All things soccer 2014 - 15

[shogun89]

Well, I stand corrected, Falcao is not on £200,000 a week, he's on £280,000 a week. There is a clause in Rooney's contract that he must be the highest paid player at the club, so if anyone gets a contract above him, he must get a pay rise also.

Mike Phelan (Fergies trusted assistant) said that Manu have now lost their way. In that they no longer seem to trust academy and home grown players which have been the backbone of their success for 20 years and have now sunk to Chelsea and Man City levels of suppressing their home grown and academy players in favour of buying expensive ready made (and mostly foreign) players in their prime for instant results.

This means that the many promising academy players they have don't get a chance to develop into great players by consistently playing at the top level, like they do in some other leagues.

 

[rld]

Bayern's problem is not the coach or the system, it was a bodies problem. A shortage of healthy ones. The lastest two additions I think go a long way to shoring up that issues. Alonso really is there to fill in for Basti, between the two of them they will get one solid healthy midfielder while the young kids heal and develop.

And to the gent you says only Bayern wins the BL, going into last year, if you looked at the numbers, Man U had won the EPL more times than Bayern had won the BL for the same period. And which league is imbalanced.

Personally I love watching the EPL, but I would not jump to the conclusion it is the best league in the world. Overall, I think the BL is based on a number of factors (financially sound, goals scored, highest attendance, reasonable ticket prices), but it is a matter of taste to some degree.

 

[shogun89]

Bayern's problem is not the coach or the system, it was a bodies problem. A shortage of healthy ones. The lastest two additions I think go a long way to shoring up that issues. Alonso really is there to fill in for Basti, between the two of them they will get one solid healthy midfielder while the young kids heal and develop.

And to the gent you says only Bayern wins the BL, going into last year, if you looked at the numbers, Man U had won the EPL more times than Bayern had won the BL for the same period. And which league is imbalanced.

Personally I love watching the EPL, but I would not jump to the conclusion it is the best league in the world. Overall, I think the BL is based on a number of factors (financially sound, goals scored, highest attendance, reasonable ticket prices), but it is a matter of taste to some degree.

I think between 2005-2009 there was a case for the BPL being the best league in the world. At that time, it seemed only another BPL team or Barcelona could knock another BPL team out of the champions league. I remember quite a few occasions where there were 2-3 BPL teams that made it to the CL semi finals, and it seemed like they was a finalist every year from the English league. Real Madrid was weak during those years and I remember Liverpool beating them by an aggregate of 6 or 7-0 and that's when they decided enough was enough and went full out buying Ronaldo and Kaka that summer.

It kind of goes in cycles, as other leagues were trying hard to catch up and have. Bayern, Barca, Madrid are all better than the current BPL teams.

BPL is the best product though, in that it commercialized itself the best, and is generally the most exciting to watch week in week out IMO. It's more back and forth than the other leagues who do more possession based and slow build up, and there are 7 good teams in it right now going for 4 CL spots, maybe 4 of which have a chance at the title.

La Liga seems to have a habit in the last 5 years of taking the BPL player of the season every year for a record transfer fee. (Ronaldo, Bale, Suarez) Half the Madrid team that won the CL last year were bought from the BPL. This year, apart from the Suarez departure has seen a re-influx of top talent back to the BPL (Costa, Fabregas, Courtois, Bakotelli, Falcao, Di Maria).

One top league that has fallen from grace lately is Serie A. That was the league to be at in the 90's, and AC Milan were amazing up to 2007ish

 

[rld]

I think between 2005-2009 there was a case for the BPL being the best league in the world. At that time, it seemed only another BPL team or Barcelona could knock another BPL team out of the champions league. I remember quite a few occasions where there were 2-3 BPL teams that made it to the CL semi finals, and it seemed like they was a finalist every year from the English league. Real Madrid was weak during those years and I remember Liverpool beating them by an aggregate of 6 or 7-0 and that's when they decided enough was enough and went full out buying Ronaldo and Kaka that summer.

It kind of goes in cycles, as other leagues were trying hard to catch up and have. Bayern, Barca, Madrid are all better than the current BPL teams.

BPL is the best product though, in that it commercialized itself the best, and is generally the most exciting to watch week in week out IMO. It's more back and forth than the other leagues who do more possession based and slow build up, and there are 7 good teams in it right now going for 4 CL spots, maybe 4 of which have a chance at the title.

La Liga seems to have a habit in the last 5 years of taking the BPL player of the season every year for a record transfer fee. (Ronaldo, Bale, Suarez) Half the Madrid team that won the CL last year were bought from the BPL. This year, apart from the Suarez departure has seen a re-influx of top talent back to the BPL (Costa, Fabregas, Courtois, Bakotelli, Falcao, Di Maria).

One top league that has fallen from grace lately is Serie A. That was the league to be at in the 90's, and AC Milan were amazing up to 2007ish

I think you are bang on.

From the perspective of someone overseas I love watching the EPL and of course the coverage of it is very good.

I think Bayern has got that message recently opening an office in NYC and one in China and playing that exhibition in the US this year.

But the price of EPL tickets is not so good, nor is their attendance the best. And there is something about those sugar daddy clubs that rubs me the wrong way.

The other interesting development over the past few years is top players being moved between top EPL sides, something you would never have seen a decade ago but is happening much more often now.

I also am expecting a very good year from Dortmund.

 

[Insidious Von]

Can't stand the sugar daddy clubs, wonder how long Abramovich will own Chelsea now that Putin is on the road to WW III.

As expected, Conte has left "not so" Super Mario off the Azzurri roster for the matches against Holland and Norway. He has to serve a one match ban for his yellows at the WC but could have started against Norway. Can't blame Conte for this, Prandelli showed complete faith in him and ended up under the bus. The message is clear, "keep yer ass quiet and produce for your club". Eventually Conte will show up at Anfield - I pity the club Liverpool will be facing that day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uldt6Y-CE3s.

 

[Insidious Von]

I wonder what this will lead to, FIFA beng completely rotten.

At least we get a reprieve, Putin won't launch WW III until after the 2018 WC.

http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=461027

 

[Insidious Von]

2 items we learned from the early Euro qualifiers.

1) England will win the Euro so start jumping on the bandwagon now. Seriously, at some point their fortunes must turn.

2) Antonio Conte will have The Azzurri prepared for every match - no more Costa Ricas.

Since they were playing at home I expected more from the Norwegians, they didn't get a SOG. Two players increased their profiles, Simone Zaza and Davide Astori. SZ has the size and pace to be the main man for many years, if he can keep up his run of form he'll be back at Juventus come January. DA has finally put his growing pains behind him and will thrive in the stopper position. He now gives Conte an extra option if Chiellini's health begins to fail. I was perplexed that Conte didn't use his most talented player ********** Verratti. He's more than proven himself at PSG and he could be for Italy what Goetze is for Germany, their wild card.

 

[shogun89]

2 items we learned from the early Euro qualifiers.

1) England will win the Euro so start jumping on the bandwagon now. Seriously, at some point their fortunes must turn.

2) Antonio Conte will have The Azzurri prepared for every match - no more Costa Ricas.

Since they were playing at home I expected more from the Norwegians, they didn't get a SOG. Two players increased their profiles, Simone Zaza and Davide Astori. SZ has the size and pace to be the main man for many years, if he can keep up his run of form he'll be back at Juventus come January. DA has finally put his growing pains behind him and will thrive in the stopper position. He now gives Conte an extra option if Chiellini's health begins to fail. I was perplexed that Conte didn't use his most talented player ********** Verratti. He's more than proven himself at PSG and he could be for Italy what Goetze is for Germany, their wild card.

I've seen these false dawns before with England though. I like how they realized that Sterling is England's best player already at 19 and they're starting to build the team around him. Putting him at the tip of the midfield diamond to get him on the ball as much as possible rather than shoving him out on the wing in a rigid 4-4-2. I've watched him improve dramatically for Liverpool over the last year and a half. At first people thought he was just another Walcott / Lennon ( all pace and no brains ) but he's actually much more than that.

Other players who could also play at the tip of the diamond for England are Barkley and Lallana, but I'm not sure who else can play in the central midfield roles. Wilshire needs to improve at CDM, Milner is a jack of all trades master of none and could fill in, but who else really?

 

[Insidious Von]

If Balo keeps his ass quiet, Sterling's going to look like the second coming of George Best.

It's time for Pirlo and Buffon to retire from the Azzurri, it's time for the Verratti, Perin era to begin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDvmy4BGJGw

 

[Insidious Von]

So the hollowing out of the EPL continues apace. They didn't look very good against their CL opponents. Fantastic goal by Immobile, nice to see Italians delivering for their clubs.

I'll believe it when I see it.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2014/09/17/5108625/the-american-dream-can-roma-really-become-the-biggest-club?ICID=HP_FT_1

 

[rld]

So the hollowing out of the EPL continues apace. They didn't look very good against their CL opponents. Fantastic goal by Immobile, nice to see Italians delivering for their clubs.

I'll believe it when I see it.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2014/09/17/5108625/the-american-dream-can-roma-really-become-the-biggest-club?ICID=HP_FT_1

Today will have some much more interesting tests of that theory. Loved the work Dortmund did though.

 

[AK-47]

Bayern - ManShitty should be a dandy

 

[Richard.TO]

Can we please not refer to Man Utd as the Reds, they are the Red Devils, the Reds are a vastly superior side from Merseyside

To be even more precise
Manu = scum
Liverpool = red shite

 

[Insidious Von]

Bayern saved by the best defender in the world Jerome Boateng.

Roma 5 CSKA 1

Ex-Central Red Army got their consolation goal after Astori went off for aid. DDR and Cole did not play due to injury.

Our Ukrainian community is loving this! Putin mozzica me!

 

[rld]

Bayern saved by the best defender in the world Jerome Boateng.

Roma 5 CSKA 1

Ex-Central Red Army got their consolation goal after Astori went off for aid. DDR and Cole did not play due to injury.

Our Ukrainian community is loving this! Putin mozzica me!

Harte had a good game to keep it close.

Cannot wait to see what Bayern look like when back near full strength.

 

[Insidious Von]

So Rogers has answered the call with BEIN. I can now watch La Liga and Serie A in HD, something RAI doesn't yet offer, but I'll have to put up with English announcers. However there is a problem, no Bundesliga. For someone who grew up watching Soccer Made in Germany with the legendary Toby Charles, this is unacceptable.

If Roma go into Manchesterdad and beat them, no one can refute my claim that the EPL is hollowing out. I've seen it happen before with Italy in the mid 90's onward, this led to them fielding their weakest Azzurri for France98. EPL fans take note.

 

[AK-47]

So Rogers has answered the call with BEIN. I can now watch La Liga and Serie A in HD, something RAI doesn't yet offer, but I'll have to put up with English announcers

Yup, I got rid of RAI too for BEIN sports

However there is a problem, no Bundesliga

There is plenty of Bundesliga on GolTV HD. Channel 428 on Rogers.
I watched Bayern game today

If Roma go into Manchesterdad and beat them, no one can refute my claim that the EPL is hollowing out. I've seen it happen before with Italy in the mid 90's onward, this led to them fielding their weakest Azzurri for France98. EPL fans take note

Sorry mate, if there's one league thats hollowing out its Serie A

 

[Insidious Von]

Sorry mate, if there's one league thats hollowing out its Serie A

Schurrle you jest.

Serie A hollowing out already happened, but it still generated enough domestic talent to win the WC. Progress has been slow, last season was disaster for Italian clubs in Europe. Italy now sits below Portugal in the co-efficient. But the EPL is not producing enough domestic talent to bolster their top club, eventually it's co-efficient will suffer as well. Isn't it ironic that all those Italian teen that the poached, no of them have become front line players. I'm not saying that the EPL will lose it's financial clout, but it will rely ever more on mercenaries to be competitive. The EPL peaked in 2008, it's been downhill since.

And my prediction for Liverpool has gone pear shaped.

 

[Insidious Von]

Vidic and Cole are struggling to keep their places for their respective clubs. Vidic lost his articles of clothing when he attempted a back pass to his goalie and got intercepted by Roberto Longo who then scored. He was left with his kurazz hanging out. Inter's transfer market didn't go according to plan, their prospect (Giulio Donati) was supposed to return from Leverkusen. But the German club hung a "not for sale" sign on him. Patrick Evra is playing very well for Juventus - I don't understand why ManU let him go. He is the only one of the EPL imports to adapt to the chess match nature of Serie A.

Kevin Strootman is almost ready to return from injury. This gives Rudi Garcia a problem that most managers would like to have - too many midfielders.

Mr. Legend, formerly know as Miroslav Klose has yet to play for Lazio. He picked up a high ankle injury during the WC that's been slow to heal. The Eagles are somewhat lost without him, they need his leadership just as much as his goal scoring.

 

[Insidious Von]

Time to revive this dead thread.

Man City held at home by an injury hit Roma. And they did it with a back up goalie Skorupski and back up defender Mbiwa as well. This was their best chance to beat Roma, by the time they meet at the Olimpico, DDR will have served his suspension and Astori and Strootman will be healthy.

City became more dangerous when Lampard entered the match, there is no substitute for guile. A touch of class on the part of Manchester fans applauding Totti as he got substituted. Also Lampard coming over to exchange shirts with Totti while he was being interviewed and ending up taking part of the water bucket was comical.

There was a good deal of camaraderie in this match - that wont be the case against Bayern. The home-away legs are going to be nasty.