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The 2013-2014 Football Thread

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If I were a Man Utd fan, I would not be very happy with Rooney right now - but if I had to choose between him and RVP, I would choose Rooney. The club have invested more in him, he's younger and more versatile positionally.

RVP's finishing has been off lately. Last season he buried almost every chance he got.

EDIT: Hodgson has called up 5 Liverpool starters for the friendly against Denmark (Sterling Sturridge, Gerrard, Johnson, Henderson). Praying nobody gets hurt, Liverpool have no depth behind them. But if they can maintain their form and fitness, Liverpool's contingent will have a big say in England's fortunes during the World Cup.

USA's friendly against the Ukraine has been moved to Cyprus due to the political situation.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
If I were a Man Utd fan, I would not be very happy with Rooney right now - but if I had to choose between him and RVP, I would choose Rooney. The club have invested more in him, he's younger and more versatile positionally.

RVP's finishing has been off lately. Last season he buried almost every chance he got.
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As a Man Utd fan, I'm not very happy about much lately. :eek:

If one of Rooney or RVP must be shown the door, it's clear that RVP will be gone. It's obvious that Rooney as a #10 is not working, and we have numerous other players in the squad that are naturals in that position. Rooney's best seasons have come when he was playing up top. Mata, Kagawa, and Januzaj behind him could be a dreamy setup. Still, lots of work to do with that midfield and defense behind them.
 
Thing is: who will stop Chelsea if they sign RVP anyway?

Focal point much too much on offense imho. They lack at the back and cm mostly if one would ask me.. ;)
 
Silencio said:
Still, lots of work to do with that midfield and defense behind them.
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I'm praying for a RVP - Kheidera swap with Real Madrid, think both parties would be happy with that.

Rooney, Welbeck, Hernandez/New signing upfront
Carrick, Fellani, Kheidera, (new signing) in midfield behind the trio you mentioned.

Lastly, a fullback that can play both left & right.

What's that? 3 signings provided we can trade for Kheidera? That's not too bad right... right?:eek::(:(
 
Players are one thing, but Moyes? Will he be given time? Should he be given time? You won't get Mourihno now for a couple seasons at least, he was probably the only sure ticket to any silverware in the short term.

The club are backing Moyes at the moment, but I suspect they won't hold with his cautious tactics forever.
 
Spurs chea-i mean put on an impressive display to comeback from 2-0 down to progress.

Eriksen is hands down Spurs best signing, and along with Adebayor their two best players this season.

Konoplyanka looks a player. Will Liverpool still get him in summer i wonder.

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As for United, RVP going nowhere. Who will buy him for anything less than a ripoff? Plus £225k/week for a 30yr old is unlikely to happen anywhere else.

I don't see Hernandez staying past this summer either.

If the Khedira or Kroos deal happen then colour me impressed because both players would be trading in champions league football. But who knows...

IMHO United need to replace; Welbeck, Young, Nani, Giggs, Valencia, Cleverley, Carrick/Fletcher (getting old), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra and Fabio.

i.e. they need 2 wingers, 2 central midfielders, 2 centre backs, 2 fullbacks, and 1 striker. And they all have to be above average. (unless you want to end up like Spurs)
 
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Kariya said:
Konoplyanka looks a player. Will Liverpool still get him in summer i wonder.
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He would be a good addition to Liverpool's squad. I'd like to see him come to Liverpool as long as the money isn't crazy. I'm still not sure what scuppered the January bid for him - rumors that the club president refused to sell in the end perhaps.
 
Kariya said:
...

i.e. they need 2 wingers, 2 central midfielders, 2 centre backs, 2 fullbacks, and 1 striker. And they all have to be above average. (unless you want to end up like Spurs)
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Think 2 central midfielders, 1 centre back - time for Jones to play there, and sort the left back; reduce the wingers and strikers. Also next season, Varela should be given a chance when Rafael is injured/off form/needs a rest - cut out centre at right back, and at the least add Powell.

Manager; Klopp is out - 2018, and even then, and Simeone also wants to get the job done. If the Board stick with Moyes, at least have a look at improving his seconds.

Re Spurs - Dnipro got what they deserved for the way they went about the game.

Cheers,
OW
 
oscillatewildly said:
Re Spurs - Dnipro got what they deserved for the way they went about the game.
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All the same, Vertonghen cheated; the evidence is clear. If he is not punished for it than we have to assume that diving is considered a legitimate part of the game by FIFA/UEFA and move on.

Retroactive punishments in the form of suspensions would stop almost all diving tomorrow if anyone bothered to implement it.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
All the same, Vertonghen cheated; the evidence is clear. If he is not punished for it than we have to assume that diving is considered a legitimate part of the game by FIFA/UEFA and move on.

Retroactive punishments in the form of suspensions would stop almost all diving tomorrow if anyone bothered to implement it.
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Dnipro played that game; give them Porto shirts and see Mourinho on their bench. Screw them.
 
oscillatewildly said:
Dnipro played that game; give them Porto shirts and see Mourinho on their bench. Screw them.
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I have no sympathy for Dnipro; but more cheating doesn't make it better. If Suarez had been in Vertonghen's place nobody would cut him an ounce of slack.

Given that just about every dive or sly foul in top-tier football is caught on camera, it's a no-brainer that the evidence should be used for retrospective punishments that will drastically reduce cheating. It's not like Hawkeye - the TV cameras are already there, recording the action. All that is needed is for FIFA/UEFA/the FA to have their disciplinary panels (which are also already in place) review all these incidents and hand out suspensions.

EDIT: Southampton have had Liverpool's number recently, this could be the weekend where Liverpool's defense costs the team three points. As usual, the focus will be scoring the 3-4 goals needed for a win as quickly as possible.

If Liverpool's scoring were combined with Chelsea's defensive record, the league championship would have been over months ago. But I'm glad it hasn't, this has been the best Premier League season in many years from a competitive standpoint - maybe the best ever. Imagine if the title race is a three or four-way tie going into the final weekend... That would be terrific.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
I have no sympathy for Dnipro; but more cheating doesn't make it better. If Suarez had been in Vertonghen's place nobody would cut him an ounce of slack.

...
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It doesn't make it better, it makes it fair. I hope I'd cut Suarez some slack if the misdemeanour was against a whole team acting in a similar manner as Dnipro - it'd still be tough :); if it was only one or two individuals, punish him, Vertonghen etc.

Cheers,
OW
 
Cheating will never be fair, but I get your point. I'd just prefer to see it all stamped out as much as possible. If players know that camera footage will be used against them, they'll be way less likely to to try that nonsense. Dnipro would never get away with the way they played. They deserved to lose in the end, so justice was done.
 
RE: the US shirt
It looks like Klinsmann's Tennis- or Golf-Shirt. :)

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German natinal team nominations against Chile:

Interesting newcomers: Pierre-Michel Lasogga (striker HSV), André Hahn (wing forward, FC Augsburg), Matthias Ginter (defense, SC Freiburg), Shkodran Mustafi (defense, Sampdoria Genua). The latter has been at the Sport school of the HSV and then at Everton.

I wonder, if this is just another gambling by Löw or an act of desperation.

The following didn't get nominated again: Mario Gomez, Marco Reus, Mats Hummels, Julian Draxler, Benedikt Höwedes (all for having less playing time recently as I read). Max Kruse is left out, because of fitness problems.

Back in the team: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski und Kevin Großkreutz. (Didn't know, that Großkreutz was nominated before. Would love to see him play).

Löw is quoted as: "Wir haben jetzt die Möglichkeit, zu agieren und an Lösungen und Alternativen für den Ernstfall zu arbeiten (...). Mit Blick auf die WM dürfen und werden wir keine Kompromisse eingehen"
(We now have the chance to react and work on solutions and alternatives. (...) Looking at the WC we can't and won't do any compromise."
quote: http://www.gmx.net/themen/wm-2014/24b47no-wm-2014-jogi-loew-aufgebot-deutschland-dfb

Hm, wonder what Löw wants to find in one friendly against Chile, which will be the last test before the WC.

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other stuff:
looking forward to the weekend, to see how HSV against Hannover '96 (Edit: I meant Bremen) will end, after the HSV won 3:0 against Dortmund(!).

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on the Europe League match Porto vs. Frankfurt and the 3:3 loss of Frankfurt.
Despite all mistakes that can be found in the Frankfurt playing, I find Porto didn't look good, when they got their goals, either.
 
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Cox Orange said:
Hm, wonder what Löw wants to find in one friendly against Chile, which will be the last test before the WC.
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Often teams choose a friendly opponent who's style approximates one of their group stage opponents. But Chile are pretty unusual - almost an all-out attacking side. Out of USA, Ghana and Portugal, I can't think of which side are being replicated.

Cox Orange said:
I wonder, if this is just another gambling by Löw or an act of desperation.
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Good, keep telling me negative things about Germany. It almost gives me hope the USA can get a result against them in the group stage. ;)
 
i suspect Löw is really trying some new stuff and perhaps add a little bit of pressure on some of those players often called "guaranteed"

Hahn and Ginter are having excellent runs currently while Draxler and Reus (and some others) are _way_ overplayed for the last 12-18 months


Schweinsteiger had an great comeback after his injury last weekend and at times already dominated the pitch like he never was away, he really needs getting into match rhythm prior to the world cup

that said you can expect a rather close game with Germany being unconvincing and nervous. Just like always in the test-game before the world cup. And in the first group game at the cup they will be at 100%
 
People have been wondering whether Sanogo was a good signing for Arsenal. I think he just answered that today with that abominable miss, that is going to cost Arsenal. Stoke played their usual horrible game and Arsenal just couldn't break down the wall. Should have been a draw through, the penalty was ball to hand.

I wonder how Mourinho will downplay his title chances now. The man will probably downplay his chances after he wins the title. :rolleyes: Chelsea looked awful in the first half but Fulham are just too weak to keep Chelsea out for 90 mins.

Alan Pardew. :D
 
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Cheers for that ref.

You let Charlie Adam stay on the pitch after what he did, then proceed to give a a ball-to-hand penalty shortly after.

tumblr_inline_mw4wo1qiXM1rr9xk6.gif


Nicely done.

That said, we only have ourselves to blame...again


Meh. Oh well...twas fun whilst it lasted.

Bring on the WC.
 
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The regular paradigm might return after all with the exception of LFC.

1. City (do the treble)
2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. Arsenal

Crazy season.
 
Liverpool lead at the half 1-0 but Southampton look sure to score a couple goals the way they are playing. Rogers needs to switch things up a bit and the midfield need to stop giving the ball away.

EDIT: 3-0 A clean sheet for Liverpool, that's a novelty. Swapping out a poor Coutinho to bring in Sterling was a no-brainer and it paid off instantly. Suarez was deadly today, he only scored once but he was critically involved in every goal and he harried Southampton's defense from the first minute to the last. Johnson had an up-and-down match, but the defense overall was improved. They still rode their luck a bit though.

Gerrard actually looks to be growing into his new role as defensive midfielder. He still can't tackle though. But his penalties this season have been superb.

Southampton looked excellent up until about the 70th minute. Their passing was more precise than Liverpool's and Lallana and Shaw tore through Liverpool's defense several times. They should have scored a couple times, despite the final score it was a close match.

I think Sturridge tried a bit too hard to get his 9th in 9 games, he got a bit chippy and should have been booked for a dive.
 
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