• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Football Thread |OT12| Kicked the Ballboy Like Stan Hit Ulrika

Meier

Member
City have got injury issues for tomorrow's game. No Kolo, Kompany injured. Nastasic a doubt.

Lescott & Rekik it is then.
Think I read that Nasty should be good to go. Since it's QPR, maybe we'll do that goofy move of using Clichy and/or Zaba as CBs in a 3-5-2 (Milner and Aleks as wingbacks). Javi could play emergency CB as well.
 

Meier

Member
#basedmarwood
This is a case where I don't think we can fully blame him or Mancini. There was a recent interview where it was explained that the Sheikh liked having Mario because he's a name brand and a legitimate superstar. He was the breakout player of the Euros in terms of success around the globe. Even here in the US, he was everywhere. The cover of Time Europe didn't hurt either. For this reason, I wouldn't be shocked if he wasn't sold. He helps spread the Man City name and brand.
 

Timurid

Member
I wonder if mourinho would go back inter? ATM Strama is a loon tactically playing 3 in the back against 4-2-4 and putting gargash and mudingayi in the midfield. :lol :lol :lol

I'm so happy that Gazzi and Brighi bossed the midfield yesterday.

I went to an inter forum before the match and they were making fun of Ventura and 4-2-4. :lol :lol :lol
 
Just had some pro keeper games with Believe FC, still unbeaten as a keeper despite some minor trouble along the way

ilpWWegVQfZXi.gif
 
I think we're all a bit mean on Giroud, according to wiki he has 13 goals and 9 assists in 32 appearances....

Not prolific like but certainly not doing that bad considering Arsenal, by their standards have been struggling this season. If he took penalties he'd probably be on 20 already.
 

Kyoufu

Member
Any of tomorrow's games on Sky?

I think we're all a bit mean on Giroud, according to wiki he has 13 goals and 9 assists in 32 appearances....

Not prolific like but certainly not doing that bad considering Arsenal, by their standards have been struggling this season. If he took penalties he'd probably be on 20 already.

Giroud is fantastic. I don't get the hate.
 

Salvadora

Member
Giroud's going to have a shocker and get sent to the glue factory after.

He may have a shocker but you'll let him score nonetheless.
I think we're all a bit mean on Giroud, according to wiki he has 13 goals and 9 assists in 32 appearances....

Not prolific like but certainly not doing that bad considering Arsenal, by their standards have been struggling this season. If he took penalties he'd probably be on 20 already.

As I said before, people are just following the media narrative.
 

BigBoss

Member
Wut? What am I crying about? I just find it hilarious :lol

I've just imagined Barca not getting a handball like the Juve one gone their way. Alves, Busquets, Valdes and Xavi would've swallowed the ref whole!

RX64Lgj.jpg


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1487195-real-madrid-are-their-referee-pressuring-tactics-working

Real Madrid’s quarterfinal first-leg victory over Valencia was marred by controversy surrounding some very doubtful refereeing decisions.

Roberto Soldado was denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity on three separate occasions, after being wrongly ruled offside, and Real Madrid’s second goal should have been ruled out for a handball by Gonzalo Higuain.

“Referees can be wrong once, but should not be so much [as tonight]. And it makes you wonder. They don’t want to withstand the pressure of being wrong against Real Madrid,” said Soldado after the game (via Goal.com).

Inevitably, the debate of whether referees favor Real Madrid has been blown wide open again.

The theory goes that the Real Madrid and Barcelona have more influence over referees as a result of their prominence in the media. If referees make a mistake that goes against one of the big two, then a widely read partisan media will crucify them the next day.

Whether consciously or unconsciously, this tends to give the bigger team the advantage on tight or doubtful decisions. This is even more the case if players from the teams have recently come out in these media outlets criticizing recent decisions.

Why then, you will ask, is this article not titled "Are Real Madrid and Barcelona’s referee pressuring tactics working?"

Well, the answer to that question is each club’s managing of referees. Barcelona players and staff have, in general, refrained from criticizing referees in recent years. The occasional outburst has of course occurred, but in Real Madrid's case, it seems José Mourinho has established it as a strategy for his team.

This week was no exception.

At the press conference previous to the match against Valencia, Angel Di María came out guns blazing against Spanish referees.

"There are decisions from the referees that are not errors, they are making bad calls against us,” he accused, Real Madrid having had players sent off in each of their last three games (via Marca).

These strong words rang particularly loud, as they were not criticisms spat out in the heat of a match, with emotions running high. This was two days after the last match, at a press conference where he was chosen by the club to speak as representative of Real Madrid. There is little doubt that this was a strategy, and that Di María had approval from other personnel of the club before laying out his accusations.

It is impossible to determine whether referee Muñiz Fernández was influenced by these declarations, although his decisions in the game will lead many to think he was.

For some Valencia players, there is no doubt:

“Their best player has been Di María all week long,” fumed Valencia captain David Albelda on Twitter (via El Mundo).

The league has opened investigations into Di María’s words in the pre-match press conference, and will soon announce their decision of what punishment he will receive (via Marca).

Other players have recently been punished for similar offences with a €1,500 fine, a risible amount for almost any La Liga professional player, let alone a Real Madrid star. If the Spanish federation really does want to rule these kind of accusations out of the game, than stronger punishments, including suspensions, should be considered for next season.

An interesting article about Real Madrid's influence over the refs, so shameful. Its sad how little respect Mourinho and Madrid have for the integrity of the game.
 
He may have a shocker but you'll let him score nonetheless.


As I said before, people are just following the media narrative.

Same with Dempsey, everyone seems to laugh when I mentioned him, yet he has 8 goals in 28 games, some of which have been 5 minute subs (first few games and cup games). He has also chipped in with a few assists too, nothing amazing like VdV but certainly a good player to have in the squad.
 

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
I think we're all a bit mean on Giroud, according to wiki he has 13 goals and 9 assists in 32 appearances....

Not prolific like but certainly not doing that bad considering Arsenal, by their standards have been struggling this season. If he took penalties he'd probably be on 20 already.

His numbers are good as are Arsenal's as a whole, but when you look closer a huge number of goals are against awful, awful teams.

That said Giroud is quite good, he misses easy chances but he links up well and is good in the air. For the price they've got their money's worth.
 

K1LLER7

Member
Happy for Giroud. Want him to do well.

United game on Wednesday. Don't think it's on TV though. Will watch Madrid v Barca instead.
 

Kyoufu

Member
Hopefully one match wont be televised or covered on radio. Or reported in the press the next day. I just want it to never happen.

We are just as shit as you are.

Still no away win this season :lol

Excited to see some of the new signings in action though. Especially Sissoko.
 

Zabojnik

Member
Juventus has officialy bought Jose Cevallos, a 18 years old Ecuadorian midfielder. Anyone know him?

Loan (~1M€) + option to buy, Marry style. Looks like we're also after Bebeto's son, Matheus. Plays for Flamenco. Remember the original cradle-rocking celebration from 1994 WC? That's the one. :)

I went to an inter forum before the match and they were making fun of Ventura and 4-2-4. :lol :lol :lol

Fools. I've always rated Ventura. He just needs a year or two to find the right players. And a president that buys 'em.
 

Salazar

Member
Holy shit

I just heard Tancredi for the first time.

It's one thing reading his shite, but it's the genuine experience listening to him. Like Moses, in a way.
 
Top Bottom