2008-09 Football Thread - The Second Half

[MacsRgr8]

Right.. I went out all day, and got home around 6-ish CET.

Zapped through the channels, and... you guessed it... saw that the Carling Cup final didn't have a winner after 90 mins. That figured: Man Utd - Tottenham.... duh.

Couldn't keep my eyes away from the penalty shootout.

Title nr. 1 for Man Utd.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Title nr. 1 for Man Utd.

Two actually, they already won the World Club Championship. They will win the FA Cup and the Premier League with ease, making for another domestic treble.

If Mourinho can shock Utd at Old Trafford it would be the coup of the season. Even if United go through though, I'm still banking on Barcelona to win the CL.

 

[Queso]

It looks like the fight for the post-Trust County is on. Two consortia have now come forward, one led by our former MD Mark Maguire, who a lot of people are blaming for the current mess. The other one is headed up by former Club Director Lord Snape, who was recently accused of House of Lords corruption (although the police are not following up on the accusations and he's suing the newspaper as a result).

Nice to see the County soap opera continuing. I'm so glad I don't follow a normal club.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Hopefully this slender Cup Final defeat will demoralise Spurs a bit and they'll have a rubbish spell in the League for a bit. Yes, that'll do the trick.

As for us, there were some bizarre scenes of crowd-based buffoonery at the KC today. I was a bit surprised when Geovanni was substituted, but even more amazed by the reaction. There was some of the loudest booing and jeering I've ever seen at a City match (at least, not that's been directed at the opposition) and frankly it was quite, quite embarrassing. This was then followed by five minutes or so of singing our Geo, Geo song – it's a pity those doing so couldn't divert their energies into getting behind the players who actually were on the pitch at the time. Honestly...

~County stuff~

Good to see that only proper footballing people with no dodgy connections are involved, then.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I've been angry at substitution decisions before, but you're right - you should be supporting the players on the pitch first and foremost. Geovanni is a great player, but he's only one of 11.

That's the beauty of the MLS - the squads are so shallow you don't have too many tactical decisions to make...you play your best XI till someone gets hurt or tired.

 

[Queso]

Good to see that only proper footballing people with no dodgy connections are involved, then.

I'm not saying a word.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

I've been angry at substitution decisions before, but you're right - you should be supporting the players on the pitch first and foremost.

We're in a proper scrap now, so it's important everyone pulls together and that goes as much for supporters as it does for players and staff. It's incredibly frustrating hearing totally clueless comments in the stands from folk who clearly have no idea what they're going on about – the only negative thing I'd say about this season so far is that we seem to have attracted a large number of no-nowts since the 24th of May last year. A number of them on the message boards and radio phone ins are actually demanding Brown's sacking, and there are more than a few who want the Chairman out too. Incredible.

Geovanni is a great player, but he's only one of 11.

Indeed he is, but he hasn't found the net since November and didn't have an especially great game today. Brown is naturally standing by his decision, but I suspect we haven't heard the last of this.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

...the only negative thing I'd say about this season so far is that we seem to have attracted a large number of no-nowts since the 24th of May last year. A number of them on the message boards and radio phone ins are actually demanding Brown's sacking, and there are more than a few who want the Chairman out too. Incredible.

This is the biggest problem with football as I see it - fans and club executives demand instant and constant success or else. It's gotten to the point at some clubs that a manager could win his league and still lose his job over questions of style of play. It's ludicrous. In that sense I'm glad to see Middlesbrough's owner stick by his manager.

Oddly enough, with the manager's position being so ridiculously high-pressure, it seems like boards of directors are increasingly willing to gamble on young managers like Paul Ince and Roy Keane (and almost Alan Shearer) who should perhaps be plying their trade in the lowr divisions for awhile before trying their hand at the premier league.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

...it seems like boards of directors are increasingly willing to gamble on young managers like Paul Ince and Roy Keane

Of course, Ince did cut his teeth in the lower leagues with Macclesfield and MK Dons – mind, he only had a couple of years worth of experience at that level before moving to the top flight with Blackburn. But it seems a lot of boards prefer a 'big name' appointment over a lesser known but eminently better qualified manager.

I'm hoping that Nigel Clough does well at Derby County, one reason being that I think he's gone about management the right way insofar as he served a lengthy 'apprenticeship' in non-League with Burton Albion.

 

[pachyderm]

Two actually, they already won the World Club Championship. They will win the FA Cup and the Premier League with ease, making for another domestic treble.

If Mourinho can shock Utd at Old Trafford it would be the coup of the season. Even if United go through though, I'm still banking on Barcelona to win the CL.

Great match tho...

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Great match tho...

Perhaps, but the Inter Milan-Roma match was better. I watched almost the entire match (caught it halfway through the first half), and it was a thriller Roma led 2-0 at the half, and Mourinho's men clawed there way back to a 3-3 draw. John Arne Riise scored a nice individual goal.

Speaking of ex-Liverpool players scoring, Andriy Voronin is lighting up the Bundesliga at the moment, and making comments that he should be recalled to Anfield. I'm not so sure. Scoring goals against the likes of Borussia Moenchengladbach is one thing, but putting them away against Man United is something else.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Heh – apparently, Manchester United have Apple to thank for their Cup win today. Well, sort of.

According to Sky Sports News, just before the shoot out United's goalkeeping coach showed custodian Ben Foster video clips of Tottenham's likely penalty takers on his iPod. Foster therefore had a reminder of where his opponents were liable to try and place their efforts.

So, there you go.

 

[garybUK]

Heh – apparently, Manchester United have Apple to thank for their Cup win today. Well, sort of.

According to Sky Sports News, just before the shoot out United's goalkeeping coach showed custodian Ben Foster video clips of Tottenham's likely penalty takers on his iPod. Foster therefore had a reminder of where his opponents were liable to try and place their efforts.

So, there you go.

Hahah yeah saw that. rubbish game but important result in the end and foster is looking better and better! And with Liverpool loosing to Borough were in a good position, the only one i fear is the Champ League.

 

[pachyderm]

Heh – apparently, Manchester United have Apple to thank for their Cup win today. Well, sort of.

According to Sky Sports News, just before the shoot out United's goalkeeping coach showed custodian Ben Foster video clips of Tottenham's likely penalty takers on his iPod. Foster therefore had a reminder of where his opponents were liable to try and place their efforts.

So, there you go.

smacks of illegal or unsporting behavior IMO....

 

[Fuzzy14]

smacks of illegal or unsporting behavior IMO....

When since has research been unsporting or illegal? Many football teams regularly sit and watch videos of their opposition (although this is the first time I've seen it during a match!) I suspect the iPod did nothing to further the technical knowledge of the keeper and was maybe just to stop him thinking about the shootout. Footballers (and golfers) have many weird superstitions, sometimes it's better to remove the brain from the equation.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

smacks of illegal or unsporting behavior IMO....

Why? All goalkeepers study opposition penalty takers before matches, knowing if a certain player is likely to shoot to a particular side makes it more likely that you're going to make the save. They also will study opposition corners and free kicks in great detail too – any slight edge this knowledge can give you could be the difference between a win and a loss.

Foster having a quick refresher on the coach's iPod before the shootout is no different from reading a list on a notepad, or a team being shown clips on a screen in the dressing room at half-time.

(although this is the first time I've seen it during a match!)

Really, it wasn't during the match as such, but in the break between the match ending and the shoot out starting. Had he had the iPod in the goal with him and was flicking through clips once he saw which player was stepping up against him them that might have been a bit dodgy though.

Mind, I've seen players called over the the touchline to be shown stuff on pads before, so I suppose it's only a matter of time before some manager does the same with a laptop or something.

 

[garybUK]

And the reds go marching ON! ON! ON!

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Foster having a quick refresher on the coach's iPod before the shootout is no different from reading a list on a notepad, or a team being shown clips on a screen in the dressing room at half-time.

I agree, it's not unsportsmanlike. Although I would like to know how much it helped...

And the reds go marching ON! ON! ON!

That's the first time I've heard Man U called "the reds"...unless you've switched support?

It is a bit lame that 3 of the "big 4" teams (and 4 four of the top 5 if you count Villa's claret) use red as the major component of their home kit. Not only that, but the secondary color for all three is white. We need a little variety at the top. Unless red is just a lucky color in the Prem...

 

[Jaffa Cake]

We need a little variety at the top. Unless red is just a lucky color in the Prem...

We're working on it. One step at a time.

There have been quite a few surveys and bits of research done to suggest that teams who wear red generally enjoy more success. The thinking is that it's a more 'aggressive' colour, so those wearing it have a more competitive mindset. I suppose too that a bright red shirt is in certain situations more visible than a dark blue one.

Actually, the last one of these surveys I read suggested that the least successful colour to wear is yellow, or some hue there of. That would mean of course that we're not doing ourselves any favours with amber – but then again, yellow shirts haven't exactly done the Brazilian national team any harm over the years, have they?

 

[Silencio]

Actually, the last one of these surveys I read suggested that the least successful colour to wear is yellow, or some hue there of. That would mean of course that we're not doing ourselves any favours with amber – but then again, yellow shirts haven't exactly done the Brazilian national team any harm over the years, have they?

Maybe Brazil would have won three or four more World Cups if they had only worn red shirts.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

There have been quite a few surveys and bits of research done to suggest that teams who wear red generally enjoy more success.

...Except for Middlesbrough apparently (last weekend's victory over a useless Liverpool, who wore grey, notwithstanding ).

Actually, the last one of these surveys I read suggested that the least successful colour to wear is yellow, or some hue there of. That would mean of course that we're not doing ourselves any favours with amber – but then again, yellow shirts haven't exactly done the Brazilian national team any harm over the years, have they?

Yes, you can hardly call yellow unlucky for Brazil. Unless, as Silencio says, it's held even them back a bit...

Yellow (home kit) didn't hurt Columbus in their march to the MLS Cup title last season either. I do seem to remember that the superstitious Spaniards had a national anxiety attack whenever they donned their "unlucky" yellow jerseys in the Euros - unlucky, that is, until they beat Russia 3-0 in them.

Funny that yellow is unlucky in Spain - Perhaps they should rethink having yellow be one of the colors in the Spanish flag?

 

[Jaffa Cake]

With the Spanish though, was it the case that they felt the colour yellow itself is unlucky, or was it actually the yellow shirts that were the issue? Had they had a particularly bad run of results wearing them or suffered a particularly humiliating defeat?

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Based on what I read, yellow has been an unlucky color in Spain for 400 years - which does make it seem odd they would choose that color for their away kit (but, as I said, it is one of the national colors, so it makes sense in that regard).

I think the shirts were considered unlucky purely because of their color. I'm curious as to what previous national away kit has looked like in Spain - have they avoided using yellow before?

EDIT: Answered my own question after a little Googling. Apparently Spain's traditional away kit is a bad-luck-dodging white color.

 

[XIII]

I agree, it's not unsportsmanlike. Although I would like to know how much it helped...



That's the first time I've heard Man U called "the reds"...unless you've switched support?

It is a bit lame that 3 of the "big 4" teams (and 4 four of the top 5 if you count Villa's claret) use red as the major component of their home kit. Not only that, but the secondary color for all three is white. We need a little variety at the top. Unless red is just a lucky color in the Prem...

Secondary colour for Arsenal is yellow.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

That's true. And last year Chelsea had that nasty day-glo yellow kit. They didn't win anything with it, but that's John Terry's fault.