2017/18 Champions League and Europa League thread

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

First topic message reminder :

Dejan Lovren is hilariously awful

[Guest]

On the topic of volleys I still hold Van Bastens in 88 as my all time favourite.

For anyone that cares

[GSC]

Maybe, one thing I'll agree with Mourinho on is finals are only for winning. Hard to take positives from that.

[Guest]

And 1988 was the last time Modric ate by the looks of it.

Love the Chicago Bulls reference though. What a ledge.

[owen10ozzy]

Lets not forget Roberto Di Matteo has a Champions League win too! Don't get me wrong Zidane has done marvelous getting them 3 in a row but he inherited a squad with 3 of the worlds best 5 players.

He has fallen way short of what is expected domestically and unlike Pep and Jose he has yet to show he can manage and succeed in more than one country (pivotal in comparing trophy laden managers)...

For me if any of those managers won a Champions League with an English team they go right to the summit because that is the hardest thing to do. Premier League is so competitive week in week out that you can't rest players and manage them the way teams in Spain, Germany & Italy do. It's why we often see English teams fall short at the latter stages of Euro competitions.

[No name Bertie]

Sergio Ramos takes out Mo Salah after 30 minutes of play:

[Guest]

I was kinda being sarcastic but I get ya point, Owen.

I've always rated Joses 2010 triumph as the best in the last 20 years, given the field he was up against and that Inter squad in general.

[GSC]

That inter squad was hand made for him though.

Not sure I'd put Zidane in the top tier of managers until he wins elsewhere, but equally 3 CL wins in 3 years can't be spun as anything less than phenomenal. Di Matteo failed to make it out of the group stage and got sacked in November after he won.

[owen10ozzy]

Was more a general point, as I know plenty will actually come out and claim he is the best thing since sliced bread now...

I'm with you on Mourinho, his 2010 win and his Porto win far outstrip any Champions League win anyone has in the last 15-20 years...

That Inter squad won the treble...with a defence whose average age was around 33...aa pretty ordinary midfield except for Sneijder and a forward line which outside of Eto no one knew much about in terms of ability to be winners/major factors.

Hand made? Not sure I would say that...certainly no more hand made than Pep inherited at Bayern...

I give him more props for what he did at Barca than many people do, easy to say he had Messi etc but he was instrumental during his time with the B team in ensuring many of the youngsters like Busquets, Pedro were ready to step up.

However he had it very easy at Bayern and whlst his football has been impressive at City and he has brought players on fantastically....he has spent close to £500 million assembling this great side everyone talks about. That's a hell of an outlay!

Much like the Messi/Ronaldo argument,the greatest manager debate is just a case of personal preference..

Question...does anyone see Zidane managing any club other than Madrid? I think if he goes then he steps into the France job..

[Ent]

Sudanese may not be the best manager in the world but he is undoubtably the best Real Madrid manager.

[GSC]

Sudanese may not be the best manager in the world but he is undoubtably the best Real Madrid manager.

3 CL wins has really put him on the map

[Guest]

Sudanese may not be the best manager in the world but he is undoubtably the best Real Madrid manager.

3 CL wins has really put him on the map

Have a biscuit.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Think Liverpool are strong favourites.

Real have been a shambles defensively all season.

Should be plenty of goals anyway.

Real haven't been great all season, but have knocked out PSG, Juventus and Bayern, and are going for a 4th CL in 5 years, 3rd in 3 years. They've heavy favourites for me

As expected - Madrid outclassed Liverpool and enter a pantheon of all time great teams in the process

[Ent]

Some autocorrect that.

[Marky]

I hadn't factored in that Sergio Ramos would physically assault Mo Saleh by physically trapping his arm and then yanking it out of its shoulder socket.  There will be a lot of angry Egyptians.

Considering it was the other shoulder that got dislocated (from Salah landing on it), you're talking absolute nonsense mate.

[GSC]

Ramos is the king of ****housing but it's a bit of a stretch to suggest he meant that.

[Duty281]

So we finally get the answer to the question: What would happen if David James played in a Champions League Final?

In all seriousness, an utter calamity for Karius. Could destroy his entire career at the top level.

[Steffan]

A Taffy shuts up the gobby Scousers

Mind you......I was well in the money if it had stayed 2-1

Stupid Welshman

[eirebilly]

Ramos is the king of ****housing but it's a bit of a stretch to suggest he meant that.

When you watch it, Ramos clearly knows what he is doing. I don't suggest that he deliberately tried to injure him but it sure was a calculated piece of cynical play.

Ramos has a history of horrid unsportsmanlike behaviour but nothing will be done about it, ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7S2QIAiiy4

[Dolphin Ziggler]

There’s no way he does that on purpose. 

Salah TGIF to accelerate away and now Ramos is more dangerous with the crossface than Chris Benoit

[eirebilly]

I think it was absolutely calculated, not deliberately trying to break his shoulder or arm but you clearly see Salah link first then Ramos pulling him away from the ball by locking his arm tighter and rolling as he went down.

I think he was trying to impose himself on Salah who was controlling Liverpool in the early stages of the game but it ended up in him having to go off. I still think Real would have won though.

Remember last years CL final when he got a player sent off for a disgusting piece of diving? In the video posted above.

The guy is simply a cheat, good player but a cheat.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

The clip that doesn’t show Cuadrado stamping on him?

Of course a defender is gonna foul someone. Cynical attempt to do anything? No, he’s a defender trying to stop an attacker getting round him.

I even think the video on social media of him hitting Karius is a complete sh*tshow - he gets pushed into him and brushes him with his forearm. Karius, not hurt, gets up and tries to claim an elbow

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