Champions League 2018/19 | Group G

Scrub group ffs

yeah a pretty easy ride before we get knocked out in the last 16 by Lyon.

Nice, manageable group. Bale could be fully rested for the knockout games. We are due easy knockout games this season surely?

I feel like we should be confident, but i wouldn't be surprised if we struggle more in this group than last season's. A trip to Moscow and Plzen in the winter isn't ideal let alone the Bernabeu.

On paper, I'm satisfied. In actuality, I'm cautiously optimistic.

Could Real slump back to the good old days of getting knocked out the CL by Lyon after the 3 wins in 4 years?

It wouldn't be the first time. Remember when Madrid won the CL three times between 1998 and 2002 only to plunge into one of the darkest moments in its history afterwards?

I don't think it'll happen again though. As long as that joker Calderon doesn't come back, we'll be fine.

Ffs Mclewis, are Roma always this lacklustre? Where is the team that went toe to toe with Barca. The players were literally walking after our players. Poor Olsen, played superhumanly good yet still let in 3 goals

The other game ended in a draw though. Fancy both Roma and RM to have booked their places in the last 16 before the return leg

Roma are in total disarray this season. Too many changes.

Yes, their indifference was shocking to say the least. It's like they weren't even trying to play let alone win.

Even their tactical plan was a little off, which is odd considering their coach is the same guy who, not too long ago, knocked out Barcelona. He sat too deep and gave Madrid too much space to operate in. That's suicide. I didn't expect him to make such a terrible mistake

Still, I think they'll be fine. Can't see CSKA or that other team going to the knockout rounds instead of Roma.

Sigh. Roma's new GK is trash, isn't he

Hapless_Hans wrote:Sigh. Roma's new GK is trash, isn't he

He's god awful

One of the worst signings in Serie A this season

You mean the guy that singlehandedly gave Roma this extremely flattering scoreline???

Roma's MOTM ten times over. Saved about 4 point blank shots literally

Young Boys? Does the Vatican state have their own team now?

I don't know what Olsen you guys were watching, but the one I saw today was pretty damn solid. If not for him, it would been much worse. He was among our better performers along with DDR, Florenzi and Under.

I keep saying this, but I don't think it's fair to compare him to Alisson. He's not flashy, he won't try pull a move on an attacker and he sure as hell won't be slinging long balls down the pitch to an on-rushing Dzeko like a QB. He's not that type of player. He's a good old-fashioned shot stopper and that's what we needed today. He did a fine job and should take no blame for any of the goals.

In general, I'm indifferent to this performance. EDF fielding Zaniolo told me everything I needed to know. He knew we couldn't win this match so he didn't even try. The players took note of that and performed accordingly. We went through the motions with no belief, no conviction, and no confidence. Madrid gave us enough chances to take something from the game, but the finishing was so poor there was no way that was happening. This was a Madrid nowhere near its top gear. Notching such a comfy win like that, it's to be expected of champions.

Whatever. It's done now. Glad we got this one out of the way early. Lot of football to play and improvements to make before we meet again in December.

It was a great match. I’ve always really liked Roma, although it feels odd to watch them play without Totti. They were a bit unlucky with their finishing last night. Then again, both sides had their fair share of misplaced shots and wasted opportunities. Olsen did very well, in my opinion. He’s cleary not a sweeper or acrobat- type of goalie, but he seemed very solid, nonetheless. Not much else he could’ve done about either of the goals.

Kind of you to call our finishing unlucky. Appreciate it, man lol. It was straight up ass.

I loved Under's performance. Everything, but the finishing, that is. If there was one player who deserved a goal, it was him. He had no fear of Madrid and he showed it. He took them all on and I enjoyed watching it immensely. We needed 11 players like that. We got 3. Oh well.

As I said on the Football Show this morning, Roma has the characteristics of a "selling club", like a Monaco. It may have a good year through some excellent managing, but after selling the players that made the year good, it falls down the ladder.   It will never cross the treshold of being an important club in Europe if it continues selling its top players every year.  Note: Ray Hudson agreed with me.

Agreed Breva

Roma's biggest weakness is that they cannot keep their core for a long time and build a long-term project around it. A bit like those teams in MLB who don't have the $$$ to follow Yankees/Dodgers so they have a cinderella story for a couple seasons then everyone leaves and they must do a big refresh.

That said i know 2 Roma fans IRL and met many more online... all of them seem to embrace this identity of relevant underdogs.

As long as we don't own our own stadium, we'll be forced to sell. That's why qualifying for the CL and then making deep runs is important to us. The Qatar and Hyundai deals certainly help, but the real money is made from the stadium and without it, we can't move beyond where we are now.

McLewis wrote:As long as we don't own our own stadium, we'll be forced to sell. That's why qualifying for the CL and then making deep runs is important to us. The Qatar and Hyundai deals certainly help, but the real money is made from the stadium and without it, we can't move beyond where we are now.

I was thinking along the same line.

I think there's hardly 7-8 clubs who don't have to sale. Rest have to sale, either just to survive/manage or simply lacking the pull compared to other (7- clubs.

However, Roma seemed to be a curious case. Pardon me if I'm wrong, but it seemed they have embarked the policy and philosophy of selling their jewels. Last few seasons Roma seemed more like Udinese, Parma, Lyon or Porto (from earlier part of this millennium) who constantly churned out jewels for their more illustrious counterparts.

However, given the enhanced level of competition, their (Roma) policy is a very risky (in no way a calculated risk) one wrt CL revenue. So, it must be like sacrificing your queen to save your king, and the only such reward seems to be the new stadium and a guaranteed (and enhanced) revenue stream. In that light, they seem to be adopting the strategy of post-Emirates Arsenal.

All told, it's still a very risky game.

iftikhar wrote:

McLewis wrote:As long as we don't own our own stadium, we'll be forced to sell. That's why qualifying for the CL and then making deep runs is important to us. The Qatar and Hyundai deals certainly help, but the real money is made from the stadium and without it, we can't move beyond where we are now.

I was thinking along the same line.

I think there's hardly 7-8 clubs who don't have to sale. Rest have to sale, either just to survive/manage or simply lacking the pull compared to other (7- clubs.

However, Roma seemed to be a curious case. Pardon me if I'm wrong, but it seemed they have embarked the policy and philosophy of selling their jewels. Last few seasons Roma seemed more like Udinese, Parma, Lyon or Porto (from earlier part of this millennium) who constantly churned out jewels for their more illustrious counterparts.

However, given the enhanced level of competition, their (Roma) policy is a very risky (in no way a calculated risk) one wrt CL revenue. So, it must be like sacrificing your queen to save your king, and the only such reward seems to be the new stadium and a guaranteed (and enhanced) revenue stream. In that light, they seem to be adopting the strategy of post-Emirates Arsenal.

All told, it's still a very risky game.

Well that's the fallout from how poor our finances were run under the Sensis. We immediately landed on FFP as soon as that became a thing and in order to get ourselves out of that whole, that kraken needed a sacrifice (or 2 in some cases). We either paid up with our jewels are dig the hole deeper with no real hope of getting out. The Americans made the tough, but correct decision to do the former. It took us years for those finances to get messed up and it will take years to set them right again.

Olsen; Kolarov, Jesus, Fazio, Florenzi; Cristante, N'Zonzi, Pellegrini; Kluivert, Dzeko, Under

Madrid losing?

CSKA 1-0 up already

nice

Dzeko 1-0