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The 2013-2014 Football Thread
- Thread starter Jaffa Cake
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They only need the centre back for around 3 years - the older end is what I meant by experienced.
The Mata fee isn't extraordinary these days; Martinez and Goetze to Bayern Munich etc.
takao,
Ramos to Real Madrid? Shaw is already proven in the Premier League and is still in the development phase/years. I'd say around GBP 20m for the current plus potential is about right. If he signs and they pay GBP 30m, l'll put the extra GBP 10m down to the level of need for a left back, fending off Chelsea, and being prepared to pay the premium over the next candidate - UK or foreign. Still, the wage level is nuts as a starting point.
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Bayern escape again.
Cheers,
OW
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Getting into a bidding war with Chelsea is always going to drive the price way up. The wages are actually even more shocking than the transfer fee.
Good left backs are worth a small premium.
I don't know where papers get their sources from, but apparently Mourinho has been given permission by Abramovic to field a weakened team against Liverpool. I imagine they'll hope to really park the bus at Anfield, so early goals will be especially crucial if Liverpool hope to win. Mou might himself be banned from the touchline if the FA charges stick. But the "weakened team" threat could be fairly hollow since he'll probably play Lampard, Mikel, Ivanovic, Matic...their only weakness is up top, really.
It puts extra pressure on Chelsea for their home leg against Atleti though.
Good left backs are worth a small premium.
I don't know where papers get their sources from, but apparently Mourinho has been given permission by Abramovic to field a weakened team against Liverpool. I imagine they'll hope to really park the bus at Anfield, so early goals will be especially crucial if Liverpool hope to win. Mou might himself be banned from the touchline if the FA charges stick. But the "weakened team" threat could be fairly hollow since he'll probably play Lampard, Mikel, Ivanovic, Matic...their only weakness is up top, really.
It puts extra pressure on Chelsea for their home leg against Atleti though.
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I congratulate Mourinho on...on his honesty...
Will he have Gerrard man marked or will he leave him free to turn defence into attack? Task someone to step in front of Mignolet to stop the quick counter when a corner/free kick breaks down? Be happy to hang in there to 55-60 minutes then look to take advantage of Liverpool's dip in energy? Trying to get players sent off and the time wasting if they take the lead.
A draw - entertaining or boring - does little for Chelsea, at some point Mourinho will go for the win.
Cheers,
OW
Will he have Gerrard man marked or will he leave him free to turn defence into attack? Task someone to step in front of Mignolet to stop the quick counter when a corner/free kick breaks down? Be happy to hang in there to 55-60 minutes then look to take advantage of Liverpool's dip in energy? Trying to get players sent off and the time wasting if they take the lead.
A draw - entertaining or boring - does little for Chelsea, at some point Mourinho will go for the win.
Cheers,
OW
Mou's been in this situation many times before and competed well on both fronts. I doubt he'll set out a truly weakened team (apart from the enforced absences of Ramires, Cech and Terry). Though, I'm sure that his priority is the CL. He will believe that he can get past Atleti and even if he beats Liverpool he's still off the pace for the title.
Liverpool's style plays into his hands. Unless Rogers radically alters his tactics he will go after Chelsea immediately and Mou's men will be able to sit back and wait for the inevitable opportunities. The big question is whether Liverpool can break Chelsea down for their customary 3-4 goals - that would be a truly rare occurrence.
Liverpool's style plays into his hands. Unless Rogers radically alters his tactics he will go after Chelsea immediately and Mou's men will be able to sit back and wait for the inevitable opportunities. The big question is whether Liverpool can break Chelsea down for their customary 3-4 goals - that would be a truly rare occurrence.
I'm know around here as a little closet-chelski 'fan'.
(But most definitely am rooting for Liverpool now.) That said, parking a bus is still very well possible (even without Cech and Terry) and may help to avoid conceding - with a little bit of luck re Suarez of course, unfortunately I don't rate Pool's defence, so scoring one or even two out of the complete blue at the same time is not totally out of the question for Chelsea. Hope I'm proven wrong!
Chelsea only know how to play one way - draw a team out and then counterattack. That is why they struggle against weak teams that park the bus or teams that play a similar tactic (Crystal Palace for example, and to a lesser extent Atletico Madrid).
If previous matches are any guide, Liverpool will largely ignore this and still try to go out and pummel Chelsea with Suarez, Sterling and Coutinho. Lucas will play alongside Gerrard again I imagine.
Chelsea have an advantage in physicality and defensive prowess, even in their 'weakened' state. Torres, Eto'o and Ba will find Liverpool's defense less stout than they are used to. On the other hand, Liverpool's front men have terrorized every squad in the league so far and the midfield has been pretty well sorted by now.
I think Chelsea will score one or two goals. The match will hinge on how many Liverpool can manage against Chelsea.
If previous matches are any guide, Liverpool will largely ignore this and still try to go out and pummel Chelsea with Suarez, Sterling and Coutinho. Lucas will play alongside Gerrard again I imagine.
Chelsea have an advantage in physicality and defensive prowess, even in their 'weakened' state. Torres, Eto'o and Ba will find Liverpool's defense less stout than they are used to. On the other hand, Liverpool's front men have terrorized every squad in the league so far and the midfield has been pretty well sorted by now.
I think Chelsea will score one or two goals. The match will hinge on how many Liverpool can manage against Chelsea.
Not sure if we aren't meaning the very same thing.
But to be fair, almost every team looks bad if the opponent parks the bus with a competent manager at the sideline. Haven't seen too many Chelsea games this season, so can't comment on them being a one trick pony. Hazard being injuried and Mata gone do have some impact I guess.
Will be an exciting game anyway!
But to be fair, almost every team looks bad if the opponent parks the bus with a competent manager at the sideline. Haven't seen too many Chelsea games this season, so can't comment on them being a one trick pony. Hazard being injuried and Mata gone do have some impact I guess.
Will be an exciting game anyway!
Watching Liverpool this season is in some small way like watching the Dutch team of the 1970s. With no defense to speak about, you need to out score the opposition.
Johan Cruijff said it best in 1972.
Als wij de bal hebben kunnen hun niet scoren. If we have the ball, they cant score.
Ryan Giggs player-manager? Maybe?
Someone on the FPL site pointed out that Giggs scored each of his seasons at least once except this one....it all makes sense now!
Tragic news from a human standpoint.
Also rather big news from a sporting perspective; The transition from Pep to Tito was very smooth and (while short) Vilanova's reign showed promise of continuing Barca's immense success.
EDIT: Very interested to see how Man Utd's players respond this weekend. If they suddenly look like a dangerous team again with a managerial novice at the helm, can we assume they were seriously sandbagging Moyes? Or, if they look no better, who takes the blame now?
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Louis van Gaal is on his way to Manchester United later this year.
Well it looks like a done deal, the press here have just released the news, he is also getting a 100,000,000 war chest to buy new players
http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/voetbal/buitenlands/22554302/__VAN_GAAL_NAAR_MAN.UNITED__.html
Well it looks like a done deal, the press here have just released the news, he is also getting a 100,000,000 war chest to buy new players
http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/voetbal/buitenlands/22554302/__VAN_GAAL_NAAR_MAN.UNITED__.html
Also Red Bull Salzburg's coach Roger Schmidt is about to take the seat at Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
Ironically this was confirmed during a Eintracht Frankfurt press conference yesterday. They also tried to get sign him but obviously lost to Bayer.
Transfer sum is 1.5 mio euro ...
gonan be interesting if he can put up bayer Leverkusen into the same shape as Red Bull salzburg ... And i wonder who will take over them in the summer. No replacement announced so far.
Ironically this was confirmed during a Eintracht Frankfurt press conference yesterday. They also tried to get sign him but obviously lost to Bayer.
Transfer sum is 1.5 mio euro ...
gonan be interesting if he can put up bayer Leverkusen into the same shape as Red Bull salzburg ... And i wonder who will take over them in the summer. No replacement announced so far.
Arsenal can breathe easy now, Everton have probably blown their chance of a Champions League spot with that 2-0 loss to Southampton. A flat performance by Everton. Moyes will probably also be relieved to know that Martinez won't get into the CL in his first season.
Every season there's always that team that punches above its weight and looks better than usual, due in part to Arsenal's signature Feb/March capitulation.
But usually they fall short. Newcastle, Everton, Spurs, Villa etc
Arsenal were also 2-0 down at St. Mary's but came back to nick a point. Everton have failed to do so today and that point Arsenal took is now looking massive.
Meanwhile Arsene looks set to stay. Despite rumours that the club had spoken to Van Gaal (who now looks set for United).
But usually they fall short. Newcastle, Everton, Spurs, Villa etc
Arsenal were also 2-0 down at St. Mary's but came back to nick a point. Everton have failed to do so today and that point Arsenal took is now looking massive.
Meanwhile Arsene looks set to stay. Despite rumours that the club had spoken to Van Gaal (who now looks set for United).
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Arsène can, at least.
Arsenal are the epitome of a modern football club from the perspective of those who own and run the sport of football:
- They never operate at a loss - in fact they are quite profitable
- Their ticket prices are very high but they fill their stadium
- They are consistently competitive enough to keep fans paying...
- ...But not so bent on competing that they overspend
- The owners are shielded from criticism by a long-serving manager
- They have created an aura of being the "purists'" choice
- They maintain a high reputation without having to win anything
What's not to like?
(It's better than the roller coaster Liverpool have gone through over the last few years, though the club does look close to a big reward)
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It's frustration that Arsenal have for so long been 95% of the way there, yet seem so reluctant to try for that final 5%.What's not to like?
This season it's been the failure to secure a genuine alternative to Giroud.
The back five seems to have largely righted itself over the last year but don't get much help, and on an ongoing basis there's been the failure to address the lack of a nasty, defensively minded midfielder – Flamini isn't top class but he's been under-played this season in my opinion – and a persistence in playing three or four big girls' blouses simultaneously. You need a couple of skilful, scuttling, paceless Euro-dwarves, but not a whole midfield of them.
I'd also love to know what the problems with Arsenal's conditioning routines and physio/medical practices are. The number of injuries sustained, and the time it takes for players to return from injury, cannot be purely a matter of 'bad luck'.
They should've gotten the Higuain deal done but then again they probably wouldn't have Ozil right now. The damage was done in the summer in reality. They were very flat-footed and got lucky with Ozil.
I don't blame them for not getting bodies in Jan since its a terrible window to shop in...especially if you're after top talent.
Wenger says he's investigating the Medical staff will see what and if anything happens there.
I don't blame them for not getting bodies in Jan since its a terrible window to shop in...especially if you're after top talent.
Wenger says he's investigating the Medical staff will see what and if anything happens there.
If it's the one from Hertha, I had heard that he has allready signed for Dortmund (to replace Lewa) and that was said as a statement and not as a guessing by the media.
I heard that, too and I find this whole thing (how he and Leverkusen will be and how Salzburg will go on) very, very interesting. I am looking really forward for this. Though I had in mind that it was not the tactics, but the individual Leverkusen-players that were stupid against ManU in the CL and against Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Cup.
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