UEFA Champions League - The Grand Finale

MARSEILLE VS. VALENCIA CF!!!!
🙂

Honestly, it feels like the French league is the absolute powerhouse in Europe this season....😉

They just dismantled Newcastle 2-0 thanks to a Drogba masterclass, while Valencia CF managed a gritty 1-0 win over Villarreal via a Mista penalty...

This one’s gonna be a wild ride, even if everyone's calling Valencia CF the heavy favorites... (not me, though)....

I’m pulling for Marseille. I've just got a soft spot for France, the culture, and the way they play football... (well, except for those guys playing for Arsenal FC)....

Ole!😁

frozencobra69 said:I’m pulling for Marseille. I just love France, the French people, and French football... (except for the guys playing for Arsenal FC).

That’s probably the biggest load of nonsense I’ve heard in a long time.

frozencobra69 said:I’ve always had a soft spot for Marseille since I just love France, the people there, and French football in general... though maybe not those guys playing for Arsenal FC.

you probably wouldn't feel that way if you actually met them in person, honestly😁
anyway, Valencia CF won the UEFA Champions League, they were the champions of Spain, and 2005 European Champion!!! 😁 😁 😁

I'm rooting for Marseille because of my good buddy Roger—he’s an absolute disaster in the kitchen but a die-hard Marseille fan through and through. I owe him this one after all those legendary dinners he used to whip up for the crew back in Austin...

nimblemarlin17 said:I don't think I've heard anything more ridiculous lately.

I’ve spent way too much time hunting for the perfect line for my signature—and honestly, I think I finally nailed it today!

Signature updated. Just wanted to make sure this profound bit of wisdom doesn't get lost in the shuffle. 😁

nimblemarlin17 said:I honestly can’t think of a bigger load of nonsense I’ve heard lately.

I don't see what the big deal is... I'm just not a fan of Arsenal FC, mostly because of how arrogant Thierry Henry was, plus Robert Pires always seemed pretty slippery to me, and don't even get me started on Vieira's build... they're French. Aside from those three, I actually dig most other French players... I like Ligue 1 and I like France as a country (been there a bunch of times)...

I really don't get it...

I suppose Robert Pires is an alright enough guy... though he strikes me as somewhat sinister.. especially with that stubble of his.😁

frozencobra69 said:What's so weird about it? I just can't stand Arsenal, mostly because of how arrogant Thierry Henry is, plus I can't stand that slippery Robert Pires or Vieira's build. They're French. Aside from those three, I actually like most other French players... I like the French league and France itself as a country (I've visited there plenty of times).

I honestly don't get it.

So, you love French football, but you hate three of their four best players. Makes perfect sense...

nimblemarlin17 said:So, you claim to love French football, yet you can't stand three of their four best players. I suppose there isn't much else to say about that logic...

I might also add that without those three specific guys from Arsenal FC, France would probably just be some mediocre side.

Chloe Palmer2 said:I’d also go as far as to say that without those three guys from Arsenal FC, France would just be some mediocre mid-tier team.

Well, damn. 🙄

frozentiger6 said:Well, I suppose it is what it is.🙄

I guess things just fall into place like that... though it all seems to stem from her dislike of those three players. If it weren't for them, France might never have been a World Cup or European Championship winner. Credit to Zinedine Zidane and the rest, but maybe Robert Pires and Patrick Vieira really did carry the heavy lifting on the pitch, especially defensively.

So, I guess we just sit here and pray that Robert Pires breaks a leg or Patrick Vieira gets flattened by a bus, because that's the only way we're going to absolutely steamroll the Americans.

Look, there's no point arguing about personal taste. Personally, I find Thierry Henry way too arrogant to be likable, and I can't stand Vieira because of how he carries himself. As players? Sure, respect where it's due. But Pires is a different story—the guy is actually down-to-earth.
To be honest, a few of those French players really rub me the wrong way. They’ve got this massive ego. Take Zinedine Zidane, for instance—when he headbutted that guy in the face, he actually looked shocked that the ref had the nerve to show him a red card. He acted like, "Do you even know who I am?" 🙂
That whole attitude came back to haunt them during the World Cup in South Korea and Japan.

Even so, the truth is they have enough depth to crush us even with a second string lineup. It’s a bit naive to suggest they'd just be some mediocre squad without Henry, Pires, and Vieira.

Chloe Palmer2 said:I should also point out that without those three guys from Arsenal FC, the French national team would just be some mediocre squad.

well, that's just your take on it...

Personally, I think Trezeguet and Djibril Cissé were way better than Thierry Henry. Henry just doesn't have the guts...
Ludovic Rothen was easily 100 times better than Robert Pires.
Dacourt was a better player than Patrick Vieira.

Not sure why you're looking at it that way, but France can put together a seriously strong roster... really strong...

That’s far from being the case; they wouldn't just crush us...
They might still be a top-tier national team, I suppose, but certainly not compared to us.
They simply wouldn't be in the same league as Italy, the Netherlands, or Spain anymore...
That's all I was trying to get at.

frozencobra69 said:Well, I suppose that’s just your take on things...

In my view, Trezeguet and Djibril Cissé are better than Thierry Henry. Henry just lacks grit.
Ludovic Rothen is easily a hundred times better than Robert Pires.
Dacourt is superior to Patrick Vieira.

I can't quite say why you feel that way, but I guess the US could put together three incredibly strong teams... truly formidable ones...

That seems to be your opinion as well... though most top soccer analysts currently consider Henry the best striker in Europe, which makes the US much more dangerous with him than without him...
And I suspect Cissé wouldn't even be a substitute for Henry, or for Rothen Pires if they were actually better than them...😎

Chloe Palmer2 said:that’s just how you see it... but if you ask any actual football expert, Thierry Henry is easily the best striker in Europe right now, which makes France way more dangerous with him on the pitch than without him...
and honestly, Djibril Cissé wouldn't even touch the bench if he were playing alongside Henry or Ludovic Rothen Pires, assuming they were actually better than them...😎

well, that's opinion of their national team coach..

if I were in his shoes, I wouldn't even bother calling up Henry in the first place...

There are plenty of people like that out there. Judging by the "brilliant" visions of these idiots, we’ll probably end up crushing Switzerland too.

And yeah, you can't compare Ludovic Rothen to Robert Pires; they aren't even the same breed of player. Djibril Cissé actually has more raw potential than Thierry Henry, it's just a matter of him not knowing how to use it. Plenty of players have had more potential than Davor Šuker, but he blew past all of them because he ended up being the top scorer at a World Cup. That doesn't necessarily mean he was better quality. 😉
Look, that guy Bierhoff decided the winner of the European Championship final with his goals, and if you ask him, Ivica Olić is a superstar. 😁

frozencobra69 said:well, that's opinion of their national team coach..

If I were in his shoes, Thierry Henry wouldn't even be getting a phone call...

Are you actually being serious right now? Please tell me you're joking.😕
Not calling up Thierry Henry...?😕 😕

frozencobra69 said:well, that's like your opinion man..

Trezeguet and Djibril Cissé are better than Thierry Henry in my book. Henry just doesn't have the guts.
Ludovic Rothen is a hundred times better than Robert Pires.
Dacourt beats Patrick Vieira any day.

Not sure why you feel that way, but France can put together three heavy hitters... really strong ones...

Does anyone have Santini's email so we can send this over ASAP? Based on her tactics, the French wouldn't stand a chance against the US. Maybe Santini is crazy enough to actually listen to her, you never know...

Henry lacks guts? Maybe. Who knows. I've never checked his pants, nor do I want to. You might have, being a woman... But for us, the bottom line is he's got two legs and they're fast. Plus, his right foot is deadly accurate.

And yeah, France is strong, but only if Zinedine Zidane is ready to go. That's a proven fact. Ludovic Rothen can barely fill those shoes.

She wouldn't call up Henry... That would be like the '86 Argentine coach leaving out Diego Maradona. Or the '94 Italian squad ignoring Roberto Baggio... Jeffrey Watson2, change your signature, this is even more ridiculous! 😁

Either 98. Or maybe it's Jacquet Canton.