It's obviously a team-wide malaise, a mental issue rather than a talent issue. I'm not sure signing players will fix it, though it might improve the squad.
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The 2013-2014 Football Thread
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It's also a talent issue. They don't have anyone who can score goals, and the midfield is made up of 3 holding midfielders. The years of not spending any money is finally catching up to them. They are not good enough at present.
Well, I can't disagree with the midfield being a problem. Berbatov has been a bit of a disappointment of late as well. He was once a 30-goal striker in the Premier League
if he could bang in just a fraction of that it would make a big difference.
Another decent performance against a top team away from home, another predictable loss.
Liverpool created at least three excellent scoring chances and finished one. Chelsea had three or four and finished two. Liverpool are still a work in progress. Sterling in particular showed a bit of rawness when more precision would have given us a draw. Sturridge would have been a big help today. Hopefully Sakho's injury isn't anything serious…I don't want to be relying on Toure.
Chelsea were excellent at winning the ball back when they lost it, and Liverpool were guilty of giving the ball away too often. Both Chelsea goals had an element of luck about them, even if they came from good attacking moves. They are very much a Mourinho Chelsea - physical, relentless, fast, clinical, dirty.
The only thing that really irked me about this game were some of the nasty fouls by Chelsea players and the fact that they went unpunished. Howard Webb certainly made a mess of things when Eto'o shoulder/hip-checked Suarez to the ground in the box. That was a foul and a penalty, pure and simple. Likewise, Terry jumped all over Suarez in the box going to a header - no call, but Skrtel got called for doing precisely the same thing in midfield a short time later. Oscar's reducer on Lucas near the end of the match was another bad foul, though he did get carded for it.
As with Man City, I think Liverpool should feel confident going into the return fixture. Chelsea hardly look invincible.
Liverpool created at least three excellent scoring chances and finished one. Chelsea had three or four and finished two. Liverpool are still a work in progress. Sterling in particular showed a bit of rawness when more precision would have given us a draw. Sturridge would have been a big help today. Hopefully Sakho's injury isn't anything serious…I don't want to be relying on Toure.
Chelsea were excellent at winning the ball back when they lost it, and Liverpool were guilty of giving the ball away too often. Both Chelsea goals had an element of luck about them, even if they came from good attacking moves. They are very much a Mourinho Chelsea - physical, relentless, fast, clinical, dirty.
The only thing that really irked me about this game were some of the nasty fouls by Chelsea players and the fact that they went unpunished. Howard Webb certainly made a mess of things when Eto'o shoulder/hip-checked Suarez to the ground in the box. That was a foul and a penalty, pure and simple. Likewise, Terry jumped all over Suarez in the box going to a header - no call, but Skrtel got called for doing precisely the same thing in midfield a short time later. Oscar's reducer on Lucas near the end of the match was another bad foul, though he did get carded for it.
As with Man City, I think Liverpool should feel confident going into the return fixture. Chelsea hardly look invincible.
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It was always about football, just not hand-egg...
That Lukaku bloke looks pretty tasty, and is currently the 4th highest scorer in the PL. Perhaps Jose should seek the advice of Joe Kinnear and see if they can sign him?
Oh geez, you'd think I got the message by now ?
At any rate, referring to soccer as football HERE is a bit odd given that macosrumors is a US-hosted forum, and the majority of the users are probably North Americans.
-t
Its a game where a ball is played with both feet so...
Moniker seems pretty accurate to me. Globally.
Hull look rather French in today's kit, no?
I have nothing at all personally against him, but I certainly won't be wishing him the best of luck.
Only in the US do you see such (frankly ridiculous) disdain for the world's most popular sport. I blame the NFL, an organization which is rapidly causing me to lose interest in (American) football.
I have nothing at all personally against him, but I certainly won't be wishing him the best of luck.
Only in the US do you see such (frankly ridiculous) disdain for the world's most popular sport. I blame the NFL, an organization which is rapidly causing me to lose interest in (American) football.
Woah - steady on there, your Lordship. No need to be insulting.
I've not seen any pics yet but I'm guessing we'll have worn the away kit's alternative white socks rather than the first choice red...
Well, when they aren't busy striking, Zee French are pretty good at football. No offense intended.
Correct on the socks as well. Making a kit in any combination of blue, white and red must be tricky - so many clubs and countries use that combo.
EDIT: Man Ut had a run of relatively easy games of late, and they made good on their chances with plenty of points. But now they lose to Spurs, who remain a very talented but very inconsistent squad.
Adnan Januzaj seems to be United's best creator behind the forwards. But like Raheem Sterling he remains a bit raw.
Correct on the socks as well. Making a kit in any combination of blue, white and red must be tricky - so many clubs and countries use that combo.
EDIT: Man Ut had a run of relatively easy games of late, and they made good on their chances with plenty of points. But now they lose to Spurs, who remain a very talented but very inconsistent squad.
Adnan Januzaj seems to be United's best creator behind the forwards. But like Raheem Sterling he remains a bit raw.
Last week United were touting themselves as being only 2pts off the top 4. Well now its back to 5pts and 11pts off the pace.
If Rooney stays beyond this season i'd be very surprised. He seems to be pulling the ol' RVP trick contract wise.
I'd have preferred a draw to be honest. Now Spurs will be full of confidence on Saturday. Oh well, we're at home. And not easy to beat.
If Rooney stays beyond this season i'd be very surprised. He seems to be pulling the ol' RVP trick contract wise.
I'd have preferred a draw to be honest. Now Spurs will be full of confidence on Saturday. Oh well, we're at home. And not easy to beat.
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Uhm, yeah.
While I share your negative opinion about the NFL as an organization, it's quite a stretch to blame them for the lack of US interest in soccer.
Really, you can blame them for much, but this... I don't think so.
-t
I never said I blamed the NFL for Americans' lack of interest in soccer. I don't. To be honest, I can't put my finger on precisely what it is that causes the US mainstream to consider soccer to be an effete "foreign" sport. It certainly doesn't make any sense to me. Maybe it's because we aren't the best in the world at it, so we prefer to turn our attention to spurious "world" championships like the Super Bowl and World Series. Because, you know American teams always win those.
I never said I blamed the NFL for Americans' lack of interest in soccer. I don't. To be honest, I can't put my finger on precisely what it is that causes the US mainstream to consider soccer to be an effete "foreign" sport. It certainly doesn't make any sense to me. Maybe it's because we aren't the best in the world at it, so we prefer to turn our attention to spurious "world" championships like the Super Bowl and World Series. Because, you know American teams always win those.
I do remember on more than one occasion being told by various Americans in the past one of the main things that they dislike about European Football is that a game can and frequently does end in a draw. I was lead to believe that Americans like there to be a clear winner, at the end of every sport.
I'm suspicious of anyone that tries to explain that there's something fundamentally wrong with football [soccer]. Americans traditionally ignore it or disdain it. But the gradual success of our own league (MLS) proves that even here people are changing their mind.
The whole complaint about draws gets voiced often - but I think that is just an excuse to dismiss a sport that people know little about and choose to remain ignorant of.
The whole complaint about draws gets voiced often - but I think that is just an excuse to dismiss a sport that people know little about and choose to remain ignorant of.
I'm not a fan of ties in Football. Doesn't mean all Americans are opposed to it or it's right or wrong. Just not my thing. In my eyes, competitions are created to determine winners and losers. If it only happened occasionally in Football, I'd be much more accepting of it. I'm no Football expert, clearly, but I've seen enough games in my time to know its common for teams to play actually play for a tie. What's the point of that? Then they get rewarded for it with a point in the standings. Doesn't make much sense to me, being rewarded for an outcome that could have just as easily been settled over a handshake prior to kickoff.
"I don't want to lose."
"Me either."
"Then it's settled. We both will receive a point."
"Good day."
"Good day."
Sure, I'm being a bit silly here, but there's not even an overtime period. They don't extend the game to see if one side can break thru. Why not see if one side can best the other? It's sport. There are standings. Champions are crowned. But the leagues are set up so the best teams don't have best each other. They just have to beat enough of the lesser teams to call themselves dominate. Then when they face each other, pfft, a tie. Clash of the Titans becomes Clash of the Tie-ins.
Obviously, it doesn't always happen this way. But it appears to happen enough to turn me, personally, off when I see two great teams walk off the field without a decision. I want a winner. I want a loser. The last thing I want is a score that ends exactly as it began... Tied.
"I don't want to lose."
"Me either."
"Then it's settled. We both will receive a point."
"Good day."
"Good day."
Sure, I'm being a bit silly here, but there's not even an overtime period. They don't extend the game to see if one side can break thru. Why not see if one side can best the other? It's sport. There are standings. Champions are crowned. But the leagues are set up so the best teams don't have best each other. They just have to beat enough of the lesser teams to call themselves dominate. Then when they face each other, pfft, a tie. Clash of the Titans becomes Clash of the Tie-ins.
Obviously, it doesn't always happen this way. But it appears to happen enough to turn me, personally, off when I see two great teams walk off the field without a decision. I want a winner. I want a loser. The last thing I want is a score that ends exactly as it began... Tied.
a tie can also be a "loss" for both teams just as well, especially in the league on the lower end or top of a league
in german they are called "6-Punkte Spiele"(=6 point game) because if one team wins the other 'losses' the change the score those 6 points
especially if you challenge for the title the direct confrontations very likely determine the championship, since the big teams rarely lose points against the underdogs
in german they are called "6-Punkte Spiele"(=6 point game) because if one team wins the other 'losses' the change the score those 6 points
especially if you challenge for the title the direct confrontations very likely determine the championship, since the big teams rarely lose points against the underdogs
I know very little about the NFL, but if one of the Cute Cheerleaders from the NFL would like to explain it to me, I would be all EARS.
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The counter argument is of course is that if neither team has proved itself the better after 90 minutes, neither deserves the win!
It's also worth remembering that there is a far greater disparity between the quality of teams in divisions like the Premier League, as opposed to some US sports - if you're bottom of the table and manage to gain a credible draw away at the likes of Chelsea or Barcalona then you can argue that you deserve something for your efforts.
Anyway, let's not forget that the real enemies of football are brightly coloured boots, music after goals and half-and-half scarves, not drawn matches.
Ah! We too have our 'six pointers'.
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