Paranoid Android Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Great game tonight, at least for the first 70 mins. After that it might have seemed all over but also an old man in the bar started distracting me by going on about his parents moving from Germany just to Spain just after world war one. He also claimed to share my birthday and gave me his business card. Anyway back to the footie. I am delighted that Chelsea's extreme negativity in the first leg cost them dear. They go the balance wrong, when they could have easily gone for an away goal. It is a fine line though and at 1-0 if they'd held out everyone would have said Jose got it spot on. However if you rely so much on a solid defence, mistakes will cost you and Atletico were excellent in causing and making the most of them. Second half especially. I loved how they came out in the second half and really went for a second rather than try and hold on to an away goals win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 The Mission is easily the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodsinho Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 WRONG The Cage: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain America Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 Cup final tickets in the bag. Yas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 I'm turning my attention to Gateshead FC for the next few days, because Newcastle are draining my life-force. I hope we lose to Cardiff this weekend, and Liverpool next, just to edge Pardew closer to unemployment. Gateshead are on the telly tonight, and their team is full of ex-NUFC youth players, as well as ex-Aberdeen player Josh Walker (who scored a belter against Bayern Munich at Pittodrie a few years ago). They've not been a football league club for 60 years, or something like that. I hope they put the pain on Grimsby, big time. Glory-hunting is ace fun. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 Nice piece by Jonathan Wilson http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/may/01/the-question-is-this-the-end-for-tiki-taka-football It's good to read a well thought out and balanced argument when so many others are only interested in making big extreme statements about the sport based on one or two matches. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain America Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 That was a really interesting article. Let's talk about Mourinho/Chelsea seeing as he's been in the news as well a lot today. They were my pre season pick for the title but with loaning Lukaku I lost some confidence but still thought they would do it. They had a good season CL semi, (probably 2nd/3rd) in the league. However for a large part of the season they've been playing really defensive football, especially against other big teams. Obviously there are some games where they haven't and against the EPL smaller teams they've played much more attacking. This would be fine, I don't mind watching the defensive style of football. Especially if you win your games doing it. But didn't Roman sack him for this last time? Didn't he want to flowing offensive brand of football at Chelsea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladstone Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 I don't like Chelsea, nor do I like Mourinho. I thought he was funny and cool the last time at Chelsea, but he's just a bit of a knob these days. When it comes to using what you've got at your disposal to win games of football, he's a damn good manager. But for a couple of bad results this season, Chelsea could easily have been leading the title race. I know that applies to the others too, but Chelsea can't have dropped much points to the top 6 or 7, have they? Did he get sacked last time? My memory has completely glossed over that little fact...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain America Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 "Mutual consent".... pretty sacked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 He did get sacked, but then no one since him has lasted 2 seasons, Roman has probably realised that winning is better than not winning but doing so in a more stylish manor. I personally dont really mind how he plays, your there to win games, not win at aesthetics. Barca, Bayern and Liverpool have all learned this year that playing sexy football is one thing, but if you have no plan B then its going to get you no where. No one wins points for playing the right way, no matter what Rodgers would have you believe after the Chelsea game. Tika-Taka is really nice to watch, but it has to come along with a few other elements to make it work, the very high pressing being almost more important, its something Bayern missed against Real, and what Liverpool certainly missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain America Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 He did get sacked, but then no one since him has lasted 2 seasons, Roman has probably realised that winning is better than not winning but doing so in a more stylish manor. I personally dont really mind how he plays, your there to win games, not win at aesthetics. Barca, Bayern and Liverpool have all learned this year that playing sexy football is one thing, but if you have no plan B then its going to get you no where. No one wins points for playing the right way, no matter what Rodgers would have you believe after the Chelsea game. Tika-Taka is really nice to watch, but it has to come along with a few other elements to make it work, the very high pressing being almost more important, its something Bayern missed against Real, and what Liverpool certainly missed. Actually winning stuff? They've done ok. 1 Champions League1 Europa League1 EPL title3 FA Cups1 Community Shield I suppose they've spent a lot of money though so depends how much those trophies you value for the money spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladstone Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 I don't have a problem with Mourinho's tactics at all either. In fact, I never have a problem with anyone's tactics to be honest. Like Milner says, managers are there to win games of football. That doesn't mean that I have to enjoy watching a very stuffy defensive "anti-football" display. I wouldn't have called Chelsea's tactics against Liverpool anything close to anti-football though. It was a solid, well thought out defensive display that all but nullified Liverpool's attacking threat and then hit them with a great couple of counter punches. The break away for the second goal was almost text book. Don't forget that hardly any teams have managed to shut out Liverpool this season. All of that said - I much more enjoy watching great technical displays of passing or even better, all out, crazed attacking. Teams that just go out and try to smash their opponents are great to watch. Remember Man Utd a few seasons ago trashing someone about 8-0 or maybe 8-1 in the CL? They looked invincible. Awesome to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/01/qpr-higher-wage-bill-than-atletico-madrid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 According to some reports Chelsea and Atletico have already agreed a deal for Diego Costa to move in the summer and they'll announce it once the season has finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 Costa is good, but I thought they would have gone for Cavani. Apparently he's unhappy with the level of Ligue Un, as well as Blanc's tactics. Allegedly, anyway. Cavani should be playing in a better league. He's an animal. Strong, quick, direct. He looks tailor-made for the Premier League, and about as close to Drogba as it gets. They could certainly use a Drogba now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 Cavani would be more expensive wouldn't he? I know that's not normally an issue for Chelsea but they are trying to stay withing FFP rules and PSG and Cavani himself would probably ask for crazy sums of money. Costa won't be cheap but I imagine it would be less. I think Costa is also well suited to the Premier League but I'd have some doubts about him purely based on the fact he's only had one really top class season. I see that Marseille will be the cool team to watch next season. Bielsa has just signed a a deal there. Wish he'd come to England or back to Spain. Spurs should have got him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 Yeah, I imagine Cavani will cost some serious wedge. Rumours about Hazard wanting out to PSG. Maybe they could do a swap, as Hazard will probably cost a fair bit more than they bought him for now. Chelsea will be doing okay in the FFP since they sold Mata for big money, without really spending any of it, no? Getting to the Champions League semis probably did them a fair bit of good too. And if they win the league, they could be throwing silly money around in the Summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 They spent about half the Mata money on Matic didn't they? Still you're right they made money in the window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeinzHines Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 They spent about half the Mata money on Matic didn't they? Still you're right they made money in the window.They sold Mata and De Bruyne for about 50m, but they spent 21m on Matic, 12m on Salah,13m for Zouma and an undisclosed huge wedge on Traore. So break even at best I would think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 (edited) Edited May 3, 2014 by Joda Serk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 Oh FUCK OFF Pardew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 United were dreadful. Why did Giggs change the team and the shape that played so well last week? Fletcher and Carrick in midfield. No mobility. Constantly got dispossessed, because either of them can barely move. Carrick's done. Fletcher sadly won't return to his previous form, which was many years ago. Ashley Young is the absolute worst. Everytime United came forward with a bit of pace, Young slowed it down with that wobble that he does. He gets the ball and traps it dead, and then just shakes from side to side, until he predictably shifts the ball onto the only foot he can use. It's not fooling anybody. Why did he start over Welbeck or Januzaj or Kagawa? Nani played well. He was probably United's best player and was hauled off right after half time. The story of his United career. Why even send him on for the 2nd half only to pull him off on the 49th minute?! Especially as he was astronomically better than Young. Giggs is great, but the job needs to go to someone with massive bollocks to rip this team apart and freshen it up. Giggs is already calling for extensions for Rio and Evra, so clearly he's not the man to do that. Van Gaal won't be taking any shit, and he favours technical football, so wage-theiving drain-cloggers like Cleverley and Young will surely be punted immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 RAWK are convinced that Everton let City win embarrassing for all involved really. No show of support from thehome fans. No show from howard. No show from half theeverton team. City winning with as much style as mourinhoteams with dzeko antics ten minutes from the end and finallyprobert another referee who is bent as a nine bob note. Might aswell blown the full time whistle at 2-1. Saved the rest of us an hourof living in hope that these professionals would actually turn up.Sorry for barkley and martinez. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted May 3, 2014 Report Share Posted May 3, 2014 Triple Post. Soz http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2619602/Napoli-fan-suffers-gunshot-wound-violent-clashes-ahead-Coppa-Italia-final.html?ico=sport%5Eheadlines Shooting at the Copa Italia final just now. Game was meant to kick off at 8pm, but still hasn't. The crowd is aggro as fuck. Hamsik being a hard bastard went an spoke to the Napoli ultras to try and put a lid on it. It seems the responsibility to start this game has been taken away from the referee and handed to the police. It seems the police are asking the ultras if the game should go ahead. Bonkers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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