Football 2011-2012

[Ed209]

tragic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f8qz2Ssr6c

[The Nal]

tragic

[jammy2211]

Listening to some discussion about the Olympic football team. I can guarantee Beckham will end up being selected. However am I the only one who thinks if selected purely on merit, there is no chance he is in the top 3 British over 23 players, even excluding the England euro squad, its debatable if he is even in the top 3 over 23 players at la galaxy!

[Ed209]

In some ways I'd happily see him in the Euro team. I've honestly no idea how good he is now as I don't follow the MLS but I'd take his set pieces over Lennon or Wright-Phillips failing to ignite anything on the right wing. On the bench he'd at least offer something different too, obviously Wallcott or Milner are first choice but a specialist free-kick taker is an important asset if you're losing with 20 minute to go.

Of course he could be a lot worse then I remember him as in the 3 or so years he spent in America. But even if he still contributes nothing in-play I think he'd be worth taking for the off-chance he puts in a quality corner or free kick. Or even a cross from wide.

[kaosmark2]

Yup. Ridiculous, innit?

Are we in the Olympics for competition or to try and sell Britain?

And gawd help us if Beckham is the best that Britain has to sell.

[eFestivals]

Crazy really. Even if you exclude 25 players for the Euros, I don't think Becks is in the top 28 players for England, and that's ignoring Wales (Scotland and NI don't have any decent players to nick for the Olympics).

To try and sell Britain. That's why talks of strikes or action during the Olympics was deemed "unpatriotic". It'd show us up as a nation that isn't perfect, that doesn't treat it's workers worth a damn, etc. etc.

He's the epitomy of what our country wants from us, idiotic, but passionate about the country and with a marketable but useless talent.

I read last night that Linekar has come out and said 'no Beckham'. Good on him, it's about time someone talked sense.

[thetime]

Am I right to say for the olympics there wont be englands euro players and no players from wales, scotland and ni?

Edited April 20, 2012 by thetime

[eFestivals]

Am I right to say for the olympics there wont be englands euro players and no players from wales, scotland and ni?

Nope, not correct.

They'll be no players who play at the Euros. Welsh, Scottish and NI players are being invited to play, against the wishes of their local FAs.

Some have apparently accepted, by saying they'll play if they're included in the squad. I saw Bale and Bellend being specifically named as having accepted in a story I read within the last couple of days, tho the same story had Chris Coleman saying something like "that's the first I've heard of it". Then again, why would he have heard of it? They're not players that are tied exclusively to him, and those players don't have to tell him what they're doing outside of his remit.

[pink_triangle]

I get the impression that a lack of opportunity to play in an international tournament will push Welsh, Scottish and Irish players to playing. The radio said earlier in the week that around 80 players have agreed to be on a shortlist. They mentioned a few of them.

England - Beckham, Joe Cole, mceceran

Wales - bale, Giggs, bellamy.

Scotland - fletcher

Northern Ireland - brunt

[The Nal]

So Fergie has had a word with Young about his diving.

Knew he would. Good to see.

[kaosmark2]

I read last night that Linekar has come out and said 'no Beckham'. Good on him, it's about time someone talked sense.

[kaosmark2]

So Fergie has had a word with Young about his getting caught diving.

Knew he would. Good to see.

[The Nal]

Corrected for you

[kaosmark2]

haha.

Nah, seriously, Fergie is old school. He tolerated it from Ronaldo but he wouldn't from anyone else. Young will be a better player for it.

[The Nal]

Young's been up to it all his career though, including this season. It's just got high profile attention the last couple of weeks.

Edited April 20, 2012 by The Nal

[kaosmark2]

No its because hes at Man Utd. Nani did it. Fergie had a word. He stopped. Same for Rooney.

[The Nal]

The high profile is because he's at Man U?

Bale's getting attention, Suarez did,

Edited April 20, 2012 by The Nal

[kaosmark2]

No because Ferguson is the manager at Man Utd.

Bale dived twice in a week just like Young and 'Arry said nothing. Hes dived since too.

Fergie has put even more attention on Young by coming out in public. Its a strong move. Rare for Fergie - usually keeps everything in house but what are the chances Young will go down as easy now? After his manager has said this?

Slim. And if he does hes an idiot. A bigger idiot.

He didn't do it to that extent at all and he wasn't getting players sent off. Not condoning it but the last two were a step to far.

[eFestivals]

haha.

Nah, seriously, Fergie is old school. He tolerated it from Ronaldo but he wouldn't from anyone else. Young will be a better player for it.

Old school enough to say "don't dive, and if we lose because of it so be it?"

I can't see it myself.

[The Nal]

Oh, I'm not saying Fergie was wrong to come out like he did. I'm just saying that he could/should have been putting pressure on Young privately before now. He dived at Villa, and Fergie could have, when signing him, said to cut it out, he dived earlier in the season, and Fergie could have told him to cut it out. Young's been getting worse, and I'm saying the reason Fergie is telling him now to cut it out is because of the publicity.

[eFestivals]

Well hes just said it. Dont think Fergie would expose himself like that if he didn't mean it. Theres a difference between going down with contact and going down with no contact as Young has been doing.

Anyway, we'll see on Sunday if Young plays.

Nah. He's said something - but exactly what we don't know - and exposed himself to nothing.

It's not like if Young did dive on Sunday that they'll be Utd fans and others queuing up to call fergie a liar, things just don't happen in that way. There'd perhaps be a mild mention that fergie was meant to have stamped down on it, but all the focus for Young's diving would be on Young.

Most of Young's diving has been him going down with extremely mild contact anyway, rather than none - with the mild contact not being enough to take anyone off their feet. So from what you're saying we can expect no change with that.

As for what might happen on Sunday, that won't necessarily get to show anything about this. It's not like Young has been at it in every game. It's something to be considered over time.

[The Nal]

Nah. He's said something - but exactly what we don't know - and exposed himself to nothing.

Edited April 20, 2012 by The Nal

[kaosmark2]

So, predictions for the weekend?

Arsenal 3 - 3 Chelsea

Villa 0 - 0 Sunderland

Blackburn 2 -1 Norwich

Bolton 2 - 1 Swansea

Fulham 1 - 2 Wigan

Newcastle 2 - 0 Stoke

QPR 1 - 1 Spurs

Man U 3 - 0 Everton

Liverpool 1 - 1 West Brom

Wolves 0 - 4 Man City

I think this is the time of year where the bottom teams start picking up wins against the teams that have only pride to play for. I fancy QPR to nick a result against Spurs as well, with Cisse back and Spurs in freefall.

Hoping we can finish off Stoke to secure that Europa spot and make a challenge for 4th. Not many people seem to give them a chance but I think they're one of the teams who won't think the season's over until it actually is. I reckon we'll make hard work of it but hopefully still win.

Can't see the Manchester teams not handing out thrashings, Everton are a more solid than Spurs, but I reckon Man U will be in the mood to try and make sure the title race is over before they get to the Etihad.

[jammy2211]

Fulham fans have a general rule that if we beat you away you haven't got a hope in hell at the Cottage. Really can't see Wigan getting anything even with the recent form, they might scrape a draw. We're one of the strongest finishers in the league nowadays and I don't really see Wigan as equipped to beat us. The big teams they beat with solid defending and quick counter but it doesn't really work like that when you're playing mid-table sides.

I can see Bolton, Blackburn and QPR all failing to win too. Most losing tbh - although you expect the sides at the bottom to start coming good I just don't think any of them are really good enough.

Arsenal Chelsea is the interesting one... could be really really conjested up there is Chelsea win. Becomes more exciting if Chelsea get to the final too, as then theres a risk 4th won't even get a spot. Arsenal tend to lose in streaks too so I can see Chelsea winning that one if I'm honest.

[pink_triangle]

The high profile is because he's at Man U?

Bale's getting attention, Suarez did,

And if you mean it's getting stopped because he's moved to Man U, why wasn't it stopped earlier in the season? The media may have ignored it until now, but he was certainly diving and rolling around earlier this season.