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*Official* English Football Season 2007-08
- Thread starter GIMH
- Start date
Shaggy Alfresco
State Captain
at Man Utd, Chelsea and their glory hunting fans.
superkingdave
Hall of Fame Member
3-1 to the Oldham, Martin won't be happy...will have to get searching for a suitable avatar
dontcloseyoureyes
BARNES OUT
I've given up on us over the last two weeks.
roseboy64
Cricket Web Content Updater
Better than losing to a lower league team.
roseboy64
Cricket Web Content Updater
Good for Benitez and Liverpool.
The UCL isn't all about who has the best team in Europe. A look at the winners in recent years and their league positions will show you that. Anyway for a few years before last season Man Utd weren't equipped to win it. Also, maybe a case of the other team being better and not Man Utd choking? Could be and could not be. 
BoyBrumby
Englishman
Great pair of results for football. The magic of the cup had become a meaningless cliche peddled by the BBC in hope more than expectation, but the giant-killer is alive and well it seems: Oldham dumping out Everton @ Goodison, Bristol Rovers beating Fulham on pens, t'Blades turning Citeh over, Barnsley winning at Anfield & now yesterday. Restores one's faith somewhat.
It also means we're going to have the the first winner from outside of the "big 4" for the first time since Everton turned ManUre over in 95 & the first winner from outside of Manchester, London or Liverpool since Cov in 87! Heady times indeed.
It also means we're going to have the the first winner from outside of the "big 4" for the first time since Everton turned ManUre over in 95 & the first winner from outside of Manchester, London or Liverpool since Cov in 87! Heady times indeed.
Tom Halsey
International Coach
In all fairness, Chelsea haven't always been a member of the big four - the definitely weren't in 1997, and I can't remember where they came in 2000 but IIRC it was out of the top four.Great pair of results for football. The magic of the cup had become a meaningless cliche peddled by the BBC in hope more than expectation, but the giant-killer is alive and well it seems: Oldham dumping out Everton @ Goodison, Bristol Rovers beating Fulham on pens, t'Blades turning Citeh over, Barnsley winning at Anfield & now yesterday. Restores one's faith somewhat.
It also means we're going to have the the first winner from outside of the "big 4" for the first time since Everton turned ManUre over in 95 & the first winner from outside of Manchester, London or Liverpool since Cov in 87! Heady times indeed.
Anyway I guess somewhere Mr Rubble is rather happy - and good for him. Hoping for a Portsmouth - Barnsley final now - after knocking out Liver****e and the Chavs, Barnsley definitely deserve to be there.
Tom Halsey
International Coach
What a load of rubbish.
I'm far from Fergie's biggest European fan (I agree with your last paragraph actually, especially if we get Barcelona) but, though I don't know, I'm willing to bet that if you go by UEFA Coefficients, Ferguson has done considerably more, even if he has had more time. Numerous quarters and semis, and of course The Treble.
Moreover, prior to 2003 at least, several of our European campaigns failures cannot remotely be blamed on Ferguson. In 94/95 there was a ridiculous foreigner rule - Welsh, Scottish and Irish players were considered foreign so it really buggered us - yet despite playing half our reserve side we still made a good fist of it, including murdering a class Barcelona side at OT. If not for two mad moments at the back and severe wastefulness, we'd have emerged from that clear winners rather than 2-2 - a result which would have put us through. In the 97 semi, we dominated both legs against Dortnmund, yet lost both legs 1-0, somehow - nothing to do with Ferguson. Should also have won the 2002 semi, undoubtedly.
Until Real Madrid 2003, we played attacking football in Europe. We won one of the best matches I've ever seen 4-3 at OT, but went out on aggregate due to our loss at the Bernabeu. A tactical change was needed, but not what Ferguson effected. Since 2003, I will give you, I have never really trusted Ferguson in Europe, the odd good performance has been mingled in with lots of forgettable ones. Even then though, our injury list in 2007 was formidable - we may not have gone through anyway, but it hindered us tactically in Milan.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
I think the real sea-change in Chelsea was when Gullit took over, obviously they weren't quite the force they became when they had Uncle Roman's billions behind them, but they were on their way.
Anyway, good for football IMHO.
cpr
International Coach
Aye, worried me that, seen the highlights from Fosters reserve outing (playing them inside the ground on Sat), confirmed my worries that he's just not a top class keeper. So shaky with the ball at his feet. Might be a shot stopper, but thats not good enough in the modern game. Was one worrying point where he tried to do a Barthez and round an opposing striker, ended up doing a Barthez and land on his arse, losing the ball with a poor hasty clearance after getting in trouble.
chalky
International Debutant
Benitez 3 years 1 win + 1 final
Ferguson approx 20 years 1 win + ??????
I'm no Liverpool (or Benitez) fan but it is obvious he has a better European record than Fergie - that's not opinion that's fact.
cpr
International Coach
Lets just take that statement and discuss.
No, not really a fact. Fergies European record consists of 3 major tropheys (CWC with Aberdeen, CWC and CL with Utd.). Might be wrong, but dont recall Benitez winning any European tropheys prior to Liverpool. So hmm, best reword that one to favour your opinions a bit more.
Shaggy Alfresco
State Captain
4-0 thrashing of West Ham, while Le Arse manage to **** up in the league again. Good weekend at long last.
PhoenixFire
International Coach
TBH, Liverpool are a pretty crap domestic side and winning the CL on the odd occasion (in the recent years) doesn't make you any better than a club like Man United who are constantly challenging for either the Premiership (which I think we will win this year), the CL, the FA Cup or all 3. Liverpool are a good European side, but it really does end there TBH.
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
You did ask...
Ferguson 309.5pts (in 25 seasons)
Benítez 145.5pts (in 7 seasons)
So Benítez' teams notches up the points at about double the rate. ITSTL. (Yes, I know there are more matches these days and whatnot, but Man Utd hasn't scored more points than a Benítez-coached side since 2003).
Also, would like to raise a point re: leagues being a more test of mettle than cups (it seems to be a favoured beating horse of yours and other Man Utd fans). Doesn't beating a Wigan\West Ham\*insert relegation-favoured side as appropriate* side that camps in its own half for 90 % of the time require a different set of skills than beating Juventus or Chelsea over two legs? Not saying Man U doesn't deserve credit for pummeling Reading et al week in and week out, but top matches are a different beast and should be judged differently - and all there is then is the knock-out format + possibly top-four matches in the league (where, admittedly, Liverpool does not have a great recent record, and did lose magnificently and splendidly to Chelsea in the season when they knocked them out of the Champiducks League)