Champions League - 2016/17

[Bobbins]

Shame we don't seem to sing it nice a slow like that anymore. And the faster/clapping part has somehow become so fast we can't even seem to sing it properly these days.

My favourite rendition was away to Fulham in the cup game under Jol when we won 3-0. We were right on the verge of becoming a force again and it was before we acquired too many tourists/plastics/fans with a sense of entitlement and no patience:

 

[lukespurs7]

Sorry if I've missed this somewhere but after that draw tonight are we not guaranteed at worst 3rd not 4th coz arse and city still both to play each other...?

 

[spurs9]

Sorry if I've missed this somewhere but after that draw tonight are we not guaranteed at worst 3rd not 4th coz arse and city still both to play each other...?

Yes, we now have 70 points

Assuming City And Arsenal both win their final game;
If City beat Arsenal, both will finish on 70 and we have a + 9 GD on City and +14 on Arsenal.
If Arsenal beat City, Arsenal finish on 73 and City on 67.
If they draw, Arsenal finish on 71 and City 68.

 

[StartingPrice]

Sorry if I've missed this somewhere but after that draw tonight are we not guaranteed at worst 3rd not 4th coz arse and city still both to play each other...?

I haven't checked how it affects Citeh (for some reason it seemed less relevant than how it affects the Goons). But thanks to our point tonight, ArseAnal now need us to fail to win in both of our remaining games. If we even get one point from them the Goons need to win both their games - thanks to our superior goal-difference. A win and a draw would be good enough for them if we lost both games. But bearing in mind they have to travel to the Etihad next game, where Citeh will surely have their sh*t together as they face the real prospect of finishing outside the top six, whereas we are at home to Southampton and them away to Newcastle, so should realistically be favourites in both games. And somehow I can't see either this team or MoPo letting the season end on a damp squib. Seriously think MoPo would react very badly to any player whose performance drops - it is not the mentality he is inculcating into our players.

 

[DCSPUR]

i want us to draw Real, Dortmund and cannon fodder from pot 4...play the cannon fodder first, get the win and then charge the Hill.
It is about glory after all...

 

[Saoirse]

Makes me feel nauseous seeing Leicester in Pot 1 with those Champions. Still can't believe it.
Cheers for all your hardwork @Saoirse

They're lucky with their timing considering the new seeding system that was only introduced this season puts them in Pot 1 whilst the old one would've seen them in Pot 4. But they'll still have to get past a Pot 3 side to make it through and that will be far from easy for a team with no European experience, a small squad and not used to playing in midweek - remember how abject they were against us in the Cup replay? I expect they will go out in the group stage regardless.

No worries!

Sorry if I've missed this somewhere but after that draw tonight are we not guaranteed at worst 3rd not 4th coz arse and city still both to play each other...?

Indeed, barring some ridiculous 15-goal difference swing shenanigans we're in the group stage.

i want us to draw Real, Dortmund and cannon fodder from pot 4...play the cannon fodder first, get the win and then charge the Hill.
It is about glory after all...

There is the caveat that sometimes cannon fodder can sneak through qualifiers unexpectedly to get to the group stage. But even then they tend to be teams who know how to grind matches if they've beaten seeded sides in the qualifiers - take FC Astana this year, the champions of Kazackhstan who managed draws home and away to Galatasaray and home to Benfica and Atletico Madrid. Meanwhile, most of Pot 4 are teams that can at least be good Europa sides, have plenty of European experience and generally aren't pushovers - we got a Eredivisie winning FC Twente side last time we qualified. Anybody who goes into those matches taking them as gimmies is in serious trouble. Conversely, picking up the 6 points is actually a good achievement and gives you a very good chance of qualifying.

 

[guy]

Beat the pot 4 team home and away, beat Pot 2 team at home, sneak a draw in one other game - 10 points, enough to get through?

 

[Saoirse]

Beat the pot 4 team home and away, beat Pot 2 team at home, sneak a draw in one other game - 10 points, enough to get through?

The only caveat I'd say is that those 6 points against the pot 4 team would have to be hard-fought. If they're just awful it doesn't necessarily help because they give everyone 6 points and in that case 10 probably isn't enough.

 

[nightgoat]

Only two teams from this season's pot three made it to the knock out stages - Dynamo Kyiv and Roma - and they had arguably two of the weakest pot two teams in their respective groups. Teams from pot three averaged six points in the group stage. The previous season only two teams outside of the top two pots qualified for the knock out stages.

 

[Saoirse]

Only two teams from this season's pot three made it to the knock out stages - Dynamo Kyiv and Roma - and they had arguably two of the weakest pot two teams in their respective groups. Teams from pot three averaged six points in the group stage. The previous season only two teams outside of the top two pots qualified for the knock out stages.

However, we did manage to get out of the group last time despite being third seeds then as well. 2 out of 8 is about what I'd expect to see when by definition those 8 have had weaker European performances in previous seasons.

 

[tottenmal]

I actually think next season we might see the benefits of Poch playing practically full strength teams in the group stage of the Europa League. Now I know the quality level is very different, but the actual mental fatigue a team suffers is something we are very used to.

Yes we need to strengthen. Not just with backup for Kane but we also need options in midfield to. But this team will know what it has to try and do to get through the group stage. If we do somehow manage to get through, and Poch has to try and balance his team (ala BVB) for fatigue. Then we can cross that bridge when we get there.

 

[Saoirse]

I actually think next season we might see the benefits of Poch playing practically full strength teams in the group stage of the Europa League. Now I know the quality level is very different, but the actual mental fatigue a team suffers is something we are very used to.

Yes we need to strengthen. Not just with backup for Kane but we also need options in midfield to. But this team will know what it has to try and do to get through the group stage. If we do somehow manage to get through, and Poch has to try and balance his team (ala BVB) for fatigue. Then we can cross that bridge when we get there.

Agreed, it will do us well, especially as there's likely to be less travelling involved.

For anyone interested in or watching the semi-final tonight, it's in our interests for Atlético Madrid to defeat Bayern Munich.

 

[coopsy13]

Agreed, it will do us well, especially as there's likely to be less travelling involved.

For anyone interested in or watching the semi-final tonight, it's in our interests for Atlético Madrid to defeat Bayern Munich.

i wanted them to anyways. cant stand pep

 

[nightgoat]

Agreed, it will do us well, especially as there's likely to be less travelling involved.

For anyone interested in or watching the semi-final tonight, it's in our interests for Atlético Madrid to defeat Bayern Munich.

Not necessarily. Whilst the teams we were drawn against in the Europa League this season were amongst the toughest we could have drawn (Qarabag aside), we only had one long away trip. All the other games were in Belgium, France, Italy and Germany. We could still end up drawing the Russian champions from pot one and a team from eastern Europe from pot four.

 

[Monkey boy]

Not necessarily. Whilst the teams we were drawn against in the Europa League this season were amongst the toughest we could have drawn (Qarabag aside), we only had one long away trip. All the other games were in Belgium, France, Italy and Germany. We could still end up drawing the Russian champions from pot one and a team from eastern Europe from pot four.

whats the word I'm looking for here??

 

[nightgoat]

whats the word I'm looking for here??

Shitballs?

 

[CrazyConrad]

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/s...ncy-after-battle-of-stamford-bridge-hxg0vx89b

I see they have changed the heading now but about 20 min ago it said that we could risk losing points. I cannot see the whole article but can anyone comment on this?

 

[Destroyer]

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/s...ncy-after-battle-of-stamford-bridge-hxg0vx89b

I see they have changed the heading now but about 20 min ago it said that we could risk losing points. I cannot see the whole article but can anyone comment on this?

It just basically says were likely to be fined & that a points deduction highly unlikely even though it is the 2nd time weve been in trouble this season.

 

[buttons]

It just basically says were likely to be fined & that a points deduction highly unlikely even though it is the 2nd time weve been in trouble this season.

Sure I read on BBC that Chelsea have bed. Charged three times alresdy this season, and have had zero points deduction.

 

[eddiev14]

In 2010/11 we had a tough group on account of just sneaking in via the 4th and a Play-Off:

• Inter Milan were European Champions
• Werder Bremen had just finished 3rd in the Bundesliga and people were raving about their team
• Twente had only just lost out to Ajax in the Eredivisie the previous season and were an exciting side

As I recall, we won the bloody group.

Give us anyone. Seriously.

No fear whatsoever, just enjoy it! Those nights at the Lane are amazing!