Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue May 31, 2011 1:53 pm  

Watched the European Cup final again earlier. Don't think we played badly just think Barca were a different class. Considering the how one sided most of the game was I thought Rooney was pretty immense for us. Can't see him hanging around for more than another year without any big signings though. Not sure about the tactic of trying to play it long over the top. Just seemed to give the ball straight back to Barca pretty much every time. Don't know what else we could've done though apart from put 10 men on the goal-line.

Good to see Swansea come up. At least Liverpool will now get a euro away next season.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue May 31, 2011 5:21 pm  

Just watching Scholes the Goals on Sky and not being a great follower of International football who on earth thought it was a good idea to play him on the left?

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue May 31, 2011 7:40 pm  

Karlos13 wrote:

Watched the European Cup final again earlier. Don't think we played badly just think Barca were a different class. Considering the how one sided most of the game was I thought Rooney was pretty immense for us. Can't see him hanging around for more than another year without any big signings though. Not sure about the tactic of trying to play it long over the top. Just seemed to give the ball straight back to Barca pretty much every time. Don't know what else we could've done though apart from put 10 men on the goal-line.

Good to see Swansea come up. At least Liverpool will now get a euro away next season.

Just listening to the Rooney interveiw on talksport from this morning and he is pretty indepth when talking about what happened in the final etc he actually comes across as a pretty down to earth bloke and not the chav people claim him to be

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue May 31, 2011 8:43 pm  

J.T wrote:

Just watching Scholes the Goals on Sky and not being a great follower of International football who on earth thought it was a good idea to play him on the left?

Sven iirc

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue May 31, 2011 8:48 pm  

Really sad to see Scholes retire, he's been an unbelievable player and without doubt one of the finest, if not the finest player to ever play for Utd.

Giggs, Keane, Scholes, Beckham - Fantastic midfield.




Conflicting resport on Young, some reports suggest Utd and some suggest Liverpool?

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue May 31, 2011 8:53 pm  

mutt1 wrote:

Just listening to the Rooney interveiw on talksport from this morning and he is pretty indepth when talking about what happened in the final etc he actually comes across as a pretty down to earth bloke and not the chav people claim him to be

Really? I've always understood him as a boring old sod, abit like how Darren Farley sees him on that video website...

"Erm.....erm....yeah....Just put me out on that bloody pitch will you...I know they rely on me...I'm bloody great"

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue May 31, 2011 9:17 pm  

Catalancs wrote: Paul Scholes: A video appreciation from the Guardian. http://m.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2 ... pe=article Brilliant.

Catalancs wrote: Paul Scholes: A video appreciation from the Guardian. http://m.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2 ... pe=article Brilliant.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue May 31, 2011 10:15 pm  

J.T wrote:

Just watching Scholes the Goals on Sky and not being a great follower of International football who on earth thought it was a good idea to play him on the left?

It's depressing to think that the need to try and squeeze Lampard and Gerrard into the same team, which cost the national team Scholes' service, continues to this day.

The press (who have constantly been given too much thought by England managers) would have gone ballistic if either of the golden boys had been left out in '04, I'm not sure it wouldn't be too dissimilar now - even after the intervening years of mediocrity.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue May 31, 2011 10:30 pm  

The reason we're behind isn't the personnel they pick, it's the technical ability of the players. The Barcelona players are far superior technically to anything we have in this country, only perhaps Leon Osman would fit into that category of ability with the ball.

It's the little things that make you good in football, positioning, defensive discipline and closing down are important but the basics are where Barcelona are better. They receive the ball better, they are so efficient with every touch and their passing is just fantastic. Their choice of pass is superior too, but they weight their passes so well that it is very rare for them to give up possession. Everything is so crisp and calm, even back to the keeper. With the pace they move it about and how well they know each other it makes them formidable.

In England we're all about hustle and bustle and running round a lot. Even the likes of United, whilst clearly better than most in the Premier League rely on pressure and pinning the opposition back to score. They are miles away from the technical level Barcelona play at.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Tue May 31, 2011 10:52 pm  

Asim wrote:

It's depressing to think that the need to try and squeeze Lampard and Gerrard into the same team, which cost the national team Scholes' service, continues to this day.

The press (who have constantly been given too much thought by England managers) would have gone ballistic if either of the golden boys had been left out in '04, I'm not sure it wouldn't be too dissimilar now - even after the intervening years of mediocrity.

Bang on. The failure of the golden generation really boils down to that and the continued reliance upon Beckham who never was that great in the first place.