Ongoing Soccer Thread

[beardyian]

hey guys - im new here...first off im a fan of the epl but dont have any strong ties to any clubs - strange right...

anyway it's good seeing a close title race this season and looking forward to a great 2nd half of the season...peace

welcome :top:

 

[blott]

flavour of the prem

for ciukster, and anyone who likes to ROFL

YouTube- Prem Aid - Do they Know it's Christmas? (Don't Beat Portsmouth)

 

[Gesshoo]

Liverpool's problems at the mo:

- Key players underperforming. Gerrard has been woeful since coming back from injury and with every game his antics and sense of entitlement get more and more embarassing to watch. Torres didn't look fit at the weekend and Aquilani still looks like he needs more match practice. Carragher has been poor and Johnson simply isn't very good at defending.

- No plan B. No backup in key areas. N'Gog actually hasn't looked that bad when he isn't diving to win penalties against us, but he's simply not a 'big 4'-quality striker. Look at the rest of the big 4 - Chelsea have Drog and Anelka, Man U have Rooney/Berba/Owen, and Arse, well okay they only really have RVP and Bendtner (lol) but their midfield can be consistently relied on to contribute goals (as can Chelsea and Man U's for that matter). Liverpool have Torres and Steve G and as above if they're either injured or underperforming they're screwed.

- Rafa. In a way it's quite admirable that many Liverpool fans are still standing by him in the modern age of managerial merry-go-rounds, but to absolve him of all blame is being silly. Sure, Alonso pretty much insisted that he left, but this was I'm sure at least in part because of Rafa unsettling him the prior summer. Plus, anyone who can transform a Liverpool side dominating Arsenal completely to a side that looked utterly jaded and threatless with one half-time team talk needs a bit of stick.

- The vast majority of the squad is full of players who either give the impression that they care but simply aren't technically good enough (Kuyt, Lucas et al), or players who have definite ability but don't seem to give a toss (pretty much everyone else bar the obvious exceptions).

Yeah, I'm pretty much 100% with this, Chris.

My other gut feeling right now is that Gerrard has had enough. Enough of digging Rafa out of the shite. I don't think he can see this team winning the EPL ever with Rafa, and consequently wants Rafa out now. Since the last injury he has been half the player he usually is.

arty:

2-0 and i had a bet on at 5/1 as well

Actually, as much as I hate losing, this season is a write-off for us and I would love to see Pompey stay up - so am glad for you! Mostly.

But what a poxy season to be so crappy! Even more than last season, the EPL is there for the taking. I even think Villa have a more than decent chance of winning the whole thing. They have a solid defence and enough match winners in the team to get lots of 1-0 and 2-0 wins. ManU are not as strong as previous years and Chelsea seem to want to give everyone a chance right now.

What about Mark Hughes? Not any kind of surprise I know - we all thought it was a probability pre-season if they had a less-than-stellar first half of the season, but they apparently agreed that top 6 was a good season.....think they lied!

 

[ciukster]

for ciukster, and anyone who likes to ROFL

YouTube- Prem Aid - Do they Know it's Christmas? (Don't Beat Portsmouth)

lol @ crouch - and cheers mate

 

[ciukster]

welcome :top:

thanks!

 

[beardyian]

for ciukster, and anyone who likes to ROFL

YouTube- Prem Aid - Do they Know it's Christmas? (Don't Beat Portsmouth)

As a Pompey fan.....i lolled :rofl: esp Ashley Cole lol

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

But what a poxy season to be so crappy! Even more than last season, the EPL is there for the taking. I even think Villa have a more than decent chance of winning the whole thing. They have a solid defence and enough match winners in the team to get lots of 1-0 and 2-0 wins. ManU are not as strong as previous years and Chelsea seem to want to give everyone a chance right now.

What about Mark Hughes? Not any kind of surprise I know - we all thought it was a probability pre-season if they had a less-than-stellar first half of the season, but they apparently agreed that top 6 was a good season.....think they lied!

I think all of the big 4 are thinking what a poxy season to be so crappy, heh. If any one of them was playing consistently at their best they'd be running away with it at the moment. As a neutral it's fun to watch though (although I can see Chelsea and Man U running away from the pack at some point.

The relegation battle is equally interesting. Any other season I'd be thinking we were safe by now, but such is the nature of the league at the moment it's not yet guaranteed - teams may be needing over 40 points to stay up this year. Look at Wolves, they went from the relegation zone to 12th with one win on Sunday!

Man City really are trying to be the new Chelsea with the exorbitant spending and silly manager sacking, aren't they? Mancini is just as unproven as Hughes really - yes he won two Serie A titles but the first was handed to him by Juve's points deduction and the second by Juve and Milan (IIRC) both starting the season with points deductions and hence not really taking as much of a stab as they could have at the title. I'd rather Villa get 4th than Man City at the moment, and coming from a Blues fan that means something.

 

[GutShotGray]

Well, firstly it's good to be back online

Just caught up and will agree some amazing results occured over the weeked, ashame Bolton match was called off as I don't think wigan would have performed well in the conditions to be honest...

Rafa has to go, it's simple as that. Hughes being sacked is a disgrace in my opinion. Currently 6th, 5pts off top, yeah he's drawn to the likes of us and Hull but look at utd, they lost to Burnley, Did he get sacked?

And atm the title is up to grabs for like top 6 and relegation is a bit like last year where anyone in the bottom of the table could still go down. I think I worked out if Bolton won both games in hand(even though one is arsenal) we would move into the top part of the table. just shows you how close it's gettin these days in the premiership and finally it's good to see 2/3 teams not runnin away from the pact

 

[beardyian]

To be honest im surprised Hughes still had the job after last Christmas - struggling in 14th i think they were then.

Having bought 10 strikers and then being short at the back when a couple of injuries strike is not great planning by him.

Remember how Sven got sacked before Hughes?, City had been in the top part of the table all season, looking pretty strong only to slip a little at the end, and with a lot poorer squad then they have now.

 

[S93]

Mancini is a dumb signing imo.
Has won Seria A what 3times? Yeah great when u get handed the league by disqualifacation and point deduction 2 of the time.
Has done nothing in Europe and has no management experience in England.
With the money City have spend they could have a alot better squad(especialy add the back) and a better manager.

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

To be honest im surprised Hughes still had the job after last Christmas - struggling in 14th i think they were then.

Having bought 10 strikers and then being short at the back when a couple of injuries strike is not great planning by him.

Dunne out for £6m and Lescott in for £24m definitely wins the most lol-worthy bit of transfer business this year.

 

[blott]

Don't worry about relegation Dorkus. With that tight defence you will never concede enough to go down. Birmingham have much in common with Fulham in that there are no stand out stars to disrupt a good team spirit. Look up (Europe) not down.

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

roger johnson (£5m i think) and scott dann (£4m i think) have been immense, yep.

just pointing out the prices so i can laugh some more at the lescott deal seeing as i'd take either of our centre-backs over him this season.

and no stand out stars until carson gets his chequebook out in january! although mcleish seems too sensible to splash the cash ridiculously, which is actually probably a good thing. realistic prediction - we'll end up 12th or somewhere boring like that.

 

[Az__Avfc]

Mancini is a dumb signing imo.
Has won Seria A what 3times? Yeah great when u get handed the league by disqualifacation and point deduction 2 of the time.
Has done nothing in Europe and has no management experience in England.
With the money City have spend they could have a alot better squad(especialy add the back) and a better manager.

Mancini did a decent job at Fiorentina and Lazio aswell winning a coppa Italia with each when both clubs were broke. Its not his fault that there was no real competition for his serie A wins, in my opinion his sacking at Inter was harsh especially as his replacement, Mourinho, has done exactly the same job, played dull football without excelling in Europe. Now the Italian media has turned on him he looks to be on his way out at the end of this season. Who else is available to step in at Man City anway, Hiddink? Nah, surely he would of resigned from Russia after the defeat in the play offs. Im sure David O'leary is looking for work... still.

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

Im sure David O'leary is looking for work... still.

and john barnes!

 

[S93]

Mancini did a decent job at Fiorentina and Lazio aswell winning a coppa Italia with each when both clubs were broke. Its not his fault that there was no real competition for his serie A wins, in my opinion his sacking at Inter was harsh especially as his replacement, Mourinho, has done exactly the same job, played dull football without excelling in Europe. Now the Italian media has turned on him he looks to be on his way out at the end of this season. Who else is available to step in at Man City anway, Hiddink? Nah, surely he would of resigned from Russia after the defeat in the play offs. Im sure David O'leary is looking for work... still.

With the options availble, sure Mancini is one of the better options but i just think the whole situation they have found them selfs in is unnecesry.
1. They shouldnt have sacked(or ended his contract by mutual agreement or w/e the story way) Erikson imo.
He did a good job there and is manager with a proven track record in serveral league and has had some great results in europe.
Yes the second part of his season there wasnt great but he still got them a respectable top half finish,a euro place and citys highest PRM erea points total.

2.They never should have hired Hughes.
I actualy think Hughes is a good manager but he was completly unproven at a big budget club with high expections and i just dont think he was the man for a job that requierd signing countless primadonas(the fact that he paid 234billion pounds for Lescot proves,imo, he cant be trusted with a big budget),keeping them in check and challenging for CL qualifaction.

 

[playsuji6]

There is less concern for football in india, Still many of us are love the game almost like cricket.
Previously i like Man U becoz of CR7 but he is not ManU anymore even then i loved the team. But their recent loss streaks made me fan of Arsnel and the captain Fabregass!!!

 

[GutShotGray]

There is less concern for football in india, Still many of us are love the game almost like cricket.
Previously i like Man U becoz of CR7 but he is not ManU anymore even then i loved the team. But their recent loss streaks made me fan of Arsnel and the captain Fabregass!!!

so you're a glory supporter then?

 

[jolliffe1990]

Watford FC fan Here, come on you glory hornet boys!!!!!

 

[beardyian]

Watford FC fan Here, come on you glory hornet boys!!!!!

Welcome and glad to see you make it to the xmas fixtures

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

Welcome and glad to see you make it to the xmas fixtures

one could say the same about pompey.

 

[blott]

one could say the same about pompey.

where are Elton and Milan when you need them?

I have great empathy for any supporters of cash stricken clubs. Here in ireland it's an almost annual struggle for many LoI clubs to avoid administration, even those qualifying for Europe. Obviously the people in charge of the clubs are from the same school as the country's "leaders".

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

a point off chelsea is pretty cool.

could maybe have been more if the referee and (especially) linesman hadn't been so incompetent, but hey, i'll take it. first home game i've missed this season because of family christmas stuff so perfect timing for it to be on the telly.

now let's hope wolves bring the lolz to anfield (yeah i don't like wolves but liverpool losing would be fun, and isn't christmas supposed to be about fun?).

 

[beardyian]

isn't christmas supposed to be about fun?.

Supposed to be

 

[S93]

Supposed to be

But it was fun .
Lucky Wolves got a red since Liverpool where struggling to break em down.