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Football Thread 2013/14 |OT4| Everybody Hates Wenger renewed for 17th season
- Thread starter Lambda Pie
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Tim the Wiz
Banned
Watched the highlights. Can't say we lined up much different than last season, although it would have been nice to have Chicharito fit - he seems to enjoy Chelsea visits. Perhaps there would have been less focus on defensive stability (Valencia at RB instead of Jones?), perhaps there would have been more ballsy substitutes (Zaha or Shinji ahead of Young or Giggs?). One thing I know Fergie would have kicked a fuss over was how Chelsea was there for the taking and we fell short of killing the game. Hopefully, Moyes made that clear in the dressing room. It's the only concrete fear I have about Moyes tactically, that we succumb to a more cautious outlook in tight situations or when chasing games, given what I've seen of Everton's approach at times under him.
Eanan
Member
The ellipsis shows that he is.
Broder Salsa
Banned
For me, he failed to anything of note other than receive a booking for getting elbowed in the face.
Thought he came too deep to get the ball and didn't do enough with it.
And Rooney wasn't that good either. He looked like he actually gave a shit for the first time in ages. But a lot of the little tricks and flicks he tried didn't actually come off. Best I've seen him play in a while but still nowhere near his best.
Well he isn't good now, but was Arsenal's best defender until last year when he turned to shit, IMO.
Vivalaraza
Member
All of this isn't really relevant IMO.
It would be nice for Ribery to win though, I agree.
Broder Salsa
Banned
I think we can all agree no one were really fantastic yesterday. Oscar didn't do much either but he got a few chances out of nothing, made some nice passes and such. He had to go deep as Ramires and Lampard are completely failing to link up properly with anyone in front of them, they are just not good enough passers of the ball.
To be fair, that's like winning the world's tallest midget competition.
We couldn't defend until last season :lol.
Steverulez
Member
He said last night he wasn't fit to start and we didn't need him on to get goals, so perhaps he will play against Bayern. He started against Villa and did very little all game. If we were 1-0 down and chasing a goal it might have been a different story.
I thought Schurrle did well with the limited chances he had. I think strikers are a problem for us. I've noticed the same thing about Ba, Torres and after last night Schurrle: No-one gives them the service. Ba was scoring bucket loads at Newcastle, comes to us and the goals dry up.
Most of Torres' goals last season (to my knowledge) were first touch efforts, headers vs Norwich/Villa, first time shots (Newcastle springs to mind) and others, yet if he's not going to be given that service how will he score? Easy to criticise him for a lack of effort, I thought he tried hard last night, even if not a lot came off for him. We spent far too long just passing the ball around the box (a trademark of Rafas time as well). Mata and Azpili imo are a bit more direct on that front and do look to play the ball in more.
We've got a problems, most of which I think can be solved by playing Mata when he's fit.
Rooney seemingly not going to put in a transfer request so we'll move on, Eto'o and Yilmaz linked. Also thought Gala will step up interest in Mikel this week meaning we get a new DM in (hopefully)
I don't dispute your point, but as I said, I think very few players had a good game. Oscar got a couple of (tame) shots away and for the match last night, of the front 4 he looked the best for us. I think you could make similar comments about players not doing well for most of them. He was great against Hull/Villa.
Yes I was joking. While Vermaelen may not be as good as he was a year ago, I think it comes down to he just needs to be smarter about his decisions and not fly off the handle so much. I think he'll do a lot better this season with more competition for a spot.
:lol Serie A never disappoints.
I think achievement should be accounted for in the Ballon D'or, but the issue facing Ribery is that Messi was still the standout player in a Barcelona team that won the league. If Barca had gone trophyless last season, with Real winning the league and Bayern winning the European Cup, then Ribery or Robben would both have a decent chance of taking the Ballon D'Or.
I'd love for another player to get the credit this time around, but... that's not happening.
I'd love for another player to get the credit this time around, but... that's not happening.
not true. vermaelen only had a 'good' first season because he scored a lot. defensively, he was always shaky.
Broder Salsa
Banned
Love Vermaelen, will never say a bad word about that beautiful man.
GHG
Member
He's been shit defensively for the last 2 years actually for anybody who has watched him consistently. His runs forward and goals have masked countless shit defensive performances that he's put in for us over the last 2 years. Its no coincidence that we became better at defending last year when he was out for extended periods.
On the subject of Mata, the problem is that he doesn't really fit the tactical system that Mourinho wants for Chelsea unless one of Oscar and Hazard are sacrificed (both of whom have proven to be more tactically disciplined in off the ball situations over the last year). He wont play every game like he did last year but he will still get a large number of games should he stay. If a foreign club puts in a large bid for him I wouldn't be surprised to see him go, especially with the arrival of Willian.
Your hate makes me chuckle
Ballon d'Or should go to the best individual player. It's very very hard to argue the case that Messi wasn't the best individual player last year, no matter what Ribery achieved or Pirlo or whoever. I'd like to see Ribery win it, but if Messi wins it then I don't think anyone has an argument.
I have an argument.
He was the most outstanding individual in Two-Liga.
Ribery and Robben tore Europe apart.
but really it should go to Muller anyway
and so it begins!
Doesn't really fly though, I think. Messi was still the better player over the course of the entire year. They're not going to isolate what league it was and where specifically the players shone, they're going to (well, in theory they should but its just star fucking) judge every performance, every game. And Messi was the best.
"the stat was first compiled in 2004/5"
The year Barcelona started winning. Coincidence?
Broder Salsa
Banned
in 2012 Torres won the Euros, The FA cup and Champions League. He was snubbed for the Ballon D'or, because only Spanish players from Barca are allowed to win it.
But the ballon d'Or is an award for individuals, so I am.
Eanan
Member
Welp guess I'll skip the Bayern games over others in CL. From a beautiful masterpiece under Jupp to the German Boringlona under Pep.Barca is alright rather fuck PSG, Monaco, City and Madrid
Btw: tiki taka
We're pretending like there's some science behind it.
DID YOU SEE THEIR WORLD XI?
They better include Coutinho this time.
Haha might be
But it is true Bayern games right now are pretty boring if the opponent isnt equal in quality.Love it. That retro shirt from 69 is amazing!
That goal against Barca spelled his end.
Yeah Vertonghen is terrible...
It's true that in general we have a lot of sucky defenders in our league, but take in account that except for a few clubs none of the clubs in our league stand any chance in Europe. We're a league with many small clubs who have tiny financial freedom. Hell, even an EPL newly promoted club is looking to buy a player for 10 million euros, that's around the same amount Ajax can spend on a player.
Defenders from the bigger clubs aren't so bad mostly and Vertonghen is our most recent player who can prove that. Van der Wiel was great too, but something happened after the 2010 WC and he never returned to form sadly. Vermaelen did great too, don't why he turned into a shitty defender at Arsenal.
We're pretending like there's some science behind it.
DID YOU SEE THEIR WORLD XI?
They better include Coutinho this time.
True :lol
I still think that you're just contorting the meaning of that a little bit. It's an award for the best individual. That's it. The best single player. Otherwise they wouldn't have awards for single players and they'd solely have awards for teams.
Broder Salsa
Banned
Bale's a lemon. He hasn't handed in a transfer request - seemingly so he can keep some money and probably not piss fans off - , is entirely aware of his worth to Spurs and their need to get a replacement, and he's still whining like a little cunt.
Man up. Move's done when it's done.
Man up. Move's done when it's done.
Wish Spurs would sell him already so that the Madrid fire sale can begin!
I honestly wonder if our supposed loan bid is a sort of "you scratch my back, I scratch yours" between Mourinho and Rodgers.
We get Moses on loan, and in return, we feign interest in Mata and it's made public to try and force the hands of any other clubs that might want him, but are dithering over making a bid.
That's probably his real age.
I appreciate your in-depth post <3 but like FIFA...I, too, have no science behind my posts.
Signed to 2018. 100m buyout (iirc)
DA OCTOPUS OF BADIA!
Wat
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