Champions League with Pep

Can't win em all even though we tried. C'est la vie

It's reet though, Enzo's coming and we'll win it next year
 
N1985 said:
Can't win em all even though we tried. C'est la vie

It's reet though, Enzo's coming and we'll win it next year
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I do think the banter timeline is he comes in and wins two and becomes our greatest ever manager proving once and for all the doubters right that Pep really was an overthinking tinkerer.
 
that Chelsea final still haunts me especially how nothing remained of that Chelsea side even by 2023 let alone today. most of that Chelsea squad was bought 2019 onwards. while we slowly built towards our CL trophy and took Pep the 7th season to win it Tuchel took over in January and delivered in 5 months.

we are absolute due to somehow win CL when there are 5-6 better sides out there but somehow with lucky draw we get to final and maybe playing worse but nick the win. rarely happens to us as we always seem to draw Real who knows how to beat us even if they have a bad season.
so odd as I only recall facing Bayern once in KO stages (22/23) since takeover while we met Real a lot.

other than that final Rodri, Dinho, Kun all benched:(, the eliminations vs Lyon, Spurs also hurt as neither won it and after Spurs we would have had an Ajax side to beat to reach final.

fair to say that in this 10 years given we were top2 sides in Europe for large part of it maybe could have done better in CL. like PSG when they are on top they won it back to back, also lost a final vs Bayern.

CL is hard, no guarantee we even do a final next 10 seasons. Maresca has never managed in CL, for him the level of pressure and tactical difference will be a shock. getting into good form at the right time and avoid injuries and red cards for crucial games and stay calm can get you very far tho.

dippers won in 2019 but has not looked close to get into final since.
Chelsea won it in 2021 again has not even got close since.
Barcelona last final was in 2015. close to another last season.
Arse had last time got into final 20 years ago.

hope we take ultra serious the league stage and that can help with the KO draws. Arse finished 1st in league stage and had to beat Leverkusen then Sporting to reach semis while for us it was a route of Real then Bayern, sick difference...
not worth it given how hard to manage these extra hard games in March/April in return so you can relax few players vs Lverkusen and Bodo in league stage.
 
Damanino said:
that Chelsea final still haunts me especially how nothing remained of that Chelsea side even by 2023 let alone today. most of that Chelsea squad was bought 2019 onwards. while we slowly built towards our CL trophy and took Pep the 7th season to win it Tuchel took over in January and delivered in 5 months.

we are absolute due to somehow win CL when there are 5-6 better sides out there but somehow with lucky draw we get to final and maybe playing worse but nick the win. rarely happens to us as we always seem to draw Real who knows how to beat us even if they have a bad season.
so odd as I only recall facing Bayern once in KO stages (22/23) since takeover while we met Real a lot.

other than that final Rodri, Dinho, Kun all benched:(, the eliminations vs Lyon, Spurs also hurt as neither won it and after Spurs we would have had an Ajax side to beat to reach final.

fair to say that in this 10 years given we were top2 sides in Europe for large part of it maybe could have done better in CL. like PSG when they are on top they won it back to back, also lost a final vs Bayern.

CL is hard, no guarantee we even do a final next 10 seasons. Maresca has never managed in CL, for him the level of pressure and tactical difference will be a shock. getting into good form at the right time and avoid injuries and red cards for crucial games and stay calm can get you very far tho.

dippers won in 2019 but has not looked close to get into final since.
Chelsea won it in 2021 again has not even got close since.
Barcelona last final was in 2015. close to another last season.
Arse had last time got into final 20 years ago.

hope we take ultra serious the league stage and that can help with the KO draws. Arse finished 1st in league stage and had to beat Leverkusen then Sporting to reach semis while for us it was a route of Real then Bayern, sick difference...
not worth it given how hard to manage these extra hard games in March/April in return so you can relax few players vs Lverkusen and Bodo in league stage.
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I've asked and sort of had it explained to me that because Arse were top of the CL league they got favourable draws. But Bayern were second and didn't get an easy route.

I won't ever understand it.

I'm very worried now I learn Maresca has never managed a Champs League team.
 
My biggest problem with CL is not that we only won one title, was more that it felt like we wasted it so many times. Pellegrini got absolutely slaughtered after the 0-1 against Real, even Khaldoon said he was disappointed in his end of season review. But Real back then was an amazing team.

I just can’t help but thinking there were so many fuckups in CL over the years and I think this was if anything, Pep’s single achilles heel. Liverpool, Spurs, Lyon, Real a couple of times etc. Also in the new format to not understand how important it is to finish high up. Even Bayern against Real when Pep was there.

I look forward to seeing what Enzo can do in Europe because there is certainly room for improvement there.
 
jimharri said:
We've clearly underachieved in the competition. One CL in the 10 years under Pep is underwhelming, given the quality of the sides we've had. We should have beaten an average Chelsea side in 2021. One of Pep's legendary brainfarts cost us that night. And, in my opinion, the Centurions team were good enough to win the competition in that period. We were screwed by the referee when we played the dips that season. And, like many on here, that defeat to Lyon still haunts me. That Sterling miss will forevr be etched in my memory.
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We got battered away at Liverpool. Nothing to do with the ref. Like rabbits in the headlights
 
tonea2003 said:
is only 1 win in 10 years with pep in the champions league an ok return
or should have we done better?
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We could have had 4 CL's in a row.

2021: Zinny made 1 tiny mistake
2022: Cancelo paniced and played Benzema onside.
2024: KDB missed a sitter

So Pep did all he could.. we were there but the players couldn't do it.

And that's me talking about our mistakes.. don't get me started on 2019 CL.. that team could have done the quadruple but the hand ball goal by Llorente was allowed. I suppose I could also say Aguero missed the pen in the first leg but it feels like the hand ball goal took the wind out of our sails.
 
johnnytapia said:
Benching Kev at Spurs.
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And Sane

That spurs away was a shocker of a game plan. Lyon and Chelsea were the ones that stick in my mind as the worst, but we won a treble so there'll always be that.

But yea I dont think its too greedy to say we should have bagged another European cup. Not sure what the stats would be on it but pretty sure we were favourites quite often throughout a number of seasons?
 
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