When Big Sam is your backup plan - OTT 36 [R]

If you look at the teams that have usually advanced to the CL semifinals over the last couple of years at least 3 of 4 have a very high winning % in the league. You rarely see a semifinalist that wins less than 65-60% of their matches unless they had a favorable run to the semis.

At this stage of the CL, the best teams don't play one way the entire 180 minutes. Even Barcelona have been far more pragmatic by pressing high, sitting deep, holding possession, building up play, counterattacking. Real did that on their way to winning 3 of 4. Teams that have a clear weakness or lack versatility in their style of play usually exit at this stage of the competition.

 

If Uefa is fixing the Draw

Liverpool Vs Barcelona (The Coutinho angle)

Man City Vs Bayern Munich (The Pep angle)

Real Madrid Vs Juventus (Last Season Final Revenge angle)

Sevilla Vs Roma (The Underdog angle)

 

OK, but do you have any idea what our stats were in 2005?

 

That year the semifinalists were:

Milan - 82% win percentage
PSV - 80%
Chelsea - 76%
Liverpool - 45%

Liverpool 2004/2005 did something extraordinary to win the competition despite horrible league form. That is an anomaly. Even in that group of semifinalists, 3 out of 4 won greater than 75% of their matches which was the initial observation. That has been the case over the last couple of years as well. Usually at least 3 of 4 teams in the semifinals have outstanding league winning %.

 

We are....The Anomaly! And damn proud of it!

 

LOL classic.

 

The Arse were making it hard for themselves and go a goal down giving Milan a big chance to comeback. So Arsenal dive for a PK to make it 1-1 (3-1)

Shitty way to win a game.

Our friend Borini gets himself a yellow

 

There's another attempt to get a PK by Wilshere. He should have been yellow carded not waved off.

Edit. There's another embellishment from arse. He kicked me in the face ref.

And Arse score again from a keeper screw up. (4-1)

 

Arse score again in the 85th minute. 5-1. Can they hold on...?

 

How far Milan has fallen...!!!

 

That's pathetic.

 

Another good game from him, at least until it Zenit pinned them into their own half/box for that period before the match ended.

 

not to mention a blatant handball by the Arse CB Chambers, that the ref ignored completely. not even a close call ffs. would have put the game on level terms.

the dive for that pen was a disgrace. he must be a good friend of Dele Alli.

 

I think he's trying to take the headlines from the Man City Liverpool draw and doing it very well. I also thought, as with Rafa, he made some valid points (Man U knew what it was getting in terms of style with Mourinho) but the media never liked Benitez anyway.

 

... of course, he singularly failed to address the £300 million he has spent, tee hee hee.

 

Come on Brighton, make a great day even better.

 

The first half has largely looked like a battle of equals.