United Could Have Used This Intensity... Rooney Sits In Loss
Another matchday has come and gone. I want to take this opportunity to voice my displeasure with a trend that only seems to be exacerbated by time. The resting of quality players by teams that have already qualified. Now I understand that managers want to pace their top talent as it can be a very long season for some of Europe’s top teams. But come on people. This is the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, this is where you prove your mettle, where you show Europe, and indeed the world, that you are the best club team on the planet. Why spend all that money on acquiring the most sought after assets in the sport… to sit them in favour of players, who while talented in their own right, just don’t measure up. Perhaps I am irked by this more than usual today because the ‘tactical’ personnel selections played havoc with my predictions, but then I think, to hell with that. I look to other sports where true Ironmen suit up and head into battle 3 or 4 times weekly. Take for example top NHL teams. They play their top players (when healthy) every… single… game.
But I digress… here is the disaster story that has become my predictions from the second half of matchday 5.
RESULTS:
Bordeaux 2 – 0 Juventus: Robert 0 for 1 (Despite my record… very happy for the french squad)
Bayern 1- 0 Maccabi Haifa: Robert 1 for 2
CSKA Moskva 2 – 1 Wolfsburg: Robert 1 for 3 (Wolfs just cant get there groove back)
Manchester United 0 -1 Besiktas: Robert 1 for 4(sorry guys I cant possibly guess when one team gives the other a pity win)
Madrid 1 – 0 Zurich: Robert 2 for 5
Milan 1 – 1 Marseille: Robert 2 for 6
Porto 0 – 1 Chelsea: Robert 3 for 7
APOEL 1 – 1 Atletico: Robert 4 for 8 (Glad I could recover some of my dignity on this one… I suppose I knew that in my heart of hearts Atletico wouldn’t show up, much like the rest of the tournament)
That will do it for Champions League action until December when the remaining spots will be decided. Stay tuned to cheddarbomb.wordpress.com for upcoming footy posts… including the top 10 players under 20 to watch in 2010.
Top Cheese 
I hate this too. Man up and play. I wish futebol players would learn how to fight instead of bitch slap a player who tackles them hard. I wish futebol players would drive through a hard tackle and score instead of fall to the ground like they ahve been shot looking for a PK. Man up score and they tell the clown get that weak stuff outta here. NFL receivers do the same. It bugs me.
On the other hand this gives the young players valuable playing time in matches. You can’t simulate playing match conditions in practice.
I definitely agree that there is a time and place to use your younger players. Its called ‘The Cup’. FA Cup, Italian Cup, Ligue Cup, Deutsche Cup… pick your cup, thats where you do it. You cannot possibly simulate match conditions when the other team is not going to be playing their best. Young guns need the training in matches that mean something so that they can learn the level of intensity that is needed to play in the world’s top leagues, and for their most coveted trophies.
Sir Alex a fraud? It’s bizarre Man United loosing from Besiktas in their homeplay. I don’t agree using this Champions League for that kind of exercise for young players. I’m wondering what Wolfsburg and CSKA will make out of this result. It makes a big difference for them continuing in the CL, UEFA cup or nothing at all! What did the supporters of the Mancunians pay for this match?
Having tried to get tickets to see a match at Old Trafford, I can tell you that when you are actually able to see the red devils, you will most likely pay through the nose for the privilege. Loosing at home, to Besiktas, in what was a terrible and lazy display of football was something that only a Sir Alex sympathizer could walk away happy with. I agree with the above its CL or bust. Man U, among others, will face the consequences of these shabby tactics when it comes time to play in the knockout round.