**** OFFICIAL Champions League 2007-08 Thread!*****

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Bremen is definitely weaker, their Bundesliga results show that as well, than last year where I thought they were almost as good as Chelsea and Barca who they were unfortunate to have in their group.

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In Bremen's defense, they were missing their best player (Frings) and arguably their second best player (Borowski, who may or may not be better than Diego, it's hard to say) and other key components from their rotation (Clemens Fritz, Wome, and Klasnic and Hunt). Bremen is almost as good as they were last year, and certainly much better than yesterday's team.

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I'm all for giving defensive midfielders or defensive players in general their due.
For on an example for long parts of last season,Essien was my choice as best player in the world.
But Frings better than Diego I don't think I can agree with.
He is solid. He works hard. Has ok skills and a great shot as well as crossing skills from his fullback days but he is so far behind Diego in the skills department that I have real trouble seeing him as somehow being the better player.
He is a very important player for Bremen though, no doubt.

Someone who they're hesitant to use who I think has the potential to fill the hole Frings leaves, is Leon Andreasen.
The only thing still holding him back is poor discipline I think.

[mosdef]

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Bremen is definitely weaker, their Bundesliga results show that as well, than last year where I thought they were almost as good as Chelsea and Barca who they were unfortunate to have in their group.

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In Bremen's defense, they were missing their best player (Frings) and arguably their second best player (Borowski, who may or may not be better than Diego, it's hard to say) and other key components from their rotation (Clemens Fritz, Wome, and Klasnic and Hunt). Bremen is almost as good as they were last year, and certainly much better than yesterday's team.

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I'm all for giving defensive midfielders or defensive players in general their due.
For on an example for long parts of last season,Essien was my choice as best player in the world.
But Frings better than Diego I don't think I can agree with.
He is solid. He works hard. Has ok skills and a great shot as well as crossing skills from his fullback days but he is so far behind Diego in the skills department that I have real trouble seeing him as somehow being the better player.
He is a very important player for Bremen though, no doubt.

Someone who they're hesitant to use who I think has the potential to fill the hole Frings leaves, is Leon Andreasen.
The only thing still holding him back is poor discipline I think.

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Comparing offensive versus defensive players for "overall value" is extremely hard, but I think Frings is a better overall player.

I also think that when Essien was at his two-way best last year he was playing at a level higher than anyone in the world.

[gusmahler]

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I also think that when Essien was at his two-way best last year he was playing at a level higher than anyone in the world.

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While his felxibility was great, he was not an elite level CB. I don't even know if I would rate him higher than "good" as a CB, (though he's an excellent MF).

[mosdef]

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I also think that when Essien was at his two-way best last year he was playing at a level higher than anyone in the world.

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While his felxibility was great, he was not an elite level CB. I don't even know if I would rate him higher than "good" as a CB, (though he's an excellent MF).

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I was referring to his very best games at MF. Consider, for example, his absurdly good run with his national team in the World Cup. Nobody played at a higher level in 2006 than Essien did in those games. He was like a Makelele-Gerrard hybrid.

[jeramy576]

Very unimpressed by united's play thus far.

[TheRover]

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Very bored by united's play thus far.

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[cosimaninja]

is it just me or were roma overpriced at 5-1

[ledders07]

did rangers seriuosly just win 3-0 against lyon or am I being levelled by the world media???

comfortable-ish win for arsenal

[ThaSaltCracka]

I would love another win in the third game so that they can cruise to the knockout stages.

[TheRenaissance]

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did rangers seriuosly just win 3-0 against lyon or am I being levelled by the world media???

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Good game.
Rangers were disclipined, well-organised and brutally effective.
Lyon hit the post twice through Juninho, but apart from that the very opposite of Rangers: brittle and wasteful.