-
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 |OT17| Jordan Henderson for Ballon d'Or
- Thread starter Wilbur
- Start date
choodi
Banned
I've had some time to reflect on the result and while I am disappointed that we are out of the cup, I am glad that we did ourselves proud. We put up a good performance and proved that while we may be fighting relegation, we can certainly cut it against some of the best second tier teams in Europe.
But for some mistakes in the first leg and having too big of a hill to climb in the second, we would have been in the semi-finals of the Europa League. Not bad for a team that was a complete basket case and sitting in the Championship just a few seasons ago!
I have said it before and I still think this is the case...we were a season ahead of schedule last season.
I think this was the original plan:
- 2011-12 - Finish top 10
- 2012-13 - Qualify for a Europa League spot
- 2013-14 - Consolidate with a cup run and Europa League spot/Maybe challenge for a Champions League spot
- 2014-15 - Champions League spot
Instead, by qualifying for the Europa League, we overstretched an already thin playing squad and put our Premier League survival at stake.
The other negative of our stellar 2011-12 was that we opened ourselves up to having our best players poached by the top six clubs. If we had not had such a good season, we would not be facing so many bids for our best players.
I hope we can keep this squad together for little while longer because I really think that we are destined for great things in the next two seasons.
Depending on who stays and who goes in the Summer (as well as who we buy), the lack of European football should allow us to try another assault on the European spots in the league without too much stretching. There'd be no excuse not to try.
For now though I'd rather we just see this incredibly odd season out. Try and finish in the top 10 and go from there (the only goal we can have now, though I'd take any position as long as we don't get relegated).
He's a great player but I'm not surprised to see him putting wonky passing numbers up. It's far from his best attribute.
I don't think we will be selling many big name players this year either.
I think we will need a good season to add the value back to the players. At the end of last season, Cabaye, Tiote, Ba, Cisse, Collo and Ben Arfa all would have justified price tags over 10M. After this season I don't think that is the case. Ashley won't sell when the time isn't right and I think we will be in much better form next season. I would expect a few to leave after next season.
Getting in Europe this year has put us backwards a season or two I think, but fuck it, I've enjoyed my Thursday nights out.
Phantast2k
Member
Ok, but none of them really strengthened their new teams. Something people should be considering when throwing around those new names. Players from "lesser" leagues are always a gamble. Shakira ain't even that bad, but he's certainly no top team, first XI material. I'm pretty sure even fuck Bayern fans realize that. He's also really really ugly, lol
/Abraham was totally a regular starter:
http://www.transfermarkt.de/de/david-abraham/leistungsdaten/spieler_58178_2011.html
Yeah, ok for Abraham, maybe I wanted to forget about him.Ok, but none of them really strengthened their new teams. Something people should be considering when throwing around those new names. Players from "lesser" leagues are always a gamble. Shakira ain't even that bad, but he's certainly no top team, first XI material. I'm pretty sure even fuck Bayern fans realize that. He's also really really ugly, lol
/Abraham was totally a regular starter:
http://www.transfermarkt.de/de/david-abraham/leistungsdaten/spieler_58178_2011.html
Good that he left, Fabian Schär, his replacement, is a beast. What you say about top team material is true but leave some time to the team. Basel's recent exposure on the scene really is recent. They haven't reached a sustainable level of performance of this quality before so maybe with some more experience, these players will be able to fit in a big team structure. Xhaka is a clown, ok, but you can be sure that a guy like Sommer could replace de Gea for the good.Felipe, offside legend, but still legend.
/by the way, Atouba, Caicedo, Petric and Rakitic all were basel players before they successfully joined hyped teams. So I don't think we should restrict observations to a tectonic wanker, a Ninja Turtle and a tall Argentinian cook.
We won't get anything for Coloccini if he's heading home in the Summer. As for Cabaye and Ben Arfa, they definitely warrant price tags over 10m. Cisse's a questionable sort.
Tiote is the only one who I'd actually like to see fuck off in the Summer. He's been utter shit this season and we could do better in CM than him. Personally I'd have Sissoko dropped back to CM with Cabaye. They play off eachother much better than Cabaye and Tiote (see French national squad).
Vivalaraza
Member
Dont do this Kenka.Yeah, ok for Abraham, maybe I wanted to forget about him.
Felipe, offside legend, but still legend.
/by the way, Atouba, Caicedo, Petric and Rakitic all were basel players before they successfully joined hyped teams.
mocolostrocolos
Member
Why ? I have said for almost two years now that Sommer > de Gea. And the youngster hasn't proven me neither right nor wrong. I know my statement may sound provocative but I don't think I am fooling my audience on purpose.
"affari in corso", how much I love this headline.
His passing average in the PL is 90.7%. He might not be much of a playmaker but he doesn't give the ball away. That sideways pass yesterday was so bizarre, we've burned him out a bit. That injury to Sandro has become more and more costly as the season has gone on.
Sleeplessnights
Banned
You must admit, him holding it one handed was pretty weird looking.
choodi
Banned
If we could get 10-15 million for Ben Arfa right now, I say take it. He is for too injury prone for us to be able to rely on him.
He's great when we have him on the field, but in reality, he has spent more time in the recovery room than anywhere else.
I know that was due to the broken leg, but he has had other injuries too
Yeah maybe, but two seasons ago people were talking about £20M for Tiote or Cabaye, I don't think anyone would pay anywhere near that for them at present. A good season with a push towards Europe and you could be close to that again for Cabaye.
The other dead.
no doubt lol (just didnt pay much attention to this)
anyway, its al about the CL draw now
silvio pls
mocolostrocolos
Member
COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Fuck that noise. He's the best creative attacking midefielder since Beardsley.
Vivalaraza
Member
De Gea will prove you wrong
Sleeplessnights
Banned
My guess
Bayern vs Borussia
Real vs Barca.
Have a normal semis but get an awesome final.
Bayern vs Borussia
Real vs Barca.
Have a normal semis but get an awesome final.
Vivalaraza
Member
They want a Clasico final.
Madrid and Barca won't draw each other.
Madrid and Barca won't draw each other.
I can only hope.
Best result for UEFA is a Clásico final. They will be swimming in moneis. I think they'll take their chances at Real or Barca not going through over having them play each other already.
Marotta.
mocolostrocolos
Member
Link to streaming?
The fuck. Do you know how much revenue Clásicos generate? Can you imagine the insanity if it's a CL final?
More like Catalunya amirite
Vivalaraza
Member
Who said anything about interesting?
Uefa want dat money. Clasico final is probably the biggest match up there could be.
Hopefully Dortmund and Bayern knock the lol Liga teams out though
KidA Seven
Member
Dortmund vs Barca
and
Bayern vs Madrid
C'mon!!
and
Bayern vs Madrid
C'mon!!
Fuck Silvio, he ruined a perfectly good Milan side.
mocolostrocolos
Member
Nope.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona is waaaaaay more profitable and interestring than Madrid/Barcelona vs Bayern/Dortmund.
I'm okay with this.
Milchmonster
Member
Barca v BVB
Bayern v Real
It's fixed already
Bayern v Real
It's fixed already
Ben Arfa's a frustrating one because of his injury problems. He's a fucking brilliant player though and I would prefer for us to continue to work with him. I have total faith his resilience will improve.
Oh agreed, 20m+ for those two players off the back of last season or whatever wouldn't have been overpriced given the price shite goes for these days. Cabaye's the only one anyone could argue would still warrant such a price tag. Tiote most certainly not. It's a shame what happened to him.
yurt pls
Phantast2k
Member
But see, I'm not saying Basel/Swiss league players are useless, but they're almost destined to fail at top clubs, some can't even make it at mid table clubs. So it's weird to me when top club (Utd.) fans want them.
As for the players you mentioned:
Caicedo - went through Lazio and Levante before ending up in Moscow.
Atouba - Hamburg, Ajax.
Petric - pre-Klopp BVB, Hamburg, Fulham.
Rakitic - Schalke, Sevilla
So far only Shaqira made it to a top club and we'll see where he goes from here, but I'm certain he won't become a regular any time soon. He'll rather play less under Pep.
Dunno about Sommer though, haven't watched him closely. I think we're also interested in signing him.
Sleeplessnights
Banned
RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD
Quoting for new page.
Similar threads
- Locked
- Locked
- Locked