Everything Soccer

[Whiskeyjack]

Messi is still the best in the world. The rest of Barca is a mess. He's not going to MLS anytime soon.

Yup. PSG sounds like his most likely transfer destination post-Barca.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

I hate Liverpool didn’t make it to the CL knockouts this year but I’ll take PL title for sure.

 

[Rogue219]

Barca are garbage. Tear it down.

No La Liga club in semis for first time in 13 years.

Bayern win, Liverpool get $5M for Coutinho. Lol. Get Michael Edwards a fucking oil rig!

 

[CTIDANDREW]

Manchester City Football Club deserve ever snide comment and joke coming their way over the next few days.

One of the, if not the most, expensive assembled football teams ever with a manager who prides himself on playing attacking football, and has claimed in the past he would rather quit coaching than change his style played a five in the back formation with two defensive minded midfielders vrs. a club who finished seventh in their domestic league this year and who did not start their top goal scorer.

I love Pep, and he has forgotten more about football in the past few days then I will ever know, but that was a truly shocking performance by him and just another complete shocker of a performance by Manchester City in UEFA competitions.

The list is becoming endless...

 

[ACamp1900]

I guess there’s tweets by City and Gers fans taunting Lyon for bringing on Dembele when it happened,... Celtic boards are having fun with a bunch of different ones.

 

[NDRock]

Manchester City Football Club deserve ever snide comment and joke coming their way over the next few days.

One of the, if not the most, expensive assembled football teams ever with a manager who prides himself on playing attacking football, and has claimed in the past he would rather quit coaching than change his style played a five in the back formation with two defensive minded midfielders vrs. a club who finished seventh in their domestic league this year and who did not start their top goal scorer.

I love Pep, and he has forgotten more about football in the past few days then I will ever know, but that was a truly shocking performance by him and just another complete shocker of a performance by Manchester City in UEFA competitions.

The list is becoming endless...

It's crazy, saw the lineup and thought wtf (along with every other City fan). Disappointing season all things considered. At least we won't have to wait too long before the next one starts.

 

[NorthDakota]

Manchester City Football Club deserve ever snide comment and joke coming their way over the next few days.

One of the, if not the most, expensive assembled football teams ever with a manager who prides himself on playing attacking football, and has claimed in the past he would rather quit coaching than change his style played a five in the back formation with two defensive minded midfielders vrs. a club who finished seventh in their domestic league this year and who did not start their top goal scorer.

I love Pep, and he has forgotten more about football in the past few days then I will ever know, but that was a truly shocking performance by him and just another complete shocker of a performance by Manchester City in UEFA competitions.

The list is becoming endless...

Pep is a bum when it comes to Champions League. The sooner you guys accept that you'll move on.

 

[Rogue219]

Pep is a bum when it comes to Champions League. The sooner you guys accept that you'll move on.

When they’re up 5-0 in the 85th minute he’s in the technical area gesticulating like a crazy person.

When shit doesn’t go according to plan, he pisses himself and moans about it after.

They have all the money, talent and facilities you could ever want but they lack any mental fortitude when they get hit with a bit of adversity. DeBruyne not winning Europe will be like Gerrard never winning a Premier League, for me anyway. He’s that damn good.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

When they’re up 5-0 in the 85th minute he’s in the technical area gesticulating like a crazy person.

When shit doesn’t go according to plan, he pisses himself and moans about it after.

They have all the money, talent and facilities you could ever want but they lack any mental fortitude when they get hit with a bit of adversity. DeBruyne not winning Europe will be like Gerrard never winning a Premier League, for me anyway. He’s that damn good.

DeBruyne eventually has to end up at Bayern doesn’t he?

 

[NorthDakota]

DeBruyne eventually has to end up at Bayern doesn’t he?

I doubt it. He isn't German and he's probably a bit old and expensive for their taste.

 

[fightingirish26]

I doubt it. He isn't German and he's probably a bit old and expensive for their taste.

Yeah. Would have to be silly money. City and Bayern do not get along to say the least. KDB had been very open about how settled he is in Manchester, anyway.

 

[fightingirish26]

Obviously, some individual errors, but that loss is squarely on Pep's shoulders. During that up and down first season with City, Pep was adamant about playing HIS system and not compromising it for the PL. The next two seasons he showed everyone what a fool they were thinking it couldn't work in England.

Then, every time we're in a CL knockout tie, he decides it's a good time to try out an entirely new system. How many long balls over the top did we try in the first half? We usually have an overload of players in the advanced midfield space and for large parts of the first half there was NOBODY there. KDB was playing as a pure winger for a solid chunk of the game, which he can excel at, but it neutralizes like half of his qualities.

Pep said they practiced this system over the past 3 days? WTF??? Pep gets labeled as arrogant, that's cowardice. I get slightly tweaking tactics, but to try to implement this new system for the seventh placed French side is asinine (Lyon are obviously good, just making a point.) THEY should adapt to US. Among other things, it creates so much more mental stress on the players who are already playing in arguably the biggest game of their season. That's why I'm not gonna blame some of the individual errors, even if some were...yeesh.

Also, Pep always talks about needing to be perfect to win the CL. Yeah, maybe someone is gonna have to be perfect to knock out Bayern. But Lyon weren't perfect against us. Nor were Monaco, Liverpool or Spurs. We weren't perfect against Real Madrid. Play the City way and make somebody beat you. If we do that and lose, it won't be so damn hard to swallow.

 

[RECON Daddy]

Mia San Mia!

 

[NDRock]

Obviously, some individual errors, but that loss is squarely on Pep's shoulders. During that up and down first season with City, Pep was adamant about playing HIS system and not compromising it for the PL. The next two seasons he showed everyone what a fool they were thinking it couldn't work in England.

Then, every time we're in a CL knockout tie, he decides it's a good time to try out an entirely new system. How many long balls over the top did we try in the first half? We usually have an overload of players in the advanced midfield space and for large parts of the first half there was NOBODY there. KDB was playing as a pure winger for a solid chunk of the game, which he can excel at, but it neutralizes like half of his qualities.

Pep said they practiced this system over the past 3 days? WTF??? Pep gets labeled as arrogant, that's cowardice. I get slightly tweaking tactics, but to try to implement this new system for the seventh placed French side is asinine (Lyon are obviously good, just making a point.) THEY should adapt to US. Among other things, it creates so much more mental stress on the players who are already playing in arguably the biggest game of their season. That's why I'm not gonna blame some of the individual errors, even if some were...yeesh.

Also, Pep always talks about needing to be perfect to win the CL. Yeah, maybe someone is gonna have to be perfect to knock out Bayern. But Lyon weren't perfect against us. Nor were Monaco, Liverpool or Spurs. We weren't perfect against Real Madrid. Play the City way and make somebody beat you. If we do that and lose, it won't be so damn hard to swallow.

While reading this I had flashbacks From ‘07 of ND coming out in the spread against GT. Didn’t work then as well (though City have much better players).

 

[Rogue219]

DeBruyne eventually has to end up at Bayern doesn’t he?

No, but wait until Nagelsann is their manager one day. That’ll be worse.

Wonder what Arturo Vidal is doing today.

 

[Rogue219]

Barcelona have hired Ronald Koemen as their next manager.

This doesn't solve anything for them.

 

[NorthDakota]

Barcelona have hired Ronald Koemen as their next manager.

This doesn't solve anything for them.

They are a broken club. Messi should leave.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

Barcelona have hired Ronald Koemen as their next manager.

This doesn't solve anything for them.

OOF.

 

[IHateMarkMay]

Reports every year is Messi wants to leave. However, with as much turmoil that club has now, I think this would be the year to do it. He could get a big contract for two or three years still.

Unfortunately, there aren't that many clubs that can afford him. PSG, but they'd have to sell first. Man City could. Man United could (sell all the players that aren't cutting it, also being sponsored by Adidas can help this apparently). I've seen some people throw Juventus in this category, but I'm not buying it with how much they are giving Ronaldo. I'm sure there are a few other clubs I can't think of right now.

However, I literally cannot picture him in a different kit. I keep going back and forth on if I'd want to see him at United. Two years of Messi would be ridiculous, but then we'd have to put everything else on hold. United have a depth problem and need a couple of upgrades at DM and CB (maybe LB, but Shaw has been pretty good when he was healthy).

 

[Rogue219]

Didn't Messi have some kind of medical condition as a kid that Barca basically paid for in order to cure him when they signed him into their youth program? There is a fierce amount of loyalty there and I just don't see him wanting to leave regardless of the tough times. Even if he did want to leave, would they sell? To whom?

The obvious choices are PSG and City. At 33 years old, is he the answer to either of their problems? Can he play a full year in England?
Barca can beat mid table teams in La Liga 6-0 every week, but the English Premier League for Messi going on 34?

Would Messi bury the hatchet with Ronaldo and go to Juve? To play for Pirlo?

I don't suspect he will leave. His contract is up in June of 2021 and if there is football with fans in the stands again, which in Europe I think there could be, would he want a proper send off and then go somewhere else on a free?

Again, I think there is a lot of history and loyalty here because of the situation from when he was a youth.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

Didn't Messi have some kind of medical condition as a kid that Barca basically paid for in order to cure him when they signed him into their youth program? There is a fierce amount of loyalty there and I just don't see him wanting to leave regardless of the tough times. Even if he did want to leave, would they sell? To whom?

The obvious choices are PSG and City. At 33 years old, is he the answer to either of their problems? Can he play a full year in England?
Barca can beat mid table teams in La Liga 6-0 every week, but the English Premier League for Messi going on 34?

Would Messi bury the hatchet with Ronaldo and go to Juve? To play for Pirlo?

I don't suspect he will leave. His contract is up in June of 2021 and if there is football with fans in the stands again, which in Europe I think there could be, would he want a proper send off and then go somewhere else on a free?

Again, I think there is a lot of history and loyalty here because of the situation from when he was a youth.

I may be misremembering ( also this may not be current) but I saw that Juve was looking to offload Ronaldo due to his massive wages. I guess its the same question? Who is gonna pay that money for a clear superstar thats long in the tooth.

 

[dublinirish]

Didn't Messi have some kind of medical condition as a kid that Barca basically paid for in order to cure him when they signed him into their youth program? There is a fierce amount of loyalty there and I just don't see him wanting to leave regardless of the tough times. Even if he did want to leave, would they sell? To whom?

The obvious choices are PSG and City. At 33 years old, is he the answer to either of their problems? Can he play a full year in England?
Barca can beat mid table teams in La Liga 6-0 every week, but the English Premier League for Messi going on 34?

Would Messi bury the hatchet with Ronaldo and go to Juve? To play for Pirlo?

I don't suspect he will leave. His contract is up in June of 2021 and if there is football with fans in the stands again, which in Europe I think there could be, would he want a proper send off and then go somewhere else on a free?

Again, I think there is a lot of history and loyalty here because of the situation from when he was a youth.

lol the condition was he was undersized and yeah they pumped him full of hormones to make him grow faster

 

[Rogue219]

lol the condition was he was undersized and yeah they pumped him full of hormones to make him grow faster

Like I said. Fierce loyalty.

Looked this up. At age 10 he was diagnosed with GHD. His dad's insurance only covered two years of treatment. Argentina's economy goes to shit, the family has relatives in Catalonia, trial with Barca gets arranged and here we are.

I don't get the impression that an 8-2 loss to Bayern in an empty stadium is how Messi is going to go out if he and the club can help it. Their sporting director just got sacked. Koemen's hiring probably does nothing for Messi, but there is a lot of history here. I really don't think a move to City is in the cards, but then again there really is no FFP to worry about for them, so who knows.

I'd love to see him play in England every week pushing 34 years of age.

 

[Rogue219]

I may be misremembering ( also this may not be current) but I saw that Juve was looking to offload Ronaldo due to his massive wages. I guess its the same question? Who is gonna pay that money for a clear superstar thats long in the tooth.

Something they should have thought of when they signed him a few years ago, but yeah, it's a problem.

 

[IHateMarkMay]

Bayern beat Lyon 3-0 setting up a Championship match against PSG. Who ya go?

Bayern 3
PSG 2

 

[fightingirish26]

Cannot stand Bayern, I wish all the worst for them. Rooting for Paris.

 

[Rogue219]

I'd rather not see PSG win this competition because it only makes a mockery of FFP further, but I'm not a Bayern supporter either. Hard to say on this one. Just want a good match.

Lewandowski has scored in 13 of his last 15 Champions League matches. The two he did not were the two legs last year against Liverpool. I enjoy finding these tidbits out.

Funny, last year when LFC knocked Bayern out, Rio Ferdinand called Bayern a club that was transitioning. How's that looking?

 

[NorthDakota]

Bayern beat Lyon 3-0 setting up a Championship match against PSG. Who ya go?

Bayern 3
PSG 2

Bayern 3
PSG 1

 

[IHateMarkMay]

Bayern 3
PSG 1

I was going to go with this score, but I think between Neymar and Mbappe, they get 2. I'm not a big fan of either team, but it's harder to route for a team when they are owned by billionaires and they don't care about FFP.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

I think LewnGOALski and team are too tough right now. Pretty lethal

2-0

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