Chasing Europe...........

[Del Woppio]

I wish it fucking *was* 2014

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I mean feel free to want Qarabag leaking 12 over two legs against two powerhouses at full strength going at it. I know what will be the better spectacle

Yeah that's what I said, well done though.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Feels like one of those "hankering for an age which never existed" situations to me.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Desperate to watch KMac in midfield again?

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Feels like one of those "hankering for an age which never existed" situations to me.

Feels like one of those you interpretting something i said in your own way and then hammering me into the ground situations to me.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Well I've had two or three goes and still don't understand what it is you want, so I'll leave it.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Interesting take.

 

[Alan]

Different forms of interest I suppose. I pulled specifically for Málaga when they had their little flash in the pan, and that was really fun while it lasted.

Equally, watching Arsenal against Madrid would also be a great spectacle, even if I couldn’t possibly care less who wins.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Well I've had two or three goes and still don't understand what it is you want, so I'll leave it.

And I've had a good couple of goes at explaining too.

But once more.

I think the final 6 or 7 of these seasons final 8 was predictable at the start of the tournament.

I find that boring.

Funnily enough the 2014 last 8 was too...6 of the 8 from this year..



I hated watching Liverpool v Chelsea over and over again in the 00s, I hate it if/when the 3 predicted sides go down from the Prem, and I hate it when the same 4 sides get into the CL too, it's just boring. In my opinion.

 

[Del Woppio]

Not wanting to put words into EPs mouth, but my interpretation isn't that he wants a random shite team in the quarters to get spanked, but for the quality gap in the tournament to be a bit closer so that it's not so predictable. Maybe it's my memory playing tricks on me or I'm going all boomery with false nostalgia, but I get it. Feels like we're never going to see the likes of Porto/Red Star/Lyon/Ajax-y type clubs getting to the semis *and* looking good value for it like we used to get, or at least I think we used to get.

This is an old graphic, but basically, this:


Obvs I can't be arsed to continue that work but it's pretty telling that 7/8 of the semi-finalists from 11-16 make up this year's quarters

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Thanks for making my point more eloquently than I could

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Ah for the days when Schalke made the semi-finals.

BBC Sport - Football - Man Utd 4-1 Schalke (agg 6-1)

news.bbc.co.uk

I don't think what you're suggesting ever happened as regularly as you think. Just the identity of the teams changed. Valencia used to get really far most years and now they don't, was it "boring" when they did? Was it boring when Sevilla kept winning the Europa League or is that different somehow?

Barcelona last made a QF in 2020 (and got beaten 8-2 by Bayern) and Arsenal's last knockout CL win before this week was in 2010, you can't be lumping them in as the usual suspects any more, surely.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I don't think what you're suggesting ever happened as regularly as you think.

Well it did, as per the table above.

 

[Tony Towner]

We are hoping for Cav to knock Villa out, although he's not got off the bench since November. Looks like he spent 3 months out injured

 

[Wilf Wolf]

The CL is very predictable up to the quarter finals but the real tournament starts now. Nothing predictable going forwards.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Well it did, as per the table above.

This didn't:

Feels like we're never going to see the likes of Porto/Red Star/Lyon/Ajax-y type clubs getting to the semis *and* looking good value for it like we used to get, or at least I think we used to get.

Even leaving aside the fact that when say, Lyon did get far, they were hugely bankrolled by their owner and were winning Ligue Un at a canter every year, like PSG now.

 

[Boozad]

Those five year perdiods are very telling.

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

Different forms of interest I suppose. I pulled specifically for Málaga when they had their little flash in the pan, and that was really fun while it lasted.

Equally, watching Arsenal against Madrid would also be a great spectacle, even if I couldn’t possibly care less who wins.

Still get the 6th highest attendance in Spain, as a non League team.

They are a massive club, and hopefully the take over deal when all the shit with the Sheikh has blown over.

Rumour has it PSG owners are interested, there are a few parties interested

 

[Mel Evo]

Still get the 6th highest attendance in Spain, as a non League team.

They are a massive club, and hopefully the take over deal when all the shit with the Sheikh has blown over.

Rumour has it PSG owners are interested, there are a few parties interested

Soft spot for Malaga as it was the scene of my first La Liga games. Also a big fan of the Rosaleda, great little stadium. However, and I’m going out there and typing this without checking any stats, they must be a long way off the 6th highest av attendance in Spain right now. Madrid, Atleti, Betis, Barca, Athletic, Valencia, Sevilla, Sociedad, Osasuna and Villarreal off the top of my head. Oviedo and Sporting likely pull more in the second division.

 

[Tony Towner]

Soft spot for Malaga as it was the scene of my first La Liga games. Also a big fan of the Rosaleda, great little stadium. However, and I’m going out there and typing this without checking any stats, they must be a long way off the 6th highest av attendance in Spain right now. Madrid, Atleti, Betis, Barca, Athletic, Valencia, Sevilla, Sociedad, Osasuna and Villarreal off the top of my head. Oviedo and Sporting likely pull more in the second division.

This is from 6 weeks ago when they were 10th. Their capacity couldn't get them higher than 9th.

Spain: Third division Malaga fans set new records!

stadiumdb.com