Football 2011-2012

[kaosmark2]

It would take a pretty powerful betting ring to have brought that about. Possible I guess, but coincidence is far more likely, especially as there's been no dodgy betting patterns detected around it.

Edited December 9, 2011 by kaosmark2

[The Nal]

Would it necessarily be done by a betting ring though?

[kaosmark2]

Rumours that Suarez fixed the whole thing.

[eFestivals]

Would it necessarily be done by a betting ring though? Qualification is incredibly valuable in itself.

it is - but if someone intended to bribe themselves there then doing so with a result like this would raise too many suspicions I'd have though.

Or there might have been a large amount of money invested early in the group stages.

possible again I guess ... but I'd have thought it unlikely that anyone involved because of that would have been able to resist betting on a resulkt they'd have got fantastic odds on.

Edit: Just for emphasis, I'm not saying there was something dodgy happening, just that there might have been and are suspicious circumstances. If the investigation leaves everything clean, then fair enough.

What you've got to remember is that coincidences do happen, and that when they do it's been proven that humans have great difficulty accepting them as just coincidences.

It might be something dodgy of course, but there's so far nothing to indicate that outside of an unlikely result - but unlikely results happen. Who would have believed the thrashing of Utd by City before it happened, for example?

[The Nal]

What you've got to remember is that coincidences do happen, and that when they do it's been proven that humans have great difficulty accepting them as just coincidences.

[kaosmark2]

What you've got to remember is that coincidences do happen, and that when they do it's been proven that humans have great difficulty accepting them as just coincidences.

It might be something dodgy of course, but there's so far nothing to indicate that outside of an unlikely result - but unlikely results happen. Who would have believed the thrashing of Utd by City before it happened, for example?

[Ed209]

Rumours in the Guardian that Carroll will on his way back to Newcastle in January in a swap deal with Tiote.

[kaosmark2]

Rumours in the Guardian that Carroll will on his way back to Newcastle in January in a swap deal with Tiote.

[thetime]

Rumours in the Guardian that Carroll will on his way back to Newcastle in January in a swap deal with Tiote.

[kaosmark2]

Arse.

That's the difference between us and the big clubs. They can cope with injuries, we can't. Man U were winning when they had 3 centre-backs + defensive mid injured, we can't. Positives attacking, Ba and Cabaye in particular, but our makeshift defense couldn't cope with Norwich's aerial threat. I don't think it's coincidence we haven't kept a clean sheet since Tiote's been injured either.

Dodgy corner awarded for their first goal, but they should have had a pen earlier, so that evened out.

Obertan was awful today. I was happy to give him a chance, he'd been steadily improving throughout the season up until a fantastic performance against Stoke, but in recent weeks he's been poor. It's one thing to be out of your depth against Citeh, Mancs and Chelski, another against Norwich. Sammy Ameobi beat more players in 10 minutes than he did in 80. I think he's due a start considering Marveaux's injury.

Not to take anything away from Norwich though, fully deserved. I'd looked at these 4 fixtures, and wanted 3 points, 3 draws or 1 win would have been enough, 1 point from 4 games could do damage to our confidence though, which we'll need more with the injuries decimating our squad. Got to get the win against Swansea next week if we're to try and hold onto 7th.

On a note about other clubs, long overdue goal + win for Suarez + Liverpool. I feel it's been coming, and I reckon they're due a big win soon after. Worrying losses for Bolton and West Brom, those are the sort of home games you really need to get points from to stay up - I thought at the beginning of the season both teams would be just about comfortable, but it's looking precarious. I'm particularly surprised by the WBA result, but then, every time I (and everyone else) writes Wigan off and thinks they're getting stranded, they pull themselves back into the mix with a timely win. Moses has been improving, and maybe he'll do this season what N'Zogbia has the last 2. Horrible afternoon for Dempsey, but Swansea seem excellent at home, incredibly solid defensively, and they've got comfortable scoring now.

I'm revising my relegation prediction to QPR, Blackburn, Bolton, after a start of season prediction of Wolves, Wigan, Norwich....

[thetime]

Good job united are out of champions league with these lineups!

Barcelona team: Valdés, Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Abidal, Busquets, Xavi, Cesc, Iniesta, Alexis & Messi.Real Madrid team: Casillas, Coentrão, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Alonso, Lass, Di María, Özil, Ronaldo & Benzema.

[kaosmark2]

Think who's not on the pitch. Mascherano, Villa, Higuain, Kaka.

[The Nal]

Think who's not on the pitch. Mascherano, Villa, Higuain, Kaka.

[kaosmark2]

Higuain is a machine. Real a bit blunt up top so far.

[kaosmark2]

2 dreadful misses from Ronaldo now, and 1 pretty bad.

Great goal from Barca. Dani Alves may be a diving c**t, but brilliant cross. Fabregas is shining there as well.

[pink_triangle]

http://www.the-playmaker.com/t10546-four-four-two-top-100-players-2011

For me no arguments about the top 4. After that I find the list a bit inconsistent. Villa, Rooney, Fabregas, RVP and Modric all too high in my opinion. I think throughout the list there is a bit of an english and premiership/ex premiership bias going on. No way in 2011 should the likes of gerrard and lampard be in the top 100 players in the world ahead of someone like kevin prince boateng, its not 2008 anymore. I suppose the magazine would say the list reflects the footballing preferences of the readers of the magazine but I suspect you do it in another country and outside the top 4, the rest would be completely different.

[kaosmark2]

http://www.the-playm...00-players-2011

For me no arguments about the top 4. After that I find the list a bit inconsistent. Villa, Rooney, Fabregas, RVP and Modric all too high in my opinion. I think throughout the list there is a bit of an english and premiership/ex premiership bias going on. No way in 2011 should the likes of gerrard and lampard be in the top 100 players in the world ahead of someone like kevin prince boateng, its not 2008 anymore. I suppose the magazine would say the list reflects the footballing preferences of the readers of the magazine but I suspect you do it in another country and outside the top 4, the rest would be completely different.

[pink_triangle]

I suppose it depends how you interpret the question. If its who played the best in 2011 then your peobably right, however if its purely on calender year it would make no sense to put gerrard, lampard and terry on the list. The other way it could be interpreted is who are the best footballers in the world in the moment in time where you may possibly be willing to look slightly beyond the 12 month period. I would use the latter as I think if you judge purely on one year you would end up with flashes in the pans high up on the list. If I was doing a top 100 list I would place busquets, aguero,ozil, cavanni ahead of him. I was also thinking kompany but its pretty subjective comparing a defender and forward.

[kaosmark2]

I suppose it depends how you interpret the question. If its who played the best in 2011 then your peobably right, however if its purely on calender year it would make no sense to put gerrard, lampard and terry on the list. The other way it could be interpreted is who are the best footballers in the world in the moment in time where you may possibly be willing to look slightly beyond the 12 month period. I would use the latter as I think if you judge purely on one year you would end up with flashes in the pans high up on the list. If I was doing a top 100 list I would place busquets, aguero,ozil, cavanni ahead of him. I was also thinking kompany but its pretty subjective comparing a defender and forward.

[pink_triangle]

I certainly didn't mean him when I said flash in the pan. Just stating that if you just include a one year period, there is potential for someone on a purple patch to end up ahead of a player who has had an average season, having had 2 amazing seasons before.Rvp is great but I would personally take aguero or benzema over him.

[kaosmark2]

I certainly didn't mean him when I said flash in the pan. Just stating that if you just include a one year period, there is potential for someone on a purple patch to end up ahead of a player who has had an average season, having had 2 amazing seasons before.Rvp is great but I would personally take aguero or benzema over him.

[The Nal]

Predictable enough results all round at the weekend. Cracking volley from RVP and a great man of the match performance (again) from Phil Jones at Old Trafford.

Really looking forward to tonight. AVB needs to shut his gob by the way.

Also, this is genius.

[The Nal]

And heres another one!!

[eFestivals]

Cracking volley from RVP

I'm going to claim all of the credit for RVP's great run of form ... back around when that run started, I bought a VW campervan, and cos it was red it got named Persie ... van Persie.

If/when my van breaks down I'll be sure to let Wenger know.

[The Nal]

I'm going to claim all of the credit for RVP's great run of form ... back around when that run started, I bought a VW campervan, and cos it was red it got named Persie ... van Persie.

If/when my van breaks down I'll be sure to let Wenger know.