***Official*** English Football Season 2018-19

[Lillian Thomson]

Liverpool have been sluggish by their standards toward the end of the season even though they kept on winning. The high octane pressing and passing hasn't been there consistently. They were very poor and fortunate in the Newcastle game before they played Barcelona.

 

[andmark]

I suppose it's to be expected from such a physically demanding style they play. Similar thing happened last season as well.

I'm terrified watching this parade. I can't decide whether it'll be the trophy or Klopp who falls off. Wijnaldum's phone has already taken a fall.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Well done Liverpool, dire game but better team won no doubt about that regardless of the penalty incident.

Also RIP Reyes, awful news, too young.

 

[Furball]

Reyes isn't the one who should be mourned, the two people he took with him by driving at 120mph and crashing are the people who should be mourned.

 

[sledger]

Yes, that factor clearly means that Reyes himself should not be mourned

 

[Lillian Thomson]

To save me doing anything too drastic (like research). Does anyone know which other teams aside from Liverpool have won the Champions League without winning their domestic league since the format has allowed non-champions to qualify? Not necessarily not winning it the following season as domestic champions - just never having won the domestic league at all since the European Cup was expanded.

 

[sledger]

Not many I do not think. Quite a few who have won it without winning their domestic league in either the same or preceding season though I should imagine.

 

[Furball]

To save me doing anything too drastic (like research). Does anyone know which other teams aside from Liverpool have won the Champions League without winning their domestic league since the format has allowed non-champions to qualify? Not necessarily not winning it the following season as domestic champions - just never having won the domestic league at all since the European Cup was expanded.

Leverkusen reached the final in 01/02.

I'm pretty sure the Valencia side which reached the final in 2000 and 2001 hadn't won the title either - I think they won a title in the early 00s so this might not be correct.

It's hardly a stick to beat Liverpool with anyway, given the criteria you're looking for is basically 'name a team from Europe's top leagues who haven't won a title in ages but who were quite good one season'.

 

[sledger]

Yeah Valencia won La Liga in 2002 and 2004. The Rafa days.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

It was nothing to do with beating Liverpool with sticks. It came up on the radio that they’d been Champions of Europe twice in the CL era without being Champions of England in the same era. I just wondered if any other teams had won it without ever winning their domestic league in the same CL era. At the time I didn’t have time to look it up. Though in hindsight I could have looked it up in the time it took to write the question on here. But driving through Nottingham addles the brain.

 

[Furball]

Yeah Valencia won La Liga in 2002 and 2004. The Rafa days.

Yeah I was certain they'd won the 2004 title, just wasn't sure if the Hector Cuper side of the turn of the century also won a league title.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Reyes isn't the one who should be mourned, the two people he took with him by driving at 120mph and crashing are the people who should be mourned.

135mph apparently. A little unwise by any standards.

 

[Uppercut]

Daniel James to United looks a decent signing to me. Serious, serious pace.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Sky doing their best to make out the UEFA Nations League Semi-Finals are big tournament matches.

 

[sledger]

Big enough for the usual idiots to start smashing up pubs and getting into fights with the police abroad over, apparently.

 

[wpdavid]

Sky doing their best to make out the UEFA Nations League Semi-Finals are big tournament matches.

Southgate taking the opposite view by resting the Liverpool and Spurs players due to the CL final.

 

[Uppercut]

So far you can tell it apart from a real major tournament by the fact that the matches are actually ****ing great.

 

[wpdavid]

So far you can tell it apart from a real major tournament by the fact that the matches are actually ****ing great.

Not least the first semi-final. Obviously supporting Switzerland, but consoled myself with the thought that I was watching a genuine ATG who probably won't be around much longer doing something quite extraordinary.

 

[Uppercut]

Not least the first semi-final. Obviously supporting Switzerland, but consoled myself with the thought that I was watching a genuine ATG who probably won't be around much longer doing something quite extraordinary.

The two England-Spain games were brilliant too. You can always tell the players are 100% up for the games.

 

[sledger]

Yeah, I must say I hadn't realised England were playing tonight until I saw the news of all the fans being arrested earlier on today, but now that I know I am quite looking forward to watching.