Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu believes that his team will provide the Blues with a stiffer test than Tottenham, who lost 4-2 to Roberto Di Matteo's team at White Hart Lane on Saturday. "I believe that our team's level is higher," said Lucescu. "This is true of both each player's individual skill and the game organisation. I think that we surpass Tottenham in terms of those qualities." Pretty unnecessary diss at Spurs in my opinion. What a douchebag! Not trying to stir, just think the guys a f***ing tw*t for dragging Spurs into this...completely uncalled for.
Come on Bodanki,the man's entitled to voice an opinion. Maybe he's right. It's a different competition so it's difficult to judge but he hasn't insulted us,he's just playing up his team that's all.
He's entitled to his own opinion and I assume that he was asked about the Spurs result directly, so I'm not particularly bothered by what he's said. It's almost certainly a reaction to Willian suggesting that he'd like to join his "friend" Villas-Boas at Spurs or join Chelsea.
I have to say though because he's said that I'm now in a quandary. Do I want Chelsea to lose or do I want them to prove him wrong by beating his team? Psssssssssssssssssst!
Well going on Saturday, he's got a point about game organisation and player qualities. Hopefully we can improve on that in the coming weeks. Shaktar are also ranked 18 places above us by UEFA, so I'd say that was pretty good evidence to back up his claim. http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/trank2013.html
I guess he is entitled to an opinion, I just think that he could have voiced it without being derogatory to Spurs. He could have just said, I expect to give them a tough game and get a result.
It's obviously a ploy to try and keep his star man Willian. I don't see a lot wrong with what he said. Shaktar are a fantastic side with a great record at home and in the wider scheme of things probably will be tougher (when you factor in travel, different conditions etc). I think the CL is a different ball game to the PL now. The CL seems to have got stronger whilst the PL has got weaker. I genuinely don't think he was deliberately trying to dig at Spurs.
He would probably have said it had Chelsea (in the unlikely event) won at Old Trafford about Man U last Saturday. It just so happens it was Spurs. Calm down Bodanki.
Im not calmed up, just think the guys a d*ck is all. Anyway, hopefully we can prove him wrong by battering them 3-0 anyway
Shakhtar are only in the CL, as they are a mega rich club in an atrocious league, and they buy over rated players from brazil, which gives them a platform to show their "skills" against defenders called "Ihor", the Ukrainian Bobby Moore (ha). I've just looked at their squad and they have 9 Brazilian players in their squad and between them they have 8 caps, and the majority of them are former under 20/21 players for Brazil who failed to live up their early rep, as most under 20/21 players do.
'Chelsea are only in the CL, as they are a mega rich club' Fixed it for you Boss Many of the clubs in the CL are mega rich, City and Chelsea we know have bought their way to the top, doubtless other clubs have done so in other countries. Arguably Madrid have as they have had many a helping hand from the Spanish government over the last 80 years or so. Fact is we're not mega rich, fact is SD are much more highly ranked in Europe than us. If the game is in Donetsk, I expect SD to do better than we did on Saturday.
The fact that they get into CL every year will help their ranking. I think the 5th best team in England is probably better than the 1st team in Ukraine.
We were on the verge of administration when we reached the CL in 2003 having spent nothing that Summer, competing with Newcastle and Liverpool who had spent millions and Arsenal/United who both had far higher wage bills. Let's not try and play the underdog card here. Given what Spurs spend and their current stature as a club, they should be getting CL all things considered. Everton managed it and Villa almost did. Montpellier got in and won their division as did Dortmund with both clubs having spent far less than Spurs, Newcastle etc never mind clubs in their own division.
Chelsea blew a 2-0 lead against Juventus so it will be interesting watching tonight to see how they do in the CL. I don't think that it will be all one way traffic and I might just go for a home win. I don't like the word "Friend" associated with a player and a manager,if so it will reek of favouritism should he come to Spurs. Maybe I'm missing something with the word being put in inverted commas.
This just doesn't make any sense. We spend less than Man City, Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and until recently the likes of Villa, West Ham and Newcastle, too. If 5 clubs outspend us every single year, then why should we be finishing in the top 4?
Fair comments SD, but the rankings say otherwise and those rankings may hurt us, if we ever get into the CL again, as rankings are key to seedings. Also, as I say I reckon if Chelsea are away they'll do worse against them than us.
Well said PNP, we overachieve (slightly) compare to our spending, it's surprising how many other fans don't know this, but actually it's not that surprising really, lots of fans don't have a clue about football finances.
