Do you care ?

[stephenkibby.]

Can remember being in Rhodes when Forest won the European cup, fantastic night all the Greeks hated the Germans.

It wasn't  our team but we were so up for it.  As opposed to Man city tonite couldn't give a f..k

[howey_ducky]

Did Man City play tonight?  Cup winners cup?  

[slartibartfast]

13 minutes ago, howey_ducky said:

Did Man City play tonight?  Cup winners cup?  

Nah, keep up....Inter-Cities Fairs Cup !

[howey_ducky]

I'm still coming to terms with the demise of the anglo-italian.

[One Team In Keynsham]

Watney Mann Invitation Cup.  The beautiful game got a bit uglier when the blue few won this.

[Barrs Court Red]

I think it's fair to say BT Sport have managed to accelerate the decline in interest in the Champions League over here, as the viewing figures go to show (they were dropping like a stone last year too). One think I've noticed this past week, as that I've not heard anyone talking about the prospect of a champions league semi. No "office talk", no overheard conversations on the train. Nothing.

A few years ago, an English club getting to this stage would be huge. Now the main story is the title race.

[samo II]

3 minutes ago, Barrs Court Red said:

I think it's fair to say BT Sport have managed to accelerate the decline in interest in the Champions League over here, as the viewing figures go to show (they were dropping like a stone last year too). One think I've noticed this past week, as that I've not heard anyone talking about the prospect of a champions league semi. No "office talk", no overheard conversations on the train. Nothing.

A few years ago, an English club getting to this stage would be huge. Now the main story is the title race.

I'd agree with this.

I'll watch pretty much any football that is on and in the past I've ended up taking far more interest in European competitions simply because I've had the chance to follow them.

But with BT Sport being a niche channel, and certainly hard to access legally in a casual manner (things like Now TV have boosted Sky's audience no end) I've lost a lot of interest.

 

[cityloyal473]

Zero interest in the 'Champions' league.  Wouldn't even bother watching it if an English team got to the final.  I couldn't even tell you the other two semi finalists. 

[RedRock]

Believe me. You were fortunate to have missed it.

Woeful. Tippy-tappy and technical enthusiasts may have been orgasmic but as a 'traditionalist' I've had more fun watching  artificial grass grow. 

One of the many problems with top level football is that an English side has just one English player starting. Why should a casual supporter back that side as an 'English' side? Another, Sterling, who came on late as a sub. How much is he getting paid a week!! Only decent thing was the Turkish referee who ignored most of the theatrical diving and play acting - another plague of the modern game. 

Keep serving up that dross from a bunch of 'Jonny Foreigners' and viewing figures will plummet further. Thank goodness River Monsters was on which spared me the pain of watching some of the first half. 

If this is the technically proficient style of football that 'modernists' see as the holy grail then count me - and millions others by the looks of things - out. 

 

 

 

[Betty Swallocks]

The highlight of the evening was the booing of the Champions Leagues 'anthem'.

[BobbyC]

8 hours ago, One Team In Keynsham said:

Watney Mann Invitation Cup.  The beautiful game got a bit uglier when the blue few won this.

Peterborough away in the early 70's was a cracker.

I could tell a good tale under the Hooligan post but best not.

[Robbored]

43 minutes ago, Moor2Sea said:

Believe me. You were fortunate to have missed it.

Woeful. Tippy-tappy and technical enthusiasts may have been orgasmic but as a 'traditionalist' I've had more fun watching  artificial grass grow. 

One of the many problems with top level football is that an English side has just one English player starting. Why should a casual supporter back that side as an 'English' side? Another, Sterling, who came on late as a sub. How much is he getting paid a week!! Only decent thing was the Turkish referee who ignored most of the theatrical diving and play acting - another plague of the modern game. 

Keep serving up that dross from a bunch of 'Jonny Foreigners' and viewing figures will plummet further. Thank goodness River Monsters was on which spared me the pain of watching some of the first half. 

If this is the technically proficient style of football that 'modernists' see as the holy grail then count me - and millions others by the looks of things - out. 

 

 

 

That's the way top European teams play when they are away first.  

They park the bus and hope to nick an away goal from a set piece or a break. They all do it.

Real almost did exactly that and it was Joe Hart that pulled off two excellent saves. They also hit the bar.

Man City weren't able to create much for Aguiro and DeBruyne was surrounded everytime he was in possession. It was a solid away performance from RM.

In Madrid next week Real will be far more attacking and that will hopefully allow Man City to hit them on the break. One away goal is worth two......

[Roe]

Away goals is a load of nonsense too.

[Robbored]

1 minute ago, #roe said:

Away goals is a load of nonsense too.

It was introduced several years ago because away teams were playing with 11 men behind the ball and there were numerous draws 0-0 or 1-1 and it was felt that the games were dull and boring and that away teams weren't trying to score.

Real Madrid adopted that 11 men behind the ball tactic last night in the first half but were more offensive in the second 45.

Essentially the top European clubs divide the two leg matches as four halves and we saw that first two last night from RM.

[Roe]

45 minutes ago, Robbored said:

It was introduced several years ago because away teams were playing with 11 men behind the ball and there were numerous draws 0-0 or 1-1 and it was felt that the games were dull and boring and that away teams weren't trying to score.

Real Madrid adopted that 11 men behind the ball tactic last night in the first half but were more offensive in the second 45.

Essentially the top European clubs divide the two leg matches as four halves and we saw that first two last night from RM.

A lot of the games are still dull and boring though and you get home teams being more defensive as well now because they don't want to concede many away goals.

You get a situation in many second legs where the scores are level yet one team doesn't need to try to win. It's a farce and thank God we don't use it for the play offs over here.

Edit: 4 halves?

[Natchfever]

BT Sport is a bit niche but its very cheap to get compared to Sky if you have BT broadband , which I find pretty good and reasonably priced.

I will always "support" the English team in Europe. That tendency has diluted for many of course over the years because of the lack of English players performing but I recall Liverpool dominating Europe over 30 years ago without any English either sometimes.

[Major Isewater]

37 minutes ago, #roe said:

A lot of the games are still dull and boring though and you get home teams being more defensive as well now because they don't want to concede many away goals.

You get a situation in many second legs where the scores are level yet one team doesn't need to try to win. It's a farce and thank God we don't use it for the play offs over here.

Edit: 4 halves?

i agree, the prize is too great , in any competition the semi finals are often tense negative affairs with both teams afraid to lose .

 

[Robbored]

2 hours ago, #roe said:

A lot of the games are still dull and boring though and you get home teams being more defensive as well now because they don't want to concede many away goals.

You get a situation in many second legs where the scores are level yet one team doesn't need to try to win. It's a farce and thank God we don't use it for the play offs over here.

Edit: 4 halves?

I didn't say it worked.....I just explained why it was introduced.

2 matches = 4 halves.....( 2 per game) 

[Sir Colby-Tit]

6 hours ago, Barrs Court Red said:

the prospect of a champions league semi. .

That will only happen for me if City are involved

[Jack Dawe]

3 hours ago, Loon plage said:

BT Sport is a bit niche but its very cheap to get compared to Sky if you have BT broadband , which I find pretty good and reasonably priced.

I will always "support" the English team in Europe. That tendency has diluted for many of course over the years because of the lack of English players performing but I recall Liverpool dominating Europe over 30 years ago without any English either sometimes.

I find this being said surprisingly often, and it is a mistake. Liverpool won each of their 5 European Cups with at least one Scouser from their own youth policy, never mind English.

77 - Clemence, Neal, Ray Kennedy, Tommy Smith, E Hughes, Case, Keegan, Callaghan, McDermott (9 Eng, 4 Scousers). Eng manager, 5 Eng subs.

78 - Clemence, Neal, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, Case, Fairclough, McDermott 

81 - Clemence, Neal, Alan Kennedy, Thompson, Kennedy, Lee, David Johnson, McDermott + 5 Eng subs

84 - Neal, Alan Kennedy, Lee + Mark Lawrenson (born in Preston). 2 Eng subs.

And all managed by Englishmen.

2005 - bit different by this point, just Gerrard and Carragher. Gerrard was pretty central to this win, though.

 

Although Dalglish, Hansen, Souness, Rush etc were not English, they were a product of the game in these islands and "our" game (as huffnpuff and unsophisticated as it was).

 

In 79, Forest won it with 8 Eng lads, including one Bristolian! Then with 7 in 1980. Villa with 8 in 82. All very different from today.

 

 

That's all from the Minister for Football for the Ukip party. 

[One Team In Keynsham]

2 minutes ago, Jack Dawe said:

I find this being said surprisingly often, and it is a mistake. Liverpool won each of their 5 European Cups with at least one Scouser from their own youth policy, never mind English.

77 - Clemence, Neal, Ray Kennedy, Tommy Smith, E Hughes, Case, Keegan, Callaghan, McDermott (9 Eng, 4 Scousers). Eng manager, 5 Eng subs.

78 - Clemence, Neal, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, Case, Fairclough, McDermott 

81 - Clemence, Neal, Alan Kennedy, Thompson, Kennedy, Lee, David Johnson, McDermott + 5 Eng subs

84 - Neal, Alan Kennedy, Lee + Mark Lawrenson (born in Preston). 2 Eng subs.

And all managed by Englishmen.

2005 - bit different by this point, just Gerrard and Carragher. Gerrard was pretty central to this win, though.

 

Although Dalglish, Hansen, Souness, Rush etc were not English, they were a product of the game in these islands and "our" game (as huffnpuff and unsophisticated as it was).

 

In 79, Forest won it with 8 Eng lads, including one Bristolian! Then with 7 in 1980. Villa with 8 in 82. All very different from today.

 

 

That's all from the Minister for Football for the Ukip party. 

By the time we got to 1986 they managed to win the FA Cup without fielding a single Englishman.  Way ahead of Wenger, who was presumably still hoping one-legged around the fields of Alsace-Lorraine awaiting his prosthetic surgery.

[Tall King Blox]

7 hours ago, BobbyC said:

Peterborough away in the early 70's was a cracker.

I could tell a good tale under the Hooligan post but best not.

For some strange reason your post reminds me of clockwork bananas.....one cracking away day was that though !!!

[RedRock]

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Jack Dawe said:

I find this being said surprisingly often, and it is a mistake. Liverpool won each of their 5 European Cups with at least one Scouser from their own youth policy, never mind English.

77 - Clemence, Neal, Ray Kennedy, Tommy Smith, E Hughes, Case, Keegan, Callaghan, McDermott (9 Eng, 4 Scousers). Eng manager, 5 Eng subs.

78 - Clemence, Neal, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, Case, Fairclough, McDermott 

81 - Clemence, Neal, Alan Kennedy, Thompson, Kennedy, Lee, David Johnson, McDermott + 5 Eng subs

84 - Neal, Alan Kennedy, Lee + Mark Lawrenson (born in Preston). 2 Eng subs.

And all managed by Englishmen.

2005 - bit different by this point, just Gerrard and Carragher. Gerrard was pretty central to this win, though.

 

Although Dalglish, Hansen, Souness, Rush etc were not English, they were a product of the game in these islands and "our" game (as huffnpuff and unsophisticated as it was).

 

In 79, Forest won it with 8 Eng lads, including one Bristolian! Then with 7 in 1980. Villa with 8 in 82. All very different from today.

 

 

That's all from the Minister for Football for the Ukip party. 

... and you could probably add to that English Owners, Chairman, Trainers and supporters.

Premiership now all commercial hype, has lost its roots becoming a global commodity packed full of very average foreigners playing boring SoD style possession football, with little flair or passion and diving around all over the shop. I hope the bubble will burst soon or, alternatively, they get what they want and start playing matches in New York or Beijing, so disappearing off our radar. For me, my waning interest in this 'product' has just survived  this season by some unlikely English-type teams (well, as close as you can get to English in the Prem) doing well.

[Chivs]

2 hours ago, Sir Colby-Tit said:

That will only happen for me when City are involved

I've made a small but significant amendment to your post.

[Chairman Mao]

9 hours ago, cityloyal473 said:

Zero interest in the 'Champions' league.  Wouldn't even bother watching it if an English team got to the final.  I couldn't even tell you the other two semi finalists. 

You're missing out, Athletico v Bayern could be a cracker