A little bit of perspective

[The Birdman]

I've been lurking on here for a while and thought I'd add some views to calm down the hype.
Their 1st goal was unfortunate, you can't stop that kind of thing happening, the 2nd was when were were chasing the game and we wouldn't have conceeded it if Agger was playing.
Now I'm not saying we were brilliant but it's obvious that we haven't been getting any luck in this season's competition which when you consider the fortune we've had over the last couple of season's isn't suprising - things even themselves out. Compare this to Chelsea who win 2 nil, the keeper chucks one in for their 1st, Drogba is offside for their 2nd, Schalke have a goal wrongly dissallowed for offside, hit the inside of the post and rebounds into Cech's arms then Alex drags down their player and nothing is given when it was a straight red and maybe a pen (can't remember if it was inside or outside the box)
People on here post about Pako leaving, does it have an impact? short term no because as players your routine doesn't change, so someone different might take the warm up - big deal, it's Rafa who takes and decides the tactical training and if Pako was in charge of fitness then haven't we got someone else who can read the data about their training levels etc.. longer term however it might because Rafa has clearly lost someone who he bounces ideas off and that person has to be replaced - Frank McParland anyone?
It's more relevent that our poor run of form coincides with Torres, Alonso and Agger not playing (or more accurately Sami playing because he upsets everything Rafa has worked towards tacticlly for the last couple of years) and to a lesser extent Arbeloa, Aurellio and dare I say it Kewell.
How many of us last night shouted at the tv when Babel cut inside again and again closing the space, how many shouted when our continuity of passing was slow and laborious and when we sat defending deep so Sami's lack of pace didn't get exposed.
You can play with Crouch/Voronin or Kuyt playing as a pair if you keep a high line and press the ball but if you sit deep then the game gets stretched and you need pace upfont ala Ged with Heskey and Owen while Henchoz and Hyypia defended on our goal line.
Can we win the league? if we scrape through in the Champions League then no is my honest answer, if we end up getting knocked out with the other 3 go through then yes forshizzle of course we can.
Have Arsenal, Man U or Chelsea won the league recently - yep, have any of them remotely looked like winning the Champions League - no not really, Arsenal got there but no-one really believed they would win. So where will their priorities lie later on in the season, not with the league thats for sure.
I'll end on a controversial point I would happily see any of the other 3 win the Champions League if we're GUARANTEED the League.

A lengthy first post I'm sure you'll agree, don't worry about going easy on me as I couldn't give a toss.
Keep the faith

[Colemere]

Nothing can guarentee us the league mate

[Johnny]

Good 1st post mate.
Come in from the cold and post more often.

[Los Rojos]

forshizzle

Word of the day

[Slim]

Word of the day

It should indeed be word of the day.

Welcome to the forum Snoop Dog!

[kewellnthegang]

outside of 99% of mine - a contender for post of the week

[Elvis]

The problem with the "we've got more chance winning the PL if we get KO'd from the CL" theory is that unless we finish bottom of the group we'll end up in the UEFA Cup! That's a game every other Thursday night and all our PL matches on a Sunday - continually playign catch up. Now, some will argue that Rafa will just play the kids in the UEFA, but I'm not sure. He's addicted to Euro football and will probably want to win it. I think being in the UEFA cup will harm our chances. Of course, if we do finish bottom then we we lose millions of quid of revenue - not good for next summer's transfer budget when we need to get another striker, right winger, attacking/creative midfielder, centre-back, right back...........

[kewellnthegang]

The problem with the "we've got more chance winning the PL if we get KO'd from the CL" theory is that unless we finish bottom of the group we'll end up in the UEFA Cup! That's a game every other Thursday night and all our PL matches on a Sunday - continually playign catch up. Now, some will argue that Rafa will just play the kids in the UEFA, but I'm not sure. He's addicted to Euro football and will probably want to win it. I think being in the UEFA cup will harm our chances. Of course, if we do finish bottom then we we lose millions of quid of revenue - not good for next summer's transfer budget when we need to get another striker, right winger, attacking/creative midfielder, centre-back, right back...........

not if we finish bottom fella - no uefa for last

[rushscored4]

Hahahaha. NOT!!!

Seeing as everyone else is allowed a rant, here's mine.


WHAT THE **** IS WITH ALL THE NEW THREADS PEOPLE????? STOP IT, ITS DOING MY HEAD IN!!!!

I've merged so many of them I've lost count, but its at least 20, probably more.

Seriously, its a pisstake, the quantity of bollocks dupe threads started in here the last 12 hours has been ridiculous. Why does everyone assume that their point, usually the same one everyone else is making just worded a little different, warrants a new thread? There's some obvious repeat offenders who do it every single game... what sort of arrogance must it take to think people want to read your new thread on the same subject as all the others more than someone else's?

STOP, TAKE TWO MINUTES TO LOOK AND READ BEFORE CREATING A NEW THREAD, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

Saying that, it was a decent first post, Elvis. Thank you very much...

[MrMichael]

Saying that, it was a decent first post, Elvis. Thank you very much...

That wasn't aimed at or about this thread specifically, TheBirdman here obviously took just a little time to actually post something of some substance at least to start a thread with, even if it could have gone elsewhere.

[PTP]

MrM has lost it

[The Birdman]

That wasn't aimed at or about this thread specifically, TheBirdman here obviously took just a little time to actually post something of some substance at least to start a thread with, even if it could have gone elsewhere.

I completely agree - the problem is that there is so much rubbish posted that if you feel you have something relevent to post it can sometimes get lost on the 7th page of a random thread where people are throwing insults at each other using smilies.
Back to the suject in hand, we'll play 4-4-1-1 Sunday with Gerrard playing off Torres (if fit) in front of 2 from Momo/Masch/Alonso and seeing how things have gone probably win 2 nil!

[MrMichael]

I completely agree - the problem is that there is so much rubbish posted that if you feel you have something relevent to post it can sometimes get lost on the 7th page of a random thread where people are throwing insults at each other using smilies.

That's understood, if people have relevant or thought-out things to post in such circumstances, a new thread is fair enough.



Its when like this morning, there's 3 threads been started, basically each just about creativity, all within 10 mins of each other and all with just a few words in the opening posts, that's when I get most wound up. Or the 10 about Rafa last night. Or "bring back Igor/Momo/Istvan Kozma" ones.

Back to the suject in hand, we'll play 4-4-1-1 Sunday with Gerrard playing off Torres (if fit) in front of 2 from Momo/Masch/Alonso and seeing how things have gone probably win 2 nil!

Wouldn't suprise me at all, though I think he'll go with Crouch (alongside Torres if fit). I also still believe we've a good chance of beating them.

MrM has lost it

Maybe just a little.... didn't notice any of the rest of you helping me with the mergefest either now I think about it *goes to create new rant in mod lounge*

[Neil Young]

MrM has lost it

Did he ever have it?

[Joe Le Toff]

If your hinting at us having an element of misfortune in losing last night then i couldnt disagree with you more mate.
We were abysmal yet again as we have been for some weeks now, and it doesnt look like we'll get out of it anytime soon.
The squad that we have, which i think most of us would agree is the strongest we've had in years, is more than capable of going out and beating Besiktas comfortably. I understand that we were missing players but i find it lame that this is offered up as a valid reason. We had millions of pounds worth of international talent on the field last night yet there were occasions that we looked like a pub side.

My own personal opinion which is totally unsubstantiated is that i believe there is unrest at the club behind the scenes, and i wouldnt be surprised if the incessant rotation played a part in that.
I find it unbelievable that so many top class players have gone off the boil at the same time.