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The Soccer thread
- Thread starter goldemblem
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Having seen a good amount of that derby match, saw up to 70mins, I was shocked at how the match ended up in Liverpool's favour. I don't think they're anything special anymore, and I really did think Everton deserved the win.
Arsenal on Wednesday looks more and more interesting now..
hahahahahaha Man U fans are so pathetic. 2-0 for Chelsea in the first 20th minute lol. Arsenal is probably going to lose 5-0 at least.
Since Liverpool isn't going to win this season, what I want to see is Man U NOT winning the premier league.
The problem with Arsenal is that they struggle to win the matches that they need to win, yet are far more consistent with the rest of the division when it comes to playing them. Whilst Chelsea'll drop points to Wigan, Man U'll drop points to Burnley, Arsenal seem to only lose points to the top 6/7 and win every other match. Which is why even after today I'm not going to rule them out, with the return of Bendtner and eventually Van Persie, plus having only Spurs and Citeh left to play of that top 6/7, you can expect them to drop fewer points than Chelsea and Man U.
Why is it pathetic for me, as a Manchester United fan, to want to see Chelsea not win so Man Utd is still top of the League? I don't see anything pathetic in that at all. I'm sure every fan would want their only title rivals to slip up at every given chance, and against Arsenal was one of the more likely chances of that happening. Sadly, it didn't.
I think it's more pathetic from Liverpool fans, who seem to care more about what Manchester United are doing at the top of the League when they're having a terrible season. It's kind of sad to be holding onto a record of 18 League Titles and hoping another team doesn't better it rather than having the quality to go and win one yourself.
Arsenal have again shown they lack what it takes when it really matters. They did 'dominate' the game if you will, possession wise, territorial wise, and maybe even attempts wise. However, that doesn't win you football matches. Most of their chances were not clear-cut enough to warrant any Arsenal fan of saying "we deserved to win that match". They got done on a set-piece and on the counter attack, their two weakest areas. It was like a carbon copy of the game against Manchester United were they just couldn't break the best teams down and got punished for it. They need to do more than pass the ball around the 18-yard box at every chance they get. Sometimes even I find myself shouting 'shoot!' to Arsenal players, I can't imagine how frustrating it is being an Arsenal fan.
Chelsea winning was always the more likely result, but Manchester United being only two points behind is perfectly fine. Hopefully we can keep that goal difference higher, so even if Chelsea only draw and we win, we can still take top spot before we face Chelsea at Old Trafford in what is likely to be a very important game. I'm sure both teams will drop more points before and even after that game, though.
I think it's more pathetic from Liverpool fans, who seem to care more about what Manchester United are doing at the top of the League when they're having a terrible season. It's kind of sad to be holding onto a record of 18 League Titles and hoping another team doesn't better it rather than having the quality to go and win one yourself.
Arsenal have again shown they lack what it takes when it really matters. They did 'dominate' the game if you will, possession wise, territorial wise, and maybe even attempts wise. However, that doesn't win you football matches. Most of their chances were not clear-cut enough to warrant any Arsenal fan of saying "we deserved to win that match". They got done on a set-piece and on the counter attack, their two weakest areas. It was like a carbon copy of the game against Manchester United were they just couldn't break the best teams down and got punished for it. They need to do more than pass the ball around the 18-yard box at every chance they get. Sometimes even I find myself shouting 'shoot!' to Arsenal players, I can't imagine how frustrating it is being an Arsenal fan.
Chelsea winning was always the more likely result, but Manchester United being only two points behind is perfectly fine. Hopefully we can keep that goal difference higher, so even if Chelsea only draw and we win, we can still take top spot before we face Chelsea at Old Trafford in what is likely to be a very important game. I'm sure both teams will drop more points before and even after that game, though.
I would prefer if you would talk about me and not all Liverpool fans, I do not represent all Liverpool fans. I don't know if it's just me, but don't take it personally, I just hate Manchester Utd fans as well as the team. When I see Man Utd loosing, I'm really happy inside. But the worst thing is when they score in injury time and break my heart, I just want to take something and break it T_T Yeah, you can say I've got issues but I'm a Liverpool fan till the end =)
Also, watch out, we aren't that far actually and things are going great atm. Liverpool will take advantage of any losses.
There's nothing wrong with that, hell I'm the same. Part of me isn't as bad as I used to be due to my team's dropping out of the same division, although the fire was still there when we beat them in the FA Cup (ooh, huge hint there xDD).
It annoys me the same when Manchester United do the same, but my hatred's shifted from the actual fans and across to the cretins that call themselves Sky Sports employees. No fan wouldn't celebrate a 95th minute winner, so to hate their fans for the same thing is wrong. However. However, I hate their fans for other reasons, which I'll reserve to stop a potential flamewar occuring.
Why do people only talk about the Premier League here? There is more than Premier League, World Championship and Champions League. Europa League and Eredivisie for example.
Bold=predicted winner. Europa League.
Rubin Kazan - Hapoel Tel Aviv
Athletic de Bilbao - RSC Anderlecht
FC Kopenhagen - Olympique Marseille
Panathinaikos - AS Roma
Atletico Madrid - Galatasaray
Club Brugge - Valencia
Fulham - Shaktar Donetsk
Liverpool - Unirea Urziceni
Villarreal - Wolfsburg
Lille - Fenerbahçe
Everton - Sporting Lissabon
Hertha BSC - Benfica
FC Twente - Werder Bremen
Hamburger SV - PSV
AFC Ajax - Juventus
Bold=predicted winner. Europa League.
Rubin Kazan - Hapoel Tel Aviv
Athletic de Bilbao - RSC Anderlecht
FC Kopenhagen - Olympique Marseille
Panathinaikos - AS Roma
Atletico Madrid - Galatasaray
Club Brugge - Valencia
Fulham - Shaktar Donetsk
Liverpool - Unirea Urziceni
Villarreal - Wolfsburg
Lille - Fenerbahçe
Everton - Sporting Lissabon
Hertha BSC - Benfica
FC Twente - Werder Bremen
Hamburger SV - PSV
AFC Ajax - Juventus
because other football leagues suck except for spanish liga, italian football and champions league.
Sorry, but if you think that, then you should some more football. In my opinion, every match on it's own can be very good and entertaining. For example the German Bundesliga. Since Louis van Gaal gotten things straight in Munchen, Bayern are one of the best playing sqauds if seen this season. They play attractive fast and pressing football, comperative with Barcelona.
Another example of a good playing team at the moment is PSV Eindhoven, playing in the Dutch Eredivisie. Like Bayern Munchen they play pressure football. But where Bayern plays with a right-footed player on the left(Olic, Ribery) and a left-footed player on the right(Robben) to let the wingers create their own chances, PSV Eindhoven plays with left on left and right on right. Therefore PSV Eindhoven plays more Dutch: on the wings, providing good crosses, creating chances for the (long) striker(Koevermans) or the upcoming central middlfielders.
My last example(I can go on and no so this is the last for now) is Olympique Lyon, former champions of France. Lyon has always been a very good team, not only in France(8 league titles in a row) but also in the Champions League. This year they knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League. Lyon plays with quick combinations and very technical high skilled dribblers.
So there is more then just the 'big' leagues. You should appreciate the little leagues more, because good teams don't only play in the big leagues
Another example of a good playing team at the moment is PSV Eindhoven, playing in the Dutch Eredivisie. Like Bayern Munchen they play pressure football. But where Bayern plays with a right-footed player on the left(Olic, Ribery) and a left-footed player on the right(Robben) to let the wingers create their own chances, PSV Eindhoven plays with left on left and right on right. Therefore PSV Eindhoven plays more Dutch: on the wings, providing good crosses, creating chances for the (long) striker(Koevermans) or the upcoming central middlfielders.
My last example(I can go on and no so this is the last for now) is Olympique Lyon, former champions of France. Lyon has always been a very good team, not only in France(8 league titles in a row) but also in the Champions League. This year they knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League. Lyon plays with quick combinations and very technical high skilled dribblers.
So there is more then just the 'big' leagues. You should appreciate the little leagues more, because good teams don't only play in the big leagues
Not sure if any of you guys bet, but i can't ignore this shit.
Premiership top goal scorer - Rooney @ 5/1 with Coral (think the odds gone down now)
This seems like easy money, his already smashed 21 goals in the league so far which is 4 more than Drogba who has 17. And 6 more than Defoe who has 15.
Rooney is Man Uniteds main striker and doesnt get easily injured, not to mention his been on shit hot form lately. With all the balls fed to him from Man Uniteds flankers he's bound to smash in atleast another 8 or 9 before the league is over.
I know Drogba just smashed 2 past Arsenal which took his tally to 17 but i can't see him getting 30 this season, he'll have to average one goal a game in the remaining 13. thats my opinion anyway.
Defoe is a no no, Tottenham are to inconsistent, and he surely cant get another 15... can he?
Overall its worth a cheeky 20 squillas on Rooney.
Premiership top goal scorer - Rooney @ 5/1 with Coral (think the odds gone down now)
This seems like easy money, his already smashed 21 goals in the league so far which is 4 more than Drogba who has 17. And 6 more than Defoe who has 15.
Rooney is Man Uniteds main striker and doesnt get easily injured, not to mention his been on shit hot form lately. With all the balls fed to him from Man Uniteds flankers he's bound to smash in atleast another 8 or 9 before the league is over.
I know Drogba just smashed 2 past Arsenal which took his tally to 17 but i can't see him getting 30 this season, he'll have to average one goal a game in the remaining 13. thats my opinion anyway.
Defoe is a no no, Tottenham are to inconsistent, and he surely cant get another 15... can he?
Overall its worth a cheeky 20 squillas on Rooney.
Rooney may be in amazing form, but I'd still imagine that he might only just be able to amass that magic total of 30 Premier League goals that so few players have ever managed (Shearer, Cole, Phillips, Ronaldo). 9 goals in 13 games? We'll see. But yeah, good odds and he's still very likely to stay on top.
The reason I only talk Premier League is because it's the only one I follow consistently, other than the Champions League. I can enjoy football between any teams, but I don't go out of my way to watch anything that isn't Premier League or Champions League.
The reason I only talk Premier League is because it's the only one I follow consistently, other than the Champions League. I can enjoy football between any teams, but I don't go out of my way to watch anything that isn't Premier League or Champions League.
I'm still unsure on that. He'll definitely get a season tally of over 30 goals if he avoids injury, but I'm not 100% on him getting 30 Premier League goals, though I'd love to see it happen obviously. I'd take a pop at 32 for the season, but depending on how we do in the Champions League and if he takes his scoring form into that competition he could well exceed that. We have a maximum of 21 more games this season, and I can definitely see him getting 32+ overall if we play all of those. However, despite our good form, it's going to take something special and a some luck to make it to a third Champions League final in a row.
The Europa League doesn't suck. The Eredivisie doesn't suck.
Ajax-Juventus
Juventus-Ajax
Will it be possible for Ajax? Juventus has injury problems, but have the extra motivation the Europa League is their only chance to win a prize. Is it possible for Ajax to win the Europa League?
PSV isn't that good. Often they play bad, and they score in the last minutes of the game, getting a win while a draw or loss would be more deserved. But the points count. Unfortunately they are primary title candidate. Luckily Ajax has an easier program. 12 games and PSV has 58 points. Ajax 49. FC Twente also has a heavy program and 55 points. FC Twente is just like PSV: Bryan Ruiz steals the win in the last minutes. Ajax often wins with at least 3 goals difference and always deserves it every time they win. Only one 1-0 win this season (AZ), and two times in the Europa League 2-1 win, but those three were deserved. I hope FC Twente will be champion, Ajax certainly won't anyways because Saturday angstgegner SC Heerenveen awaits them and FC Twente>PSV. Ajax should buy Bryan Ruiz. Enough bad players earning a lot of money they can sell to get money to buy Ruiz. Twente payd AA Gent 5.500.000 Euro for him, but he's worth more now.
Ajax-Juventus
Juventus-Ajax
Will it be possible for Ajax? Juventus has injury problems, but have the extra motivation the Europa League is their only chance to win a prize. Is it possible for Ajax to win the Europa League?
PSV isn't that good. Often they play bad, and they score in the last minutes of the game, getting a win while a draw or loss would be more deserved. But the points count. Unfortunately they are primary title candidate. Luckily Ajax has an easier program. 12 games and PSV has 58 points. Ajax 49. FC Twente also has a heavy program and 55 points. FC Twente is just like PSV: Bryan Ruiz steals the win in the last minutes. Ajax often wins with at least 3 goals difference and always deserves it every time they win. Only one 1-0 win this season (AZ), and two times in the Europa League 2-1 win, but those three were deserved. I hope FC Twente will be champion, Ajax certainly won't anyways because Saturday angstgegner SC Heerenveen awaits them and FC Twente>PSV. Ajax should buy Bryan Ruiz. Enough bad players earning a lot of money they can sell to get money to buy Ruiz. Twente payd AA Gent 5.500.000 Euro for him, but he's worth more now.
the Bundesliga right now at least is above Italian football
Chelsea lose, Man Utd manage to get a 1-1 draw away at Villa despite having Nani sent off in the first half. Arsenal get a much needed win to stay in the race and are aided by the teams above them not winning. Liverpool are in a big battle for fourth now - it's anyone's from Liverpool, Man City, Aston Villa and Tottenham.
The Bundesliga is really underrated. I would put it above the Italian league any day.
I'm sorry man Rooney can't even be compared to Messi as Messi is obviously far better. I don't see Rooney as a player with talent, he just has a very strong physique and he takes advantage of it. On the other hand, Messi has great control of the ball as well as great vision. Idk, Rooney also plays dirty and gets red cards far more often than other players. Something to consider since if a player is sent off, it could cost the team the game. So in short, Rooney < Messi.
I agree with all of these, except for the top of the chart. How the hell. the EPL isn't number 1. The EPL is THE best league in the world as of now. There is no discussing that. Don't let your hatred take over your logic.
I must say, despite my bias, that the Premier League is a better and more exciting league overall than La Liga. However, I will admit that due to Real Madrid's and Bercelona's latest acquisitions mean a lot of the best players play their football in Spain. The Premier League still has masses of world class talent, though. More so than anywhere except possibly Spain.
At the moment, I don't think anyone can argue that Wayne Rooney, right now, is one of, if not the best player in the world. I never used to rate Rooney that highly, but he's having an amazing season this term. Messi is probably playing just as well, maybe slightly better in some people's eyes. Rooney has 23 goals, as does Messi. Though Rooney has played 2 more games overall, due to Manchester United's FA Cup exit and Rooney not playing very many times in the Carling Cup mean that Messi has had more chances to score against weaker teams. While the vast majority of Rooney's appearances and goals have come in the Premier League (seven appearances in other competitions with two goals. though against teams like Chelsea and Manchester City).
In regards to overall team contribution then Rooney and Messi must be close again, while if it comes down to goals only, it's going to even closer maybe. If Messi wants to retain his World Player of the Year award, he's likely going to have to near enough equal or better last year's performance. Rooney is doing all he needs to do to be in contention for something like that.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo is being overlooked despite his limited appearances. 16 games play (two as a substitute) with a return of 15 goals is quite extraordinary. If he can play the majority of games he'll be right up there yet again.
Of course, success in competitions with your team is often something that sways the voting, which I don't think is fully correct. If Manchester United can win the Carling Cup, Premier League, and do well in the Champions League, then Rooney has to be one of the favourites. The same goes for Messi and Ronaldo though, if their respective teams can win some trophies that may be what pushes the voting up.
At the moment, I don't think anyone can argue that Wayne Rooney, right now, is one of, if not the best player in the world. I never used to rate Rooney that highly, but he's having an amazing season this term. Messi is probably playing just as well, maybe slightly better in some people's eyes. Rooney has 23 goals, as does Messi. Though Rooney has played 2 more games overall, due to Manchester United's FA Cup exit and Rooney not playing very many times in the Carling Cup mean that Messi has had more chances to score against weaker teams. While the vast majority of Rooney's appearances and goals have come in the Premier League (seven appearances in other competitions with two goals. though against teams like Chelsea and Manchester City).
In regards to overall team contribution then Rooney and Messi must be close again, while if it comes down to goals only, it's going to even closer maybe. If Messi wants to retain his World Player of the Year award, he's likely going to have to near enough equal or better last year's performance. Rooney is doing all he needs to do to be in contention for something like that.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo is being overlooked despite his limited appearances. 16 games play (two as a substitute) with a return of 15 goals is quite extraordinary. If he can play the majority of games he'll be right up there yet again.
Of course, success in competitions with your team is often something that sways the voting, which I don't think is fully correct. If Manchester United can win the Carling Cup, Premier League, and do well in the Champions League, then Rooney has to be one of the favourites. The same goes for Messi and Ronaldo though, if their respective teams can win some trophies that may be what pushes the voting up.
Copa Libertadores results for this week:
U. Católica 3 - 2 Colón (global 5-5, UC won on penalties, advances to group stage)
Emelec 2 - 1 Newell's (global 2-1)
Nacional (Py) 0-2 Once Caldas
Lanús 0-2 Libertad
Bolívar 1-3 Alianza Lima
Banfield 2-1 Morelia
Vélez Sarsfield 2-0 Cruzeiro
Sao Paulo 2-0 Monterrey
Nacional (Uy) 3-2 Deportivo Cuenca
Estudiantes LP 5-1 Juan Aurich
Cerro Porteño 1-1 DIM
Blooming 1-2 Universitario
U. Católica 3 - 2 Colón (global 5-5, UC won on penalties, advances to group stage)
Emelec 2 - 1 Newell's (global 2-1)
Nacional (Py) 0-2 Once Caldas
Lanús 0-2 Libertad
Bolívar 1-3 Alianza Lima
Banfield 2-1 Morelia
Vélez Sarsfield 2-0 Cruzeiro
Sao Paulo 2-0 Monterrey
Nacional (Uy) 3-2 Deportivo Cuenca
Estudiantes LP 5-1 Juan Aurich
Cerro Porteño 1-1 DIM
Blooming 1-2 Universitario
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