Fair play to Basel

I'll come onto our performance in a moment but credit to Basel for doing their homework and getting the win. Most teams would have set their stool out and held on for a draw at 1-1 but they pushed on and got the reward they deserved.

Last night was very abject for us (as has been the case for most of the season thus far) but I'm not worried. Unlike last season were in a very competitive group and everybody will take points off each other. We will now need to go to Bucharest and win + hope Basel are able to at least draw against Schalke then that should tip the balance back in our favour.

All the English teams will lose a group stage game at some point and I still believe we can not only get out the group but also get to Lisbon come May. Obviously, we will need to play a whole lot better than that though. January will give us a chance to redress the balance issues of the squad.

 

Very competitive group? It's the champions league, of course, but your group is relatively easy.

 

Anyone can take points off anyone. When you can't predict the results the group is competitive, nevertheless it's a group we should win and there's no excuses for last night.

 

Not really, unless they rest players after winning the 4 opening games and qualify top of the group.

 

Bayern are going to beat City at least once. Arsenal will lose to Dortmund or Napoli at least once. United usually always lose once in the GS and Leverkusen/Sociedad away will be very tough.

 

Have to say I am worried. We look well short of mounting any serious challenege for the C.L at the moment. We had a home game against a good but unspectacular side and lost; where as Bayern, Barca, Madrid won very comfortably.

You can lose any game but the manner of defeat is of concern. We looked completely toothless in attack and any side that averages about a goal a game wont win anything. Gary Neville had a lot of sensible things to say last night and for whatever reason the front 4 is not working at all. Hazard was as bad as I've seen him and Mata still not getting much game time (either he is injured or he's not). Ivanovic bless him was pretty much isolated on that right side, no width at all and far too little pace to our play.

Lot of work to be done as bar a good half v Hull and Bayern we've been poor.

 

With 4 tiers in each group , the logic says it should all be on the same plane!