André Villas Boas - Manager - Porto (13 Viewers)
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Now we hyping Portuguese league? I seen games where their top teams play the rest of the league, and its so piss easy, generally weak no name semi-village teams. Porto, Benfica and Braga (who are mediocre team) while done well in EL, say very little of the league in general. Its at best on the level of the quite weak dutch league, nothing else.
Now if three Italian teams would have made the semis of the Europa, you'd have all sorts of people here claiming that a renaissance of calcio is underway. But since that isn't the case, Europa is a terrible competition with no merit whatsoever and one that we should purposefully lose in.
I love the spin. Bunch of Bill O'Rielly's here.
I love the spin. Bunch of Bill O'Rielly's here.
Nonsense. I love how you take a chink of light in an argument and turn it into a huge exaggeration. Try to lose? Not even worth responding to it's so stupid. Play weakened teams? Treat it as a second or third class competition compared to the Serie A and CL? Yes. This is a fact of which there is no denying whatsoever. Add those three things together to a weakened Serie A and you get exactly what happened. It's for also-rans in the big leagues, and strong teams in weak ones.
What other way should one take this comment?
That's completely asinine. So just because three Portuguese clubs made the semifinals, that confirms their league is terrible? So if three English teams reach the semis next year, what would you say then?
No. If three English/Italian/Spanish/whatever clubs made those Semis, it would be based on their own merits as teams, nothing else. It doesn't have anything to do with the league. Prior to the turn of the century, Italian teams were winning the UEFA left and right, and just a couple years ago Sevilla dominated the competition. So credit to Porto and Braga. The former would wipe the floor with the likes of Napoli and Roma anyway.
I don't have any doubt in my mind that if three Italian sides were in this, the opinions here would be VASTLY different. "This just goes to show Serie A clubs are getting better in Europe", or, "This goes to show how strong Serie A is," would be the mantra around here. But since that's not the case, it's a terrible competition and if we were there, it would be an embarrassment!
But you've used the excuse in the past that we don't care about Europa, which is why we were humiliated against Lech and the like. If so, then what you should do is promote that we simply forfeit those matches to guard against embarrassment.
That's completely asinine. So just because three Portuguese clubs made the semifinals, that confirms their league is terrible? So if three English teams reach the semis next year, what would you say then?
No. If three English/Italian/Spanish/whatever clubs made those Semis, it would be based on their own merits as teams, nothing else. It doesn't have anything to do with the league. Prior to the turn of the century, Italian teams were winning the UEFA left and right, and just a couple years ago Sevilla dominated the competition. So credit to Porto and Braga. The former would wipe the floor with the likes of Napoli and Roma anyway.
I don't have any doubt in my mind that if three Italian sides were in this, the opinions here would be VASTLY different. "This just goes to show Serie A clubs are getting better in Europe", or, "This goes to show how strong Serie A is," would be the mantra around here. But since that's not the case, it's a terrible competition and if we were there, it would be an embarrassment!
But you've used the excuse in the past that we don't care about Europa, which is why we were humiliated against Lech and the like. If so, then what you should do is promote that we simply forfeit those matches to guard against embarrassment.
Portugal has three big teams (Benfica, Porto and Sporting) and a group of at least three good teams capable for Europa League (Braga, Guimarães, Nacional da Madeira). There are more four or five nice teams and that's about that. Not a shitty league as some may think, but also not close to the italian.
I'm sure you'll take it however you like.
No, their league is mediocre because it has one excellent team, 3 decent and the rest are mediocre to terrible. It's unlikely three English teams will make the semis, just look how many teams are involved in relegation scraps or battle for European places now, just like Serie A, bigger fish to fry. Unless there are three Fulhams, extremely unlikely, another extremely mediocre club, safely in mid table who ended up resting players in the league for their EL run.
Their own merits, which are often dictated to them by financial means or battles at the top and bottom of the table. It doesn't just apply to the top 3-4 leagues. Porto have no worries, they won the league blind folded. The rest are safe. You can go for it at that point.
You've said it twice now and it still makes no sense, no team forfeits matches. It's not an excuse, it's a fact that you can keep dressing up different ways to suit, we prioritise the EL below Serie A, just like the Coppa Italia. It's not a difficult concept to grasp.
Well you can relay hypothetical situations without basis in your mind. On my previous post, you misunderstand although I was a little vague. I don't see a scenario - in the short term at least - where Serie A clubs are a) taking the EL seriously enough to divert attention from the league or b) strong enough for the 5th-7th placed teams to juggle two competitions. So for there to be 3 Italian semi finalists in the EL it would be a scenario where Serie A has developed into a 4th tier league like Liga Sagres and our teams would take great prestige from doing well in the competition.
One big flaw in your argument, the EL is nothing like the competition the UEFA Cup was in the 90's, seems pointless discussing further but maybe it explains your reasoning well.
No, their league is mediocre because it has one excellent team, 3 decent and the rest are mediocre to terrible. It's unlikely three English teams will make the semis, just look how many teams are involved in relegation scraps or battle for European places now, just like Serie A, bigger fish to fry. Unless there are three Fulhams, extremely unlikely, another extremely mediocre club, safely in mid table who ended up resting players in the league for their EL run.
Their own merits, which are often dictated to them by financial means or battles at the top and bottom of the table. It doesn't just apply to the top 3-4 leagues. Porto have no worries, they won the league blind folded. The rest are safe. You can go for it at that point.
You've said it twice now and it still makes no sense, no team forfeits matches. It's not an excuse, it's a fact that you can keep dressing up different ways to suit, we prioritise the EL below Serie A, just like the Coppa Italia. It's not a difficult concept to grasp.
Well you can relay hypothetical situations without basis in your mind. On my previous post, you misunderstand although I was a little vague. I don't see a scenario - in the short term at least - where Serie A clubs are a) taking the EL seriously enough to divert attention from the league or b) strong enough for the 5th-7th placed teams to juggle two competitions. So for there to be 3 Italian semi finalists in the EL it would be a scenario where Serie A has developed into a 4th tier league like Liga Sagres and our teams would take great prestige from doing well in the competition.
One big flaw in your argument, the EL is nothing like the competition the UEFA Cup was in the 90's, seems pointless discussing further but maybe it explains your reasoning well.
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