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Thread: Champions League 2013-14

  1. #401
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    What a performance. THAT is counter attacking football, Jose.

    Bit gutted Alonso misses the final as he has always been one of my fave non-Arsenal players.

    Whoever gets through tonight is going to have a hell of a challenge. I dont think I'l wacth tonight as you know it will be a shit goaless draw.

  2. #402
    Simon
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    Quote Originally Posted by NatureBoy View Post
    What a performance. THAT is counter attacking football, Jose.
    Putting ten men behind the ball, keeping a clean sheet and nicking two goals away to the league leaders and top scorers is the very definition of counter attacking football - all Madrid did yesterday is show that counter-attacking doesn't have to be fundamentally defensive.

    Bit fed up with this idea that Chelsea deserve criticism for the way they played. If they were doing it every week regardless of the opposition then sure, but in one-off games where the only relevant thing is getting a good result, why should they be criticised for executing their gameplan perfectly and within the rules of the game? By all means dog them for the time-wasting (Atkinson deserves huge criticism for tolerating it throughout), but there was nothing wrong with their performance in the context of the game. One team played badly in that match and it wasn't Chelsea.
    Last edited by Simon; April 30th, 2014 at 4:36 AM.

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    Exactly. Had they drawn 0-0 then the criticism might have been valid.

  4. #404
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    I'll be honest, as much as I think the game has since been over-egged as a masterclass by Jose (as good a manager as he is, Gerrard slipping was ultimately the difference in the game), I really don't understand why Chelsea's time-wasting and defensiveness bothered Liverpool. Liverpool didn't need to win the game. Chelsea had more onus on them to get a result. I don't really buy mind games because Mourinho is so transparent most of the time and relies on an unquestioning press to do his dirty work for him, but he seemed to fool the entire Liverpool side and everyone watching into thinking the time-wasting was necessary. It made Liverpool frustrated, when it really suited them much, much for for the game to peter out as a draw. Maybe it was just the pressure on Liverpool getting to them in not being able to exert their normal game, but they could have sat off Chelsea and kept the ball for 90 minutes if Chelsea didn't want to play and they'd be much better off now.

    Also, Chelsea's performance in the first leg last week was pretty pathetic, they drew 0-0 and didn't even attempt to counter-attack. It's embarrassing really at this stage of the competition. I think there's too much credit, again, given for managing to eek a draw with an expensive side told to defend their 18-yard line. I hope Atletico turf them out tonight.

  5. #405
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    Quote Originally Posted by Beefy View Post
    Exactly. Had they drawn 0-0 then the criticism might have been valid.
    But the only reason it wasn't was because Gerrard fell over.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Beefy View Post
    Exactly. Had they drawn 0-0 then the criticism might have been valid.
    Criticism isn't valid in light of his complaints about West Hams 19th Century Football?

  7. #407
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    Criticising Mourinho's hypocrisy isn't the same as criticising his tactics. His tactics were fine, he was just full of shit when he moaned about West Ham doing the same. There is an argument to say that they aren't quite the same because Chelsea at least had some attacking intent whereas West Ham really did just put everyone behind the ball in the hope of seeing out a 0-0, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that either.

  8. #408
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    Quote Originally Posted by Simon View Post
    Criticising Mourinho's hypocrisy isn't the same as criticising his tactics. His tactics were fine, he was just full of shit when he moaned about West Ham doing the same. There is an argument to say that they aren't quite the same because Chelsea at least had some attacking intent whereas West Ham really did just put everyone behind the ball in the hope of seeing out a 0-0, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that either.
    The argument could be made that if you afforded West Ham the same calibre of players they may have shown a similar attacking intent.

  9. #409
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    Chelsea showed less attacking intent and had less possession vs Atletico last week. If only the criticism was just regarding Sunday, the first leg last week was far worse.

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    He did at least say West Ham's tactics were understandable because they needed points. I accept that his comments were fundamentally critical though.

    I did like Jamie Carragher coming to our defence. Said they can't complain about the tactics and pointed out that Liverpool have approached games in the same way in the past when they had to.

    We've taken 16 points from 18 against the top 3 this season. That is a fantastic record and I obviously wouldn't swap that for more attacking football and a few pats on the head from neutrals. We've come unstuck against lesser teams when we haven't been able to break them down or kill games off. Mourinho should be getting more criticism for that - much like Liverpool on Sunday we haven't had much of a plan B in those situations. Most of our fans generally blame the referee (sometimes justified) or our lack of a world class striker but surely a top manager should be looking to find another way through.

  11. #411
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    Quote Originally Posted by NatureBoy View Post
    But the only reason it wasn't was because Gerrard fell over.
    That is massively over simplistic. No game in history has been decided by a single moment, certainly not one slip in the first half.

  12. #412
    Simon
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    I saw an article the other day quoting a Spanish journalist who wrote a book on Mourinho and two of his primary 'teachings' are that games are won by the team who make the least mistakes rather than the team that does the most things right, and mistakes are more likely to be made in possession than out of possession...so actually, whether you agree with those ideas or not, they were borne out on Sunday - he let Liverpool have more of the ball, and capitalised when they made a mistake. They were lucky that it was a directly fatal error in a dangerous area, but it could just have easily been a less obvious error thirty yards further up the field that they ruthlessly exposed, as they have done often this season.

    EDIT: Here is the article...

    http://www.theguardian.com/football/...tletico-madrid

    Most notably:

    1. The game is won by the team who commits fewer errors
    2. Football favours whoever provokes more errors in the opposition
    3. Away from home, instead of trying to be superior to the opposition, it's better to encourage their mnistakes
    4. Whoever has the ball is more likely to make a mistake
    5. Whoever renounces possession reduces the possibility of making a mistake
    6. Whoever has the ball has fear
    7. Whoever does not have it is therefore stronger.
    That is pretty much an exact blueprint of what happened on Sunday, every word of it.
    Last edited by Simon; April 30th, 2014 at 9:23 AM.

  13. #413
    I ate them before they ate me El Capitano Gatisto's Avatar
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    So what?

  14. #414
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    So if he is on record as saying that he sets up teams to exploit the mistakes opposition teams will inevitably make if you give them possession, then it's not satisfactory to say "they only won because Gerrard made a mistake".

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    I think our failings were more important; Sahko missed a sitter, Suarez had an off day, our set pieces were poor etc.

  16. #416
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    Of course it is, using one example doesn't prove his philosophy is right. You could just as easily point to Chelsea's game vs. PSG in Paris where his team had less of the ball but made more errors. Furthemore ,I'm not convinced he is on record as saying that, this is the man who also reported that Mourinho cried tears of anguish when he heard Moyes got the United job ahead of him and it is just as likely that he has written something to make Mourinho look defensive, because, if you recall, his counter-attacking Madrid side regularly got bum-raped by Pep Guardiola's Barcelona team who favoured possession football. In some games, spectacularly so.

    It's also wrong: the teams who lack possession make more mistakes because they have to concentrate more on their positioning and they have to work harder. Mourinho may win the odd big game by sitting back and defending the box, but you cannot win every game like that, at some point it comes down to luck, a penalty shoot-out or a referee's decision. He also relies on having very, very good players doing the jobs for him and his teams do counter-attack at speed, normally. He is clearly an excellent man-manager and a superb tactician, but his is only one way of doing things and his tendency to ask his teams to disrupt the game by fouling and diving and to take every advantage they can with regards to officials spoils the game, as does his hypocrisy and inability to give credit to the opposition. Probably the strength in his coaching is to convince players to ignore the ball and stick to their defensive zones and to load his midfield with quick players in advanced positions willing to work extremely hard and a striker up front who can do a lot with very little support at times. He makes that philosophy work for him, possibly because he is playing so many teams who favour being on the ball and make it a priority, but if it were that simple then everyone would be doing it, and very few top teams have been doing that since 2004/05, really.

    I don't think anyone is arguing he doesn't get results because you can't argue with numbers put in front of your eyes, but it still doesn't mean we shouldn't criticise him for rocking up to a CL semi-final and playing that way just purely on aesthetic grounds. Unless you directly support one of the teams involved, you're watching football for aesthetic reasons and it's perfectly fine to praise teams who play with bravery and skill and criticise teams who exploit the games rules (or inconsistencies) and try to ruin the rhythm of the match.

    As I said, the Liverpool game not only relied on Gerrard's slip, but this strange attitude that they were wound up by the spoiling tactics and that they needed to press the game. Liverpool didn't need to win and that was the biggest mistake they made on the day. They could have sat off Chelsea and either taken the draw that likely would have secured the title or drawn them out for their own counter-attacking excellence to come into effect (which is something they have also done against other teams this season).

  17. #417
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    There's nothing wrong with a good defensive display either, don't get me wrong on that. My problem with Mourinho is just his entire outlook and way of working.

  18. #418
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    Always risky playing for a 0-0 away from home, even if you are Jose Mourinho.

  19. #419
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    Am I hearing Spanish fans chanting "Jose Mourinho, he is a cuntA"?

  20. #420
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    It has been a seriously impressive performance from Atletico here. Their midfielders have just dissect Chelsea at times, Jose really took the piss started with 6 defenders and he has paid the price, though ultimately it has been Hazard switching off that has cost Chelsea a couple of times. The passing around Chelsea's box from Atletico after Chelsea took the lead has been pure class, they have sent the Chelsea defence running from side to side like puppets at times and have had some perfect runs coming from the full-backs to take advantage of it. Diego Costa has held the ball up beautifully as well and hassled the centre-backs non-stop, when he has got on the ball they have found it impossible to shake him off it.

    It should be an interesting final. Probably will be a kicking session. Sergio Ramos/Pepe and Diego Costa might actually explode.

  21. #421
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    All Madrid final. Sounds braw to me.

  22. #422
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    Quote Originally Posted by turdpower View Post
    Am I hearing Spanish fans chanting "Jose Mourinho, he is a cuntA"?
    hijo de puta = son of a whore.

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    Going to be a cracking final. Hoping Simeone can pull it off.

    A lot of people rave about your Klopp, Pep or Conte but this guy is also special. He took Atletico when they were in shambles, literally. They had no cohesion, no plan, internal fighting between players, between board members and he came in the most hostile terms a manager can expect.

    He won the Europa League in an emphatic fashion, then he lost Diego. No problems, as he built the team around Falcao and was able to knock heads with the big two for a long time last season then came Atletico's biggest win in their modern history. Beating their arch rivals, Real Madrid at the Bernabeu to win the cup, their first win against their city neighbors since 1999.

    He lost Falcao in the summer and a lot of people thought that they will suffer a downfall, but on the contrary, he built a better team, all with a fraction of money of what he received from Falcao's sale. They're now not only a genuine title contenders and looks like they will win their league despite spending a portion of what Real & Barca spent but they are also a great team to watch in Europe dominating a group containing teams like Zenit & Porto.

    I think Atletico might struggle to keep him off big jobs.

  24. #424
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    Torres, Aguero, Falcao, Costa

    Whichever striker they get next has big shoes to fill.

  25. #425
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Scott View Post
    Going to be a cracking final. Hoping Simeone can pull it off.

    A lot of people rave about your Klopp, Pep or Conte but this guy is also special. He took Atletico when they were in shambles, literally. They had no cohesion, no plan, internal fighting between players, between board members and he came in the most hostile terms a manager can expect.

    He won the Europa League in an emphatic fashion, then he lost Diego. No problems, as he built the team around Falcao and was able to knock heads with the big two for a long time last season then came Atletico's biggest win in their modern history. Beating their arch rivals, Real Madrid at the Bernabeu to win the cup, their first win against their city neighbors since 1999.

    He lost Falcao in the summer and a lot of people thought that they will suffer a downfall, but on the contrary, he built a better team, all with a fraction of money of what he received from Falcao's sale. They're now not only a genuine title contenders and looks like they will win their league despite spending a portion of what Real & Barca spent but they are also a great team to watch in Europe dominating a group containing teams like Zenit & Porto.

    I think Atletico might struggle to keep him off big jobs.
    He's got a big job.

  26. #426
    Nerd Pervert Gary J's Avatar
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    I also don't see why they would struggle to keep him if he's happy there. The only job available that would be seen as bigger at the moment is Man United and I think they are looking for a more experienced manager.

    Real Madrid might be available if Ancelotti fails to win either the league or champions league but would they want a guy from their hated neighbours? Barcelona may be an option for him. I don't follow Italian football so no idea what options are open to him there but I think Serie A would be seen as a stepdown from where he is currently anyway. I can't see Bayern getting rid of Pep and Dortmund seem more then happy with Klopp.

    Which leaves England and his options here are limited too Liverpool won't get of Rodgers. Chelsea or Man City could be available I suppose but I would be very surprised if either job was free. After that we have Spurs or Arsenal (if Wenger goes) and I can't see him leaving Atletico for either of those because he would be in the same position he is currently in where he be expected to have a go at the title and have a good run in Europe. Yeah he might fancy the challenge of taking one of those clubs to the next level but if he's happy at Atletico why bother starting again to get to the point where he has currently has Atletico.

    I think Klopp is in the same situation at Dortmund and can't see him leaving anytime soon either.

  27. #427
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    Atletico were excellent last night. One of the best CL performances at Stamford Bridge I've seen from an away team in years. Hope they do it, beating Real in the final would be amazing.

  28. #428
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    I have to say I did enjoy John Terry crying. Never gets old that.

  29. #429
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    I missed that knew I shouldn't have switched it off once it went to 3-1.

  30. #430
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    It really will be a delight if Gerrard ends this season thinking his error cost him his best chance of winning the title and John Terry finally realises he's destined to never win the Champions League properly.

  31. #431
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    and hull win the fa cup

  32. #432
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    Don't think anyone is denying they have a great chance. Can't take anything for granted with Arsenal.

  33. #433
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    I'm genuinely thinking of putting £50 on Hull at 4/1 just to give an emotional hedge.

  34. #434
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    There is a strong possibility that David Moyes will have had a more trophy-laden season than either Wenger or Mourinho this year

  35. #435
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    Going back to the stuff yesterday about Mourinho's tactics, I think last night showed the issue with setting up to defend (6 defenders on the pitch out of 10 outfield players at the start). Hazard obviously doesn't quite buy into the philosophy (see his remarks after) and switched off, all it takes is one player to switch off and it induces calamity in the rest. It takes a lot of effort for an entire team to concentrate off the ball and play in a way they are not used to in a reactive manner vs proactive. When Chelsea needed to start going forward, they couldn't do it because the side had been built to hold, not go forward. Mourinho has a problem now as to whether Hazard fits into his style, same way he did with Mata, although he must be simply too talented a player going forward to dispense with.

    Also, I caught Radio 5's build up to the game, Alan Green was stating on the basis of seeing Diego Costa once (1st leg) that he looked average, didn't get the hype and felt Andy Carroll was probably better. For fuck's sake, it's your job to watch and talk about football and that's the level of analysis you come out with: one game's viewing and you call a player average. Just annoys me this attitude, as if Costa is scoring all his goals this season in some mickey-mouse league as opposed to the glorious Premier League, the only place reputations can be earned. It felt legitimate to compare a guy with 7 goals in the CL and rivalling Messi and Ronaldo for goals in La Liga to a player at a bottom half Premier League team. Just a load of old shit.

  36. #436
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    Same thing with Ibrahimovic. For years the likes of lazy pundits like Andy Townsend didn't rate him of the basis of 4 Champions League ties with Arsenal & Chelsea.

    No wonder he gave it the big un when he banged in 4 goals against England.

  37. #437
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    On Chelsea, Jose just cannot play expansive football - he never has.

    Just look at his first Chelsea team or the Inter Milan team, packed with well organised athletes who were drilled to defend. It is no co-incidence that he didn't do as well at Madrid when they had a lot more flair players.

    It wouldn't suprise me if Hazard is next out of the door to somewhere like Barca or Bayern where he will be able to create and not defend.

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    Quote Originally Posted by NatureBoy View Post
    Same thing with Ibrahimovic. For years the likes of lazy pundits like Andy Townsend didn't rate him of the basis of 4 Champions League ties with Arsenal & Chelsea.

    No wonder he gave it the big un when he banged in 4 goals against England.
    And three or four woeful performances for Sweden against England.

  39. #439
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    Yeah the standard of punditry is abysmal in this country. Remember when Lee Dixon literally got laughed at by Alan Hansen for doing research on a player? In fact, wasn't Hazard that player and Dixon was saying he looked like he had huge potential. No wonder he left the BBC.

    MNF is still good with Neville and Carragher but I preferred it when it was just Neville.

    Having said that, I listen to the 5Live football daily podcast and it's usually excellent. Pougatch and Chapman are good hosts and the likes of Kilbane, Nevin, Hartson and Michael Cox speak a lot of sense. Even David Pleat and John Motson are very good when they're not chatting nonsense like senile old bastards.

  40. #440
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    It was Marek Hamsik Hansen mocked Dixon over, it was during the World Cup I think, I remember thinking it was incredible at the time.

    Neville let himself down by saying Manchester United need to appoint a British manager. Such a cliched attitude. They already appointed the most highly rated British manager at the time in Moyes and look where that got them. His reasoning boiled down to "they've always had a British manager" which is no reasoning at all.

  41. #441
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    Wolves went through that with Solbakken. Right man at the wrong time basically, but when he got the hook they wanted a British manager and ended up with Dean Saunders. Get the most suitable candidate.

  42. #442
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    Football commentary and punditry is incredibly shit, but I think most cunts in a pub like it.

    People who only watch the big games and don't care probably love lazy stereotypes.

  43. #443
    Andy
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    I don't really buy that though. Which demographic does Alan Hansen appeal to for example? Or Alan Shearer? I can understand why fundamentally stupid people would enjoy the oi oi banter of Ian Wright or the constantly on the wind up attitude of Robbie Savage but not Hansen and Shearer. They're on the most high profile football show in the world regularly and they rarely do research, wheel out tired old chiches all the time and simply don't offer any interesting analysis whatsoever. I'd much rather they just extended the highlights and did away with the punditry altogether if that's the standard we get.

  44. #444
    Simone turdpower's Avatar
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    I was more talking about Andy Townsend, but yeah, you're right.

  45. #445
    Andy
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    I think the people who Andy Townsend appeal to must have the IQ of a potato. He doesn't call what he sees, he calls what he wants to see and he continually shows that he does not know or understand the rules of football.

  46. #446
    I ate them before they ate me El Capitano Gatisto's Avatar
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    Alan Hansen pretty much set the standard for football punditry in the 90s, he was excellent with Trevor Brooking and Des Lynam and offered real insight into defending especially. He's just got lazy really over the years. I'm not really bothered if pundits don't know about players outside their league or whatever, but they should offer some insight into the game for those of us who haven't played at that level. Alan Shearer has never done that, he's dreadful. They should do their research, though, as they obviously know what they're going to be speaking about and have time to be prepared. If not, they should just admit they don't really know and talk what they can, which is how and why things are happening on the pitch.

  47. #447
    Defiance is a four letter
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andy View Post
    Don't think anyone is denying they have a great chance. Can't take anything for granted with Arsenal.
    I'm denying they have a great chance. You should destroy them and if you don't you only have yourselves to blame.

    Just as it was on the greatest day in the history of football.

  48. #448
    World Champion
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gary J View Post
    He's got a big job.
    Yeah sorry meant bigger club jobs.

  49. #449
    Simone turdpower's Avatar
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    I'm quite excited for tonight.

  50. #450
    X Ringo's Avatar
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    brazil
    Well up for this. Would absolutely LOVE it if Atletico one. Would be a truly monumental managerial achievement for Simeone.

    Also: wage bill lower than QPR, Jamie Redknapp reckons the Real Madrid side costs 10 times as much.

  51. #451
    WWF Champion
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    Both teams to score and Real to win is 4/1 with Paddy Power. I'm having some of that.

  52. #452
    Simone turdpower's Avatar
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    What a finish to the game, surely Real will win this now?

    Also, how has Bale not scored?

  53. #453
    X Ringo's Avatar
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    QPR and now these wankers. what a fucking day. Can't see Real not winning it now. ugh.

  54. #454
    Simone turdpower's Avatar
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    When watching QPR going to get their trophy I did find it baffling how many old prem players they had.

    Either way, come on Real.

  55. #455
    X Ringo's Avatar
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    brazil
    I'm devastated.

  56. #456
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    palestine
    I hate big money in football, I hate all of these behemoth clubs with sheikhs and emperors behind them. I've fallen out of love with the game a lot since my teens.

    From a purely objective viewpoint though, Real Madrid have been the best team in the UCL this season and have deserved to win the competition, and this match itself.

  57. #457
    Donde esta la biblioteca Pablo Diablo's Avatar
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    Such an unnecessary taking off of his top. Vintage Ronaldo. Needed that cover image for the papers.

  58. #458
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    palestine
    his pecs are fairly pathetic tbh, I think I'm broader and have a sexier chest than him. Fuck him, the fucking cunt.

  59. #459
    Simone turdpower's Avatar
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    Don't lie Fanny.

  60. #460
    X Ringo's Avatar
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    At least Carlo Ancelotti was the man to do it for them. What a lovely man.

  61. #461
    The Pride of the Midlands Prototype16's Avatar
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    Gutted for Atletico Madrid - I'm not normally that interested in Spanish football but it's been refreshing to see them do so well this season. Particularly gutted for Godin - him and Filipe Luis were excellent for the first 80 mins, and perhaps the latter going off crucial

    Pleased for Ancelotti though - great manager

  62. #462
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    palestine
    Quote Originally Posted by turdpower View Post
    Don't lie Fanny.

    I'm not lying. Abs, hips, legs, arms, everything else is admittedly sublime on him, but I beat him in a pecs-off hands down every day of the week. Oh, and face. I'm far better looking in my opinion. No acne either.

  63. #463
    Legend Mik's Avatar
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    I dont think that he has acne anymore to be fair.

  64. #464
    Nice
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    palestine
    Yes he does. Even if he doesn't I'm still handsomer Mik.

  65. #465
    I ate them before they ate me El Capitano Gatisto's Avatar
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    That was gutting to watch last night, Atletico's work throughout the season just seemed to catch up with them all at once. There is no justice in football.

    On a happier note, I had a fiver on Godin first scorer at 40-1.

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