2010/2011 Season Thread

[Paranoid Android]

Ray W leaving came as a bit of a shock. He's a great man. Hopefully it doesn't turn out to be a mistake.

If Holloway gets fined it would be ridiculous.

[Murrr]

Despite his undeniable cunt complex, Joey B is one of my favourite players. He's been outrageously good for us this season and it's been a long time since he's done anything really dumb (Pedersen incident aside). He's not as good as Cheick, Prince of Africa but he's still dead good. Better than Danny Guthrie, and Guthrie's basically Zico.

[soundian]

When are the powers that be going to let managers manage? The whole Blackpool thing is ridiculous, who the fuck are the Premier League to say what kind of side Ian Holloway is to put out? And where do you draw the line? They should stop meddling in such matters like pesky kids in a scooby doo cartoon and let the managers get on with the job they're paid for. Twats!

I agree totally. What's the point of 25 man squads if the EPL suits still think they know how to pick the team better than the guy employed to pick the team? I don't imagine Blackpool have such a huge range of talent in their squad that their "First XI" is significantly better than their "Second XI" and, by all accounts, if they'd got a point at Villa it would have been justified.

[delboy]

From what they showed on the highlights Blackpool more than matched Villa. And if they're so pissed off about teams fielding 'weakened' sides then something should be done about the Carling Cup which gets more and more devalued every season. I think in this day and age where teams have to submit squads the Premier League shouldn't even be wasting an inch of breath bothering whether a manager has put out a weakened squad.

And its becoming annoying how referees are unaccountable for their actions. Whilst I sympathize that these days the colour of their underpants is scrutinized they should have to go out and face the media like the managers do. But there has been some poor decisions in the prem league recently. Think the problem is that decisions are so scrutinized these days. There's about 100 cameras at every game and Talksport will still be debating the issue in the middle of next week!

[Soda Jerk]

Despite his undeniable cunt complex, Joey B is one of my favourite players. He's been outrageously good for us this season and it's been a long time since he's done anything really dumb (Pedersen incident aside). He's not as good as Cheick, Prince of Africa but he's still dead good. Better than Danny Guthrie, and Guthrie's basically Zico.

The last time was the absolutely mental hack on Xabi Alonso wasn't it? That was a year and a half ago, so not really too long in the grand scheme of things. He didn't play that much either side of that incident either. I agree he's been very good this season, and I finally thought he'd started to put his profession first. I think he's made a fool of everyone, and I can't believe he only got 3 games on the sidelines for throwing a punch. Cantona got 10 times worse for kicking some racist gobshite, and barely even made contact. He probably deserved it too. But then again, Pedersen probably deserved it as well, the smug little shit.

I rate Barton as a footballer, but it's a shame he's an abhorrent little shite. He just had to throw a fist at the weediest player on the Blackburn side, didn't he? He should have put that fist towards Phil Jones or even Big Sam. It would have just bounced off, and he'd have cowered on the ground, in tears.

[Paranoid Android]

Yeah Blackpool were definitely going for it. The league needs to see the difference between using squad players and deliberately letting a team win. Although I haven't heard much that suggests a fine is actually likely to happen. The media and holloway's comments are making it a big deal when there isn't any sign a fine is even being considered (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

The Carling Cup isn't being devalued every year. It's had a real renaissance in the past few seasons and plenty of people say they prefer it to the FA cup now. You just have to look at the list of winners to see that big teams haven't stopped caring about it.

[Soda Jerk]

From what they showed on the highlights Blackpool more than matched Villa. And if they're so pissed off about teams fielding 'weakened' sides then something should be done about the Carling Cup which gets more and more devalued every season. I think in this day and age where teams have to submit squads the Premier League shouldn't even be wasting an inch of breath bothering whether a manager has put out a weakened squad.

I disagree about the Carling Cup. I personally think it's way more exciting than the FA Cup. Some of the Premier League sides have an excellent crop of kids who are just dying to play, who otherwise won't get much of a chance, and when you're seeing full strength Championship sides against Arsenal's youths, then you get quite exciting even games. The competition was brought to life even more so last season with the two legged Manchester derby in the semi final, and the actual final was a much more competitive and stretched game of football than the FA Cup final has been for years and years. Long live the Carling Cup in its current format!

I agree about the Premier League though. It's just profoundly dumb. I don't understand where a line can be drawn? Do the Premier League have up to the minute records of who is injured, who is rested, who is being rotated (for an equally capable player of course!) etc... And is each player rated for their overall ability, like a game of Fifa or Football Manager?

Owen Coyle was speaking about it on Goals on Sunday last season when Wolves were fined, and his statement of defence on behalf of McCarthy was that management is about much more than 11 good footballers, and 11 of your best individuals might not be able to play together as well as team involving 2 or 3 players of lesser quality than the players they are replacing. It's all about balance, individual roles and what each player offers to support the team. Defoe is a better goalscoring striker than Heskey, but Heskey brings sturdy ball retention, and also brings the best out of Rooney, Gerrard and the wingers, so he plays ahead of Defoe for England (or he did at the time when Coyle was speaking about this). And when United play 4-3-3 with one centre forward, with Berbatov on the bench, why aren't the FA barking at United for having arguably their most skillful and factually their most expensive player on the bench, in favour of wider midfield? Good points. Obviously the FA took none of it onboard, because Blackpool are in hot water for the same thing. Idiots.

[ca_gere]

I wonder if the FA would still be talking fines if Blackpool humped Villa 4-0 or something. I think we're all in agreement that it's a farcical rule. Your Arsenals, Man Utds and Chelseas field understrength sides all the time. Just because their B team is more capable than Blackppol's or Wolves' they don't get fined.

So then, is it a case of intent? i.e. do the FA look at the spirit in which the game is played. An understrength Man Utd team still expects to win whereas B'pool can hardly expect to. Yet both sides play to win so I really can't see what grounds the FA have other than 'Charlie Adams is fit and not playing.'

[Paranoid Android]

Obviously someone at the FA has Adam in their fantasy football team and is pissed off he didn't play.

[Soda Jerk]

What happens if you field a weakened team in the Premier League on Football Manager? Do the powers that be come down hard on even electronic managers?

Why aren't Liverpool being fined every week for it? Every player on the books at Liverpool, from the grass-roots level upwards is a better right-back than Glen Johnson, but they play the most defensively inept player in the clubs recent history in that position. Throw the book at them.

[ca_gere]

any word on why wilkins got the chop? i'm intrigued. Hope it's because he nobbed Terry's bird.

[Soda Jerk]

There's all this talk about 'saving money' and how he earned alot of money, but the tasks he did under the Scolari reign, he no longer does under Ancelotti. I don't believe that though. I reckon he had a spat with Carlo, since he allegedly made no effort to keep hold of him. I'm sure if the manager wanted to keep a member of staff, especially someone as close as an assistant, he'd have the power to do so.

[ca_gere]

I was really hoping for something seedier. i'm sure he's not earning much more than some of the dead weight on the bench. Actually, come to think of it Chelsea dont have that much dead weight, if any. Even Sturridge shows potential. Can't see bi-lingual Wilkins and Carlo falling out to the point of getting the guy sacked. When he first came to the club Wilkins was his go-between with the players untill he learned English. Maybe that's all he was and now Carlo has learned the lingo he's not got much to do.

[Soda Jerk]

I just read that he earned 350,000 a year. Obviously that's alot of money, but I expected more for someone involved with an elite football club.

[delboy]

I still stand by my stance that the Carling Cup is devalued. The big teams doing well is merely a case of they have more strength in depth and better promising youngsters. The mid table to relegation fodder sides really don't give a shit about it judging by the sides they put out as they're so hell-bent on staying in the prem league. Attendances are pretty shite in general as well. I think teams used to take it much more seriously than they do now.

However at the end of the day its up to the manager what side he puts out and how seriously they take a competition. It's not uncommon for managers to put out weakened sides in Europe as well which I always find strange but it's their choice at the end of the day.

[Paranoid Android]

So the Barca - Madrid game later this month will be played on a Monday night! That's fucking shit! Luckily the class I teach late on Mondays only has a few students and they're all football fans so they probably wont turn up. But I'll still have to watch the game in the little town I work in rather than being in a bar in Barcelona getting drunk hours before kick-off. Monday night football is crap, it should be stopped.

In other spanish news, yesterday Iniesta gave the shirt he wore in the world cup final with the message about Dani Jarque to Espanyol. It'll be placed in a mural they have at the club for him. Iniesta is far too nice to be a football player, I`'ve never seen a top player look so uncomfortable when they're in the spotlight (except on the pitch obv.)

Thoughts on the dons tomorrow. Anyone think we've got a chance? A chance of losing by less than 4 goals?

[Adam Easy Wishes]

In other spanish news, yesterday Iniesta gave the shirt he wore in the world cup final with the message about Dani Jarque to Espanyol. It'll be placed in a mural they have at the club for him. Iniesta is far too nice to be a football player, I`'ve never seen a top player look so uncomfortable when they're in the spotlight (except on the pitch obv.)

Iniesta’s new house in colours of FC Barcelona

There was a better article about his house about six months ago or thereabouts, with more pictures of the inside and how it's basically just kitted out in Bara colours. He just loves Barcelona and loves playing football.

Iniesta

[Soda Jerk]

He still annoys me with his yellow card gesture. He and Xavi love a good moan. It's evident they are good lads though. I think moaning is just the Barca way.

Doesn't happen in the Premier League. Discussions with the referees are like a quiet gentlemen's word

[Paranoid Android]

I don't defend it, but I find the way the British press talks about imaginary card waving bizarrely extreme. I think they like to see it as a foreign thing that nice British folk wouldn't do. When really it's probably a cultural thing that latin and Mediterranean people tend to be more expressive with physical gestures than Brits. I'm sure British players try to get others booked to but they just shout "fuckin' book 'im ref!" rather than wave their hand about. As I said, I'm not defending it but the way it's looked upon as the worst thing about the modern game irritates me.

But yeah even good guys can be twats towards refs. Even Becks is involved in that picture and Becks is one the real good guys.

Iniesta seems like he would have been beaten up at school all the time if he weren't able to play football so well that the tough kids had to like him.

[delboy]

Have to say card waving has never bothered me, I find it quite funny!

[Soda Jerk]

But yeah even good guys can be twats towards refs. Even Becks is involved in that picture and Becks is one the real good guys.

Giggs and Butt are getting stuck in too. All smashing gents. 'Kin hell though. Keane and Stam in your grille like that. I'd be leaking shit into my pants.

I don't know what it is about the gesture. I know it's not the worst thing about the game, and I know it's exactly the same as a player saying "book 'im ref", which I'm sure happens at least 1,000 times a game. There's just something about it that irks me more than saying it. It's completely irrational.

[soundian]

Have to say card waving has never bothered me, I find it quite funny!

Hah! Now we disagree. I class card-waving as unsportsmanlike behaviour and therefore a yellow card offence.

I'm also heavily in favour of retrospective bans for simulation if video evidence proves conclusively that the player is a cheating cnut. 3 game ban for first offence, keep that on their record for two years, double the ban for every time they get caught simulating in the 2 year period. Who would buy a an already over-priced striker if they got caught 4 times in 2 years and were banned for almost half a season?

[Alan Cynic]

I think both card-waving, and verbally asking a ref to book someone are both minkerish things to do.

As for weakened teams....I'm old-fashioned and believe the manager should always field his strongets team...otherwise it shows a lack of respect to the opposition...I recall getting miffed at Man Utd for regularly fielding 'weaker' teams. I would ban them from Europe for this. Hope the Blackpool guy gets thrown in jail.

[TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH]

Young players need to be exposed sometime.

*snigger*

[Nev]

Just to prove not all footballers are despicable wanks, Vinny Kompany bought 125 tickets for the derby for disadvantaged kids and their carers. Kompany generosity benefits local youngsters - Manchester City FC

Needless to say, Greater Manchester Police are now questioning Vinny Kompany about a reported instance of child abuse, after the kids were forced to watch that nondescript shite on Wednesday...