Hi all, pls continue the Champs League debate as the last matches will be played tomorrow morning. - Cheers, The Postman (11 Apr)
Welcome back,
I'm in Sepang for the Grand Prix and have got to run out now again...
But you've seen the midweek Champions League games and the results after the first leg of the quarter-finals.
The second legs are next week.
And with The Postman's usual spread of readers' letters being published on Tuesday, the timing is perfect to see if you can play the role of a football analyst.
That's right, fancy yourself being The New Paper's football analyst Tohari Paijan.
Fancy you tipping better than The New Paper's football tipsters Brian Miller, Gary Lim and Jules Carter.
Then tell us what to look out for in next week's Champions League quarter-final showdown.
Bayern Munich host AC Milan (with a 2-2 aggregate from the first game).
PSV face Mission "Almost" Impossible as they visit Liverpool (needing to overcome a 3-0 deficit).
Man U host Roma (needing to overcome a 2-1 defeat in the first game).
And Valencia host Chelsea to settle the 1-1 aggregate from the first leg.
The Postman's Question of the Week: Tell us which game you pick for the Biggest Possible Upset next week, and why.
Reply by 3pm on Monday, in not more than 200 words, please (click link right for auto word counter).
Readers' views will be published on Tuesday with The Postman's spread of letters, as we announce our new prize sponsors.
Post your views here by clicking on "comments" below my sign-off here, or e-mail to The New Paper's sports desk under the title "Dear Postman" (by clicking the link on the right).
At your service,
Ernest Luis
The Postman
The New Paper
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105 comments:
After the first leg matchups,the away teams all seem to have an advantage over their opponents.Liverpool got a resounding victory,Bayern and Valencia got away with entertaining scoring draws while Man U came off with a brave narrow defeat and also got that important away goal.
Bayern and Milan are both having an indifferent season and also having to overcome the loss of their star player in the summer ironically both to Chelsea in the form of Sheva and Ballack.Milan played the better football in San Siro but losing the lead twice,thats a bad sign and with Bayern hard to beat at home,things are not looking good for the Italians.Only Kaka brillance can save them.
Roma,another Italian team who done slightly better but should have kill off the Red Devils who had Scholes sent off and not playing their usual fluent football will have to defend their slend lead in England where Devils are definately capable of overturning that deficit.
The Blues will have a hard task in Spain against an efficient Valencia side.Chelsea have the squad to win this one but the Spainish side could just hang on.Tightest matchup of all with everything still to play for.
Here comes the biggest upset,PSV.Not in the sense they are going to create one but a real one as they know they are going to Anfield on a damage control mission.I don't see them coming back into the tie at all so its game over for the Dutch side.
Most home teams will prevail and proceed to the semis I guess.
Valencia’s smash-and-grab draw at Stamford Bridge has set up what looks likely to be the major upset of the round. Chelsea was one of the favorites for the Champions League crown at the start of the tournament. However, Valencia has title aspirations of their own.
Chelsea needed to win at home to stand any chance of progressing. The Blues were aware they had to score and then keep things tight at the back. However, with Valencia getting that all important away-goal, the Blues now face a daunting task of trying to overcome Valencia at Fotress Mestalla.
If Wednesday’s result is anything to go by, we should expect much of the same for the return leg. Valencia showed they are a technically resolute side, defending solidly as a unit and are quick at the counter.
Most importantly, Valencia has individual players capable of providing that extra dimension during tight situations, as shown by David Silva’s wonderful individual brilliance.
Though it is still possible for Chelsea to get a result, Valencia are clearly in the driving seat now. With the crowd fully behind them, expect Valencia to do just enough to qualify for the semis.
At this stage of the competition, there are no games which involve a David VS a Goliath. Other than Liverpool against PSV, the remaining matches still hang in the balance. Hence none of the matches could be considered upsets if either team wins except unless PSV does the impossible ala Liverpool in Istanbul.
Let's start with the easiest.
1) Liverpool VS PSV
After Liverpool's 3-0 win in the 1st leg, only a fool would bet against them progressing. The fact that Liverpool will be playing this game at home will make it even tougher for PSV. PSV is likely to rest players since its still involved in the Dutch title race. Liverpool should pack too strong a punch here even if they decide to rotate their squad to finish strongly in the EPL.
Prediction 2-0. (5-0 on aggregate)
2) Bayern Munich VS AC Milan
I felt the real damage was done in conceding the 2 away goals that Milan did. Bayern in Munich would prove difficult to beat. A draw at 0-0 or even 1-1 would be sufficient. I think Bayern has done enough in the 1st leg. They will hold firm and score first before Milan snatch one back.
Prediction 1-1 (3-3 on aggregate, Bayern on away goals rule)
3) Valencia VS Chelsea
This could be one match that could really go either way. One would normally fancy Valencia at the imposing Mestalla. However i fear that the injuries and suspensions to crucial players like Vicente could turn the game to Chelsea. Chelsea hasn't been convincing away in Europe this season but i pick Mourinho's men to have enough in their tanks to grind out a slender win.
Prediction: 0-1 (1-2 on aggregate)
4) Man Utd VS AS Roma
One would fancy Utd after their away goal but as we seen from the previous round, Roma has showed itself as the masters of counter-attacking. With players like Scholes out through suspension, Utd may struggle alittle in the centre. But i liked the way the OT crowd cheered on the team against Blackburn and they again would be crucial. Utd should win this game but without Vidic in defence, i believe Utd will let in a goal.
Prediction 2-1 (Man Utd through after extra time)
I will be backing Manchester United to overcome the 2-1 deficit as the upset for next round of Champion League quarter finals,provided 11 players are on the field for the whole course.
Today they are terribly lacking resources in the back,losing Silvestre,Evra,Neville and more importantly Vidic at a time when they are fighting fiercely in all fronts can't be anything pleasant.Add on to the loss of Scholes for the return leg,exit is written all over Manchester United.
However they have that all important away goal which could be the crucial deciding factor.Sir Alex with that rich experiences in him should be able to come up with a strategy to stiffle Spalletti's unusual playing style back in Old Trafford.Actually in Rome,Sir Alex's plan to subdue Totti and co. worked admirably well,if Scholes had kept his cool maybe the scoreline won't be discounting against them now.We have already seen on numerous occassions this season how Devils stomped back despite going behind in a game.Ask Blackburn,they should know best.I know Roma ain't Blackburn but playing in front of home fans should give them that extra motivation.
With Rooney scoring that goal of hope,his first in Champion League since his debut in this competition,Man U will be hoping more of that.Coupled with the red-hot Ronaldo,old wise heads of Giggs and Solskjaer leading the charge in the Theatre of Dreams,the treble dream might still be very much alive after another 90 minutes battle against the Roman warriors led by Prince Totti.
>>Chelsea needed to win at home to stand any chance of progressing
To stand any chance of progressing? What makes you think that its game over already for Chelsea?
In football, anything is possible CFCfan. Yes, Chelsea can still win it as what I've mentioned in my previous post but they would have stood a better chance of qualifying to the next round had they won at the Bridge.
I share Eric's opinion that home teams will hold the advantage for all the ties. Valencia managed to hold Inter and got a result at the Mestalla so it's not the easiest of places to go to if you need to win.
That's my opinion anyway, I've no vendetta against Chelsea dude. Relax :j
As if you didn't know already Hadi, any comments of a negative stance towards Chelsea will forever be defended, highlighted and pooh-poohed by you-noe-who. That's what make us hate Chelsea even more. It's just a scenario being put forth. Why get so worked up?
'The Postman's Question of the Week: Tell us which game you pick for the Biggest Possible Upset next week, and why.'
Ernest means ONE game right?
I pick Valencia Vs Chelsea as the Biggest Possible Upset because to me, Valencia is considered the favourite for this one. My prediction for this clash is Valencia 2 Chelsea 2. Chelsea through by away goals rule.
I said...
Valencia 2 Chelsea 2.
The rest anyways, goes...
Liverpool 1 PSV Eindoven 0
Liverpool through 4-0 aggregate.
Bayern Munich 2 AC Milan 1.
Bayern Munich through 4-3 aggregate.
Manchester United 1 AS Roma 1
AS Roma through 3-2 aggregate.
Final four : Chelsea, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and AS Roma.
>>In football, anything is possible CFCfan. Yes, Chelsea can still win it as what I've mentioned in my previous post but they would have stood a better chance of qualifying to the next round had they won at the Bridge.
Yes of course, I was merely pointing out how wrong that statement was. Because literally, saying "Chelsea needing a win to stand any chance of progressing" means that any other result other than a win at Stamford Bridge would have meant that Chelsea will have no chance of progressing to the semis.
>>That's my opinion anyway, I've no vendetta against Chelsea dude. Relax :j
No one said you did. If you re-read the question again, I was calm. LOL. Its a matter of perspective isn't it.
4 ties. Only one of them seemed settled.
It could go either way for the Chelsea/Valencia and Milan/Bayern ties. Being the ties ended as a tie in the first leg, one goal from either team could settle the match.
Roma is in the driving seat for the Roma/United tie. Although it can still turn either way given the power of the away goals rule. Roma has been magnificent playing their counter-attacking football, which knocked out a strong team and tournament favourite, Lyon. Given how Man. United were completely outplayed at Roma and how Roma only managed to score 2 goals, it will give Roma the hunger to be more accurate in front of goal at Old Trafford. Of course on the other side, it might give United the determination to put in a better performance at home.
Old Trafford is a magnificent stadium where 70,000 voices can lift United's form up, however, United has not been impressive in the Champions League, both away and home. They have also been beaten here before by Arsenal (where they were comletely outplayed too, ironically). The circumstances mean that one goal could very well settle this tie. For this reason by itself, it will always mean that any of the three ties above are still open and could go either way.
Of course as how it currently stands, a 0-0 draw will mean that Valencia, Roma, Bayern would go through to the semis.
Only PSV/Liverpool tie seems dead. Although technically possible, as anything is in football, it is an uphill task for PSV to try and score 3 goals at least without conceding any at Anfield. Liverpool's sensational form in the Champions League will make the task even harder. PSV can always pray for Dudek as goalkeeper, but unless something unfortunate is to happen to Reina, that would probably not happen.
1) Bayern v Milan
Bayern is somewhat an underrated team in this competition. Even though they topped a group containing Inter earlier, and impressively knocked out Real Madrid over two thrilling legs, many still don't see them going far. They got a remarkable result at the San Siro despite the records being against them, and I think they'll manage to hold on to that slender advantage in the 2nd leg.
Prediction: Bayern 1 Milan 1
2) Liverpool v PSV
Liverpool rarely let a good lead slip, especially at home. I do expect PSV to perform much better than they did in the 1st leg, but Liverpool will not allow complacency to set in on their part. Thus while an early goal from PSV might spice things up a little, I don't think Liverpool would allow themselves to sit back for the rest of the game, and the in-form Peter Crouch could get himself another goal or two again.
Prediction: Liverpool 1 PSV 1
3) Man Utd v Roma
While I’m hoping that Roma would knock out Man Utd, if Roma is planning to sit back to hold out for a draw at Old Trafford, it would be an enormous task for them to hold back the likes of Ronaldo.
Prediction: Man Utd 1 Roma 0
4) Valencia v Chelsea
Vicente would be out for the 2nd leg through injury, but I think Valencia still has got the quality players to match Chelsea. Moreover, they have a good record at the Mestalla where they have beaten Barca earlier this year.
Prediction: Valencia 2 Chelsea 1
US Army Chelsea, always get choked and eliminated either in Quarter-Finals or Semi-Finals of Champions League, will be latest scalp for Red Indians Valencia.
The Blue Cavalry, led by General Custer Jose Mourinho, need to score first for any chances to progress into next stage.
In the process of getting an early goal, their defence is being exposed which allows Red Indians Valencia to massacre them at Little Big Horn Mestalla led by Sitting Bull Joaquin and Crazy Horse David Villa.
At the end of the battle, casualties statistics reads :
Valencia 3 Chelsea 2.
At Anfield, Philistines Liverpool, still celebrating 3-0 success over King Saul's PSV Eindhoven, decide not to send out it's strongest XI team.
Because factors like fatigue, underestimate PSV Eindhoven's scoring abilities and can afford to lose by 2 goals.Goliath Reserved Team is despatch with attitude that return leg is foregone conclusion.
Meanwhile King Saul tranformed his army into David PSV Eindhoven.
On actual day of battle.Over-confident Goliath Liverpool
was routed by David PSV Eindhoven by 4-0 at Anfield.
English Knights Manchester United,
fail to defeat Roman Empire in Rome by 1-2 loss, are preparing for the onslaught Roman armies invasion of Old Trafford.
Having tasted earlier success, Roman Empire believe it will be a joy ride of another victory which result in ill-prepared and underestimate their English enemies.
This result in Roman Empire's biggest defeat ended with Manchester United 3 Roma 1.
German tribe Bayern Munich's invasion of Byzantine Empire, were stalled at AC Milan by 2-2 draw.
Byzantine AC Milan, knowing anything less than 2-2 or defeat will lead to the collapse of Byzantine Empire, need to destroy German tribe Bayern Munich in Germany.
With huff and puff led by Big Bad Wolf, AC Milan fail to dislodge German tribe.On the other hand, Bayern Munich led by Three Little Pigs manage to defeat AC Milan armies by 2-1 score line.
From: Chester Low
Chester, i think u r biased against the 2 English teams. However complacent Liverpool are, i seriously doubt they will lose 4-0 at home to PSV.
Chelsea. Chelsea. Chelsea. Chelsea. Chelsea. Chelsea. Chelsea. Chelsea. Chelsea.
First things first: Liverpool are certainly through. If they blow it, the whole management and team should be fired! No two ways about it!
Next, it will seems Bayern would have made it all thanks to Daniel Van Buyten's two goals. Bayern will most likely sit back and defend knowing that even if they concede an early goal, an equaliser would still mean that they qualify.
Chelsea and Valencia is still very open. Valencia has home advantage. Chelsea has quality. All to play for. Still i fancy Chelsea to just scrap through this.
Roma should have finished Man U off at Stadio Olimpico but they did not and left themselves with a lot to do, not to forget the hostile reception their supporters are likely to get. This is Man U's first quarters since 1999, so if they get through this, Man U might think that this will be their year after all. Roma on the other hand is about the second best Italian team by a mile. They are no pushovers and just because the Italian league does not get much coverage means they are no good. Ignore Roma at your peril. Man U already knew that last week!
I would say the match to watch is Man Utd vs Roma.
Lots of talks about Man Utd to repeat a treble season has gone around since December last year. Ferguson wouldn't let the Champions League Semi-final spot slip just like this. I'm sure he and his players will put up a great comeback even after losing 2-1 at Roma last week.
Not forgetting the match will be held at Old Trafford. United has lost only a couple of times at home this season and their fans will be their 12th man.
Rooney grabbed one at Roma last week. He'll be looking for vegengance. That goes for Ronaldo too. United players are in great form and have great morale now.
Although the Red Devils have a long injury list, they can be trusted to put up a fantastic match like how they did in the premiership a month or two ago.
My predictions are 2-0 to United.
Home teams certainly have an advantage for any ties. Take the best example, Liverpool.
The fans has always been their 12th man. Best example will be the comeback against AC Milan at Istanbul. Even losing 3-0 at half-time, the fans continue their cheers and singing.
The match between Liverpool and PSV will be a waste of time to watch, really. It'll be Mission Impossible instead of Mission 'almost' Impossible to counter and hit back what Liverpool did in Instanbul when playing at Anfield after losing 3-0 in the first tie.
My predictions is 3-1 to Liverpool. The Reds are on fire. They are pushing as much as they can now, it maybe too late in the premiership but not in the Champs League. They have something to prove to others!
cfcfan, e mail me. Ask from Ernest.
The blues got lucky in the last tie against Valencia. Complacency is building up in the Chelsea camp since the start of the season.
Complacency and overestimation is surrounding the Blues camp. No doubt about that. They are starting to pick up slowly but it will be too late.
In the premiership, with leaders United in great form, there ain't no chances for the Blues to get a hat-trick of the English Premiership title.
In the Champions League after drawing with Rafa's previous side a goal a piece at Stamford Bridge, their chances looks shaky. At Mestalla, another fortress which is frightening to visit, the Blues will be blown away, and out of the Champions League.
Valencia are quite similar to Liverpool, who defends solidly and will go all out for a counter attack. Mourinho hates this kind of style as it is difficult to penetrate through this kind of defence. With the likes of captain Albelda, Ayala and previous Blue, Del Horno in defence, Chelsea will struggle for goals.
My predictions, 1-0 to Valencia.
>>cfcfan, e mail me. Ask from Ernest.
Huh?
cfcfan, we need to be in contact if we are to keep our Quadruple dream alive.
My predictions for the final four are Liverpool, Manchester United, Valencia and AC Milan.
If Liverpool can't defend that 3 goals, they'll be labelled hopeless.
Manchester dreams of the treble, that determination will drive them to the final four.
Chelsea's complacency will be an advantage to Valencia. Defending like a hard rock, no doubt they'll go through.
AC Milan has been a regular in the Champions League. Their consistency in the Champions League has proved a point. Bayern will be eliminate in a matter of time.
Haley, saying the opposite of what I say will drive you to...hell. No joke.
Besides the Liverpool-PSV game, there is no clear take on who will claim the rest of the semi-finals spots. Hence, any of the other 6 teams can create an upset, by being one of the top 4.
With Milan conceding 2 away goals to Munich, they will have to go all out for the return leg at Munich & we can expect a goal galore (hopefully).
Bayern Munich 1-3 AC Milan
Liverpool will just be a stone wall that PSV can’t break.
Liverpool 0-0 PSV
Roma should have finished off the game in the first leg. Man U may have the all-important away goal but with a slightly-depleted squad, they may not hold on should Roma score in Old Trafford.
Man U 1-1 AS Roma
Now for the biggest possible upset!!
Chelsea 2-1 Valencia
Why? Because it is not easy to get a result in Fotress Mestalla as runaway champions of Serie A, Inter Milan has shown us. Even though the odds (in betting) might be against Valencia, which is only because of Chelsea’s megastars squad and the special one. Valencia has the upper hand. They have the away goal; the players like Villa and Silva to beat Cech; the defence to hold Chelsea (which they did in the first leg). However, unbeaten in March and in 16 games & with amazing fight back spirit, Chelsea will once again see this through.
The Liverpool part was same, wasn't it?
A tyco win by liverpool. What a close shave, 86th minute Kuyt's goal saved the Kop from embarrassment.
Anyway, the Gunners are out of fire. Losing 1-0 to the Hammers.
That make Liverpool 5 points clear although Arsenal has a game in hand.
The second leg is going to be very tight and the biggest possible upset will be the Chelsea vs Valencia match. Anything can happen. With one moment of brilliance either team can go through the final.
Expect Drogba to shine once again and save Chelsea blushes like he always does. But then again, Valencia have a great striker in David Villa. And Valencia pacy wingers will probably give the Chelsea wing backs a run for their money.
Prediction : Valencia 1 Chelsea 0
Liverpool's match looked done and dusted. PSV will attack right from the first whistle which will leave them expose at the back. But I'm not gonna be over confident. Remember what happen at the magical night in Istanbul? If Liverpool can score 3 goal in six minutes against mighty milan, then PSV could do much more damage in the 90 minutes against the KOP.
Muhammad Amsyar 20
Liverpool (you'll never walk alone...!!!)
q-s match report
Chelsea Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea won 1-0.
Petr Cech was OUTSTANDING.
Wayne Bridge, Ricardo Carvalho (What a goal), John Terry and Paulo Ferreira. OUTSTANDING.
Frank Lampard is thinking of his wife too much.
Claude Makelele does well, proud of him.
John Mikel Obi needs more work.
Shaun Wright-Phillips shows glimpses of what he could really do.
Didier Drogba worked hard.
Salomon Kalou is still a boy.
Subs Andriy Shevchenko and Joe Cole couldn't do much.
Michael Ballack - poor.
(Sheva has joined my favourite Chelsea players list recently)
The key word for this report was Chelsea was OUTSTANDING.
This report is brought to you by www.geocities.com/syahrein81/index.html
hi im jenna. q-s's invisible 'little sister'. please leave q-s alone or else...
i support chelsea too and wish my red eyes are blue. lol. oops i have no mouth or ears. hate you.
YAY!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU POMPEY!
Its never over till its over. Go Chelsea!!
cfcfan, kelvin kwek, eric kng...
Bear this lyrics in mind...
'Evolution is a mystery. Full of change that no one sees. Clock makes a fool of history. Destination long ago, is where we should know...
q-s plays the game, nothing ever will be the same...
kelvin kwek wants to play for manchester united, replacement for paul scholes...
eric kng wants to be a player manager...for manchester united to cool down...
and cfcfan always tells the truth no matter what'
wow..that sounds deep. lol.. what sort of lyrics is that?
Get rich quick scheme, kel. lol.
Since Vidic's injury, his defensive duties wife and short-stopper mother-in-law become dynamic duo Batman And Robin Of Comical Version.
Former loves to parry the ball towards opposing player to score and dart away whenever his daughter defender back pass to him.
Latter either react slower than his opponent due to short-stopper's mistake or love to back pass when can be kick out of play even though his partner, happens to be opposing player, holding his arm.
Don't Cry For Me Manchester United, I'll always be there for you even your defeats and including victories over Liverpool and Chelsea.
Fly Up And Fly, Fly Up To The Sky.
Fly Up And Fly, Fly Higher Than Chelsea.
From: Chester Low
If United continues this vein of wretched form, the biggest upset of the Champions League quarters could be Roma upstaging the Devils at Old Trafford.
With an unfamiliar back-line and back to back defeats, United could well kiss their European hopes goodbye. With the influential Scholes suspended as well for the return leg, things are not looking too rosy for Fergie at the moment.
While they do need only a goal to go through, the far more daunting question here is whether they can prevent Roma from scoring? Judging from the last 2 matches, it could be easier said than done.
Ronaldo and Rooney will now have to show their true worth if they want to rescue their season. The Fletchers, Richardsons and Browns of this world are simply not good enough so a lot will rest on the shoulders of United's key players to get United through.
Failure to do that will result in one of the biggest shocks of the round.
Ok the Man Utd and Roma match would prove to be the upset of the week. Many people would think Man Utd would steal a win under the noses of Roma, but i would think otherwise. This are my reasons. 1) Man Utd will be heavily reliant on Cristiano and Rooney to net in a couple of goals for them. Over-reliance on these players would not do them any good. Dont get me wrong, these players have the qualities to win a match for them but, dont forget that the game is played by 11 man not just 1 or 2.
2) Man Utd enter the game with 2 straight loses, this dip in form will have an effect on the players confidence, and Roma would use that to their advantage.
3)An unfamiliar defence would shatter chances of winning. Vidic would sorely be missed as the likes on Mancini would find gaps in defence and lead to unnecessary goals.
4)The main problem would come from the lost of their Midfield General, Paul Scholes. With the influential playmaker out of the picture all the creativity would be lost and Man Utd's midfield would be helpless.
Prediction 1-0 to Roma
Other Predictions
Liverpool vs PS: 1-0
Valencia vs Chelsea: 2-1
Bayern vs Milan: 0-0
I think that the game featuring Valencia and Chelsea will be the 'Biggest Possible Upset'.
Valencia had worked so hard to hold Chelsea 1-1 at Stamford Bridge. This is a feat that is not easy to duplicate.
However, I feel that Chelsea will upset Valencia by winning the tie away from home. Why?
I have a hunch that Didier Drogba will save Chelsea again, whether by scoring or assisting the winning goal. Look at last week's match. Wasn't it Didier Drogba who scored the equalising goal which gave Chelsea a glimmer of hope?
My prediction: Chelsea to win narrowly, probably 2-1.
I chose this match over the other 3 matches, because this looks like the most open match among the 4 ties. Both teams have quality, so it will be an evenly matched game.
liverpool will surely make it to the semi finals,with crouch on form. Nothing much to say.2nd leg will be still a liverpool 2-1 win over PSV.
As for Man U, i have confidence in their abilities to turn the tables against a fast paced Roma, even though van der saar has let in 4 goals in 2 matches. i'll go for a 3-1 win. if there's no creative ideas from Man U's attack, it could end with a draw.
chelsea VS valencia. both teams doesnt seem to be in good forms recently. Still this would be a close match. A 1-1 draw i would say. jose mourinho will take this opportunity to prove that he's the special one after cutting the gap with leader man u to 3 points.
Bayern munich will win, based on my instinct. AC milan's performance has not been convincing to mi. and bayern is looking better. it might be a 2-0 win for the german club.
biggest upset? Man U will thrash roma! cos i am a Man U fan
As much as I hate to say it, I did not screw ladylala.
At the rate things are going for United, it looks like the biggest upset for them will be finishing 2nd in the League, being knocked out by Roma and losing the FA Cup final to Chelsea. In short, they might end up with nothing yet again!!!
I'm being realistic. As a United fan, I'm of course hoping this dip in form is only temporary. But the way the boys have been performing is cause for concern. That's the dangerous part about counting our chicks before they hatch...
Trying to find your Robin again, Bruce Wayne? LOL. Question out.
Liverpool should be able to defend their lead, if not add to it to make it a real quarter-final misery for PSV. everyone knows how Liverpool fare at Anfield. at their fortress, Liverpool are almost undeafeted. furthermore, Liverpool tend to shine more in European campaigns rather than domestic, and with a manager like Benitez, i'm sure Liverpool won't just sit on their lead. whether the strikers score is another matter, but it's almost certain that Liverpool has a semis place secured.
Mourinho may not be too happy with the way his men are performing, with thin results in their previous matches. chelsea will slug it out for a win, but from what i saw, valencia is almost chelsea's match. so maybe the scoreline is 1-0 on valencia's side.
Roma may cause more damage to United's cup dreams. i saw the way the dominated the first leg and how lost the Devils were at handling them. as soon as Ronaldo is clamped down, MU can't seem to make any move. with a further weakened squad and confidence slightly dropping after 2 straight losses, Roma may just gain advantage and try to play out for a draw.
Bayern and Milan is tough to decide. Bayern came back to draw with the more superior Milan. but i think Milan will fare better to clinch a convincible win and meet Roma in the semis.
The first leg matchups have finished, but only the Liverpool-PSV tie is finished. Overturning a 3-0 score is impossible as far as Anfield and Liverpool is mentioned. Even resting key players for this game would still allow Liverpool to go through. Ties between Bayern-AC and Valencia-Chelsea are still very much open, but with away goals advantage for Bayern and Valencia, which could very well see them both going through, as a defensive mindset is expected from both managers. An outstanding performance in Rome saw Roma winning 2-1. But Manchester United should also claim credit for containing the Roma attack for most of the game despite Scholes's sending off and got the away goal. This showed Manchester United wanted to contain them in Rome and win at OT. With Evra back, they have an extra option in the backline and i could see them dropping out Oshea and drop Heinze to the center, with brown on the right. Playing at OT is also a motivating factor for Manchester United as they showed it in recent games . So, i am putting my money for Manchester United to pull the biggest upset and come away with the victory.
I've met cfcfan in real life. He's representing Singapore in a National Servica call-up. Let's pray for him.
*Service
The tie to look out for is the Valencia VS Chelsea game.
Valencia lost at the weekend, seemingly had their eyes set on this important tie with Chelsea. If they could hold Chelsea at the Bridge, they could do better than a draw at home. Even if they do not beat Chelsea, they could hold them goal-less and advance on the away-goals rule. Why not? Watford came so close to doing that in the league.
With just 2 defeats in 13 home games in the league, Valencia could upset Chelsea, who before last week were tipped to go through easily against a side languishing in fourth in La Liga. With Chelsea not playing their best football lately, Valencia have every chance to pull off an upset.
Likewise for United, they need to a win to progress. Although they are missing key defender in Vidic, van der Sar lacking confidence, Ferdinand lacking communications with Brown and with Scholes out for this one, I expect them to pull this off at home. Two defeats on the bounce already, Fergie will not like this slide carry on for United who have promised so much this season. Home support will be a crucial factor.
Predictions:
Liverpool 1-0 PSV
A PSV side with just pride and respect to play for, should limit it to just a goal against Pool who will have their better players rested and their foot off the pedal.
Bayern 1-1 Milan
Bayern could hold Milan, who only have Kaka as their potential match-winner.
Man U 2-0 Roma
United to continue defying the odds and showing their never-say-die attitude.
Valencia 0-0 Chelsea
Upset for Chelsea. Hear more from Jose.
-Raymond Ng, 19, Man U fan
I see a major upset will be recorded by favourites Chelsea, who will not progress. I think that the teams who will reach the semi-finals will be Valencia, Bayern, Liverpool, and Man Utd.
Second leg’s predictions:
Valencia – Chelsea (1-0): Chelsea struggled to break Valencia down at Stamford Bridge. Valencia's away goal will also make it tougher for Chelsea, who will be unable to register a win in their Spanish return leg. Chelsea is sluggish at the moment. Therefore, they have no chance to progress.
Bayern - AC Milan (1-1): Bayern have a good chance of progressing because of their 2 away goals. It will be hard for AC Milan to break down the German champions at home. AC Milan couldn't even beat them at the San Siro, so how could they win at the Allianz Arena. The Germans look to be the best bet for this tie.
Liverpool – PSV (0-1): This tie has already been settled in the first leg because PSV will find it extremely hard to score 4 goals.
Man Utd - Roma (3-1 after extra time): This game is being played at Old Trafford, so Man Utd have immense home advantage. They will muster a fight-back and sneak into the semis.
I would like to predict a surprise result- Man U beat Roma 6-2 although Man U was upset by the weekend loss to Portsmouth, without Paul Scholes and Gary Neville. Who is the surprise package? Roma will be down 3-2 in first half. Francesco ‘thumb sucker’ will be red carded in second half . Man U will play like men possessed in second half. Rooooney and Roooonaldo will each get a first time hattrick !
Samuel Ng
51, Finance manager
Liverpool fan
Samuel,your prediction sounds really pleasing to all the Man U fans including me.haha.
But i will just take a scrappy 1-0 victory against Roma now.The usually reliable Van Der Sar is having a slump in form for the last 2 matches now,a deja vu of that Roma blunder showed up against Portsmouth again,surely it isn't a coincidence.Without Vidic,Rio is appearing to be shaky too.A high scoring match maybe,just hope that the Devils will come out on top by then.
The greatest upset on the card will be Man U vs Roma match. Most neutrals expect the Devils to get the result at Old Trafford, but with 3/4 of the first team defence out and Scholes suspended, an upset is possible. Roma will get a crucial away goal, drawing the match 1-1.
As for the rest of the matches:
Buoyed by Saturday's result, Chelsea will do the necessary to progress to the semis. This team is clearly being underrated by the press. Mourinho will use this siege mentality to his advantage and motivate his team to achieve a 2-0 win. Enough said.
Bayern will continue with their mini-revival under Hitzfeld. With 2 away goal advantage, Bayern will adjust their tactics according and will play out for a draw, with the occasional counter-attacks. A 0-0 draw is the most likely.
PSV can kiss their European dream goodbye. It's hard to envision them coming back from 3-0 down. This is the most straightforward tie. Liverpool will grab another 2 goals and move to the semis. Pity they peaked too early. 2-0 to Liverpool.
Lim Boon Hock's Chelsea Vs Manchester United Fans Unlimited
I would say that Chelsea fans are half blind.
They complain a lot a lot a lot about their injuries but other teams like Arsenal and Manchester United have got more injuries than them.
Especially Manchester United, if you have noticed. In the past couple of seasons thay have been struck by horrific injuries.
Solskjaer, Scholes, Heinze, Smith, Giggs, Park, Van Nistelrooy, Ferdinand (a ridiculous ban), Brown, O'Shea have all been injured. But United just shrugged it off and played on.
And people simply murder Cristiano Ronaldo for diving. (Yes he dives a lot) But have they seen how Chelsea players like Drogba, Robben, Salmon Kalou, Obi Mikel, Joe Cole, Ferreira and Carvalho play?
They seem to have a pain amplifier on them and they act as if they've been run over by a London bus whenever they got tackled.
WAKE UP, CHELSEA FANS!
>>They complain a lot a lot a lot about their injuries but other teams like Arsenal and Manchester United have got more injuries than them.
Prove it.
>>Especially Manchester United, if you have noticed. In the past couple of seasons thay have been struck by horrific injuries.
Did Chelsea fans complain a lot a lot a lot to you in the past couple of seasons then?
>>Solskjaer, Scholes, Heinze, Smith, Giggs, Park, Van Nistelrooy, Ferdinand (a ridiculous ban), Brown, O'Shea have all been injured. But United just shrugged it off and played on.
Ooh, let's play this game. Players injured from the Chelsea squad:
Cech, A.Cole, Essien, Carvalho, Shevchenko, Lampard, Boulahrouz, Joe Cole, Mikel, Ballack, Robben, Bridge, Diarra, Kalou, Hedman, Cudicini, Terry. (Even Jose got sick for a couple of days). Let me see, that would make it 19 out of 23 players to have been out for a period of time. About 82% of the squad have been injured. Nothing to complain about, I'm sure.
And let's not even get started on how long they've been injured shall we? Ooh wait, did Man Utd ever lose their first team and reserve player playing at the same position for a repeated number of times?
>>And people simply murder Cristiano Ronaldo for diving. (Yes he dives a lot)
No, they don't. As far as I can remember, pundits, reporters, columnists alike seem to have a sense of admiration how much he gets away with it. Some even call it a genius work of art. I've seen more players given worse treatment.
>>But have they seen how Chelsea players like Drogba, Robben, Salmon Kalou, Obi Mikel, Joe Cole, Ferreira and Carvalho play?
Firstly, yes they have. You must be new to the premiership, aren't you? Didn't you read how much stick Robben and Drogba gets from the press? It gets to the point of being sick of reading the same piece of crap from the press every week.
Secondly, I don't quite like your accusation on Kalou, Mikel, Joey, Ferreira and Riccy. Do you have prove to substantiate your claim?
>>WAKE UP, CHELSEA FANS!
No, I believe it is you, who should wake up. And I find it hard to believe that you're actually a neutral fan.
I have no love for Man U...so i'm backing Chelsea!
Come on Chelsea. Win the league. Prove to everyone that money can only buy players, not faith, hardwork and determination! Stick one up Fergie's red ar53!
cfcfan have no fears! i stand on your side. its anything but Man U! Absolutely anything!
Cheers mate.
CHECK MATE, gabs.
cfcfan, I'm in FIFA World Cup 2006 Yahoo! Chat. Help me.
from a liverpool fan point of view.
both manu and chelsea have done incredible well this season. they coped well with injuries and suspension, whoever win the title will be respected.
Actually, I'd still respect Man Utd if they win it this season. After all, the best team always win the premiership and if they do, I'll be the first to congratulate them. And then say we'll try again next season.
MY DAD'S BALD PREDICTION - CHELSEA TO WIN THE PREMIERSHIP
Ernest Luis (April 2007) I change my mind about giving away your phone number, friend
nor hadi, here's my e mail address...syahrein81@yahoo.com VOTE FOR NOR HADI AS LETTER OF THE MONTH...I'm crying...serious...SHUT DOWN THIS DAMN BLOG!
How cheap? Begging others to vote for you to be Letter of the Month and also for others to back you up in chat forums. Are you a man Q-S? It takes balls to play and I for one think you can't play to back up your gung-ho thoughts.
Same thing goes to that little boy who hasn't gone to NS. Only know how to highlight people's comments and rebutting them every way he can.
Observer, get a microscope, you senior citizen.
Okay. 4-0 at halftime for Man U. Its definitely even beyond my wildest dreams. Let's hope Roma do not come back.
Cheers to a superb 1st half performance by Man U,
kel
A fantasy first half in the Theatre of Dreams.Definately one of the best half I ever watched in my whole life.Ever Fletcher who I never deem good enough to hold down a place in the starting eleven is playing so well.Surely the Devils answer Jose call eh.Walk into the semis together...
eric and kel, MY TEAM WON!!! WE ARE RICH OVERNIGHT. I'm working as Relief Teacher at ITE Ang Mo Kio now. 3 English clubs in semis? Cool. Where's cfcfan?
My goodness. I think no one saw that coming. 7-1. An upset indeed.
Chelsea too had an excellent secon half performance. We didn't have the goals to show it, but Canizares pretty much flattered the score for Valencia. 21 shots, only beaten by Man Utd's 23 shots.
Canizares made one world-class save and the second most definitely out of this world. It looked like the save made by Gordon Banks against Pele. Sensational.
>>Same thing goes to that little boy who hasn't gone to NS. Only know how to highlight people's comments and rebutting them every way he can.
Who the hell do you think you are, to call me a little boy who hasn't gone to NS?! You don't even know me. Before you make a fool of yourself here, you'd be wiser to shut it.
>>Prove it.
If you ever read the papers, you would have read about Jose Mourinho whine about the injuries they've had this season (that was right before Manchester United had a series of unfortunate events and Henry got out permanently) Arsenal had more players out that time than any other team in the EPL
>>Did Chelsea fans complain a lot a lot a lot to you in the past couple of seasons then?
Why would they? They had all the luck in the world, scoring late goals, hardly any injuries and all. They taunted everyone else though.
>>Ooh, let's play this game. Players injured from the Chelsea squad:
Cech, A.Cole, Essien, Carvalho, Shevchenko, Lampard, Boulahrouz, Joe Cole, Mikel, Ballack, Robben, Bridge, Diarra, Kalou, Hedman, Cudicini, Terry. (Even Jose got sick for a couple of days). Let me see, that would make it 19 out of 23 players to have been out for a period of time. About 82% of the squad have been injured. Nothing to complain about, I'm sure.
If you can even count, it's only 18 (including non-player Mourinho). Can you even count? And Chelsea had players injured at different times, and not for extra long periods of times.
>>And let's not even get started on how long they've been injured shall we? Ooh wait, did Man Utd ever lose their first team and reserve player playing at the same position for a repeated number of times?
Man U has had the right back filled in by a center back because Neville and Brown were both injured for half a month.
Strikers were scarce because Van Nistelrooy had a groin problem, Solskjaer was out, Smith had an ankle injury.
Ferdinand was out for 8 months because of a ridiculous ban, Solskjaer was out for 2 and a half seasons, Scholes was out for 7 months, Park was out for 3 months.
>>No, they don't. As far as I can remember, pundits, reporters, columnists alike seem to have a sense of admiration how much he gets away with it. Some even call it a genius work of art. I've seen more players given worse treatment.
Yes they do. You must have really bad memory, because pundits, reporters, columnists all slaughter Ronaldo for it, calling him immature, light on the feet and easy to fall.
>>Firstly, yes they have. You must be new to the premiership, aren't you? Didn't you read how much stick Robben and Drogba gets from the press? It gets to the point of being sick of reading the same piece of crap from the press every week.
HAH! I have been watching the Premiership BEFORE you even walk, laddy! Robben and Drogba were hardly given a murmur! Do the press even mention it every week? Do you even read?
>>Secondly, I don't quite like your accusation on Kalou, Mikel, Joey, Ferreira and Riccy. Do you have prove to substantiate your claim?
Yes, anybody who has proper eyes to watch a Chelsea match would be able to see that they over-react when they are tackled.
No, I believe it is you, who should wake up. And I find it hard to believe that you're actually a neutral fan.
>>I believe it is YOU who needs a wakening. I am not a neutral fan, I am a fan of proper football.
>>If you ever read the papers, you would have read about Jose Mourinho whine about the injuries they've had this season (that was right before Manchester United had a series of unfortunate events and Henry got out permanently) Arsenal had more players out that time than any other team in the EPL
Well, make up your mind. Are you gonna complain about the injury situation at a particular point of time, or over the season?
>>Why would they? They had all the luck in the world, scoring late goals, hardly any injuries and all. They taunted everyone else though.
Exactly. So remind me why should you be complaining about Man Utd for this season in particular, again?
>>If you can even count, it's only 18 (including non-player Mourinho).
Right. My mistake there. Must have been distracted.
>>And Chelsea had players injured at different times, and not for extra long periods of times.
Well, thats clearly wrong, if you knew anything about Chelsea's injury status, you would have realised that.
>>Strikers were scarce because Van Nistelrooy had a groin problem, Solskjaer was out, Smith had an ankle injury.
Ferdinand was out for 8 months because of a ridiculous ban, Solskjaer was out for 2 and a half seasons, Scholes was out for 7 months, Park was out for 3 months.
VN - scored about 30 goals for your team last season. His loss must have not been felt that badly eh, for you to bench him for a period of time.
Solskjaer - like you said 2.5 seasons. Being unable to deal with that problem after so long is rather pathetic.
Ferdinand - well, if you're gonna miss a doping test, you shouldn't complain about the punishment.
Park - nothing more than a squad player to you last season.
Scholes is your one true unfortunate loss.
And my goodness. Are you gonna start digging the past few season's injury statistics now? No doubt Man Utd had an injury crisis last season, but almost all of it cleared up by the second half of the season. The same cannot be said for Chelsea's squad this season. And we left you to bite our dust when you had your injuries. Now, we've had arguably the worser injury sitution and we're only 3 points behind. Speaks for itself, doesn't it. And did you have 23 squad players last season? I find it difficult to believe that you were in a difficult position as compared to us. And let's make it clear, we have four goalkeepers. Do the math.
>>Yes they do. You must have really bad memory, because pundits, reporters, columnists all slaughter Ronaldo for it, calling him immature, light on the feet and easy to fall.
Then you have a poorer one. Because for the Boro FA Cup game they thought he was cheeky enough to bait the defender to trip him. And there was that particular penalty which was against Spurs, he fooled everyone except the person who fouled him. It was only obvious from TV replays. Even Ernest had an article about his diving skills. Oh yeah, they called him a cunning diver. And an exceptionally good one. Like I said, many other players have been slated worse.
>>HAH! I have been watching the Premiership BEFORE you even walk, laddy! Robben and Drogba were hardly given a murmur! Do the press even mention it every week? Do you even read?
Oh right. Let's see. You don't even know my age for you to make such a foolish and frankly childish statement. Robben, Drogba and Ronaldo have been slated by the press repeatedly. But you didn't know that, did you?
>>Yes, anybody who has proper eyes to watch a Chelsea match would be able to see that they over-react when they are tackled.
But it doesn't happen to any other team I'm sure.
>>I believe it is YOU who needs a wakening. I am not a neutral fan, I am a fan of proper football.
Well, you, Arsenal and Man Utd fan, won't ever be considered a real fan. Firstly, they traditionally hate each other, which makes you being a fan of both of them being hypocritical. And how you defend them (in particular Man Utd) and the way you view football with your red-tinted glasses on hardly make you a neutral. So stop acting like one.
(I don't know what you guys are quarrelling about, and don't care!)
I just had the nightmare of my life and realised it wasn't a nightmare after all. Haha. I woke up this morning and when I turned on the TV to Ch23, I found myself blinking a few times to ensure I wasn't imagining the scoreline. It was then 5-0 to Man U. After I got over the shock, I tuned in to Ch24 to watch the Chelsea match. Apparently Chelsea had just scored the equaliser then, but I proceeded to watch the remainder of the match since over at Ch23 it was pretty much a foregone conclusion. Have to admit that from what I saw of the 2nd half, Chelsea were the better team (though I heard that Valencia were better in the 1st...) but Canizares was doing such a superb job and I was quite surprised that he got beaten at his near post in the end...
And I just found out Chris Coleman got sacked... Are they crazy?!
What a rotten morning (not for the Chelsea and Man U fans though). :(
My goodness, finally somebody who can match CFCFAN with such audacity and turning the tables on him till he can actually say he must have been distracted, speaks volumes...
I take my hat off to you Neutral Fan, whoever you are. What a beautiful insight! More to come please.
P.S. "Solskjaer - like you said 2.5 seasons. Being unable to deal with that problem after so long is rather pathetic."
Try breaking both your knees and see how fast you recover little boy! Talk is cheap and certainly dumb for someone who is lucky enough not to get injured.
No wonder cfcfan never argues with me. Oh yes, don't hunt what you can't kill.
>>P.S. "Solskjaer - like you said 2.5 seasons. Being unable to deal with that problem after so long is rather pathetic."
Try breaking both your knees and see how fast you recover little boy! Talk is cheap and certainly dumb for someone who is lucky enough not to get injured.
If it wasn't simple enough for you to understand already (I'm not surprised that you don't), I obviously wasn't referring to OGS himself. I was referring to Man Utd's inability to react to this loss for 2 and a half seasons. Little boy I hear? Tchh. Do you believe everything q-s writes? HAHAHA. Hmm frankly, your name-calling won't do much to me, but it speaks a lot about yourself.
>> but Canizares was doing such a superb job and I was quite surprised that he got beaten at his near post in the end...
Yeah, after being Gordon Banks-like, he was beaten at the near post. But to be fair, Essien did fire a powerful shot from a tight angle. And from someone who has scored against Arsenal against Lehmann from 30 over yards with such power can spin and fall down from striking this shot, its got to be something especially fast and powerful.
cfcfan, drink 100 plus
MANCHESTER UNITED 7 Roma 1.
Having lost 1st leg 1-2 away.Manchester United still can qualify for Champions League Semi-Finals.
Unlike Manchester United, Chelsea who lost it's 1st leg matches to Liverpool in 2005 by 0-1 and Barcelona 1-2 in 2006 which resulted in CHELSEA ELIMINATED from Champions League competition.Moreover, it happen at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea may be the 1st English team in 40 years to win at Mestalla, but it's Manchester United who proved their critics wrong by winning against all odds which is 7 goals to 1.
From: Chester Low
Never been a better European night for the Devils with the 1999 Finals an exception.Fans live for such games.
With Liverpool virtually through to the next round.Chelsea and Liverpool must be getting sick at the prospect of facing each other again.Another mouth-watering battle between the English giants await.
Tomorrow morning pits a depleted Bayern side against the Kaka-led Milan.Looking into the Bayern squad we can see injuries problems just like the Devils.Perhaps a show of sign of what will be coming up in the match.Another goal feast?
Liverpool and PSV.Concluded last week,signed off today.
Cheers
>>Well, make up your mind. Are you gonna complain about the injury situation at a particular point of time, or over the season?
Does it matter? Man U and Arsenal have got more players out at a time or over the season.
>>Exactly. So remind me why should you be complaining about Man Utd for this season in particular, again?
HAHA! When you say exactly, you mean that your previous statement was wrong! Man U had all the luck this season, an injury-free 1st half of the season and lucky wins though.
>>Right. My mistake there. Must have been distracted.
*cough* excuses *cough*
>>Well, thats clearly wrong, if you knew anything about Chelsea's injury status, you would have realised that.
I know a lot. Can you prove it? Do they have players out for a whole season like Owen? Or Henry? Or Smith? Or Scholes?
>>VN - scored about 30 goals for your team last season. His loss must have not been felt that badly eh, for you to bench him for a period of time.
22 goals in all competitions actually, a shy amount compared to the usual 40+ goals. He was benched only in the final few games of the season.
>>Solskjaer - like you said 2.5 seasons. Being unable to deal with that problem after so long is rather pathetic.
I doubt your delicate knees aren't ever injured eh? And I doubt you're as unlucky as Solskjaer to have been injured again when you just recovered.
>>Ferdinand - well, if you're gonna miss a doping test, you shouldn't complain about the punishment.
Ferdinand misses a drug test and serves 8 months ban. Then-Chelsea player Mutu TAKES cocaine and gets a month less ban because he claims that cocaine is a sex enhancement drug (lame excuse) Where is the justice in that?
>>Park - nothing more than a squad player to you last season.
Park was no more than a squad player to YOU because he didnt play much due to his injury. He was the workhorse of the Man U midfield before Carrick came in , if you remember
>>And my goodness. Are you gonna start digging the past few season's injury statistics now? No doubt Man Utd had an injury crisis last season, but almost all of it cleared up by the second half of the season. The same cannot be said for Chelsea's squad this season. And we left you to bite our dust when you had your injuries. Now, we've had arguably the worser injury sitution and we're only 3 points behind. Speaks for itself, doesn't it. And did you have 23 squad players last season? I find it difficult to believe that you were in a difficult position as compared to us. And let's make it clear, we have four goalkeepers. Do the math.
In a match, a team is allowed to choose 11 field players and 5 subs. 16 players in all. So does it matter who isn't chosen? And Chelsea has this thing called money and squad depth. Their bench players can always make the team of a mid-table club. By the way have you seen Man U's bench? Craig Cathcart? Chris Eagles?
>>Then you have a poorer one. Because for the Boro FA Cup game they thought he was cheeky enough to bait the defender to trip him. And there was that particular penalty which was against Spurs, he fooled everyone except the person who fouled him. It was only obvious from TV replays. Even Ernest had an article about his diving skills. Oh yeah, they called him a cunning diver. And an exceptionally good one. Like I said, many other players have been slated worse.
Other players? Like who? More than half the articles you read about diving contains the word 'Ronaldo' if you haven't noticed.
>>Oh right. Let's see. You don't even know my age for you to make such a foolish and frankly childish statement. Robben, Drogba and Ronaldo have been slated by the press repeatedly. But you didn't know that, did you?
I doubt you're more than 40 years old. And of course I knew that, that's why I wrote my first comment. If you even think, you would have thought about that.
>>But it doesn't happen to any other team I'm sure.
You sure are correct. The only other team that over-reacts so far is Blackburn. Glad that you admit that Chelsea has cheating players. =)
>>Well, you, Arsenal and Man Utd fan, won't ever be considered a real fan. Firstly, they traditionally hate each other, which makes you being a fan of both of them being hypocritical. And how you defend them (in particular Man Utd) and the way you view football with your red-tinted glasses on hardly make you a neutral. So stop acting like one.
I pity Arsenal because their name starts with 'ar*e', they have a great young team but they are unlucky in terms of injuries and goals. I know so much about Man U because I think they play the most balanced football around. And right now, I'd rather watch Sunderland play than Chelsea play because they play more entertaining football.
man utd won 7-1 against roma.. and chelsea triumphed 2-1 to valencia..
Hi all,
Please keep to the 200-word limit. If peopl have to scroll down more than two times on the screen, it's helluva tiring...even for grandmas who may be logging on.
Cheers,
The Postman
Rome collasped in a day. Roma collasped in an hour and a half!
Chelsea seems too kelong. Look back on the matches they played last month and this, lots of them are scored in the last ten or twenty minutes. And lots of tyco goals.
Anyway, David Villa just mentioned that he would choose Liverpool if the offer arrives! Huge price tag he has on him, hahas!
Italian teams always have a way to embarrass themselves.
sorry, diversion to EPL as the result of next 2 games is quite obvious. Liverpool will meet Chelsea and Man U will meet Bayern Munich.
Yesterday, yours truly predicted a 6-2 score for Man U vs Roma but 7-1 was the result. 20 minutes 3 goals. After 40 minutes, another 1. 50 minutes - 1 more and 60 minutes - 1 more...I stopped counting after that!! Anyone who thought that Man U will struggle were surprised that without Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, Man U are still playing one touch fast flowing football. The key really is Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs.
Anyone dare say Man U would not take the EPL crown? Man U and Chelsea both coped with injuries throughout the season. Mourinho complained. But Alex Ferguson did not. Fegurson did not condemn his players(at least not openly). But Mourinho did. Therein lies the difference. Chelsea, of course, cannot be underestimated as they too have matured a team with depth in strength. There are no easy games from now on as teams like Watford, Portsmouth and Manchester City have show they you cannot steam roll past them. I think the final game between Man U and Chelsea in May will settle who will be the EPL champion! This is an exciting season. Last 2 seasons were boring and we all stopped watching in March as the champion was quite obvious. We were watching who will come on 2nd..... btw, Arsene Wenger can send his lads to Man U soccer academy to learn how to score goals as Patrice Evra also scored in Champion League!
whhoo. there are lots of tension going on between chelsea and manu here.
I predicted roma to progress. amazing performances put on by the devils. applause.
watch liverpool triump PSV again. :)
*BITCH SLAPS HALEY HARRISON*
Hahas, childish.
Which bitch? The one beside you?
>>Man U and Arsenal have got more players out at a time or over the season.
I have told you which of Chelsea's players that have been injured over the season. You have not proven your claim that Man U and Arsenal had more players out over the season. As for nitpicking a particular date when Arsenal/ Utd had more players injured, don't bother.
>>HAHA! When you say exactly, you mean that your previous statement was wrong!
Which statement? The "statement" you were quoting was a question.
>>*cough* excuses *cough*
Hmm, I admitted I made a mistake and that still wasn't enough for your egoistic self, eh?
>>Do they have players out for a whole season like Owen? Or Henry? Or Smith? Or Scholes?
Owen, he's back and running.
Henry wasn't out as long as Joe Cole.
Smith and Scholes has had pretty much an injury-free season. Let's not lose focus here shall we? Your inability to do just that could pretty much make this a pointless debate.
>>I know a lot. Can you prove it?
I have given you a list of Chelsea's players out for a period of time. You've given me nothing as comparable. And looking at your statements above, I must say, no you don't know a lot.
>>I doubt your delicate knees aren't ever injured eh? And I doubt you're as unlucky as Solskjaer to have been injured again when you just recovered.
Clearly you have shown as much intelligence as observer, so I'd suggest reading my reply to him. And comparing me with Solskjaer is silly and pointless. Although I can tell you I'm honoured. Thank you.
>>Ferdinand misses a drug test and serves 8 months ban. Then-Chelsea player Mutu TAKES cocaine and gets a month less ban because he claims that cocaine is a sex enhancement drug (lame excuse) Where is the justice in that?
You're getting silly. Do you honestly believe that the Mutu gets one month less because of THAT EXCUSE? My word. And who are you to judge whether a particular ban is more fair than the other? You, nothing more than an armchair fan in Singapore now is cleverer and a better judge than the FA in England?
>>In a match, a team is allowed to choose 11 field players and 5 subs. 16 players in all. So does it matter who isn't chosen?
Yes, it does. Didn't you know that?
>>And Chelsea has this thing called money
Right. And Man Utd doesn't.
>>and squad depth. Their bench players can always make the team of a mid-table club.
Are you saying Richardson, Brown, Silvestre, Heinze can't?
>>Other players? Like who?
Johnson, for instance. But you didn't know that.
>>More than half the articles you read about diving contains the word 'Ronaldo' if you haven't noticed.
And every article about diving mentions Robben and Drogba without fail.
>>I doubt you're more than 40 years old.
Have you been watching EPL for over 40 years then? How old are you, anyway? Start acting your age. Childish and downright shameful statements, coming from someone who isn't a teenager, is embarrassing.
>>And of course I knew that, that's why I wrote my first comment. If you even think, you would have thought about that.
Funny that. You're asking me to think, while I am, you clearly aren't. Don't just rebutt them for the sake of rebutting me. Start thinking.
>>You sure are correct. The only other team that over-reacts so far is Blackburn. Glad that you admit that Chelsea has cheating players. =)
Hmm, overreaction is subjective. And if you thought Blackburn are the only team who has players who overreact, I sure am not surprised of your ignorance. For your info, every team in the world has players who overreact after a collision at some point of time. Bet you didn't know that, did you?
>>I pity Arsenal because their name starts with 'ar*e', they have a great young team but they are unlucky in terms of injuries and goals. I know so much about Man U because I think they play the most balanced football around. And right now, I'd rather watch Sunderland play than Chelsea play because they play more entertaining football.
Well, do that then. Goodbye.
>>Please keep to the 200-word limit.
Hmm. Woops. I apologise for the inconvinience. Mr Ernest.
>>I have told you which of Chelsea's players that have been injured over the season. You have not proven your claim that Man U and Arsenal had more players out over the season. As for nitpicking a particular date when Arsenal/ Utd had more players injured, don't bother.
Neither have you proven your claim.
>>Which statement? The "statement" you were quoting was a question.
The statement is :"They had all the luck in the world, scoring late goals, hardly any injuries and all. They taunted everyone else though."
Dumb****
>>Hmm, I admitted I made a mistake and that still wasn't enough for your egoistic self, eh?
I guess not, nothing was ever enough for Jose Mourinho innit?
>>Owen, he's back and running.
Henry wasn't out as long as Joe Cole.
Smith and Scholes has had pretty much an injury-free season. Let's not lose focus here shall we? Your inability to do just that could pretty much make this a pointless debate.
Owen is not back yer. Joe Cole was not out as long as Solskjaer or Smith. YOUR inability to think is getting sickening.
>>I have given you a list of Chelsea's players out for a period of time. You've given me nothing as comparable. And looking at your statements above, I must say, no you don't know a lot.
Comparable? Ha! I bet you don't know who what was the score of the 1998 Man U vs Arsenal match at Old Trafford. Who knows more now?
Dumb****
>>Clearly you have shown as much intelligence as observer, so I'd suggest reading my reply to him. And comparing me with Solskjaer is silly and pointless. Although I can tell you I'm honoured. Thank you.
Thank you, that means we are both very intelligent. You're just an immature kid that fantasizes to be Solskjaer.
>>You're getting silly. Do you honestly believe that the Mutu gets one month less because of THAT EXCUSE? My word. And who are you to judge whether a particular ban is more fair than the other? You, nothing more than an armchair fan in Singapore now is cleverer and a better judge than the FA in England?
1) I played in Englad Division 1 before, so i probably have got more right to talk about things than you.
2) What are you? Nothing more than an armchair observer in Singapore I suppose. Pfft.
>>Yes, it does. Didn't you know that?
Are you dumb or what? I just informed you of that fact.
>>Right. And Man Utd doesn't.
Are you dumb or what? Man U is filthy rich.
Are you saying Richardson, Brown, Silvestre, Heinze can't?
I'm saying Cathcart, Eagles and Richardson can't.
>>Johnson, for instance. But you didn't know that.
Johnson wasn't slated as much u dumb. Don't you know your facts?
And every article about diving mentions Robben and Drogba without fail.
Ah-hah. What about that article about Ronaldo diving in Tottenham? There's no mention of 'Robben' or 'Drogba. Much less 'Robben and Drogba'
>>Have you been watching EPL for over 40 years then? How old are you, anyway? Start acting your age. Childish and downright shameful statements, coming from someone who isn't a teenager, is embarrassing.
Are you brainless or what? The EPL started in 1992, so it's impossible to watch it for more than 15 years. And I bet YOU are a teenager.
>>Funny that. You're asking me to think, while I am, you clearly aren't. Don't just rebutt them for the sake of rebutting me. Start thinking.
Enough said. Childish statement. Evident of a loss of words.
>>Hmm, overreaction is subjective. And if you thought Blackburn are the only team who has players who overreact, I sure am not surprised of your ignorance. For your info, every team in the world has players who overreact after a collision at some point of time. Bet you didn't know that, did you?
Not every team. have you watched Swansea play before?
>>Well, do that then. Goodbye.
You ran outta quarrel eh? Dumb kid.
Btw, Earnest, it's easier if you just use the scroll bar at the side. It's much faster.
omg! its getting interesting. But its pretty senseless. All these debates are probably subjective. Glad that u guys are making this blog ermm.. more 'lively'. But courtesy is still the best policy.
cheers to more interesting debates,
kel
Haley, I have one little sister. She's acting like a 'bitch' but she's not a bitch. You can have her. Her name is Nurul.
>>Neither have you proven your claim.
I have shown you that 17 out of 23 players in Chelsea have been injured at some point of time this season. You've done nothing to show me Arsenal and Man Utd had more players out.
>>Which statement? "The "statement" you were quoting was a question."
"The statement is :They had all the luck in the world, scoring late goals, hardly any injuries and all. They taunted everyone else though.
Dumb****"
That's your statement, sweetie. Lets go back to what was said:
"Exactly. So remind me why should you be complaining about Man Utd for this season in particular, again?"
"HAHA! When you say exactly, you mean that your previous statement was wrong!"
Do keep up please.
>>I guess not, nothing was ever enough for Jose Mourinho innit?
You want to be an egoistic bastard, fine by me.
>>Owen is not back yer.
A quick check from Wikipedia will prove me right. "Owen began running again on Monday 12 February 2007, when pictures on the clubs official website highlighted Owen running and doing a few minor exercises.[8] Reports strongly suggest that Owen will return to the competitive playing field, sometime during the current season.[9] Owen made his comeback from injury in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Gretna and scored after 10 minutes, before coming off an hour later on 10 April 2007.[10]"
>>Joe Cole was not out as long as Solskjaer or Smith.
Smith first played on 26 Sept despite being already well. Solskjaer has only been out for a month for surgery this season. They were not out for any other injuries. Meanwhile, Joe Cole had at first been out of Chelsea's first three months. He started playing a few matches before going for surgery in January, only to return two days ago, April the 4th.
>>Comparable? Ha! I bet you don't know who what was the score of the 1998 Man U vs Arsenal match at Old Trafford. Who knows more now?
Dumb****
Wasn't it 1-0 to Arsenal?
>>You're just an immature kid that fantasizes to be Solskjaer.
No, you're the kid who can't comprehend simple sentences. I don't fantasize to be Solskjaer. You compared me to Solskjaer.
>>1) I played in Englad Division 1 before, so i probably have got more right to talk about things than you.
No, you don't have more "right" to talk about things than me.
>>2) What are you? Nothing more than an armchair observer in Singapore I suppose. Pfft.
What are you then? Are YOU, bigger than the FA, to decide what kind of punishment is appropriate for Ferdinand?
>>"Yes, it does. Didn't you know that?"
"Are you dumb or what? I just informed you of that fact."
No. You have a poor memory, it seems. What you said:
"In a match, a team is allowed to choose 11 field players and 5 subs. 16 players in all. So does it matter who isn't chosen?"
And I am telling you it does. If there are no goalkeepers selected for a place on the bench, when the goalkeeper on the field gets injured, it does matter.
>>Are you dumb or what? Man U is filthy rich.
No doubt. Ever heard of sarcasm?
>>I'm saying Cathcart, Eagles and Richardson can't.
Right. Bryan Robson thought he was good enough. West Brom were able to stay out of the drop zone then.
>>Johnson wasn't slated as much u dumb. Don't you know your facts?
I was showing you another player who has been slated by the press. Robben and Drogba has been slated as much if not more than Ronaldo. You should have no complaints.
>>Ah-hah. What about that article about Ronaldo diving in Tottenham? There's no mention of 'Robben' or 'Drogba. Much less 'Robben and Drogba'
Yes there was. It comes after "We don't like to see divers, like Christiano Ronaldo, Drogba and Robben, who spoil the game. I'll go one further. On ESPN, they even discussed on how he incredibly gets away with all of his dives. Words like cunning are used to describe him. Hardly "murder".
>>Are you brainless or what? The EPL started in 1992, so it's impossible to watch it for more than 15 years. And I bet YOU are a teenager.
Hardly the point, is it? Let's call it EPL and the Football League First Division, for your sake then.
Looking at your replies, you could hardly show the intelligence and maturity of even a teenager.
>>"Funny that. You're asking me to think, while I am, you clearly aren't. Don't just rebutt them for the sake of rebutting me. Start thinking."
"Enough said. Childish statement. Evident of a loss of words."
Nothing childish about that. It was a statement for you to get
a grip. Now, statements like " I have been watching the Premiership BEFORE you even walk, laddy!" are personal insults that a mature adult wouldn't make.
>>Not every team. have you watched Swansea play before?
Is that an admittance that there are oher teams besides Chelsea and Blackburn who have players who overreact?
>>You ran outta quarrel eh? Dumb kid.
Hardly. The more I read on your comments, the more I find myself wasting my time.
To : Neutral Fan,
Chelsea's fan rebuttals in this blog, mirrors similarly it's manager.Anyway from horse's mouth, he won't be at Stamford Bridge next season's Champions League.
Let their fans blow their own trumpets, for next season onwards will be the 2nd year of another 50 years wait to win another EPL Crown.
Meanwhile this season, abdication of it's EPL Throne to Manchester United, another embarrasing exit from Champions League Semi-Final courtesy of Liverpool, either a FA Cup Semi-Final defeat to Blackburn whose winning goals scored by it's former Porto protege Benni McCarthy or in the Final that ended in defeat to Manchester United.^-^
From : Chester Low
Hello people, I'm new here...
I'm 17 and I've been a United fan since 1994, and a fan of Sengkang Punggol FC. =)
Looking at the quarrels, I have to sympathise with cfcfan...
I had a lot of flak like his in the past just because I'm a United fan...
All the best teams in the EPL are ridiculed by other teams, in my opinion.
Chelsea may not play the most beautiful football but they do play effective and winning football, and every team has got their run of luck, like Arsenal in their undefeated season, United this season.
Anyway, I think this season's ending is going to be a thriller! Look at the possible match ups!
Liverpool may repeat their Champions League win, defeating Chelsea in the semis and then meeting AC Milan in the finals again!
Or United will pay Chelsea 3 times in the final weeks of the season for 3 cups!
1)EPL
2)FA Cup
3)Champions League
Cool eh?!
Chester, we all believe what we want. Its possible that Man Utd can replicate their treble success. Its also possible for Chelsea to do an unprecedented quadraple. Of course, it is also possible that Man Utd win nothing or Chelsea only win the Carling Cup.
Although, I wouldn't say losing to Liverpool is embarrassing. I'm sure our Kop fans here won't like to hear that! Liverpool is a magnificent team, especially in the Champions League. If the fans didn't score a goal to beat us again, fair play to them. And then they can beat Utd for us!
Cheers Kelvin Yap. I'm a Rovers (Tampines not Blackburn) fan. They aren't doing that badly so far.
Anyway, as much as I would cherish beating Man Utd three times in three important games, if the circumstances would allow, I wouldn't like that to happen. If you meet a team too many times, it becomes a bore and a technical game. Just ask Liverpool. We met them too many times already. :(
Here comes the money...
As the season is drawing to an end,things are just getting more and more interesting and exciting for English football.
3 powerhouses in the Champion League semis,at the summit of EPL we have Chelsea and Man U separated only by that misery 3 points gap plus the prospect of meeting each other in the FA Cup and Champions League finals or perhaps Milan will have a chance of revenge against the Reds.With Arsenal struggling,that lucrative 4th place in EPL is suddenly up for grabs with Bolton and Everton the main contenders.At the other end of the table,as many as 8 teams could be embroiled in the dreaded relegation fight.After 2 boring season,this is certainly refreshing and keeping fans on their feet wanting more of English football.
Best league in the world?Maybe,but the twists and turns of drama after every week definately is pulsating and entertaining.
Cheers
After the press all over the world lauded the EPL with praise as the best league in the world, the Spanish La Liga has spoken up!!
3 Spanish teams have made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup!
Sevilla held Tottenham to a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane, qualifying with a 4-3 lead on aggregate.
Osasuna, with a 3-0 1st leg lead, easily beat Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 at home to take their place in the semis.
Espanyol drew a blank at Benfica to press home their advantage their 3-2 aggregate lead, claiming their spot in the semi-finals
Werder Bremen would be the sole non-Spanish team remaining in the UEFA Cup after easily beating AZ Alkmaar 4-1 in Germany, with a same aggregate score.
Kudos to the Spanish who showed that depite their big teams (Barca, Real Madrid, Valencia, Deportivo) couldn't make it in the Champions League, their 'smaller' teams dominate the UEFA Cup.
Cheers to the La Liga and EPL!
=)
I agree that last season was probably the one of the most boring seasons in the EPL. Chelsea had an unsurpassed lead, while the teams to be relegated were quite obvious from about 2 months before the end of the season. Sunderland's embarrassing form (excl. that famous draw at OT) did not help. Look at this season, like eric has explained, nothing is for certain yet. Kudos to Sheffield Utd, Watford, Reading for getting themselves prepared for the premiership, they have shown themselves capable of stopping the big teams in the league. Reading has held Man U and Chelsea to a draw, Sheffield has beaten Arsenal and drew Liverpool.
3 Spanish teams in the UEFA Cup semis is indeed incredible and that just summed it up about the qualities of the 2nd tier teams in La Liga.Compared to the other supporting actor clubs in Europe,Spanish sides definately have better qualities in their play.Espanyol and Sevilla play quite an attractive brand of football especially the latter whom I backed to defend their title successfully.
Ironically,the top sides in La Liga failed to make the cut in the Champions League this season.We can't really compare between teams fighting for title domestically and then onto the European scenes.The competition level are totally a different face in each other.We see Liverpool fumble and tumble in the league earlier in the season and so majestic in Europe.Thats why some said they are a European team.
Man U,Chelsea and Sevilla are the only ones who have been performing week in week out this season.Their performances no doubt outshine any oppositions in domestic or Europe.Kudos to this 3 teams.
One thing I always do at regular basis since Mourinho's arrival - Giving my support to all teams who will be playing against Chelsea on match days.
I'll support Blackburn in the FA Cup Semi-Finals this weekend
I also support Liverpool in their Champions League Semi-Finals 2-legged matches against London outfit.
From: Chester Low
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