Football The 2010/2011 Season Thread

[Lethul]

Did you like what you saw from Oscar Lethul? Liverpool are keeping a sharp eye on him according to one of their scouts

Did not see the game, was he any good?

 

[Wonk]

No idea, that's why i'm asking

 

[CorNokZ]

I like your sig Wonk, but I just google'd the guy you quoted, cause I had no idea who he was..

To those of you who doesn't know, I can now tell you that he is a Scottish curler

 

[xomer]

i saw a game yesterday and was really fun. I enjoyed a lot

I thought that this game wasn't so nice as it really is.

 

[Marc]

So now those waste of time international out the way.. time for the weekend..

Blackpool.. we must win.

I hope blackpool are 3-0 up and Wolves score 4 in injury time just to see Hollaways reaction

 

[Marc]

Wouldn't make Ronaldo's top 10 either...

It would. It would be number 1, the other 9 being free kicks

 

[Everz]

I hope blackpool are 3-0 up and Wolves score 4 in injury time just to see Hollaways reaction

I'm nursing a semi over that.

 

[Raven]

England were fucking shit yet again.

Hoofball, chase. yawn

 

[xomer]

i saw a game yesterday and was really fun. I enjoyed a lot

I thought that this game wasn't so nice as it really is.

this was for American football, it was a mistake that i post it here !

 

[CorNokZ]

It would. It would be number 1, the other 9 being free kicks

Messi is only considered the best cause he plays shit defences every week. Ronaldo proved in England that he was at the time the world's greatest footballer

Where was Messi in the World Cup once Argentina met a proper defence? No where to be found

 

[leviathane]

i'm gonna offer my services to the england team, looks like they could do with another average joe in the squad.

 

[Wonk]

I like your sig Wonk, but I just google'd the guy you quoted, cause I had no idea who he was..

To those of you who doesn't know, I can now tell you that he is a Scottish curler

haha no, even worse, it's a goal.com journalist. It sounds cool though.

 

[Marc]

Messi is only considered the best cause he plays shit defences every week. Ronaldo proved in England that he was at the time the world's greatest footballer

Where was Messi in the World Cup once Argentina met a proper defence? No where to be found

Im not getting into this argument again, suffice to say that everyone bar the La Liga haters could see he had a good tournament playing in a deep position that he isnt accustomed to. Great? No, good? Yes. Better than Ronaldo did, far better! He was the focal point of everything Argentina did well. I would have liked to see him in the role he plays for Barca, but Maradonna had other ideas.

Hes ripped apart every team from the "worlds best league" he has played against, which shows he can do it against top defenses. No doubt you will point to the Inter Milan game, but even the likes of Zidane would have struggled to break down such a well drilled defense.

I do agree though, that he will only be mentioned in the same breath as the Zidanes and Fat Ronaldos of the world, once, he has dominated an international tournament, but as far as club level is concerned, he had achieved everything needed to be classed as great, by the time he was 21. Unfortunatley for him, its all very well being the worlds best player, but you do need a bit of reliance on the other players around you to dominate games and I just dont feel Argentina have that currently, nor a coach who is upto the job.

 

[Raven]

Hes ripped apart every team from the "worlds best league" he has played against, which shows he can do it against top defenses.

Um, no he didn't. He was hardly effective except in one game when Barca shat on Arsenal.

He is good, but this weird obsession is worrying, he is not one of the best ever. He won't be until he does it consistently either internationally or in a domestic league that is any sort of a challenge, the Spanish league is a long way from being a challenge.

 

[Vladamir]

I

Hes ripped apart every team from the "worlds best league" he has played against, which shows he can do it against top defenses. No doubt you will point to the Inter Milan game, but even the likes of Zidane would have struggled to break down such a well drilled defense.

I've yet to see him do anything other than dive like a cnut against the mighty blues

 

[Calaen]

Messi did have a very good world cup and I totally agree with you about him Marc, the guy really can't do anymore on his own. He has won pretty much it all aside from the world cup and contributed more doing that in his very short career than some people contribute in a life time.


In the past I would have used the he must win a world cup to be classed as great, but I have changed my opinion.

Personally I don't think he needs to win the world cup to be classed as a great, look around the rest of the Argentinian squad they are mostly muppets that the real big clubs with sensible managers wouldn't take, take Higuan, possibly Tevez out of the squad and you've got shit all else other than has beens and wannabe's. He needs more than being great to win a competition where Jonas Gutierrez is a full back and Demichelis is anywhere near the squad

Messi has nothing to prove as far as I am concerned, however, I still don't think he would be as effective in the premier league, simply because of how physical our league is. People are actually allowed to tackle over here, where as in Spain the teams from top to bottom are far more technical than the teams over here simply because they get the time on the ball.

Veron is a prime example, before he came over here everyone that heard his name would say world class midfielder. However the pace of the game over here and the fact people actually pressured him when he had the ball made him look second rate.

For me Ronaldo has the slight edge, but only because I enjoy watching players with a bit of arrogance specially when they back it up with an end product. And the fact he's done it over here, on top of all the media fall out from the european championships. But then again I hate watching teams like Spain play football, it's almost as bad as watching Liverpool play atm.

 

[Embattle]

Im not getting into this argument again, suffice to say that everyone bar the La Liga haters could see he had a good tournament playing in a deep position that he isnt accustomed to. Great? No, good? Yes. Better than Ronaldo did, far better! He was the focal point of everything Argentina did well. I would have liked to see him in the role he plays for Barca, but Maradonna had other ideas.

Hes ripped apart every team from the "worlds best league" he has played against, which shows he can do it against top defenses. No doubt you will point to the Inter Milan game, but even the likes of Zidane would have struggled to break down such a well drilled defense.

I do agree though, that he will only be mentioned in the same breath as the Zidanes and Fat Ronaldos of the world, once, he has dominated an international tournament, but as far as club level is concerned, he had achieved everything needed to be classed as great, by the time he was 21. Unfortunatley for him, its all very well being the worlds best player, but you do need a bit of reliance on the other players around you to dominate games and I just dont feel Argentina have that currently, nor a coach who is upto the job.

:worthy:

 

[megadave]

Why is that Henderson guy being rated so highly? Absolutely zero technical ability, can barely pass. All he is is another big tall strong England lad who can do a bit of running. In other words the sort of player that's been crippling English football for decades.

 

[Marc]

Why is that Henderson guy being rated so highly? Absolutely zero technical ability, can barely pass. All he is is another big tall strong England lad who can do a bit of running. In other words the sort of player that's been crippling English football for decades.

Excluding the Gerrard and Lampard generation, there is only Micheal Johnson who looks to have the technical ability of the aformentioned, but hes always injured and Wayne Rooney of course. I remember hearing Godiola commenting that you can learn physical abilty in an off season, but technical ability takes years to hone and the reason why england will never win a major tournament again

 

[Calaen]

Why is that Henderson guy being rated so highly? Absolutely zero technical ability, can barely pass. All he is is another big tall strong England lad who can do a bit of running. In other words the sort of player that's been crippling English football for decades.

Look at the lads stats, he rarely gives the ball away and he has an engine to get up and back. He is also a very decent tackler for his age.

Last night wasn't about beating France, it was about a manager being forced to integrate new players into a squad full of players who have always talked about success yet never delivered. We had 3 new lads on the pitch, Caroll handled himself well given the service he received, Henderson won all of his tackles and had 80% plus pass success ratio. Gibbs is definately one to replace Ashley cole.

All things considered it was a decent night, now we just need to get Michael Johnson playing first team football because that lad does have the technical skill and footballing brain that England lacks.

I'd take a Henderson who lives and breathes football, still lives with his folks, don't drink or smoke or go out partying with the others, giving 110% every game and learning and improving over a Lampard or any other of the over paid we've done it all footballers.

England biggest Problem is Cappelos system has always revolved around being hard to beat and taking a chance when you make it. Unfortunately for him, teams like Spain already play this style of football but they have the ability to keep the ball for 30 minutes a half, due to their actual ability with the ball and movement off it. England cannot do this.

England don't just need a system, they need a complete overhaul of how England functions as an international team. Players need to be educated to the system and if that means us not winning anything (HAHAHAAH) or even going to the next couple of tournaments while we breed the young guys in then so be it. Give me more of the young guys who are a bit rough around the edges to learn from the mistakes of the failures they are coming in to replace.

Grass roots and focus on the kids that are technical over the kids that are big for their age and can score goals for fun or defend against people half their size and speed. That is the problem I watch it most weekend mornings, the ball just being hoofed to the 12 year old who is 1 foot taller than defender he is up against. The team wins so the manager don't give a shit.

 

[JingleBells]

Why is that Henderson guy being rated so highly? Absolutely zero technical ability, can barely pass. All he is is another big tall strong England lad who can do a bit of running. In other words the sort of player that's been crippling English football for decades.

Can barely pass? He set up Gyan's goal against Chelsea on Sunday for a start, and his passes seem fairly accurate if you use the Guardian chalkboards

Here's what Venables has to say about him:

“The boys [Jordan] Henderson and [Lee] Cattermole who played for Sunderland against Chelsea at the weekend; they were excellent,” Venables told Sport.co.uk in an exclusive interview.
“That pair’s performance together in central midfield was as good as I have seen so far this season. Henderson’s ability to control a moving ball and pass on the run first time was excellent.
“The Arsenal boys and the Barcelona squad, they do that short passing but he seems to be able to do it over even longer distances and even more accurately. The two of them were non-stop and they completely outdid the three Chelsea midfielders.”

 

[Bahumat]

Messi is only considered the best cause he plays shit defences every week. Ronaldo proved in England that he was at the time the world's greatest footballer

Where was Messi in the World Cup once Argentina met a proper defence? No where to be found

Did you not hear? He flew to south Africa in cambiasso's pocket as he never could get out

 

[leviathane]

So gerrard out for 4 weeks, liverpool to sink bk down table again then?

 

[Bahumat]

Aph3x is a sunderland fan, will get him to respond to megadave comment. Think Dave is wrong though.

 

[cHodAX]

So gerrard out for 4 weeks, liverpool to sink bk down table again then?

What a lovely Christmas present that would be.

 

[Lethul]

I really don't understand Marc's fanboyism over Messi. Sure he is good, might even be the best attacking player in the world. But why do you have to say it every 2 posts?

Wasn't it you who quoted something like;

"boasting on another persons behalf is extremely lame"

in another thread?

 

[Wonk]

Lindegaard -> Manchester United

 

[Aph3x]

Jordan Henderson was played slightly out of position as a holding midfielder, he didnt have his best game but I thought as the game went on he grew a bit in stature and by the end of the match he put a couple of lovely through balls to Johnson and Milner so saying he can't pass is horse shit. He's a very young lad who's been pushed to the England full team before his should have been. Give him time to adapt to the level of International football and Im sure he will be fine.

 

[Aph3x]

Excluding the Gerrard and Lampard generation, there is only Micheal Johnson who looks to have the technical ability of the aformentioned, but hes always injured and Wayne Rooney of course. I remember hearing Godiola commenting that you can learn physical abilty in an off season, but technical ability takes years to hone and the reason why england will never win a major tournament again

Jack Wilshire?


Edit wrong forename.

 

[Marc]

Jack Wilshire?


Edit wrong forename.

Yes, fair point! He does look the biz