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On March 17 2015 18:31 Pandemona wrote:The likelihood of someone leading before with many games to go in a 16 team league of the 16 best in Europe is extremely unlikely. Take the Barcelona vs PSG group, they played each other twice and PSG won one game and lost away. That will happen a lot in the top games i think and with the amount of competition it will be good. Yes we would not of won in 2012 with that system but we would have probably won it during the 2005-2008 period or maybe longer period with the team we had. We were very strong, 2012 was our weakest team and won it, thats why the system is clearly not the best way of determining the best team in Europe is it. Best way to determine the best team is to play against the best teams in a league system not a knock out competition as to many factors come into play. Referee calls, injuries etc. You say that the bigger squads would win the league system due to injuries but that works both ways, if your about to play a semi final or quarter final and you have your best 3 players injured for a 2 week period over the 2 legs you are screwed. At least in a league system they still have 28 other games play in 
Something similar actually happened in Dutch amateur football. There used to be 6 highest divisions and iitwas brought back to 2. Now it's a ridiculously competitive league with teams literally winning the league one year and getting relegated the next. Or the other way around where a tteam nearly got relegated and won the league the next year.
I think the CL does a good job determining the best teams though. The best teams from the last few years like Barca and Bayern get into at least the semi finals almost every year.
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Norway28875 Posts
the CL does a great job determining the best teams, but not necessarily the best team.  like 5 teams have been in top 8 four out of the past five years? that's amazing consistency for a playoff format, and on par with the best leagues. however I'd argue neither Inter nor Chelsea were actually the best team the year they won, although I can see how one might disagree on Inter. In a league setting, the best team definitely wins more than 60% of the time.
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Important mid week games in The Championship. Cardiff do more than most and hold Bournemouth to a draw. Whilst Middlesbrough go to Derby and win (huge). Watford win as well taking them top.
72pts Watford
72pts Middlesbrough
70pts AFC Bournemouth
67pts Derby County
67pts Norwich City
edit: Norwich got a last minute equalizer but still miss their chance to catch up.
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naw you gotta play depay as an IF hes got way too much goal scoreing in him to waste him anywhere else. with RVP probably gone falco gone I think it leaves rooney as that top CF
I gotta think that a 2-3-1-3-1 would be best wouldn't you?
CB's then shaw-stroot-young with stroot-fellaini-mata-rooney snaking up staggered in the center with depay and di maria as advanced wingers.
Manu have a great attacking core I think its just the defence that needs overhaul now.
I may be playing too much fm to argue for a formation that makes sense. I was about to say strikerless before I stopped myself.
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Netherlands13554 Posts
Yeah that was great. I'm definitely a Turan fan
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Watching the 5-6 great saves that Hart made yesterday and looking at the clasico. I'm so glad that the keeper will be Casillas instead of Hart
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England squad against Lithuania and Italy:
Goalkeepers
Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City)
Defenders
Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders
Ross Barkley (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Fabian Delph (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Manchester City), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Forwards
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal)
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51668 Posts
disappointed to not see young especially considering how much he's improved under lvg.
also feel like luke shaw being named ahead of a few others is bull shit. he's been in poor form and has been oft-injured.
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On March 19 2015 23:18 Ferrose wrote:England squad against Lithuania and Italy:Goalkeepers Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City) Defenders Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) Midfielders Ross Barkley (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Fabian Delph (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Manchester City), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Theo Walcott (Arsenal) Forwards Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal)
There's not a single player there who consistently performs to a world class level.
Such a shame 
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FML the weather forecast for el Clásico is rain T_T
On the bright side, we had a sick game vs City, with a godlike Messi, not much bragging to be found after the game and ManCity took the loss like real men and shook hands at the end. Respect.
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Pandemona
Charlie Sheens House51493 Posts
What do you expect, they lost because they got destroyed lol. They have no one to blame but themselves.
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On March 20 2015 20:36 Pandemona wrote:
What do you expect, they lost because they got destroyed lol. They have no one to blame but themselves.
Well Mou would rather blame the ref, UEFA, FIFA, the schedule, UNICEF and the stars alignment before admitting he got outplayed or outsmarted by the other coach. IIRC he called out his guys saying they don't deserve to advance if they can't defend two corners (which is BS) instead of talking how they got outplayed by 10 men for... 90 minutes?
I dunno if the players shoock hands with PSG at the end of the game, but I think everyone can agree Pellegrini is much more of a gentleman than the portuguese. And the players were a good reflect of his coach in the pitch at the end. So yeah, respect.
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Norway28875 Posts
mourinho would never admit to being outsmarted by the other coach (and when I played bw, I'd never admit to being outsmarted by the other player either, so that's fair enough imo) but I've seen him state that the other team played better and deserved to win on a couple occasions..
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I can admit being outsmarted in several games I played (including bw, sc2 and poker) and I think that's an important ground for improving. Maybe that's just me not being crazy competitive tho.
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Messi is the greatest player of football history. just watch the first half vs PSG :D i wish for him to seal it with winning the world cup but never the less. There wont be a player to achieve as much as he has ever
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EPT
did Rijkaard say we were the better team then? 
