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The 2013-2014 Football Thread

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Lord Blackadder said:
I am of two minds on this. On the one hand, I completely understand the notion of sending out a B squad against Bayern, both as a way to rest key players for more important matches and as a protest against their absolute dominance of the Bundesliga. It would be satisfying to watch Bayern's title made meaningless as teams simply let them rack up huge scores against reserve squads.

But on the other hand, I feel that a manager should always want to go out and win matches, regardless of the odds. Teams should go out and show that Bayern can be beaten, even if it's a rare occurrence.
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Good points there!
Never saw it as a way to protest, though.
One additional point one could add is, that it gives players with not much playing time the chance to show how they play against a very good team.

Talking about Frankfurt - they play the DFB-Pokal 4th final against Dortmund tonight, btw.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
I think Moyes' challenge is to find a way to play Rooney, Kagawa, Mata and RVP effectively in the same side - or at least three of those four on a consistent basis. Kagawa may be a lost cause since Moyes won't play him.
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Two positions:

1 RVP/Rooney

2 Rooney/Mata/Kagawa

Moyes shouldn't feel compelled to play both RVP and Rooney.

Re Kagawa; it would help if his teammates moved.

Cheers,
OW
 
^ Rooney & RVP...how will either of those two react to being benched for tactical reasons?

RVP left Arsenal because he felt that he didn't have any chance at silverware. Will he hang around at United when a multiyear rebuilding is on the cards? He can probably still get a spot at PSG/Monaco or some other late-career payout club, not to mention Chelski or Man City If Utd could stomach selling to them. United should probably prepare to replace (or at least augment) him anyway since he's neither young nor particularly durable. Welbeck is not a replacement.
 
Kagawa for me is probably a lost cause...even more so with the arrival of Mata. Moyes doesn't seem to fancy him much a la Zaha. He'll most likely bail in the summer...probably return to Germany. he might be a good fit for Liverpool as well who knows.

Meanwhile, Athletico Madrid's season is at risk of crumbling. Currently being dismantled by Real Madrid in the Copa.

EDIT: ...and Chelsea drop points at West Brom.
 
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That Chelsea draw is big news for Man City and Arsenal. The Gunners really need to win tomorrow to keep pressure on their rivals. Can't wait to hear a good long whine from Mourinho... David Luiz, dirtiest player in the league, should have conceded a penalty but got away with it. Nevertheless, justice was done in the end.

It also makes me feel less bad about Liverpool's draw against West Brom. :D
 
@ Happybunny: today, 18.45 o'clock, Eurosport: Women's World-Cup-2015-Qualification Netherlands vs Belgium.
 
pachyderm said:
i think Chich needs to play more...
4-3-3 ?
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And he would play ahead of… Rooney? RVP? Mata?

Chicharito is a fantastic poacher and his hold-up and link-up play have improved, but he's still far behind those three guys. Danny Welbeck is a more complete player, except for his woeful finishing.

I'm beginning to wonder if Rooney and RVP can effectively play together. It seemed like Rooney had all the attributes to be a world class #10, but it look like he's a better #9, which is where RVP or Chicharito play.

I can definitely see Chicharito leaving United this summer, and he really should be playing more regularly somewhere. I have to wonder if RVP will also be moved on. It looks like Moyes has made Rooney happy for the time being, which is actually quite an accomplishment.

Have to assume Kagawa is also leaving. Such a good player and looked a shrewd signing, until United bought RVP and Januzaj showed he was ready.
 
Silencio said:
I'm beginning to wonder if Rooney and RVP can effectively play together. It seemed like Rooney had all the attributes to be a world class #10, but it look like he's a better #9, which is where RVP or Chicharito play.
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I think it's more like he has all the attributes to be a world class #10, but wants to play as a #9. Even Ferguson struggled to control Rooney and his handlers at times, I genuinely worry that Moyes will find him impossible to control. And that can easily be fatal to any manager.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
I think it's more like he has all the attributes to be a world class #10, but wants to play as a #9. Even Ferguson struggled to control Rooney and his handlers at times, I genuinely worry that Moyes will find him impossible to control. And that can easily be fatal to any manager.
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IMHO Rooney is best played up front... the big mistake is how he somehow got the impression that dropping deep into the field helps his playing style... yes he gets more balls but in the center striking position nobody is left to received his passes

and only because manchester untied was too cheap to buy a nr 10 player with excellent vision and playmaking ability

can he play the nr 10 position ? yes
can play it on the level as,for example, Özil ? no way

Rooney is best high up front receiving passes at the edge of the penalty box

meanwhile HSV vs Bayern cup game just starts on german ARD... some expect a severe beating for the HSV in it's chaotic state ... i'm not so sure
 
One day we might find a way to beat United. 1 pt out of 6, great start to the run-in thus far :roll eyes:

Soo boringly direct;

-Pass out wide
-Cut in
-One-two with Giroud
-Hooked clear.
-Rinse repeat cycle

*yawn*...whatever
 
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...and now its a 4 horse race. Meanwhile United now 11pts off. I will laugh so hard if LFC stumble unto the title, and the way this season is going thats not out of the realm of possibility.

Will Liverpool get a double over Arsenal this weekend?

Fulham almost had them today, but for Fulham being Fulham.

Arsenal look to be lacking inspiration. Only Ozil, Cazorla and Szczesny showed up today. Is this the end of their season?
 
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Very clumsy challenge from Riether, even though Sturridge sold it hard for the penalty. It was the right call.

Probably a fair result in the end, but Liverpool didn't exactly look solid at the back. Fulham played a carbon copy of their Man Utd match and it almost worked again - they worked incredibly hard the whole match. Liverpool's dodgy defense more than lived up to their reputation. Fulham actually gained in confidence as the match progressed, I thought. Liverpool did attack the whole match though, which is encouraging. Without the sustained pressure there's no way they'd have won and may have even lost. The squad has belief.

Unfortunately for Fulham, draws will not save them. But, if they keep playing with that level of energy and belief they may start winning matches.

Arsenal - Man utd....bad result for both sides I'd say, though probably worse for Arsenal. They need to hope that Chelsea and Man City continue to stumble. Giroud was firing blanks today, though Vidic mauled him a couple times and got away with it. Both teams were too cautious, too afraid to lose.

The Arsenal-Liverpool match this weekend will be nothing like the last. I expect it to be low-scoring, and that favors the Gunners.
 
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Happybunny said:
Thanks for the tip.:)
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It was actually a good match on the Netherlands side. The Netherlands have much improved over the last two years (they normally were a guarantor for 0:5 against Germany, if you take them as a "measurement tool", IIRC in the EuroCup the won 1:0 against Germany).
It ended 1:1, which does not really fit the game. The Netherlands were clearly the better team. It took Belgium a complete half (or the coach to tell them) to recognize, that they have to care double for the the quick and versatile No7 (Manon Melis), because it was the same action very often. She would be at the front on the right wind and pass parallel to the middle.

The problem is, one of them had to win this, because now Norway will be on the first place of the table, as I heard from the commentator. At the current state of the Netherlands' team I would have liked to see them at the WC (first time it starts with 16 teams).
Edit: looked at the table, ok Norway has still 2 matches to play and is only 1 point behind the Netherlands and Belgium (both 10 and 5 games).

Germany has a goal difference of 40:0 btw. :D Yes, it was clear they win the group clearly, but it was not clear that even Russia presented themselves as a shooting gallery. (Ireland has a good chance being in the pot of the second chance qualifiers, btw.).
takao said:
meanwhile HSV vs Bayern cup game just starts on german ARD... some expect a severe beating for the HSV in it's chaotic state ... i'm not so sure
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You know I am not that well aware of all the details, but actually I expected the exact outcome that it then was in numbers - a loss by 5:0. (Maybe my somewhat more loose attention to what's going on is the reason, why I believed in a 5:0 :)).
A pitty to see Hamburg going that way.

I actually wonder, if the "chaos" around the team really affects a player, which I hear is one of the reasons why they are almost on the end of the table.

Interesting, too, that Leverkusen just after loosing the CL-match against ManU, clearly, lost against Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal. Though I know, that 'Lautern seems to be able for surprises from time to time.

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+1 on what's been said re Kagawa leaving - good luck to him - Hernandez, and Rooney 10 v 9. Think the team would be better with RVP or Rooney ahead of Mata or Kagawa; keeping an individual happy at the expense of the team is poor management.

The match; a Giroud and RVP masterclass, and Moyes' stamina building training is paying dividends.:rolleyes: At least the concentration was better.


Lord Blackadder said:
Very clumsy challenge from Riether, ...
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Could've done with that the other day.

Lord Blackadder said:
...though Vidic mauled him a couple times and got away with it.

...
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And vice versa.

Cheers,
OW
 
oscillatewildly said:
Could've done with that the other day.
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I think the penalty ultimately came about because Liverpool's attackers ran directly at Fulham's defense much more often than Man Utd. Against Man Utd, Fulham spent more time clearing crosses, which is lower risk than trying to take forwards on 1v1 in the box. Not to mention that Fulham have some tall defenders anyway.
 
Cox Orange said:
You know I am not that well aware of all the details, but actually I expected the exact outcome that it then was in numbers - a loss by 5:0. (Maybe my somewhat more loose attention to what's going on is the reason, why I believed in a 5:0 :)).
A pitty to see Hamburg going that way.

I actually wonder, if the "chaos" around the team really affects a player, which I hear is one of the reasons why they are almost on the end of the table.
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prior the the game the talk was heating up that the coach will get booted the next day for Magath (HSV big sponsor/owner already sent out a message "magath please save us" a mere hours before the important game
their management is having emergency meetings already more often than their squads actually play

on the game itself: it was mind blowing lopsided: Bayern had 81% possession of the ball, HSV 19%,
Passes: 895 to 217
Pass completion: 91% to 59%
Bayern didn't really create many clear chances in the first half but used them brutally effective despite HSV trying to park the bus

Cox Orange said:
Interesting, too, that Leverkusen just after loosing the CL-match against ManU, clearly, lost against Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal. Though I know, that 'Lautern seems to be able for surprises from time to time.

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Bayern Leverkusen blew it themselves: hypiä decided to rotate multiple players out of their squad to rest some players ... in the cup _quarterfinal_ mind you
just like they did last year where they failed as well
 
The hypocrisy meter is off the charts with Wenger, Pellegrini and Mourinho striving to outdo each other in the playing down of their own team's title hopes. This is the latest from Wenger:

If you're not in the race you cannot lose it; if you declare yourself not in the race you cannot lose it, simple as that.
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