SAF set to retire?

[Major Inconvenience]

Tbf it's not bad. Fair amount of luck in cup comps Utd usually got beat by the team that went on to lift the trophy

1997 - Champions League Semi-Final
1998 - Champions League 1st Round
1999 - Champions League Winner
2000 - Champions League Quarter-Final
2001 - Champions League Quarter-Final
2002 - Champions League Semi-Final
2003 - Champions League Quarter-Final
2004 - Champions League 2nd Round
2005 - Champions League 2nd Round
2006 - Champions League 1st Round
2007 - Champions League Semi-Final
2008 - Champions League Winners
2009 - Champions League Final
2010 - Champions League Quarter-Final
2011 - Champions League Final
2012 - Champions League 1st Round/Europa League 4th Round

Fair point, I guess he's done better than I realised. Since English clubs were allowed back in Barca have won 4, Milan 3, Real 3, Man U 2, and one each for a handful of others.

[Ouroboros]

Every season there was between 6 and 10 teams with a realistic chance of winning it.

Whereas now...?

[Hoop Blah]

in 77 Liverpool defeated Crusaders of Northern Ireland and Trabzonspor of Turkey to reach the quarter finals 4fs. They then played St Etienne who where a decent enough outfit. Twatted Zurich 6-1 in the semi's (fark off).

United in 99

1st Round Group
Barcelona 3-3, 3-3
Bayern Munich 2-2, 1-1
Brondby 6-2, 5-0 (2nd place)
Quarter-Final - Internazionale 2-0, 1-1 (3-1)
Semi-Final - Juventus 1-1, 3-2 (4-3)
Final - Bayern Munich 2-1

Liverpool in 2005

Monaco
Deportivo
Bayer Leverkuesen(sp?)
Juventus
Chelsea
Milan

It's still more difficult to win when you only have one chance of entering and it's a proper knock out compeition.

You mention that Liverpool twatted Zurich 6-1. That was over two legs of course (3-1 & 3-0), much like Bayern just stuffed Barcelona 7-0 over 2 legs and Dortmund beating Real 4-1 in the first leg of their semi. I don't think either makes Barca or Real weak teams does it?

[Major Inconvenience]

99 was a very tough run, but who did they go out to last year?

Personally, I think its got to be harder to rack up the wins if getting into it requires you to win the league first, BUT, once you're in it, its going to be easier with just one team from each country.

[Ouroboros]

It's still more difficult to win when you only have one chance of entering and it's a proper knock out compeition.

Eh?

Doesn't it make as much sense to say it's more difficult to win because the format tends to ensure the best teams make the final rounds? It just depends on what perspective you're coming from.

[Hoop Blah]

I think you just said the same yourself though didn't you?

At the start of a given season it's more difficult to win the next seasons European Cup/CL if only 1 side gets a shot at qualifying for it by winning a league instead of the top 4.

I'd say the league format makes the early stages easier to get through for the better sides too as there's less impact of one bad performance than in a straight knockout. Obviously having the best of the best (ie Barca & Real) instead of the very best of everyone (ie Barca and Zurich) supposedly getting through to the last 8 will probably make the latter stages more challenging, but getting there is undoubtedly easier IMO.

[creative_username_1]

in 77 Liverpool defeated Crusaders of Northern Ireland and Trabzonspor of Turkey to reach the quarter finals 4fs. They then played St Etienne who where a decent enough outfit. Twatted Zurich 6-1 in the semi's (fark off).

United in 99

1st Round Group
Barcelona 3-3, 3-3
Bayern Munich 2-2, 1-1
Brondby 6-2, 5-0 (2nd place)
Quarter-Final - Internazionale 2-0, 1-1 (3-1)
Semi-Final - Juventus 1-1, 3-2 (4-3)
Final - Bayern Munich 2-1

Liverpool in 2005

Monaco
Deportivo
Bayer Leverkuesen(sp?)
Juventus
Chelsea
Milan

It's still more difficult to win when you only have one chance of entering and it's a proper knock out compeition.

You mention that Liverpool twatted Zurich 6-1. That was over two legs of course (3-1 & 3-0), much like Bayern just stuffed Barcelona 7-0 over 2 legs and Dortmund beating Real 4-1 in the first leg of their semi. I don't think either makes Barca or Real weak teams does it?

First point i don't necessarily agree with. City beating Utd on goal difference and them both going through and facing each other in a knock out is harder than City going through and facing Linfield or Glentoran i.e. the Second/Third placed teams are far stronger than the champions of weaker leagues

Second point maybe but Zurich record points to them getting a lucky draw to the semi's

1972–73 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R Wrexham 1 – 1, 1 – 2
1973–74 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R Anderlecht 2 – 3, 1 – 0
1/8 Malmö FF 0 – 0, 1 – 1
1/4 Sporting CP 0 – 3, 1 – 1
1974–75 European Cup 1R Leeds United 1 – 4, 2 – 1
1975–76 European Cup 1R Újpest 0 – 4, 5 – 1
1976–77 European Cup 1R Rangers 1 – 1, 1 – 0
1/8 Turun Palloseura 2 – 0, 1 – 0
1/4 Dynamo Dresden 2 – 1, 2 – 3
1/2 Liverpool 1 – 3, 0 – 3

[creative_username_1]

formatting looks terrible once posted -apols

[Muskrat]

Well at least I won't have to put the telly on mute when he's interviewed on MOTD anymore.

[From Despair To Where?]

Every season there was between 6 and 10 teams with a realistic chance of winning it.

Whereas now...?

But it's the same teams year in, year out.

With the European Cup of old you had the champions of Spain, Portugal, England, Holland, Germany, Italy, USSR, Yugoslavia, hell even Scotland, France or Romania, plus the previous year's winner going into the tournament thinking, we could actually win this. That's a third of the teams entering the tournament.

[Ouroboros]

Every season there was between 6 and 10 teams with a realistic chance of winning it.

Whereas now...?

But it's the same teams year in, year out.

With the European Cup of old you had the champions of Spain, Portugal, England, Holland, Germany, Italy, USSR, Yugoslavia, hell even Scotland, France or Romania, plus the previous year's winner going into the tournament thinking, we could actually win this. That's a third of the teams entering the tournament.

Yes it's generally the same old teams (though Dortmund couldn't have won it 5 years ago, and then there's Leverkusen, Monaco, Porto, Liverpool etc) but there are still something like 8 or 10 teams each year with a realistic chance, which is getting on for a third of the teams that make it into the competition proper.

Compared to the Premiership of the FA Cup that makes it a very open tournament.

[soggy biscuit]

Julien Laurens, football journalist for French newspaper Le Parisien, says on Twitter: "Very reliable sources tell Le Parisien that Sir Alex Ferguson called Carlo Ancelotti last week to ask him to succeed him. He was surprised and flattered but politely declined the offer. So Sir Alex Ferguson then turned to second choice David Moyes."

[retro_royal]

That's a long quote to fit on twitter. Unless its bulshit of course.

Anyway you crank, have you worked out why you posted that Moyes Out pic yet? Have you worked the joke out yet?

[soggy biscuit]

That's a long quote to fit on twitter. Unless its bulshit of course.

Anyway you crank, have you worked out why you posted that Moyes Out pic yet? Have you worked the joke out yet?

I know why I posted it yes! (might be different to why you would post it though)

https://twitter.com/LaurensJulien
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/22520821

[retro_royal]

Why did you post it then? Do you know when the original was taken? Do you know what the original banner said? Do you know where it was taken? Who took it? Who's in the photo? Please tell.

[Royal With Cheese]

Why did you post it then? Do you know when the original was taken? Do you know what the original banner said? Do you know where it was taken? Who took it? Who's in the photo? Please tell.

Who cares?

I know I don't.

[retro_royal]

Im just interested in why someone would post a joke pic up when they don't know what the joke is. Its a bit odd really.

[Royal With Cheese]

Im just interested in why someone would post a joke pic up when they don't know what the joke is. Its a bit odd really.

I often do this to make a completely unrelated point because the picture bears some resemblance to the thread in context.

Should I wink now? Perhaps not.

[retro_royal]

Wink was a slip of the finger.

Soggs going quiet pretty much says it all. He's made himself look like a cnut again, and he knows it.

[southbank1871]

Seems to have rattLOLed you a bit though m8.