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The 2011-2012 Football Thread

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oscillatewildly said:
Ferguson :( At 70 minutes and 4-2 up, you have a back from injury winger and a 37 year old who are done for the day. The defence is having a bad game. You could take Nani and Scholes off, put Welbeck wide and throw on two midfielders - maybe one sitting in front of the back four, or you could just sit there!
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United do not have anything close to the best squad in the Premier League this season - they don't even have the best first XI, maybe not even the second or third best. But they do have Ferguson. If it wasn't for him there is zero chance they'd be contending for the title IMO, despite all of Man City's stumbles. He's made few mistakes in the league this season - but in this match he underestimated Everton (hard to blame him, who would have expected that late surge?). Still, with the title balanced as it is, he should have parked the bus when he had a two-goal lead.

I would argue that Liverpool are considerably tougher in defense than United this season, much harder to break down. But nobody is afraid of us because we cannot score, so we get pummeled until we crack. United's defense really lies in its offense - they keep clean sheets not through stout defending but through their dangerous attack and intimidation factor that causes opposing sides to be over-cautious and fail to apply pressure on United's defense.

But you have to give it to Everton, they were totally fearless and the way they played when 3-1 and 4-2 down was really impressive. Fellaini's biggest flaw is a lack of consistency, but he had one of his good days at Old Trafford. Howard's big save at the death was delicious.

As for Redknapp, the prospect of becoming England manager seems to have caused him to prematurely start performing like one. ;)

Fuzzy14 said:
SFA ban Rangers owner from owning club!:rolleyes:
Have fined a club without money £160k:confused:
12 month transfer embargo on a team who can't afford transfer fees:confused:
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The club is going to appeal, I wonder what chance they have of reducing the punishments. This obviously puts a damper on the chances the club will be sold though. Tough times. :(
 
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175px-Sheffield_Wednesday.svg.png

Sheffield Wednesday 2 - 1 Carlisle
Chris Lines (26')
James Berrett (82')
Michail Antonio (90')

...
GOALS
18 Madine
8 Lowe
7 Reda
5 Marshall
5 O'Grady
5 Antonio
4 Jones
4 J.Johnson
4 Lines
3 Llera
2 Bennett
2 Prutton
2 Batth
1 Sedgwick
1 Morrison
1 Palmer
1 McGoldrick
1 O'Connor
1 Buxton
1 Semedo
1 Ranger




ASSISTS
10 Lines
6 Marshall
4 Semedo
4 Buxton
4 Antonio
2 Bennett
2 Morrison
2 Otsemobor
2 O'Grady
2 Palmer
2 R.Jones
2 Llera
2 Treacy
2 J.Johnson
1 Prutton
1 Madine
1 O'Connor
1 Bywater
1 Lowe
1 M.Jones
1 Batth


....
3rd: 26-9-9

......
O4/28/2O12
@
UP THE OWLS!

one point off of the pigs...
 
Lord Blackadder,

Disagree about the squad, and not standing a chance without Ferguson; overcoming this season's injuries* is at least as much about the ability of the group as it is the ability of SAF. The main weakness has been there since Keane left. Still, this is one of many combinations up there; De Gea, Valencia, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Nani, Cleverley, Carrick, Scholes, Young, Rooney.

Everton's surge - he only had to look back to last season. He's right more than he's wrong, which is why a mistake stands out - Rooney against Blackburn Rovers, and too much Hernandez/too little Berbatov. :)

The defence has been inconsistent; very good - positioning, blocking etc./shambles. Vidic would've helped - Evans got there in the end - Liverpool without Agger or Skrtel for 32 games? It's pushing the best defence to last under constant pressure - weren't Adam, Henderson and Downing bought to give the back four some time off? :)

Fellaini is frustrating when he's jogging aimlessly and the game is passing him by. As for Howard's big save, 'delicious' is one word for it.:D

* Looking at Clubs' injuries, Manchester City have underperformed when faced with the loss of first team players. The media are funny, it was the same with Chelsea; one minute they have the squad to aspire to, the next, their loss of form is understandable given the 3 injuries. Arsenal and Spurs have done well, but it's the Newcastle United defence who have surprised me.

Cheers,
OW
 
oscillatewildly said:
Lord Blackadder,

Disagree about the squad, and not standing a chance without Ferguson; overcoming this season's injuries* is at least as much about the ability of the group as it is the ability of SAF. The main weakness has been there since Keane left. Still, this is one of many combinations up there; De Gea, Valencia, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Nani, Cleverley, Carrick, Scholes, Young, Rooney.
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One thing that makes it hard to say whether the squad would be going for this title without Fergie is the fact that many of the players have only played for him, and he's been managing the side seemingly forever. Can you even imagine a Manchester United without Ferguson? In one sense I agree about the ability of the group - it's not that the squad is not potential title material but the whole cliche about having a winning mentality does have an impact here. Winning builds confidence and makes teams play better as long as they can maintain their focus. United win because they play to their full potential more often than other teams who may be equallly good or better on paper.

I'm convinced that if Man City had United's squad mentality and attitude they would have run away with the league and be 10+ points clear by now. Their biggest problem for them is one of attitude. They are a disjointed squad of Galacticos. David Silva's dip in form has also been a factor. And then there's the whole Tevez affair.

oscillatewildly said:
Everton's surge - he only had to look back to last season. He's right more than he's wrong, which is why a mistake stands out - Rooney against Blackburn Rovers, and too much Hernandez/too little Berbatov. :)
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I agree on both points. Hernandez has faded badly this season. Berbatov has always been underutilized.

oscillatewildly said:
The defence has been inconsistent; very good - positioning, blocking etc./shambles. Vidic would've helped - Evans got there in the end - Liverpool without Agger or Skrtel for 32 games? It's pushing the best defence to last under constant pressure - weren't Adam, Henderson and Downing bought to give the back four some time off? :)
Click to expand...

I don't think Liverpool has had too many truly bad perfomances by the back four, but Agger and Skrtel are key players for us as Ferdinand and Vidic are for United. When those players are missing, neither club can muster effective replacements. The continued decline of Carragher is also a factor, though more so in the sense that Kenny is still trying to use him when he should be put out to pasture.

But we don't really need to sign defenders at the moment - which is more than I can say about much of the rest of the outfield. Adam, Henderson and Downing have all been failures -though, had Gerrard and Lucas been healthy all season the deficiencies of the new signings would have been masked somewhat, or perhaps they would have bedded in better. Downing alone of the new midfield signings has shown any notable (if modest) improvement over the course of the season. Carroll I've talked about a million times, so I'll say no more. Suarez may be a target of hate for the media and opposition but as a player I still think he was a good buy and with the right strike partner will be a lethal asset.

oscillatewildly said:
Fellaini is frustrating when he's jogging aimlessly and the game is passing him by. As for Howard's big save, 'delicious' is one word for it.:D

* Looking at Clubs' injuries, Manchester City have underperformed when faced with the loss of first team players. The media are funny, it was the same with Chelsea; one minute they have the squad to aspire to, the next, their loss of form is understandable given the 3 injuries. Arsenal and Spurs have done well, but it's the Newcastle United defence who have surprised me.

Cheers,
OW
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I think Newcastle are the story of the season. They had the heart of their defense ripped out early on, but somehow the replacements stepped up and filled the gaps seamlessly. Their transfers paid off handsomely, and voila! you suddenly have a Champions League contender side. They have certainly been more consistent than Spurs and Chelsea over the course of the season - maybe even the most consistent side in the league, if not the best.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
One thing that makes it hard to say whether the squad would be going for this title without Fergie is the fact that many of the players have only played for him, and he's been managing the side seemingly forever. Can you even imagine a Manchester United without Ferguson? In one sense I agree about the ability of the group - it's not that the squad is not potential title material but the whole cliche about having a winning mentality does have an impact here. Winning builds confidence and makes teams play better as long as they can maintain their focus. United win because they play to their full potential more often than other teams who may be equallly good or better on paper.

I'm convinced that if Man City had United's squad mentality and attitude they would have run away with the league and be 10+ points clear by now. Their biggest problem for them is one of attitude. They are a disjointed squad of Galacticos. David Silva's dip in form has also been a factor. And then there's the whole Tevez affair.
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in Germany the equivalent is called the "Bayern-Gen": no matter the circumstances + they simply stay confident to either turn the game around / to score , all without getting into the usual hasty panic at the end of the game

and it is real visible this season with Dortmund: they were winning everything this season, the last season, and another half before that and it clearly shows with a massive confidence which helps over their squad which isn't as strong in many positions
 
Lord Blackadder said:
What a match. Chelsea can have no complaints about that card. They go through as it stands, but surely Barca have more goals in them?
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It's Pique I'm worried about though. Not because of the hefty blow to the head that caused him to be taken off, but the fact that his popstar girlfriend Shakira is at the ground with John Terry at a loose end for the next 45 minutes. :eek:
 
If Chelsea go through it will be a walkover for Real or Bayern - Chelsea are losing too many players to yellows and reds, they'll be a skeleton crew in the final.

Jaffa Cake said:
It's Pique I'm worried about though. Not because of the hefty blow to the head that caused him to be taken off, but the fact that his popstar girlfriend Shakira is at the ground with John Terry at a loose end for the next 45 minutes. :eek:
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:D
 
Jaffa Cake said:
Because he's an odious excuse of a man...
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No arguments there.

Never thought i'd say this...but Messi has been shocking!

EDIT: Could not have written a better script. Well done Torres. £50M just paid dividends plus change.
 
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It is a triumph of Mourihnoism against Tikki-Takki. But Barcelona has had a million chances to win this tie. They look tired, and Messi is officially off-form.

At least we won't have to see Terry's ugly mug in the final either way.

EDIT: Oh, look who's popped up.
 
Chelsea are a very unlikeable team IMO. Barca had so many chances to beat them in both matches and only have themselves to blame for failing to go through.

But, you have to be impressed with Chelsea's mental toughness. Like I said earlier about Man U, a winning mentality counts for a lot. Chelsea showed this tonight, by battling to the end.

But well done to El Nino, he's a world class striker who has gone through a wickedly bad patch of form and it's great to see him back to his old self, if only for a moment (and even if it helps Chelsea).
 
Paid too much of a price perhaps? A chunk of those who played today won't play in the final which makes them significantly weaker. I don't see how they can get past Real/Bayern.

That said i've already eaten my words once tonight...

Best part of the night was El Nino for me. Maybe this will boost his confidence and bring him back.
 
As far as Chelsea being Unlikable. I can't think of a Spanish team that is likable. Probably because they have the most whinging hypocritical fans on the planet. I'm glad barca lost. I'm glad messi flubbed it. As good as he is he will always be Diego jr to me. Which means his failure is my success. Good for Torres.


Pique should never have been allowed to continue. As a life long combat sports fan and participant. I can say without doubt. He was knocked out. Not for long but his switch was flipped.
 
Torres scoring ... what a humiliation for barca... ;)


that said: don't be afraid of Chelsea having to play against full Real or Bayern...
half the Bayern squad has a yellow on their record and the likes of Pepe, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos are always trying to shower early

also both squads have players which more or less guarentee yellow cards for opposing players (Ronaldo,Özil,Ribery,Robben etc.)


also Howard Webb did his best to give away as many yellow cards as possible before the game in Madrid ... what a coincidence ... luckily the UEFA caught some sense and made a new rule for the next season where referees from still competing countries aren't allowed for such games anymore
 
Wirelessly posted

Fulham are better than Barcelona! :eek: Where was that Barca when Manchester United needed them? Maybe Inter and Chelsea have shown the way, 10 men? JT the hero. Barcelona on the turn?

Mighty effort by Chelsea. The FA Cup and Champions League teams almost pick themselves.

Elsewhere; Ecky Thump! - Aston Villa 1 Bolton Wanderers 2

LB,

Agree Downing has looked the most promising of late. Hate aside, the frustrating thing with Suarez is he is skillful, if he would just cut the crap.

Cheers,
OW
 
h00ligan said:
As far as Chelsea being Unlikable. I can't think of a Spanish team that is likable. Probably because they have the most whinging hypocritical fans on the planet.
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Bilbao? As for the whining and hypocrisy, the English are pretty strong contenders, particularly on the international scene.

h00ligan said:
I'm glad barca lost. I'm glad messi flubbed it. As good as he is he will always be Diego jr to me. Which means his failure is my success. Good for Torres.
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I have to disagree with you on Messi, though there is no doubt that he was poor today on the biggest of stages.

I try hard to be objective in games that don't involve Liverpool or Columbus, but I've been seduced by Barca and I'm not ashamed of it. There seems to be a growing bandwagon of people who are just now kicking the recently fallen Catalonians, and I won't join. I'm not suggesting you're a member, by the way; plenty of people have disliked Barca all through their successful period. But I take the sudden onslaught of criticisms against Barca with a grain of salt. They were not very good today and did not deserve to win, though they had more chances to kill the game than Chelsea, who are a much more one-dimensional (albeit still very dangerous) side.

h00ligan said:
Pique should never have been allowed to continue. As a life long combat sports fan and participant. I can say without doubt. He was knocked out. Not for long but his switch was flipped.
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I agree. I think officials should always err on the side of caution with head injuries, because it's never immediately clear what the damage is.

takao said:
that said: don't be afraid of Chelsea having to play against full Real or Bayern...
half the Bayern squad has a yellow on their record and the likes of Pepe, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos are always trying to shower early

also both squads have players which more or less guarentee yellow cards for opposing players (Ronaldo,Özil,Ribery,Robben etc.)
Click to expand...

It will be interesting to see how many cards get issued. I agree that there will almost certianly be some suspensions.
 
I try hard to be objective in games that don't involve Liverpool or Columbus, but I've been seduced by Barca and I'm not ashamed of it. There seems to be a growing bandwagon of people who are just now kicking the recently fallen Catalonians, and I won't join. I'm not suggesting you're a member, by the way; plenty of people have disliked Barca all through their successful period. But I take the sudden onslaught of criticisms against Barca with a grain of salt. They were not very good today and did not deserve to win, though they had more chances to kill the game than Chelsea, who are a much more one-dimensional (albeit still very dangerous) side.


I agree. I think officials should always err on the side of caution with head injuries, because it's never immediately clear what the damage is.
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I agree with both of the above points. Messi seemed to be pretty tired, and after the loss in the weekend to Real Madrid along with the first leg, I think the team hadn't fully recovered. This game could have been used to prove a point that they could recover quickly but was probably too soon to do so. They have hit a small bad patch but they will recover easily in the near future and with its acadamy I believe they could still dominate Spanish and European football at least til the end of the decade. Tonight will make them a better team for the future.

On the otherhand, I think both resilience, determination and luck played their part for Chelsea in the second leg. They did provide a heroic performance but it was equally a so-so performance from Barcelona tonight. That said, my last sentence is also a compliment to Barcelona. It wasn't their night.

Ramires' goal was the stuff of dreams, crucially before half time. Pity he won't make it to the final. :(

Abramovich has probably forgiven Torres for his performance so far for Chelsea. ;)

I'm glad that an English side is through to the final, and it would be some craic if it was against Mourinho's side :D


As for Piqué, he should have been subbed straight after his injury. It was too soon for anyone to properly assess the severity of the head injury for him to continue playing.

The fact that both Cahill and Piqué were both off the pitch for a significant amount of time during the game it was interesting to see how both teams coped with their loss at the back.

JT's sending off -> :mad: His performance prior to his ending off was very good, but it wasn't to be, and unfortunately he only has himself to blame.
 
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Athletic_club_200px.png


Racing O - 1 Athletic Club
Gaizka Toquero (12')



...


GOALS
17 Llorente
6 Susaeta
4 Oscar
4 Martínez
4 Toquero
3 Amorebieta
2 Gabilondo
2 Muniaín
2 San Jose
1 Iturraspe
1 David Lopez
1 Herrera
1 Iraola
1 Aurtenetxe


ASSISTS
7 Susaeta
7 Herrera
6 Toquero
4 Oscar
3 Iraola
3 Muniaín
2 Pérez
1 Amorebieta
1 Llorente
1 Martinez
1 San Jose
1 Gomez


6th: 12-12-1O
O4/29/12
@

----------

150pxdumbartonfclogosvg.png

Dumbarton 2 - 1 Airdrie United
William McLaren (56')
Brian Prunty (61')
Paul Lovering (og 67')
GOALS
14 Prunty
13 Agnew
7 Gilhaney
4 Lithgow
3 Walker
2 Lyden
2 McNiff
2 Graham
1 McBride
1 Nicoll
1 Winters
1 McKinnon
1 Dargo
1 Paterson


....
3rd: 15-7-12
O4/28/2O12
@
MON 'EH SONS!

roll on Sons, roll on...
 
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