Chelsea's UCL credentials

[coco]

Every time i see Chelsea Vs Barcelona i can hear that big drum they have in the orchestra banging.

[chi blue]

1 hour ago, Londonisblue said:

I don't care about PL anymore !! if we can beat barça, surely we can beat anyone and win the UCL!!! let the Citheh have their w**kfest while we conquer europe once again... something they'll never sing !

"We're the only team in London to win the European cup" London's first London's Finest, cold February night at the bridge? Let's see what you got Barca!!!

[Argo]

1 hour ago, Zeta said:

Reckon Messi is going to finally score against us. This team just doesn't have the spirit or the desire of previous teams.

No offense but how does this conclusion constantly get reached that these bunch of players are mentally weak pansies? Is it down to that one season that was the manager's fault more than there's.

 

 

[JMaher94]

1 minute ago, Argo said:

No offense but how does this conclusion constantly get reached that these bunch of players are mentally weak pansies? Is it down to that one season that was the manager's fault more than there's.

 

 

Half of that team don't even play for us anymore.

[coco]

Don't forget to wave the Spanish national flag around Barcelona. 

[JMaher94]

http://www.barcaforum.com/showthread.php/14764-Barca-draws-Chelsea

Originally Posted by Falcao

Stop Hazard and it'll be a comfortable win.

Stop Messi and it will be a comfortable win for them. We are in the same boat.

Edited December 11, 2017 by JMaher94

[FCB07]

1 hour ago, axman2526 said:

Hey look at that it was not psg lol.

Good a glorious tie against a true heavyweight opponent. Over the years Chelsea vs Barcelona has become one of the true great cl ties that has seen some amazing wins and losses on both sides. Now we get to see the next chapter in the story.

If you don't want such ties then why do you want to be in the cl anyways? For exciting victories over qarabag? To use your influence to magically get easy draws against the Swiss or Portuguese no hopers?

No we should want barca and be thrilled we got them. Either a truly glorious win or defeat to a truly special team with a once in a lifetime talent in their ranks await us and that is what the cl should all be about.

Barca fan here.

Very nice post, great mindset.

Wish you  good luck for this tie. Not an easy draw for us either and I really think that you have a better 11 than ours. The likes of Rakitic, Pique and Suarez are in terrible form and Semedo is suspensed for the first-leg (which is great news for Hazard because Sergi Roberto is not doing great at defending).

Let's just hope that we'll have the same quality of refereeing as the one we had in 2012.

By the way, Messi already scored many times against Courtois, I don't know where you guys saw that stat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P65i6ccvIDs

[JMaher94]

1 minute ago, FCB07 said:

Barca fan here.

Very nice post, great mindset.

Wish you  good luck for this tie. Not an easy draw for us either and I really think that you have a better 11 than ours. The likes of Rakitic, Pique and Suarez are in terrible form and Semedo is suspensed for the first-leg (which is great news for Hazard because Sergi Roberto is not doing great at defending).

Let's just hope that we'll have the same quality of refereeing as the one we had in 2012.

By the way, Messi already scored many times against Courtois, I don't know where you guys saw that stat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P65i6ccvIDs

Hey, welcome.

Don't worry. We're just as worried about Messi vs Alonso but it'll be awesome to see both him and Hazard on the same pitch.

I think the poster meant that Messi has never scored against Chelsea, not Courtois but I could be incorrect.

Good luck. Btw, why has Suarez dipped in form this season?

[evissy]

"Doesn't matter at what part you face Barcelona or someone tough". I think it does especially looking at our season. Go out early and it is a hit to confidence and might affect rest of the season. Face Besiktas, go through to last eight and start to smell the title.

As the title is gone we need to find positives in anything. As confidence go we are up and down.

[Michael]

34 minutes ago, Van Butsen said:

2005 - Barcelona
2006 - Barcelona
2007 - Porto (Valencia in the last 8 )
2008 - Olympiacos (Fenerbahce in the last 8 )
2009 - Juventus
2010 - Inter
2011 - Copenhagen (lol)
2012 - Napoli (benfica in the last 8)
2013 - Didn't qualify
2014 - Galatasaray
2015 - PSG
2016 - PSG
2017 - Didn't qualify

I don't think anything about that screams we always get the hardest draw.  Some of them are staggeringly easy.

I'd say four of those could be considered easy.  Porto, Olympiacos, Copenhagen and Galatasaray.  Napoli had a very strong team in 2012 and we almost got knocked out by them.  I'm not sure how you think Barca (twice), Juve, Inter and PSG were not tough draws at the time though.

[Londonisblue]

5 minutes ago, evissy said:

"Doesn't matter at what part you face Barcelona or someone tough". I think it does especially looking at our season. Go out early and it is a hit to confidence and might affect rest of the season. Face Besiktas, go through to last eight and start to smell the title.

As the title is gone we need to find positives in anything. As confidence go we are up and down.

this season so far is a rollercoaster of emotions for sure !

[Van Butsen]

2 minutes ago, Michael said:

I'd say four of those could be considered easy.  Porto, Olympiacos, Copenhagen and Galatasaray.  Napoli had a very strong team in 2012 and we almost got knocked out by them.  I'm not sure how you think Barca (twice), Juve, Inter and PSG were not tough draws at the time though.

The key word is always Michael

[Michael]

2 minutes ago, Van Butsen said:

The key word is always Michael

Well obviously I didn't mean it literally.  More times than not we seem to get the tougher draws in the Round of 16.  Better?

[FCB07]

9 minutes ago, JMaher94 said:

Hey, welcome.

Don't worry. We're just as worried about Messi vs Alonso but it'll be awesome to see both him and Hazard on the same pitch.

I think the poster meant that Messi has never scored against Chelsea, not Courtois but I could be incorrect.

Good luck. Btw, why has Suarez dipped in form this season?

Thank you. 

Well, Messi vs Cahill can be fun too ... But Hazard against Busquets/Pique is also verry worrying from a Barca fan point of view.
Regarding Suarez, well he's been in sh*t form for almost a year actually. Some say that it's purely and simply decline (just like what happened to Torres) and others say that it's a mix of him being very unlucky and missing Neymar's presence which gave him more space and opportunities in the past.

Personally, I think that his dip in form is explained by his decline. 

[Valerie]

2 hours ago, Zeta said:

Reckon Messi is going to finally score against us. This team just doesn't have the spirit or the desire of previous teams.

Z, if you don't stop the gloom, I'm coming over to throttle you with your own handknitted scarf 

[Salato]

2 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Hey look at that it was not psg lol.

Good a glorious tie against a true heavyweight opponent. Over the years Chelsea vs Barcelona has become one of the true great cl ties that has seen some amazing wins and losses on both sides. Now we get to see the next chapter in the story.

If you don't want such ties then why do you want to be in the cl anyways? For exciting victories over qarabag? To use your influence to magically get easy draws against the Swiss or Portuguese no hopers?

No we should want barca and be thrilled we got them. Either a truly glorious win or defeat to a truly special team with a once in a lifetime talent in their ranks await us and that is what the cl should all be about.

Exactly agree 100%, well chuffed we got Barca, I was thinking last night that I hoped of the teams we could face that we would get them, been some classic matches down the years between us.

As you so rightly said, competitive matches between big teams is what fans and players dream of when thinking about the Champions League, and as long as the team perform at our best and have some great competitive matches, then there is no shame if it ends in a fair defeat, and greater glory if we gain victory against a strong opponent.

Plus a big confidence boost if we win, I would start believing we really could push on further in the later stages of the competiton too, season could really get exciting then!

Really looking forward to this, Chelsea vs Barcelona again, bring it on!

[spadefx]

Pretty happy with the draw, we have a knack of really stepping it up for the big games, and on recent evidence are plenty guilty of being complacent when we have the 'favourites' tag.

When everything clicks with this side we're capable of beating anyone, we've got plenty of big game players in the squad and there's very few teams better than us at setting up to sit deep and counter. 

Nothing to lose as everyone will expect we drop out, but I can't help but fancy us and can't wait for the matches.

[chi blue]

28 minutes ago, Salato said:

Exactly agree 100%, well chuffed we got Barca, I was thinking last night that I hoped of the teams we could face that we would get them, been some classic matches down the years between us.

As you so rightly said, competitive matches between big teams is what fans and players dream of when thinking about the Champions League, and as long as the team perform at our best and have some great competitive matches, then there is no shame if it ends in a fair defeat, and greater glory if we gain victory against a strong opponent.

Plus a big confidence boost if we win, I would start believing we really could push on further in the later stages of the competiton too, season could really get exciting then!

Really looking forward to this, Chelsea vs Barcelona again, bring it on!

Great post, yes I am pleased we got this draw, what's the point in playing in this competition to just play teams like carrier bags, besikta, Basle etc, it's the European cup so Barca, Real Madrid Bayern, AC Milan, Juve are the team's we want, we were never gonna win it, we had our time in the sun in 2012, let's enjoy this tie, better than PSG again

[ivorycoast]

3 hours ago, axman2526 said:

If you don't want such ties then why do you want to be in the cl anyways? For exciting victories over qarabag? To use your influence to magically get easy draws against the Swiss or Portuguese no hopers?

For money. If we lose we are missing out on 6+ million euros.

Also if we lose then it's a big blow to the dressing room, with only the FA cup and top four to fight for.

[dansubrosa]

I seriously doubt we’d win the champions league, but it’s always great knocking a great team out anyway. I miss the days where we beat giants of Europe, doesn’t feel like it has happened for a long time.

Hopefully we will taste a sweet victory again soon!

[Londonisblue]

No pain, no gain !!!! You don't make great results without sweating a bit ... Look at our win at ATM!!!! It felt like winning a QF/SF of the UCL!!!!

[Londonisblue]

Btw, I hope Hazard is going to shut some badmouths too ... He's won with Chelsea, and he'll carry on winning with Chelsea !

[axman2526]

3 hours ago, ivorycoast said:

For money. If we lose we are missing out on 6+ million euros.

Also if we lose then it's a big blow to the dressing room, with only the FA cup and top four to fight for.

More of a money worry finishing in the top 4 not beating barca for me. 

In either case that is not what the cl is about for me.

[ivorycoast]

1 hour ago, axman2526 said:

More of a money worry finishing in the top 4 not beating barca for me. 

In either case that is not what the cl is about for me.

Our past performances (in the last 5 five years) in the CL are the reasons we are finding it hard to attract top talent. If they can get paid the same/more somewhere else and have a BETTER chance of winning the CL than us, why would they pick Chelsea?

I don't think Hazard would choose Chelsea today.

[axman2526]

Maybe, maybe not. Things go in cycles. At the moment the star of man city is highest raised in England.

That did not stop Liverpool getting salah, who has been sensation for them so far. Talent out there, you just have to find it.