Topic: 2017/18 Champions League group stage draw. Thursday 24th August at 5pm

[Gerry Attrick]

Spartak have conceded 13 in their 7 league games this season. We should have plenty of chances against them.

[RivaGe]

Anyone got dates of games already?

[Kekule]

some serious weapons on there in fairness, moaning that they'll get a harder group in the Europa than we get in the CL!!!

I hope they do. I'd laugh my tits off if they got Villareal again, and continue laughing if they got Hoffenheim as well.

[Gerry Attrick]

Maribor qualified for the group stages of the 2014/15 season and they played their home games in Maribor according to Soccerway.

[Red_Irishman]

That could have been a lot, lot worse.

[nyrrard]

Great draw. Looking forward to the group-stages. Will be great meating Sevilla again..

[jambutty]

In their stadium.

Capacity 13000 softlad?

[JackWard33]

Im not worried, Im dissmissing the idea that we can show up with anything but our strongest XI until we qualify for the next round.

Our under 23s would beat Maribor at home

(And I say this knowing absolutely nothing about them. Hashtag analysis)

[Alan_X]

How do you know they're not doing a Spurs and playing at another ground?

Spurs are rebuilding White Hart Lane.

[ggcc14]

How do you know they're not doing a Spurs and playing at another ground?

Because Maribor play European football like every season and always play in their home stadium? Why are you replying to a factual statement with a daft question?

[Skeeve]

We've drawn the bottom ranked team in two groups and the second bottom in the other!

Compared to the 8th, 7th, 8th we got, the others were:

United - 6th, 6th, 1st
Celtic - 2nd, 3rd, 8th
Chelsea - 2nd, 3rd, 7th
City - 7th, 1st, 4th
Spurs - 1st, 5th, 6th

[ggcc14]

Capacity 13000 softlad?

Yes, that's the one.

[LFC when it suits]

Our under 23s would beat Maribor at home

(And I say this knowing absolutely nothing about them. Hashtag analysis)

That's nonsense. Play our best players until we are qualified.

[David Struhme]

Very kind draw, should finish top.

[amirani]

Because Maribor play European football like every season and always play in their home stadium? Why are you replying to a factual statement with a daft question?

Was a reply to a 'smart' comment. the daft question is a genuine possibility as well. Maybe they're rebuilding their stadium and playing somewhere else. Chill out.

[Gerry Attrick]

Interestingly, or not depending on your point of view Dominic Solanke made his Champions League debut against Maribor.

[RaveDave]

How do you know they're not doing a Spurs and playing at another ground?

Because Slovenia is a small country, Maribor's stadium holds 12,500 the National Stadium in Ljubljana only holds 16,000, why would they move their home games for an extra 3,500 seats?

[Romford_Red]

People banking points before playing the games need to have a word with themselves.

[jillc]

There will be an advantage if we finish on top of our group, so we need to stick to a strong line up.

[Garnier]

Make no mistake, this draw was very good for us.

Would really like to give Sevilla a bad time, after the UEL-Final fiasco we need revenge....... send them Moreno for £10m. That'll show them not to mess with us.


No glamour ties against big european sides - not even mad

[Studgotelli]

People banking points before playing the games need to have a word with themselves.

Yep

[TepidT2O]

People banking points before playing the games need to have a word with themselves.

True, but you should be confident with the teams we've got.

[amirani]

People banking points before playing the games need to have a word with themselves.

Not at all. But there's a genuine chance of qualifying for the next round considering the draw.

[jillc]

Interestingly, or not depending on your point of view Dominic Solanke made his Champions League debut against Maribor.

What a co-incidence that is. 

[SinceSixtyFive]

Well thats just about the best draw we could have asked for. No excuses, should go through from that.

[Charles Foster Kane]

When Shevchenko drew our group we could get Group E (which we got) or Group H. There were 50% chance we would have been Spurs. We must be very happy with how things turned out.

[No Appreciation of Liverpool Opposition]

Im not worried, Im dissmissing the idea that we can show up with anything but our strongest XI until we qualify for the next round.

Totally right, all of you forgotten our piss easy group last time?

[sms1986]

People banking points before playing the games need to have a word with themselves.

I think people are just happy that we got, on paper, the most easiest group.

[JackWard33]

That's nonsense. Play our best players until we are qualified.

What's nonsense?? Playing our under 23s in a champions league game ? Just because it's never been tried ... element of surprise

(Might have been a joke)

(Also rotation is fine ... and will be essential if we want to be playing well in march)

[Gerry Attrick]

What a co-incidence that is. 

He got on as a sub in a 6-0 win for Chelsea. I'm expecting us to at least match that 

[ggcc14]

Totally right, all of you forgotten our piss easy group last time?

Which one? The one with Real Madrid? and Brendan Rodgers? yeh.. what's that got to do with anything?

[Rush 82]

On paper, we really couldn't ask for much easier. Looking forward to the Sevilla matches.

We owe them a good kicking!

[Dench57]

Totally right, all of you forgotten our piss easy group last time?

Was that when we had Rickie Lambert leading the line

[amirani]

There will be an advantage if we finish on top of our group, so we need to stick to a strong line up.

Not necessarily. 3 out of Barca, PSG, Juve, Bayern, Dortmund or Real could finish 2nd in the group.

[sms1986]

Totally right, all of you forgotten our piss easy group last time?

Different team, different manager and neither Spartak or Sevilla are exactly Real Madrid.

[Linudden]

I was relieved quite a few times during that draw!

Having said that has the schedule been announced yet? I'd hope we can start at home and play Sevilla away later on because the September heat is still very strong there (31/18 on average and our players don't train in that every evening).

[So… Howard Philips]

What's nonsense?? Playing our under 23s in a champions league game ? Just because it's never been tried ... element of surprise

(Might have been a joke)

(Also rotation is fine ... and will be essential if we want to be playing well in march)

So Trent, Gomez, Solanke, Woodburn, Gruic for starters then.

[jillc]

He got on as a sub in a 6-0 win for Chelsea. I'm expecting us to at least match that 

If we start like we did last night, it should be an interesting night. 

[HumanRed]

Spartak currently 11th in their league....

Very encouraging. If they are still struggling in their domestic  league they may deliberately tank in the CL group to try and secure the the third place to have a crack at the EL to get back in the CL if they can't through their domestic league.

[Zlen]

Not being cocky, but I think we'll top this group and spank a few teams badly.
It's just the way we roll these days.

I wanted Catalonian shitbags to teach them a lesson, but this will do as well.