Champions League draw

[LostDoggy]

Re: Champions League draw

Ronaldo was not helped by the insipid performance of his team-mates. One would think that the simple task of knocking the ball around wouldn't be too difficult, but even that task was too hard for quite a few of the Man U players.

Both are brilliant players and deciding who is the better player comes down to personal opinion.

I only saw the last 20 minutes in which Ronaldo was unsighted.
My point prior was you can't be the best player in the world if you have done bugger all at international level. Neither have really proved themselves at international level but the Champions League Final is the next best thing.
Personally I would rather have Messi than the whinging pretty boy.

[Mantis]

Re: Champions League draw

I only saw the last 20 minutes in which Ronaldo was unsighted.
My point prior was you can't be the best player in the world if you have done bugger all at international level. Neither have really proved themselves at international level but the Champions League Final is the next best thing.
Personally I would rather have Messi than the whinging pretty boy.

I watched the entire match and bar the first 10 minutes Ronaldo had a quiet game. As I previously posted he wasn't helped by his team-mates up the field who were also well below their best.

As far as who you would want in your team it comes down to personal preference, you hate Ronald so you want Messi, others may see it differently. Either way they are both exceptional players who will be major players at next years WC.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Champions League draw

I only saw the last 20 minutes in which Ronaldo was unsighted.
My point prior was you can't be the best player in the world if you have done bugger all at international level. Neither have really proved themselves at international level but the Champions League Final is the next best thing.
Personally I would rather have Messi than the whinging pretty boy.

That's a strange line of logic Ern.

Man U won the Champions League final last year and Ronaldo was the best player in that match (as well as in the semis when they beat Messi's Barcelona and the quarters before that). He had also scored in every Champions League stage up to the final this year (scoring the winner against Porto in the quarters and twice against Arsenal in the semis).

Actually, until today, MESSI was the one who had done bugger all at international level, and was non-existent in the lucky semi-final win over Chelsea.

I personally don't LOVE either player -- I would take Iniesta and Xavi over either of them as their cultured passing is more to my taste, and they're certainly proven at international level (Spain having been the dominant international team over the last three years) -- but to say that Messi is somehow more credentialed than Ronaldo on the strength of one game (and it wasn't as if Messi dominated this match) is a weird argument.

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ps. Certainly agree about the 'whinging pretty boy' part though, and by the same token, can't stand Puyol, whinging ugly old man.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Champions League draw

Whinging pretty boy is quite a handy type,but had apoor match this morning. United were dreadful but that was master class from Messi and Barcelona. Completely outplayed by a wonderful football side.

[Twodogs]

Re: Champions League draw

Whinging pretty boy is quite a handy type,but had apoor match this morning. United were dreadful but that was master class from Messi and Barcelona. Completely outplayed by a wonderful football side.

I love watching a side that combines well and knocks off the team that's full of stars. It's what sports all about.


BTW for a guy on the losing side how good was Wayne Rooney? He's gone from a bloke who looked like he could only play as a striker to a hard unit all over the pitch.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Champions League draw

As far as who you would want in your team it comes down to personal preference, you hate Ronald so you want Messi, others may see it differently. Either way they are both exceptional players who will be major players at next years WC.

I don't hate or love either, just don't think Ronaldo is the best player in the world.

The way its going Portugal might not even make the WC, that will just confirm my theory.

[hujsh]

Re: Champions League draw

The way its going Portugal might not even make the WC, that will just confirm my theory.

Wouldn't that just prove that Portugal is no good?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Champions League draw

That's a strange line of logic Ern.

Man U won the Champions League final last year and Ronaldo was the best player in that match (as well as in the semis when they beat Messi's Barcelona and the quarters before that). He had also scored in every Champions League stage up to the final this year (scoring the winner against Porto in the quarters and twice against Arsenal in the semis).

Actually, until today, MESSI was the one who had done bugger all at international level, and was non-existent in the lucky semi-final win over Chelsea.

I personally don't LOVE either player -- I would take Iniesta and Xavi over either of them as their cultured passing is more to my taste, and they're certainly proven at international level (Spain having been the dominant international team over the last three years) -- but to say that Messi is somehow more credentialed than Ronaldo on the strength of one game (and it wasn't as if Messi dominated this match) is a weird argument.

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ps. Certainly agree about the 'whinging pretty boy' part though, and by the same token, can't stand Puyol, whinging ugly old man.

Why is it strange to think if you want to prove to be the best in your sport you need to prove yourself at the highest level? International is the highest not club European Champion League.

BTW Messi is 21 while Ronaldo is 24. I'd say at the same age they were comparable.

I don't know who of Messi or Ronaldo are better, just asking the question.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Champions League draw

Wouldn't that just prove that Portugal is no good?

Maradona carried some average players to WC wins and finals.
Its Portugal too, not Malta so whats around him isn't that bad.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Champions League draw

Why is it strange to think if you want to prove to be the best in your sport you need to prove yourself at the highest level? International is the highest not club European Champion League.

BTW Messi is 21 while Ronaldo is 24. I'd say at the same age they were comparable.

I don't know who of Messi or Ronaldo are better, just asking the question.

I totally agree with you there in the bolded part, but I'm just saying by that logic, Messi hadn't done anything either until this morning, despite the huge man-crush many in the football world have for him. I think he is as liable as Ronaldo to go missing in big matches (with this morning being a wonderful exception, of course).

Don't get me wrong, I think he's a wonderful player and is irresistable when at his best, and he probably IS the best player in the world, but by your line of logic, he can't be because he hasn't done anything, and Argentina haven't exactly set the world alight despite having a cracking team.

If we're going by the 'proven international' theory, then the best players in the world have to be Spanish, as they have been the best team in the world in the last few years.

If we're going by 'performance in big matches' theory, then Kaka would have to be right up there.

On last year's form though, and for being by far the best player in a team that won the Champions League and domestic league double last season, Ronaldo was a worthy winner of the last Ballon D'or, just as Messi, after doing the triple this year would be a worthy winner of the next.

I still think Iniesta, in particular, is severely underrated though. Messi would be half the player he is (and Barcelona would be half the team it is) without him pulling the strings.

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Ps. Off topic, but Teddy Sheringham was a very good big-match player.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Champions League draw

I love watching a side that combines well and knocks off the team that's full of stars. It's what sports all about.


BTW for a guy on the losing side how good was Wayne Rooney? He's gone from a bloke who looked like he could only play as a striker to a hard unit all over the pitch.

Interested in this comment...

I am a Rooney fan, but this morning was one of the worst matches he's ever played, from what I saw. From his first touch he looked out of sorts and misplaced and mishit his first half a dozen passes, even overhitting really short range passes, which was uncharacteristic. It looked like the occassion got the better of him.

I'm sure we haven't heard the last of this either, as it was a really, really abysmal performance (especially in the first half). His second half improved, but not by a whole lot.

ps. Agree though that his all-round game has really developed under Sir Alex.

[Mantis]

Re: Champions League draw

Interested in this comment...

I am a Rooney fan, but this morning was one of the worst matches he's ever played, from what I saw. From his first touch he looked out of sorts and misplaced and mishit his first half a dozen passes, even overhitting really short range passes, which was uncharacteristic. It looked like the occassion got the better of him.

I'm sure we haven't heard the last of this either, as it was a really, really abysmal performance (especially in the first half). His second half improved, but not by a whole lot.

ps. Agree though that his all-round game has really developed under Sir Alex.

Agree with this.

I thought he was one of the players that really let Man U down.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Champions League draw


Drogba given lengthy European ban


Didier Drogba will miss at least four European matches after being banned for his reaction to Chelsea's Champions League semi-final defeat by Barcelona.

The striker was banned for six games, with two suspended for two years.

His Blues team-mate Jose Bosingwa was banned for three European games, with a further one-match ban also suspended.

Both players were found guilty of making insulting comments to the referee by Uefa, which also handed Chelsea an £85,000 fine.

Chelsea, who have three days to appeal against the punishment, were fined for the improper conduct of their players and the throwing of missiles by their fans after the 6 May match.

A Chelsea spokesman said: "We've received the Uefa verdict and we'll now take time to assess it in full and consider our response."

The Blues went out of the tournament after a series of disputed decisions by referee Tom Henning Ovrebo.

He turned down a host of strong penalty appeals from Chelsea during the 1-1 draw in the second leg at Stamford Bridge, which saw Barca go through on away goals.

Drogba and several other players surrounded Ovrebo after the final whistle to remonstrate with the Norwegian.

The Ivorian continued his verbal attack even after being cautioned, and had to be restrained as Ovrebo went down the tunnel.

Rob Faulkner, Uefa's head of communications, told Radio 5 Live: "The actions of the players were certainly not of a sporting nature.

"Everything has been taken into account. The club will be informed officially in writing and then they have three days in which to consider whether to appeal or not."

Faulkner added it was a "fairly strict but fairly appropriate" level of punishment.

He insisted the disciplinary panel took into account the importance of the game and the fact that the match was settled in such dramatic fashion, with Andres Iniesta's injury-time goal sending Chelsea out.

But he added: "We have to set certain standards. We do have a 'Respect' campaign and the Uefa president (Michel Platini) is instrumental behind that.

"The players are key to that, in setting a good example both on and off the pitch. The club obviously has a responsibility for the way their players behave as well.

"All in all, that's the reasoning for the decision."

Drogba had stated that he would accept any punishment given to him by Uefa over his actions.

"My behaviour was not what Uefa and everyone wants to see in a football stadium," Drogba said ahead of the governing body's verdict.

"It's not easy but I think that whatever I did and the decision they take I will accept it.

"I will do my suspension and, after that, I will come back stronger."