they won in the past doesn’t make them the best, they didn’t win the treble and they didn’t go undefeated. They got knocked out of the EFL and FA cups in the 3rd round, that’s a bold foray to the finish. Maybe they win the league, and maybe they win the CL, or perhaps both, but that doesn’t make them the best ever.

They’re a fun team to watch Midas, and they could still win hardware, but anointing them the best ever is laughable.
I said two of the best premier league teams ever. And that isn’t disputable. When have two teams been so dominant?

Never is the answer. It’s a new dawn. It’s never been quite this way. And it isn’t because everyone else is shit. It’s because LFC and City are just really, really freaking good. I’m sorry it hurts your feelings. But it’s true. It’s the best the PL as a whole has ever been. And there have never been two teams who dominated to this extent at the same time.

I understand you don’t have any objective disputes. So I’m okay with you throwing shit at the wall.

ETA: good luck tomorrow. Happy for you guys and Ole. Seems like a great hire.
 
we have a mountain to climb.
I think you're being too pessimistic.

At the Etihad, with de Bruyne and Sané probably starting, and B. Silva likely being available (and possibly Mendy will return), it's highly likely that City can both keep a clean sheet and score multiple goals. Pep may go back to Fernandinho as single pivot with KDB and Silva or Silva in free-8 roles. I think we saw conservativism tonight, having both Fernandinho and Gundogan sit mostly in the 6 space as a double pivot because Pep was worried about Dele and Eriksen, but with Kane out Poch might need to pull one of them further forward, weakening Spurs' midfield.

Then again, with Son in red-hot form, Lucas running around and Llorente being a decent target man, maybe Poch can just let it be.
 
I think you're being too pessimistic.

At the Etihad, with de Bruyne and Sané probably starting, and B. Silva likely being available (and possibly Mendy will return), it's highly likely that City can both keep a clean sheet and score multiple goals. Pep may go back to Fernandinho as single pivot with KDB and Silva or Silva in free-8 roles. I think we saw conservativism tonight, having both Fernandinho and Gundogan sit mostly in the 6 space as a double pivot because Pep was worried about Dele and Eriksen, but with Kane out Poch might need to pull one of them further forward, weakening Spurs' midfield.

Then again, with Son in red-hot form, Lucas running around and Llorente being a decent target man, maybe Poch can just let it be.
City will claw it back in 6 minutes. They are better than spurs.

But City will have to work their asses off, yet again. I’m all for it. Just keep them busy. The April schedule for them is brutal. If they skate through unscathed vis a viz 4 trophy challenges, they are even better than their title of “greatest team ever purchased”.
 
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City will have to work their asses off, yet again
This is almost worse than the old days when you'd worry if City would stay up or not but in the end they always* would despite your worrying about it. Back then you'd be happy when it was mid-April and they'd finally gotten to 36 points and you'd finally be able to breathe a bit because you'd still have a few weeks to go and only need another few points to be certain. Nowadays City has more than double that amount of points at the same time of year and you're a little annoyed when they can't manage to sweep all four trophies, ya know?

So I'd kind of agree that City and Liverpool are both together up there beyond everyone else. I think for Liverpool to be for real though they're just going to have to win the league.**

*for most values of "always"
**twice
 
This is almost worse than the old days when you'd worry if City would stay up or not but in the end they always* would despite your worrying about it. Back then you'd be happy when it was mid-April and they'd finally gotten to 36 points and you'd finally be able to breathe a bit because you'd still have a few weeks to go and only need another few points to be certain. Nowadays City has more than double that amount of points at the same time of year and you're a little annoyed when they can't manage to sweep all four trophies, ya know?

So I'd kind of agree that City and Liverpool are both together up there beyond everyone else. I think for Liverpool to be for real though they're just going to have to win the league.**

*for most values of "always"
**twice
Cheeky.

Twice more, you mean.
 
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Twice more, you mean.
You're kiiiiinda trying to have it both ways, here, Midas Mulligan Midas Mulligan.

If your contention is that Liverpool in its current form is one of the best two teams in the world right now (which I agree with), and one of the best teams of all time on the basis of the huge quality disparity between modern football and the football of past eras (which I also agree with), then you can't really point to winning the old First Division as having "won the league" given that there's basically no relationship anymore between the modern Premier League and the First Division in terms of quality.
 
You're kiiiiinda trying to have it both ways, here, Midas Mulligan Midas Mulligan.

If your contention is that Liverpool in its current form is one of the best two teams in the world right now (which I agree with), and one of the best teams of all time on the basis of the huge quality disparity between modern football and the football of past eras (which I also agree with), then you can't really point to winning the old First Division as having "won the league" given that there's basically no relationship anymore between the modern Premier League and the First Division in terms of quality.
Well, we only really have last year and this of Man City being the best team Eh-Varrrr.

So...I’m going off that.

And I always reserve the right to have it both ways.
 
You're kiiiiinda trying to have it both ways, here
I always reserve the right to have it both ways.
I was not really counting "ancient" history as well. In a way that's like saying the Cubs are repeat World Champions even though the previous time they won the title was in 1908, just to stretch the analogy way too far. As I often do, of course. City's won the league three times in the past six years or so, that has to count for something. I mean, beyond sheik money, that is. And I agree that Liverpool is right up there with City. Let's just schedule this conversation again in five years after City's won two more Premier League titles and Liverpool's won the other three.
 
I was not really counting "ancient" history as well. In a way that's like saying the Cubs are repeat World Champions even though the previous time they won the title was in 1908, just to stretch the analogy way too far. As I often do, of course. City's won the league three times in the past six years or so, that has to count for something. I mean, beyond sheik money, that is. And I agree that Liverpool is right up there with City. Let's just schedule this conversation again in five years after City's won two more Premier League titles and Liverpool's won the other three.
Here's the thing, though; soccer is such a high-variance sport (luck and happenstance have an enormous role in specific outcomes of matches) and rosters turn over so often that "winning things" is often a misleading marker of which teams are best *right now*.

The Man City of this season happens to be basically the same team which won the league last season but bears essentially no resemblance to the Man City which won the league in 2013/14. Referring to them as "the same team" is effectively absurd.

Liverpool *right now*, by both eye test and underlying numbers are one of the very top teams in the world. That remains true whether or not they win the league or the Champions League or both/either.
 
Here's the thing, though; soccer is such a high-variance sport (luck and happenstance have an enormous role in specific outcomes of matches) and rosters turn over so often that "winning things" is often a misleading marker of which teams are best *right now*.

The Man City of this season happens to be basically the same team which won the league last season but bears essentially no resemblance to the Man City which won the league in 2013/14. Referring to them as "the same team" is effectively absurd.

Liverpool *right now*, by both eye test and underlying numbers are one of the very top teams in the world. That remains true whether or not they win the league or the Champions League or both/either.
Not at all disagreeing with anything you've said, but if City gets to 100 points and wins the league for the fourth time in eight years you can say all you want that Liverpool's the better team but it's going to be hard to argue with the titles. And to flip that around, Liverpool could also make it to 100, and could also easily win the title. That would effectively end the need to argue about whether they're really that good, because in fact they are. And even as a nervous City fan (<-- permanent condition, apparently) I'm loving that this season's race is going to be down to the wire.

And also, that's why I personally never get jerseys with names or numbers on the back. The teams absolutely totally change year over year, but they're still the same team.
 
Ajax has me a bit nervous. Young, quick and less tense. Chiellini out is an issue. I don't think Rugani can keep up. They should have kept Benatia around.

Would have liked a healthy Cuadrado for his speed. Costa is finally back, but can't expect much.

Wish Allegri had the balls to start Moise Kean. I see this ending in a draw.

Man U will keep it close until 1/2 way through the second and Barca will pull away.