I have a feeling Kurt won't agree with that statement.

That's not really true though is it?

Quag was great the year before but had a serious injury. Matri was great the year before, but only joined in January. So they now had these as strikers and added Vucinic to that, then Pirlo and Vidal as you said along with Lichsteiner. That's half a new team. Barzagli only played a short time the previous year who became a big part of Conte's Juve too.

Marchisio didn't suck, he just had nothing around him. Wasn't he played out with or with Melo? He's never going to look good. Only Chiellini and Bonucci are what he really had from the previous team, the rest is all basically new when you consider Gigi barely played either.

Matri, Quagliarella, Vucinic, Matri, Barzagli, Bonucci, etc, etc, etc the list goes on. These are all very mediocre players who tend to shine in mid-table teams and lead Juve to 7th under the wrong guidence

Only Pirlo, Vidal and Lichsteiner were the big signings. The others are all run of the mill mid-table feeders ala Pazzini for us.

Apparently the commentator got this wrong. Just seen the highlights.

Shakhtar played a ball back to the keeper but the Shakhatar striker intercepted it and scored. The coach then said to allow the other team to score, but a number of Shakhtat players tried to stop it. Very unsporting. Hope Juve beat them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RpRKIzLCTE

thats pathetic, i was kinda rooting for them since theyve played some nice football but i hope they get their a$ses handed to them by juve. and unless the keeper and defenders stand still while the other team gets the goal back then its not really "letting them score".

Pathetic by Luiz Adriano

That's probably the ugliest thing I've ever seen in football. shame on him.

Oh, how I knew this would turn into a Juventus debate. Think both sides make valid points. But I wouldn't diminish Juve's accomplishment. Not so long ago we used to speak Juve is overperforming and CL will show their real face. Also, we used to say it's easy to them without the 2-matches-a-week rhythm. Well, they're now about to eliminate the defending champion while still topping Serie A. I think it takes more then just a world class coach (who in the past wasn't called with such epithets), Pirlo, Vidal and a 7th place team.

Juve still needs to get a point in Donetsk and it won't be easy to achieve.

Knowing them, they'll play a B-side since they are through anyway. But yes, this might complicate things.

Ignore.

I always do....

We used to say? You mean 'han' used to say.

They won a total of 2 games in the CL. Let's not start wetting ourselves over them because of this.

Cheslea's performance was shameful at best, their defending had been suspect from the beginning and it's very evident when they come up against good opposition.

As for Juve, even last season I have always maintained that their midfield is their biggest asset, the rest of their team is very average. What Conte did to transform that side is no small acheivment. And I have always said this. I might think he's a no good piece of sh!t, douchebag at best but he's a top coach none-the-less. He's the kind of guy you'd love on your side but hate when he's on the other team.

City 0-1 Madrid '10.

1-1. Penalty City and red card Arbeloa. Awful decision.

City out, Chelsea most probably out. then last season it was Man U that went out in the group stages...

Is it me or are the English sides not as dominant as 3-5 years ago anymore?

Nope. Last year Chelsea winning it was a fluke. Ashley Cole had one of the best CL runs for a defender, ever.

“Luiz Adriano faces charges for violation of the principles of conduct (Article 5, Uefa Disciplinary Regulations), and his case will be heard by the Uefa Control and Disciplinary Body on Tuesday 27 November.”


good hope he gets a 5 match ban

Are you being serious?

I was talking about English sides in general, especially in group and KO stages.

Huh? I was agreeing with you. I don't think English sides are as dominant and pointed out that even though Chelsea won it, I feel it was a fluke.

"Jose, do you feel finishing 2nd in the group is at all a disadvantage"

"No. We're still in the Champions League. I finished 2nd with Porto and Inter and won it. Everytime I win the group, I don't win"

Ah sorry, I'm just a little paranoiac!

Drugs!

Italian clubs, English clubs...all of them look much less dominant. CL is reduced to Bayern, Barcelona and Madrid. All other teams are far behind. Even Bayern is questionably on top, but still have a certain continuity others lack. But it's our reality. Once you had teams like Deportivo, Valencia, Porto, Roma, Lyon inflicting serious damage, while every season the final pair was pretty much unpredictable: whether it would be Milan, Real, Barcelona, Manchester, Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern - all would be possible, and all of those teams would be deserved winners. Nowadays anyone else then Madrid and Blaugrana are considered fluke winners.

City won't even be in the Europe League.

Only 3 points in 6 games. Atrocious.

Makes me so happy

Have to say it but money does not buy instant success in Europe. You can buy all the players you want but they need a manager who knows how to manage at that level and they need years together before being capable against continental sides.

Roman's Chelsea is a great example. He buys the Chelsea companies in 2003 and manages to pretty quickly win the EPL with a world class manager in Jose Mourinho having finished second under Ranieri the first season. Chelsea dominate in the league but get nowhere in the CL, failing to capture it until 9 years and 450 managers later.

Mancini seems to more or less have figured out the EPL even if this season he has been hit and miss but he simply doesn't have a clue in Europe. And I'd imagine just like Chelsea it will be years before City are anything like contenders at that level.

He is also absolutely terrible at: communication, and mind games.

PS: I know PSG won their group but their team has been together longer and while they're moneybags they 'only' signed 5 players last summer afaik?

They managed to reach the CL semi-finals twice in a row in 2004 and 2005.

Not really sure that's what Roman was looking for. He wanted the crown and it took 9 years to win. Maybe 'nowhere' was harsh but the point is it took them 5 years to make the final and 9 to win it.

City the 1st English team in CL history not to win a group game.

thats priceless


so we will avoid madrid and arsenal in round of 16. hopefully valencia push over munich tomoro as well.

Anyone know when the draw is now that the group stage is over?

Some time in Feb.

Hope we don't draw PSG ...

If we do, we can thank Silva for his 2nd goal. Be interesting!

Yeah, somehow I've gotta feeling it will be PSG. Ibra always gets his ex-club served on a plate.

i think the draw is on friday kurt. the games are in feb

Indeed.

I must've mis-read.

According to wiki the draw is December 20th. Seems strange to have it a few weeks after the group games and months before the actual games. Why not this Friday?

This. Upcoming Friday would have been perfect, given enough opportunity for fans and media to dissect the draw during the weekend. Oh well, the Union of European Football Associations.

I know this is not good for Italian football but it's my feeling and I can't help it:

GO SHAKHTAR GO CHELSEA

Go JUVE

Vidal thinks it's a Serie A game with a Serie A ref... deserved yellow.

I have to admit Pirlo's beard made me puke the fist time I saw it but now it's grown on me, suits him fine. he always looked "sleepy" without it, if you get what I mean.

He's changed completely, so yes, it suits his new classless and rough attitude.

Surprised to hear that from you!

Juve would be a much more dangerous side if they had capable strikers. Giovinco is hit and miss, Vucinic is an average forward who thinks he's Ibrahimovic.

I loved the guy, but all his jibber-jabber about Milan and overall his adapting to the Juventus style ruined much of the prestige he had in my eyes. He's still a WC player though.