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Football Thread 2011/2012

SMD

By SMD
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dizogg

dizogg

Posted
Posted

I think that comment shows a big issue with English football. It's so fucking insular.

Yep. It's an upset but more equivalent of Liverpool or Spurs beating a top top European side (something that can and has happened plenty).

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glb

glb

Posted
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I think that comment shows a big issue with English football. It's so fucking insular.

There really aren't enough +1s for this.

Bilbao were an absolute joy to watch tonight, so good to see a side play with that much forward intent. And credit to De Gea for giving United a sniff of a chance next week.

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glb

glb

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Quality side i'm not arguing about but they are also a Europa league league club and don't look like that changing any time soon. Everton are a quality side this result would be like Everton going over to the Nou Camp and doing the same.

They're a point off the Champion's League places.

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cerseis eyebrows

cerseis eyebrows

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Quality side i'm not arguing about but they are also a Europa league league club and don't look like that changing any time soon. Everton are a quality side this result would be like Everton going over to the Nou Camp and doing the same.

er what? There's no comparison. Europa league or not, it's pretty obvious how far away la liga is in terms of quality.

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Sirloin

Sirloin

Posted
Posted

Quality side i'm not arguing about but they are also a Europa league league club and don't look like that changing any time soon. Everton are a quality side this result would be like Everton going over to the Nou Camp and doing the same.

They have a centre forward and a centre back that were in the squad that won the last World Cup, not exactly low profile.

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SMD

SMD

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Bilbao have been decent for a while, just because Real Madrid and Barcelona are scarily amazing doesn't mean that the rest of La Liga is shite. Remember, Atleti won the Europa League in 2010 while coming 10th in the league, I think.

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SMD

SMD

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They have a centre forward and a centre back that were in the squad that won the last World Cup, not exactly low profile.

Not to mention players at the heart of Spain's U-20 cup winning team.

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Oh Danny Boy

Oh Danny Boy

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They're a point off the Champion's League places.

yet they are as far from the top of the La Liga as Stoke and Fulham are in the Premiership. Point is that they are not amazing in La Liga, they are an outside shot for the top four in Spain and previously you might have said that the top team in England should be only be getting done over by other top teams. The fact that England's best team has just been out played by them is evidence enough for the gulf in quality between La Liga and the Prem, drop United in La Liga and they'll probably struggle for fourth too

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exwhyzed

exwhyzed

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yet they are as far from the top of the La Liga as Stoke and Fulham are in the Premiership. Point is that they are not amazing in La Liga, they are an outside shot for the top four in Spain and previously you might have said that the top team in England should be only be getting done over by other top teams. The fact that England's best team has just been out played by them is evidence enough for the gulf in quality between La Liga and the Prem, drop United in La Liga and they'll probably struggle for fourth too

The only thing is I doubt the United players really truly care about the Europa League whereas for this Bilbao players they'd be club heroes if they won it. One of the Basel players said he could tell United completely underestimated them and weren't that up for the game which seems to have typified most of our european performances this season. Bilbao are obviously no mugs and a good side but to use this game as a comparison between La Liga and the Prem is a bit misleading considering this fact. Personally I think who's "up for it" goes a long way to deciding a football match.

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Guest

Guest

Posted
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yet they are as far from the top of the La Liga as Stoke and Fulham are in the Premiership. Point is that they are not amazing in La Liga, they are an outside shot for the top four in Spain and previously you might have said that the top team in England should be only be getting done over by other top teams. The fact that England's best team has just been out played by them is evidence enough for the gulf in quality between La Liga and the Prem, drop United in La Liga and they'll probably struggle for fourth too

If that gulf is true then how does that equate to Everton beating Barca? It doesn't because you've then equated Everton to not being as good as Bilbao.

Raphael was awful for the third, shocking.

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Oh Danny Boy

Oh Danny Boy

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The only thing is I doubt the United players really truly care about the Europa League whereas for this Bilbao players they'd be club heroes if they won it. One of the Basel players said he could tell United completely underestimated them and weren't that up for the game which seems to have typified most of our european performances this season. Bilbao are obviously no mugs and a good side but to use this game as a comparison between La Liga and the Prem is a bit misleading considering this fact. Personally I think who's "up for it" goes a long way to deciding a football match.

its sad times if players at the top of the game cannot be motivated for an important European tie

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SMD

SMD

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Quality side i'm not arguing about but they are also a Europa league league club and don't look like that changing any time soon. Everton are a quality side this result would be like Everton going over to the Nou Camp and doing the same.

That's not even remotely close.

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Sirloin

Sirloin

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Eh, as said Bilbao have like four Spanish regulars, Man Utd havent really got any internationals from a top ranked nation any more. It's not really a surprise they struggle against teams like Bilbao. They need a couple of players in the summer to get back to where they were. Not that I watch them that often.

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Oh Danny Boy

Oh Danny Boy

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Posted

Eh, as said Bilbao have like four Spanish regulars, Man Utd havent really got any internationals from a top ranked nation any more. It's not really a surprise they struggle against teams like Bilbao. They need a couple of players in the summer to get back to where they were. Not that I watch them that often.

yet they still are the best team in the prem. Of course i'd say that this is because the competition has gotten worse, the Liverpool side of 08/09 would eat them for breakfast but then again i'm biased :)

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exwhyzed

exwhyzed

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its sad times if players at the top of the game cannot be motivated for an important European tie

Well important is all relative. As a fan I don't really care about the Europa League. I've opted out of the automatic cup scheme for those games and don't mind if I miss the game on TV. The players probably feel that to an extent so I think it goes some way to explaining why you see stuff like Rafael's defending for the third goal and what seems like a general apathy.

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Fry Crayola

Fry Crayola

Posted
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Claiming some sort of deficiency in English football because their sides are doing shit in Europe this season compared to Spain is a bit like proclaiming that West Brom are better than Chelsea on the basis of beating them in the last match.

It's one season. One season after an English club (the very same English club being discussed) were runners up in Europe's premier competition and provided more quarter finalists in Europe's two tournaments than Spain (5 versus 4).

Are English clubs having a shit season in Europe? Yes. Are Spanish clubs doing better? Yes. Can you draw any conclusions on the strength of their leagues on that basis? Not really. There's just not enough data. In a season or two, perhaps.

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