Football The 2011/2012 Season Thread

[eksdee]

To add to that, Napoli are my back for the scudetto this season.

Hamsik
Lavezzi
Cavani
Pandev
Gokhan Inler

All fucking dons.

Good shout, will definitely be between them and Milan I think. Inter are in turmoil with Gasperini's tactics simply not working for them and I think Juve just don't have the depth in their squad right now to put up a sustained challenge. Hamsik is an outstanding player, I was really hoping Chelsea would go in for him when it became apparent Modric wasn't going to leave Spurs.

 

[Everz]

Napoli's 3-4-3 is simply amazingly well played, it's great that Serie A has become a league now where such tactics are viable.

An outside punt would be on Parma making Europe, Giovinco is an absolute beast and an amazing steal, same for Udinese.. just because they lost Sanchez and Inler doesnt mean tiddly shit, theres always a ready made replacement or a cheap kid they will turn into a mint player, that said player being Gabriel Torje, has all the potential, that and they have the beast that is Di Natale.

Inter are fucking dire, but then the team aint exactly buzzing imo, Sneijder and Forlan aside the most have turned distinctly average, especially since the departure of Mourinho, same as Gasperini at Genoa was a revelation. Milan will turn it around, they've been unlucky to come up against solid sides so far but when the cogs start going I can see them sustaining a challenge.

I agree on Juve, not enough yet to be challenging for the scudetto but Champions League is well within reach and as such that should be the goal. Think it'll just be quality to see them back there and hopefully back as the premier team in Italy, they bought well in the summer, Vucinic, Elia, Vidal, Pirlo are all solid players.

Roma will not click till Totti is gone, mark my words.

 

[Everz]

Worth noting also that for Chelsea fans good ole Borini plys his trade at Roma now.

 

[eksdee]

Indeed. Totti is just bad for the club now, he needs to retire.

I find it utterly baffling that Di Natale can't get in the national side. Best Italian striker for the last few years by a good distance. I really hope both Napoli and Udinese do well in the Champion's League. Same with Borussia Dortmund, I love to see young and exciting teams doing well.

 

[eksdee]

m.guardian.co.uk

King Cavani, I like it.

 

[Calaen]

I saw Di Maria do a fucking ridiculous dive tbh Are you a Madrid fan or something? He clearly made contact with his retaliation lunge.

no and I saw the replay and even the commentators said no contact on thhis own tackle!

 

[Everz]

Indeed. Totti is just bad for the club now, he needs to retire.

I find it utterly baffling that Di Natale can't get in the national side. Best Italian striker for the last few years by a good distance. I really hope both Napoli and Udinese do well in the Champion's League. Same with Borussia Dortmund, I love to see young and exciting teams doing well.

Yep, he's no longer even seen as a god in the Roma fans side, just as a thorn that is halting progress because he can't seem to let go. It's been said for many years that Totti manages Roma.

Age and that he doesn't play for one of the big guns go against Di Natale unfortunately, he was criminally underated at Empoli and is a total king for Udinese, much like Marco Di Vaio for Bologna who has consistently being brilliant.

Dortmund seem to be having 2nd season syndrome atm. Similar to what happened to Stuttgart and Wolfsburg after they won the title. Kagawa and Gotze are two of my favourite players atm. Makes me sick the amount of talent the German national team current has.

 

[eksdee]

Frightening isn't it? Germany vs Spain for the Euros final next year please. What a game that could be!

 

[Everz]

Ozil
Khedira
Kroos
Bender twins (lols)
Schurrle
Gotze
Holtby

Combined with players who have seemed to have been around for years but are still only mid-20s.. fuck me Schweinsteiger and Podolski have nearly 100caps each and both aren't even in their prime yet.

England take note.

 

[JingleBells]

Worth noting also that for Chelsea fans good ole Borini plys his trade at Roma now.

WTF, he joined Parma from Chelsea then instantly goes on loan to Roma. Italian transfers are so utterly bizarre

 

[eksdee]

England will never take note.

Just noticed in that article about the Napoli game:

Milan will point to mitigating circumstances of course, to the fact that Kevin-Prince Boateng and Robinho were both unavailable, as was Zlatan Ibrahimovic

 

[Everz]

WTF, he joined Parma from Chelsea then instantly goes on loan to Roma. Italian transfers are so utterly bizarre

Italians transfer are weird in general, what with co-ownerships and transfers similiar to those above.

Hell, Boateng was bought by Genoa then loan to Milan instantly.

 

[eksdee]

Italy, dodgy dealings? What? Move along, nothing to see here.

 

[eksdee]

Wow, Zanetti matched Inter Milan's appearance record at the weekend - 756 games, previously held by the almighty Giuseppi Bergomi. What a shitty game to celebrate such a momentous achievement for such a great player.

 

[Vladamir]

Anyone played the Fifa demo yet? Barcelona's team is pretty much all above 83-84, Messi peaks it at 95

 

[eksdee]

Yeah, I'm addicted already. Love the new motion controls. Had some fun darting past 3 or 4 people with Messi.

 

[Vladamir]

I'm glad they've changed the defending so you can't just spam sprint pressure but man it makes for a different game.

Wonder if I need a new team to play with because Milan have got some sick ratings now, Thiago Silva 87, Ibra 89, Cassano 86, Robinho & Pato 84

 

[Everz]

I feel like a tit for not even bothering to own an xbox.

So not a gamer these days at all.

 

[Vladamir]

Fifa's about the only thing I've bought in recent years, will get Deus Ex when I have time to play it but rarely have more than an hour or so to sit down and game these days, makes a change from the 12 hour Daoc marathons

 

[megadave]

they've upped ratings across the board now i believe

 

[Everz]

Fifa's about the only thing I've bought in recent years, will get Deus Ex when I have time to play it but rarely have more than an hour or so to sit down and game these days, makes a change from the 12 hour Daoc marathons

Aye hah, last game that wasn't FM I bought was WoW on release. Yea all my mates get onto to me to get into the CoD/Fifa/Gears of War kinda thing but they just seem shit and consoles seem to piss me off more so.

 

[eksdee]

Fifa is incredible these days, so far removed from what made PES of old fun, but fun in a totally different way. I actually 'unflashed' my Xbox so I could buy a legit copy of Fifa 12 to play online.

Speaking of which, if anyone fancies some games when it comes out my Xbox live username is Miriola.

 

[Vladamir]

I think the tactical defending will certainly make it more of a possession game, but I'm worried that it'll just be a godmode show of bulldozing or zooming past players because you can't put a decent tackle in

Looks like ratings have gone up across the board though as megadave said, loads of the stats available on youtube.

 

[Everz]

I played Fifa 11 a good few times last year as we had an xbox in the frontroom.. had to say I was still a don at it.. remained unbeaten whilst generally being gash teams.

12 could be fun, all depends on where I'm living come next 2-3 weeks.

 

[eksdee]

I think the tactical defending will certainly make it more of a possession game, but I'm worried that it'll just be a godmode show of bulldozing or zooming past players because you can't put a decent tackle in

Looks like ratings have gone up across the board though as megadave said, loads of the stats available on youtube.

Careful use of the X button to keep pace with people going past you, coupled with getting in tune with timing your tackles well and using the 'contain' feature (both for who you're controling with A and R1 for the closest non-player controled player) arguably makes it easier to defend. I can see your concern though, it is definitely hard to get to grips with at first.

 

[megadave]

Tbh i think FIFA these last few years has been the dullest football game ever made.

Still play it though

 

[Vladamir]

Bring back the days of PES6!

 

[Lollie]

aye nothing beats Highbury vs Oranges with heiry tennry up front

 

[Keitanz]

PES11 was a massive improvement on PES10 really, I can't wait for PES12.

A review I read recently got it spot on.. PES plays more like the European game while FIFA is more like the Premiership, a lot more physical..

That being said I'll be playing both again I guess

 

[megadave]

Ronaldo getting burnt for pace by a fat 36 year old defender

Ballesteros beats Cristiano Ronaldo in a sprint - YouTube