Roiling football blather
- Thread starter crackerjack
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- alan smith 17 arsene the glum aesthete basic schoolboy errors benitez the sad clown borderline rivaldo shithousing boring cunt bromley spiritual healer chelsea :facepalm: dracula and his war council henry does an adam smith i am a holding midfielder of your face. jumpers for goalposts lads it's tottenham large samuel ole's at the wheel serie a epic fail shearer yawn shed ted square balls the special one traffordish waving imaginary cards
hucks
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So the Toon went doon, and a lot of people seemed to enjoy it.
Somehow, though, I have developed some respect for Alan Shearer over the last few weeks. He had a terrible squad to work with (though it would have been good in 2002 - Owen, Butt, Duff, Viduka). Quite how any premiership club can assemble a set of players none of whom have any pace is quite beyond me. I don't know what he could have done with those players.
Not saying he's a good manager, he evidently made mistakes with formations and was too cautious in some really important games, but he wants to stick around and get them promoted again.I used to totally hate him, even when he was playing for Blackburn and England, so this is all a bit surprising to me. I thought he was just doing the Geordie messiah bit, then walk off saying it was nothing to do with him, but he does genuinely care. So, fair play.
Somehow, though, I have developed some respect for Alan Shearer over the last few weeks. He had a terrible squad to work with (though it would have been good in 2002 - Owen, Butt, Duff, Viduka). Quite how any premiership club can assemble a set of players none of whom have any pace is quite beyond me. I don't know what he could have done with those players.
Not saying he's a good manager, he evidently made mistakes with formations and was too cautious in some really important games, but he wants to stick around and get them promoted again.I used to totally hate him, even when he was playing for Blackburn and England, so this is all a bit surprising to me. I thought he was just doing the Geordie messiah bit, then walk off saying it was nothing to do with him, but he does genuinely care. So, fair play.
crackerjack
Well-known member
Despite what I said upthread, he seemed a lot more engaged by the end.
Like that banner though, more than the ones at Arse yesterday - what kinda knobhead uses a semi-colon in a football banner? It looked like he'd just done a sodding Microsoft grammar check.
Credit to Sunderland, who at least managed two against a very good side. But them apart, that was the limpest collection of failed great escapes in living memory. God 'elp us if there's a war etc...
Like that banner though, more than the ones at Arse yesterday - what kinda knobhead uses a semi-colon in a football banner? It looked like he'd just done a sodding Microsoft grammar check.
Credit to Sunderland, who at least managed two against a very good side. But them apart, that was the limpest collection of failed great escapes in living memory. God 'elp us if there's a war etc...
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don_quixote
Trent End
i cant decide whether newcastle going down is good for football or just reduces the pool of teams who could feasibly catch the top 4 (who are now seemingly down to everton, villa and spurs from those three plus leeds, newcastle as big teams who could sustain a challenge or actually made it)
ok, since the development of the big 4 (2003-04 when abramhovic bought chelsea) teams that have finished within 5 points of the top 4:
2003-04 newcastle 5th and villa 6th (4 points)
2004-05 everton 4th (in top 4) and bolton 6th (3 points off top 4, on same points as liverpool)
2005-06 spurs 5th (2 points) and blackburn 6th (4 points)
2006-07 no teams (nearest team 8 points away)
2007-08 no teams (nearest team 11 points away)
2008-09 no teams (nearest team 9 points away)
for me this not only shows that a top 4 has been established, but they are only getting stronger. it looked like villa could break them at one point this season but you just cant compete with them.
arsenals allegedly poor showing of 72 points would have been enough to get into the top 4 of any premiership season. everton's 63 points is more than they got when they did finish 4th four seasons ago and now theyre 9 points away.
the step up in quality these teams have to make to even start catching them is crazy.
top 4 will be the same next season and unless something drastic happens (and i'm taking account of manchester city, who even with all the cash in the world can't achieve the sustained results required to hit that top 4 standard - villa were there for 6 months of this season and STILL couldn't pull it off) i can't see it being broken in the next 5 years.
ok, since the development of the big 4 (2003-04 when abramhovic bought chelsea) teams that have finished within 5 points of the top 4:
2003-04 newcastle 5th and villa 6th (4 points)
2004-05 everton 4th (in top 4) and bolton 6th (3 points off top 4, on same points as liverpool)
2005-06 spurs 5th (2 points) and blackburn 6th (4 points)
2006-07 no teams (nearest team 8 points away)
2007-08 no teams (nearest team 11 points away)
2008-09 no teams (nearest team 9 points away)
for me this not only shows that a top 4 has been established, but they are only getting stronger. it looked like villa could break them at one point this season but you just cant compete with them.
arsenals allegedly poor showing of 72 points would have been enough to get into the top 4 of any premiership season. everton's 63 points is more than they got when they did finish 4th four seasons ago and now theyre 9 points away.
the step up in quality these teams have to make to even start catching them is crazy.
top 4 will be the same next season and unless something drastic happens (and i'm taking account of manchester city, who even with all the cash in the world can't achieve the sustained results required to hit that top 4 standard - villa were there for 6 months of this season and STILL couldn't pull it off) i can't see it being broken in the next 5 years.
don_quixote
Trent End
we're all agreed the top 4 needs breaking for the good of football right?
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Yep.
But I'm increasingly of the view that it needs one of the top 4 to fall out rather than another team to break in. So when Rafa was rowing with the owners at Liverpool, he might have walked out, gone to Madrid and taken Gerrard with him (for example), that mighthave caused Liverpool to slip down the league. Or Abramovich might get bored and pull the plug on Chelsea. But over the natural course of events, no, I can't see anyone breaking into the top 4.
But I'm increasingly of the view that it needs one of the top 4 to fall out rather than another team to break in. So when Rafa was rowing with the owners at Liverpool, he might have walked out, gone to Madrid and taken Gerrard with him (for example), that mighthave caused Liverpool to slip down the league. Or Abramovich might get bored and pull the plug on Chelsea. But over the natural course of events, no, I can't see anyone breaking into the top 4.
crackerjack
Well-known member
All except Liverpool, yes, of course.
It's the Champions League, chaps.
I've been trying (and failing) to find an old Martin Samuel piece detailing precisely what's happened right across Europe since the launch of the CL. But if you can be bothered to do the research, it's all there. There have been freakish exceptions (Valenica winning La Liga, Serie A being turned upside down by the ref-fixing scandal), but the pattern is the same everywhere. Be glad we still get 4 teams in the CL - at least we have a big 4, not a big 1.
scottdisco
rip this joint please
agreed w' all esp Cracker fingering the CL.
though please Don_Quixote, scratch L***s from your sums
though please Don_Quixote, scratch L***s from your sums
hucks
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Yes and no. It's cemented Barca and Real in Spain, certainly, but there is competition for the ther two places. Italy is more fluid (after Inter) and Germany is all ovr the place. France had a big 1 (arf!) till this season. Portugal has always been one from three. I suppose Olympiakos and Rosenberg win their leagues every year, but nowhere else has a solidified top 4 like we do.
So it is Champions League money, but it's also the distribution of cash within the prem.
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baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
Iaquinta all the way. None of the others was scored by playing through such solid opposition. Ronaldo's of course looks the best.
Edit: Barca MUST have scored some others (eg vs Bayern) that would make that list. And a certain Xavi's strike a couple of weeks back wasn't half bad....actually, add Essien's to the list too.
Edit 2: Lampard's disallowed goal against Croatia back in October (?), with a brilliant assist from Lennon, was from another planet, a planet where multi-million pound footballers play exhibition football AND score.
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crackerjack
Well-known member
Grafite - for the outrageous finish (imagine doing all that and then fucking up cos you tried to backheel it in) - or the keepy-uppy-40-yard-volley fella.
Glen Johnson got my vote on MOTD t'other night.
luka
Well-known member
i wouldn't bet on the outcome.
i reckon if utd win they'll win comfortably, if barca win, theyll scrape it by a single goal or penalties. it would be quite funny if henry loses another champions league final. it would amuse me anyway.
it would be funny if messi fails to make an impact again too.
i reckon if utd win they'll win comfortably, if barca win, theyll scrape it by a single goal or penalties. it would be quite funny if henry loses another champions league final. it would amuse me anyway.
it would be funny if messi fails to make an impact again too.
crackerjack
Well-known member
1-0 to Utd. I feel pretty sure of this, but can't bring myself to compromise my soul by placing a bet on it.
Barca need to score early, otherwise Utd will shut them out. They've got the better attack, but defence will rule, as it always does in finals Liverpool don't play in.
Iniesta and Henry are key. If they don't play, or play at half-pace, it could be a right old snooze.
Barca need to score early, otherwise Utd will shut them out. They've got the better attack, but defence will rule, as it always does in finals Liverpool don't play in.
Iniesta and Henry are key. If they don't play, or play at half-pace, it could be a right old snooze.
crackerjack
Well-known member
I'd be very scared if I was a Utd fan in Rome, not for footballing reasons, but just cos of all those stabby cunts. Know quite a few who've gone and I'm already looking for out for name of the first stabee, although i gather it's just a thigh wound.