*Official* English Football Season 2009-2010

[Jarquis]

Best draw we could have gotten IMO, not least because Barcelona have drawn Arsenal, who IMO have a decent chance against them. I'd be confident ahead of meeting Arsenal in the final, not particularly confident ahead of meeting Barca.

Could've had CSKA ahead of one of the French sides maybe. Though avoiding Inter/Barca/Arsenal until the final is the best you could've hoped for.

 

[The Sean]

Best draw we could have gotten IMO, not least because Barcelona have drawn Arsenal, who IMO have a decent chance against them. I'd be confident ahead of meeting Arsenal in the final, not particularly confident ahead of meeting Barca.

I really wanted to avoid Arsenal actually - we've beaten them four or five times in a row now, and they're due one against us. I wouldn't mind Barca - not saying we'd beat them necessarily but it would be nice to have the chance to put last years final horror-show to rest.

 

[The Sean]

Inter>>>Arsenal. Sorry guys, no getting around that. There's more chance of me finding Jesus than there is of Arsenal beating Chelsea home and away in consecutive matches like Inter did.

Yer Chavs were both pretty dire and pretty unlucky - and let's not forget this is the same Inter who are only a point of ahead of a Milan side we all thought were shockingly average against United. You're right, Arsenal probably wouldn't beat Chelsea back-to-back like that, but I reckon over two legs they'd beat Inter.

 

[Jarquis]

Anybody got an idea when the games are being played? Think I read Arsenal/Barca is on the 31st March. Hoping for a convincing win, at least that way I wouldn't have to cop a load of stick in school on my birthday

 

[The Sean]

Anybody got an idea when the games are being played? Think I read Arsenal/Barca is on the 31st March. Hoping for a convincing win, at least that way I wouldn't have to cop a load of stick in school on my birthday

30/31 March and then 6/7 April

Thankfully United have the Tuesday night game in the first leg as it gives us the extra day to back up for Sat lunchtime against Chelsea. That week of Bayern-Chelsea-Bayern is going to be huge.

 

[GIMH]

Your season will be ended in eight short days

 

[The Sean]

You think we'll win all three games so convincingly they'll just give us both trophies, end the season there and then, and get an extra 6 weeks prep for the World Cup?

Yeah, me too.

 

[Furball]

Tennis is pretty fluid, but they manage to make it work well there.

I think goal line technolology is a no brainer. Wait till the next time the ball leaves play. Let the video referee work it out on his own while play continues if need be. How about sensor technology like they use in Tennis for detecting service faults and foot faults? Goals are so important in football, I think it's important to think outside the box to get these decisions right.

Penalty decisions, fouls and throw ins are another matter entirely, and I think there's far less scope for video technology in these situations. I'd like to see players issued with yellow cards retrospectively by the video ref for diving though.

Ah, but what if the next time the ball leaves play it's because the other team has gone down the park and scored?

 

[Uppercut]

Ah, but what if the next time the ball leaves play it's because the other team has gone down the park and scored?

Or eight or nine minutes later. After which we all just say "yeah, none of that just happened".

There has to be technology that can tell instantly if there was a goal before it can be implemented. I wouldn't have thought that'd be such a problem but they did the whole chip-in-the-ball thing and it didn't work.

 

[cpr]

will take that draw ta. Biggest worry is having either Robben or Ribery tearing at Rafael, Evra can handle the other, but can see them targeting our right back as a weakness, especially moving Robben out there, would tear the poor lad a new rectum. Luckily Fergie tends to recognise this weakness and gets Rio to act as a back up, did that to Bellamy when he used his pace on Rafael

 

[GIMH]

0-0, meeeeeeh

No money means no match tonight, sounds like I missed a pile of dross. Needed a win there

 

[duffer]

No way man, I'm really up for that. Of all the "big teams" to draw, I'm pleased we've actually got one I like and won't be massively annoyed if we go out to.

Yeah, having slept on it must say it will be ridiculous. When we made the final we had to go through Real, Juventus, Villarreal and then got Barca in the final and it was the most memorable Cup run in our history.

Just happy that we'll get to see two legs which will be just two top tier teams just trying to play better football than each other. Think we have as much chance as anyone against these guys although I'd prefer to be at home in the 2nd leg. Either way, incredible tie about to come up, worst news is that Gallas is almost certainly out of the first leg. Campbell or Silvestre against Messi makes me cry.

Definitely a "dream tie" with so much there, rematch of the 06 final, Thierry returning to Arsenal, and of course the whole Cesc thing. The Spanish press are going to be ****s personified before during and after the 2 legs either way.

Let's have at them tbh, might be misguided but I always feel that we will beat any Continental team over two legs. It's the English ones who stifle us effectively.

 

[sledger]

Yeah, having slept on it must say it will be ridiculous. When we made the final we had to go through Real, Juventus, Villarreal and then got Barca in the final and it was the most memorable Cup run in our history.

Just happy that we'll get to see two legs which will be just two top tier teams just trying to play better football than each other. Think we have as much chance as anyone against these guys although I'd prefer to be at home in the 2nd leg. Either way, incredible tie about to come up, worst news is that Gallas is almost certainly out of the first leg. Campbell or Silvestre against Messi makes me cry.

Definitely a "dream tie" with so much there, rematch of the 06 final, Thierry returning to Arsenal, and of course the whole Cesc thing. The Spanish press are going to be ****s personified before during and after the 2 legs either way.

Let's have at them tbh, might be misguided but I always feel that we will beat any Continental team over two legs. It's the English ones who stifle us effectively.

Yeah, I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about the whole thing tbh. One thing is certain though, it has the potential to be the tie of the entire competition, and I'm really excited about it, win or lose.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Sol's a wily old ****er. He'll give Messi a good dig early doors, you'll see.

 

[The Sean]

Sol's a wily old ****er. He'll give Messi a good dig early doors, you'll see.

He has to get near him first.

Strangely, reading around a bit it seems that a lot of neutrals give L'Arse a shot against Barca, while a lot of Gunners fans seem to think they're no chance at all. Barca are a better side than Arsenal, not a doubt in the world, but I think it would be ridiculous to write Arsenal off over the two legs.

 

[Craig]

Yer Chavs were both pretty dire and pretty unlucky - and let's not forget this is the same Inter who are only a point of ahead of a Milan side we all thought were shockingly average against United. You're right, Arsenal probably wouldn't beat Chelsea back-to-back like that, but I reckon over two legs they'd beat Inter.

I'm curious, what makes you say that?

 

[The Sean]

Just going from what I've seen this season TBH, and the form both sides are in. I think Inter probably over-achieved against Chelsea and while I'd consider them dangerous opponents at this stage of the CL, their win over the Chavs was something of an exception given the success the top English clubs have had over the top Italian ones in the past couple of seasons. There's no guarantees of course, and I don't personally go in for the Arsenal love-in that a lot of this country does, but I think Arsenal's pace and passing game would disrupt Inter more than Chelsea's approach of the last couple of weeks did, and if the two were up against each other and I had to pick a winner then I reckon my money would be on Arsenal.

 

[duffer]

If we can beat Barca then we sure as hell can beat Inter. Big if in getting past Barcelona though.

 

[Uppercut]

Going to stick up for Craigos's men, I think Inter are being horribly underrated here. You could look at the fact that they've won Serie A four seasons running, are on course to make it five and have just beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. But all you really need to do is look at their players. Against Chelsea:

Julio Cesar
Maicon, Samuel, Lucio, Zanetti
Stankovic, Cambiasso, Motta, Sneijder
Eto'o, Milito.

Top class players all over the pitch.

Arsenal can beat them for sure, Arsenal can beat anyone on their day. But I don't think they will most of the time.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Rio to act as a back up, did that to Bellamy when he used his pace on Rafael

lolllllllllllllllllllll