The league that can buy the best players and the best managers is going to be the best...  it's not all that complicated a formula.  Right now, the EPL has more teams than any other league with elite purchasing power.  When Spain NT was dominant, most of the top spanish players preferred to stay in Spain so that balanced the spending imbalance a bit...  but that competitive advantage is eroding even moreso when you consider youth development advantage is waning too.  

Barca and Real will always be among the elite... however, it's the depth of the league that's going to suffer.

Only 2 semi-finalists from EPL in the last five seasons

Let's see if their teams can make the latter rounds consistently before talking about them dominating Europe

sportsczy wrote:The league that can buy the best players and the best managers is going to be the best...  it's not all that complicated a formula.  Right now, the EPL has more teams than any other league with elite purchasing power.  When Spain NT was dominant, most of the top spanish players preferred to stay in Spain so that balanced the spending imbalance a bit...  but that competitive advantage is eroding even moreso when you consider youth development advantage is waning too.  

Barca and Real will always be among the elite... however, it's the depth of the league that's going to suffer.

I don't think you are talking crazy either. I remember Florentino did a interview and basically said the same thing.

It makes sense that an English league becomes the premier league for everyone. Although South American players usually have more talent, and the language barrier makes Spain more attractive, but I think they are teaching English in schools everywhere nowadays.

I voted for PSG to go through. At the moment my prediction for first leg is 2-2, PSG will win by two goals at home (3-1 I think). I will update my pick if some injury happens before first leg.

Ok, has someone hijacked my user name and is responding to polls on my behalf? I don't get the option to respond to polls anymore!

Still going with Madrid on this one.

I will NEVER forgive PSG if they don't put Madrid to the sword in this tie

PSG haven't been properly tested really. Depends on the spirit of Madrid players. If they go into this with their heads down, they'll lose. But from experience I'm expecting RM to be a different, more fierce animal in the CL.

In short, I have no idea how this will go.

^^Madrid are quite clutch though in the CL, so I won't be surprised if they overcome PSG.

Paris need to play a wise game at the Bernabeu and then go at them in Paris.

PSG have no chance. I'm not meaning this as some sort of jinx attempt. PSG are not good enough to beat a big team on the big stage. Putting a circus clown on the left wing doesn't change that.

futbol wrote:PSG have no chance. I'm not meaning this as some sort of jinx attempt. PSG are not good enough to beat a big team on the big stage. Putting a circus clown on the left wing doesn't change that.

Basically this.

Respectfully Disagree with both Luci and futbol and here's why:

The history argument is invalid as it has been debunked time and time again. Your form in the CL in the past seasons doesn't mean anything because the past is the past and the present is a whole new beast.

Case in point, take Bayern for instance. For more than a decade, they were called "la Bestia Negra del Real Madrid" because they had a better head-to-head record. But that whole theory crumbled to the ground when they met Madrid three times in the CL in the past 4 seasons, and in the three times, they got brutally smashed beyond recognition...and then people stopped called them that.

Same goes for the "experience" argument by the way. I have been hearing a lot lately about "this or that team" having more experience in the CL, and thus, they have a better chance of going through than their less-experienced opponent. That theory couldn't be farther from the truth and there's no better example than Dortmund to further illustrate my point here. Remember when they qualified for the CL after winning the league in 2011? They got immediately eliminated from the CL the year after with a series of horrendous performances in the group stage. But then they came back a year later and reached the CL final. They didn't need any "experience" to do that. Same goes for Lyon when they knocked out the then European champion Madrid and there are many other examples for this.

What am I trying to say here? Your past record as well as your past form and experience in a particular competition don't mean anything in the "now".

It doesn't matter if Madrid is the king of kings or the most seasoned club in the competition, if PSG plays to their strength, they'll tear us to pieces.

And let's not kid ourselves here, PSG are in an exponentially better form than Madrid. And if Spurs could outplay us, I don't see any reason why PSG shouldn't be able to do the same if not better.

Ah DoC. You are being sucked in by my Junior!! He will do anything to troll Madrid. It's like you told me earlier this week re the Zidane disappointed in Isco. Check out the source before getting involved with a BS story.

In this case my Junior has a history of trolling Madrid (and also Neymar). So put the two together and it's him suggesting PSG isn't as good as they appear, meanwhile trying to suck us in thinking we may have a chance!!!

futbol_bill wrote:Ah DoC. You are being sucked in by my Junior!! He will do anything to troll Madrid. It's like you told me earlier this week re the Zidane disappointed in Isco. Check out the source before getting involved with a BS story.

In this case my Junior has a history of trolling Madrid (and also Neymar). So put the two together and it's him suggesting PSG isn't as good as they appear, meanwhile trying to suck us in thinking we may have a chance!!!

Thanks for the heads up. Now, let's drink until our likely elimination from the CL becomes a joyous occasion

Bump

Cristiano has picked some form just at the right time. This should be very interesting now.

Cristiano will score between 3 and 5 goals in those games IMO

Form or no form.
It was always going to be interesting.

Wonder if Zidane will stick with the 4-4-2 where casemiro is benched or will he go back to BBC 4-3-3

@RG, he's screwed no matter what. He needs Casemiro on to help defense not be completely overwelmed with PSG offense and if he does go to 4-3-3, he essentailly has 3 guys not contributing to defense!

Keep in mind this revised return to form , twice now has been against the bottom half of la liga!!!

These next couple weeks are the last of Zidane!!!

Casemiro doesn't help with defense this season. Any counter attack that takes place, Casemiro is nowhere near the action. You'll quicker see Modric or even Isco (if he starts) sprinting back than Casemiro. No idea what cancer instructions Zidane is giving him but it's pretty crappy at the moment.

Also, 4-4-3. Pretty certain it's gonna be a 4-4-3.

I don’t know about thta Doc. He’ll probably play Kovacic man marking Neymar and have Casemiro trying to handle The French kid!!!

I think their front three is just too much for this team, particularly as it will only be 8 or 9 contributing to defense. Meanwhile the French dud and Ronaldo wait upfront for balls that never get there..

It doesn’t look pretty!

Our only hope is that they can hold up reasonably well at home before the slaughter in Paris.

Yeah, don't think it's gonna be pretty myself. Speaking of not being pretty, "nice" whistles at the end of the match there Bill. You guys really and truly dislike Benzema now.

Spoiler:

Neymar's gonna run this show. I can't wait to witness this whooping.

Doc wrote:Yeah, don't think it's gonna be pretty myself. Speaking of not being pretty, "nice" whistles at the end of the match there Bill. You guys really and truly dislike Benzema now.

Spoiler:

I’ve been booing that dud for years. I never was on board with the hype for him. What amazes me is Zidane sticking with him no matter what. It almost seems like be wants to get out!

Regardless I will enjoy another episode of Carvajal's struggles against his nemesis Neymar.

Carvajal is suspended.

Harakiri like Hakimi it is then.