Dont get complacent

[Bear60]

Dont get me wrong, am still on a massive high but Chelsea have just won the ultimate club prize , those cunts over the road will be having a good long hard look at their selves. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS LETS KEEP IT THAT WAY.

[CitizenYank]

Last year we won the FA Cup and Man U clinched the title on the same day. This time at least we had a week.
And that was enough headlines for me!!

[PALUS]

Dont think that will hapend after all shity years this club is at the pick and hungry forsuccess , but beconface said one thing true "this is zhe hardest leugue to won and who ever win it it deserve it " after watching how this season finish that is a fuckin QPR with worst record away and we with best home they almost fucked us , One thing that conserns me is why we are drop out from Europe so fast.

[Ted Hughes]

Every team will strengthen next season so we have to get that bit right.

Having said that though, I've never ever seen a side get so many breaks go for them as the rags have this season. We could have won this by about 12/15 points if things hadn't run for them and against us.

The good thing about the end to this season though, is that there is nothing that could possibly happen to the club in the future which could be more nervewracking than that & we got through it. All those players are now hardened Champions & imo that changes things significantly when thinking of replacing any of them. There's no telling how players can grow from that, even the likes of Savic.

We should think carefully before releasing anyone from this squad.

[Patrick]

The champs league is massive for sure..... But winning the league is my ultimate, I would rather have the prem title all day long

The only thing that could better it is the double, which would be nice.

[ant london]

The champs league is massive for sure..... But winning the league is my ultimate, I would rather have the prem title all day long

Exactly...Rafa's win in Istanbul didn't do much for the scousers.....Fact

[Ted Hughes]

The champs league is massive for sure..... But winning the league is my ultimate, I would rather have the prem title all day long

Exactly...Rafa's win in Istanbul didn't do much for the scousers.....Fact

On the whole I'd rather have the title but the Chump's Lg is now our quest because we have never won it.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

The champs league is massive for sure..... But winning the league is my ultimate, I would rather have the prem title all day long

The only thing that could better it is the double, which would be nice.

100%

Winning the champs lg would be great, but I honestly think it would have meant less if united were still champs of England.

[PeterParker]

Our board will want the UCL, i have no doubt in my mind. That is the reason they invested here, to become the best in the world. So far so good...

[King Kev]

We finished 5 places, 25 points and 45 goals (in terms of goal difference) better off than Chelsea.

I really don't think they are our major threats.

[Tokyo Blue]

We finished 5 places, 25 points and 45 goals (in terms of goal difference) better off than Chelsea.

I really don't think they are our major threats.

That was last season. Soon it will be irrelevant.

Everyone we play can be a threat - Sunderland, Swansea and everton just as much as Chelsea or bayern. They all have to be beaten.

[Im_Spartacus]

We finished 5 places, 25 points and 45 goals (in terms of goal difference) better off than Chelsea.

I really don't think they are our major threats.

What was the thread title again?

[King Kev]

We finished 5 places, 25 points and 45 goals (in terms of goal difference) better off than Chelsea.

I really don't think they are our major threats.

What was the thread title again?

I'm not complacent about all teams, just Chelsea.

[Chinners]

Chelsea have 10 years Chump league experience as a club ... I think City will need at least 5-6 before mounting a serious challenge ... As others have said the League has always been and will be my priority but our owners will have others

[Im_Spartacus]

Chelsea have 10 years Chump league experience as a club ... I think City will need at least 5-6 before mounting a serious challenge ... As others have said the League has always been and will be my priority but our owners will have others

D'you know what, i think thats bollox chinners

I honestly sat back saturday night and watched a second string defence, with a kid playing out of position on the left wing, and a 34 year old centre forward, win the European Cup with a caretaker manager, whose last job ended in the sack from west brom.

Im sorry, i dont buy all this shit that you have to build towards winning the champions league, otherwise united would have won more than 2 out of the last 20. At the end of the day, you need a little bit of luck, some top performances from your players when it matters, and a manager who has a little tactical nous.

What the last few weeks has proven to me, is that the "unbeatable" are beatable, and that the champions league is just as much a lottery as the FA Cup, with slightly better teams. Enter it enough times with a good team, and with a little luck along the way, your turn will come.

chelseas victory this year was borne out of luck and dogged determination, NOT 10/15 years of CL experience.

[dazby]

Sorry, but this season showed that the chumps league is a different kettle of fish. Teams play different styles, different tactics in differing conditions under different referees. It's something a team needs to adapt to. We've had a good grounding now. I hope we can get out of our group next season but I'll EXPECT no more.

[Im_Spartacus]

Sorry, but this season showed that the chumps league is a different kettle of fish. Teams play different styles, different tactics in differing conditions under different referees. It's something a team needs to adapt to. We've had a good grounding now. I hope we can get out of our group next season but I'll EXPECT no more.

So how do you explain Roberto Di Matteo tactically outmanouevering Benfica, Barcelona and Bayern? Would a 4x league title winning manager like Mancini with a much better squad un every department not be able to make the calls Di Matteo did?

It is a crap shoot, the same as any cup competition, if you are in it often enough and are one of the better teams in the competition, you will end up with as good a chance as any.

Its a total myth perpetuated by the managers that European competition is a different animal, to prevent themselves getting sacked for perennial failure. At the end of the day, after being seeded into a position that leaves you favourites to qualify from the group, there are 4 knockout rounds to negotiate. If you are in that position 5 times, the law of averages would suggest you will get to a final every now and again.

The quality of the top 6-8 teams is very similar, which is why you tend not to have just 3 or 4 teams dominate it every year though, which explains the extra "difficulty" to a domestic cup. Its not more difficult, its just that your turn comes around slightly less often than it would domestically.

Perhaps the 6 attempts wenger was on about was actually the time frame before they were regularly first seeds and got a virtual bye from their group?

Apart from Barcelona this last few years, teams progression in the champions league all seems a bit random, when you look at the sky 4, they have all had their chances, and when they have reached finals, it hasnt been with a team which has dominated domestically except in the case of united in 99. So i maintain it is definitely a numbers game, but that if you are good enough, eg dortmund, leverkusen, porto you can win it (or get to the final) without a huge pedigree, just with good players, a good work ethic and clever tactics.

[Ted Hughes]

Sorry, but this season showed that the chumps league is a different kettle of fish. Teams play different styles, different tactics in differing conditions under different referees. It's something a team needs to adapt to. We've had a good grounding now. I hope we can get out of our group next season but I'll EXPECT no more.

So how do you explain Roberto Di Matteo tactically outmanouevering Benfica, Barcelona and Bayern? Would a 4x league title winning manager like Mancini with a much better squad un every department not be able to make the calls Di Matteo did?

It is a crap shoot, the same as any cup competition, if you are in it often enough and are one of the better teams in the competition, you will end up with as good a chance as any.

Its a total myth perpetuated by the managers that European competition is a different animal, to prevent themselves getting sacked for perennial failure. At the end of the day, after being seeded into a position that leaves you favourites to qualify from the group, there are 4 knockout rounds to negotiate. If you are in that position 5 times, the law of averages would suggest you will get to a final every now and again.

The quality of the top 6-8 teams is very similar, which is why you tend not to have just 3 or 4 teams dominate it every year though, which explains the extra "difficulty" to a domestic cup. Its not more difficult, its just that your turn comes around slightly less often than it would domestically.

Perhaps the 6 attempts wenger was on about was actually the time frame before they were regularly first seeds and got a virtual bye from their group?

Apart from Barcelona this last few years, teams progression in the champions league all seems a bit random, when you look at the sky 4, they have all had their chances, and when they have reached finals, it hasnt been with a team which has dominated domestically except in the case of united in 99. So i maintain it is definitely a numbers game, but that if you are good enough, eg dortmund, leverkusen, porto you can win it (or get to the final) without a huge pedigree, just with good players, a good work ethic and clever tactics.

I think that some of the attacks you come up against are a bit more clever than in the Premier League & you have to be a little bit sharper and more aware or they pinch something off you in a sneaky manner. The Premier League teams are a bit more obvious. No easier to play against, just slightly different & not as sneaky. The truth is though that we were shit. If Yaya marked Yakubu like he did Cavani playing for Napoli, Blackburn would go a goal up. Same result if we marked Crouch for Stoke like we did Gomez or allowed Junior Hoilett to run into our box & shoot like we did Ribery. We performed below our Premier League standard.

We fucked up.

[belgian cityfan]

internationally, everyone looks at the Champions League as the biggest trophy in football
but the domestic league is what you play the entire year for and therefore will be the main goal for any team
the Champions League is more like a great opportunity when you keep advancing to the next round

I think this year's experience of the group stage will help us in the future and I think I we'll be more competitive in Europe next season
however I dont expect us to win it immediately
the CL is a cup competition which means the best team doesnt necessarily win in the end
but it takes some good football at some point, a whole lot of character and a bit of luck
in fact the only teams that were able to keep barca from winning it the last couple of years, Inter and Chelsea, were teams with somewhat negative tactics and I think barca will hit back next year

you have to give credit to Chelsea as they overcame some serious challenges
but for all of Di Matteo's cleverness, they still could have easily lost in the semis or in the final if their opponents' finishing had been a bit decent

City will probably need a couple of runs to win it but I reckon we'll definitely be in the knockout stages during the upcoming campaigns

[Im_Spartacus]

I think that some of the attacks you come up against are a bit more clever than in the Premier League & you have to be a little bit sharper and more aware or they pinch something off you in a sneaky manner. The Premier League teams are a bit more obvious. No easier to play against, just slightly different & not as sneaky. The truth is though that we were shit. If Yaya marked Yakubu like he did Cavani playing for Napoli, Blackburn would go a goal up. Same result if we marked Crouch for Stoke like we did Gomez or allowed Junior Hoilett to run into our box & shoot like we did Ribery. We performed below our Premier League standard.

We fucked up.

Sort of the point im making, chelsea were fucking dire, but the forwards in their last 3 oppositions had nightmares which is why im convinced luck plays a huge part in winning the cl, the margins are generally that slim between the cl sides.m

The opposition strikers are more deadly (except vs chelsea this season) which is why no one club dominates - one mistake and you could be out of the competition. The champions league is just shared around all the top clubs, which reinforces my view that the margins between the top clubs are narrow thus you tend to get different finalists every year, but still usually from the same narrow group of 6-8 sides with the odd dark horse thrown in.

I mean chelsea are the perfect example, should have won it the year they played utd in the final, were a million times better side that year than this year, but it just didnt work out, yet this year they win it but ask most viewers and nobody quite knows how they managed it. So they lost when they deserved to win it, and won it when they didnt even deserve to be in the semis.

If city become one of the top 6-8 sides, we will win it in time, when its our turn and we get a bit of luck, that could be next year, it could be in a few years down the line, but make no mistake we already have that quality. Gary Cahill was playing for bolton a few months back remember, so again, i dont buy that experience is everything against the top sides......its experience plus luck, huge slices of it needed.