The Football Thread - 2012/13 (II)

[beamer]

In terms of Europe, some say that with Real and Dortmund in their group they have an excuse... but they didn't miss out on goal difference, or by a point or two. They got two points. From six games.

There's so much talent in that squad, but more often than not they don't put it together. Aguero, Tevez, Silva, Yaya, Kompany etc - they should be able to compete with anyone. But a couple of top players not on form or missing through injury, the whole team tends to switch off. United usually win when playing badly, City draw or lose. It's hard to get that same spirit in a "chequebook" team and they need to look as much at character as pure ability when choosing players to bring in. And finding the right manager to pull it all together and create a great team isn't an easy task either.

[Chivalry Augustus]

I reckon most of those players are over-rated. David Silva had a good first season in English football and is living off it. He only has one style of play and if you can negate that, he struggles. Yaya Toure is a battering ram but makes bad decisions and isn't technically that good. That's why he was bombed out of Barca - a second rate midfielder (at top level) who has no clear position. It doesn't help him that there are third and fourth rate midfielders alongside him; James Milner and Gareth Barry for a start. But Man City are over-rated FC. They're just not that good. And they haven't got a good manager, either. A recipe for failure.

They need a new manager and a squad overhaul. But half their players are unsellable on the wages they're on, with the fees they'd demand. They don't have a half-decent winger in their squad.

I actually think Dzeko is up there with their best players, but they don't have the width or quality to play around him.

[beamer]

Well, the Silva comment is equally applicable to a number of Spanish players who have won everything there is to win in the game. That said, he's not quite Iniesta or Xavi or perhaps even Mata or Fabregas. But easily good enough for any English title winning side in recent memory.

Yaya Toure wasn't really a Barca type of player, his job there was to sit in front of the back four like Busquets does these days, he was wasted there. He's about pace and power and is exactly what United have needed since the days of Roy Keane. Anyway, it's not these two who are City's problem. It's the fact they are less than the sum of their parts and lack a real style or identity to their football. United won the title easily in a season where only one midfielder (Carrick) had more than a half decent campaign.

[LeFromage]

Hart, Zabaleta (today's shocker notwithstanding), Kompany, Nastasic, Toure, Silva, Aguero should be more than enough quality to build an exceptionally strong side around.

Silva's a bit wishy-washy at times and Toure always has the look of a man who has been run into the ground and needs a holiday, but still - it shouldn't be as hard as Mancini is making it look to fill in the remaining gaps with decent footballers that compliment the high calibre "spine" of the side.

Nasri, Tevez, Dzeko should certainly fit the bill, but their attitudes are appalling. Maybe less so Dzeko - he's just a sulker. The rest of the squad is made up of breathtakingly average footballers: Barry, Clichy (who was an embarrassment to defending today), Kolarov, Milner, Javi Garcia.

It doesn't help, of course, that, tactically, Mancini appears constantly befuddled, unable to establish a team style or ethos - and it was somewhat ironic that his side should be overturned by a Wigan outfit playing the three-at-the-back system that he's periodically tried and failed to implement at City.

In summery: Ha ha, City. C*nts. Richer than me c*nts, though.

C*nts.

[LeFromage]

Yaya Toure is a battering ram but makes bad decisions and isn't technically that good. That's why he was bombed out of Barca - a second rate midfielder (at top level) who has no clear position.

I think that's half right. He's a bit better than second rate, but his role as City's creative fulcrum is ridiculous. Yes, he's strong and a powerful runner - but he's got all the subtlety of a double-ended dildo, strapped to a brick, strapped to a boulder.

Barca had his number about right - stick him in front of the back four and tell him to put himself about a bit, get in the way. I think he was better than Serge Biscuits at it.

[skully]

Congrats to Wigan on pulling off the biggest upset since Sunderland beat Leeds in the 73 FA Cup Final.

[Mick Sawyer]

Quite a few wound up by the effort of MC.

Relax lads, only only f*cking soccer.

[PeterCS]

Hart, Zabaleta (today's shocker notwithstanding), Kompany, Nastasic, Toure, Silva, Aguero should be more than enough quality to build an exceptionally strong side around.

Hart? Hart?!? Are we talking of the same player here? Mr Dead Man Letting In Goals?

Vastly overrated.

True, he does make the odd judicious shout to his defence.

But he let the winner yesterday pass between his hands. As so often. When he's not doing an "After you, Claude" to the ball, that is.

The future of the country's football team in his hands? Are you kidding me? We'd be better off with Casper Shmikle, or Crewe's goalkeeper.


Think I'm getting the hang of the Bails now.

[taipan]

Congrats to Wigan on pulling off the biggest upset since Sunderland beat Leeds in the 73 FA Cup Final.

West Ham/Arsenal. Wimbledon/Liverpool?

[PeterCS]

I've just had a terrible thought.

With SAF going, if Man U can offload that loathsome "I am the gkhhraetist" gargoyle with the pig's bristle barnet, Rooney, as well, I would start to find it difficult to dislike them.

Oh, hang on. Giggsy. Forgot about him. The sanctimonious self-righteous little ape of a tryer.


Hmmm, their rip-roaring predator American owners too, who have sunk the club in bottomless running debt.


Well, maybe not then.

[taipan]

I've just had a terrible thought.

With SAF going, if Man U can offload that loathsome "I am the gkhhraetist" gargoyle with the pig's bristle barnet, Rooney, as well, I would start to find it difficult to dislike them.

Oh, hang on. Giggsy. Forgot about him. The sanctimonious self-righteous little ape of a tryer.


Hmmm, their rip-roaring predator American owners too, who have sunk the club in bottomless running debt.


Well, maybe not then.

One can just feel the hatred oozing out.

[Chivalry Augustus]

Well, for all the talking yesterday about that there FA Cup Final, that there Play-Off Semi-Final today was incredible. Hard to believe that two team's seasons can warp between such polarising emotions and feelings in the space of just thirty seconds. I think that's why football will always be 'the' sport, because victory and defeat are so close to each other. You only really get that situation in other sports on very rare occasions. Whereas in football, we've seen sides snatch victory from the jaws of defeat numerous times in the last few months alone (Watford today, Borussia Dortmund at home to Malaga, Doncaster at Brentford - and in all three examples, the results were of reasonable importance in terms of the course of the season for the teams participating in them).

I guess that's what makes football so watchable. You sit through 9 sh*t matches for 1 good one.

[LeFromage]

Saints limp over the line to ensure safety (in all but name) with a point at Sunderland.

Unless they somehow contrive to lose 10-0 at home to Stoke next week, that is. Which would be some effort as Stoke probably haven't had 10 shots on goal in their last 5 matches combined.

Only three teams can take the final relegation place: Wigan, Sunderland, Villa.

From what I've seen, Sunderland fans have the most to fear: their team is abysmal. Final game away to Spurs who have to win for CL football.

Win and a draw from their final two games keeps Wigan up, IMO.

[Brass Monkey]

Pleased for Watford. They deserved a final. They deserved an automatic promotion. Hull? Sheesh

[LeFromage]

Deserved? They don't even have any of their own players. They're basically Udinese reserves. TEN players from their sister clubs are on their books.

Which seems a little unfair on the rest of the league who have to buy/develop their own players.

I'm backing Brighton. Nice club, play good football, sparkly new stadium, Gus Poyet's a bright young manager - they'd be a credit to the PL.

[PeterCS]

What if they made a mistake, and promoted WaLford instead?

[PeterCS]

...

I'm backing Brighton. Nice club, play good football, sparkly new stadium, Gus Poyet's a bright young manager - they'd be a credit to the PL.

I think you've been NLPed by the name Brighton.

Poyet bright?

Young?

They'll be a credit to the NLP, you might as well have said.

[LeFromage]

Madness.

[beamer]

Saints limp over the line to ensure safety (in all but name) with a point at Sunderland.

Unless they somehow contrive to lose 10-0 at home to Stoke next week, that is. Which would be some effort as Stoke probably haven't had 10 shots on goal in their last 5 matches combined.

Only three teams can take the final relegation place: Wigan, Sunderland, Villa.

From what I've seen, Sunderland fans have the most to fear: their team is abysmal. Final game away to Spurs who have to win for CL football.

Win and a draw from their final two games keeps Wigan up, IMO.

Their goal difference is so inferior that they have to win both, unless Sunderland lose by double figures at Spurs. Just can't see it with Arsenal still having to win as well.

[PeterCS]

We are the Champignons

We are the Champignons

No time for Rooneys

For we are the Champignons
of England.

Guid spitch bey Ferrrgie.

[Chivalry Augustus]

Deserved? They don't even have any of their own players. They're basically Udinese reserves. TEN players from their sister clubs are on their books.

Which seems a little unfair on the rest of the league who have to buy/develop their own players.

I'm backing Brighton. Nice club, play good football, sparkly new stadium, Gus Poyet's a bright young manager - they'd be a credit to the PL.

It's a league of loans, freebies, hacks and big club cast offs. We had six loanees within the rules so why is it wrong when Watford assemble a squad on the cheap, within the rules, while playing good football?

[Brass Monkey]

Deserved? They don't even have any of their own players. They're basically Udinese reserves. TEN players from their sister clubs are on their books.

Which seems a little unfair on the rest of the league who have to buy/develop their own players.

I'm backing Brighton. Nice club, play good football, sparkly new stadium, Gus Poyet's a bright young manager - they'd be a credit to the PL.

Yeah, deserved. They were basically right near the top for most of the season, had the same far superior goal difference as the champions and their style of play isn't thuggish smash-and-grab 1-nillers like Hull's.

Deserved.

[LeFromage]

Saints limp over the line to ensure safety (in all but name) with a point at Sunderland.

Unless they somehow contrive to lose 10-0 at home to Stoke next week, that is. Which would be some effort as Stoke probably haven't had 10 shots on goal in their last 5 matches combined.

Only three teams can take the final relegation place: Wigan, Sunderland, Villa.

From what I've seen, Sunderland fans have the most to fear: their team is abysmal. Final game away to Spurs who have to win for CL football.

Win and a draw from their final two games keeps Wigan up, IMO.

Their goal difference is so inferior that they have to win both, unless Sunderland lose by double figures at Spurs. Just can't see it with Arsenal still having to win as well.

No, you're right - I can't count. Two wins or bust for Wigan.

Shame - Sunderland bring nothing to the league. They wouldn't be missed.

[PeterCS]

Basically you're just being anti-fascist, Dello.

[Brass Monkey]

Huh? Just seen that Sturridge got a hattrick today. I can't believe that three balls in one match hit his shin and bobbled in..

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