The 2012-2013 Football Thread

[Silencio]

Re - Michael Owen: he's still got goals in him. This issue for him is — duh! — staying healthy. He simply cannot do it.

He'll always be a legend in my mind for scoring that goal to beat City. Well, and that goal at the World Cup way back when.

 

[twietee]

I'm curious what you, personally and in general, think of Klinsmann. He got pretty bad press over here in Germany. I mean really pretty bad press.
I like him though. He renewed the N11 from scratch, installed the right people in the background and f'ed up B.Munich at his times over there..not so bad over all.

I terribly fell victim to a spam-bot

because I never click on links posted by strangers..sorry, Jaffa, didn't read your article either..

 

[Fizzoid]

Re - Michael Owen: he's still got goals in him. This issue for him is — duh! — staying healthy. He simply cannot do it.

He'll always be a legend in my mind for scoring that goal to beat City. Well, and that goal at the World Cup way back when.

Problem with Owen is (was?) that his game was based on his pace, hanging off the shoulder of the last defender, getting in behind and scoring.

Unfortunately at his age he can't be that player anymore, and due to injury, he hasn't really been able to successfully adapt. Many people also question his commitment, saying that he lives on past glories (sound familiar? )

Personally, I wish him well and hope he stays injury free and bags loads of goals.

 

[twietee]

Andi Carroll surely personifies tough luck.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

because I never click on links posted by strangers..sorry, Jaffa, didn't read your article either..

It's a link to a BBC article, but here's a brief recap...

• Lower League manager goes out for a ride on his bike.
• Said manager collides with squirrel, falls off bike.
• Manager fears serious injury or death, but emerges relatively unscathed.
• Fate of squirrel currently unknown.

 

[takao]

Problem with Owen is (was?) that his game was based on his pace, hanging off the shoulder of the last defender, getting in behind and scoring.

Unfortunately at his age he can't be that player anymore, and due to injury, he hasn't really been able to successfully adapt. Many people also question his commitment, saying that he lives on past glories (sound familiar? )

i remember how 10 years some fellow friend shouted me down when i stated "once he is over 30 he will average at best"

compared to other pacey strikers he simply never adopted a different approach over years
just look to Pippo Inzaghi: at young age he was blazing fast and in his late years he had excellent game intelligence skills and positioning

 

[Fizzoid]

See, you were wrong, he was average at 23, by 30 he'd simply 'had it'

 

[twietee]

It's a link to a BBC article, but here's a brief recap...

• Lower League manager goes out for a ride on his bike.
• Said manager collides with squirrel, falls off bike.
• Manager fears serious injury or death, but emerges relatively unscathed.
• Fate of squirrel currently unknown.

Thank's, that was more or less what I read out of your comments, only that my imagination exchanged the bike with a Ferrari..well makes a little bit more sense now.

On a side note, I really dig your comments..that's what I always like about British humour: they make fun of me in a nice way.

 

[Confuzzzed]

And to make matters worse for Reds fans, Fulham are pursuing their complaint regarding FSG's website stating Liverpool had signed Clint Dempsey

Rumour has it, any compensation received will go towards building a statute of Fulham legend 'Whitney Houston', to accompany the one of Jacko

You're just trying to push me over the edge, aren't you? Admit it. And there's me being all sympathetic usually towards small clubs like Wednesday and Everton

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Meanwhile, Cesc Fabregas is unhappy at being a bit player at Barca...maybe he'd prefer to play in a champions league side that makes him captain and always starts him when healthy - oh.

 

[twietee]

You could pair him with the almighty CR7.

 

[daneoni]

Meanwhile, Cesc Fabregas is unhappy at being a bit player at Barca...maybe he'd prefer to play in a champions league side that makes him captain and always starts him when healthy - oh.

What else did he expect in a team that has Iniesta and Xavi in midfield?

Everybody predicted he was going to be a benchwarmer, which is what made the move more frustrating.

That midfield is packed and until Xavi retires and/or Iniesta becomes unfit/retires he's not walking into the first eleven. I'd say i have sympathy for him but i honestly don't.

Song might suffer the same fate, especially considering the fact that Busquets is only 24yrs old.

Its the same with RVP. Complains about having to carry a whole team on his back...yet he is currently doing the exact same thing at United.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

The thing is, he's still playing quite a bit, and he's in the best team in the world. If that's not good enough and he needs to be top dog in his club, he should go back to Arsenal. Because he's not good enough to be top dog at Barca - and that's hardly a slam on Fabregas.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

You could pair him with the almighty CR7.

Best not, they might breed.

Coud you imagine the petulant, preening offspring of such an unholy union? Ugh.

 

[daneoni]

Also in the news of unhappy players, Lloris is unhappy with AVB's suggestion that he would have to fight for his place.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Coud you imagine the petulant, preening offspring of such an unholy union? Ugh.

It would be an ill-mannered child who instinctively spits at people from Hull.

Also in the news of unhappy players, Lloris is unhappy with AVB's suggestion that he would have to fight for his place.

I doubt Hugo Lloris will even be playing at 40, let alone dominating his area the way ex-Columbus goalkeeping ace Brad Friedel does.

Sorry Hugo, we can't all be like Brad.

 

[Fizzoid]

Well at least someone's happy!

Sorry it's nothing more interesting, I couldn't find many happy players at the moment

 

[twietee]

Well at least someone's happy!

Sorry it's nothing more interesting, I couldn't find many happy players at the moment

I was also happy reading that; but first as I got to know that the point-deduction remains intact for FPL..

 

[daneoni]

Sagna is bemused by Arsenal's transfer policy.

 

[Fizzoid]

Who isn't?

 

[daneoni]

Touché

 

[Fizzoid]

I think the problem with most Arsenal fans is that they got used to winning things pre 2005 on what now, is a shoestring budget. Because they were winning, and doing well in Europe, they could attract some top players to keep the cycle going. But since Abramovich took over Chelsea in 2003, and more recently Man City having a transfer budget that matches many countries GDP, winning became all about the money, and Arsenal simply don't have a few oil fields tucked away to use as a piggy bank.

The only team that seem to have bucked the trend somewhat is Man U who clearly can still compete, domestically at least. But then they have the 'Fergie Factor' which is their biggest asset, as well as a huge fan base around the world which used to make them money, pre Glaziers. However, I think we saw last season, in Europe especially, that the Fergie Factor may not be enough. When they sold Ronaldo, at the time the world's best player, questions were asked who'd replace him, and clearly no one has, with Man U's midfield looking more shaky by the season

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Touché

He'll have gone to Manchester City by the end of January.

 

[daneoni]

I think the problem with most Arsenal fans is that they got used to winning things pre 2005 on what now, is a shoestring budget. Because they were winning, and doing well in Europe, they could attract some top players to keep the cycle going. But since Abramovich took over Chelsea in 2003, and more recently Man City having a transfer budget that matches many countries GDP, winning became all about the money, and Arsenal simply don't have a few oil fields tucked away to use as a piggy bank.

The only team that seem to have bucked the trend somewhat is Man U who clearly can still compete, domestically at least. But then they have the 'Fergie Factor' which is their biggest asset, as well as a huge fan base around the world which used to make them money, pre Glaziers. However, I think we saw last season, in Europe especially, that the Fergie Factor may not be enough. When they sold Ronaldo, at the time the world's best player, questions were asked who'd replace him, and clearly no one has, with Man U's midfield looking more shaky by the season

I think fans (at least myself anyway) are just scratching their heads as to why we have one or two Billionaires on the board and none seem interested in injecting some money into the club to make it more competitive. But instead play a spectator role, collect dividends and go back home. All well and good balancing the books but its still a football club that needs to be competitive.

I'm not saying go out and buy £50m players and put them on £300k salaries. Just that they stop cheapening out and worrying so much about income to the point where it simply does more damage than good.

As it stands, the club is ran too much like a business corporation and the football/trophy aspect takes a back seat. Buy cheap, develop, sell high = profit. Job done. High fives all around for a good days work.

But i suppose thats what you get when you have the combo of a Manager with a Masters in Economics, and a majority owner who is the embodiment of Business Administration (B.A., B.S., MBA).

Still you're right about the general trend.

He'll have gone to Manchester City by the end of January.

Probably would've this summer if he wasn't injured.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

New England 2-0 Columbus

Crappy turf pitch, big crumbling empty stadium, offside goal, own goal, fatigue. I don't want to talk about it. We have a week's rest after playing 7 games in 20ish days. If you told me 20 days ago that we were going to win four, draw two and lose one in seven games I'd have been delighted. But I'm grouchy today all the same.

I think the problem with most Arsenal fans is that they got used to winning things pre 2005 on what now, is a shoestring budget. Because they were winning, and doing well in Europe, they could attract some top players to keep the cycle going. But since Abramovich took over Chelsea in 2003, and more recently Man City having a transfer budget that matches many countries GDP, winning became all about the money, and Arsenal simply don't have a few oil fields tucked away to use as a piggy bank.

The only team that seem to have bucked the trend somewhat is Man U who clearly can still compete, domestically at least. But then they have the 'Fergie Factor' which is their biggest asset, as well as a huge fan base around the world which used to make them money, pre Glaziers. However, I think we saw last season, in Europe especially, that the Fergie Factor may not be enough. When they sold Ronaldo, at the time the world's best player, questions were asked who'd replace him, and clearly no one has, with Man U's midfield looking more shaky by the season

I agree. Man City and Chelsea have completely redefined the parameters for success in the Premier League. Player wages have risen by over a thousand percent since 1992, and transfer fees have similarly skyrocketed. (check those numbers against inflation and the growth of the average national wage in the UK ). Mind you, they aren't the first clubs to raise the financial bar through big spending. But they have taken it to astonishing new levels.

In Man Utd's case, they have been able to maintain their position through good revenue, a huge fan base and, crucially, the skill of Fergie in the transfer market, in the dressing room and on the pitch. But it seems to me (biased as I am) that they are only just treading water and I don't see them hanging in there when Fergie leaves. Even if they were to bring in a Mourinho or Ancelotti (and they probably will), will the new guy toe the Glazers' line the way Fergie does? And more importantly, will the Glazers respect the new guy to the same degree? I doubt it, partially because they just won't have the money to burn that the oil & gas barons have. At some point they too will become also-rans. But who knows? Maybe Fergie will be around for another ten years and outlive this financial bubble.

It remains to be seen whether financial fair play has any effect on this - clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal sure hope it does - but I have no faith it will help.