The Champions League Discussion Thread

[iamauser]

Anyone got odds on a Porto - Ajax final? XD

 

[Ron90]

Would love to see Ajax in the final. They're simply amazing to watch. Their captain De Ligt is the real. All the big teams will be fighting for his signature come summer

 

[Tyton]

Ajax is doing so well, because they're a step further in their dynamic formations than the other 4 teams I've seen playing. They switch more easily from back 4 to back 3. But they also have different formations to build-up. You saw that pretty good against Real in Madrid. In ball possession Ajax also dares to overload any side (left, middle, right). They are used to play in small areas and make little combinations. The fun thing is that their midfield became the players who have to intercept the rebounds, that the attackers can make combinations at 6 square meters.

Ajax are a joy to watch, but I'm not sure if tactical innovation is making the difference for them. I think it's mostly automatism/muscle memory in decision making. It's a group of mostly young players who have been playing together for years and years always in the same system. It's plausible they can just do some things better than elite superclubs with their constantly changing squads. They don't "think ahead", they just do the same thing they've done a million times with the same 3 teammates who they know since they were 12.

 

[lxl Ra lxl]

Ajax are a joy to watch, but I'm not sure if tactical innovation is making the difference for them. I think it's mostly automatism/muscle memory in decision making. It's a group of mostly young players who have been playing together for years and years always in the same system. It's plausible they can just do some things better than elite superclubs with their constantly changing squads. They don't "think ahead", they just do the same thing they've done a million times with the same 3 teammates who they know since they were 12.

Good point, but you do need exceptional talent in the same generation to be able to form that. Basic guideline is often that you want 1 player from the youth to grow into the first team. You will need an exceptional generation to already have 3 players moving together to the first team at the same time. If it doesn't happen the older players get poached by the big clubs before they can connect with the new players.

This is the advantage top teams get. They can hold players longer and grow into these automatism, because they can stay longer together as a team. Plus, once you're older you can train more and create these automatisms faster, you're smarter, tacticly more developped... Don't see why top teams wouldn't be able to create these automatisms in 2 years which youngsters have to create during their whole development.

Going back to the tactic side. If you are together for longer and do have that connection it is easier to become tacticly fluid and create automatisms. Simply because tactic is a way to solve problems. Personally I don't think there's much difference between tactics and automatism, except one might be more macro level and other micro.

 

[Theatre of Dreams83]

Wow this Ajax team :O

 

[dilakh2]

Get him off Jheez shouldn't have even been allowed back on what were the spurs medical team playing at there.

 

[Theatre of Dreams83]

Get him off Jheez shouldn't have even been allowed back on what were the spurs medical team playing at there.

Exactly! Wtf are they playing at!

 

[dilakh2]

Exactly! Wtf are they playing at!

Kudos to Vertonghen for taking himself off there but he looked like he was concussed straight away like he could throw up at any second. Poor from spurs medical team and the officials.

 

[ninjaskill]

Kudos to Vertonghen for taking himself off there but he looked like he was concussed straight away like he could throw up at any second. Poor from spurs medical team and the officials.

The referee clearly asking them if he was fit and then after five seconds that happens, needs to be a serious look at their decision making there. Don't think they had Vertonghen's best interests in mind.

 

[Theatre of Dreams83]

The referee clearly asking them if he was fit and then after five seconds that happens, needs to be a serious look at their decision making there. Don't think they had Vertonghen's best interests in mind.

Pochetino included!

 

[Legend Incredible]

Genuinely believe Ajax could actually win the champions league lol

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

 

[kitchin75]

i see there kids are giving zero ***** to who thay play good on them

 

[Tyton]

Sounds of the crowd on new Spurs stadium are amazing. Architects deserve a bonus.

 

[lxl Ra lxl]

Would it actually be possible? Ajax in the finals?

Crazy to think they've nearly played 60 competitive games already this season.

 

[Bujakaa92]

Amazimg pass with world class finishing. So many strikers would go with left feet there

 

[wkdsoul]

Fans actually complaining about Lineker & Ferdinand celebrating... tragic bastards lol

 

[Tyton]

Fans actually complaining about Lineker & Ferdinand celebrating... tragic bastards lol

The most tragic thing about that video is that Lineker can't celebrate goal for more than 3 seconds because he has to tweet.

 

[wkdsoul]

The most tragic thing about that video is that Lineker can't celebrate goal for more than 3 seconds because he has to tweet.

gotta drive that brand...

 

[lxl Ra lxl]

Too bad... I honestly liked Ajax and Liverpool the most this season and thought it was gonna be the final.

Ajax has done exceptionally well this season, but Ajax did not play their game anymore in the second half. In ball posession they just couldn't do their thing anymore. I don't know exactly why, but could be because they're tired with ~60 games played this season, because of arragance going into the 2nd half. Who knows?

The problem was that Ajax couldn't press that well, while it usually is their strongest point. But you saw that Spurs figured it out by playing 1-2's to get out of the press. They did it the whole time at the FB's and in the middle of the box. 1-2's great against this kind of press where everyone runs in and puts their feet in if the defenders are a bit too late to press.

Was kind of shocked Ajax couldn't handle the long balls, while this season it seemed they did manage to handle it well.

Ajax kind of missed the rapid speed of Neres (as substitute or from the start) and Magallan is always a disaster waiting to happen. He is always related to goals against and the losses of Ajax this season.

I might sound like a bad loser, but I am not impressed with Spurs. I find them pretty predictable. I think Liverpool should win the finals.

 

[Vanjagl]

Today is the day where we are going to stop calling one of these two managers a serial loser.