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Sporting Thrashed

I sit here watching FC Porto trounce Sporting Lisbon, currently 5-1, and find myself seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.

Not for one moment do I believe that we can win the Europa League as we are not yet strong enough to compete with some of the teams still in the competion. I do however see enough within the club to know that we can progress to at least the next round.

With a fit and complete squad at the start of next season (I dream), a tad of consistancy and a will to attack, we shall pose a considerable threat. But I digress.

To beat Sporting, we need to continue with the joined-up stuff at a reasonably good tempo. Overlapping by the full backs decisive (please give Coleman a chance), as they tended to sit quite deep and I feel are vulnerable in the air. The Yak would be a wrong choice for this match. They have a long corner tactic whereby they play it to an unmarked man beyond the far post to shoot. They fall over, dying-fly fashion, at the slightest touch.

David Moyes must go for the jugular in the home game to acquire a big lead because in their home arena they will be very tough to beat.
Brian Garside, Sweden Posted 02/02/2010 at 19:24:17

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Pat Finegan
1 Posted 03/02/2010 at 04:21:34

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Why can’t we win the Europa league? We are playing as well as anyone in the EPL, the best league in the world. If we have enough to compete in this league, we have enough to compete in the Europa league. I’m not going to get too optimistic but we have a decent shot.

Gavin Ramejkis
2 Posted 03/02/2010 at 07:21:09

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I used to play against Portugese lads when I lived in Jersey and the amount of times they go down like a sniper has put a round into them when you go anywhere near and roll along screaming is legendary. As long as we get a ref who doesn’t fall for the swan dives and moaning we could be alright. We need to score first, though, as we always look deflated coming from behind.

Paul Gladwell
3 Posted 03/02/2010 at 07:58:21

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Brian, we are unbeaten in nine league games — a large part of that is down to the return of our captain.

Fair enough, his performances in the last three games have been poor but you can bet your life, if we dropped him and put Coleman in, the minute we struggle or go a goal down, a lot of our players and defence would be looking for Neville for some leadership. We need him there as, Cahill aside, we have no more leaders in our side. In the four or five games coming up, experimenting with a lad with no experience is not an option.

Nick Entwistle
4 Posted 03/02/2010 at 08:07:19

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The 5-1 defeat we took at a time when results were going against us really has knocked the confidence out of fans concerning Europe. A little short-sighted considering the only team available would never otherwise be picked.

I’m not sure who is left in the tournament but the only thing stopping us is if the team took on the small team mentality which some fans are enduring.

Shaun Brennan
5 Posted 03/02/2010 at 08:46:35

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Talking about diving at the slightest touch. Don’t we have our own players who can do that?

Gavin Ramejkis
6 Posted 03/02/2010 at 09:04:45

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Shaun, agree Yak and Arteta being two.

Nick, I know we can’t meet all of these but this is who is left in and some still quite tasty teams:

Ajax
Anderlecht
Athletic Bilbao
Atletico Madrid
Benfica
Club Brugge
Everton
FC Copenhagen
FC Twente
Fenerbahce
Fulham
Galatasaray
Hamburg
Hapoel Tel-Aviv
Hertha Berlin
Juventus
Liverpool
Lille
Marseille
Panathinaikos
PSV
Roma
Rubin Kazan
Shakhtar Donetsk
Sporting Lisbon
Standard Liege
SV Red Bull Salzburg
Unirea Urziceni
Valencia
Villarreal
Werder Bremen
Wolfsburg

Nick Entwistle
7 Posted 03/02/2010 at 09:59:50

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Nice one, Gavin. Now I’m not a follower of European football but I do know a lot of those big names in there are just big names and not performing to what we would historicall expect... sounds familiar, haha. The best team though has to be Liverpool??

I don’t think on paper we will be outclassed... though our European experience may hinder.

I’d love to play Atletico Madrid in the next round. I’ve a Real Madrid supporting friend and would be keen to educate her on what a proper club is like (cough). Maybe even swing her over to the blues...

Gavin Ramejkis
8 Posted 03/02/2010 at 10:40:43

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Nick, Atletico’s keeper is no great shakes but they do counter attack very fast having seen earlier games of their’s on TV, if we could absorb that kind of attack they are susceptible to goals. I was hoping the RS would get drawn against one of the Turkish sides or Juve or Roma to get at least one of those out too.

Alan Kirwin
9 Posted 03/02/2010 at 11:28:09

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Benfica, Shakhtar & Valencia are the ones I’d prefer to avoid.

A final against Benfica could prove a fitting opportunity for a repost to our 7-0 loss in the qualifiers. I’ll remember the love showed for Eusebio by Evertonians for a long time.

This tournament is part of the renewal of our club. The notion of European competition was a pipe dream when Moyes arrived. Having now got back (almost) to where we want to be, let’s revel in it. It raises our profile amongst the better players & brings in more prize money than some people realise. And it feels great.

Allez les Bleus!

Christian Yandell
10 Posted 03/02/2010 at 13:32:04

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If I ever see Angel Di Maria play against us again it will be to soon!!

Would not mind seeing how the shite deal with him though. He would dump them clean out the competition that is for sure.

Wayne Smyth
11 Posted 03/02/2010 at 13:37:27

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To win the cup we do need to play to our best; however, this is true of any competition and it has nothing to do with the ’names’ left in the pot. How many of us had heard of Metallist before we played them, for example? They almost gave us a good going over.

There are no easy games at any time and we need to be up for it, whoever we play... and we need to believe we can win.

One thing is certain, if we get drawn against the likes of Juventus and are overawed by their name before we’ve kicked a ball, then we will have lost before we’ve even started. Don't forget, a lot of the big name clubs are in this competition because they are not as good as the likes of Arsenal who we didn’t do too badly against recently.

As an aside, I think we are a different animal to the one that played Benfica. We were so short of numbers, we were even playing the likes of Coleman on his debut out of position at left back against one of the world's best wingers. The current side has quality, strength in depth and we are a lot more confident than we were.

Bring it on.

Steve Green
12 Posted 03/02/2010 at 13:51:21

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Not only will we be a different team from the one last time we were in Lisbon, Sporting are absolutely NO Benfica. Just have a look at the season’s results for both, the goals F/A column for both and where Sporting are in their league compared to Benfica. They are miles off the pace of Benfica and nowhere near as dangerous.

The only thing that can lose us this tie is ourselves. Just like Vanessa P, they are very do-able!

Robert Davis
13 Posted 03/02/2010 at 15:34:44

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ER Gavin have’t we won more prem points than any other this season coming from behind?

Gavin Ramejkis
14 Posted 03/02/2010 at 16:06:18

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Robert how about two soft goals against Brum, did you honestly believe we would come back and draw that game never mind win it? When Everton concede a goal they get very vulnerable to a second, if they concede that second goal it’s game over. Watch the highlights of the Benfica games when we conceded and you just knew it was game over then onwards.

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