Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Dec 24, 2011 9:41 pm  

100% Wire wrote: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2011/12/23/liverpool-fc-striker-luis-suarez-named-sky-player-of-year-for-2011-despite-technical-error-which-led-lfc-fans-to-say-poll-was-fixed-video-100252-30003989/ SkySports have returned the favour http://www.skysports.com/story/0%2C%...90428%2C0.html boycott? petition? t-shirt?

100% Wire wrote: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2011/12/23/liverpool-fc-striker-luis-suarez-named-sky-player-of-year-for-2011-despite-technical-error-which-led-lfc-fans-to-say-poll-was-fixed-video-100252-30003989/ SkySports have returned the favour http://www.skysports.com/story/0%2C%...90428%2C0.html boycott? petition? t-shirt?

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Dec 24, 2011 10:05 pm  

Link doesn't work.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Dec 24, 2011 10:14 pm  

Roddy B wrote: Link doesn't work. oops, sorry bout that http://www.skysports.com/story/0%2C%2C1 ... 8%2C0.html

Roddy B wrote: Link doesn't work. oops, sorry bout that http://www.skysports.com/story/0%2C%2C1 ... 8%2C0.html

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Dec 24, 2011 10:46 pm  

flipper wrote: oops, sorry bout that http://www.skysports.com/story/0%2C%2C1 ... 8%2C0.html Does Jermain Defoe have 'the cannibal of Tottenham' on his profile? Does Phil Neville have a mention about his hand of God in the Merseyside derby a few years ago? Is there a debut despair feature on Jonathan Woodgate's profile, after his humiliation on Madrid debut? I laugh at articles like that from Sky as it's pretty much the same guff most of their pundits come up with. At least they're consistent.

flipper wrote: oops, sorry bout that http://www.skysports.com/story/0%2C%2C1 ... 8%2C0.html Does Jermain Defoe have 'the cannibal of Tottenham' on his profile? Does Phil Neville have a mention about his hand of God in the Merseyside derby a few years ago? Is there a debut despair feature on Jonathan Woodgate's profile, after his humiliation on Madrid debut? I laugh at articles like that from Sky as it's pretty much the same guff most of their pundits come up with. At least they're consistent.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Dec 24, 2011 11:22 pm  

Roddy B wrote:

Who was the last 'good' English player that was versatile? Probably Owen Hargreaves, but he isn't English, he's German trained. The reason I ask this is because our biggest weakness has always been our inability to adapt. The Spanish are a good example of how versatility can benefit a side, another good example are the Germans. Do people remember Schweinsteiger being a winger? Now he's one of the most complete midfielders in the world. Lahm has played either flank comfortably. Ozil can play left, right or down the middle, as can Muller. You'll see players like Marin and Reus this summer, whilst everybody knows international footballers greatest winger - Podolski - who's always been a striker, hasn't he?

In England, we seem to accept the bile that idiots like Jamie Redknapp come up with. All Redknapp ever said about Gerrard was 'first name on my team sheet, in the middle, bossing the midfield'. Even when Benitez played him centrally and gained his greatest form, Redknapp would still have had him in midfield.

If the English players could adapt more, both positionally and in their playing style, we'd probably look remotely decent. Our obsession with playing players in their 'natural position' had led to us 'over accommodating' players. We had Lampard, Gerrard and Rooney playing centrally, when one would have been sufficient.

For me, a player like Sturridge would suit England perfectly if they're to play a counter-attacking style, which I feel they should do. England over recent years have always assumed the role of 'favourite', but, as was seen against Spain, when England aren't favourites and don't try to be, they can actually grind out a decent result. Yes, it was a friendly, but they shown a lot more in that one game than they shown during the World Cup. That should have set the template there and then, they should try and do to Germany what Germany done to them: defend tightly, counter-attack quickly, win the key positional battles and cramp their creative players for space. If England turn up playing 4-4-2, Lampard and Barry in midfield with Rooney and whoever up front, they'll be embarrassed.

Agree with you in general, I think people become obsessed with playing people in positions, when the best sides are the best sides because they are able to interchange, Dani Alves plays about 5 positions a match for Barca and does it with immense quality. Messi is hard to pick up, he collects the ball from so many odd areas of the pitch.

I think the excitement ref Jones is down to his ability to adapt, he looks a player that is equally adept at right back, centre back, anchor in midfield etc, in that respect he reminds me of Hargreaves. I do think we are starting to produce a few more like this, Ashley Young, Sturridge for example can be used in various functions, Rooney too.

From an attacking point of view, once we get a front three that all interchange, are equally comfortable poppong up in each area and that, we'll have a chance.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sun Dec 25, 2011 10:35 am  

Point was the scousers claiming everybody is against them again

Anybody would have cleared that ball off the line when a world cup semi is at stake IMO, think people were more outraged because it was an African team on the receiving end of it

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sun Dec 25, 2011 8:43 pm  

From Rod Liddle at the Times.

The Uruguyans, squirming with embarrassment, have insisted they have nothing against the United Kingdom, but a lot in favour of Argentina, hence their vote for the embargo. I can’t think of anything useful or even interesting to have come out of Uruguay, which we might boycott in return. It is just a large river and some fields of maize. There’s the rat-faced racist footballer Luis Suarez, of course, who plays for Liverpool — perhaps the Football Association was getting its retaliation in early by banning him for eight games.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Mon Dec 26, 2011 8:26 pm  

Easy win for United. Berbatov was class, the all-stars now on same points. The King still getting good points at home against top teams. In Kenny we trust.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Mon Dec 26, 2011 9:11 pm  

Utd will probably overtake City at some point, but City will still win it. City have played most of the big teams away and still have to bring Utd back to Eastlands. End of Jan, Utd have a tricky spell.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Mon Dec 26, 2011 9:24 pm  

Think this season proves how average the premier league has become...that the top 2 (who didn't qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League) can be so far in front of the others that everyone talks about a two horse race.

In terms of quality its been very poor, when a team like Norwich can come up and look comfortable at this level shows how many dross teams are hanging on each season by their fingertips.