Association Football 2023/2024 Discussion Thread

[JGibson]

Group Stages for the UEL and UECL are out now.

UEL:
https://twitter.com/EuropaLeague/status/1431205568123969536

UECL:
https://twitter.com/europacnfleague/status/1431226837724803072

[JGibson]

My UEL + UECL Group Stage Predictions:


UEL

Group A
Rangers   [SCO]
Lyon [FRA]
Sparta Prague [CZE]
Brøndby   [DEN]



Group B
Monaco [FRA]
PSV Eindhoven  [NED]
Real Sociedad   [ESP]
Sturm Graz    [AUT]



Group C
Leicester City [ENG]
Napoli  [ITA]
Spartak Moscow    [RUS]
Legia Warsaw [POL]



Group D
Olympiacos [GRE]
Fenerbahçe    [TUR]
Eintracht Frankfurt    [GER]
Antwerp  [BEL]



Group E
Lazio [ITA]
Marseille [FRA]
Galatasaray [TUR]
Lokomotiv Moscow [RUS]



Group F
Braga  [POR]
Ludogorets Razgrad   [BUL]
Midtjylland   [DEN]
Red Star Belgrade   [SRB]



Group G
Bayer Leverkusen   [GER]
Celtic  [SCO]
Real Betis [ESP]
Ferencváros  [HUN]


Group H
Dinamo Zagreb  [CRO]
West Ham United [ENG]
Genk [BEL]
Rapid Wien [AUT]



The 1st place teams in each group advance to the Round of 16 (Bold), the 2nd place teams in each group get sent to a knockout round against the 3rd place UCL group stage teams (Italics), and 3rd place teams in each group get sent to a knockout round against the 2nd place UECL group stage teams (Underline). 



UECL

Group A
LASK  [AUT]
Maccabi Tel Aviv  [ISR]
HJK   [FIN]
Alashkert   [ARM]



Group B
Gent    [BEL]
Partizan  [SRB]
Anorthosis Famagusta    [CYP]
Flora  [EST]


Group C
Roma  [ITA]
CSKA Sofia   [BUL]
Bodø/Glimt    [NOR]
Zorya Luhansk [UKR]



Group D
AZ    [NED]
Jablonec   [CZE]
CFR Cluj    [ROU]
Randers  [DEN]


Group E
Feyenoord    [NED]
Slavia Prague [CZE]
Union Berlin [GER]
Maccabi Haifa  [ISR]


Group F
Copenhagen [DEN]
PAOK   [GRE]
Slovan Bratislava  [SVK]
Lincoln Red Imps    [GIB]


Group G
Tottenham Hotspur  [ENG]
Rennes  [FRA]
Vitesse  [NED]
Mura  [SVN]


Group H
Basel    [SUI]
Qarabağ    [AZE]
Omonia    [CYP]
Kairat    [KAZ]





The 1st place teams in each group advance to the Round of 16 (Bold) and 2nd place teams in each group get sent to a knockout round against the 3rd place UEL group stage teams (italics).

[Santander]

The group stage of the Europa Conference League shows why we never needed a Europa Conference League. No real new names, just a landing spot for the same old names we're used to seeing in the Champions League and Europa League. I love the Europa League, but I am not remotely interested in watching HJK vs Alashkert competing for a nothing trophy they have no chance of winning anyway.

[Lechasseur]

The group stage of the Europa Conference League shows why we never needed a Europa Conference League. No real new names, just a landing spot for the same old names we're used to seeing in the Champions League and Europa League. I love the Europa League, but I am not remotely interested in watching HJK vs Alashkert competing for a nothing trophy they have no chance of winning anyway.

Agreed, it's just a UEFA ploy to make more money, like expanding the Euros to 24 teams all while making it a worse competition

[Donerail]

Group E
Lazio [ITA]
Marseille [FRA]
Galatasaray [TUR]
Lokomotiv Moscow [RUS]

Now that's a group of death.

[Alcibiades]

Group E
Lazio [ITA]
Marseille [FRA]
Galatasaray [TUR]
Lokomotiv Moscow [RUS]

Now that's a group of death.

Group B (Monaco, PSV, Real Sociedad, Graz) is arguably tougher, although Graz are weaker than Lokomotiv. PSV thrashed Galatasaray on aggregate in UCL qualifying.

[Donerail]

Group E
Lazio [ITA]
Marseille [FRA]
Galatasaray [TUR]
Lokomotiv Moscow [RUS]

Now that's a group of death.

Group B (Monaco, PSV, Real Sociedad, Graz) is arguably tougher, although Graz are weaker than Lokomotiv. PSV thrashed Galatasaray on aggregate in UCL qualifying.

Not that kind of death

[Alcibiades]

Group E
Lazio [ITA]
Marseille [FRA]
Galatasaray [TUR]
Lokomotiv Moscow [RUS]

Now that's a group of death.

Group B (Monaco, PSV, Real Sociedad, Graz) is arguably tougher, although Graz are weaker than Lokomotiv. PSV thrashed Galatasaray on aggregate in UCL qualifying.

Not that kind of death

Ah, I see now.

[Lechasseur]

Group E
Lazio [ITA]
Marseille [FRA]
Galatasaray [TUR]
Lokomotiv Moscow [RUS]

Now that's a group of death.

Group B (Monaco, PSV, Real Sociedad, Graz) is arguably tougher, although Graz are weaker than Lokomotiv. PSV thrashed Galatasaray on aggregate in UCL qualifying.

Not that kind of death

I don't get it

[Alcibiades]

Group E
Lazio [ITA]
Marseille [FRA]
Galatasaray [TUR]
Lokomotiv Moscow [RUS]

Now that's a group of death.

Group B (Monaco, PSV, Real Sociedad, Graz) is arguably tougher, although Graz are weaker than Lokomotiv. PSV thrashed Galatasaray on aggregate in UCL qualifying.

Not that kind of death

I don't get it

I think Donerail is referring to the, uh, reputation of the fans of those clubs.

[Lechasseur]

Group E
Lazio [ITA]
Marseille [FRA]
Galatasaray [TUR]
Lokomotiv Moscow [RUS]

Now that's a group of death.

Group B (Monaco, PSV, Real Sociedad, Graz) is arguably tougher, although Graz are weaker than Lokomotiv. PSV thrashed Galatasaray on aggregate in UCL qualifying.

Not that kind of death

I don't get it

I think Donerail is referring to the, uh, reputation of the fans of those clubs.

Oh yes, with Marseille being the worst

I'd pull for a yellow dog if it was playing against Marseille

[Santander]

Group E
Lazio [ITA]
Marseille [FRA]
Galatasaray [TUR]
Lokomotiv Moscow [RUS]

Now that's a group of death.

I love Lazio and Gala. Just need Zenit in the group.

[Donerail]

Not that kind of death

I don't get it

I think Donerail is referring to the, uh, reputation of the fans of those clubs.

Oh yes, with Marseille being the worst

I'd pull for a yellow dog if it was playing against Marseille

Gala and the Russians aren't slouches but that Marseille-Lazio match is gonna be absolute war

[Mike88]

Man Utd are a legit good team. Full-backs are questionable, but Ronaldo should be getting excellent service from Sancho, Pogba and Fernandes. Now the world will see what a hopeless coach Solksjaer is, because they still won't win anything beyond maybe an FA Cup or Europa League.

Ronaldo won't accept anything less than titles....a treble

Yeah, I agree. But the only place where was really successful, and happy, was in United. Real was a fiasco as was Juve.

[Suburbia]

Man Utd are a legit good team. Full-backs are questionable, but Ronaldo should be getting excellent service from Sancho, Pogba and Fernandes. Now the world will see what a hopeless coach Solksjaer is, because they still won't win anything beyond maybe an FA Cup or Europa League.

Ronaldo won't accept anything less than titles....a treble

Yeah, I agree. But the only place where was really successful, and happy, was in United. Real was a fiasco as was Juve.

Well, yes. But I am sure he was happy at Real, he won a lot of titles there 

[Mike88]

Man Utd are a legit good team. Full-backs are questionable, but Ronaldo should be getting excellent service from Sancho, Pogba and Fernandes. Now the world will see what a hopeless coach Solksjaer is, because they still won't win anything beyond maybe an FA Cup or Europa League.

Ronaldo won't accept anything less than titles....a treble

Yeah, I agree. But the only place where was really successful, and happy, was in United. Real was a fiasco as was Juve.

Well, yes. But I am sure he was happy at Real, he won a lot of titles there 

Not really. Yes he won titles but he had a toxic relationship with Mourinho, the feud with Florentino and the Spanish press was really tough on him. Things weren't that pretty in Real.

[Lechasseur]

Man Utd are a legit good team. Full-backs are questionable, but Ronaldo should be getting excellent service from Sancho, Pogba and Fernandes. Now the world will see what a hopeless coach Solksjaer is, because they still won't win anything beyond maybe an FA Cup or Europa League.

Ronaldo won't accept anything less than titles....a treble

Yeah, I agree. But the only place where was really successful, and happy, was in United. Real was a fiasco as was Juve.

Well, yes. But I am sure he was happy at Real, he won a lot of titles there 

Not really. Yes he won titles but he had a toxic relationship with Mourinho, the feud with Florentino and the Spanish press was really tough on him. Things weren't that pretty in Real.

Real seems to have had a lot of issues with toxicity since Mourinho took over in 2010. It was in the Mourinho years I became anti-Real Madrid (I liked them before that but not after all that happened during his tenure).

[JGibson]

Mikel Arteta needs to be sacked ASAP!

[Lechasseur]

Mikel Arteta needs to be sacked ASAP!

The issue is would any quality manager even want to replace Arteta?

[Santander]

Mikel Arteta needs to be sacked ASAP!

The issue is would any quality manager even want to replace Arteta?

Arsenal is definitely a poisoned chalice right now that no proven manager wants to touch.

What kind of top player would even want to join Arsenal other than to get a decent payday and live in London? They renewed Xhaka's contract after deciding to let him go, lol. And then he gets another stupid red card, which basically sums up the club. The squad is terrible and doesn't really belong in the top half.

[Lechasseur]

Mikel Arteta needs to be sacked ASAP!

The issue is would any quality manager even want to replace Arteta?

Arsenal is definitely a poisoned chalice right now that no proven manager wants to touch.

What kind of top player would even want to join Arsenal other than to get a decent payday and live in London? They renewed Xhaka's contract after deciding to let him go, lol. And then he gets another stupid red card, which basically sums up the club. The squad is terrible and doesn't really belong in the top half.

Exactly

If it's to get some Championship level manager, may as well keep Arteta (who frankly I think has potential, it's just Arsenal are a poor side with a lot of off field issues)

I'm personally of the opinion that Stan Kroenke is the worst owner in the league, and if he doesn't sell, within 5 years Arsenal will get relegated

[Lechasseur]

Could Ernesto Valverde be potentially interested?

[Conservatopia]

Arsenal's recent run of humiliation is richly deserved.

[NewYorkExpress]

Mikel Arteta needs to be sacked ASAP!

The issue is would any quality manager even want to replace Arteta?

Arsenal is definitely a poisoned chalice right now that no proven manager wants to touch.

What kind of top player would even want to join Arsenal other than to get a decent payday and live in London? They renewed Xhaka's contract after deciding to let him go, lol. And then he gets another stupid red card, which basically sums up the club. The squad is terrible and doesn't really belong in the top half.

Exactly

If it's to get some Championship level manager, may as well keep Arteta (who frankly I think has potential, it's just Arsenal are a poor side with a lot of off field issues)

I'm personally of the opinion that Stan Kroenke is the worst owner in the league, and if he doesn't sell, within 5 years Arsenal will get relegated

They might be able to get Sam Allardyce if they fire Arteta now, but I'm not sure that's upgrade...

[Santander]

Mikel Arteta needs to be sacked ASAP!

The issue is would any quality manager even want to replace Arteta?

Arsenal is definitely a poisoned chalice right now that no proven manager wants to touch.

What kind of top player would even want to join Arsenal other than to get a decent payday and live in London? They renewed Xhaka's contract after deciding to let him go, lol. And then he gets another stupid red card, which basically sums up the club. The squad is terrible and doesn't really belong in the top half.

Exactly

If it's to get some Championship level manager, may as well keep Arteta (who frankly I think has potential, it's just Arsenal are a poor side with a lot of off field issues)

I'm personally of the opinion that Stan Kroenke is the worst owner in the league, and if he doesn't sell, within 5 years Arsenal will get relegated

They might be able to get Sam Allardyce if they fire Arteta now, but I'm not sure that's upgrade...

Fat Sam coming into a club is an admission that the board thinks they are in relegation trouble.