...::[The Footy Desk]::...

[King Of Monra]

Group G will be quite close I predict.

 

Arsenal on paper got a really easy group.

 

[BreadBasket]

Group F could have a suprise or two up it's sleeve, Group H just seems to be Arsenal plus 1 from 3 going through to me. Of the English teams Chelsea probably have the hardest draw.

 

@Fleshnbone: How do you think Wolfsburg will do against CSKA and Besiktas? As that is probably one of the easiest groups to qualify from. If you ignore Man Utd and say that they are out of sight that is.

[Flesh-n-Bone]

@Fleshnbone: How do you think Wolfsburg will do against CSKA and Besiktas? As that is probably one of the easiest groups to qualify from. If you ignore Man Utd and say that they are out of sight that is.

I was praying that Wolfsburg would end up in Group G but after seeing Stuttgart there were no chances. Then I just wished they would fall in the same group as either Arsenal or Man Utd. But it's good, I think they will go through second. My expectations are at least a third place qualifying to UEFA Cup.

 

And as a Madridista, I'm disappointed in the management, first forcing Sneijder out for €15 million to Inter now today rumors out of nowhere came and it's been confirmed all over the net that Bayern have signed Robben for €25 million.

 

Recouping the cash spend on transfers, my ass. We could have potentially gotten at least €65 million from selling Robben & Sneijder but in the end they decided to give up on them for only €40 million (both combined).

[Der_Don]

Good draw for the German teams. Bayern, Wolfsburg and Stuttgart will go through I think.

And Im excited about the Barca-Inter game. Ibrahimovic vs. Eto'o. Will be interesting to watch.

[The Killa]

Barca and inter will be awesome, shocked we won't have a United / Madrid in a group unless they advance by chance.

 

Have a feeling Wolfsburg will top their group

[Flesh-n-Bone]

Have a feeling Wolfsburg will top their group

I hope, and it's not far from possible.

[LanceVanceDance07]

On paper, Man United have got it pretty easy, though I am slightly worried about Wolfsburg, but not too worried. Arsenal alsp have a decently easy group.

 

I expect Liverpool's group to be quite a scrap. Lyon and Fiorentina are pretty good teams.

 

 

 

 

[joemcg15]

on paper man utd have an easy draw but you have the champions of germany and turkey and 2nd place in russian league.i say it will go

1st=man utd

2nd=wolfsburg

3rd=cska moscow

4th=besiktas

[The Killa]

Robben joins Bayern Munich

 

I have to say their attack looks reall attractive. Ribery and Robben on wings, Mario Gomez and Klose upfront.. not bad I reckon

[Waddy]

Robben is a cracking talent. If the manager can stop his diving antics then Bayern along with Ribery will win the CL this year. You heard it here first.

[Vercetti27]

I love how for the first time in ages an arsenal player dives, it's on the backpages and everything, but when Ronaldo did it 10 times a year at man utd it was "clever"

Pathetic really. People can get so easily manipulated by the media. I'm glad I'm not one of them.

[Waddy]

I think Ronaldo got slated for his diving antics.

He did actually stop after Sir Alex tried to get him to stop it. I always thought Gerrard was far worse anyway.

[BreadBasket]

Gerrard, for a few years, seemed to win a penalty every time he went into the other teams box, classic example of this would be when he won a penalty on the first day of the season for intent. Did the other player intend to give a penalty away? I don't think so... He is overrated, and recently has underperformed for club and country.

 

We will not win the WC with Gerrard on the pitch. You heard it here first.

[Vercetti27]

Ronaldo got a bit of stick but never a ban, which is being currently talked about

It should have happened a long time ago...

[Bates_GTA]

Topsy tervy week for villa, i went away on Monday just for a few days. Managed to watch the Liverpool game in a pub, was astonished to see Villa 0-2 up at half time. Once Torres got the goal back though i thought it was going to be a typical Villa game, where we lose our heads & throw away the win. Then i come home to realise we've been knocked out the Europa League, maybe a blessing in disguise considering we're being inconsistent bastards lately.

 

Very pleased to see Warnock has signed though, nice bit of business from Martin O'neill, don't see that too often, i'm not to sure about Dunne i do hope he signs but whether he does now is a different matter.

 

I don't know if it's been a good or bad week for Villa? I do have to say i'm very roud of the way we defended in the second half against Liverpool, as for the penalty you can't exactly blame Reo-Coker for making the most of it, Gerrard went to ground very late, which alot of Liverpool fans were disgusted at.

 

Also absolutely gutted for Davies, seems he can never reach that prime due to injury

Edited August 28, 2009 by Bates_GTA

[Flesh-n-Bone]

I still can't forget about the nightmare I've had which is Robben's departure to Bayern. Can't believe something that 'started' yesterday has been done already by now.

 

A fantastic summer got ruined by the loss of two great players... I'm gutted!

[SIKKS66]

Bah, I was hoping United were gonna go in for him. Kinda.

[Vercetti27]

Arsenal

AK Alkmaar

Olympiakos

Standard Liege

 

looks like we've got some good fortune

 

hopefully it will be easy as it looks

 

[The Killa]

Am I the only one who sees injustice in UEFA charging Eduardo? There are players who dive everyday yet they don't get punished. Did they decide to start now?

[Vercetti27]

Am I the only one who sees injustice in UEFA charging Eduardo? There are players who dive everyday yet they don't get punished. Did they decide to start now?

no your not. Theres been quite a lot of comotion over it in the arsenal community

[DanManUtd]

Am I the only one who sees injustice in UEFA charging Eduardo? There are players who dive everyday yet they don't get punished. Did they decide to start now?

no your not. Theres been quite a lot of comotion over it in the arsenal community

That doesn't surprise me.

 

 

But, I think that they've, randomly decided, just to start at that time stamping out diving. I feel it would only be an injustice if players who dive within the next month or so aren't banned also.

[Seddo]

I have still yet to see the Eduardo diving incident so i'm not sure how serious it was...

 

Has Eduardo actually been punished or is still going on? If so then cracking move from UEFA/FIFA, not becuase of the player or club but just for them actually growing balls to actually stomp out diving.

 

Thing is they now need to be consistant in this matter, there's no going back now, but UEFA/FIFA has but themselves in a dangerous postion. How will they determine the exaggerated contact compared to the blatent dive.

 

spelling : p

Edited August 28, 2009 by Seddo

[SIKKS66]

Hopefully with such punishments for diving, players will avoid going over with "exaggerated contact" and just play the game. Only problem is that determining whether a player actually dived or not can be pretty subjective. Unless it's blatant.

Edited August 28, 2009 by SIKKS66

[arsenal_fan]

If Edu does get banned then all divers have to from now on, so Drogba and gerrard better be careful otherwise their footballl careers are over!

 

 

Ashley Young dived 3 times against Rapid yet on ITV there was no 500 replays of his dives or constant condemnation, i wonder why?

[BreadBasket]

When Gerrard dives, a penalty is given for intent. When a foreigner dives, except Ronaldo or Drogba, then it is all over the TV...

[Bates_GTA]

Why?..

 

I think it's harsh on Eduardo, but it's time they put their foot down, considering people went on about the injustice involved when he had his ankle broken, it's quite fitting he's the first to feel the full consequences of diving.

[BreadBasket]

I agree. They need to be harsher on divers. But why now? Seems like they have just made Eduardo a scapegoat for everyone else's faults as well as his own.

[SIKKS66]

Ah man, what a player Gerard Piqué has become...

 

/random

[LanceVanceDance07]

All this diving talk is making me want to jump in the water...

 

Anyways, Man United/Arsenal tomorrow at Old Trafford. Arsenal think they can beat anyone right now, so it's important that we bring them back down to earth. It's also important that we get something in this match, and shut down the likes of Fabregas and Arshavin. If Carrick and Fletcher (or anyone who is patrolling the midfield) can do this, Arsenal are pretty much screwed. I'm hoping United win this one, but with Arsenal's incredible form, it's just as easy to lose this match.

[kietotheworld]

Nothing would surprise me in this match.