Those are my favourite kind of dives, to be fair. Ravanelli tripping over himself was great.
Those are my favourite kind of dives, to be fair. Ravanelli tripping over himself was great.
The English don't give, it's just "expecting the contact."
City Liverpool
Quality. We’ll probably get battered.
Good of UEFA to ensure Liverpool don't get a sniff of winning the trophy. They'd be insufferable for the next 96 years (more so than now)
What a stitch up.
Juncker? Putin?
Whens the draw for the real stuff?
Arsenal (ENG)
Atlético Madrid (ESP)
CSKA Moscow (RUS)
Lazio (ITA)
Leipzig (GER)
Marseille (FRA)
Salzburg (AUT)
Sporting CP (POR)
Anyone but Madrid. Anyone but Madrid. Anyone but Madrid. Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid. Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid. Anyone but Madrid. Anyone but Madrid. Anyone but Madrid. Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid. Anyone but Madrid. Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid. Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid.Anyone but Madrid.
First leg at home as well, it really is the shittest draw imaginable.
Probably be decent for the dreaded neutrals.
Eight different countries in the Europa draw. Nice.
At least the two legs will be entertaining.
City United / Liverpool Everton in the middle as well.
I'll circle that as the week our season falls apart then.
We're off to Moscow.
Madrid and Lazio avoid each other. Balls.
You scared or something?
I fancy Liverpool in that tie (and then they will get lolled off the park by whoever they face afterwards). I would also fancy Arsenal to beat 'Atleti' should they meet them, who aren't as good as they were and won't be able to plan for any of Arsene Wenger's job-saving magic performances, but I am less positive that they will beat the other chumps beforehand.
I'd love to see the underdogs do it (in all the ties).
That's a disappointing draw, not only because it'll be really tough for Liverpool but because it misses the novelty of playing an actual European side. At least that 4-3 was the most fun game of the season.
You'd think Jose would try chill out after the embarrassment this week but he's doubling down. According to Jose, City have a better football heritage than United so what is he supposed to do?
He means that City have been in a better position than United in recent years, and that he has had to (and will continue to) turn the entire squad over. He's not wrong.
Yeah I mean how is that shower of shite that he spent hundreds of millions of pounds on supposed to beat the mighty Sevilla without another several hundred million.
Whilst you'd have hoped for Roma or Sevilla in the draw, I would argue Man City were the next best. We at least stand a chance which is more than I can say if we'd drawn the other three.
I anticipate a Suarez return in the semis tbh.
Has he actually made any?
Victor Lindelof is the least good one, and he's alright, so assessing him depends on whether he was signed to play every week or not (he probably was). Romelu Lukaku has been annoying for half the season, but I don't know. It seems harder to call him a duff signing as I sit here now, when he's had a good month, than it will be next time he misses a sitter. Eric Bailly has had shit luck with injuries but is a colossus; Nemanja Matic is class; Paulp Ogba was looking like a bargain before whatever has gone on; 'Zlatan' was great; and even 'Mikhi' was useful for a year before being [theoretically] upgraded, and that won't be worth considering until next season. Put another way, if you were setting contracts on fire his transfers would be amongst the last ones to go.
I'll give it to him on Bailly, a rather unheralded player and the guys a monster. You do worry if he's too pacy and strong for his own body to cope with though. He's like peak Kolo Toure on roids.
He apparently wants a centre-back and a left-back in the summer, so imagine how negative he'll be able to be if he actually trusts his defence.
Has Mourinho ever found a left-back he liked that wasn't Ashley Cole? I swear it's been a problem position for him his entire career.
Didn't he sign Baba Rahman for 30 million quid or something? Does he even still exist?
He has given Rojo a new deal which is a little baffling. The twats at the back are the only two who's deal is expiring soon.
If Mourinho renews Fellaini's deal then all hope is lost that he's still got it.
I think Rojos a great third/fourth centre back. Seems to get away with two footing people which is always useful.
He seems to have decent luck with sticking right-footers at left-back with very specific responsibilities, so who is the best defensive right-back available?
Paulo Ferreira.
Best job in the world that guy. He is a coach for the Chelsea players on loan. You just hang out on Whatsapp and take free flights to watch them play.
And in answer to your question Lewis. He's playing at centre-back and he's called Dave.
edit: Just remembered, Alan Nyom exists. West Brom are getting relegated and he's 6'5 so he'll fit right in. You could probably bring him and Jonny Evans back for 10 million.
edit2: Alan Nyom is only 6'1. I guess playing against full-backs all day just makes you look like an absolute monster.
I did think about 'Dave', but Chelsea will probably need him to re-build around once everybody famous leaves.
Dave is actually a much better centre back than he is a right back, at least in a three.
I listened to Jose's full 12 minutes (while doing homework), quite enjoyed it tbh.