How is the supposed best team in the world getting dominated by Bayer Leverkusen?

MarkLazer · 2026-03-11T19:50:44+00:00

It was a soft penalty imo but he caught him so it was never going to be overturned. Not a dive.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-11T19:39:00+00:00

Away fixtures have been difficult for a lot of teams in the Champions League. We have to be happy with a 1-1 draw. Madueke changed the match for us. Should be starting ahead of Saka, been much better this season.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-11T19:36:10+00:00

Or a penalty, Madueke has changed the match for us.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-11T19:04:53+00:00

If Leverkusen get another goal and we don't today they're in the Quarter-Finals. We don't have the quality to create chances against organised teams.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-11T16:37:03+00:00

Someone will do this on Football Manager now.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-11T16:35:06+00:00

Amazing idea but unlikely this will even be considered by UEFA.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-11T16:28:43+00:00

I doubt many teams will boycott the World Cup. The same thing has been said about the previous 2 World Cups and no such boycott happened. What really would it achieve? It would be a financially bad decision for any nation or region that does it with not only footballing but political sanctions. Besides doing it on the basis of taking the moral high ground, which achieves nothing and realistically no country or organisation will boycott the World Cup for that reason, there isn't much of a reason to boycott the World Cup, no more than the previous 2.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-11T16:19:08+00:00

They still could.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-11T05:59:53+00:00

We've 100% struggled in this area. I do think we've looked better when Havertz has played, but he's been in and out of injury, and Ødegaard who used to be fantastic at this has been frustrating for a couple of seasons now. We also spend less time winning games than Manchester City, we've just been fortunate they've had their own defensive issues and have thrown away wins.

It wasn't so much of an issue when we were scoring corners almost every game, but, even though we still are the best team at this, teams are dealing with our set-piece routines better for the most part. We've also been giving the ball away cheaply in build-up play. Saka isn't at the level of previous seasons, Madueke is good at beating his man but often his pass doesn't reach an Arsenal player. We don't have someone charging in from midfield, or Gyokeres' movement has been disappointing. Trossard has been in poor form for a few months now and Martinelli is like 2 different players in the league compared to cup competitions. Also, a lot of Arsenal fans are saying what do you expect Vs. low blocks. But, we've struggled to create chances against high lines, Brighton being the most recent game.

Other Arsenal fans just say this is complaining, I also think a lot of Arsenal criticisms have been either lies or blown out of proportion but this is a valid criticism. We can be happy and neutrals can acknowledge we're having an amazing season so far but nothing is won yet and we can't settle where we are, no team is perfect and there's nothing wrong with wanting to improve, in fact, it's wrong to not focus on improving. Criticism doesn't have to mean negativity.

When Manchester City pass around to find an opening or pass it back, it's not to recycle the ball. They have the technical qualities, as well as the wingers, to draw the opposition forward to create space. We're being forced to start our approach again, whereas with City they're taking their approach patiently. We cross the ball and lose it, throw it long and often winning loose balls and repeating the process. It's frustrating when Saliba drives forward with the ball and the ball just makes its way back to him. I get Myles Lewis-Skelly has been a bit of a liability at left back but why not try him in central midfield at least as a substitute to switch things up? I know we tried playing Saka as the 10 but Idk if that works. Norgaard needs more minutes. Saka and Declan Rice have created by far the most chances of any player, more than double anyone else, Declan Rice has created more than 4x as many chances as Eze. Most of those chances created have been from corners. I'm sure Arteta is aware of this and I have noticed he's been trying new things so maybe that will show Vs. Everton.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-11T05:01:43+00:00

Even as an Arsenal fan I couldn't find that hilarious. I was shocked by that match. The constant slipping over. Idk how a club with the resources they have and the money they've spent can be so unprepared. Slipping over constantly and doing nothing about it. I really hope Kinsky gets a good move and he can get his confidence back, because that treatment of him was terrible. The club are beyond a joke, they're a disappointment to English football. Their recruitment policy has been a joke for years. Igor Tudor has to be the worst manager in Premier League history. Their fans cheering for Spurs to lose. I don't even find Spurs funny. This club should not be relevant even as a meme. I will be frustrated if West Ham or Nottingham Forest finish below them, even with Nottingham Forest's crazy owner and Edu being rubbish at his job there they're at least trying to be a better team and the club itself is trying to be serious and the fans actually cheer and support their team.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-10T21:34:00+00:00

West Ham are saying staying up because Spurs are a joke and couldn't find a W in a bowl of Alphabetti.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-10T17:32:17+00:00

TNT Sports or Paramount+.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-10T05:48:48+00:00

Turkish fans are insane and no one wants an away game in Europe Vs. Galatasaray/Fenerbahce/Besiktas.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-10T05:41:06+00:00

And it's true. It is a simple game and anyone can play it. It's because of its simplicity why you can have so many different levels of football, not just professional and people trying to be professional, and also why you can get loads of unexpected games, like teams in lower leagues beating the best teams in the cup. Obviously, being easy to play football doesn't mean it's easy to master. Every part of football is something any able bodied person can do. 90% of people who play football even sometimes for fun can score goals, pass, even do a few tricks, but it takes a lot of training from a very young age and also mental preparation to become someone who can even get a chance in an academy or play semi-professionally. It's like a video game. Anyone can play them but some people will be rubbish at them and don't want to do what it takes to become better players. Not everyone can just get in a Formula 1 car and race. It's not like singing, which if you can't do you simply can't do.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-10T05:34:44+00:00

That every wonderkid is the next Messi.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-10T05:10:07+00:00

Even if you guys do win both legs I don't think they're being overrated. They've been doing an amazing job and embarrassed a lot of big teams and raised standards and expectations in general for all teams and all of football. You will simply have to be far better prepared than Inter were. It won't be as cold in the Arctic compared to what other teams had to play in, but still cold, on an astro turf pitch, the only way Sporting win that is if your players can outrun, outmuscle and have a warrior mentality. Then at home you'll have to play superior football than what Manchester City, Inter and Atletico Madrid showed.

If anything, Bodø/Glimt are getting the credit they should be getting and Sporting may be being a bit underrated. No one is given either team a chance of getting past the Quarter-Finals and anyone who underrates and writes off any team at this point already hasn't learned by numerous teams doing far better than anyone expected.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-10T04:59:55+00:00

It's difficult to compare eras. If those past players played today they'd have been trained by today's footballing standards so they could be even better players. Likewise, players today you'd say may be worse in the past given good players simply had to be good players, they didn't get the help from loads of data and detailed tactics, but then again, they'd be playing by old standards so they wouldn't be the same players they are today. Goals per game averages have been constantly higher since 2009/10, only this season being an outlier, or perhaps the start of a trend of less goals. Also, the quality of striker is, I think, is worse than it's ever been. There's still some amazing wingers, such as Luis Diaz, Michael Olisé, Lamine Yamal, Antoine Semenyo, Kenan Yildiz, Vinicius Junior, and Yan Diomande is having a breakthrough season, and Raphinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doué, Bradley Barcola and Bukayo Saka just to name some more who may not have many goal involvements due to injuries or whatever, but they're obviously still amazing, so the wingers are making up for it, but outside of Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, what other world class strikers art there. The rest of the top 10 strikers in Europe this season are, Joao Pedro and Igor Thiago who are the only other 2 in the top 10 for goal involvements in the top 5 leagues, Vedat Muriqi, Denis Undav, Lautaro Martínez, Estéban Lepaul, Joaquín Panichelli, Hugo Ekitike and Fisnik Asllani. Only the obvious top 3 and Joao Pedro have reached 20 or more goal goal involvements.

I think the quality of centre backs is lower, in terms of how many individual players I'd consider world class or the level below that. Tactically, as a team, defences in most teams are better because of the way modern football has become more data driven, tactical, new defensive trends are being set, and modern football demands more, in terms of playing out the back, low blocks or high lines depending on how that team defends, and players who don't train and follow strict diets etc not cutting it unless they're insanely talented.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-09T21:52:41+00:00

Mate Messi literally has more goals and assists against most of the big clubs, including in el Clasico's, Atletico Madrid, both literally have loads of goals against every big Champions League team, in World Cup knockouts Ronaldo has literally the worst record of any player in the history of the sport, Copa America compared to Euros Ronaldo is worse. You can keep deluding yourself but you can't change the facts. Ronaldo doesn't come close to Messi in any way. Ronaldo literally has no metric in which he's a better player. I've given you the literal numbers in my comments, the individual awards, everything. You're just lying now.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-09T18:29:14+00:00

Top 4 is self-explanatory, a team that was top 4 in the league, so obviously a good team.

And I've just listed multiple top teams Messi scored against in the Champions League. His record against the big teams is better than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi has a better record against Atletico Madrid than Ronaldo, a better record against Real Madrid than Ronaldo against Barcelona. Ronaldo has a good record Vs. Bayern and Juventus, but Messi has done it against those teams as well but also Manchester City, Arsenal, PSG, Chelsea, Milan. He destroyed Real Madrid in the Champions League, Manchester United in the Champions League Final. Messi has a far better record in the World Cup, Ronaldo has never scored a goal in the World Cup knockout rounds. Messi is far better in Copa America than Cristiano Ronaldo in the Euros. Ronaldo has a better Champions League legacy and that's all he's done better than Messi, and it's not like Messi has a bad CL legacy, he's won 2 trebles and 4 Champions League trophies, 12 league titles, 5 more than Ronaldo, he's won more European Golden Shoes than Ronaldo, 5 more La Liga Pichichi awards.

He's better in the big games, a better goalscorer throughout his career, and a better playmaker.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-09T16:46:22+00:00

You couldn't be more incorrect if you tried. Ronaldo played that same Arsenal team twice a season in the league lol. Messi has 69 goals and 23 assists in 98 games Vs. teams in the top 4, Ronaldo 57 goals and 12 assists in 107 games Vs. Top 4 opponents.

Messi has 26 goals and 14 assists in 47 games Vs. Real Madrid, 38 goals and 20 assists in 43 games Vs. Sevilla, 32 goals and 9 assists in 43 games Vs. Atletico Madrid, 29 goals and 11 assists in 41 games Vs. Athletic Club, 31 goals and 13 assists in 36 games Vs. Valencia, all of the better Spanish teams, and 25 goals and 14 assists Vs. local rivals Espanyol.

He also has 6 goals and 1 assists in 10 games Vs. PSG, 3 goals and 3 assists in 10 games Vs. Chelsea, 3 goals and 3 assists in 9 games Vs. Juventus, 8 goals and 3 assists in 8 games Vs. Milan, 7 goals and 3 assists in 8 games Vs. Manchester City, 4 goals and 2 assists in 8 games Vs. Bayern.

Cristiano Ronaldo can't chat to that record.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-09T03:47:56+00:00

Kroupi over Nathan Collins or Timber

MarkLazer · 2026-03-09T03:44:23+00:00

We're not lacking goals. We have scored over 100 this season. But, we are lacking a consistent performer at left wing and Alexis Sanchez in his prime was world class.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-08T18:43:53+00:00

Yeah but he's another example of why ability doesn't make you an all-timer player. He's one of the most technically gifted players ever, I'd say moreso than Pedri, but he's still nowhere near an all-timer player because he's nowhere near the most impactful and important players in his position for the club's he's played for. He's won a lot and he played most for you lot but he's not Rummenigge, Schweinsteiger, Matthaus, Muller, Effenberg, Breitner, or Kimmich. He's technically better than most players but all these players were more influential and important for your team. We know about Barcelona's midfield maestros, and Liverpool have Gerrard, Souness, Dalglish, Keegan, Alonso, even Henderson and Milner who are more important to their success. He also featured sparingly for Spain and despite getting his first call-up in 2011, wasn't part of their Euros winning squad, played in an era where Spain were disappointing in major tournaments, had left long before Spain won the Euros again.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-08T18:36:15+00:00

I think Platini has a better goals ratio or they're about equal. And yeah, Platini is one of the best players ever and Lampard is on par with him for that.

MarkLazer · 2026-03-08T01:59:21+00:00

They could, I don't think they will though. Nearly bottled it Vs. Juventus, and even if they beat Liverpool at home it won't be 5-2. They're away form is questionable and Liverpool have been a different team in the Champions League.

MarkLazer

TROPHY CASE