Are we on for the great escape?

by **leopold** Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:31 pm

Listening to the CL games last night, I was amazed to hear how some teams were getting results go in their favour. Chelsea, on for bowing out without a win at Valencia, ended up beating them 3-0 to assure their safe passage. But more interestingly, Genk managed to scrape a draw against Bayer Leverkusen against the odds, putting the Premier League side at the top of the group.

Could we see something similar happen tonight? Could we see Villarreal overcome the odds and scratch a point from Napoli, while the much fancied Bayern Munich slip to defeat and let us through at the death?

I've no idea. All I know is I'm gonna be wrapping up very warm tonight!

by **Topdawg** Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:39 pm

i really doubt it leo, sad to say.

so long as we give a good account of ourselves, i'll be happy.

by AMillionDifferentPeople Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:45 pm

I doubt it aswell, but Marseille looked dead and buried last night and they pulled it off. The fact we are relying on Villareal, who are shocking atm, goes against us. But i live in hope.

by Bewar3them00n Wed Dec 07, 2011 5:06 pm

Considering we strolled to an easy 0-3 at Villareal doesn't fill me with hope that they'll somehow do us a favour, they've got nowt to play for but pride, so they'll either go all guns blazing to bow out on a win, or just throw the towel in and field a below par side.
Napoli need a result, they did us on the break a few times at our place, so, realistically it's just a hope in hell.!
As for BMunich, they will field a weaker side, but will still be tough to beat, we should really just go out to win, win well, and hope we get thru, but as many have said, it took Utd years to get thru the group stages, and we arguably got a stinker of a group, and a tough team to start with Napoli, if we'd got Villareal first, we may well have settled into the competition better, any way, if's, buts etc
next year we'll be ready for it and not so gullible in Europe.

by **leopold** Wed Dec 07, 2011 5:07 pm

I'm not sure we will either, but listening to the games last night just made me think about how tentative anyone's grasp on a CL knockout place can be. Chelsea looked out of it, but Genk pulling off the miracle result left them in the top spot. Olympiakos thought that they'd made it by facing an Arsenal side that were already assured of a top spot, only to watch Marseille wade in against the odds and snatch it from them.

And then I thought of 1999 and how we were out of that - and then suddenly we weren't any more. And then the FA Cup in 2004, when we were dead and buried at half time, but by the final whistle we'd made it through to the next round.

And then I noticed that the Cityitis that has plagued me for more than three decades had gone into remission and I suddenly felt hopeful that we could actually get out of this one.

But I'd settle for us putting two fingers up at Rummenigge. Miserable twat.