Any Team, Any League, Anywhere! (The Club Footy Thread)

[alkis21]

At the end of another poor year for AEK, we are playing in a four teams playoffs mini league. First place gets the ticket to the 2nd preliminary round of the Champions League. I'm not optimistic.

Before that though, two years after the amazing final of 8 goals and 34 penalty kicks, AEK is in the Greek cup final again. We're playing tonight against a relatively small club called Atromitos and hope for our 14th cup title. Naturally, we are the favorite but you know how tricky these matches can be against players who will probably never get that chance again in their careers. Plus we're not exactly dominating our games this season, not even against weak opposition.

[hogstrom]

The coach perhaps made a mistake in the tactic chosen, and now the semis are lost. However, if Mourinho made a big mistake was right after the match, saying that the semifinal is lost. That is a mortal sin here! No matter if we had lost 0-9, we must never anticipate defeat.

First, i do understand your points, Rodolfo. Afterall, im not surprised to hear you do not wish him out.

Secondly, i had no idea Mourinho said the semis was lost after that 0-2. It is not. Surely it is less lost that the spanish top division. If he said that then it must be less good in purpose to motivate his players. On the other hand it is more or less lost when i doubt there is not more than 1-3% chance to make it.

FCB will win a league title and perhaps an Europe Cup in between, and the great egos inside the club will probably find a chance to colide.

Mourinho seem to be a realist (CL-semi is more or less lost) just like you when you made the statement, "FCB will win league title", suggesting the race is lost for Real Madrid. However, It is/was in reality 15 points to fight for when you wrote it yesterday, thus still a chance for Real Madrid to win the division. I guess you just wrote a "mortal sin" Rodolfo

[Steve1977]

Rodolfo, when Mourinho says the semi final is lost he's probably doing so to put the onus on Barcelona. Pile the pressure on them because if Madrid go to the Nou Camp with all guns blazing and score one goal then it's anybodys really. This game is far from over although it's going to be tricky if Mourinho is banned from the touchline.

To be fair I dont think it was a sending off but refs get decisions like this wrong all the time. Still it doesent help when you have the Barcelona team hounding the ref to get him sent off. True he may have shown a vicious nature in previous games between the two (i dont know if this is the case) but previous games should be irrelevant.

As for a conspiracy for Barcelona? Well the decisions in this game werent blantantly in favour of Barcelona but they do seem to have decisions go for them thats for sure. I believe it's because they play such attractive football that everyone (seemingly) wants them in the final but to get there they have to EARN IT. When they played Chelsea a few seasons back they far from earned it - maybe the ref was duped by their elegancy and stature? Dunno. But when you have UEFA representatives so opposed to English teams you do start to wonder. This game did have bizzare errors by the ref but the Madrid game? I dont think so. But I do believe that when a player goes in full bloodied and then you have all these 'stars' who play with such elegance and 'wouldnt hurt a fly' bemoaning a tackle and when everyone seemingly wants Barcelona in the file it's easy for refs to be swayed.

Personally I preferred the way Man Utd played when they had Ronaldo. That team had fantastic passing but also had great moments of flair. Barcelona play similar to Arsenal but it's all tippy tappy. Much prefer my players to make a full bloodied challenge now and again or maybe a speculative long ball out to the onrushing winger.
At least UEFA will be pleased that there's not two English teams in the final once again (not that was in danger of course given only Man Utd are left in it from England) but at least they can be relaxed knowing that the UEFA proclaimed 'best team in Europe' are there once again. The way they keep the ball is superb but the way they dive when you try and get it off them? Nah, not worthy winners for me.

[alkis21]

Right. If for some reason you want to know what happened in the Greek Cup final, I'll try to inform you.



Here's the recap: Before the match fans were exchanging flares. Then the match wouldn't begin because fans had entered the pitch and were walking around outside the throw in lines. At some point, unfortunately the match began. Then nothing happened for almost 30 minutes, and then AEK scored a goal that was clearly offside. At half time the team managers of both teams invaded the referees' locker room and the chairmen of the two teams almost engaged into a fist fight. Second half, before long the match was interrupted again because the atmosphere was orange from all the flares. Crap match, not many chances, 12 minutes to the end AEK scored a second goal and then a third one. The referee ended up calling the final whistle 9 minutes before the designated injury time because the fans were ready to invade the pitch. Which they did, and in the process they beat up some of Atromitos' players.

You probably believe that this is an unprecedented incident and that AEK will be severely punished by the Greek federation, maybe even lose the title? Haha... this is the third time this year that fans invade the pitch and beat up the opponent's players, in the first division only. The previous time the punishment was just one match with no fans and a fine. AEK may get two, but that will be it. That's Greek football for you.

It seems like only yesterday when in this very forum we were discussing AEK's draw in Bernabeu or the win against Milan.

[alkis21]

[Rodolfo]

But AEK, however, won the Cup! Congratulations

About those incidents, and we have a few also here, I always wonder why never any politician promise that he will build more jails. He would probably be called fascist by the usual stupid intelligentsia groups. But there has to be an end to all this unpunished crime, and that pernicious feeling, confirmed by so many sad facts, that everything is free, no matter what you do.

[alkis21]

He would probably be called fascist by the usual stupid intelligentsia groups.

You answered your own question.

[Freshmaker]

Prisons? What happened to sending them to Australia?

[gdh82]

Right. If for some reason you want to know what happened in the Greek Cup final, I'll try to inform you.

I was wondering but wasn't expecting to hear this! Great that you won the trophy but sad when non-footy events overshadow things. Reminded me of when the Blues beat Villa in the cup QFs not so long ago.

[gdh82]

And with 3 matches of the premiership season remaining, things remain in the balance, especially at the bottom of the table!

Sunday, 1 May 2011 18:11 UK
Position Team P GD PTS
Full Barclays Premier League table
1 Man Utd 35 38 73
2 Chelsea 35 38 70
3 Arsenal 35 32 67
4 Man City 34 22 62
5 Liverpool 35 15 55
6 Tottenham 34 7 55
7 Everton 35 5 48
8 Bolton 35 0 46
9 Fulham 35 7 45
10 Stoke 35 0 43
11 West Brom 35 -14 43
12 Newcastle 35 -2 41
13 Aston Villa 35 -13 41
14 Sunderland 35 -13 41
15 Birmingham 35 -17 39
16 Blackburn 35 -14 38
17 Blackpool 35 -22 35
18 Wigan 35 -23 35
19 Wolves 35 -23 34
20 West Ham 35 -23 32

[manicx]

The Cup final was a disgrace.... Disappointed to the maximum

[Tripod]

Greek football sure is exciting!

[Rodolfo]

Prisons? What happened to sending them to Australia?

Now that you mention, some Victorian justice would be nice, once in a while...