They might do what Napoli did. Sign Rafael as the young keeper for the future and also get Reina. Play Reina on the first year as Rafael gets experience, then make Rafael the first choice.
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2013/2014 Soccer/Football Thread
- Thread starter reyscarface
- Start date
- Status
haunter
Banned deucer.
It's a shame that Rafael got injuried by the end of the season. I'm not sure I'd trust him to be the first choice next year.
On a side note, Suarez is a beast, literally:
Great Haunter..... ;)
P.S.: Who would like to tear up the Thiago Motta's Italian citizenship?
P.S.: Who would like to tear up the Thiago Motta's Italian citizenship?
2 days on and I still can't really believe he bit someone AGAIN lolol... Also:
You are more likely to get a bite from Luis Suarez (one in 2000) than
- Getting a hole in one in golf (one in 5,000)
- Getting an injury from shaving (one in 6,585)
- Bowling a 300 game (one in 11,500)
- Being bitten by a dog (one in 700,000)
- Becoming an astronaut (one in 13.2 million)
You are more likely to get a bite from Luis Suarez (one in 2000) than
- Getting a hole in one in golf (one in 5,000)
- Getting an injury from shaving (one in 6,585)
- Bowling a 300 game (one in 11,500)
- Being bitten by a dog (one in 700,000)
- Becoming an astronaut (one in 13.2 million)
Manchester united have spent £63m on two pretty average players: Ander Herrera (£29m) and Luke Shaw (£34m). Both of them are not even worth half of what United paid for them. LOL @ Shaw getting paid £100k per week.
Compare that with Chelsea who got Fabregas for £26m and Manchester City who bought Fernando for £12m. Chelsea and City both got far superior players for much better transfer fees.
Compare that with Chelsea who got Fabregas for £26m and Manchester City who bought Fernando for £12m. Chelsea and City both got far superior players for much better transfer fees.
Utd don't have CL football, that restricts their choice quite a bit I imagine.
Have you seen Herrera play before? I guess not because he is anything but average. A good deal for United.
Shame he left bilbao. They were really good this season.
Herrera is not average, lol.
Also, I find it funny how we got Hazard and Oscar for less than what United are paying for Herrera and Shaw.
Also, I find it funny how we got Hazard and Oscar for less than what United are paying for Herrera and Shaw.
destinyunknown
Banned deucer.
He's probably not worth that much, but Herrera has been brilliant this season. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to the Premier League.
Emenike.... what the fuck
Also, for anyone playing the mirror fantasy football thing, everyone has been granted additional 5 mil and the limit of players that you are able to have from a country has been increased to 4.
Also unlimited transfers. Deadline is tomorrow's game.
Also, for anyone playing the mirror fantasy football thing, everyone has been granted additional 5 mil and the limit of players that you are able to have from a country has been increased to 4.
Also unlimited transfers. Deadline is tomorrow's game.
i'm going to be furious if our main signing is adam lallana
You could get Shaqiri for 10m less than Lallana and he's a better player and younger
but he's not english...
Does anyone know of any decent places to get world cup highlights? I tried Youtube already and some dodgey looking sites from a google search but they are not good at all... :(
Also I have a big England rant that I can't be arsed to type out but I'm sure I will once my anger levels reach tipping point. Arsenal are doing their usual thing of slowly annoying me as the summer goes on but I can handle that by now... :)
Also I have a big England rant that I can't be arsed to type out but I'm sure I will once my anger levels reach tipping point. Arsenal are doing their usual thing of slowly annoying me as the summer goes on but I can handle that by now... :)
Do you really need any more homegrown players
haha i wasn't serious. i meant that the liverpool scouts seem to think of being english as a good footballing quality.
Fuck it, England rant:
I haven't criticised Hodgeson much because I wanted to give him a chance but he has cocked it up so bad and proven that he is so out of his depth that I can't help myself now. First of all a manager's job is to get the best out of the players at his disposal, especially for a national coach who can't make transfers. This means you identify from day one who your best players are and you have to adapt your management style and tactics to suit the players you have. It's basically common sense, if all your forwards are 5'3" I don't even think Tony Pulis would try to play long ball because you'd have to be a moron. Our best player is Rooney, he is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades player but he brings something unique to the striker position and is undoubtably (in my mind) one of the best in the world. What is his best position? Answer: just off the striker in a free role where he can use his unique combination of strength, pace, creativity, stamina, aerial threat and finishing ability to threaten the opponent to the fullest.
First game of the world cup: Sterling plays in the hole and Rooney starts on the left where he has never played before under Hodgeson or anyone... You must be having a laugh. After his experience in the Euros and two whole years of managing the team, Hodgeson plays his best player, and arguably his most creative player, out on the left in a position he has never played in, not even in friendlies! That's not even bad management anymore, that's someone not having a clue what to do. In the second game he starts the same team but puts Rooney in the hole and Sterling out wide, it's laughable! By the time a major tournament rolls around, the manager should have his mind set and not still experimenting with his best player. When you look at our players, Rooney should be nailed on in the hole and you build the team around him there. It seems Hodgeson got caught up in all the hype and decided to try Sterling there because that's the new fad Brendan Rodgers started and he just looks desperate to stay relevant.
Talking about fads, one move I completely disagreed with was taking Shaw instead of Cole. Why on earth would you leave your best defender behind, especially when he has been rested and got some games and good performances under his belt just in time in the run up to the summer and especially when he has been performing at the highest level in the team for years. I would have understood and applauded his courage if he was ruthlessly dropping a player who was out of form but then he takes Welbeck and Smalling. He's clearly been reading the Daily Mail and been drawn by the hype around Shaw and again being desperate to appear relevant.
And now after the world cup he's come out and practically begged Gerrard to stay on. I can't see any logical reason whatsoever. Gerrard is going to be too old by the time the next Euros rolls around to be trusted in a two man midfield. He couldn't even do it this year. You can point to Pirlo's deep lying role but that requires a three man midfield, something England can't have if you want to play Rooney off the striker. You can say Gerrard is England's best passer but he's proven he can't do it in this world cup and he'll have even less legs next time around. All in all, it's sad but it's time to move on and mould Henderson or Huddlestone or some other young player who has more energy into that role in the next two years. England have a very easy group which is the perfect conditions to experiment and this is why Hodgeson is so disappointing if he sticks with Gerrard. Losing experience is not an issue because Rooney can be the captain and the player the team can be built around. He has said many times he would love to be captain too, it might even help raise his game.
All in all, Hodgeson has not done his job. After two years he still doesn't know his team, he tried to introduce a possession game which is all fine and dandy but we have pacey wingers suited to counter attack. And besides, he tried to play possession with two midfielders and Sterling in the hole I mean what the fuck?
If you want to play counter-attack, just copy Brendan Rodgers and you can have Sterling in the hole, Gerrard holding, and Henderson + Wilshere or something completing the fluid diamond. If you want Rooney in the hole, drop Gerrard and mould Henderson + Wilshere (or whoever are the most complete midfielders) into a solid pairing. If you want possession, you can have Gerrard in the hole, drop Henderson and play Barkley + Wilshere with Rooney in front and drop Sturridge. In every case, you're making a hard decision but you have to decide who your best player is and play the system that gets the best of of them even if it means dropping players. I hope to jeebus Gerrard decides to retire so we can see Hodgeson actually start having to think about what he's doing and for god's sake drop Welbeck!!!
I haven't criticised Hodgeson much because I wanted to give him a chance but he has cocked it up so bad and proven that he is so out of his depth that I can't help myself now. First of all a manager's job is to get the best out of the players at his disposal, especially for a national coach who can't make transfers. This means you identify from day one who your best players are and you have to adapt your management style and tactics to suit the players you have. It's basically common sense, if all your forwards are 5'3" I don't even think Tony Pulis would try to play long ball because you'd have to be a moron. Our best player is Rooney, he is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades player but he brings something unique to the striker position and is undoubtably (in my mind) one of the best in the world. What is his best position? Answer: just off the striker in a free role where he can use his unique combination of strength, pace, creativity, stamina, aerial threat and finishing ability to threaten the opponent to the fullest.
First game of the world cup: Sterling plays in the hole and Rooney starts on the left where he has never played before under Hodgeson or anyone... You must be having a laugh. After his experience in the Euros and two whole years of managing the team, Hodgeson plays his best player, and arguably his most creative player, out on the left in a position he has never played in, not even in friendlies! That's not even bad management anymore, that's someone not having a clue what to do. In the second game he starts the same team but puts Rooney in the hole and Sterling out wide, it's laughable! By the time a major tournament rolls around, the manager should have his mind set and not still experimenting with his best player. When you look at our players, Rooney should be nailed on in the hole and you build the team around him there. It seems Hodgeson got caught up in all the hype and decided to try Sterling there because that's the new fad Brendan Rodgers started and he just looks desperate to stay relevant.
Talking about fads, one move I completely disagreed with was taking Shaw instead of Cole. Why on earth would you leave your best defender behind, especially when he has been rested and got some games and good performances under his belt just in time in the run up to the summer and especially when he has been performing at the highest level in the team for years. I would have understood and applauded his courage if he was ruthlessly dropping a player who was out of form but then he takes Welbeck and Smalling. He's clearly been reading the Daily Mail and been drawn by the hype around Shaw and again being desperate to appear relevant.
And now after the world cup he's come out and practically begged Gerrard to stay on. I can't see any logical reason whatsoever. Gerrard is going to be too old by the time the next Euros rolls around to be trusted in a two man midfield. He couldn't even do it this year. You can point to Pirlo's deep lying role but that requires a three man midfield, something England can't have if you want to play Rooney off the striker. You can say Gerrard is England's best passer but he's proven he can't do it in this world cup and he'll have even less legs next time around. All in all, it's sad but it's time to move on and mould Henderson or Huddlestone or some other young player who has more energy into that role in the next two years. England have a very easy group which is the perfect conditions to experiment and this is why Hodgeson is so disappointing if he sticks with Gerrard. Losing experience is not an issue because Rooney can be the captain and the player the team can be built around. He has said many times he would love to be captain too, it might even help raise his game.
All in all, Hodgeson has not done his job. After two years he still doesn't know his team, he tried to introduce a possession game which is all fine and dandy but we have pacey wingers suited to counter attack. And besides, he tried to play possession with two midfielders and Sterling in the hole I mean what the fuck?
If you want to play counter-attack, just copy Brendan Rodgers and you can have Sterling in the hole, Gerrard holding, and Henderson + Wilshere or something completing the fluid diamond. If you want Rooney in the hole, drop Gerrard and mould Henderson + Wilshere (or whoever are the most complete midfielders) into a solid pairing. If you want possession, you can have Gerrard in the hole, drop Henderson and play Barkley + Wilshere with Rooney in front and drop Sturridge. In every case, you're making a hard decision but you have to decide who your best player is and play the system that gets the best of of them even if it means dropping players. I hope to jeebus Gerrard decides to retire so we can see Hodgeson actually start having to think about what he's doing and for god's sake drop Welbeck!!!
Rooney has been in decent form last season and for half a season before. 17 goals and 12 assists despite injury and playing midfield sometimes is not bad. I've rated Sturridge since his Bolton and Chelsea days and I'd insist on playing them both which is why I would want to drop Gerrard, but Rooney is still the player you build a team around. Sturridge isn't the all round talent that Rooney is. As for the outfield record, Rooney will most likely top that eventually so it doesn't matter that much. I just think you should only keep Gerrard if you intend to play him, I don't buy this experience on the bench thing, experience counts much more when it's beside you setting an example on the pitch so I'd leave sentiment behind and tell Gerrard thanks for your service but time is up.
think you give luke shaw a hard time, he was one of the better players on the pitch vs costa rica. plus, if you're deciding on baines as your #1 left back theres no real point in taking ashley cole because he'll just be sat on the bench anyway. im probably a bit biased because i am a big fan of shaw though. taking smalling was a joke though you are right.
For me Roy should have based his attack on Liverpool (best attack in the EPL) and defence on Chelsea (best defence in the EPL). That means Terry, Cahill and Cole should have been starting.
I also wanted to Gerrard to start but not next to Henderson in 4-2-3-1. Both Gerrard and Henderson were out of position. Gerrard too far forward and Henderson too far back. This is Roy's biggest mistake IMO. Insisting on playing this rigid system where Gerrard and Henderson sat in front of the defence with and without the ball.
I wanted to see a Wilshere, Henderson and Gerrard midfield. When England were in possession, Gerrard drops between the CBs and dictates play. Instead we got this rigid system where Gerrard and Henderson struggled to get onto the ball.
I also wanted to Gerrard to start but not next to Henderson in 4-2-3-1. Both Gerrard and Henderson were out of position. Gerrard too far forward and Henderson too far back. This is Roy's biggest mistake IMO. Insisting on playing this rigid system where Gerrard and Henderson sat in front of the defence with and without the ball.
I wanted to see a Wilshere, Henderson and Gerrard midfield. When England were in possession, Gerrard drops between the CBs and dictates play. Instead we got this rigid system where Gerrard and Henderson struggled to get onto the ball.
Sturridge is good but he's not gonna get 50 goals, he has an outside chance of getting 30 and that would be world class. The problem is, if Liverpool lose Suarez then they'll have lost the main creator of goals too and even if Coutinho does step up it will be hard for Sturridge to shoulder the whole burden. Add in the extra CL games and my feeling is Liverpool will have a fight for even top 4 next season without at least 2 or 3 top signings to increase depth. I know you'll probably hate hearing that and I understand cos I've had to hear ppl predict Arsenal finishing mid table every summer but I honestly feel Liverpool will have one hell of a job to stay in the top 4 and compete in CL.
As for the manager, if he doesn't have to be English then I would have gone for the enemy and get a German in like Klinsmann as soon as he left his German post back then. Or Guus Hiddink now, he's out of a job. Or one of the many progressive South American ones. Or even a Frenchman, most of the class of 98 are managers now - Deschamps has shown great decision making on all fronts with the current underpar French squad. Or just stick Allardyce in and play Carroll and Lambert and have a laugh trying to win it the old fashioned English way! Or stick Holloway in at least for a bit of entertainment! I wouldn't mind McClaren, he's a good shout tbh and I don't think he got a fair chance the last time around.
Basically anyone who can do a basic job and settle on a team after 2 years of working with them. Look at Sabella and how he dropped Tevez for Argentina and all signs point to him dropping Aguero too. It doesn't matter if your country has 4 world class strikers, you can't play them all. Get Messi in his best position and do what is necessary. If having too many strikers unbalances the team then leave them on the bench. Look at France and Nasri. USA and Donovan. The first thing a manager has to do is identify his best player and a system that works. Hodgeson settled on playing possession, but plays Sturridge, Welbeck, Rooney and Sterling. It's nonsensical. I don't think he even knows what his team should be. From my point of view, he hasn't done his job.
As for the manager, if he doesn't have to be English then I would have gone for the enemy and get a German in like Klinsmann as soon as he left his German post back then. Or Guus Hiddink now, he's out of a job. Or one of the many progressive South American ones. Or even a Frenchman, most of the class of 98 are managers now - Deschamps has shown great decision making on all fronts with the current underpar French squad. Or just stick Allardyce in and play Carroll and Lambert and have a laugh trying to win it the old fashioned English way! Or stick Holloway in at least for a bit of entertainment! I wouldn't mind McClaren, he's a good shout tbh and I don't think he got a fair chance the last time around.
Basically anyone who can do a basic job and settle on a team after 2 years of working with them. Look at Sabella and how he dropped Tevez for Argentina and all signs point to him dropping Aguero too. It doesn't matter if your country has 4 world class strikers, you can't play them all. Get Messi in his best position and do what is necessary. If having too many strikers unbalances the team then leave them on the bench. Look at France and Nasri. USA and Donovan. The first thing a manager has to do is identify his best player and a system that works. Hodgeson settled on playing possession, but plays Sturridge, Welbeck, Rooney and Sterling. It's nonsensical. I don't think he even knows what his team should be. From my point of view, he hasn't done his job.
Thoughts are with reyscarface
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