The World of Football/Soccer. - Page 43

ukhotstove · 03-09-2010, 02:05 PM

I honeslty do not understand the fuss about Benitez, sometimes you get a manager who just lucks out with the players he has and the staff around him and imho Benitez had that at Valencia, he went to Liverpool and he's been found wanting. I honestly believe Liverpool are no better than when he took over, I also pity the manager who takes over because whoever it will be as nothing to work with.

bababui · 03-09-2010, 02:26 PM

I think Liverpoor have quite a few excellent players; Rafa just doesnt know how to use them. They have also been wracked by injury this season. The new coach will likely be able to compete for a title almost immediately.

bababui · 03-09-2010, 02:54 PM

Way to go there Fox; bumping the Arsenal match for an Angels exhibition game.

ukhotstove · 03-09-2010, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bababui

I think Liverpoor have quite a few excellent players; Rafa just doesnt know how to use them. They have also been wracked by injury this season. The new coach will likely be able to compete for a title almost immediately.

Who are they ?

bababui · 03-09-2010, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Who are they ?

Gerrard, Torres, Reina, Aquilani, Babbel, Mascherano, Kuyt et.al.

ukhotstove · 03-09-2010, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bababui

Gerrard, Torres, Reina, Aquilani, Babbel, Mascherano, Kuyt et.al.

Babel ? Please tell me your having a spliff tonight, Gerrard passed it, last night he got owned by a 20 year old who as played 10 premier league games. Torres good player but spits his dummy out if he isn't getting everything his own way, just look at last nights game spent more time moaning at anybody within ear shot rather than working hard. Kuyt and I'm one of his biggest fans, works his socks off but just doesn't have it.

Aquilani done nothing infact he's done less than nothing so far for Liverpool. Reina, you can have the greatest goalkeeper in the world but means nothing if your team is poor. Mascherano good holding midfield player but that's about it and just a rash tackle away from playing 10 men in every game. I'd say Liverpool need at least 5 - 6 players and at todays rates your talking around £60 million at least which by the sounds of it Liverpool don't have, title contenders not in the next 5 years at least*.

(*unless a rich Arab takes them over)

bababui · 03-09-2010, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Babel ? Please tell me your having a spliff tonight, Gerrard passed it, last night he got owned by a 20 year old who as played 10 premier league games. Torres good player but spits his dummy out if he isn't getting everything his own way, just look at last nights game spent more time moaning at anybody within ear shot rather than working hard. Kuyt and I'm one of his biggest fans, works his socks off but just doesn't have it.

Aquilani done nothing infact he's done less than nothing so far for Liverpool. Reina, you can have the greatest goalkeeper in the world but means nothing if your team is poor. Mascherano good holding midfield player but that's about it and just a rash tackle away from playing 10 men in every game. I'd say Liverpool need at least 5 - 6 players and at todays rates your talking around £60 million at least which by the sounds of it Liverpool don't have, title contenders not in the next 5 years at least*.

(*unless a rich Arab takes them over)

Consensus was that Arsenal wasnt good enough to break into the top 2; yet here they are. Liverpoo just isnt managed very well. Rafa does not seem to know how to get the max out of his players. If say a Martin O'Neal was Liverpool manager this season, they would have a much better record IMO.

Syd Thrift · 03-09-2010, 03:55 PM

Screw Liverpool anyway. Go Cottagers!!!! If they can pull off a win against Spurs in the replay and get past Juventus, they've a shot at the sort-of double double FA Cup/Europa Cup wins. This from a team that was playing in the 3rd tier a little more than a decade ago. And which is own by the father of the dude who was killed in the car crash along with Lady Di.

ukhotstove · 03-09-2010, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bababui

Consensus was that Arsenal wasnt good enough to break into the top 2; yet here they are. Liverpoo just isnt managed very well. Rafa does not seem to know how to get the max out of his players. If say a Martin O'Neal was Liverpool manager this season, they would have a much better record IMO.

They probably would have a better record but they still wouldn't be title contenders, also the consensus view was that Arsenal wouldn't challenge for the title, yeah they were wrong but will they be wrong seasons end nah. Chelsea and Man Utd have been playing poor and are still in front of Arsenal who are probably playing at 90% at least of their potential, United and Chelsea are playing at say 75% and are still better than them league wise.

ukhotstove · 03-09-2010, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

Screw Liverpool anyway. Go Cottagers!!!! If they can pull off a win against Spurs in the replay and get past Juventus, they've a shot at the sort-of double double FA Cup/Europa Cup wins. This from a team that was playing in the 3rd tier a little more than a decade ago. And which is own by the father of the dude who was killed in the car crash along with Lady Di.

Fulham have one of the best managers around, age wise he's got a good few years in him but if a big team comes calling who knows but hopefully he stays.

bababui · 03-09-2010, 05:27 PM

That was an exciting Bayern match. These home and away knockout matches make for very exciting football.

ukhotstove · 03-09-2010, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bababui

That was an exciting Bayern match. These home and away knockout matches make for very exciting football.

Used to be over 2 legs in every round until the money men realised they could make more money out of playing more games.

bababui · 03-09-2010, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Used to be over 2 legs in every round until the money men realised they could make more money out of playing more games.

That was when there were only Champions in the Champions League.

When I first started watching, they had a second group stage for the final 16.

ukhotstove · 03-09-2010, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bababui

That was when there were only Champions in the Champions League.

When I first started watching, they had a second group stage for the final 16.

Thats the money men for you, how you can be called champions of Europe and not even be champions of your own country I have no idea.

Syd Thrift · 03-09-2010, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Thats the money men for you, how you can be called champions of Europe and not even be champions of your own country I have no idea.

It's a bit like CONCACAF over in the Americas (well, the other way around, but you get the idea). It's not really fair to Mexico if the best team there had to play the best team from, say, the USA when the 2 top teams from the Americas are both Mexican. Although I will say that in the US at least the qualifications are a bit different due to our playoff system. My Sounders made it in, for example, by winning the US Open, the Stateside equivalent of the FA Cup. Another team made it for winning the MLS playoffs, a third by winning the league "shield". I like that a lot better than just giving it to the top 4 spots in the EPL.

ukhotstove · 03-09-2010, 07:02 PM

Used to go watching Liverpool in the European Cup when my cousin used to take me, first one was the Bayern Munich semi final in 81. Trust me when I say that if you think the atmosphere at football games is good now, it was like 100 times better back then when they had standing behind the goals.

Syd Thrift · 03-09-2010, 07:18 PM

I'd say the atmosphere at US games is a lot better because our league isn't in its death throes. :P

I really can't speak to English crowds. Things seem to be more subdued since Hillsborough but that's certainly not a bad thing. When I went over there last year, there just weren't any games I could get a chance to go to. The weekends ended up being travel days for the most part anyway. Otherwise, it's tough to judge fandom from television.

Syd Thrift · 03-09-2010, 07:19 PM

dola,

Fulham is reaching a point where they are not far off from the big teams. The real next step here is for them to find a way to lure more fans in. Rich owner or no, they really need to be in a place to justify large salaries before they go out and try to get them (and at this point I'm probably more concerned about losing Bobby Zamora than Roy Hodgson).

ukhotstove · 03-09-2010, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

dola,

Fulham is reaching a point where they are not far off from the big teams. The real next step here is for them to find a way to lure more fans in. Rich owner or no, they really need to be in a place to justify large salaries before they go out and try to get them (and at this point I'm probably more concerned about losing Bobby Zamora than Roy Hodgson).

But isn't Zamoras scoring and all round play improving down to Hodgson ? I'd put a good wager on that Zamoras goals per season have gone up every season under Hodgson.

As for atmosphere and such I've been in grounds that used to literally bounce, back years ago I'd go watching Wigan Athletic were you'd get around 2,000 on or even less and there'd be a better atmosphere than some grounds now when there's 10 to 20 times as many people.

Worst thing that ever happened to English football was all seater stadiums, when the singing started you used to be able to go over and join in, now your stuck in one seat all the game so the lads who used to sing and make the atmosphere are all split up. Plus if you take notice next time you watch a game most of the fans behind the goals stand up so makes the so called safety aspect of all seating a joke plus ask Bradford fans if seating is perfectly safe.

LFC1892 · 03-10-2010, 02:05 AM

Bah, who cares about Bantams fans?

03-09-2010, 02:05 PM	#841
ukhotstove Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: North of England Gods Country Posts: 7,175	I honeslty do not understand the fuss about Benitez, sometimes you get a manager who just lucks out with the players he has and the staff around him and imho Benitez had that at Valencia, he went to Liverpool and he's been found wanting. I honestly believe Liverpool are no better than when he took over, I also pity the manager who takes over because whoever it will be as nothing to work with. __________________ Detroit Diesel Dynasty San Antonio Calzones of Laredo Dynasty

03-09-2010, 07:02 PM	#856
ukhotstove Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: North of England Gods Country Posts: 7,175	Used to go watching Liverpool in the European Cup when my cousin used to take me, first one was the Bayern Munich semi final in 81. Trust me when I say that if you think the atmosphere at football games is good now, it was like 100 times better back then when they had standing behind the goals. __________________ Detroit Diesel Dynasty San Antonio Calzones of Laredo Dynasty

03-10-2010, 02:05 AM	#860
LFC1892 All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Global Posts: 963	Bah, who cares about Bantams fans?