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

U

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
Lightning said:
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2013/02/01/3717943/-?

Oh yeah. 6 weeks now for Gibbs? I thought that....
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I think as soon as you were linked to Monreal we all knew this was going to happen. It's good for you though, I think Monreal is better than Gibbs and it will take the pressure off him a bit.

"I believe Gibbs will be out for the Champions League. I [cannot] play Monreal. Santos could have a key role."
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FunnyGifs19.gif
 
D

dc89

Member
Odemwingie interview on SSN now.

Says the deal was 90% there and the deal did not go through because West Brom did not sign a player in time for him to move to QPR.
 
S

Salazar

Member
FROGIE

Sir Alex Ferguson says Manchester United are in a “healthy” position heading into Saturday’s match against Fulham with only Ashley Young unavailable for selection.

Speaking at his weekly press conference at Carrington, the boss revealed the Reds winger is still struggling with a knee injury sustained against Liverpool, though the Reds are boosted by the return of Jonny Evans - who is set to return to training today.

“We're quite healthy in terms of the players available” Sir Alex explained. “Ashley Young's the one that's still not available. Hopefully Jonny trains today, which would give us another defender. That's good news. I'll make one or two changes tomorrow. Rio Ferdinand will play. Definitely.”
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You're going to bring in ClevGod, Frogie. None of this "play Ando until he's good" shit. This is the run-in. Go with form.
 
U

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
dc89 said:
Odemwingie interview on SSN now.

Says the deal was 90% there and the deal did not go through because West Brom did not sign a player in time for him to move to QPR.
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This whole farce, plus Jenas finally being ejected from our premises, made deadline day hilarious. I bet Steve Clarke doesn't talk to him for the rest of the season.
 
S

Salazar

Member
Brek Shea is an MLS scrub who plays for Stoke and has BELIEVE tattooed on his leg.

How can he fail to become a futbol-GAF cult hero ?
 
L

Linius

Member
So Cuenca to Ajax on loan. Hope he can deliver for us.

And I see Fullham is going on a transfer spree. Too bad they didn't got Stekelenburg. Fucking Roma.
 
N

Nyx

Member
lol, Fred Rutten, manager of Vitesse Arnhem, complained yesterday evening about the owner of the club not buying any new players but still saying they want to challenge the Eredivisie-title.

He thinks the owner is lying to the supporters now, and doesn’t want to be a part of it.
The next day Vitesse announces there will be no training today, and that Fred Rutten is ‘’ill’’.

Linius said:
I'm wondering if Jol is going to use Enoh and Emanuelson. He said about Emanuelson that he wanted to save him from Milan's bench after all :p
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Enoh and Manolev were among the worst players in the Eredivisie if you ask me, I really wonder why the hell a club like Fulham loans them...
 
D

dc89

Member
So FM13 is closer to life than I originally thought. I'm playing as Arsenal, and Barca go for Llorente.

Hmm... I only have £6.25m left in the kitty. So I ask the board and they say no. "If we don't sign this player our rivals will leave us further behind"

"The club is currently operating at acceptable levels"

I am 7th in the league and 5 points behind 4th place.
 
L

Linius

Member
Nyx said:
Enoh and Manolev were among the worst players in the Eredivisie if you ask me, I really wonder why the hell a club like Fulham loans them...
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Enoh is fine to use in the last thirty minutes (to defend one or two goals ahead). He may not be that good with the ball (though he surprises sometimes) but he's good at getting the ball back and keeping possession. He needs to work on his passing and speed.
 
N

Nyx

Member
Linius said:
Enoh is fine to use in the last thirty minutes (to defend one or two goals ahead). He may not be that good with the ball (though he surprises sometimes) but he's good at getting the ball back and keeping possession. He needs to work on his passing and speed.
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He can’t even pass a ball straight over 5 meters.
People who are great in getting the ball back should be widely available in England, right?

But Jol is getting paid tons for his decisions and I’m just a fan, so I’ll leave it at that!
 
L

Linius

Member
Nyx said:
He can’t even pass a ball straight over 5 meters.
People who are great in getting the ball back should be widely available in England, right?

But Jol is getting paid tons for his decisions and I’m just a fan, so I’ll leave it at that!
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Lol, you're not being fair here. Enoh isn't the best player around but he's not that bad. I'm guessing you only watch Ajax play against Utrecht?
 
N

Nyx

Member
Linius said:
Lol, you're not being fair here. Enoh isn't the best player around but he's not that bad. I'm guessing you only watch Ajax play against Utrecht?
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I really believe he is terrible, just terrible.
Never understood why a club like Ajax, known for their passing-game, had a guy like Enoh in the team.

And no, I watch a lot of Dutch football, not only Utrecht. ;)
 
C

confuziz

Banned
Nyx said:
I really believe he is terrible, just terrible.
Never understood why a club like Ajax, known for their passing-game, had a guy like Enoh in the team.

And no, I watch a lot of Dutch football, not only Utrecht. ;)
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I agree about Enoh though. Terrible, dirty player. A poor man's de Jong lol
 
U

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
So Reading made 3 attempts to sign Gylfi Sigurdsson from us this window. I'm glad we turned them down, he's a good young player who needs time. He can have a great future here.
 
C

confuziz

Banned
Ushojax said:
So Reading made 3 attempts to sign Gylfi Sigurdsson from us this window. I'm glad we turned them down, he's a good young player who needs time. He can have a great future here.
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Yeah. He needs to play in order to have a great future though..

Spurs seem like a good club to ruin your career!
 
U

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
confuziz said:
Spurs seem like a good club to ruin your career!
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If you don't cut it on the pitch then you won't make it at any club, certainly not a club in the top 4. He's shown signs and almost won us the game on Wednesday, he works hard but his best play has come when he's brought on as a sub. When he starts he tries too hard and gets too wrapped up in his own game. I think he'll make it here if we are patient, this whole season has been a huge transition from last season's team and he's sort of been lost amongst it all.
 
G

GorillaJu

Member
Good article about the culture of throwing young players into starting line-ups of big clubs before they're ready and expecting them to perform and adapt immediately. (Michael Cox, http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/tacticsandanalysis/id/802?cc=4716)

Wednesday night could have been Jordan Henderson's breakthrough game. The midfielder pressed, harried and battled Arsenal high up the pitch, drove Liverpool forward with his hard running, and scored Liverpool's second with a goal that owed more to persistence than imagination. Henderson's performance summed up what Brendan Rodgers wants from him in this system, and he was unfortunate not to be awarded man of the match after Arsenal's comeback in the 2-2 draw.

In the end, Henderson's thunder was stolen by Theo Walcott -- but Henderson might see Walcott as something of a kindred spirit. Walcott has become a consistent attacker (only Robin van Persie, Luis Suarez and Juan Mata can match his combined 18 goals and assists so far this season) the problem was his prolonged, frustrating period of development into an established first-teamer.

But Walcott is still only 23, which is staggering considering he signed for 9 million pounds more than seven years ago, and travelled to Germany with England's World Cup squad in 2006. But that was the problem -- Walcott received an international call-up very early and moved clubs for a large sum too soon. It fuels expectations of an immediate impact, when consistency is still years away.

When asked about Henderson after the game, Rodgers made a similar point. "Players used to come to Liverpool and go into the reserves for two years," he said. "These kids are having to go straight into the first team."

Henderson wasn't ready to make a significant impact in his debut season at Liverpool, but he wasn't quite a flop. His signing was an example of long-term thinking, something which has been all too rare at Liverpool in recent years, particularly in terms of recruitment. Andy Carroll was a panic buy; Stewart Downing was signed to provide the panic buy with crosses.

Henderson, on the other hand, was a long-term replacement for Steven Gerrard. "It's a really positive signing -- let's hope he is the next Steven Gerrard," said Liverpool's captain himself, which seemed slightly pompous, although he was realistic about his own shelf life. "That's what good football clubs do -- they replace their best players. Liverpool needs a new Steven Gerrard and it will need a new Jamie Carragher."

But rather than learning from Gerrard on the training ground and acting as a useful backup on matchdays, Henderson was thrown into Liverpool's first XI immediately. He started 31 of Liverpool's 38 Premier League games last season -- aside from a fine performance and a debut goal early on against Bolton, Henderson was underwhelming. It didn't help, either, that Kenny Dalglish used him in multiple positions within various formations, or that Liverpool frequently used five new signings simultaneously.

Henderson needed space to develop in a less pressurised situation; Liverpool, for all their recent struggles, remain a big club with a devoted following and great expectations, but Henderson cost 16 million pounds because of his promise rather than his current ability. Sunderland fans viewed him as a fine prospect but a midfielder who frequently drifted in and out of games -- entirely natural at his age. While others saw highlights of Sunderland games, saw a couple of cracking Henderson set-piece deliveries and declared him a dead-ball specialist, Stadium of Light season-ticket holders considered that area of his game particularly frustrating.

Henderson's England call-up at 20, following one proper Premier League season, was similarly unwise. Starting alongside Gerrard in a friendly against France in 2010, England were embarrassed and Henderson was given the run-around by Samir Nasri. English football remains hooked upon the 'golden' generation in midfield, with Gerrard and Frank Lampard still a major part of the squad, but there's also considerable public opinion, and an undercurrent of agreement from both Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson, that new blood is needed. Jack Wilshere and Tom Cleverley are other fine prospects, held back by an injury-hit 2011-12 season, but impressive in recent months.

After seven-plus years and a few bumps in the road, Theo Walcott is starting to realize the potential Arsenal saw in him in 2005.
But here is the problem for players such as Henderson, and Walcott before him: English clubs aren't very clever at developing players in their situation. Their first-team chances come quickly, and they're expected to adapt immediately.

Other countries do it differently. Spain's top clubs have established reserve teams that compete within the main footballing pyramid -- Real Madrid and Barcelona's B teams both compete in the second tier. Barcelona have played this system superbly: Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez made their first-team debuts at 20 and 21 -- relatively late, compared with Walcott (16) and Henderson (17) -- but had developed in quieter, calmer surroundings and weren't forced to 'grow up' in the first team. When they got there, they were immediately ready for league success, Champions League success and World Cup success.

Germany have a more co-operative, intelligent loan system. Look at the example of Toni Kroos, who might have been a valuable backup for Bayern Munich a couple of seasons ago but was instead loaned out to Leverkusen (a title challenger, no less) to develop for 18 months. He returned and was immediately a key first-team player, a similar experience to Philipp Lahm, who was loaned out to Stuttgart. Young English players only seem to join bottom-half clubs on loan.

Italy, meanwhile, has the complex but useful world of co-ownership, where big clubs can attempt to buy a 'stake' in a player without necessarily forcing him away from his current club.

In the Spanish model, Henderson would be in Liverpool's B team. In Germany's, he might be in the second year of a loan spell, ready to return to Anfield next season. With an Italian setting, he'd probably still be at Sunderland, developing his game steadily with a potential move to Merseyside on the cards in the summer. In England, he's shoved into the limelight and over-promoted to the full national side -- it's sink or swim, with no armbands available and no lifeguard in sight.

Henderson's display against Arsenal was excellent, and his recent form has been encouraging, but he's probably still 18 months from being a consistent, reliable first-teamer for Liverpool. After all, Walcott's equivalent of this 'nearly-breakthrough' game was against Liverpool back in 2008, when he teed up Emmanuel Adebayor for a tap-in after a brilliant mazy dribble, before Arsenal conceded a penalty almost immediately to render his contribution irrelevant. It took him another couple of seasons to live up to his full promise. Henderson might be the same.
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C

confuziz

Banned
Ushojax said:
If you don't cut it on the pitch then you won't make it at any club, certainly not a club in the top 4. He's shown signs and almost won us the game on Wednesday, he works hard but his best play has come when he's brought on as a sub. When he starts he tries too hard and gets too wrapped up in his own game. I think he'll make it here if we are patient, this whole season has been a huge transition from last season's team and he's sort of been lost amongst it all.
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He has played 600 minutes in 21 games in the league so far. I wouldn't really call that being used as a sub. Sounds more like stretching time lol
 
U

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
pappe said:
Nothing wrong in saying the truth. He won't say oh I am dedicated to WBA again and play all my life. And even if says we all know it's bs.
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He could at least apologise for the way he conducted himself yesterday. I doubt he'll start another game for West Brom.
 
S

Sviatoslav

Member
Hmm, Zenit seem to have signed CB Luis Neto from Siena for 6 million. Hopefully this means that we ship ol' Bruno Alves out in the summer.
 
V

Vivalaraza

Member
If Chelsea don't win this weekend (and Spurs do) then Spurs are just one result behind Chelsea.

Would be incredible if Rafa takes Chelsea from 4 points off top to out of the top 4 altogether.

The only thing better than that would be if Rafa somehow ended up at City next season.
 
LabouredSubterfuge

LabouredSubterfuge

Member
Vivalaraza said:
If Chelsea don't win this weekend (and Spurs do) then Spurs are just one result behind Chelsea.

Would be incredible if Rafa takes Chelsea from 4 points off top to out of the top 4 altogether.

The only thing better than that would be if Rafa somehow ended up at City next season.
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Oh God, yes pls.
 
A

Arnie

Member
What the fuck, I've been working for days and somehow missed Suarez saying he'll stay past the season even if we don't get Champions League. I knew the interview had said he was happy, but I thought that was just pure PR nonsense, didn't know he'd categorically confirmed it.

@BrendanRodgersOkay
Odemwingie is a good lad, okay, but three things. Stay on your feet. Stay in your car. Stay at West Brom. And maybes change your agent.
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I love that twitter account.
 
U

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
Can't wait to see Holtby on Sunday, looked class against Norwich.

Opta stats show Holtby made seven assists in this season's Bundesliga; only two players (Marco Reus and Thomas Mueller) have more.
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We have a new VDV on our hands.
 
F

faridmon

Member
Salazar said:
I don't think Everton will wobble that badly.

I hope to god we beat them, and beat them soundly, but them holding it together wouldn't surprise me at all.
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Its nice to hope for things that is unlikley to happen.

Lightning said:
The table doesn't lie but mediocre is just wrong. Inconsistent is a more realistic word to describe us. There's only 4 points in it and that's only because we played Liverpool, City and Chelsea one after the other. I am certain Wenger will get our team up for it, he's really good at doing that. And Everton have some really hard games to play, City could bury Liverpool for us this weekend and hopefully Spurs drop more points.
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Yeah, We have difficult fixture ahead of us and I am worried that 4th will be a stretch to get to. Also, we haven't showed that Super Sayian mode we always show after January, but who knows, might go go Goku this month.
 
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