Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Wolfsberger

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
Olympiakos is the easier draw. You even got a free run-out at their ground as preparation.
UEFA rates both the league (18 v 20) and club (35 v 36) higher in both cases. Your group was a joke, too.
Having got back-to-back non-league teams in the FA Cup a few years back, you're due harder draws.

Your group was easy, too.

So you’re telling me you’d rather play Olympiacos than Dinamo Zagreb? When the former has more European pedigree?

I’m not disputing we’ve had fortunate draws in the past, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m on about this season.

Across all competitions, you’ve unquestionably had easier draws than we have.
 
Your group was easy, too.

So you’re telling me you’d rather play Olympiacos than Dinamo Zagreb? When the former has more European pedigree?

I’m not disputing we’ve had fortunate draws in the past, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m on about this season.

Across all competitions, you’ve unquestionably had easier draws than we have.
But we are talking about the past. And it's our board. Sorry.
 
Your group was easy, too.

So you’re telling me you’d rather play Olympiacos than Dinamo Zagreb? When the former has more European pedigree?

I’m not disputing we’ve had fortunate draws in the past, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m on about this season.

Across all competitions, you’ve unquestionably had easier draws than we have.
Our group was mediocre. Yours had two part-timers.

How do Olympiakos have more European pedigree than Dinamo? The Croatians aren't far behind your lot.
They've won that knock-off that you like to count and reached the semi-finals of the Cup Winners'.
The Greeks have never made it past the quarter-finals of anything.
 
Our group was mediocre. Yours had two part-timers.

How do Olympiakos have more European pedigree than Dinamo? The Croatians aren't far behind your lot.
They've won that knock-off that you like to count and reached the semi-finals of the Cup Winners'.
The Greeks have never made it past the quarter-finals of anything.

How many years back are you going, though? If this all happened 30-40+ years ago, it's not as relevant.
Olympiacos have been playing Champions League football frequently, and have regularly faced difficult opponents in Europe over the last decade.
I might be wrong on this, as I honestly can't be bothered to check, but I don't believe Dinamo Zagreb have in comparison.

Olympiacos and Dinamo Zagreb are both champions of their national leagues. Yet Olympiacos only had to play in the play-off round to get into the CL group stages. Dinamo Zagreb had to enter from the second-qualifying round and then got knocked out in the third-qualifying round ( the stage before the play-off round).

I don't know how or why you think Zagreb is harder.
 
How many years back are you going, though? If this all happened 30-40+ years ago, it's not as relevant.
Olympiacos have been playing Champions League football frequently, and have regularly faced difficult opponents in Europe over the last decade.
I might be wrong on this, as I honestly can't be bothered to check, but I don't believe Dinamo Zagreb have in comparison.

Olympiacos and Dinamo Zagreb are both champions of their national leagues. Yet Olympiacos only had to play in the play-off round to get into the CL group stages. Dinamo Zagreb had to enter from the second-qualifying round and then got knocked out in the third-qualifying round ( the stage before the play-off round).

I don't know how or why you think Zagreb is harder.
Because they are. You only think that Olympiakos are harder because they knocked you out last season.
We beat them and I'd rather face them again. UEFA ranks them higher, too. It's not just my opinion.
Dinamo have played 5 of the last 10 seasons in the Champions League groups, going out in the qualifiers in the others.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KingHotspur
Because they are. You only think that Olympiakos are harder because they knocked you out last season.
We beat them and I'd rather face them again. UEFA ranks them higher, too. It's not just my opinion.
Dinamo have played 5 of the last 10 seasons in the Champions League groups, going out in the qualifiers in the others.

No, I think Olympiacos are harder because I recognise them more as they've played more top European teams and because we've also had to play them regularly. We've won 5 and lost 5 against them, so they're hardly a walk in the park.
Off the top of my head, I can recall them beating Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Juventus and Marseille in recent years.

They drew 2-2 with you, but you beat them 4-2 at your ground, having been 2-0 down.

You've only played Dinamo Zagreb once, which was about 13 years ago, and you won 4-0. You've not faced them since. They're more of an unknown quantity than the Greeks, which is why you're saying you wouldn't want to play them, but that doesn't mean they're a better side.
 
No, I think Olympiacos are harder because I recognise them more as they've played more top European teams and because we've also had to play them regularly. We've won 5 and lost 5 against them, so they're hardly a walk in the park.
Off the top of my head, I can recall them beating Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Juventus and Marseille in recent years.

They drew 2-2 with you, but you beat them 4-2 at your ground, having been 2-0 down.

You've only played Dinamo Zagreb once, which was about 13 years ago, and you won 4-0. You've not faced them since. They're more of an unknown quantity than the Greeks, which is why you're saying you wouldn't want to play them, but that doesn't mean they're a better side.
Olympiakos have beaten precisely two sides post-group in the last decade, prior to last night: Osmalispor and Arsenal.
They'll nick the odd win just because they're consistently in the competition. Dinamo beat Atalanta 4-0 last season, for example.
They also beat you a few years back: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/34203643
 
There is something weirdly poetic about Spurs and Arsenal fans arguing over which ****e team isn't quite ****e enough to not be an obstacle for our two ****e teams.

It only started because somebody believes the special one
will "fluke" both getting Spurs to the EL final, and then winning it.
 
Olympiakos have beaten precisely two sides post-group in the last decade, prior to last night: Osmalispor and Arsenal.
They'll nick the odd win just because they're consistently in the competition. Dinamo beat Atalanta 4-0 last season, for example.
They also beat you a few years back: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/34203643

Yeah, you didn't need to link the article from when they beat us. Don't worry, I still remember it <laugh>

In any case, I think we can agree we've both been granted favourable draws compared to the teams we potentially could have had. And to be fair, had Olympiakos not bantered us out the competition last year, in the circumstances that it happened, we probably wouldn't have minded drawing them again this time around.

I'd still have preferred someone else, though. We've drawn them (be it in group stages or KO rounds) 6 times in the last 12 European campaigns. Boring.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PleaseNotPoll
Yeah, you didn't need to link the article from when they beat us. Don't worry, I still remember it <laugh>

In any case, I think we can agree we've both been granted favourable draws compared to the teams we potentially could have had. And to be fair, had Olympiakos not bantered us out the competition last year, in the circumstances that it happened, we probably wouldn't have minded drawing them again this time around.

I'd still have preferred someone else, though. We've drawn them (be it in group stages or KO rounds) 6 times in the last 12 European campaigns. Boring.
I'll have a word and you can swap with Man Utd, ok? <whistle>
I'm just happy to have avoided any of the British or Italian sides.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrunelGunner
I can't stand the bloke and I like him even less now that he manages you. So the fact you've been drawing favourable sides in both domestic and European cup ties, means that a manager I detest could win silverware with a club I also detest.

Not really a situation I like to see.

Favourable draws <laugh>
Chelsea and City (currently on a 19 game winning streak)...you must have been embarrassed to won the FA Cup last season <laugh>

BTW ... feck right off with the reverse jinx thing too <grr>
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alfie Conn
In the actual final, no, but your route there absolutely was easy bar the Chelsea game. That's not even debatable. And in a final, anything can happen.

Your domestic cup draws this season:

Marine, Wycombe Wanderers, Everton (KO'd), Leyton Orient, Chelsea, Stoke, Brentford and Man City (final - TBC).

Compared to our cup draws this season:

Leicester, Liverpool, Man City, Newcastle, Southampton

Then in Europe, you've played Wolfsberger and now playing Dinamo Zagreb. Whereas we had to play Benfica and now Olympiacos. Don't think it's controversial to say our draws are fairly significantly harder than yours.

Olympiakos?
We gave them a 2 goal lead and still battered them.
Arteta needs shooting if you lose to dross like that <whistle>
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrunelGunner