Football Soccer Football Soccer Football Soccer

[gmc_rfc_06]

Have to strongly fancy Atletico for the Champions League final.

From the final 2 years ago, they have greatly enhanced their squad. Miranda replaced with Giminez, Tiago replaced by Saul, Garcia replaced by Carrasco, Costa replaced by Griezmann, Villa replaced by Torres and then the bench depth with guys like Correa, Augusto, Vietto...vast improvement.

To go through Barcelona, Bayern and Real would be a mighty achievement.

[gmc_rfc_06]

And Sterling wasn't going anywhere.

£50 million man, £50million...

[IMG]//media0.*****.com/media/NxEsKrLJXPuwg/200w.gif[/IMG]

[Sparked_26]

I updated the figures for the new season a few posts ago mate.

Godin is now on £140k, only Koke earns more. Griezmann is the only other player now on more than £100k.

Torres' wage got cut by 60%.

No need to lie about wages, it makes no difference in the grand scheme. The books have to be accurate at the end of the season given the loopholes have been closed.

Make sense then - Atletico are definitely are top team.

Certainly not saying you're lying more that I don't really believe any reports about what players are earning from any clubs. But I always think that Spain in general they are particularly lax. Hence why the boys from Barca are always getting done for tax dodging.

[Sparked_26]

Pellegrini is an arsehole isn't he?

He didn't even go for the desperation sling a centre half for the last 5 minutes tactic.

That last 10 minutes was a pure shot to nothing. Did nothing with it.

[gmc_rfc_06]

It was baffling.

You need one goal to qualify and you don't take a single risk, even in the dying minutes. Not a single shot on target and I recall one decent chance all game.

I get that he's leaving and probably doesn't care as much, but even as a player I'd expect those around me to just get forward in the final minutes, with or without the leaving manager's permission.

[Weltschmerz]

Other than Hart, no.

Madrid are sporting the same amount of British players.

Seriously, they should have kept that old rule of max 3-4 foreign players on the pitch. But it's all big business and there's little 'club spirit' left anywhere at top level, like last night for example. No national pride, which their should be in football.

Football just isn't what it used to be. My favorite international team was Man Utd because Schmeichel was their keeper when they won it all in the late 90's. They had the English players, Beckham, Scholes, Sheringham etc. and Ferguson loved using youth players from the club's own ranks. That was a real club.

[Sparked_26]

I would embrace a foreigner rule may maybe not 4 because the quality would suffer.

I would say at least 3 English players in the line-up.

Chelsea fielded an all foreign line-up against Bournemouth. Bournemouth!

No a CL semi final but a game that meant literally nothing. That was dire.

[Roy Jones Jnr]

I see Jas is not taking Villa's relegation too well

hahahahaha

— Gilbert G**** (@CALMDOWNLAD)

[Roy Jones Jnr]

I tried telling you all ages ago that the CL was on it's last legs. The Champions League is finished.

There's a new kid in town who happens to go by the name of The Glorious Europa League, yes the exact same cup you see Maradona cradling like a baby here in this pic



The Europa League is where it's truly at at this very moment in time. There can be no doubt about that whatsoever.

Tonight we bring some glory and respect back to English football after last nights embarrassment and disgrace which Manchester City brought upon us as a nation, tonight we lead the charge for all English clubs out on the European warfront, tonight we send Villareal packing and charge into the glorious Europa League final like the true titans of the beautiful game we are.

Man City disgraced us well and truly last night, disgraced all us true big dogs who have done so much in the last twenty years to earn us the respect we had in Europe but tonight we bring that respect back, back for the whole of the Premier League.

[gmc_rfc_06]

I would embrace a foreigner rule may maybe not 4 because the quality would suffer.

I would say at least 3 English players in the line-up.

Chelsea fielded an all foreign line-up against Bournemouth. Bournemouth!

No a CL semi final but a game that meant literally nothing. That was dire.

It would hurt a few of the Premier League teams for sure, but most teams would be ok. Most of the top teams start at least 3 home nation players regularly that I can think of;

Real; Carvajal, Ramos, Isco, Jese
Barca; Pique, Alba, Iniesta, Busquets
Atletico; Juanfran, Saul, Torres, Koke, Gabi
Bayern; Nuer, Boateng, Muller, Lahm
Juventus; Buffon, Bonucci, Chiellini, Barzagli, Marchisio

Can't be arsed listing more teams, but you get the point

Chelsea and City would be forced to play guys that usually don't start, although given their current position, I don't understand why Loftus-Cheek isn't playing every week anyway.