Sport Football Thread 2011/2012

[Chooch]

Up in Manchester at the moment, staying at a hotel near Old Trafford - lots of glum United fans mooching around. Many of them under the impression they lost 3-1 too. Ho ho.

HO HO

[AlwaysBeClosing]

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.

Like Rooney? Like Young? Like Ferdinand? Like Nani? Using the "top ranked nation" turn of phrase is really weak - who cares which country or nation a player is from? You're just attempting to find a dig where there isn't one - we have many international players, many of whom could walk into most teams in the world. Valencia, Hernandez, Vidic, Evra and the like.

Bilbao of course will have Spanish regulars, their whole team is Basque-only, I'm sure if we had an English-only United side then we'd have the same or more English internationals - what's your point?

League table seems to indicate they are second best at the moment.

I didn't realise the season ended in March? City v United is still to happen, bearing in mind we beat them last time we played (Cup). We are the current champions, that doesn't stop because a team is two points ahead.

[Majora]

United have never really had a side full of internationals from 'top-ranked' (whatever that is meant to mean) nations. The treble winning side was largely made up of British players, along with players from Trinidad and Tobago, Norway, Sweden, ROI, Netherlands and Denmark. I don't really see what relevance it has to anything.

[humdrum]

[SMD]

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.

This is such a ridiculous attitude and sums up what's shit with football today.

[phresh]

What's shit with football at the highest level today would be more appropriate. Speaking to my sister about going to watch Swindon in the Johstones Paint trophy and she couldn't be bloody happier!

[Yobo Ahoy]

All the arrogant talk (from the media more than the fans) about the apparently inevitable United and City final looks a little less likely now.

Before the Man City/Sporting game yesterday it was embarrassing, the commentators (no idea who they were) saying Sporting have zero quality and as City turned over Porto this will be a whitewash.

To be honest I still reckon City will go through at home but it's getting to the stage where I actively want English teams to lose just to shut these stupid fucks up.

[davidcotton]

Before the Man City/Sporting game yesterday it was embarrassing, the commentators (no idea who they were) saying Sporting have zero quality and as City turned over Porto this will be a whitewash.

To be honest I still reckon City will go through at home but it's getting to the stage where I actively want English teams to lose just to shut these stupid fucks up.

Sorry that should have been a plus one, could someone rectify that please.

Agree absolutely with that comment. On tuesday night I was dreading Arsenal winning down to the bloody media. One other thing that made me laugh recently over the scott parker being england captain were two articles in the telegraph. Henry Winter "the airwaves seethed with anger over the news of scott parker". Next page, new article, different journo "Things we learned. Wembly approves of scott parker being captain for the night".

Cheers

[SMD]

The complete inability to accept the flaws and deficiencies in clubs and players in England just perpetuates the problems. I don't even know what the problem is, it's not like people will riot in the streets if you praise a manager for playing a different way or say that perhaps Scott Parker needs to work on his positioning.

[El Pibe]

enry Winter "the airwaves seethed with anger over the news of scott parker".

Is that for real? Blimey, I thought the airwaves seethed with complete apathy over the decision. It's at the point now where I think a lot of fans would be quite happy if they announced the abolition of the 'post' of England captain. Infact, maybe they could just go the whole hog and disband the national team entirely!

I thought it was quite depressing listening to Football Weekly and hearing that Arsenal fans at the game were actually quite pleased to have got a great win but still gone out of the Champions League, as they felt they had no chance of winning it this year and so needed to concentrate on getting 4th place to ensure they were in it next year.

Good Lord! I guess that's the financial reality of football at the top, which is understandable but quite depressing.

[milko]

Surely that's also the way fans are desperate to see the positive side of whatever "they" are doing. ie if they'd won it they'd be thinking about qualifying as holders or something, probably.

[Fry Crayola]

It's inescapable that the problems with football boil down to money.

Clubs need money to sign and pay the best players to compete. Clubs need to be in the top competitions with the most financial rewards. Clubs treat themselves as businesses first and sporting institutions second. Unscrupulous owners see clubs as a means to generate personal profit. Super rich owners cause imbalance as they treat the club like a temporary plaything. Players make moves based on financial decisions as opposed to career ones. Players congregate in the richer leagues, making other leagues weaker and unable to attract support. Players languish in the richer clubs' reserve sides for a payday. Agents manipulate the system for personal gain. Fans demand that clubs spend outside their means for short term success, and then criticise the management and board when things go awry. Fans routinely ignore local and lower level competitions, seeking out the glamour brands. Sporting competitions and clubs are brands. Corrupt officials manipulate the system. Non-corrupt officials make decisions based on business rather than sport, pushing for the inclusion of the big names rather than challenging their merits.

Nothing new. Much of that was cited as opposition to professionalism, way back when. It's just more pronounced and noticeable now.

I'm continually at a loss as to why I still love it. It's domestic, continental and international abuse, isn't it?

[Yobo Ahoy]

It's inescapable that the problems with football boil down to money.

Clubs need money to sign and pay the best players to compete. Clubs need to be in the top competitions with the most financial rewards. Clubs treat themselves as businesses first and sporting institutions second. Unscrupulous owners see clubs as a means to generate personal profit. Super rich owners cause imbalance as they treat the club like a temporary plaything. Players make moves based on financial decisions as opposed to career ones. Players congregate in the richer leagues, making other leagues weaker and unable to attract support. Players languish in the richer clubs' reserve sides for a payday. Agents manipulate the system for personal gain. Fans demand that clubs spend outside their means for short term success, and then criticise the management and board when things go awry. Fans routinely ignore local and lower level competitions, seeking out the glamour brands. Sporting competitions and clubs are brands. Corrupt officials manipulate the system. Non-corrupt officials make decisions based on business rather than sport, pushing for the inclusion of the big names rather than challenging their merits.

Nothing new. Much of that was cited as opposition to professionalism, way back when. It's just more pronounced and noticeable now.

I'm continually at a loss as to why I still love it. It's domestic, continental and international abuse, isn't it?

Personally I love it because I play it (for fun, not money). I follow Watford and attend games here and there, I'll watch MOTD every week (while fast forwarding the waffle obviously) but the professional game is largely just a glorified soap opera these days.

[Naysonymous]

What the fucking fuck? Alex McLeish is the 20th best paid manager in world football?

He earns more than the managers of AC Milan, Juventus and Internazionale? :blink:

Bang goes my theory that we only employed him because we have no money and he was a cheap option. Still, I guess he is saving us quite a bit of cash on the account that we dont need to pay the players a win bonus very often.

[Gigga]

That is mind boggling. I thought the decision to hire McLeish was strange but paying him that amount is baffling.

[Lucky]

If you include the money Chelsea are paying their managers to not be their managers then they are paying more than Mourinho & Guardiola are getting put together............if you know what I mean

[Elseb]

HA!! That's hilarious. Chris Hughton is twice the manager Mcleish is. It's just a shame a bigger club will take him off us soon.

[futureshock]

What the fucking fuck? Alex McLeish is the 20th best paid manager in world football?

He earns more than the managers of AC Milan, Juventus and Internazionale? :blink:

It probably says more about the state of Italian club finances than anything else.

[El Pibe]

Maradona!

[Dudley]

If you include the money Chelsea are paying their managers to not be their managers then they are paying more than Mourinho & Guardiola are getting put together............if you know what I mean

Yep, they've also already rejected 1,3,5,11 and 28

[El Pibe]

It probably says more about the state of Italian club finances than anything else.

Not sure, to me McLeish being on that much says that the Premiership is a fecking joke!

[Art Vandelay]

I had no idea Dalglish would be on as much. I guess he wasn't doing Liverpool such a big favour as he was making out.

[Marlowe]

So what the fuck is going on with the England job? The FA seem so relaxed about the whole thing, it's as if they've forgotten that there's a MAJOR INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT in a few months. In such circumstances, would any other nation be so stupid as to wait until the end of the season to appoint a new manager? Don't answer that.

The longer it goes on the more likely it is that Stuart Pearce will be managing the team for the tournament. Stuart Pearce. And why? Just so 'Arry can revel in the glory of finishing 3rd or 4th in the league with Spurs (lol), and is saved the test of actually managing the team for a tournament. If they're going to appoint him, he should be at the European Championship. Yes, he won't have much time to impose his ideas on the team, but no-one expects us to get very far anyway, and the experience that he would gain from it would surely be beneficial when it comes to the World Cup. The FA need a kick in the face.

[SMD]

You sound surprised.

[Oh Danny Boy]

yeah, i'm too annoyed with the current situation; but the FA is run by incompetents so its no surprise.

I am surprised about how much Liverpool are paying Daglish, i thought Fenway have a reputation for being frugal?

[Oh Danny Boy]

Benitez really does want the Chelski job doesn't he?

Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is speaking on Football Focus about rumous liking him with the vacant manager's job at Stamford Bridge: "I have said before, many times, that I would like to find a top side that can match my desire to win trophies. I haven't had a proper offer on the table from Chelsea, but there's no rush. I'm just waiting since I left Inter Milan. Non rush, I'm just waiting for the right project. I won the European Cup with an English club. What do Chelsea want? A manager who can win in Europe. But no rush. I will wait until the summer."

[elmo]

So what the fuck is going on with the England job? The FA seem so relaxed about the whole thing, it's as if they've forgotten that there's a MAJOR INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT in a few months.

It's as if they know who the manager is going to be and neither party has made it public yet just in case the club team involved drop to fourth, isn't it?

[a big boy]

Goal-line technology plz

[El Pibe]

I feel that Rangers are doomed. It's a facking joke that this sort of thing is still happening.

[a big boy]

I do too. It's so depressing to see us play this route-one shit, even worse to see us failing so miserably at it.

Hughes is painting himself as embarassingly old-fashioned here. No width, no creativity. All lump it forward and keep it tight. If he doesn't bring on Buzsaky for Derry in the second half then he doesn't understand football.

Edit: I'll take that.