Hello everyone!

I've been gone for a while and this is only my impression of the community after only a few visits but there seems to be an abundant number of topics about things that are non-football related.

What is going on?

Fellas..

FOOTBALL IS BACK! No more never ending transfer rumors that we know don't have legs, no more hyping up teams that we just know will disappoint once the season starts. We have our football matches back instead!

Are we tired of talking about it? I certainly hope not.

Seeing as how there isn't a CL discussion going on even though match-day one is behind us, I figured i'l start one myself.

The Champions League heavyweights, with the exception of the holder, have all started with a statement of intent. Barcelona have demolished Celta, Bayern Munich buried Rasta. Obviously these two teams are the favorites to win the whole thing again, it's quite clear from the very first game who the best teams are.

I like to think of Real Madrid as belonging to that elite little group but since they have just won the competition, the odds are stacked pretty heavily against us. When you add in the fact that Zidane has said our priority is La Liga, you can almost write us off. Almost. Not just quite. As Sporting game has shown, with remontada spirit alive and kicking in all it's glory, I think it'd be fair to say that Real Madrid are outside favorites to win it this year.

No other club in Europe identifies as closely and as intimately with the Champions League as Real Madrid, so despite what Zidane might've said, I know the players will give it their all to try to retain the trophy. Making history CL history is almost synonymous with Real Madrid. But anyway, enough about Real Madrid.

Who do you guys think are the other favorites to win this year? Will there be somebody new to break the cycle of the big three (Real, Bayern, Barca)?

Atletico have come the closest and have lost two finals in the last three years, and seeing as how they kept most of their players, along with a few additions that have actually strengthened them, it's to safe to expect them to at least reach the semis.

Will Guardiola do one better from last year, and take his new club to the final? Anything less than that 'should' be considered a failure, right? They have started the season very well, with new acquisitions adding a lot of depth to their squad. Nolito and Gundogan bring a lot of quality to a side that is already brimming with it. I think they'll go far, but probably not to the final. They're just not at the level of the big three.

It seems like this year will be a transitional year for PSG, and I don't really think they'll go further than quarter finals, and will have to improve dramatically to even reach that.

The only other team that I think is capable of doing something this year is Juventus. Sure, they sold Pogba and some others but new acquisitions Higuain and Pjanic have both impressed on their debuts, and I expect their performances to keep getting better. With Khedira in the form of his life, this looks like it's going to be his best season ever, along with Dybala and the always, always strong defense - they make a strong claim to the trophy. Even though they struggled in their first game of the Champions League drawing at home with Seville, I'm sure they'll pick up steam soon after and will be one of the contenders.

Did I miss anybody? Do you think one of the clubs I haven't mentioned should be considered as favorites? Make your case. :)

Oh by the way, United lost their opening Europea League game against Feyenord. (lol).

Hello everyone!

I've been gone for a while and this is only my impression of the community after only a few visits but there seems to be an abundant number of topics about things that are non-football related.

What is going on?

Fellas..

FOOTBALL IS BACK! No more never ending transfer rumors that we know don't have legs, no more hyping up teams that we just know will disappoint once the season starts. We have our football matches back instead!

Are we tired of talking about it? I certainly hope not.

Seeing as how there isn't a CL discussion going on even though match-day one is behind us, I figured i'l start one myself.

The Champions League heavyweights, with the exception of the holder, have all started with a statement of intent. Barcelona have demolished Celta, Bayern Munich buried Rasta. Obviously these two teams are the favorites to win the whole thing again, it's quite clear from the very first game who the best teams are.

I like to think of Real Madrid as belonging to that elite little group but since they have just won the competition, the odds are stacked pretty heavily against us. When you add in the fact that Zidane has said our priority is La Liga, you can almost write us off. Almost. Not just quite. As Sporting game has shown, with remontada spirit alive and kicking in all it's glory, I think that Real Madrid are outside favorites to retain the trophy.

No other club in Europe identifies as closely and as intimately with the Champions League as Real Madrid, so despite what Zidane might've said, I know the players will give it their all to try to retain the trophy. Making history CL history is almost synonymous with Real Madrid. But anyway, enough about Real Madrid.

Who do you guys think are the other favorites to win this year? Will there be somebody new to break the cycle of the big three (Real, Bayern, Barca)?

Atletico have come the closest and have lost two finals in the last three years, and seeing as how they kept most of their players, along with a few additions that have actually strengthened them, it's to safe to expect them to at least reach the semis.

Will Guardiola do one better from last year, and take his new club to the final? Anything less than that 'should' be considered a failure, right? They have started the season very well, with new acquisitions adding a lot of depth to their squad. Nolito and Gundogan bring a lot of quality to a side that is already brimming with it. I think they'll go far, but probably not to the final. They're just not at the level of the big three.

It seems like this year will be a transitional year for PSG, and I don't really think they'll go further than quarter finals, and will have to improve dramatically to even reach that.

The only other team that I think is capable of doing something this year is Juventus. Sure, they sold Pogba and some others but new acquisitions Higuain and Pjanic have both impressed on their debuts, and I expect their performances to keep getting better. With Khedira in the form of his life, this looks like it's going to be his best season ever, along with Dybala and the always, always strong defense - they make a strong claim to the trophy. Even though they struggled in their first game of the Champions League drawing at home with Seville, I'm sure they'll pick up steam soon after and will be one of the contenders.

Did I miss anybody? Do you think one of the clubs I haven't mentioned should be considered as favorites? Make your case. :)

Oh by the way, United lost their opening Europea League game against Feyenord. (lol).

I think you missed the point Liga vs PL is not here.

Then why did you start it?

"Dont ruin this create a thread. "

I'm commenting on a thread, pointing out why someone's comment is wrong. How come you're not engaging any of the points?

Underachieving exist in a dictionary

And? Does that mean that every time Barcelona didn't win the league, they simply underachieved? Again, you have a flaw in your mentality when it comes to football. This is from years of watching only one type of league.

In the same decade just like mighty Spurs

And then we beat the European champions, won the group and got to the QF. Again, what point do you think you are making? Are you just trying to troll?

Make a thread or stay on topic"

You're the one who is not engaging the topic. You are just changing the subject because you claimed that City rely on only two players, and I showed that you are wrong.

Why are you not responding to that topic?

well done Sherlock well done.

What time is it in France, tiki? Are you in the US? :)

Do you hate football talk?

I think you missed the point Liga vs PL is not here.

Then why did you start it? I saw you arguing with others about it.

"Dont ruin this create a thread. "

I'm commenting on a thread, pointing out why someone's comment is wrong. How come you're not engaging any of the points?

Underachieving exist in a dictionary

And? Does that mean that every time Barcelona didn't win the league, they simply underachieved? Again, you have a flaw in your mentality when it comes to football. This is from years of watching only one type of league.

In the same decade just like mighty Spurs

And then we beat the European champions, won the group and got to the QF. Again, what point do you think you are making? Are you just trying to troll?

Make a thread or stay on topic"

You're the one who is not engaging the topic. You are just changing the subject because you claimed that City rely on only two players, and I showed that you are wrong.

Why are you not responding to that topic?

well done Sherlock well done.

What time is it in France, tiki? Are you in the US? :)

Do you hate football talk?

I'm not sure what anything you just said had to do with the topic, but let's see if I can answer your (very short) sentences:

I think you missed the point Liga vs PL is not here.

Then why did you start it? I saw you arguing with others about it.

"Dont ruin this create a thread. "

I'm commenting on a thread, pointing out why someone's comment is wrong. How come you're not engaging any of the points?

Underachieving exist in a dictionary

And? Does that mean that every time Barcelona didn't win the league, they simply underachieved? Again, you have a flaw in your mentality when it comes to football. This is from years of watching only one type of league.

In the same decade just like mighty Spurs

And then we beat the European champions, won the group and got to the QF. Again, what point do you think you are making? Are you just trying to troll?

Make a thread or stay on topic"

You're the one who is not engaging the topic. You are just changing the subject because you claimed that City rely on only two players, and I showed that you are wrong.

Why are you not responding to that topic?

well done Sherlock well done.

What time is it in France, tiki? Are you in the US? :)

Do you hate football talk?

One last question Sherlock, how come I didnt said your username for more than 6 month And you appear 5 min later ?

I dunno, good timing? I decided to look at the Forum, saw this thread, clicked on it, and to my 'surprise', there was you, trolling and picking a fight again.

Lets see if im as good at guessing : are you Casper ? Oh you work for the NSA right ?

Er, yeah. Sure. I work for the NSA, and I care so much about keeping track of you.

Sunday Bloody Sunday good night :)

What does that even mean? It's a song by U2, about violence in Northern Ireland. What on earth does this have to do with... well, anything? I'm genuinely confused.

I'm not sure what anything you just said had to do with the topic, but let's see if I can answer your (very short) sentences:

I think you missed the point Liga vs PL is not here.

Then why did you start it? I saw you arguing with others about it.

"Dont ruin this create a thread. "

I'm commenting on a thread, pointing out why someone's comment is wrong. How come you're not engaging any of the points?

Underachieving exist in a dictionary

And? Does that mean that every time Barcelona didn't win the league, they simply underachieved? Again, you have a flaw in your mentality when it comes to football. This is from years of watching only one type of league.

In the same decade just like mighty Spurs

And then we beat the European champions, won the group and got to the QF. Again, what point do you think you are making? Are you just trying to troll?

Make a thread or stay on topic"

You're the one who is not engaging the topic. You are just changing the subject because you claimed that City rely on only two players, and I showed that you are wrong.

Why are you not responding to that topic?

well done Sherlock well done.

What time is it in France, tiki? Are you in the US? :)

Do you hate football talk?

One last question Sherlock, how come I didnt said your username for more than 6 month And you appear 5 min later ?

I dunno, good timing? I decided to look at the Forum, saw this thread, clicked on it, and to my 'surprise', there was you, trolling and picking a fight again. Maybe you should (finally) stop doing that.

Lets see if im as good at guessing : are you Casper ? Oh you work for the NSA right ?

Er, yeah. Sure. I work for the NSA, and I care so much about keeping track of you.

Sunday Bloody Sunday good night :)

What does that even mean? It's a song by U2, about violence in Northern Ireland. What on earth does this have to do with... well, anything? I'm genuinely confused.

And, since we are now on page 2, so that the point doesn't get lost, I will show it again:

"City didnt faced any stronger opposition yet to begin with, im waiting to see them face Barça, despite defensive issues its still enough to beat them. I Hear you guys many people here didnt agree on last year City underachieving post btw the lord who jumped at me to say its because of mighty Bournmounth And co Bla bla bla "

Wait a second, are you joking?

Do you remember how many points City had after 5 games last season, in which they ended up scraping 4th? They had 15, same as this season. And yet here you are, declaring them the champions already.

See, this is because you have a two-horse mentality. You are so used to watching a league in which there are only 2 horses. It's been the nature of the Spanish league for the last 10+ years. Wanna see?

That's 12 years where 22 out of 24 first and second slots were taken up by 2 teams. Oh, and look at the red, will you? That's the points difference between first and third, and then first and fourth. La Ligas has been, historically, a two-horse race, and that's why you are so quick to declare a winner of the league whenever you see (after 5 games, of course) that one team, a team far richer than most, is playing well.

Do you want to see what the PL's one looks like?

Look at how many different clubs are on that list. Look at the diversity of the league by comparison. And pay attention to the red again, and how much smaller it us over the course of 12 years. That's why when someone like me points out that the leagues are different, and that smaller teams make a larger difference in the title race, you don't understand it, because you don't understand the league.

Once again, I really didn't need to read this thread to know where it was going, but hey, it's always worthy pointing out your bias. :)

And, since we are now on page 2, so that the point doesn't get lost, I will show it again:

City relies on 2 big players, but imo only 2 KDB And Aguero, hope They dont get injured in March.

Who on Earth says that they are reliant upon 2 players? They've played 5 games, and this is where they are at:

de Bruyne: 2 goals, 3 assists
Sterling: 3 goals, 2 assists
Aguero: 3 goals
Iheanacho: 2 goals, 3 assists
Nolito: 2 goals, 1 assist

I don't think I need to read the rest of this discussion to know how it is going...

"City didnt faced any stronger opposition yet to begin with, im waiting to see them face Barça, despite defensive issues its still enough to beat them. I Hear you guys many people here didnt agree on last year City underachieving post btw the lord who jumped at me to say its because of mighty Bournmounth And co Bla bla bla "

Wait a second, are you joking?

Do you remember how many points City had after 5 games last season, in which they ended up scraping 4th? They had 15, same as this season. And yet here you are, declaring them the champions already.

See, this is because you have a two-horse mentality. You are so used to watching a league in which there are only 2 horses. It's been the nature of the Spanish league for the last 10+ years. Wanna see?

That's 12 years where 22 out of 24 first and second slots were taken up by 2 teams. Oh, and look at the red, will you? That's the points difference between first and third, and then first and fourth. La Ligas has been, historically, a two-horse race, and that's why you are so quick to declare a winner of the league whenever you see (after 5 games, of course) that one team, a team far richer than most, is playing well.

Do you want to see what the PL's one looks like?

Look at how many different clubs are on that list. Look at the diversity of the league by comparison. And pay attention to the red again, and how much smaller it us over the course of 12 years. That's why when someone like me points out that the leagues are different, and that smaller teams make a larger difference in the title race, you don't understand it, because you don't understand the league.

Once again, I really didn't need to read this thread to know where it was going, but hey, it's always worthy pointing out your bias. :)

What did I win? The fight you tried to pick with me? Personally, I think I provided some facts to show why your statements about football were wrong, but if you want to insist that I won, then sure. :)

Sleep well!

Ona serious note, it was long since I saw City looking this sharp. They're crossing the league at the moment, and although I don't personally like it, they got a good chance in succeding in Europe too. It takes a special someone not to see this.

@KTBFFHSWE:

I guess we can't blame Amer if he wasn't around for the last 4 or 5 years, while this has been going on.

@saatvik102: Exactly. People forget how long the season actually is, and how fleeting form can be.

@tiki:

City has 2 critical weapons to count in in big games,

Now you've changed it to BIG games, eh? Well, didn't you say that they havene't played any big games yet? If they haven't played any big games yet, then how can you possibly say that they have only 2 weapons for it? That makes no sense, and in addition, they have already played United, and who scored? Oh, yeah, Iheanacho scored and assisted.

You literally do not know what you are talking about.

Since United Saf there was no English club stronger than Bayern-Barca-Madrid so technically what Pep will do this season in PL, he could have done worst with his much stronger Bayern or in charge of Barca.

You don't understand what a league is. I already showed you the difference between the PL and La Liga, but you are, as always, ignoring the facts which you don't like. And bringing up Bayern or Juventus is HILARIOUS, because at least Spain's league has 2 horses. The Bundesliga and Serie A are even worse, and have been for the last few years. Wanna see?

Look at the last 6 seasons, across all leagues. Bayern and Juve are in a one-horse league, so of course you can;t compare their league form to the PL.

You literally have no idea what you are talking about. Again.

I'm off to work, but you have fun with more of your verbal masturbation. Me? I'll just keep making actual sense,. and having actual facts on my side.

Ciao!