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Forums - Sports Discussion - The Football Thread - 17/18 Season

mZuzek said:
Goatseye said:

The only EPL team that I consider stronger than Porto and Benfica is Chelsea.
The rest are overhyped oil money sinkhole groups, not even teams.
Portuguese league has produced so many world class players that it deserves to be at wherever status they're at.

Given the recent performance of English clubs in European competitions, I won't try to change your mind on Chelsea being the only top team in the country. However, the league as a whole is FAR stronger. Portugal has about 2 teams and a half, the rest are mostly atrocious.

Wasn't it 2/3 years ago that Arsenal got mauled by Braga in Portugal?

You take Chelsea out of the picture and EPL teams would fit perfectly in France League 1.



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mZuzek said:
Goatseye said:

Wasn't it 2/3 years ago that Arsenal got mauled by Braga in Portugal?

You take Chelsea out of the picture and EPL teams would fit perfectly in France League 1.

I remember Braga being good, especially when they eliminated us from the Europa League. However, it seems to have been a very short-lived thing. Seriously, don't be so over-protective of your country's teams. Porto and Benfica haven't performed well in the Champions League in recent years, let alone other clubs. England might have been as bad, but the way you're saying it it's like Portugal has a world class league or something.

No, you said they have a weak league. Something that not even Spanish football enthusiasts say. And Braga has been putting good performances on Europa League and Champions League in the late years.

As with all the Portuguese teams, they don't have oil money to retain their best players.

Next year it looks like you're gonna get one of the best striker in the world at the moment... from Porto.



mZuzek said:
Goatseye said:

No, you said they have a weak league. Something that not even Spanish football enthusiasts say. And Braga has been putting good performances on Europa League and Champions League in the late years.

As with all the Portuguese teams, they don't have oil money to retain their best players.

Next year it looks like you're gonna get one of the best striker in the world at the moment... from Porto.

Well in my opinion Portugal does have a weak league. But then again, I'd say that about every league in the world except England, Spain and Germany (and maybe Italy/France), so don't take it as me comparing it to MLS or something.

Don't worry I classify EPL lower than La Liga. My opinion as well.



Hiku said:

I actually read a statistics around a year ago that showed that prominent EPL players moving to Spain have historically had a tougher time adjusting than La Liga players moving to EPL.

As for Messi? According to Mourinho, he would take that EPL team to win a Champion's League title:

"I am saying that a team with that boy is a different team, is a different story," Mourinho said on Friday.
"This season was the first season for many, many years that I wasn't there [Semi Finals of the CL], but, watching Messi, you don't miss being there!" the Chelsea manager stated.
"You enjoy it so much that you don't think about not being there. You just think about what the guy did."
"People think in the wrong way," Mourinho said. "One thing is a team. Another thing is a team with Messi. It is a different story."

"So, when people analyse teams, you have to remember that this boy makes everything different. He makes everything different."

"I think this guy makes the gap by himself. You have doubts that [Manchester] City with Messi can win the Champions League? Or Arsenal with Messi can win the Champions League? Or Chelsea with Messi can win the Champions League? Or Man United with Messi can win the Champions League? Don't you think? I think so."

La Liga showed how shitty of a player Beckham really was.

M.Owen didn't fare well, nor did Pennant and many more. McManaman was probably the most successful and that says it all.



Ka-pi96 said:
Goatseye said:

La Liga showed how shitty of a player Beckham really was.

M.Owen didn't fare well, nor did Pennant and many more. McManaman was probably the most successful and that says it all.

Or maybe it just shows that players aren't as good when they get older?

Aged 28, he was already old? What about Zidane that was already 31 when Beckham joined?

He was just a set-piece/crosser man. Madrid got him, because they knew he would sell Jerseys.

Let me give you an excerpt of then Real's president (Ramon Calderon) comment: A few days later while speaking to the students at Villanueva University Center in Madrid, Calderón said that Beckham is "going to Hollywood to be half a film star", adding "our technical staff were right not to extend his contract, which has been proved by the fact that no other technical staff in the world wanted him except Los Angeles"



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People are really hung up on what I said huh? hit a nerve, maybe?

Anyway, I didn't mean it's better but different, this is enough to shake them up or change a player, as indicated by those that go the other way too, rare that they actually are. And besides, Pennant never was good, Owen had huge injuries and was done when he left Liverpool and Beckham was at Real because of merchandise, he was the biggest name in football at the time.



Hmm, pie.

KyleeStrutt said:
What are the life expectancies of Juventus going forward?

I guess a second opinion on this question is worthwhile, no?

Madrid will be stronger at home, but Juventus victory was certainly unexpected, really looking forward to the rematch.



Hiku said:

"I think this guy makes the gap by himself. You have doubts that [Manchester] City with Messi can win the Champions League? Or Arsenal with Messi can win the Champions League? Or Chelsea with Messi can win the Champions League? Or Man United with Messi can win the Champions League? Don't you think? I think so."


I don't disagree honestly. When you have a player that consistently scores +50 goals a season and creates almost just as much, your chances will be a lot higher. We saw what Suarez managed to do at Liverpool. Imagine what a player much better than him would do. We saw Ronaldo make Manchester United the best team in the world before even reaching his peak. Having Messi or Ronaldo would make any top 4 team a team that can win all trophies. Even though Mourinho has spoken highly about Messi before (he said that he was the best player in the world cup and that he sacrificed himself for the team) I can't help but feel like this is a dig at Pep lol. Mourinho really hates Pep.



It's also worth noting that not all teams score a lot in La Liga. Only Madrid and Barca do that because they have the best forwards in the world. For example, Atletico Madrid (3rd) have 67 goals and City (probably 3rd after Arsenal play their 2 games) have 77. When you also compare scoring ratios of Ronaldo/Messi and Barca/Madrid in the Champions league it's very similar to their ratios in La Liga.



Watching mls right now! that match is great to watch and really entertaining!



My Retail Games Collection (January 2015)

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