2010/2011 UEFA Champions League

[lanky316]

4 goals and another piss poor display of goalkeeping. Sums up the performance today. Hopefully we'll at least go out with a fight at home but with even more injuries it's likely to be a whimper.

Deserved winners Real but three of four should NEVER be conceded and the wondergoal came from fannying. I still think a Spurs first team on song can get results agains these people (and have done) but today's a fucking disgrace.

[Hobo]

lol, Spurs.

[Adam]

Well, anyone one worried that Italy might quickly regain that 4th league qualification spot from Germany needn't worry. What the hell happened there? And has anyone seen Stankovic's goal? Mental.

Spurs didn't deserve to lose 4-0 for me. Crouch a little harshly sent off perhaps so early, ruined the game as a contest and Spurs did well not to lose by about 8. It's surely all over now. Spurs have to win by 5 really, and Inter...well dear me.

[Liam]

Just saw Stankovic's goal......wow.

[Kaney]

Until it gets pulled :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4oWnb3XCSA

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

The commentary for the Stankovic goal was a bit Alan Partridge. "Did brilliantly to head it away and it's err......drilled back! WHAT ABOUT THAT?!"

As for Spurs. Strangely for a 4-0 defeat wee didn't defend THAT badly. Dawson was solid, Corluka did well. The problems as far as I could see (not counting the positive Real stuff like how they were EVERYWHERE on the pitch and Alonso was magnificent...)

1. Lennon being pulled out of the team 5 minutes before kick off and replaced by Jenas which changed the shape of the team and any possible strategies that included Lennon breaking at speed (which has been used successfully in the competition this year).

2. The early goal which got the crowd noisy. It might have been the first away game all season that I didn't really hear the Spurs fans.

3. Peter Crouch getting sent off for two stupid acts of stupidity. It ruined our shape, we lost the outlet from defence, the knock-down possibilities and the target for corners and freekicks.

4. ...Which led to Van der Vaart having to come off which was a shame. He urges the team forward which might have led to more attacking play in the second half.

5. Luka Modric was terrible. I'd like to see his pass completion percentage and how many times he lost the ball. Teamed with BAE's nervy passes out of the defence and it was just shocking.

There were times when I thought Spurs would get back into it. They defended mostly well, didn't panic or dive in. Had a few counter attacks as the first half wore on. If Crouch hadn't have been sent off I think it'd have been 2-1 to Madrid but, hey, it wasn't so....

At least Spurs have more chance of qualifying than Inter who need to win by four goals AWAY in Germany.

[GoN_]

Nobody to blame on Crouch being sent-off but himself. He ruined the game for his teammates. And the first goal is an amazingly bad defensive mistake. You can't let the opponent's striker all alone in the middle of the area in a corner kick. That was just poor defense, and by the time Crouch was out, the game was decided. Real had all the chances to come out of the game with a historic result, and can now start thinking about the semis against either Barcelona or Shakhtar.

[stokeriño]

My last 24 hours have been really rather shit. In some ways I want the football to be wonderful tonight to make up for it. In other ways the idea that I could/would use a football result to counterbalance the deadly serious nature of the shit stuff only makes me feel worse.

Oh well..."up the Chels"...I guess.

[Baddar]

Here's hoping your next 9 hours are just as bad...

[Lineker]

We had a good run while it lasted.

[Baddar]

Yay.

A good result last night, no doubt. Any score draw would've been nice, but the one goal lead could be crucial.

Carrick was brilliant, and not for the first time this season.

Yup.

[Starvinho]

Carrick has been brilliant for every game he's played since about the Marseille tie, he's really come back into form. It's doubly important because Fletcher has been out, who would usually start all the big games.

Anyways for the game tomorrow Fletcher is still out with a virus and Rafael is still a doubt after his dead leg. Apart from that it's a full strength squad and I think they'll probably start with Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Giggs, Nani, Valencia, Rooney, Berbatov.

Could be Hernandez for Berbatov or even another midfielder like Scholes, depends how Fergie wants to start 4-4-2 or 4-5-1? But I have a feeling that's how we'll line up.

Chelsea also have no doubts and a full squad to choose from with Benayoun and Alex both fit again.

[Baddar]

United press conference in a few minutes. Rio reckons he's going to get his '#stayonyourfeet' thing in, despite only facing a few questions. If you follow him on twitter, you'll know what it's all about - it's basically a piss-take of Ray Wilkins after he said it 63 times during the Real-Spurs match last Tuesday.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Ray Wilkins' commentary was amazing that night. Just a shame I lost that feed after the first 30 mins but he'd already uttered that phrase a number of times. He was pretty much saying what I was thinking most of that time though.

[Jimmy]

I'll be watching both ties over the next two days. Hoping that United/Chelsea is an open all out game from a neutral standpoint. But I'm really looking forward to seeing how Tottenham respond. I think it's almost impossible that they'll go out and win the game 4-0 or anything, but I'm hoping for an entertaining tie and highlights why Tottenham have been so fun to watch in the competition.

I hope they can knick fourth place off of Manchester City, because I really want to see them in the Champions League again next year.

[Baddar]

Haha, Rio managed to get it in near the end.

And Fergie said 'bugger' during the conference, which Sky have apologised about. Fucking pussies.

[Lineker]

Ray Wilkins was just a big wonderful bag of "come on Spurs!" all night long.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

I actually turned the commentary off half way through because of Wilkins, horrendous. It was funny, but still bloody awful. Wasn't that the same game he said something along the lines of 'REFEREE GOT THAT SPOT ON...' and five seconds later the replay was shown and he went 'Clearly Dawnson fouled him, definate penalty!!!!!'. Good for a laugh I guess, but it quickly became annoying.

I'll echo the Carrick praise. He was brilliant against Chelsea, easily his best match of the season for me.

Regarding tomorrow, I'd like to see Rooney alongside Berbatov up front. Also, surely Spurs have to just go for it and literally throw as many attackers on as possible from the start? They'll need something pretty damn special to over turn the result, but either way they've done brilliant over the duration of the tournament.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I'd imagine Madrid will try and nick an early one meaning that Spurs would need 6 to go through and therefore totally take the wind out of their sails before they even get started.

[Starvinho]

Spurs have to go for it from the very start and hope they score early. You never know what will happen if Spurs score in the first five minutes, just look what Fulham did last season against Juventus in the Europa League, and Juve scored first in that game. It's a very tall order but stranger things have happened...