While this season isn't a complete failure yet due to our domestic double chances, I can't help but feel upset by Real's presence. Like [MENTION=1838]Barcilliant[/MENTION] mentioned, it's clear the players weren't focused enough out there and a more passionate and included Board can rub off onto the team, both positively and negatively depending on the personalities of both parties.
Complacency and "saving ourselves for X" really cost us the chance to do something truly unpresidented. Our lack of depth up top was woefully exposed this season, our midfield still struggles at times with controlling tempo and creating consistent chances and the defense, while improving, needs a facelift.
If we can keep Neymar, and I'm not worried about Messi leaving, there is no reason we can't win another and hopefully defend a CL in the next 2-3 seasons. With a bench box striker (Gamiero please) and some defensive reinforcements, we should be a lot stronger and hopefully have more depth outside of the starting 11.
Lastly, I think it's bullshit Real got City. I had it in my gut that (just like I had that we'd blow it against Atleti) UEFA would make it work for Real now that they are through and sure enough, City with the home tie advantage. I've honestly just had enough with teams, which casually turn out to be our rivals, getting lucky draws while we continually get shit on. Again, our QF draw could not have gone worse. Not only did we have the home tie disadvantage, we also drew the most in form team in Europe at the time. I won't spell it out any further but there have been plenty of instances (and you'll know which seasons I'm referring to if you've been a fan for more than the last two seasons) where this has happened to us in the past. Sure, we've had a lucky CL campaign with draws here and there (2008-2009 was maybe our "easiest" CL campaign in recent memory) but we get shit on far more than when we do. Against the big teams we've faced, very rarely have we enjoyed the home tie advantage and we rarely lose when we do (only thing that comes to mind was that bullshit semi 2nd leg against Inter in 2009 and again, Bojan and a volcano).
So that's why enough with these pussy ass random drawings every round that are just really fishy to me, after the 16s the teams should be seeded off of goal differential over the entire tournament. That way, the team that is truly the best in the tournament at each round gets rewarded for doing so. They used to have it that then tree was set after the quarter finals and I liked that a lot more than these random draws at every round. The goal differential system would just then be a twist on the old drawing system. I get it for groups and the 16s but I really don't like it afterwords.
At least with a system like mine, it's more clear that the best team in Europe won the competition, not the team that could win the lottery the most.
