Who wins the Champions League? Poll time!

i reckon it will be Man U ; but i hope for Liverpool fc

off topic but very important;

we have a serious problem ; if i understand correctly vBasten will play Vermeer in goal the rest of the season… this leaves us with a great goalkeeping problem for Oranje….we cant play a goalie who doesnt get any palying time

what to do!!!???

Posted from  Netherlands

i obviously voted for barcelona. the reasons are: we have the best right back (dany alves),midfield and attack of the world. our defence is vulnerable but our strikers compensate it.

Posted from  Hungary

Man U they have a defense that nothing (including Inter over 2 legs) can score on and a attack that has rooney tevez berbatov ronaldo to choose from. plus vidic on set pieces

Goose:

What´s is wrong with San Marco??? Another of his stupid decisions as a coach or is Vermeer that good? By the way, I don´t know anything about Vermeer, is he Dutch?

Anyway, I think Stekelenburg is a good goalie who can get better if he moves to a bigger league with a competitive team. Why the hech would van Basten take that decision, is he mad or another fight of egos?

is vermmer so good? because if he is better than stekelenburg van marwijk should try him.

Posted from  Hungary

Stekelenburg is doing horrible, apparently his statistics are worse than Vermeers now

Posted from  Canada

I personally think Vermeer is at the moment better than Steks. At the Olympics he was brilliant. At a couple of recent Ajax games he was the star too. He’s agile and a good shot stopper. Would have stopped that Tunisian goal with ease. Who will win CL should be objective not who is your favourite. Can’t go past Barca, Messi is incredible. Next would say Man U.

Posted from  Singapore

I will obviously admit I am somewhat biased, but in the CL Rafa “Mad Dog” Benitez gets the results so I went ‘pool.

Would love to see Liverpool – Barca in the final. However, lets see what the draw brings tomorrow. Should be some crackers in the next round too.

Anyway, read on the BBC today that the Sports minister in the UK sent a letter to UEFA asking them to change the venue of Roma for the CL final after yet another stabbing of a fan at the Arsenal match yesterday. There now have been 23 stabbings of fans in Roma over the last few years. However UEFA says it’s too late to change, and besides all Italian teams are out so they think it will be well policed and a quiet affair.

Well, I think not. This one could get ugly again I’m afraid. Especially with at least 1 Prem team likely to be there.

Hey everyone!!! Long time with no appearances here, huh? Well, I’m sorry, but there’s one thing called job… I’m writing on a Brazilian site focused mainly on foreign football. Guess what I’m writing about? Well, in fact, that’s about Benelux football, not only Dutch.

About Ajax (and Oranje) goalies: yep, Stekel is having bad times. Vermeer improved much since he was picked up by Foppe de Haan as nº 1 at Beijing. He’s a Casillas-like: not so tall, but very fast. Continuing like this, I see no reason to keep him from a chance at Oranje. And Stekelenburg should transfer himself for a bigger stage, like England or Italy, in order to improve his experience. But that’s the point: how can he earn a transfer if he is not playing well?

BTW, think with me: Stekel is not with Lady Luck by his side, Timmer will leave Feyenoord, Velthuizen injured himself, so did Vorm, Vermeer is not ripe, so, who will be under the posts against Scotland?! Will Van Marwijk appeal to… no, no, I don’t think so.

Chelsea and Hiddink all the way for the CL trophy!!!
Ajax 1: 2 Marseilles. Hopefully Ajax will win in the reurn leg!
Van Basten forever and always.

Posted from  United States

I think Ajax can win the return leg, probably 2-0. Although I like Guus’s odds in this competition, I’m going to say either Bayern Munich or Barcelona are going to take it. Bayern Munich seems to have a perfect formation, they don’t have a weak link. After Kahn retired Rensing stepped right into his shoes.

———Toni—-Klose———-
Ribery——————–Schweinsteiger
——-ze Roberto–van Bommel——–
Lahm—Lucio—van Buyten—Demichelis
———–Rensing—————–

I think they could take on any Manchester United, or Chelsea. Although I’d hate to admit it.

Posted from  Canada

I voted for Arsenal because I really like the team but I think Barcelona will win it.

Just look at Messi, Henry, Eto’o, Xavi, Iniesta, Alves, Marquez, Puyol, etc………. they are all stars but they also show hunger for trophies and guts.

Miguel – I am with you, would love Arsenal to win but hey lets be realistic. Barca v Arsenal there is at the moment no contest…could change when Fab/Walcott and Rosicky are at their best though.

Posted from  Singapore

i voted for barca coz,reality and facts says that.
but i would love to see wenger and rvp togather lifts the trophy

Posted from  India

@spot on goose
i think at the moment vermeer is better than stekes,like vanbasten did to heitinga in euro2008,bula got the no 1 choice as right back,same thing happend here.
but i belive stekes and velthuizen have more potential than vermeer.depend on the current stat and performance BVM should go to vermeer not stekel.stekel need some more matches before scots game.if we can prefer kuyt above our talented guys offcourse we can take vermeer as no-1 even though steke has more potential

Posted from  India

Being objective this should be Barcelona´s year but as we have seen many times in football when you there is a team which is favorite oftenly dissapoints at the end. Manchester has a great chace too but I think that Bayern Munich has all the credentials to win it. Dirk v. den Berg already mentioned it: they have very few weaknesses and they have a great front line. Van Bommel is their leader and because of that I´d like them to do well. My favorite was Madrid because our Dutch players but now that they are out I will go with Bayern and Chelsea till the end. I think it would be great if Hiddink wins the CL. He is the best manager I have seen in the past decade. Success after success with many national teams and now at club level he is just doing great.

My favorite club is Arsenal but I think Man U will win the the CL.

Posted from  Canada

It’s amazing how this blog thinks like many Dutch journalists and knowledgeable footballers. Vermeer has been chosen (not just for one game but the rest of the season) as the No 1 keeper at Ajax. So now all the comment is – Vermeer for Oranje ?? many say why not ? But a few say exactly what our Brazilian friend Felipe is saying……a little phone call to Manchester would not be out of place.
I really like Vermeer – All GUTS when he comes out at the feet of defenders and could be the next Oranje keeper.He is good with the ball at his feet too. Tomorrow Bert chooses his prelimenary squad

Posted from  Singapore

Just finishing: I bet the UCL trophy will end in the hands of Man Utd (I want it – sorry those who don’t like monopolies, but VDS deserves it). Or Barcelona. Or Chelsea (those Guus De Geluk). Or Liverpool. One of these.

Posted from  Brazil

@Felipe: A very bold prediction there my friend. You only picked half the teams left… Chances are at least 50/50 you will be right…

Haha, good point finnster

Like I said, I picked Arsenal, but I’d say they are big underdogs. All this “be objective” stuff is rubbish – objectively there are 4 really good teams that could be favourites to win it, and like Mario said, favourites also often disappoint. Besides that, this is the CL so surprises can happen anytime.

I really hope that Man U and Chelsea both get knocked out next round, especially Chelsea – even though they have Guss as a coach, they’re still a bunch of douchebags so I want them out.

Posted from  Canada

Damn. The draw isn’t until next Friday (20th). I thought it was today. Why wait a week? It’s not like we don’t know who will be there.

I guess they didn’t want to do it on Friday the 13th…

I think it’s because they wanted to do the UEFA cup, and Champions League draw on the same day.

Posted from  Canada