Champions League 2014/15 | Group B

RealGunner wrote:That inevitable moment when Chicharito scores a hattrick and the benzema thread gets bumped up

Hapless_Hans wrote:

RealGunner wrote:That inevitable moment when Chicharito scores a hattrick and the benzema thread gets bumped up

mmmhmmm

Hapless_Hans wrote:can't wait to dig out all those cocky announcements by McAgger. What a historic failure it would be to finish beneath a pub team like Basel. How they might win the group if they play a decent game at the Bernabeu.

ETC

PP

izzy wrote:

Hapless_Hans wrote:can't wait to dig out all those cocky announcements by McAgger. What a historic failure it would be to finish beneath a pub team like Basel. How they might win the group if they play a decent game at the Bernabeu.

ETC

PP

What thread did he say that in please?

Would love to read them.

Hapless_Hans wrote:

izzy wrote:

Hapless_Hans wrote:can't wait to dig out all those cocky announcements by McAgger. What a historic failure it would be to finish beneath a pub team like Basel. How they might win the group if they play a decent game at the Bernabeu.

ETC

PP

What thread did he say that in please?

Would love to read them.

in the Liverpool section I think. So we should not laugh too loud as that should be protected space to reveal your most intimate feelings without fear of ridicule..

Still I dig some up later ...

Natalie Portman wrote:That's perfect draw for us.

1 glamour tie against 10 times european champions
and 2 manageable teams that we should be able to win against.


BOSS

Don't call me James wrote:Perfect group for us  It could've been much much worse.

Think we can top this group is we get something at the Bernabeu.

Basel and Ludogorets are manageable. I'm glad if we have to travel to eastern Europe it's Bulgaria instead of Russia or Ukraine.

And then pretty nice tie with Basel. Switzerland has nice venues to play in and it should be nice vacation trip for our players. Rwo actually thinks Basel will like playing us.

Don't call me James wrote:

windkick wrote:Just remember Real is great at hammering the minnows, so the goal differential could be a difference

In CL head to head counts ahead of goal difference so not worried about them hammering minnows.

I'm pretty confident that we can do well against them specially at home. Just need to keep the head to head favorable after the Bernabeu fixture.

Don't call me James wrote:I'm gonna rephrase my statement above.

We've faced Madrid 3 times in European Cup history. And we've beat them 3 times

Walk in the park this group imo

Don't call me James wrote:

rwo power wrote:

BeautifulGame wrote:Is Philip Degan first choice for Basel

In the last matches he started again, yeah.

One of the worst player in Pool history is a Basel starter  

Natalie Portman wrote:

RedOranje wrote:Quite happy with that draw for Liverpool, honestly.

Madrid should finish top of the group comfortably and our main goal will likely be to ensure they can't exact "Revenge" for the last meetings between the two clubs.  Still having such a big club (and last season's winners) coming to Anfield will ensure that we truly experience the return of CL footy to the club and will provide great experience for our squad.

With all due respect to Ludogorets Razgrad, I'll be quite shocked if they get more than a point or two in the group stages.  They have no real home stadium and have the makings of the 7th club since the 11/12 season to lose all of their group stage matches.  They should finish bottom by a similar margin to Madrid finishing top.

That leaves Liverpool and Basel to battle it out for 2nd and 3rd, and both clubs are pretty well matched in my eyes.  I'll be looking forward to seeing Basel's tactical approach and staunch defense up against our attacking options and think both clubs will consider themselves favourites at home but be wary of the away matches.  If may indeed come down to whether either side gets held by Ludogorets and I fancy Liverpool's chances against them due to our more prolific attack.  

Even if we do finish third (a real possibility) I'd consider it an acceptable showing so long as we don't get embarrassed in any of the matches and it will provide fantastic experience and lessons for both our squad AND Rodgers himself who has no real experience at this level yet.  I would fancy us to make a good run in the EL as well... while the same can be said for Basel, I assume.  

About the only thing I would possibly change is replacing Madrid with Bayern or Barca... simply because I'd love to have an Anfield reunion with Alonso (likely) and Reina or Mascherano and Suarez respectively.  It's only a minor gripe though, and I'm just ecstatic to be back in the CL and in what should be an interesting and well-situated group.

With all due respect Red, our CL campaign would be a total failure should be finish below Basel.

This is not the Basel with Shaqiri, Xhaka, Stocker, Sommer, etc...they've lost all their players AND their manager. Managed by Paulo Sousa, former Swansea/Leicester reject manager over the past 3 years.

This is a totally new team, finding their feat. A team that lost 5-0 to a depleted Valencia team in EL quarters last season.

I'm not gonna try and sugar coat it, we must do something very very wrong to finish behind them. We won't though.

BeautifulGame wrote:Yeap.If we cant finish 2 and qualify then will be a massive failure.

Don't call me James wrote:I also agree. RedO is dead wrong here. Would be a massive failure if we can't finish above Basel and Ludo.

Don't call me James wrote:

RealGunner wrote:Massive failure in your first year in the CL under an inexperienced manager and squad?

Bit harsh.

Massive failure when your opponents are Ludo and Basel, YES. Specially after spending 120+million in one summer. Ludo are some pub team in some village in Bulgaria with all due respect. Basel have sold all of their important players that made them so dangerous and their manager Murat Yakin. Now they have some garbage reject manager that couldn't make a living in the second division of English football.

If we were in a group of death then I would say sure, it's not a massive failure. But this is as great a draw we could've asked for.

Don't call me James wrote:Dude we're talking about CL here. Our CL campaign will be an absolute failure if we don't progress through the groups.

I said nothing about the rest of the season. We could just as well go to El and win the goddam thing  Maybe do a cup treble or win the league.

I was speaking just about the CL campaign.

Don't call me James wrote:Rwo actually thinks Basel will like playing us.

Robespierre wrote:for me Balotelli can't playing as the  only CF  in a team. Imo Rodgers is wrong about it.
Sturriddge 's injury created even more problems than I thought , not just a difference maker but his absence created the "misunderstanding tactical" Mario Balotelli.
If you play with Balotelli only CF your  offensive working risks to be sterile, as it was in last matches.
Balotelli should play with another CF near, basically. It is not a case his best Liverpool match was against Tottenham.
Rodgers should play with Lambert, but he doesn't trust him and so I wonder why he was bought ... just to sub last 10 minutes?

Robespierre wrote:
Rodgers should play with Lambert, but he doesn't trust him and so I wonder why he was bought ... just to sub last 10 minutes?