The Amazing Decline Of The European Powerhouses......

[vonksbignose]

Erm, do we not have to get past Chelsea, The Dippers, Arse & the rag scum before we even earn the right to play them lot (ok, I'll give you Milan)!

I agree with your point that some of Europe's traditionally strong teams are looking weak at the moment, but Englands top teams are looking anything but & its them that are our first obstacle.

Lets take it one step at a time hey?

Sorry mate, I think Arsenal are a spent force I cant see them doing anything this season or in the near future, Chelsea ok I accept I can see them remaining strong only for their financial clout, and Liverpool the perennial under achievers will remain just that, we will wave at them as we pass them next season.

I do think we can lure some of the best world talent at the end of this season, we are a rich developing club, and like I said I think we will be a bigger attraction than the clubs I mentioned. players will be very much interested in joining us the future is blue,

I'm not suggesting that Arsenal are going to conquer Europe, but I can see one thing they'll do this season & thats finish above us. As will the other 3 clubs I mentioned, & at least a couple more.

We may have a shot at attempting a push at the top 4 next season, but it'll be a big, big ask, so I think realistically, it'll be at least season 2010/2011 before we can start actually expecting Chumps League qualification.

And with that in mind, I have to say that I can't agree with you about top, top players wanting to come here. The only ones we may stand a chance of getting are either those in exceptional circumstances (ala Robinho), or money grabbers, who I don't really want anyway.

So I think a gradual improvement on the quality of players at the club is what we are going to see (and what, I'm sure you'll agree, we are already seeing), until such time as we become a Champions League regular, & at that point, I can see the money men from the middle east really beginning to flex their muscles. Don't under-estimate either, the effect that the media backlash over the attempted Kaka signing will have had. The Shiek's are not stupid & they will have learnt lessons from the way that was handled & won't repeat the same mistake twice.

 

[LEE BRADBURY]

Erm, do we not have to get past Chelsea, The Dippers, Arse & the rag scum before we even earn the right to play them lot (ok, I'll give you Milan)!

I agree with your point that some of Europe's traditionally strong teams are looking weak at the moment, but Englands top teams are looking anything but & its them that are our first obstacle.

Lets take it one step at a time hey?

Sorry mate, I think Arsenal are a spent force I cant see them doing anything this season or in the near future, Chelsea ok I accept I can see them remaining strong only for their financial clout, and Liverpool the perennial under achievers will remain just that, we will wave at them as we pass them next season.

I do think we can lure some of the best world talent at the end of this season, we are a rich developing club, and like I said I think we will be a bigger attraction than the clubs I mentioned. players will be very much interested in joining us the future is blue,

I'm not suggesting that Arsenal are going to conquer Europe, but I can see one thing they'll do this season & thats finish above us. As will the other 3 clubs I mentioned, & at least a couple more.

We may have a shot at attempting a push at the top 4 next season, but it'll be a big, big ask, so I think realistically, it'll be at least season 2010/2011 before we can start actually expecting Chumps League qualification.

And with that in mind, I have to say that I can't agree with you about top, top players wanting to come here. The only ones we may stand a chance of getting are either those in exceptional circumstances (ala Robinho), or money grabbers, who I don't really want anyway.

So I think a gradual improvement on the quality of players at the club is what we are going to see (and what, I'm sure you'll agree, we are already seeing), until such time as we become a Champions League regular, & at that point, I can see the money men from the middle east really beginning to flex their muscles. Don't under-estimate either, the effect that the media backlash over the attempted Kaka signing will have had. The Shiek's are not stupid & they will have learnt lessons from the way that was handled & won't repeat the same mistake twice.

based on what I have seen this season in the Premiership I see no reason why next season we cant finish top 4, we have already beaten Arsenal and Villa this season, there’s not much to choose between us now except consistency which is our biggest problem and our Achilles heel,I expect next season we will be much harder to beat on our travels and start picking up points thus ensuring a top 4 finish.

I accept the pulling power of the Scum and maybe Barcelona might be too much to resist for some players contemplating a move, but I don’t see that many other attractive propositions. if players are thinking more long term than short term ie Champions League Football

 

[True-Blue]

Citys killing football.. read it first in THE SUN

LMAO

 

[manchesthaircity]

Italian football has been weakened enormously since the scandal since top sides lost their players to Inter, the main beneficiaries. But since the likes of Juve were weakened so much, Inters competition is not the same and would probably have much healthier competition .Healthy competition for them and surely they would be better. By this I mean it is no coincidence that the rags have got better since Chelsea decided to challenge properly. Real Madrid? No excuse. I think I'm cheering for Barca now. good competition brings out the best in teams and this may be why the superpowers are struggling

 

[LEE BRADBURY]

Italian football has been weakened enormously since the scandal since top sides lost their players to Inter, the main beneficiaries. But since the likes of Juve were weakened so much, Inters competition is not the same and would probably have much healthier competition .Healthy competition for them and surely they would be better. By this I mean it is no coincidence that the rags have got better since Chelsea decided to challenge properly. Real Madrid? No excuse. I think I'm cheering for Barca now. good competition brings out the best in teams and this may be why the superpowers are struggling

Yeah me too mate, I only see Barcelona as any real threat to the Premiership sides.

I watched Barcelona the other week in a cracking match against Atletico Madrid, can’t remember the result but some of the football was breath taking.

 

[Shooter 83]

Can't believe the OP is slagging Moaninho - half this board want him to replace Hughes in the summer (I'm not one of them).

Not half of the people in the ground though, thats what counts.

 

[Anonymous]

I've been saying for quite some years now that the major European sides are nowhere near as good , or as awkward , to play against as they once were ....... you should have got the 'hint' when the rags won in Juventus 3-2 a few years back , and Juventus were absolutely pathetic!

Real Madrid were an absolute disgrace last night , Inter were garbage in the first leg and hardly any better tonite , AC Milan are hardly setting the game alight these days , and Juventus are all over the place ....... these sides were incredibly strong years ago and you'd have really struggled to ever get a positive result when you went to any of those places , they appear to have simply stopped doing the things that they've always been good at ....... even lesser sides like Belgrade , Gornik , Celtic or Benfica were much stronger back then than they are today.

Inters marking for the rags goals tonite was pathetic , real schoolboy stuff ...... and somethin' that definetely wouldn't have happened back in the day.

 

[manchesthaircity]

I've been saying for quite some years now that the major European sides are nowhere near as good , or as awkward , to play against as they once were ....... Real Madrid were an absolute disgrace last night , Inter were garbage in the first leg and hardly any better tonite , AC Milan are hardly setting the game alight these days , and Juventus are all over the place ....... these sides were incredibly strong years ago and you'd have really struggled to ever get a positive result when you went to any of those places , they appear to have simply stopped doing the things that they've always been good at ....... even lesser sides like Belgrade , Gornik , Celtic or Benfica were much stronger back then than they are today.

yup. In the nineties Prem sides consistently failed against the 'cream' of Europe but it is only the last couple of years that prem sides has begun to dominate. It is only a couple of seasons ago that the Spanish had 3 teams in the semis. I totally agree that the european sides have stopped doing what the tend to do best. Technically always brilliant, defensively sound and biding there time for opportunities. They look kind of desperate in some games, when they always looked so calm before.

 

[LEE BRADBURY]

I've been saying for quite some years now that the major European sides are nowhere near as good , or as awkward , to play against as they once were ....... you should have got the 'hint' when the rags won in Juventus 3-2 a few years back , and Juventus were absolutely pathetic!

Real Madrid were an absolute disgrace last night , Inter were garbage in the first leg and hardly any better tonite , AC Milan are hardly setting the game alight these days , and Juventus are all over the place ....... these sides were incredibly strong years ago and you'd have really struggled to ever get a positive result when you went to any of those places , they appear to have simply stopped doing the things that they've always been good at ....... even lesser sides like Belgrade , Gornik , Celtic or Benfica were much stronger back then than they are today.

Inters marking for the rags goals tonite was pathetic , real schoolboy stuff ...... and somethin' that definetely wouldn't have happened back in the day.

Good post I agree.

The good thing is with the premiership sides dominating Europe it makes it the place for players to want to be, and that was the point of my post, under normal circumstances we would have stood no chance of acquiring world class players if any of those sides I had mentioned had been in the hunt, but now what we are seeing is a monolithic shift in pulling power to the Premiership, and I honestly believe we have the pulling capacity of any other club with the exception of only 2 or 3.

Who would have thought last season we would sign Robinho after going for Ronaldiniho then going after and nearly signing Kaka from AC Milan.

we could really exploit this unique situation.

 

[Santini]

I've been saying for quite some years now that the major European sides are nowhere near as good , or as awkward , to play against as they once were ....... you should have got the 'hint' when the rags won in Juventus 3-2 a few years back , and Juventus were absolutely pathetic!

While it's obviously true that the Italian teams have fallen behind, your point makes little sense considering Juventus reached the CL final 3 years after that game.