Now the dust has settled...

[beef-supreme]

If we played Arsenal or Spurs we'd rape them at home, I'm pretty sure of that. I'd like to get an 'easy' team though, at least in the earlier stages...
Always prefer an easier draw, no matter what the critics say.

Also, I don't think we will be pitted against AC Milan just yet. Maybe if we both make it through to the quarters.

 

[Richard.H]

If we played Arsenal or Spurs we'd rape them at home, I'm pretty sure of that. I'd like to get an 'easy' team though, at least in the earlier stages...
Always prefer an easier draw, no matter what the critics say.

Also, I don't think we will be pitted against AC Milan just yet. Maybe if we both make it through to the quarters.

Highly disagree. I'd much rather us facing tougher opposition in each stage so critics will have less excuses to bitch and whine. Also, we'll be better prepared for later stages and won't underestimate other teams.

 

[beef-supreme]

Highly disagree. I'd much rather us facing tougher opposition in each stage so critics will have less excuses to bitch and whine. Also, we'll be better prepared for later stages and won't underestimate other teams.

In my experience, we've won the CL when drawn against teams suited to our style early on. The Lyons, the Bayerns, the Benficas... And I'd rather have that than AC Milan in the round of 16. It would put unnecessary pressure on our domestic season.

It's all well to criticise but I think that 2 CLs, 3 Ligas, 1 Copa, 1 CWC, 1 UEFA Supercup and 4 Spanish Supercups in the last 5 years speak for themselves. If we could add another CL i don't think anyone could rationally criticise our success as having been based on 'easy draws'.

Pep knows exactly how to do his job and he is the very best at keeping us from underestimating others. And those who want to criticise would find fault to bitch and whine about either way - they'd come up with the argument that the Serie A is weak, or that Milan is old if we were to beat Milan, or that we cheated if we beat Chelsea... etc. etc.
I'd rather take the easier draw, not have the squad exhausted, do well domestically, and prepare for intense QF, SF and Final matches - if we were fortunate enough to get that far.

 

[Jordzibob]

Much as I love your "bring em' all on" attitude Arman, I think the majority of people, including myself, would rather have an easier run through the CL than a harder one...............

Haters gonna hate, let them hate. Even if they do hate us, the majority of people are actually agreed that we're the best side in the world right now, and if we won the CL, via easy route or not, it would just cement that.

 

[Carefree]

...or that we cheated if we beat Chelsea... etc. etc.

Tom Henning Ovrebo - and deep down every single Barcelona fan knows they were gift wrapped a pass into the final by that despicable human being. Four of the most blatant penalties you'll ever see. I don't doubt Barcelona were (by far) the best team in 2008/09 and I enjoyed seeing them give Manchester United a proper footballing lesson, but I think it's fairly understandable from a Chelsea POV why we'd be so angered with THAT semi-final.

 

[el tren]

I don't want to face Bayern solely because they have been our toy in CL just like how Sevilla is our toy in La Liga (constantly beating and raping them by a large margin)

I mean honestly ... although i see you are from the wrong continent and therefore prolly naturally lack the knowledge, you might still want to get your facts straight next time ...

SO just for you ... the 4-0 last year in camp nou was the first and only time Barca beat Bayern in an official match. Its not that they played often, but Bayern still won both matches in the 98/99 CL season and also beating Barca in camp nou when they proceed in the 95/96 UEFA cup semi final (after having a draw at home).

So much for the 'toy' theory ...

 

[House of Flies]

I mean honestly ... although i see you are from the wrong continent and therefore prolly naturally lack the knowledge, you might still want to get your facts straight next time ...

SO just for you ... the 4-0 last year in camp nou was the first and only time Barca beat Bayern in an official match. Its not that they played often, but Bayern still won both matches in the 98/99 CL season and also beating Barca in camp nou when they proceed in the 95/96 UEFA cup semi final (after having a draw at home).

So much for the 'toy' theory ...

yeh, bayern are not our toy for any matter possible.

they might have a crappy defence but they have awesome awesome attack.

 

[barcetia]

In my experience, we've won the CL when drawn against teams suited to our style early on. The Lyons, the Bayerns, the Benficas... And I'd rather have that than AC Milan in the round of 16. It would put unnecessary pressure on our domestic season.

It's all well to criticise but I think that 2 CLs, 3 Ligas, 1 Copa, 1 CWC, 1 UEFA Supercup and 4 Spanish Supercups in the last 5 years speak for themselves. If we could add another CL i don't think anyone could rationally criticise our success as having been based on 'easy draws'.

Pep knows exactly how to do his job and he is the very best at keeping us from underestimating others. And those who want to criticise would find fault to bitch and whine about either way - they'd come up with the argument that the Serie A is weak, or that Milan is old if we were to beat Milan, or that we cheated if we beat Chelsea... etc. etc.
I'd rather take the easier draw, not have the squad exhausted, do well domestically, and prepare for intense QF, SF and Final matches - if we were fortunate enough to get that far.

Spot on beef. WElcome back btw, we've missed your contributions.

 

[gingerless]

Tom Henning Ovrebo - and deep down every single Barcelona fan knows they were gift wrapped a pass into the final by that despicable human being. Four of the most blatant penalties you'll ever see. I don't doubt Barcelona were (by far) the best team in 2008/09 and I enjoyed seeing them give Manchester United a proper footballing lesson, but I think it's fairly understandable from a Chelsea POV why we'd be so angered with THAT semi-final.

i think he means that it wasn't US that cheated, and we didn't... just bad ref calls. I agree though we got very very lucky even though i don't think it was 4 blatant penalties, nontheless you should have gotten at least 2 of them. both sides were hurt though by the ref but in the end you were hurt more as a combination of the way you played (11 vs 10 and sitting back for counter) and the ref. we payed big time though with inter

 

[Daemul]

I would prefer an easy team in the last 16. but then I want Spurs, if they make it through.

 

[Jordzibob]

i think he means that it wasn't US that cheated, and we didn't... just bad ref calls. I agree though we got very very lucky even though i don't think it was 4 blatant penalties, nontheless you should have gotten at least 2 of them. both sides were hurt though by the ref but in the end you were hurt more as a combination of the way you played (11 vs 10 and sitting back for counter) and the ref. we payed big time though with inter

This. I'll admit, and I think most Cules will admit, we were very lucky to get the decisions our way, but the referee was equally shit. It wasnt a case of him being biased towards Barca, if we went down the other end and had an equally similar call the chances are he would of fucked that up too, he sent off Abidal wrongly so we went down to 10 men, plus Drogba and co had more than enough chances to put us away anyway without the questionable calls. Chelsea played like cowards, but credit to Carefree for admitting we were the best side in the world and deserved to win that year, most Chelsea fans woudlnt go there. The way they played cost them. Tim Lovejoy on the radio after that game, what an idiot.

 

[Carefree]

We played Barcelona aswell as anyone could. You know fully well if we opened up we'd have been spanked just like Man Utd were in Rome. We cut off the supply to the strikers, rendering Xavi useless, and in both legs, we achieved the remarkable feat of keeping Messi quiet for 180 minutes.

The referee cost us, not our tactics.

 

[Richard.H]

I have to agree with Carefree. Chelsea simply had to be defensive. Barca at that time were spanking every team in La Liga by a 5-6 goal margin. I mean, we are known as the most powerful offensive club in Europe (at that time most definitely and at this season I think so also) so it's no surprise that their tactics would be 100 % defensive. With no disrespect to Chelsea or Carefree, that was simply the only way for Chelsea to beat us...

 

[Galning]

Give us Arsenal so we can rape them again + ask Fàbregas when he's finally ready to join a team who's winning something.

 

[por supuesto]

Hey,we never won the Carling cup.