highburyJD wrote:in the last 6 years we've lost finals, semis and quarters
in your world WTF is challenging Watson?
who have we knocked out in the last 6 years? - and who has knocked us out? That should answer your question about what "challenging" means.
I'll answer the question....
2006/07 - beaten in first knockout round by PSV
2007/08 - knocked out AC Milan
then got knockout out by Liverpool
2008/09 - beat Roma and Villarreal, then knocked out by United
2009/10 - beat FC Porto, then knocked out by Barca
2010/11 - beaten in first knockout round by Barca
2011/12 - beaten in first knockout round by AC Milan
So, we've been beaten in the FIRST KNOCKOUT ROUND for the last 2 years, and 3 of the last 6 years. We've only knocked out FOUR teams in those 6 years... and apart from Milan in 2007/08, they've all been against teams we'd expect to beat before being dispatched by PSV, Liverpool, United, Barca (twice) and Milan.
And we've only knocked out ONE team in the last 3 years! (a terrible Porto side that we hammered)
So when you say
"WTF is challenging Watson?", I'd say the record above is NOT challenging. It's making up the numbers and giving the genuine CL contenders a tricky tie.
As mentioned the last time we were in a semi we were turned over by United at home 
Can you honestly say we were in with a serious shout of winning the trophy when we got knocked out all those other years in the quarters and round of 16 by Barca, Liverpool, PSV etc. That to me is competing, look at the number of finals United have been in over the past few years, getting knocked of in the quarters when you've made it through your group comprising of such giants as Slavia Prague, Standard Liege etc.
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