CL Pots & Draw

[CTID Hants]

I can see some possitives in these fixtures, the perceived easier game against Plzen being our first game should help ease us into it. Hopefully Bayern will have some complacency about us and playing them at ours first would give us an advantage. We play CSKA in Moscow before it gets too deep into winter.

We need to get 6 points off Plzen and aim for 4 off CSKA so anything from Bayern is a bonus.

Would have liked to have been in Porto's group but i think we've dodged two bullets, at least we know what to expect with Bayern.

The scum have the easy ride yet again so i don't really know why people get uptight about it - its as dependable as the sun rising and setting.

Agree with the Arse having the tougher group for a seeded team.

Edit to ask: Does anyone know of City pubs in Reading as I'll be down there for the Plzen and CSKA away games.?

Well I like your thoughts here, I know nothing of the Czech team and avoiding Moscow away any later than October is a bonus too, Bayern going there late November is a bonus IMO.

Oh and the poster you want from Reading that BiB is referring to is MCFC1632 or something like that, as he says go back to page 1 of the Cardiff match thread (if you dare, LOL and then PM him).

[Twobob]

Well I like your thoughts here, I know nothing of the Czech team and avoiding Moscow away any later than October is a bonus too, Bayern going there late November is a bonus IMO.

Oh and the poster you want from Reading that BiB is referring to is MCFC1632 or something like that, as he says go back to page 1 of the Cardiff match thread (if you dare, LOL and then PM him).

Yeah opening the Cardiff thread is like going down the Bogside with an orange sash on!

I've PM'd MCFC1632 thanks :-)

[sheblue]

If we prove good enough to qualify the sequencing of the games shouldn't matter too much.

[dazby]

It's probably the most balanced draw ever. Good.

[CTID Hants]

If we prove good enough to qualify the sequencing of the games shouldn't matter too much.

Tbf, Moscow late November when the croutes are there will be roughly between minus 3 and minus 7, with snow (fairly sure the pitch will be heated, but I seem to remember watching chelski, I think playing a game out there and it dumping snow) so yes, I'd say Bayern have got the short straw, so the 'sequencing' can and does have a bearing IMO.

[Yaya Toure is a LAD]

Lol.

Celtic are shite. Sociedad, Anderlecht and Napoli are all miles better. Probably Wien and Steaua as well.

Suppose so, got quite a good draw

[Yaya Toure is a LAD]

Third time lucky!

[ant london]

Great draw! I was hoping we drew cska so I could easily get to a game! Bonus time!!!

[DoomMerchant]

Great draw! I was hoping we drew cska so I could easily get to a game! Bonus time!!!

communist fuck.

If yr goddam adopted nation had stopped Gorgeous George then maybe you'd have had a home match, fuckholio.

cheers

[Slim]

Pot 1 didn't really work out for Arsenal there.

I like our draw and think it gives us a great chance to win the group, not just qualify.

[Cit.revenge]

Its not a champions group though
Bayern - german champions
Cska - russian champions
City - English runners up
Viktoria - Romanian champions

Mate they are Czech Republic Viktoria and last year that team was kick out Napoli from Euro league in last 16 with no goal in there net. So they are no joke but this year i had a chance to watch them live they play with Bosnia and Herzegovina Champions Željezničar in one of the play off games. Now i must tell u that us u assume our league sucks and that Željezničar lost away 4 3 in Czech Republic and also Željezničar lose at home also 2 1 but in game where Željezničar dominate and have a lot of chance. So if Željezničar can make them so much problems score them 4 goals we really have no excuse not to beat them because they are solid team but not nearly something that impress me ( after Vienna i think best team we could get from pot 4 ).From second pot i can't see who could we get better then CSKA so that's great also. And first pot ,ok we could get Benfica or Porto, but this Bayern they are still great team but not Bayern from last season , Guardiola is making some confusion in team and well we should try to beat those kind of teams in CL that is the point. If we can beat Bayern then we will get that mentality that we need in CL . There is no excuse to not pass this group i think only PSG have better group.

[Cit.revenge]

Not saying its a fix but why are we away for the first and last group game and also in Czech in midweek before the derby. The groups weren't bad enough to us so let's fuck em over some other way

I would like more that we play Pilzen at home first game then go to Munich but no matter 3 points is must in Pilzen and i think Bayern have bad score against Russian teams ( when i say bad i think they have lost few times there they even lose from Bate Borisov from Belorussia), 4 wins is enough but i think we will have 5 wins and draw.

[john@staustell]

A kind draw all in all. No excuses this time.

[dazlebluefrog]

Group A: Manchester United, Shakhtar Donetsk, Bayer Leverkusen, Real Sociedad
Scum to finish 2nd behind Donetsk or Leverkusen

Group B: Real Madrid, Juventus, Galatasaray, Copenhagen
Real & Juve

Group C: Benfica, Paris St-Germain, Olympiakos, Anderlecht
PSG & Benfica

Group D: Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, Manchester City, Viktoria Plzen
City & Bayern

Group E: Chelsea, Schalke, Basel, Steaua Bucharest
Chelski & basel


Group F: Arsenal, Marseille, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli
Napoli & Arse

Group G: Porto, Atletico Madrid, Zenit St Petersburg, Austria Vienna
Atletico & Zenit

Group H: Barcelona, AC Milan, Ajax, Celtic
Barca & AC Milan

This is our year to progress,no fcuking excuses if we don't we'll be looking for a new manager come xmas
Easy for Chelski reckon Basel will take, 2nd Schalke not playing well at all ,lucky to get to the group stages
Group of death for the Arse but have the experience,anyone can beat anyone in this group
Scum to come 2nd behind Leverkusen or Donetsk depends who drops pts against Socidad

[sheblue]

Arsenal will do really well to get out of that group, can see them struggling. celtic have no chance although still a tough place to go away to as barcelona found out last year.
chelsea have it easy. Rags will get through.
We are capable of winning the group, but second place looks more likely.
Us, Rags and chelski to progress.

[mcfc1632]

Learnt from the last Munich trip the issues (and cost) of leaving booking hotels in Munich until nearer the time so want to book mine now. Anyone that went last time got any hotels to recommend? I am assuming that the Moscow game could be equally expensive but doubt we will get any recommendations - always happy to be surprised though!!

Thanks in anticipation

[Vhero]

Cannot see Arsenal getting out that group. Hope they don't as they been getting an easy ride for way to long in reality. We finally are not in a group of death and have no excuses. The rags get a pass as usual though it is harder than the group they failed in 2 years ago.

[Wonderwall]

Cannot see Arsenal getting out that group. Hope they don't as they been getting an easy ride for way to long in reality. We finally are not in a group of death and have no excuses. The rags get a pass as usual though it is harder than the group they failed in 2 years ago.

I would like to see arsenal get through TBH, if we get them in the knock-out stages (if we get through) I would class them as easier opposition than the other teams that will be through. Plus its not like they will be in the UCL next year anyway, the way spurs are building a squad.

[branny]

One word always springs to mind with Bayern. Kuntz.

[ant london]

Learnt from the last Munich trip the issues (and cost) of leaving booking hotels in Munich until nearer the time so want to book mine now. Anyone that went last time got any hotels to recommend? I am assuming that the Moscow game could be equally expensive but doubt we will get any recommendations - always happy to be surprised though!!

Thanks in anticipation

Moscow is very pricey mate I go for work quite a bit though so I'll ask some of my colleagues there if they know of anything reasonably priced and not awful!