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Thread: The rest of the season

  1. #121
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    May 2012
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    We won that 2095 CL final with a team I fondly refer to as a team of duds and crocks.
    Our serious injuries that season were huge - probably far greater than this.
    Here's hoping Sid!

  2. #122
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    Jun 2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by Insidious View Post
    The last crumb of comfort for me for our League season (and it really is a crumb) is that we have a decent number of games in the latter stages against sides who won't be competing for Top Four, nor fighting to save themselves from relegation.

    But realistically, given that we can't seem to buy a point right now, it feels like we're looking at the Lottery aspect of the Champion's League, with the bits of luck, moments of inspiration and improved standard of refereeing that we might pull off something wonderful at the last.

    Can't pretend I'm in any way confident in that regard right now, but we were much poorer (on paper) than Juventus, Chelsea and AC Milan in '05 yet still managed, with Di Matteo's Chelsea also having been far from the favourites the year they won it.

    We'd need to start getting some results though to give ourselves some self-belief. The second leg against Leipzig isn't a guarantee despite our huge advantage in the tie.
    Its true we didn't have a good team on paper in 05, and if you look at that AC Milan team, right the way through it just world class players. But we did have two very tough central defenders and it was because of them we came through that away game nil nil at Juventus, without Gerrard in the team, and managed to get through to the next round.
    Wish we had those two at the back now.
    If by some miracle fans can get back into games before the end of the season that would help us massively.

  3. #123
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    Quote Originally Posted by scientificred View Post
    We won that 2095 CL final with a team I fondly refer to as a team of duds and crocks.
    Our serious injuries that season were huge - probably far greater than this.
    Here's hoping Sid!
    Ah but that team had a great spine. Well apart from up front.

  4. #124
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    Nov 2009
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    Quote Originally Posted by eggy81 View Post
    Ah but that team had a great spine. Well apart from up front.
    Quality is relative though, isn't it? Juventus, Chelsea and AC Milan all had better sides and probably better spines - at goalkeeper for example most would agree that over the course of a season Cech and Buffon were better keepers than Dudek, much as I don't want to belittle his heroics throughout our campaign.

    It's similar to when people talk of England's "Golden Generation" not doing enough, when some of the other sides in World Football, such as Brazil, were simply better.

    You'd always give us a chance in Europe, though we'd all concede that we lose a LOT without the cacophony of noise that is a packed Anfield.

    People can say "ah, but all sides are missing fans" but I think it's definitely different for certain teams - I'm not sure Ole would have lasted through the boos (that didn't happen!) earlier this season for example - and City are so devoid of a Soul I'd almost wager a lack of fans suits them!

  5. #125
    Quote Originally Posted by scientificred View Post
    We won that 2095 CL final with a team I fondly refer to as a team of duds and crocks.
    Our serious injuries that season were huge - probably far greater than this.
    Here's hoping Sid!
    Thanks for the tip McFly!

  6. #126
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    Jul 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by stevie harkness View Post
    Thanks for the tip McFly!
    Haha, i don't think he realised what he said.
    If you're not sure what to do with the ball, just put it in the net, and we'll talk about the other options later... Bob Paisley.

  7. #127
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    Dec 2012
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    Quote Originally Posted by stevie harkness View Post
    Thanks for the tip McFly!
    Guess the Almanac didn't talk about match fixing...

  8. #128
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    Nov 2009
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    Just remembering little bits of that campaign. You always need a little luck to win and one of the matches that gets overlooked due to the scoreline is the 0-0 against Juventus.

    1-0 would have been enough for them that night to take them through. First half Ibrahimovic puts a volley over the bar from about 7 or 8 yards out, second half a Cannavaro header hits the post.

    Such are the fine margins in Footballing history sometimes. That was the Tournament where we set a precedent for the winners being allowed to compete the next season if they had missed out via League qualification (we had finished 5th) and we could theoretically have not been in the Champion's League for 05/06 and thus reduced capacity for squad improvement etc etc.

    It's funny how these things pan out and thankfully 04/05 panned out the way it did as we have some wonderful memories for life. Even thinking back to that recent semi-final against Barca, they so nearly had a 4th goal in that first leg and it can be argued that the ball NOT going in was the tiny psychological thread of light we needed to think a Miracle may be possible in the second leg.

    Football's bloody wonderful like that sometimes, much as we've been dealt a dreadful hand this time around.

  9. #129
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    May 2012
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    Quote Originally Posted by skyebo View Post
    Haha, i don't think he realised what he said.
    The gift of foresight!
    I acknowledge my error!

  10. #130
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    Nov 2009
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    24,832
    Really hope (against Sheffield United and Fulham anyway) we sit off a little bit for spells.

    No matter how disciplined, opposition sides eventually get a bit frustrated, someone breaks rank and pushes onto you when you have the ball and there's a Domino effect.

    We desperately need more counter-attacking opportunities and clear-cut chances (45 shots converted of 493...) and I think dropping the back line 5 or 10 yards and to try and invite some sides onto us is a way you can tweak things without trying to rip the script up.

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