Football 2010-2011

[Jaybles]

oh c'mon .... it's happened loads in some of the bigger games where both teams have a number of ocsar winners.

[The Nal]

oh c'mon .... it's happened loads in some of the bigger games where both teams have a number of ocsar winners.

[eFestivals]

Oh its happened. No disagreement there. And it will continue to happen. If you can remember a match in the premiership that got close to last week though I'll be impressed. Because I cant. (Thankfully).

I can't remember a specific game that has, but I remember the teams involved.

But to save myself the hassle I'm not going there.

[The Nal]

Jose could be on his way....

[Jaybles]

Easiest champions league semi final I have ever watched.Now to figure out how to stop messi

[strummer77]

Easiest champions league semi final I have ever watched.Now to figure out how to stop messi

[The Nal]

Great performance from Utds second team last night. For all the “Utd aren’t what they were” talk, I wonder how many other teams in Europe could put out a second string side in a Champions League semi final against any team and play like that. Not many. Not many managers, if any, would have the balls to do it either.

Roll on Wembley!

[jump]

Jose could be on his way....

[eFestivals]

Great performance from Utds second team last night. For all the “Utd aren’t what they were” talk, I wonder how many other teams in Europe could put out a second string side in a Champions League semi final against any team and play like that. Not many. Not many managers, if any, would have the balls to do it either.

Roll on Wembley!

A great result, no doubt.

But Shakle were shocking, absolutely shocking. And despite being that shocking, in the first half they completely exposed how vulnerable Utd's defence were, and gifted Utd their goals. Utd could have very easily gone in two down at half time.

Utd were better in the 2nd half.

[Jaybles]

A great result, no doubt.

But Shakle were shocking, absolutely shocking. And despite being that shocking, in the first half they completely exposed how vulnerable Utd's Second string defence defence were, and gifted Utd their goals. Utd could have very easily gone in two down at half time.

Utd were better in the 2nd half.

[eFestivals]

*fixed

Oh, definitely their 2nd string - I wasn't trying to suggest otherwise.

What I was getting at was in reply to Nal's post, of how they could "play like that." That defence is very definitely not the future of Man Utd, unless they're going on a huge slide. Utd last night would have been torn apart by most Prem teams if they played in the same way as they did in the first half.

I'm guessing that Fergie noticed it too, cos there was far far less full-on forward adventures from Utd in the 2nd half.

Saying that....i don't remember being too concerned in the first half. They had some dangerous balls being chucked into the box, but most of the possession they had was in non threatening positions. They only looked like scoring after they had gone 2 down.

It was those "dangerous balls being chucked into the box" that drove my comment - I think they only had three of them in the first half (and their only three attacks), and with each it was luck more than anything else which didn't see the ball in Utd's net. The defending was shockingly bad.

And of course Utd scoring were helped HUGELY by Shalke's shocking defence. It was a great pass for the first goal, but a pass that really shouldn't have happened if it had been a decent defence, and Utd got very lucky with their second - the whole goal to shoot at, yet it was straight at the (very crap!) goalie. If they'd been half-decent opposition neither of those goals would have happened.

Valencia had a great game, but most of the rest were very duff.

Of course, nothing about Utd last night means anything for other games - that was a team that won't be seen on the pitch together too often, and a team of the more-regular players performs hugely better.

So onto the final. I'd hate to be fergie trying to decide on tactics for that. They don't really have the players to take Barca on at straightforwards football as Arsenal did in their first leg match, while Barca are so fantastic with their attacks that I'm having trouble seeing Utd successfully absorbing pressure and then hitting them on the counter.

One thing in Utd's favour is the nerves that Barca show on occasions, which causes them to play less well than when their tails are up. Everything says that Barca should win, but in a one-off game anything is possible, except Utd winning and being regarded as the best team in Europe if they do.

[Jaybles]

One thing in Utd's favour is the nerves that Barca show on occasions, which causes them to play less well than when their tails are up. Everything says that Barca should win, but in a one-off game anything is possible, except Utd winning and being regarded as the best team in Europe if they do.

[eFestivals]

If Utd do win it will prove (in the eyes of people like worm) that they get all the decisions their way and the referee favoured them.

pleasingly, that's just one person, and one who should be ignored about football. It might help if he knew the most basic of rules. Because he doesn't know the rules, he's unable to know if the ref is favouring them.

Of course what it will prove is that even with a squad that has probably gone backwards in terms of overall quality over the last couple of years, Utd are still one of the best teams in Europe. 3 Finals in 4 years already suggests this. It has always been the Utd way to prove critics wrong and their ability to be greater than the sum of their parts always seems to be the difference.

Yep, they're defo a team that's greater than the sum of their parts. That's been their over-riding feature in Fergie's time, along with the organisation and hard graft that enables them to do that.

All the same, if they beat Barca - and I'm of the opinion that they've got a reasonable chance in a one-off game - there's not too many who will actually think them the best team in Europe by doing that. Barca are waaaaaay above Utd (and everyone else) when it comes to skill, and while that's not everything it is the most admired aspect of football in general.

Edited May 5, 2011 by eFestivals

[pink_triangle]

All the same, if they beat Barca - and I'm of the opinion that they've got a reasonable chance in a one-off game - there's not too many who will actually think them the best team in Europe by doing that. Barca are waaaaaay above Utd (and everyone else) when it comes to skill, and while that's not everything it is the most admired aspect of football in general.

[The Nal]

I think most people would accept that the champions league doesnt always produce the best team in europe as the winner. I would guess if you looked at past winners the best team in europe have probably won less than half. You look at the 2 liverpool v milan finals and those sides would have struggled to make the top 5 teams in europe at the time. A league would be the only real way to determine europes best team, I would personally support a european super league but cant see it happening.

Edited May 5, 2011 by The Nal

[pink_triangle]

Problem with that is that 90% of European football and football matches are shite. Theres been maybe three games in this years champo league that were any use.

Struggling to think of three actually……

And I don't think theres been one in the Europa.

[eFestivals]

So .... Sunday. Which way is Man Utd vs Chelsea going to go?

The straightforwards view says that Utd should get at least a point and probably win, given their very strong home form all season.

But then again that means they're due a bad one sooner or later, while Chelsea are also due a far better overall performance than they've managed lately despite their recent winning streak.

So while if I was putting money on Utd would be the far safer bet, there's something at the back of my mind which says Chelsea might sneak it.

[The Nal]

Yeah I'm not confident. Chelski are in good form at the moment. Id take a draw. Although Utd have beaten them twice in the last month.

[eFestivals]

Yeah I'm not confident. Chelski are in good form at the moment. Id take a draw. Although Utd have beaten them twice in the last month.

personally, I'm amazed that Chelsea are even in the running for the title. If you think back about 8 weeks they were so very far out of it that Utd shouldn't be in the position to lose it now. While Chelsea have had a great run to pull it back to how it is, Utd should have done more than enough in the meantime that it shouldn't matter.

It's quite unlike Utd to slip up like that, particularly at the end of the season.

[The Nal]

personally, I'm amazed that Chelsea are even in the running for the title. If you think back about 8 weeks they were so very far out of it that Utd shouldn't be in the position to lose it now. While Chelsea have had a great run to pull it back to how it is, Utd should have done more than enough in the meantime that it shouldn't matter.

It's quite unlike Utd to slip up like that, particularly at the end of the season.

[eFestivals]

Yeah strange. Chelski have got 25 points from their last 27 or something though havent they? Impressive. They'd be miles ahead if Roman didn't sack Wilkins.

I'm not entirely sure about that.

If you look at all the seasons since Moaniho left (but perhaps then too, I'm not sure), Chelsea have started extremely strongly, but by around mid/late Oct their form has fallen off a cliff - it got Scolari sacked if you remember. This season was much the same.

A draw on Sunday means Utd just need to beat Blackburn and Blackpool, something I'd expcet them to do.

Lose on Sunday and you need to be banging in the goals against those teams to win the league.

It's certainly interesting... when Arsenal dropped away I thought that was everything over, so it's good that it's going down to the wire.

[Jaybles]

It's quite unlike Utd to slip up like that, particularly at the end of the season.

[Jaybles]

Things aren't looking good for West Ham

They really cannot afford to lose to Blackburn today

[luckysalt]

f**ks sake Spurs

EDIT

spoke too soon.

go on Gomes!

EDIT

f**ks sake gomes

Edited May 7, 2011 by luckysalt

[luckysalt]

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