Ongoing Soccer Thread

[Shylax]

Internationals this weekend and next week. I'm just hoping that no Liverpool players get injured (Torres/Gerrard) and that Liverpool can keep their form when they all get back together.

I hope England keeps their good start going next week against Ukraine.

That's exactly why I hate international breaks. Arsenal's starting to get going now and I'm petrified the few guys we have who are healthy will get hurt or the chemistry and timing we got going will be undone.

By the way, GENERAL QUESTION, which is more important to you Club football or National football?

I'm an American so I say club. And it's not because our national team is mediocre bordering on decent. It's just club football is more exiting to me to follow what with Champion's league, relegation battles, derbys, etc. It's more fun.

 

[S93]

That's exactly why I hate international breaks. Arsenal's starting to get going now and I'm petrified the few guys we have who are healthy will get hurt or the chemistry and timing we got going will be undone.

By the way, GENERAL QUESTION, which is more important to you Club football or National football?

I'm an American so I say club. And it's not because our national team is mediocre bordering on decent. It's just club football is more exiting to me to follow what with Champion's league, relegation battles, derbys, etc. It's more fun.

Club. My nation sucks and never does anything in competions and usualy loses.
Thou i have say the best game if seen was in 04 when we beat Italy 2-0 .

 

[Worak]

That's exactly why I hate international breaks. Arsenal's starting to get going now and I'm petrified the few guys we have who are healthy will get hurt or the chemistry and timing we got going will be undone.

By the way, GENERAL QUESTION, which is more important to you Club football or National football?

I'm an American so I say club. And it's not because our national team is mediocre bordering on decent. It's just club football is more exiting to me to follow what with Champion's league, relegation battles, derbys, etc. It's more fun.

Half of the Bayern Munich team will have to go round the world literally:

Demichelis+Lucio+Ze Roberto+Sosa+Breno to South America and back.

Ribery-van Buyten-Lahm-Podolski-Schweinsteiger-Van Bommel-Toni to roam europe.

Next saturday it'll be Bayern away in Wolfsburg sharing 2nd place atm. - a crucial game for the championship.

To the question national team or club it really depends on the situation.

I like watching the german team (they win once in a while ) but games

vs Andorra, Malta, Liechtenstein or friendly games can be boring.

World- or European championchips are something different - a must to see.

Apart from these I'd go for club, too.

Generally being a football player all my life myself I want to see a good game - if my team is involved even better.

 

[MrFold]

Cloughie film?

Has anyone in the UK seen the new film about Brian Clough - The Damned United?
I've read the book and it painted a portrait of Cloughie as a paranoid, obsessed bloke at war with the Leeds players.
I'm off to the cinema tomorrow night so I was wondering if it was worth catching this movie.

 

[Crystal Blue]

Has anyone in the UK seen the new film about Brian Clough - The Damned United?
I've read the book and it painted a portrait of Cloughie as a paranoid, obsessed bloke at war with the Leeds players.
I'm off to the cinema tomorrow night so I was wondering if it was worth catching this movie.

There was a new documentary on TV only last week about Cloughie, Mr F. One of the things that came up several times was comparisons between the movie and the book. It would seem that the movie is a lot different to the book and will be showing Clough in a much better light. The book was more a work of fiction while using some of the generally known facts intertwined. The author of the book, a Mr Peace I think his name is, even went so far as to say he regretted ever writing it, or at least parts of it.

From watching the documentary it seems the movie will be a much more light hearted affair. Even ex Leeds players like Johnny Giles have condemned the book as far from reality, even though Giles was against Clough during his brief management there.

 

[GeoffLacey]

****ING HELL http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7975700.stm

Will either the best or worst things that ever happened to my club. I hope, beyond all hope that he is successful

 

[Crystal Blue]

Well if it's true about Shearer, the fans will finally have what they have always wanted, in most cases anyway.

 

[MrFold]

I hope he makes a go of it - Newcastle have been a sleeping giant for too long. It's anyone's guess as to whether Shearer has got what it takes to be a good boss. He was a great striker, but that doesn't mean he can cut it as a manager. At least he'll have the whole of Newcastle willing him to succeed.

 

[S93]

Atleast he will get alot of respect from both the fans and players, something Kinnear doesnt have much of.

 

[beardyian]

There was a new documentary on TV only last week about Cloughie, Mr F. One of the things that came up several times was comparisons between the movie and the book. It would seem that the movie is a lot different to the book and will be showing Clough in a much better light. The book was more a work of fiction while using some of the generally known facts intertwined. The author of the book, a Mr Peace I think his name is, even went so far as to say he regretted ever writing it, or at least parts of it.

From watching the documentary it seems the movie will be a much more light hearted affair. Even ex Leeds players like Johnny Giles have condemned the book as far from reality, even though Giles was against Clough during his brief management there.

It was a good docu too - and it seems the film is more about the real Cloughie rather than the book.

Plus the great acting of Michael Sheen - frightening how he looks & sounds like him

 

[Shylax]

I was reading about Shearer on ESPN and they say he doesn't have his manager's license yet.

You need a license to be a professional football manager?

 

[blacksun]

U need UEFA coaching badges yes and as far as I know Shearer doesnt have them all yet but hes being brought in as an interim coach I believe to get away with this so he can finish them in the summer.

 

[BluffYou123]

I'm a massive Man United fan and YES, we are going to win the league this season.

I think the international break will do the team the world of good and hopefully we can forget about our little blip of late.

ireland managed to get a draw in Italy tonight too, a pretty good result, but the win was there for the taking.

I would love it if Ireland could qualify for the World Cup.

It was a terrible result on Saturday though.

If only we had gotten the 2 wins from these 2 games, we would really be in the driving seat as far as winning the group.

At least we're still in with a shout though.

 

[Shylax]

U need UEFA coaching badges yes and as far as I know Shearer doesnt have them all yet but hes being brought in as an interim coach I believe to get away with this so he can finish them in the summer.

Are these courses you have to take at like university or something? Can anyone apply for coaching badges or would you have to have been a professional player to qualify?

I coach youth leagues (10-12 year olds) in the States. They're no ManU but if I could take a couple of classes and get my badges, I'll love to leave my present squad for the EPL, lol.

 

[BluffYou123]

About the Shearer thing, I hope he is a success.

I hated him as a player earlier in his career but I started to gain respect for his achievements as his playing days came to a close.

I don't think the Premier League would be the same without the Geordies (Newcastle) in it.

They have been there since it began in 92/93 and I believe they should have enough to survive.

Watch out Chelsea at the weekend because teams with new managers are always dangerous.

I might just put a little bet on Newcastle for the win.

 

[GeoffLacey]

About the Shearer thing, I hope he is a success.

I hated him as a player earlier in his career but I started to gain respect for his achievements as his playing days came to a close.

I don't think the Premier League would be the same without the Geordies (Newcastle) in it.

They have been there since it began in 92/93 and I believe they should have enough to survive.

Watch out Chelsea at the weekend because teams with new managers are always dangerous.

I might just put a little bet on Newcastle for the win.

You have more confidence in my team than I do

 

[Worak]

Bolivia-Argentina 6:1 !!!!

Bolivia-argentina 6:1 !!!!

Wow - and Maradonna didn't even play, lolz.:marchmell

 

[GeoffLacey]

Bolivia-Argentina 6:1 !!!!

Wow - and Maradonna didn't even play, lolz.:marchmell

I read the report on that game and it sounds like the game was pretty much unplayable from Argentina's point of view. A combination of altitude and a substandard pitch made things real tough for them... Still an embarrassment though...

 

[Worak]

It's always hard to play at 3600m altitude - Bolivia is well known for being strong at home, but the Argentinians only thought about how high they would win, nose up too high - imo.
This is the highest loss since 1958 (1:6 vs former CSSR) and a real setback on their qualifying chances.

 

[S93]

Are these courses you have to take at like university or something? Can anyone apply for coaching badges or would you have to have been a professional player to qualify?

I coach youth leagues (10-12 year olds) in the States. They're no ManU but if I could take a couple of classes and get my badges, I'll love to leave my present squad for the EPL, lol.

No the coaching badges are a series of courses that dont take more then like 3-6months.
You need to apply for one with your nations FA.
And a manager can take control of a team with out a badge as long as he is taking thouse courses or has applied for a postion in the next course.
So Shearer can take control of Newcastle with no problems, similiar to Avram Grant at Chelsea.
He didnt have a badge afaik but took the courses while managing CFC.

 

[Melkor]

Argentina had a Bolivilol. I was drunk when I saw the score and nearly collapsed.

 

[Gesshoo]

Well, well. What a finish at the Cottage. I thought Liverpool had played very well, especially in the first half - hitting the woodwork 4 times.

Second half, Fulham tightened the game up but still we had some chances.

Then, when it looked like Benayoun had missed our last chance in the 91st minute, up he popped again with a great strike to make it 1-0 in the 92nd.

A deserved win, even though we left it late.

Now. 2 points ahead, ManU has 2 games in hand. We will see what happens, but at least ManU has to make an effort now - it's not as easy as it looked a few weeks ago.

 

[Worak]

Bayern München levelled at Wolfsburg 1:5

Wolfsburg 5 - Bayern 1

Although I'm a Bayern Fan I must admit that Wolfsburg played amazingly.

Wolfsburg now 1st astonishing season so far.

Their trainer and manager - Magath - is one of the best in the world imo.

Won the double cup and championship back to back twice as he was trainer at Bayern - why did they let him go ?

Klinsmann's not bad but Magath makes the difference.

He was a better player than Klinsmann in his active years as player afaik.

And Wolfsburg is only on a 100m altitude .....

 

[Gesshoo]

Yeah, I saw the score and see that Wolfsburg are now top - but it is still really close with several teams in contention. I will tape highlights of the game and watch what happened tomorrow.

 

[Gesshoo]

Well, I was hopeful for a while, but always knew that ManU could pull it out - and so they did. Back to where we started. ManU 1 point ahead with a game in hand.

Next it's ManU at Sunderland, Liverpool home to Blackburn. BUt both teams have to play Arsenal and Spurs at home. Those games will be important.