Football 2010-2011

[eFestivals]

Wow that sounds familiar!

I did say "*IF*" Utd keep playing as they are. Surely even you can agree they've been shit (for Utd) so far this season.

Much like you I don't expect it to continue, but then again it's the case that most people haven't expected Liverpool to keep on sliding for the last year or so. So similar happening at Utd isn't beyond the possibilities.

Don't forget just how reliant Utd were on Rooney last season, when he had a fantastic season - way beyond what he'd done before. It's more than possible that Rooney will go back to what he was previously without anyone else stepping up - and then Utd are f**ked.

[Steve P]

Playing shite and still in the top 3. Feeling pretty good actually! A lot better than Arsenal and Liverpool fans anyway. And defo a lot better than Arsene "Denial" Wenger too.

[spwan-of-the-devil]

A Rangers reject buries Liverpool it's the stuff dreams are made of.

Blackpool for the Europa League!!

Edited October 4, 2010 by spwan-of-the-devil

[eFestivals]

Arsenal <snip> and an actual goalkeeper.

tho Fab was more than decent enough yesterday - few goalies would have stopped either of those very classy goals, and he made a few more-than-decent saves.

I think Wenger probably has it most right when he said they need to be better in front of goal - the way they played yesterday at least matched Chelsea (if not more, some of the BBC pundits gave the game to Arsenal aside from the result) everywhere on the pitch apart from with the finishing.

I reckon is they'd had RVP available it might have made enough difference to swing things Arsenal's way.

(note: I said 'might', nothing stronger).

[eFestivals]

We weren't great yesterday mate. We had lots of possession but didn't test the keeper nearly enough.

I agree that the finishing was lacking, but outside of that Arsenal at least matched Chelsea all over the pitch. It's not just me that's said that either - the BBC pundits went further than my own thinking with that.

The tactics were spot on by Arsenal, but it was always going to be a hard one to win, cos Chelsea are just so strong all over the pitch.

I think they got much nearer to getting that win yesterday than they've managed when playing them in recent years. While you won't much like the result, I reckon Arsenal have nothing to beat themselves up about over the game: they'd have needed a bit of luck to win it whichever players they'd had available, and they gave themselves a real chance of winning yesterday, which they'd not had in recent years against Chelsea.

[The Nal]

I did say "*IF*" Utd keep playing as they are. Surely even you can agree they've been shit (for Utd) so far this season.

Much like you I don't expect it to continue, but then again it's the case that most people haven't expected Liverpool to keep on sliding for the last year or so. So similar happening at Utd isn't beyond the possibilities.

Don't forget just how reliant Utd were on Rooney last season, when he had a fantastic season - way beyond what he'd done before. It's more than possible that Rooney will go back to what he was previously without anyone else stepping up - and then Utd are f**ked.

Edited October 4, 2010 by The Nal

[funkymp]

Random thing, why the hell is Mikel getting no respect from Plaudits / the press this season? He had another blinder yesterday, easily one of our best players this season, he just goes quietly about his business, his passing is top notch (had a 96% completion rate start of sept, *think* he was the best passer in the league last season - shall go off and google), he's pretty much our unsung hero in the team at the moment. He's come on leaps and bounds in the last 2 seasons.

edit: http://www.weaintgotnohistory.com/2010/8/23/1636647/player-focus-jon-obi-mikel there we go

Edited October 4, 2010 by funkymp

[eFestivals]

Yep agree with all that.

Good. In which case you might stop replying to any post of mine that mentions Utd as only being an anti-Utd rant then. Just a thought, like.

Utd rarely start well though but I really think the title is Chelseas to lose.

agree with the first bit, don't necessarily agree with the second.

The year they sacked Scolari they'd been more dominant to a point beyond now than they've been this year so far. So much as Utd tend to start slowly and improve, Chelsea have form for going the other way.

Having said that tho, Chelsea look like they're much much stronger than Utd will manage to pull together this year. So you are most probably right.

Lovely football from Arsenal at times but thats all it was really.

nah, it was more than that - it was tactically spot-on, the only way to play if they were to stand a chance of getting a result. They stopped Chelsea playing in the main.

It was always going to be a game where Arsenal would have been lucky to get a result, but they approached it in exactly the right way, and got the best from it that they could have done (outside of a bit of luck running their way).

And the two goals were excellent. Unstoppable.

Yep - so not really anything for Arsenal to be ashamed of.

[spwan-of-the-devil]

Ben Arfa - Broken Fib and Tib surgery Tomorro..

Hope he makes a speedy recovery as he is a great player.

[Benj]

Listened to bbc merseyside straight after the Liverpool game, absolutely hilarious, are Liverpool fans that stupid?. Few people wanting Kenny Daglish back (hasn't managed for what? 10 years?) just because he 'understands the club', no one blaming the players, some people hell bent on blaming everything on the owners and refusing to blame the players.

As for Joe Cole good decision you made there eh? What was it Gerrard said, he's better than Messi???

Gerrard - hasn't been good for Liverpool for 2 seasons. Torres - a liability, as always injured. Cole - tactially inept, if he was world class he wouldn't have moved to Liverpool in the summer, one of the big clubs would have taken him.

[The Nal]

Good. In which case you might stop replying to any post of mine that mentions Utd as only being an anti-Utd rant then. Just a thought, like.

Edited October 4, 2010 by The Nal

[eFestivals]

Dont be a twat. I agreed with your post about football. Not this "anti Utd post" below (what else could it be?!).

a pisstake back at the Utd fans who waffle on about 35 years or whatever it is, while knowing that very soon they'll be eating those words?

Just perhaps, like.

Some things are no less deserving of ridicule than Shitty's trophy record.

[funkymp]

England squad

Ben Foster (Birmingham City), Robert Green (West Ham United), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Joe Cole (Liverpool), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Kevin Davies (Bolton Wanderers), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Great he's getting his chance finally mind. England sure have a lack of 'decent' strikers.

Edited October 4, 2010 by funkymp

[swede]

England squad

Ben Foster (Birmingham City), Robert Green (West Ham United), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Joe Cole (Liverpool), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Kevin Davies (Bolton Wanderers), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Great he's getting his chance finally mind. England sure have a lack of 'decent' strikers.

[ampersand]

I know theres injuries but the strength in depth in regards to English talent is f**king shocking.

[funkymp]

I know theres injuries but the strength in depth in regards to English talent is f**king shocking.

Edited October 4, 2010 by funkymp

[ampersand]

Understatement, so many players in that squad who've been aweful this season. Wtf is Joe "i will do 10 step overs then miss a 5 yard pass" Cole , Glen Johnsen (getting ripped apart by Varney at the weekend pretty much sums him up....) and Lennon (whose been dire for a while now) doing in there? Sad thing is, regardless of how many players are doing crap, like you said, there's not exactly a pool of talent to choose from at the moment.

Also, no Caroll in u21 or the full squad

[spwan-of-the-devil]

Understatement, so many players in that squad who've been aweful this season. Wtf is Joe "i will do 10 step overs then miss a 5 yard pass" Cole , Glen Johnsen (getting ripped apart by Varney at the weekend pretty much sums him up....) and Lennon (whose been dire for a while now) doing in there? Sad thing is, regardless of how many players are doing crap, like you said, there's not exactly a pool of talent to choose from at the moment.

Also, no Caroll in u21 or the full squad

[swede]

Understatement, so many players in that squad who've been aweful this season. Wtf is Joe "i will do 10 step overs then miss a 5 yard pass" Cole , Glen Johnsen (getting ripped apart by Varney at the weekend pretty much sums him up....) and Lennon (whose been dire for a while now) doing in there? Sad thing is, regardless of how many players are doing crap, like you said, there's not exactly a pool of talent to choose from at the moment.

Also, no Caroll in u21 or the full squad

[The Nal]

a pisstake back at the Utd fans who waffle on about 35 years or whatever it is, while knowing that very soon they'll be eating those words?

Just perhaps, like.

Some things are no less deserving of ridicule than Shitty's trophy record.

[spwan-of-the-devil]

I fully expect them to win something this year or next. But will it bring long term stability and success? I don't think so. Not on their current model.

Try Paul McStain or Zinedine Kilbane on for size!!

[eFestivals]

I fully expect them to win something this year or next. But will it bring long term stability and success? I don't think so. Not on their current model.

and Utd have a better model for stability and success do they?

Your current model is seeing you on the slide, as I'm sure you'd at least privately recognise.

[The Nal]

Glen one pass Sideways Whelan I watch eatch week and Danny Collins has been called up for Wales Jesus

[RichieParf]

tho Fab was more than decent enough yesterday - few goalies would have stopped either of those very classy goals, and he made a few more-than-decent saves.

I think Wenger probably has it most right when he said they need to be better in front of goal - the way they played yesterday at least matched Chelsea (if not more, some of the BBC pundits gave the game to Arsenal aside from the result) everywhere on the pitch apart from with the finishing.

I reckon is they'd had RVP available it might have made enough difference to swing things Arsenal's way.

(note: I said 'might', nothing stronger).

[Steve P]

I also agree that they matched Chelsea and would have done better with RVP, perhaps getting a win out of it, BUT my point is that other top clubs can lose a top player and still get results because of the depth in their squads. Arsenal have never really demonstrated that they can manage without RVP or Fabregas.