The 2014-2015 Football Thread

I certainly didn't expect the 3-0 against Liverpool, too bad CR7 couldn't match or break the record, although now he could do it at home on the next match, and considering his luck with records Messi will break his the next day (CR7 is 1 goal more than Messi and 1 behind Raul afaik)

Good results for both teams before El Clasico.

Given how much Real's squad cost, it would have been an embarrassment had they not won 3-0. Not at all surprised by the result. What Real does to Liverpool is pretty irrelevant when Liverpool can barely beat QPR. Finishing fourth in the league is far more important than anything Liverpool do in Europe this season.

Until Rogers figures out how to solidify the defense Liverpool will not be a top four team. Having said that, I highly doubt any Premier League team apart from Chelsea are capable of beating Real Madrid right now. And Chelsea can only do it by playing their trademark "nineteenth century football."

Real are UCL champions for a reason. They may not be the best defensively but offensively and in midfield very few teams around the globe can match them.

With Sturridge and Suarez 'Pool might've had more of a chance. Without them, the outcome was pretty much set in stone.

They should still get 2nd and qualify...even more so with the Ludogrets/Basel result. Thats more than good for Brendan's first go.

Me thinks 'Pool need to start seriously thinking about replacing Gerrard. Chelsea have replaced Lampard and City are starting to look for ways to rotate Yaya Toure.

Central Midfield is a massive position. And you need energy and incisive creativity. Chelsea have both (Matic and Fabregas). Liverpool have the energy (Henderson) but not so much the creativity. City are similar with the dip of Toure. Arsenal have the creativity but no legs.

At least thats the way i see it anyway.

oscillatewildly said:

kagawa7?

Click to expand...

nope

at least he played though...really annoyed by that one Roma goal btw! I went Über-Bayern at the back.

Liverpool has a serious central midfield problem which even a blind man can see

Henderson is good enough for beating squads from the Premier league positions 4th-20th but against a top level CL level squad of the likes Chelsea,Real and Bayern he simply isn't good enough 9 out of 10 games.
Gerrard is simply too old to re-learn the defensive midfield position properly. He has the rigth mentality and technical abilities (long passing& shooting,technique) but he simply is way too often tactically naivé.
Emre Can isn't quite established enough for CL IMHO. He still needs 1-2 years.

Many past transfers have been rather bad as well. Suaraez was a great transfer at the time but he really was the only great transfer in half a decade.

In the same timeframe Liverpool wasted hundreds of millions for average players, Dortmund managed to sign a dozen of fantastic players (and turned them to gold when selling them) for rather moderate sums.

Kariya said:

Another winless away trip for United.

United only a point better off at this stage of last season.

Click to expand...

And about £150m lighter getting that point!


In other news (not that it comes as a surprise) Balotelli is in trouble for not waiting until the game was over, and swapping his shirt with Pepe at half time

Although, some people would say the game was over long before the half time whistle

Everton's shirt looks mighty fine without a sponsor on the front.

twietee; good to see Reus back - not slow finding form.

Cheers,
OW

Kariya said:

Me thinks 'Pool need to start seriously thinking about replacing Gerrard. Chelsea have replaced Lampard and City are starting to look for ways to rotate Yaya Toure.

Click to expand...

I've been leaning this way for months now. Nobody can take away what Gerrard's done for Liverpool, but time has caught up with him and the attempt to reinvent him as a holding midfielder has not worked out.

Still pining for the days of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano...

Liverpool have spent badly for years now, and still have an unbalanced squad as a result. I'm just not seeing how they stay in the top four given the failure to fix the defense. In theory, Sturridge could come back, Balotelli could find his feet and we could be right back in it. But I don't see it happening.

twietee said:

nope

at least he played though...really annoyed by that one Roma goal btw! I went Über-Bayern at the back.

Click to expand...

Me too. Lahm and Boateng. Disappointing.

Football sometimes reminds you of why you should keep watching.

For better

...or for giggles

Liverpool caught a lot of flack for their struggles against West Ham but now Big Sam has taken three points off Man City...

West Hame have improved massively from last season with their new signings. Alex Song was immense in midfield. Sakho 7 in 7

S'oton and West Ham making strong arguments for top 4.

Consecutive posts

Another got away with that one performance. Thanks to Sunderland.

Why is Sanchez the only player who seems interested this season.

Infuriating performance.

Leeds owner fires his second manager this season.

The Balotelli Pundit Criticism Machine is going to kick into high gear after today, but the team in general are still not at the desired level.

A clean sheet for Liverpool, that's good news against a solid Hull City side who are playing good football.

Going to be an interesting match today Man U vs Chelsea. Possible breaking point for Chelsea but if Man U can keep their defense together and not allow breakaway scoring chances then they might stand a chance.

Slimmyhendrix said:

Going to be an interesting match today Man U vs Chelsea. Possible breaking point for Chelsea but if Man U can keep their defense together and not allow breakaway scoring chances then they might stand a chance.

Click to expand...

If Man Utd attack and/or press they will lose.Their only chance is to fight fire with fire, sit deep, force Chelsea to play out of their own half a little more and hope to make counterattacks.

TalkSport were heavily Pro-Man Utd in their discussion of the match yesterday, calling it an "opportunity" for Man Utd and focusing almost exclusively on on the positives from a Man Utd point of view. I had to check and see if it was MUTV I was tuned in to...

Less upset about Liverpool's loss to Real after watching what they did to Barca. It would be ludicrous for any team to expect a result against them right now.

Wow how about that Newcastle equalizer 10seconds into the 2nd half!

Fair play to Pardew he's been grinding it out despite the ridiculous pressure.

On another note, United actually look balanced now that two forwards aren't in the team. But Smalling and Rojo (especially Rojo) look like a mistake waiting to happen. Or rather already happened. Should be a pen to Chelsea.

As for Chelsea, its a bit like the Arsenal days, close down Fabregas and the quality dips. Costa being missed. Interestingly it seems Chelsea lack quality in depth. If Fabregas and Costa aren't at the races, Chelsea are less potent.

EDIT: Of course it had to be Drogba. Trademark.

EDIT: And RVP equalizes

Ya that ivanovich red was waiting to happen for like 40min

Gd news for title and top 4 rivals

Plus Ivanovic now misses the next game.

Lord Blackadder said:

If Man Utd attack and/or press they will lose.Their only chance is to fight fire with fire, sit deep, force Chelsea to play out of their own half a little more and hope to make counterattacks.

TalkSport were heavily Pro-Man Utd in their discussion of the match yesterday, calling it an "opportunity" for Man Utd and focusing almost exclusively on on the positives from a Man Utd point of view. I had to check and see if it was MUTV I was tuned in to...

Less upset about Liverpool's loss to Real after watching what they did to Barca. It would be ludicrous for any team to expect a result against them right now.

Click to expand...

Chelsea sitting back ended up backfiring for them. great goal from rvp

impulse462 said:

Chelsea sitting back ended up backfiring for them.

Click to expand...

That's what Mourinho gets for trying to sit on a 1-0 lead when his team has more than enough firepower to play more expansively. I wish it happened to him more often.

Kariya said:

...

Plus Ivanovic now misses the next game.

Click to expand...

Good news for Shrewsbury Town.

---

Terry fouling and pretending to be fouled, penalty, penalty, penalty, look at poor old Ivan. Good to see Chelsea pay for their fouling to stop the opposition playing. Fine performance by Fellaini and a deserved draw.

---

LB; odd re Talk*****, it tends to be Radio Merseyside. Balotelli taking the heat for the team.

Cheers,
OW

United now have City, Arsenal and S'oton away up next.

All of whom have a vested interest in beating them.

oscillatewildly said:

LB; odd re Talk*****, it tends to be Radio Merseyside. Balotelli taking the heat for the team.

Cheers,
OW

Click to expand...

In fairness, I'm not sure I've ever heard anything insightful or even-handed on TalkSport either way. Also, I wasn't around when Liverpool were winning everything so my only experience of drearily predictable dominance is from your boys.

As for Balotelli; Liverpool are getting almost exactly what we should expect and I am not particularly disappointed, though I had expected one or two goals by now. Pundits will predictably roast him but that is an Alan-Shearer level of 'analysis'. My chief source of disappointment is our defense, including the keeper.

Balotelli needs to keep playing, I think it's the only way he'll find his feet, but Rogers needs to get Lambert out there a bit more too. At least till Sturridge is healthy.