Football The 2010/2011 Season Thread

[Vladamir]

As another offset, Fulham spanked Bolton 3-0 at home. Sturridge doesn't play = Bolton suck!

 

[megadave]

As an offset to that game, while it was on I got an email saying I got the job as a freelance soccer reporter for the Washington Examiner

Does that mean you have to watch football instead of soccer? might want to find a better job tbh

 

[Embattle]

Probably got a hand on a Laurence Olivier Award as well.

 

[megadave]

As another offset, Fulham spanked Bolton 3-0 at home. Sturridge doesn't play = Bolton suck!

I've just had a brain wave. Next season we should put Sturridge in our first team and loan Bolton Kalou. Win/win.


Afellay looked pretty good today, fast with a good cross.

 

[Marc]

I've just had a brain wave. Next season we should put Sturridge in our first team and loan Bolton Kalou. Win/win.


Afellay looked pretty good today, fast with a good cross.

Pedro got nothing out of Marcelo all night. Marcelo had him in his back pocket. Thankfully, that manager who knows nothing decided to try Affelay instead and he did him. That said, Marcelo was a bit unlucky with the slip that gave Affelay the chance

 

[Marc]

Probably got a hand on a Laurence Olivier Award as well.

Flawless Victory!

 

[megadave]

Pedro got nothing out of Marcelo all night. Marcelo had him in his back pocket. Thankfully, that manager who knows nothing decided to try Affelay instead and he did him. That said, Marcelo was a bit unlucky with the slip that gave Affelay the chance

Marcelo should have been sent off, those stamps were deliberate as anything else all match.

 

[Achilles]

Mourinho brings all of this on himself and he loves it. They were always going to get a player sent off when they set up as they did. Diarra and Pepe, either one of them was going to be likely. Busquets had a terrible game, being a **** aside. Pedro was shocking (and a dick) as well. Barca are lucky they have Messi. Ronaldo looked thoroughly pissed that Mourinho had set Madrid up like that AT HOME. With Barca playing Mascherano at CB and Puyol at LB, its unbelievable he didnt play with any ambition whatsoever. All in all, very glad Barca won... getting tired of Mourinho's teams in the champions league and they got what they deserved for their approach.

 

[Shagrat]

what a piece of crap football match.

nothing of note in the whole match, apart from a messi goal bursting through late on, against a team reduced to 10 men.

i want the 90 minutes of my wasted life back uefa, your sport sucks.

 

[Raven]

It just shows what sort of "fan" thinks that is an example of a decent display of football. Glory over football at any cost...quite sad really.

 

[megadave]

Yeah as much as I appreciate what Mourinho did for us, I don't want him back at all. There's more to football than trophies.

 

[eksdee]

"The return game is mission impossible,'' he told the
press after the game. ''Barcelona has qualified for the
final. Sometimes I feel disgusted about this football
world of ours. Yes, we have already been knocked out.
''We had the intention to keep the game at 0-0, then
bring on a striker, then a third phase with a No. 10
behind three forwards. But the ref didn't allow it.''
Mourinho continued his post-match rant by targeting
Barcelona's record of playing against ten-men in the
competition, most notably their win over Chelsea in the
semi-final in 2009.
''Congratulations to Barcelona,'' he added. ''But I just
do not understand why Barcelona always receive the
help of the referee. All my life I will be asking myself
this question, and one day I hope to receive an answer.
''I am not too sad, I have a great family. But I don't
understand why Barcelona have this power. It
happened two years ago to Chelsea (in the 2009 semi-
finals), almost to my Inter last year, and also to Arsenal
this year.
''Why do the opponents of Barcelona always have a
man sent off? Where does this power come from?
Maybe it is to give more publicity to UNICEF, maybe
because of the power of (Spanish federation president
Jose Angel) Villar in UEFA.''

Mourinho says what everyone else is thinking.

 

[Raven]

That won't go down well!

 

[megadave]

haha what an hero

the cooling off period worked wonders

 

[megadave]

YouTube - Pepe vs Dani Alves

no contact at all ? :O

 

[Marc]

Its obvious Pepe tried to do Alves. Does anyone know if a player can be sent off purely for intention?

 

[Marc]

Plus, if there was no contact, how the hell can you swing your body around like that when you are off balance, in mid air with your right leg moving forward.

Unless the laws of physics are wrong

 

[eksdee]

Just look at the video. Firstly, Pepe gets the ball and secondly, he doesn't even touch Alves. Absolute joke.

 

[Raven]

Very true, he gets the ball and his foot is inches from Alves who does a nice little spin and falls over. I think they actually train diving at Barca. You can't really blame the referee though, Barca are master cheats.

 

[Vasconcelos]

It wasnt a red card but well, it was a matter of time before Barça scored, they have Messi after all, and they dominated the game.

Anyhoo, its funny how Barça never manages to win a match vs 11 players. Somthing to think about it rly.

 

[eksdee]

Well, as Mourinho said - they could have played for 3 hours and it would have still been 0-0.

Barca play some beautiful football, but last night was proof once again that for all their histrionics they are just as bad as any other team. They may not kick players and push them around, but they flat out cheat instead which is so much worse. It's infuriating how they get away with it year on year in the CL.

 

[Corran]

Barca were a joke,
Madrid were a joke.

The entire match was a joke.

Can understand Mourinho going on a rant. Barcelona were diving at every single opportunity and it was a matter of time before the ref sent of a Madrid player.... but Madrid werent exactly playing fair, Di maria? was diving whenever Alves got near him.

And the surrounding of the ref, well you hear the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea getting slatted for it, but these 2 teams are pro's at it, just Barcelona players are better at slipping a gold coin into the refs hand whilst appealing to him

Messi 2nd goal was good, but if not for the lame referee decisions (there were LOTS, and not all were barcelona favoured, but mostly) then I dont think there would have been a goal. With that said though, it was interesting to see that the Red card came at a time where Madrid started to up the pressure and were beginning to get the upper hand.

 

[Raven]

Certain people go on and on about how Spanish football is so good but it's a joke. A game with arguably Spain's two biggest rivals turns into a terrible display. Compare it to the Spurs, Arsenal game a few weeks back. Spanish football doesn't come close.

 

[DaGaffer]

Messi 2nd goal was good, but if not for the lame referee decisions (there were LOTS, and not all were barcelona favoured, but mostly) then I dont think there would have been a goal. With that said though, it was interesting to see that the Red card came at a time where Madrid started to up the pressure and were beginning to get the upper hand.

To be fair, both Messi goals were world class; he's far and away the best player in the world at the moment, but in Ronaldo's defence he had no opportunity to shine last night because of the way Mourinho set up the team. I've a lot of sympathy for Mourinho re the sending off (is that four or five times in row now?), but there's no way Real should have been playing for a draw in the Bernabau.

Certain people go on and on about how Spanish football is so good but it's a joke. A game with arguably Spain's two biggest rivals turns into a terrible display. Compare it to the Spurs, Arsenal game a few weeks back. Spanish football doesn't come close.

I've said it before, La Liga is the SPL on a grand scale; two top teams and a bunch of also-rans. There's a lot to criticise about English football but at least its getting more competitive, not less.

 

[Corran]

Unfortunately, Spanish football will not go the way of Scottish football. Top Scottish teams get worse each year due to the lack of competition, this wont happen in Spain though because they got the money to keep the players there whereas the scottish teams financial situations mean they could never pay decent wages thus cant even get a very decent player, let alone a top class player to stay in the league.

It is why the scottish teams see that getting out of group stage of champions league as being the greatest success possible. lol

 

[DaGaffer]

Unfortunately, Spanish football will not go the way of Scottish football. Top Scottish teams get worse each year due to the lack of competition, this wont happen in Spain though because they got the money to keep the players there whereas the scottish teams financial situations mean they could never pay decent wages thus cant even get a very decent player, let alone a top class player to stay in the league.

It is why the scottish teams see that getting out of group stage of champions league as being the greatest success possible. lol

Spanish pay scales won't be sustainable if (when) the Spanish financial system implodes and they're kicked out of the Euro. No more 20% tax for athletes or any of that bollocks. That's why Barcelona and others are busily sucking up to the arabs and abandoning all their "owned by the fans" principles as fast as they can.

 

[Calaen]

Match should be replayed, with the ref issuing cards the second any of the pack approach him. Pedro is a ****, the way he pays the game sickens me.the card should be over turned.

Barca were not gonna score. I'm confident united can turn them over.

 

[Vasconcelos]

Spanish pay scales won't be sustainable if (when) the Spanish financial system implodes and they're kicked out of the Euro. No more 20% tax for athletes or any of that bollocks. That's why Barcelona and others are busily sucking up to the arabs and abandoning all their "owned by the fans" principles as fast as they can.

yeah and we all know thats going to happen tomorrow...

Barça turned to the arabs simply cuz they were the highest bidders, and ffs! every1 is turning to the arabs just because to put it simple theyr are the ones with the money now.

Besides, Real, Barca, Athletic Bilbao and a couple more are the only clubs in La Liga which are still clubs and not companies.

Its funny how some ppl try to praise the EPL by underestimating La Liga. Yes, the difference btwn the english clubs is tighter than compared with La Liga, and from my pov, the EPL is the best league in europe.....

.....but how many times a diferent club than ManU or Chelsea have won the EPL in the last 10 years?? My guess is the same than the times Valencia has won La Liga in the past decade.

There are not bad teams in La Liga, its just that there are 2 teams that are too far above the rest.

my 2 cents

 

[eksdee]

La Liga is boring as shit. I'd watch the Bundesliga or Serie A over it any day of the week if I had to watch something other than the EPL.

 

[CorNokZ]

Don't see Pepe's tackle as a red at all! His foot wasn't even high and the way Dani Alves rolls around like a cnut just makes me feel even more hate towards him and the rest of Barcelona. Disgrace of a team if you ask me. The half time brawl seemed like a big discussion up until Valdes and Pinto decided to take it up a notch and get violent. Justice was served when Pinto was sent off, that cheating son of a bitch.

El Clássico used to be a battle of the stars and great football, but apparently it has all turned to shit now with diving, cheating and fights, with very little attractive football to be seen. A shame for sure.

Last night's match only made it clearer to me why I hate Barca so much. I don't follow Spanish football at all and I am not no Madrista, I just REALLY hate Barcelona!