Football - Leicester's Shakespearean Tragedy

[Winterfell is Burning]

Looks like Falcão is out of the Monaco-City match. Lucky assholes.

[Consigliere]

Yeah, too bad Falcao misses out. I expect that this will be just as frenetic and end-to-end as the 1st leg. These two sides know no other way to play. Monaco are usually more defensively sound than they were in the first game, although City's front five is pretty amazing.

[Mark Antony]

Someones gonna spend so much money on Mbappe

[Consigliere]

City have been much better in the 2nd half. Not sure they can keep Monaco from scoring another one though as they push higher up the field. KdB is having a poor game. Get Yaya on.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

So who is making money with the combi bet, Leicester advances and City exits? :')

[Lord Friendzone]

1 hour ago, Mark Antony said:

Someones gonna spend so much money on Mbappe

At 18 years old he seems to be the real deal. Bakayoko, Sidibe, Fabinho, Lemar and other might follow too because plenty of teams will be interested in these players.

4 hours ago, Horse of Kent said:

United got pretty lucky with the draw putting the other four major teams against each other. Whoever of Lyon, Roma, Schalke and Gladbach goes through would have a pretty good chance of stopping them, but the most likely one, Roma, is probably going out.

It's not impossible for Roma to score two goals and not concede. Man Utd got strentgh in depth, basically can concentrate on this and while Moenchengladbach can be good, but they have shaky defence sometimes.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Well, Sane keeps City in the CL for the moment.

[Philokles]

Whenever both sides have tried to sit on their leads, they have looked awful. Monaco needed to concede in a way as that stopped them camping in their own third, and it was coming sooner or later based on the second half at that point.

 

14 minutes ago, Lord Friendzone said:

It's not impossible for Roma to score two goals and not concede. Man Utd got strentgh in depth, basically can concentrate on this and while Moenchengladbach can be good, but they have shaky defence sometimes.

Lyon's attack has been in good form recently, so I would back them to score. The away goals might be crucial for Roma if they are to come back. Gladbach have been much improved since Hecking's appointment, but have been pretty poor in the first leg and against HSV.

United probably have the best chance of Champions League qualification via the league out of the five favourites, other than Roma who are unlikely to lose third place no matter how distracted they are. So they can concentrate on the EL if Mourinho wants, but as can the others.

[Lord Friendzone]

2 minutes ago, Horse of Kent said:

Lyon's attack has been in good form recently, so I would back them to score. The away goals might be crucial for Roma if they are to come back. Gladbach have been much improved since Hecking's appointment, but have been pretty poor in the first leg and against HSV.

United probably have the best chance of Champions League qualification via the league out of the five favourites, other than Roma who are unlikely to lose third place no matter how distracted they are. So they can concentrate on the EL if Mourinho wants, but as can the others.

Iam not sure because apart from Chelsea, Tottenham seems to be pretty damn close to qualifying due to their defence but of course Kane's injury. But like I said, they don't have to score that much and still win games with others. Man City improved a lot their domestic form and defence even thogh Monaco exposed them. I fancy Liverpool more than Man Utd and Arsenal.

Man Utd's way to UCL might just be best with Europa League but others can concentrate too. Schalke is also weirdly incosistent team, Moenchengldbach can play a good games as showed in group stages but while I like their offence, defense is a bit shaky. Roma's two away goals might be crucial as they're very good at Stadio Olimpico but I do see Lyon scoring some goal there and qualify.

[Consigliere]

Apart from Sane, City were quite poor especially in the first half. They just didn't show up. Aguero missed a couple of chances and that was the worst I've seen KdB play all season. Well done to Monaco. And Leicester City for being the only English club to make the quarters.

 

[polishgenius]

I want to see Leicester vs Monaco. Mostly because I reckon Leicester would smash them.

[Winterfell is Burning]

 

1 hour ago, polishgenius said:

I want to see Leicester vs Monaco. Mostly because I reckon Leicester would smash them.

 

If the draws go as they always do, they won't face each other because Real will get one of them. Also, Bayern and Barcelona won't meet on this stage, and Barcelona and Real won't face each other in the semifinals.

[BigFatCoward]

Any other manager, and i mean any other manager would be out on his ear now at City (not saying it would be correct, but his reputation is covering some serious flaws).  

[mormont]

2 hours ago, BigFatCoward said:

Any other manager, and i mean any other manager would be out on his ear now at City (not saying it would be correct, but his reputation is covering some serious flaws).  

I think that's overstating. Man City have never, so far as I can recall, sacked a manager in his first season and this is still Guardiola's first season. Going out of the Champion's League this early is bad, but his win percentage to date is actually better than his predecessors, albeit marginally. The issue, of course, is that it was supposed to be significantly better - that's what everyone expected. I think if you take away those expectations, Guardiola's doing well enough to get a second shot, but he has to do better next season.

[Consigliere]

Guardiola will face criticism but his job isn't in danger. There is no obvious candidate to take over from him anyway and he hasn't done too bad for a first season with a team that still needs shaping for his style of play. Guardiola has a very specific way in which he wants the team to play and refuses to budge from that. The problem this season is that he does not have the players (the defence +GK) to properly execute that game plan consistently. Just look at the two games against Monaco - the Monaco players just waited for City to attempt playing out from the back, had numbers to press high up the field and time and again City were caught out. Good investment in the back five will make a world of difference. City are not that far off from being a formidable outfit.

[Philokles]

13 minutes ago, Consigliere said:

Guardiola will face criticism but his job isn't in danger. There is no obvious candidate to take over from him anyway and he hasn't done too bad for a first season with a team that still needs shaping for his style of play. Guardiola has a very specific way in which he wants the team to play and refuses to budge from that. The problem this season is that he does not have the players (the defence +GK) to properly execute that game plan consistently. Just look at the two games against Monaco - the Monaco players just waited for City to attempt playing out from the back, had numbers to press high up the field and time and again City were caught out. Good investment in the back five will make a world of difference. City are not that far off from being a formidable outfit.

Agreed. The defensive recruitment just has not been good enough for a club of this stature. If anyone is to pay the price for their underachievement it will be Txiki Begiristain.

[Mexal]

20 hours ago, Mark Antony said:

Someones gonna spend so much money on Mbappe

Hope it's Arsenal.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

1 hour ago, Horse of Kent said:

Agreed. The defensive recruitment just has not been good enough for a club of this stature. If anyone is to pay the price for their underachievement it will be Txiki Begiristain.

Though Stones and Bravo were Guardiola's choices. Granted Bravo was not his primary choice, but still you can't help the feeling, he could have gotten a better goalkeeper for that money. Just the two goalkeepers in the Atletico - Leverkusen match showed some great goalkeeping. 

10 hours ago, BigFatCoward said:

Any other manager, and i mean any other manager would be out on his ear now at City (not saying it would be correct, but his reputation is covering some serious flaws).  

Well, last season wasn't exactly a success either. And it's not hard to imagine that Guardiola will finish higher in the EPL. Besides, when has City ever reached the semi-final of the CL. So it's really not like Guardiola has turned a European powerhouse into a comedy. Just the way they exited this time was more spectacular.

18 hours ago, Consigliere said:

Apart from Sane, City were quite poor especially in the first half. They just didn't show up. Aguero missed a couple of chances and that was the worst I've seen KdB play all season. Well done to Monaco. And Leicester City for being the only English club to make the quarters.

Sane wasn't exactly great either. He was playing okay. But he is just 21 and he was the youngest player in City's formation, so you hardly expect him to lead the charge, when you have more seasoned quality players like KdB and Aguero on the pitch at the same time. He has improved quite a bit in 2017, but he is not at the end of his development.

[Real Heir of Bear Island]

21 hours ago, Lord Friendzone said:

Man Utd's way to UCL might just be best with Europa League but others can concentrate too. Schalke is also weirdly incosistent team, Moenchengldbach can play a good games as showed in group stages but while I like their offence, defense is a bit shaky. Roma's two away goals might be crucial as they're very good at Stadio Olimpico but I do see Lyon scoring some goal there and qualify.

I'm hoping Roma can overcome, if they do I think they become one of the favorites. With the schudetto all but out of reach, I think Spaletti must make something happen or be out of a job. 

I'd love for Totti to end his career with some European success for Roma! 

[Philokles]

2 hours ago, Notone said:

Though Stones and Bravo were Guardiola's choices. Granted Bravo was not his primary choice, but still you can't help the feeling, he could have gotten a better goalkeeper for that money. Just the two goalkeepers in the Atletico - Leverkusen match showed some great goalkeeping.

Oblak would not come cheap and I don't think Leno is good enough with his feet for Guardiola. The major blow was when Barcelona decided they would rather keep ter Stegen of their two keepers and play him in La Liga as well.

 

54 minutes ago, Real Heir of Bear Island said:

With the schudetto all but out of reach, I think Spaletti must make something happen or be out of a job.

That would be a very foolish move, especially with a new stadium on the way. Until then there is no way that Roma can compete with Juve. Spaletti isn't the man to take them to a scudetto against the odds, but he will keep them in the Champions League despite the Milan clubs ramping up their spending. I don't see them getting rid but losing to Lazio in the Coppa Italia will not help his cause.