European Leagues.

[Blowitupref]

Knock out stages of champions league this season have showed Newcastle,Chelsea,Tottenham and Manchester City to be out of their depth

Three of those went out against last four standard teams. Aside from Newcastle they all got the last 32 bye.

Is everyone who can't realistically win it out of their depth?

Wouldn't consider a team out of their depth when competitive in a knock out tie.

Group stage is shadow boxing. None of Tottenham,Newcastle,Chelsea and Manchester City was competitive in these knock out ties.

You didn't answer the question. Spurs aside, they were all playing tier 1 teams that may win the whole thing. There are few teams apart from other tier 1 teams who WOULD be competitive i.e. lose by a goal or or bring it to extra time. A nice draw and a so-called out-of-their-depth team could the last eight or even last four.

I answered it.  When qualified for the Champions League knock out stages the objective is to competitive regardless of what "tier" team they are playing. 

So if City or Chelsea had met, say, Leverkusen or Galatasaray instead of Real Madrid/PSG and progressed, they'd have been competitive?

I don't have much confidence they would have won those ties.

The point is the British media is back with their nonsense. Clearly the EPL isn't the quality Sky and so on are telling us. And within that they are bigging up English players to silly heights again. When the internationals start England will be favourites for the WC again. And round and round we go.

Both things can be true. The PL is extremely competitive and is overall at a higher level than every other league except, arguably, La Liga. Just because there are a handful of ultra-elite teams in PSG, Barca and Real, and Bayern, who will normally beat all ahead of them except for the English elite in certain seasons, doesn't contradict that.

Plus, Spurs, Chelsea, Newcastle and Liverpool are all in some state of transition and disfunction this season. PSG, despite playing Liverpool off the park in Paris last year and clearly being the best team on the continent, just about got through against Liverpool and Villa, had it a bit handier against a malfunctioning Arsenal, but hammered seven shades of shite out of Inter in the final.

After their 15th placed finish in the group stage wasn't many that seen PSG as the best in the continent last year prior to playing Liverpool then again lack of jeopardy group matches and knock out matches are totally different.

I posted up the big injury list for Real Madrid before the 1st leg on here and thought City had a decent chance of progressing, especially with their Premier league title chances as good as gone the Champions league was the opportunity to throw their lot at it.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Knock out stages of champions league this season have showed Newcastle,Chelsea,Tottenham and Manchester City to be out of their depth

Three of those went out against last four standard teams. Aside from Newcastle they all got the last 32 bye.

Is everyone who can't realistically win it out of their depth?

Wouldn't consider a team out of their depth when competitive in a knock out tie.

Group stage is shadow boxing. None of Tottenham,Newcastle,Chelsea and Manchester City was competitive in these knock out ties.

You didn't answer the question. Spurs aside, they were all playing tier 1 teams that may win the whole thing. There are few teams apart from other tier 1 teams who WOULD be competitive i.e. lose by a goal or or bring it to extra time. A nice draw and a so-called out-of-their-depth team could the last eight or even last four.

I answered it.  When qualified for the Champions League knock out stages the objective is to competitive regardless of what "tier" team they are playing. 

So if City or Chelsea had met, say, Leverkusen or Galatasaray instead of Real Madrid/PSG and progressed, they'd have been competitive?

I don't have much confidence they would have won those ties.

The point is the British media is back with their nonsense. Clearly the EPL isn't the quality Sky and so on are telling us. And within that they are bigging up English players to silly heights again. When the internationals start England will be favourites for the WC again. And round and round we go.

Both things can be true. The PL is extremely competitive and is overall at a higher level than every other league except, arguably, La Liga. Just because there are a handful of ultra-elite teams in PSG, Barca and Real, and Bayern, who will normally beat all ahead of them except for the English elite in certain seasons, doesn't contradict that.

Plus, Spurs, Chelsea, Newcastle and Liverpool are all in some state of transition and disfunction this season. PSG, despite playing Liverpool off the park in Paris last year and clearly being the best team on the continent, just about got through against Liverpool and Villa, had it a bit handier against a malfunctioning Arsenal, but hammered seven shades of shite out of Inter in the final.

It is a weak Premiership. When that many teams are in a disfunction phase you have to see a pattern emerging.

Arsenal are the best of a poor bunch. United would be a contender if they had pulled the trigger on Amorim in the summer, that's how weak it currently is.

[rodney trotter]

Knock out stages of champions league this season have showed Newcastle,Chelsea,Tottenham and Manchester City to be out of their depth

Three of those went out against last four standard teams. Aside from Newcastle they all got the last 32 bye.

Is everyone who can't realistically win it out of their depth?

Wouldn't consider a team out of their depth when competitive in a knock out tie.

Group stage is shadow boxing. None of Tottenham,Newcastle,Chelsea and Manchester City was competitive in these knock out ties.

You didn't answer the question. Spurs aside, they were all playing tier 1 teams that may win the whole thing. There are few teams apart from other tier 1 teams who WOULD be competitive i.e. lose by a goal or or bring it to extra time. A nice draw and a so-called out-of-their-depth team could the last eight or even last four.

I answered it.  When qualified for the Champions League knock out stages the objective is to competitive regardless of what "tier" team they are playing. 

So if City or Chelsea had met, say, Leverkusen or Galatasaray instead of Real Madrid/PSG and progressed, they'd have been competitive?

I don't have much confidence they would have won those ties.

The point is the British media is back with their nonsense. Clearly the EPL isn't the quality Sky and so on are telling us. And within that they are bigging up English players to silly heights again. When the internationals start England will be favourites for the WC again. And round and round we go.

Both things can be true. The PL is extremely competitive and is overall at a higher level than every other league except, arguably, La Liga. Just because there are a handful of ultra-elite teams in PSG, Barca and Real, and Bayern, who will normally beat all ahead of them except for the English elite in certain seasons, doesn't contradict that.

Plus, Spurs, Chelsea, Newcastle and Liverpool are all in some state of transition and disfunction this season. PSG, despite playing Liverpool off the park in Paris last year and clearly being the best team on the continent, just about got through against Liverpool and Villa, had it a bit handier against a malfunctioning Arsenal, but hammered seven shades of shite out of Inter in the final.

It is ultra competitive because of the large sky deal the clubs have, and full of foreign  owners. Chelsea and City bought their way to success.
The Champions league was more pure when teams like Ajax, Porto, Bayer Leverkusen were competing in finals.

6 teams from England were involved this year. Some Champions league.

[Blowitupref]

Europa League  quarter final line up

Braga v Real Betis
SC Freiburg v Celta Vigo
Porto v Nottingham Forest
Bologna v Aston Villa

Conference league quarter finals

Shakhtar Donetsk v AZ
Crystal Palace  v Florentina
Rayo Vallecano v AEK
Mainz 05 v Strasbourg

[statto]

Europa League  quarter final line up

Braga v Real Betis
SC Freiburg v Celta Vigo
Porto v Nottingham Forest
Bologna v Aston Villa

Conference league quarter finals

Shakhtar Donetsk v AZ
Crystal Palace  v Florentina
Rayo Vallecano v AEK
Mainz 05 v Strasbourg

May have been in Forests best interests to have lost that game last night, the Thursday/Sunday games wont help them in the relegation scrap.  Left a few big hitters out last night and still able to get through.