Re: The Football Thread - 2011/12

by beamer Mon 15 Aug 2011, 21:47

Aguero... Over-rated you say?

One of the more remarkable half-hour debuts you'll see! If he keeps this up they're a real title threat this season.

by LeFromage Mon 15 Aug 2011, 22:12

Can't play Swansea every week though.

by Gary 111 Tue 16 Aug 2011, 00:30

Steve Kean, the Blackburn Rovers manager, has been banned from driving for 18 months after his claim that his drinks had been spiked following a Manchester United match were thrown out in court.

Kean was caught driving at 90mph while almost twice the legal drink-drive limit on the M6 southbound in Cheshire after the 1-1 draw at Ewood Park that confirmed Sir Alex Ferguson's side as the Premier League champions last May and helped to ensure Blackburn's top-flight status.

The 43-year-old initially told the police he had not drunk any alcohol that day. After he was found to have 65 milligrams of alcohol in his breath – the legal limit being 35 – he admitted drinking over a three-hour period, having two and a half glasses of red wine with Ferguson followed by a bottle of beer with some friends.

Kean described himself as "stunned" when he was told he was over the limit and told Macclesfield magistrates court the only possible explanation was that his drinks had been laced. However, he could not provide an explanation of where this had happened or who was responsible and the district judge Nicholas Sanders said he had a public duty to ban him from the roads so he could "no longer represent a danger to the public".

"There is no evidence of lacing of drinks," Sanders said. "No one has come forward and said: 'Yes, I put 17 vodkas into his beer.' There is another explanation – and that is Mr Kean had more to drink than he has admitted."

Slightly perverse thinking that you can only prove your drinks have been spiked if someone comes forward and admits 'Yes, I put 17 vodkas into his beer'....

Does open up the enticing possibility of Sir Alex spiking said rival managers drinks.

by LeFromage Tue 16 Aug 2011, 00:33

As if Sir Alex would waste even a drop of the booze on anyone else.

He's still a Scotch, you know.

by LeFromage Tue 16 Aug 2011, 22:06

YEEEEEOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU SAINTSAH!!!!

Suck it up, Ipswich. You've got footballing pie all over your shirts.

by JKLever Tue 16 Aug 2011, 22:27

Got no centre halves... mind you we've been saying that for the past year!

So we've lost to North and Southampton. Good job there's no west and east.

Football sucks anyway.

Arse.

by Jontyh Wed 17 Aug 2011, 13:10

beamer wrote:Aguero... Over-rated you say?

One of the more remarkable half-hour debuts you'll see! If he keeps this up they're a real title threat this season.

Dzeko also looking more like the real deal too. With Balo and, as looks increasingly likely as noone wants him, Tevez plus Nasri possibly on the way we have some potent striking options.
Hard to believe it's not so long ago that Samaras and Vassell were leading the line.

by DJ_Smerk Wed 17 Aug 2011, 20:27

I'd scrap the overly defensive tactic that Mancini has in place. This isn't Italy, fella.

Something like this might work....

------------------------------Hart---------------------------
Richards-----Kompany----Lescott----------Clichy
------------------De Jong------Yaya Toure-------------
------------------------------Nasri----------------------------
Silva---------------------Tevez---------------------Aguero

(That is if they sign Nasri) Probably stick Tevez in Nasri's place and put Dzeko up front.

by Jontyh Thu 18 Aug 2011, 10:46

I don't know if you will be able to describe Mancini's tactics as negative this season. His argument when accused of it last year was that it was forced upon him by not always having the players necessary to operate his chosen system.
Shouldn't be the case with that line up you've picked there, Smerky, or any of several variations on it he has at his disposal now.
Nasri apparently coming up to Manc for a medical later on today..

by LeFromage Thu 18 Aug 2011, 10:48

Still hilarious to see Gareth Barry plodding along in the middle of the world's most expensive side.

He's the Ashley Giles of footballers. Right place, right time, wrong everything else.

by Jontyh Thu 18 Aug 2011, 11:29

On the odd occasion I saw them live last season, Barry looks better than he does on tv in that his positional sense is good and he keeps the play moving well, which you don't always pick up on telly.
I know what you mean, though - he does seem a plodder, but Mancini must see something in him as he gets a game!

by beamer Thu 18 Aug 2011, 21:25

English Premier League's fifth best team 5-0 up away at Scottish Premier League's third best.

The SPL has declined so much in recent years, the Old Firm would probably only be Championship standard now and the rest League One or lower.

by Zat Sat 20 Aug 2011, 11:17

Apparently Harry Kewell will play for Melbourne Victory this summer. The contract details have been sorted.

by beamer Sat 20 Aug 2011, 19:26

Ipswich dark horses for promotion? Paul Jewell definitely more than a dark horse for first manager out this season...

by Henry Sat 20 Aug 2011, 19:38

Zat wrote:Apparently Harry Kewell will play for Melbourne Victory this summer. The contract details have been sorted.

So Harry Kewell now owns two thirds of Melbourne, has a big say in parliament, three super model, coked up hookers on call, five sports cars, front row seats at the Melbourne Cup, a key to Warney's house, 80% of the gate takings, a luxury yacht, and exclusive permission to barrack for Collingwood from Eddie McGuire's VIP box?

And I bet you he shows up fat and unfit, does nothing for the first half of the season before being out injured for the second half.

Money well spent.....

by JKLever Sat 20 Aug 2011, 20:00

beamer wrote:Ipswich dark horses for promotion? Paul Jewell definitely more than a dark horse for first manager out this season...

If I hadn't been able to put some things into perspective after this month, i'd be pretty pissed about now... as it is a simple 'bugger' will suffice!

We've been crying out for some central defenders since the beginning of last season, yet lost Gareth McAuley and replaced him with a Reading crock on a freebie. I think the past 2 games has hammered the point home....

by LeFromage Sat 20 Aug 2011, 20:08

Hammered being the operative word. By two promoted sides.

Bring back Keano!

by beamer Sat 20 Aug 2011, 20:09

Norwich showed a couple of years ago that if you lose 7-1 to a supposed minnow early on, you sack your manager and appoint theirs in his place, and the sky's the limit...

by JKLever Sat 20 Aug 2011, 20:20

Please don't mention the N word. This is a family forum after all...

by beamer Sat 20 Aug 2011, 21:59

Never underestimate the benefits of following the example of your most hated rivals... it got us a couple of European Cups!

by Zat Sat 20 Aug 2011, 23:03

Henry wrote:
Zat wrote:Apparently Harry Kewell will play for Melbourne Victory this summer. The contract details have been sorted.

So Harry Kewell now owns two thirds of Melbourne, has a big say in parliament, three super model, coked up hookers on call, five sports cars, front row seats at the Melbourne Cup, a key to Warney's house, 80% of the gate takings, a luxury yacht, and exclusive permission to barrack for Collingwood from Eddie McGuire's VIP box?

And I bet you he shows up fat and unfit, does nothing for the first half of the season before being out injured for the second half.

Money well spent.....

Australian soccer really is a wasteland. And sh!t.

by G.Wood Sun 21 Aug 2011, 23:44

Although (probably sagely) his contract is based on % of increased revenue from crowds so it is in his interest to be bit and at least semi- firing

and a greedy professional footballer- whoda funk it

by Lara Lara Laughs Mon 22 Aug 2011, 09:49

Derby. Might mighty Derby. Champs league better watch out.

by LeFromage Mon 22 Aug 2011, 13:37

How would you cope with a Derby vs Barcelona match? Your split loyalties between your local side and Derby would be a quandary and a half.

by G.Wood Fri 26 Aug 2011, 00:06

Emerton going to the A-League

Interesting decision given that he was playing as (moderately) well as he ever had and would have still been wanted by his club you'd think.

A more significant signing than Harry, who had no choice because nobody else wanted him.

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