Top 3/4.
Real and Bayern are of course number 1 and 2.
But this season with Barca under the transfer-ban, i see us competing with them. A few of their main stars are aging players by now, and they haven't really got the quality consistantly over the pitch.
Top 3/4.
Real and Bayern are of course number 1 and 2.
But this season with Barca under the transfer-ban, i see us competing with them. A few of their main stars are aging players by now, and they haven't really got the quality consistantly over the pitch.
Is that a Joke?
Alba - shite
Alves - shite
Pique - shite
Mascerano - meh
Rakatic - shite
Busquests - shite
Iniesta - poor man's Cleverly
Neymar - shite
Suarez - shite
Messi - the argie Akinfenwa
Right, here's my opinion on the 9 clubs you mention above.
Barca - undoubtedly the best team in the world.
Real - still ahead of us, but other than Ronaldo I don't see their squad being that much better than us, they are definitely in decline.
Munich - still ahead of us, they just have more experience in big games, we'll catch them soon enough.
Chelsea - they were ahead of us last year by quite a distance, but a poor transfer window for them has shown, we dominated them 3-0, it could have been 5/6 ahead at half time!
Athletico - they have some good technical players and arguably the best manager in the world (despite playing boring football), but they aren't the team they were 2 years ago, to many good players have left - I think we're ahead of them.
Chelsea - they got mentioned twice in your list
PSG - Really good team, I'd say they are 'just' ahead of us because they don't have any domestic competition.
Juventus - absolutely no chance are they ahead of us now. last season, maybe, but they've lost 3 of their 4 best players and domestic competition has improved.
Dortmund - No Klopp, no champions league football, no Lewandowski - they are no where near the Dortmund of 2013 and arguing they're ahead of us is laughable, there are at least 4 teams ahead of them in Germany alone!
I think a lot of City fans forget that in the last 2 seasons we've been in a group with Bayern and faced Barca in the round of 16. Juventus last year had a group of Athletico, Olympiakos and Malmo (they finished second), they beat the poorest Dortmund team we've seen in half a decade to reach the quarters, where they beat a Monaco side that finished 12 points behind PSG - they qualified for the final after having the game of their lives vs Madrid - then played Barca in the final and got outclassed on every front - and people think they had some incredible team that was miles ahead of ours etc - they didn't they just got lucky one season.
Is that a Joke?
Alba - world class
Alves - World class
Pique - World class
Mascerano - World class
Rakatic - pretty close to world class
Busquests - World class
Iniesta - World class
Neymar - World class
Suarez - World class
Messi - Average
Sure but in what sense of the team are you talking about. Us vs them in terms of a full season or a UCL Final. The only way I can see a serious comparison be made between city and barca with the inclusion of the bench is in relevance to how each team would do throughout the entire season not just one game, because as you mentioned before, Barca have the better starting 11.They have a strong first 11, i'll give you that. But as i said it's an ageing squad.
Alves is 32, Mascherano 31, Iniesta 31.
Alba is only a slight upgrade on Kolarov/Clichy.
Pique is not that great, and i'd easily say our CB's are better than Barca's lot.
Rakitic is still not proving a whole ton, despite the team he's in, and our selection is once again, in my opinion a stronger side.
Busquets is decent, but seems to fade in top games.
Iniesta is world class, i'll give you that. But for how long will his legs stay?
I can't put a finger on their front three, but with one injury. And they are in trouble there.
A lot of things point towards them being a weaker side. One of the only things is their collective, but that's a major boost in their direction.
Would you rather have a bench of:
Ter Stegen, Bartra, Mathieu, Gumbau, Rafinha, Munir and Sandro? (Their latest bench against Malaga)
or
Willy, Demichelis, Maffeo, Nasri, Roberts, Iheanacho and Delph?
Our bench is weakened too, but we at least have the players to up our bench a lot. Barca doesn't really have a whole ton of improvements from their bench.
We could add: De Bruyne, Otamendi, Bony, Clichy and Zabaleta, to name a few.
Barca could add: Adriano, Roberto, Douglas and Pique (Because of his red card currently)
I still know which bench i'd prefer.
Sure but in what sense of the team are you talking about. Us vs them in terms of a full season or a UCL Final. The only way I can see a serious comparison be made between city and barca with the inclusion of the bench is in relevance to how each team would do throughout the entire season not just one game, because as you mentioned before, Barca have the better starting 11.
Sure but in what sense of the team are you talking about. Us vs them in terms of a full season or a UCL Final. The only way I can see a serious comparison be made between city and barca with the inclusion of the bench is in relevance to how each team would do throughout the entire season not just one game, because as you mentioned before, Barca have the better starting 11.
I did. But as I mentioned I was referring to how you can compare where we sit with the top squads in terms of each squad's starting 11 (which would speak to a sole game we would play with them) or coaching, bench, etc. that can speak to strengths in an entirely different spectrum.Did you read the thread title?
Hahahaha of course, was just curiousI am talking about a whole season of course. you wouldn't judge a team on one game would you?
I wouldn't. Unless it's Rags against MK Dons of course!
I did. But as I mentioned I was referring to how you can compare where we sit with the top squads in terms of each squad's starting 11 (which would speak to a sole game we would play with them) or coaching, bench, etc. that can speak to strengths in an entirely different spectrum.
You can't guarantee. I guess I should've mentioned it as a hypothetical.Well the thread title says 'squads', yet you called somebody out for talking about how weak Barca's squad is outside the first XI. In this sole game we play with them, how do they guarantee that all of their first XI are fit and free from suspension?
I think us and psg on paper are a joint 4 th with us slightly edging it
good post apart from that part in bold. I think Dortmund will certainly come in the top two in the Bundesliga this season.Right, here's my opinion on the 9 clubs you mention above.
Barca - undoubtedly the best team in the world.
Real - still ahead of us, but other than Ronaldo I don't see their squad being that much better than us, they are definitely in decline.
Munich - still ahead of us, they just have more experience in big games, we'll catch them soon enough.
Chelsea - they were ahead of us last year by quite a distance, but a poor transfer window for them has shown, we dominated them 3-0, it could have been 5/6 ahead at half time!
Athletico - they have some good technical players and arguably the best manager in the world (despite playing boring football), but they aren't the team they were 2 years ago, to many good players have left - I think we're ahead of them.
Chelsea - they got mentioned twice in your list
PSG - Really good team, I'd say they are 'just' ahead of us because they don't have any domestic competition.
Juventus - absolutely no chance are they ahead of us now. last season, maybe, but they've lost 3 of their 4 best players and domestic competition has improved.
Dortmund - No Klopp, no champions league football, no Lewandowski - they are no where near the Dortmund of 2013 and arguing they're ahead of us is laughable, there are at least 4 teams ahead of them in Germany alone!
I think a lot of City fans forget that in the last 2 seasons we've been in a group with Bayern and faced Barca in the round of 16. Juventus last year had a group of Athletico, Olympiakos and Malmo (they finished second), they beat the poorest Dortmund team we've seen in half a decade to reach the quarters, where they beat a Monaco side that finished 12 points behind PSG - they qualified for the final after having the game of their lives vs Madrid - then played Barca in the final and got outclassed on every front - and people think they had some incredible team that was miles ahead of ours etc - they didn't they just got lucky one season.
Ronaldo and Bale dive enough for their entire team. Pepe will take a dive right after he assaults an opposition player (or sometimes his own), and he'll get away with both!
That said, you're right that there's a greater crackdown on physical play in the Champions League and we can't get away with as much as we do in the Premier League.