Agree there is nobody to be afraid of.
So my draw interests would be avoiding any places that are problematic for our fans to travel to. Maybe Shaktar and Lokomotiv. Plzen, Czech Republic doesn't look too easy to get to.
And yes, two matches with Real would be good. Those stories about rigged raws should indicate we will be getting them.
The draw is the draw. We have the same chance of getting Real as anyone else in Pot 2, 3, or 4.
I don't want to face Real, I never want to face Real, I want the easiest draw we can get, and the best possible fixture list. So that would be the last ranked team in each pot and to start/finish at home. Away to Real, 3 days before we play the mancs, is not really what I'm looking for.
Don't want Bayern or Barcelona either. Dont want Atletico, as they're a bunch of busparkers. Don't want Juventus for the security headaches that facing Juventus involves, which puts a trip to Rome in perspective.
So what's left? The Russians and the East Europeans mainly. A Russian side means the chances of finishing at home automatically increase by 25%. The types of Plzen, Athens, Belgrade, Donetsk give the team a relatively nice group, and a chance for the fans to see places they wouldn't normally see.
Groups A-D, start and finish on Tuesday.
Groups E-H, start and finish on Wednesday. The extra day could be important if we have a massive league game the following Saturday. While there are new ko times this year at 17,55 and 20:00 GMT.
The first priority is qualifying. The second priority is topping the group. The rest, we can manage.
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