2010-2011 Football Thread

[Lord Blackadder]

Argh, Columbus beaten 3-1 away at Galaxy in a table-topping six pointer.

Huge applause as Beckham is introduced in the 70th minute with the Galaxy protecting a 3-0 lead. Our new striker Mendoza managed to bag a goal, which is promising, but I don't like to see us lose to the league's favored son so badly. If Real Salt Lake win their next match they'll leapfrog us on points as well. A bad day for Columbus fans. Teams rarely put three past us, it was just a bad defensive display in a game where we needed to keep it tight. Oh well, the season's far from over.

Shame about Bobby Zamora, this looked set to be another solid season for him.

 

[Fizzoid]

How was Beckham?

Yeah, gutted for Zamora, he's really come on this past season or so and looked like he would make a decent enough sub in the England setup. Not to mention he's in my FF team, which was a disaster yesterday. No Rooney, no Lampard, Zamora breaks his leg

 

[SactoGuy18]

So what is Manchester United going to do with Wayne Rooney? Does the latest sex scandal means he'll be gone from the team sooner or later?

 

[Jaffa Cake]

The burning question is, did the Everton fans sing their reworking of the Bob Marley classic — No Woman, No Kai?

 

[oscillatewildly]

Arteta you beauty! Oops, wrong thread And Ferguson Senior is outdone by Junior.

Are Tottenham still cursed? Modric and ex-Spur Zamora - once anointed with the oil from unlucky heather...

Holy cow Jaffa, if 'The Football League Show' is anything to go by Any Bullard news?

SactoGuy18 - they are going to offer Rooney GBP 130,000 a week - should keep him busy.

Cheers,
OW

 

[Nieval]

So what is Manchester United going to do with Wayne Rooney? Does the latest sex scandal means he'll be gone from the team sooner or later?

It'll take much more than sex scandals to convince Sir Alex Ferguson to drop Rooney; people seem to forget that the report that first shed light on these allegations also claimed that it was common knowledge to Old Trafford insiders, which not so subtly hints that SAF gave the issue the blind eye.

Having said that, I've a creeping suspicion that recent developments have given SAF more reason not to rely so heavily on Rooney - esp. after the late collapse of our entire season after his "minor" injury.

Interestingly, was the deployment of O'Shea in a defensive midfielder role despite playing a strikerless Everton side, perhaps an acknowledgement from SAF of our midfield fragility? If so, it only proves to make his summer signings, or absence thereof, even more baffling (case in point O'Shea - a defender playing out of position to coverup a midfield defect). Surely it would have been wiser to actually buy a proper def. midfielder rather than pay 7million for an unproven, untested homeless striker?

And all this stems from Paul Scholes, our double-edged sword. You see for Scholes to find space, Fletcher has to create it by running and dragging opposition out of position while also making late runs into the box and getting back to defend, effectively the role of two players. Given the strain this has on his stamina and Scholes aging stamina, expect to see many late goals against Man Utd as our midfield get outrun in the second half, just like at Craven Cottage.

I could go on but I've already rambled on enough, plus I'm getting an overwhelming feeling that this is how Lord Blackadder must feel after one of his Liverpool comments.

 

[oscillatewildly]

Then there is the defence -

Neville; he was finished last year

Evra; has continued his bad form from last season's run-in

Evans; let's say he is learning his trade

Rafael and Smalling; as Evans

Vidic; back to doing what he does, still needs pace alongside him

Rio; a game every now and then

O'Shea and Brown; not right backs.

Anyway, re Lord Blackadder's patch - interested to see how Liverpool's tattooed one does.

Cheers,
OW

 

[smwatson]

Derbytastic, you don't get that in the Premier League.

Are you planning on making any of the trips? Doncaster has a lovely lake next to it.

I'm not a season ticket holder so no chance of getting a ticket unfortunately.

Would quite like to see the Keepmoat in all its flat-pack brilliance though...

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Well, a draw is not a bad result away to Birmingham, so I shouldn't complain too much. But Liverpool did not play very well. They play like a 7th placed club - decent, but no match for a top 4 club and hard-pressed to beat a mid-table side.

I'm going to be patient; Hodgson needs time. But I am not expecting Liverpool to finish in the top four. A 6th or 7th place finish seems likely.

How was Beckham?

Yeah, gutted for Zamora, he's really come on this past season or so and looked like he would make a decent enough sub in the England setup. Not to mention he's in my FF team, which was a disaster yesterday. No Rooney, no Lampard, Zamora breaks his leg

Beckham didn't do anything except show up. If the game had been tighter I wonder if Bruce Arena would have risked him for 20 minutes. MLS is a tighter league than most, so two clubs on even points might still end up with a lopsided scoreline. Home advantage is big in this league, and LA have a big, packed stadium. LA has beaten us twice in the league now, I hope we mee them in the playoffs. I'd like nothing better than to send the league's prefabricated Galacticos packing.

I could go on but I've already rambled on enough, plus I'm getting an overwhelming feeling that this is how Lord Blackadder must feel after one of his Liverpool comments.

It's much quicker and more efficient to just type "we stink". But it's cathartic to whine a little.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Would quite like to see the Keepmoat in all its flat-pack brilliance though...

In fairness it's a nice ground from the outside, certainly compared to others of its size and age – and the setting with the lake and landscaping around it is quite pleasant. But inside it's a very, very bland space indeed, very non-descript and lacking in character.

Holy cow Jaffa, if 'The Football League Show' is anything to go by

The problem is, last season we didn't have a particularly remarkable side and this year it's been stripped of its best players, along with any confidence those remaining might have had. In general, we've replaced those who have left with a lot of kids – both loanees and from within the club itself – and although several of them show a lot of promise it's a big, big ask to place such a lot of responsibility on so many young, inexperienced shoulders.

Any Bullard news?

Apparently he's back training with the first team, so once he's fully fit he should in theory be in contention. However, I worry that too much hope is being placed in him by some sections of our support – he showed a lot of ability when he first arrived, but in the games when he came back from his last bad injury he looked a complete shadow of a player, uncommitted, shorn of confidence and too worried that his knees would shatter if he got involved in any kind of challenge. Which, to be fair, they probably would.

He's been that way for more games for us than he's been at his best, and I think those who are hoping he'll turn things around for us are going to be disappointed if and when he does return to first team duty.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

He's been that way for more games for us than he's been at his best, and I think those who are hoping he'll turn things around for us are going to be disappointed if and when he does return to first team duty.

If his head's not in the game, he won't play his best. And given recent events, he doesn't sound any more motivated to play for Hull City than Masch did for Liverpool when Barca came calling. The best you can hope for is that he just sucks it up and does his job until he gets the transfer he wants...but given his knee problems it seems unlikely he'll be trying very hard. Which is a bummer, considering what he's costing the club.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

The best you can hope for is that he just sucks it up and does his job until he gets the transfer he wants...

The thing is, he looked to have had a decent transfer lined up, albeit a loan move for the season – everything was arranged with Celtic, but then he pulled out of the deal because he wanted more money. Up there he would have had a more than reasonable shot of picking up a winners medal or two, as well as a shot at European football – but he didn't want it. In all honesty, at his age and with his injury record he's not going to get a better offer than that.

For years he's dined out on his reputation as a loveable cheeky chappie who plays the game not for money but for his love of the sport. The thing is though is that as we all know – and as his antics have proved – it's bollocks.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

For years he's dined out on his reputation as a loveable cheeky chappie who plays the game not for money but for his love of the sport. The thing is though is that as we all know – and as his antics have proved – it's bollocks.

Very true. I completely believed the story too...which is why I was so shocked when he turned out to be a money-grubbing jerk.

There is no good footballing reason why he would not wanted to have moved to the SPL. He would have made good wages there too, albeit not HUGE wages. But as you said, it would have been a good move for him from a competitive standpoint...

 

[Jaffa Cake]

There is no good footballing reason why he would not wanted to have moved to the SPL. He would have made good wages there too, albeit not HUGE wages. But as you said, it would have been a good move for him from a competitive standpoint...

He would have earned exactly what he's getting from us now – £45,000 a week, which we would have contributed to. However, he wanted a substantial raise as well – I've read he wanted a wage of £75,000 but I don't know how accurate that is.

Basically, he wouldn't have been out of pocket and might actually have won something. But it wasn't for him, it seems.

 

[Nieval]

It's much quicker and more efficient to just type "we stink". But it's cathartic to whine a little.

Duly noted, although I fear you all will have to bear with a few more whines/rants before I completely surrender to "we stink". My sincerest apologies in advance.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

He would have earned exactly what he's getting from us now – £45,000 a week, which we would have contributed to. However, he wanted a substantial raise as well – I've read he wanted a wage of £75,000 but I don't know how accurate that is.

£45,000 is big money for Hull City to be paying. Bullard might be worth £75,000 if he played to his full potential and didn't have dodgy knees. But that's not the case. Methinks he has an over-large opinion of himself.

Duly noted, although I fear you all will have to bear with a few more whines/rants before I completely surrender to "we stink". My sincerest apologies in advance.

Just wait....you'll get there before you know it.

 

[aloofman]

Argh, Columbus beaten 3-1 away at Galaxy in a table-topping six pointer.

Huge applause as Beckham is introduced in the 70th minute with the Galaxy protecting a 3-0 lead. Our new striker Mendoza managed to bag a goal, which is promising, but I don't like to see us lose to the league's favored son so badly. If Real Salt Lake win their next match they'll leapfrog us on points as well. A bad day for Columbus fans. Teams rarely put three past us, it was just a bad defensive display in a game where we needed to keep it tight. Oh well, the season's far from over.

I'm pleased with the result, mostly because it at least temporarily reverses their recent poor form. I could really care less how much Beckham can contribute at this point. They seem to be going on the assumption that he won't do much and anything he adds will be a bonus, which is the right way to look at it. The Galaxy still don't seem championship-caliber to me, but I'll be happy to be proved wrong.

Are Tottenham still cursed? Modric and ex-Spur Zamora - once anointed with the oil from unlucky heather...

Cheers,
OW

This is what happens when you bring Woodgate in. He infects everyone with the injury bug.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Columbus are going to a Cup final! On October 5th we will challenge Seattle for the Lamar Hunt Open Cup, the American version of the FA Cup. As with the English version, this is almost always a contest between two top-division sides, though it is open to all tiers of the football pyramid, including amateur teams, and occasionally a second or third division club wins it. MLS teams generally field reserve sides in the earlier stages but the final will be a full-strength affair.

We are still in the running for the CONCACAF equivalent of the coveted triple: Open Cup, Champions League and MLS Cup. No team has ever achieved that feat.

I'm pleased with the result, mostly because it at least temporarily reverses their recent poor form. I could really care less how much Beckham can contribute at this point. They seem to be going on the assumption that he won't do much and anything he adds will be a bonus, which is the right way to look at it. The Galaxy still don't seem championship-caliber to me, but I'll be happy to be proved wrong.

Well, it would be foolish to expect Beckham to carry the team the way that, say, Guillermo Barros Schelotto carries Columbus (though Guille is 36 years old and quite a bit smaller. But I would never trade him for Becks. ) . Beckham is a much more static player, and anyway he's not going to be fully match fit for weeks.

As for the Galaxy's championship hopes, I don't see too many better candidates for the trophy right now. On the other hand, if a team with a losing record can pip the best teams to the cup as easily as RSL did last season, there's not much point in speculating who will win the MLS cup at least until the playoffs start. If Columbus or Galaxy have a bad run of form now they can easily be outside looking in while an also-ran plays for the silverware.

 

[aloofman]

As for the Galaxy's championship hopes, I don't see too many better candidates for the trophy right now. On the other hand, if a team with a losing record can pip the best teams to the cup as easily as RSL did last season, there's not much point in speculating who will win the MLS cup at least until the playoffs start. If Columbus or Galaxy have a bad run of form now they can easily be outside looking in while an also-ran plays for the silverware.

Yeah, RSL proved -- to your dismay and mine -- that regular-season form isn't that important.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Yeah, RSL proved -- to your dismay and mine -- that regular-season form isn't that important.

In my opinion the current playoff system punishes the clubs with the best record, and gives the underdogs an unfair advantage. It encourages teams to play more conservatively during the regular season so as to make it to the playoffs with the best players healthy and in-form rather than racking up the most points they can.

Real won the league by beating the best teams, but in my opinion they should never have been in the final in the first place. They got lucky with a hot streak of form in October and essentially nullified the entire regular season's results by sqeaking into the playoffs and defeating better teams exhausted by fixture congestion.

EDIT: For those that are interested, the Lamar Hunt Open Cup (formerly the National Challenge Cup) has been around since 1914, and as such may be the oldest currently active sports competition in the United States, apart from the Americas Cup. Pretty cool eh?

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger stated it was not a red card but "more a dark orange or a light red"

^ Quote of the weekend.

 

[Fizzoid]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/8995971.stm
WOW! He was revived 3 time!
Wishing him a speedy recovery!

 

[Fuzzy14]

[Bullard] was arranged with Celtic, but then he pulled out of the deal because he wanted more money. Up there he would have had a more than reasonable shot of picking up a winners medal or two, as well as a shot at European football

Sorry it took so long to reply, still laughing re: European football.

Anyway, we've got Man U tonight, I predict 2-0 (to the home team).

For those that are interested, the (formerly the National Challenge Cup) has been around since 1914, and as such may be the oldest currently active sports competition in the United States, apart from the Americas Cup. Pretty cool eh?

U.S. Open (tennis) 1881
U.S. Open (golf) 1895

 

[smwatson]

Barcelona & Man U to emphatically stake their claims for the CL tonight. I think Jose will win another one personally but we'll see. Man U should walk all over Rangers, 3-0 at least; and Barca will want to destroy Panathinaikos mainly to remind everyone how good they are but also because they're feeling pretty **** about losing to Hercules. And Xavi will be back after being rested. 4-0. Messi hat-trick or something ridiculous. Maybe 5-0 with Messi getting all five.


But the biggest game of tonight is of course at Oakwell. Not a bad stadium actually Oakwell, only been once but it's charming in a run down way.

At least 1/3rd of the crowd will be Leeds, that's with the rest being a sellout which I don't think it is so it could be as much as half. Massive atmosphere, massive game.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Sorry it took so long to reply, still laughing re: European football.

Note that I said 'a shot at European football', meaning that he might get to play in a qualifier or two before Celtic's inevitable humiliating exit.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/8995971.stm
WOW! He was revived 3 time!
Wishing him a speedy recovery!

Wow. I wonder what, at his age and fitness, was wrong with his heart?

U.S. Open (tennis) 1881
U.S. Open (golf) 1895

Did I say oldest? I meant third oldest.

I enjoy playing golf but have little interest in the professional sport, and I only watch women's tennis.

Barcelona & Man U to emphatically stake their claims for the CL tonight. I think Jose will win another one personally but we'll see. Man U should walk all over Rangers, 3-0 at least; and Barca will want to destroy Panathinaikos mainly to remind everyone how good they are but also because they're feeling pretty **** about losing to Hercules. And Xavi will be back after being rested. 4-0. Messi hat-trick or something ridiculous. Maybe 5-0 with Messi getting all five.

With all due respect to Rangers, Man United's inevitable triumph over them won't prove much as far as this Champions League season goes. This stage of the competition is fairly boring, the only excitment on offer would be a shock upset but I won't hold my breath.

Note that I said 'a shot at European football', meaning that he might get to play in a qualifier or two before Celtic's inevitable humiliating exit.

And if they did make it farther in the competition, Bullard's knees probably wouldn't.