2011-12 UEFA Champions League

[Sedat]

Re: 2011-12 UEFA Champions League

Greece beating a bunch of wonderfully talented teams to win a European Cup by basically being 1980s Wimbledon

With my footy team giving me nothing but near misses and heartache over 40 years, boy did I celebrate the 2004 Euro victory like it was going out of fashion. There was a certain minimalist beauty in the less-is-more approach of King Otto's men

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2011-12 UEFA Champions League

With my footy team giving me nothing but near misses and heartache over 40 years, boy did I celebrate the 2004 Euro victory like it was going out of fashion. There was a certain minimalist beauty in the less-is-more approach of King Otto's men

Hey, I enjoyed it as much as the next guy.. it was a triumph of the underdog, and unexpected results are always fun, especially when it lasts 5 weeks, but it did nothing to advance the cause of aesthetically pleasing football in major tournaments.

If you've ever read Jonathan Wilson's Inverting the Pyramid (highly recommended for the casual soccer fan) he talks about Brazil 1982 being the last team that really tried to 'beauty' its way to success, but that got found out by a clinical, functional Italian team, and that was the end of the romantic era of football, and since then it has been an era of systems and athletes. Barca bucked that trend by having Cruyff basically bypass the entire last quarter of the 20th century and developed and passed on Total Football through their La Masia academy over the last 30 years, but even that small window of holding back the tide seems to be coming to an end.

Germany and Spain, in international terms, are the only teams really moving towards a very technical type of style, but it does seem a lot of investment that can be too easily thwarted by a more physical and powerful type of team with a couple of smash and grab forwards.

[chef]

Re: 2011-12 UEFA Champions League

You'll be hard-pressed to have found anyone (other than Chelsea fans of course) who really enjoyed that game on the weekend.

But like I said, who cares, right? Winners are grinners.. although it begs the question: what are we playing for?

I know a few Arsenal fans who enjoyed it.

According to the Tabloids() we aren't going to be a defensive team next year(which should please the purists) with Moura, Hazard, Hulk, Falcao and Modric all wanting to join us.

I am looking forward to seeing our younger guys like Lukaku, Piazon(this kid is going to be a star), De Bruyen, Marin, Katuka, McEachran etc getting more game time next season as our transition continues.

[Remi Moses]

Re: 2011-12 UEFA Champions League

I know a few Arsenal fans who enjoyed it.

According to the Tabloids() we aren't going to be a defensive team next year(which should please the purists) with Moura, Hazard, Hulk, Falcao and Modric all wanting to join us.

I am looking forward to seeing our younger guys like Lukaku, Piazon(this kid is going to be a star), De Bruyen, Marin, Katuka, McEachran etc getting more game time next season as our transition continues.

Going to be hard for those players playing at City, United and Chelsea

[FrediKanoute]

Re: 2011-12 UEFA Champions League

Fair enough. I am sorry you feel that way.

We obviously see things differently and I guess you need to be a Chelsea supporter to properly appreciate what we just achieved.

On another note Drogba has played in 9 finals for Chelsea and scored 9 goals in those games. How do you replace a player like that. Looks like he will be playing for Shanghai Shenhua next season.

Yep we sure do......you get to see things from a Champions League perspective, whilst I get to make do with Thursday nights at the Lane in the UEFA Cup.........ouch