2015/16 Soccer Thread.

[ca_gere]

Long term Andy Carroll is undoubtedly way better than CC. No question. But, remember that one season when CC was banging them in for about 2-3 months. I believe it was the start of a season, maybe 2008-9. He looked the business to the point of unplayable. Called up to the England squad, lost form, fade to black.

[ca_gere]

He morphed Cristiano Ronaldo from the unpredictable winger to simply a goalscorer. Ronaldo would rinse fullbacks. Now his trickery is minimal. He rarely goes outside the defender anymore, and hasn't done for ages. He plays narrow and goes down the middle. He's been that way for a few years now. He's probably the best goalscorer on earth, but pre-Mourinho, he was a complete attacker who would create as well as score. Ronaldo isn't as fun to watch as he used to be. I definitely wouldn't consider him a flair player anymore. I'm blaming Mourinho.

He wasn't a fan of Ibrahimovic, and used him as part of the ridiculous Eto'o+cash deal, despite having a great season in Mourinho's first year, albeit mostly from out wide. A great deal for Inter, and Eto'o was great at Inter as part of Mourinho's typically efficient system. They were pretty ugly to watch when they won the Champions League.

Robben didn't really come to life until after he left Chelsea. He was great in that second season at Madrid, but probably didn't ever fit the Madrid profile. They binned him purely because Di Maria and Ronaldo became available. He was on a similar leash as Joe Cole at Chelsea. Did well at Madrid, then he became an elite player at Bayern.

John Obi Mikel was supposedly a goal-scoring attacking midfielder before Chelsea got him and turned him into some sort of Nigerian Tom Cleverley. Or maybe he was just never that good. Let's blame Mourinho anyway, to suit my agenda, because I don't know anything about Mikel pre-Chelsea. I assume he was Maradona incarnate. Bloody Mourinho.

Ballack. His goal scoring record at Bayern was stupid. Mourinho gets a hold of him, and plays him as a #6. Not a flair player as such, but he was an attacking player, smooshed into a sitting position. What a waste.

He broke Shevchenko. And Pizarro. What did he do to him? He scored like, 150 goals, then goes to Chelsea, scores TWO, gets binned back to the Bundesliga, goes back to scoring 100 goals+

Robben aside (and id argue that robben was still given a lot of freedom to run under mourinho, coming into his own at Bayern as he matured) the rest of the players you mention changed roles maybe as much because of age as mourinho' influence?

Not arguing he doesn't prefer a conservative style of play of course, but I'm not sure he's as prohibitive as is suggested

[Lemonade]

Something I learned today: Karren Brady, West Ham board member, Baroness, millionaire and aide to Alan Sugar on The Apprentice is married to Paul Peschisolido.

[Alkaline]

Something I learned today: Karren Brady, West Ham board member, Baroness, millionaire and aide to Alan Sugar on The Apprentice is married to Paul Peschisolido.

That was a really big deal back in the early 90s when she was on the board at Birmingham and he was a player there at the same time.

[Moose]

 

That goal was a pure bastard.  Coley was a great player to watch in his day and had top bantz with the lads.  

[Alkaline]

That's your Sherwood gone, bit of a shame but he was on a hiding to nothing at Villa. Awful team, hope they go down.

[Paranoid Android]

Joe Cold played his best football under Mourinho.

[Murrr]

[Soda Jerk]

[Lemonade]

Villa have been on the brink for a few years now, think this might be the end for them. It might do them good, give them a chance to clear out and come back with an exciting young squad, but if they get mired down in the mid-table in the Championship it's a hard road back.

[Murrr]

I've had a totally irrational, unjustifiable hatred for Aston VIlla ever since they relegated us and pulled shit like this out:-

 

 

Get in the bin, Brummie shites. If them and Sunderland go down I'll be very happy indeed.

[Moose]

I might go as Villa in the new FM.  Make them likeable again.  They are a pretty massive club, in terms of following and history, but they have been dogshit ever since O'Neill left. 

[Eupraxia]

I have to agree with the general concensus regarding Tim Sherwood's arrogance and ineptitude. I recall an interview with him last season where he suggested three central midfielders is unnecessary and wasteful, as two should always be enough. I'm no football coach, and he is clearly more qualified than I to be discussing pro-level football, but fucking hell, that statement was laughably out of touch with contemporary football, especially at the highest level.

 

Apparently, his team talks and match-day preparations amount to little more than telling his players to "go express themselves". Are you fucking serious, Sherwood? You're asking a bunch of millionaires possessing an IQ of less than 85 to "express themselves"? Get your shit sorted. Instruct them. Give them jobs and roles, and work on team unity. Don't ask a bunch of slack-jawed under-educated narcissistic dickheads to play however they want.

 

Down you go, Villa. And don't come back. Birmingham is a fucking shithole.

[Soda Jerk]

Daley Blind's disallowed own goal from last night is one of the most ridiculous own goals you're likely to see. If you can find a replay of it, give it a watch. What on earth was he doing? Great finish from a tight angle. Wrong net though.

 

Memphis Depay is atrocious.

[Mr Owl PhD]

Daley Blind's disallowed own goal from last night is one of the most ridiculous own goals you're likely to see. If you can find a replay of it, give it a watch. What on earth was he doing? Great finish from a tight angle. Wrong net though.

 

 

It was really good - shame it was disallowed.  One of those moments where it looks as though a player has genuinely forgotten which way he's kicking.  Or maybe he just thought he was playing for Arsenal and a cracking own goal was the done thing:

 

[Woodsinho]

Daley Blind's disallowed own goal from last night is one of the most ridiculous own goals you're likely to see. If you can find a replay of it, give it a watch. What on earth was he doing? Great finish from a tight angle. Wrong net though.

 

Memphis Depay is atrocious.

 

Here it is: https://twitter.com/TheFalseNein/status/659625038132416512

 

I only saw the penalties but it sounded like we played well and threatened a bit rather than playing for the 0-0 which is promising for the rest of the season.

[Mr Owl PhD]

Here it is: https://twitter.com/TheFalseNein/status/659625038132416512

 

I only saw the penalties but it sounded like we played well and threatened a bit rather than playing for the 0-0 which is promising for the rest of the season.

 

Well Blind definitely wasn't playing for the 0-0.

[Soda Jerk]

Boro were good. Sat deep, but were lively on the counter and from set pieces. Friend should have scored from close range, and Downing forced a good save from Romero. Smalling got a block in on another close range effort. They definitely could have won it.

 

Romero was a bombscare. He kept taking way too long when passes came back to him, some were nearly blocked/deflected in when Kike pressed him. Another one he took so long that it ended up rolling out for a corner, and only a few inches wide of the post. From then on, the Boro fans were jeering Romero everytime the ball went back to him. The one highlight being when they stopped mid-chant to give him the "ooooooooh" as he's about to clear it away.

 

Martial and Fellaini should have won it in extra time, but Martial was unlucky, and Fellaini is garbage. United should have had two penalties for handballs from Ayala. The 1st may have been a little harsh, but it looked like he moved his arm towards the ball. The 2nd one he's prodded it away with his hand. Nailed on.

 

Not that it mattered. Based on the shootout, if United got those two penalties, the game still would have gone to penalties.

[ca_gere]

As a United fan, what's your take on Martial so far?

 

I think above all he's looked level-headed beyond his years. Doesn't try to do too much and keeps possession. Seems wasted out wide but not sure he'd quite be banging them in through the middle.... can't figure out if he's a goal-scoring predatory striker or a creator with an eye for goal.

[Soda Jerk]

Martial is ridiculous. The only player in the squad who looks capable of making something happen off the cuff. His composure for a teenager is quite unbelievable. Normally you'd expect teenage attacking players to be trying to take the whole world on, but he knows when to keep it simple and when to have a go. Doesn't look overwhelmed or overly exciteable. The only downside for him is that United are currently relying on him to pull them through, because there's no one else in the team who can do what he can do. He's made Memphis Depay look like a mug as well. I don't think Martial is even a winger, but he's doing what Memphis should be doing infinitely better.

 

United fans are crying out for Rooney to be binned and Martial to be given a run as a centre forward. When he's played there, he's done great. He won the games against Liverpool and Southampton. He's done good out wide too, as he normally has the oppsing fullback on toast when he runs at them. He's made mincemeat of Sagna and Coleman in recent weeks, and they are no mugs, but he really needs to be playing in the middle.

 

If he develops as expected, I'd see him as more of a centre forward of someone like Aguero's profile. He doesn't play on the shoulder, and he usually drifts left even when playing in the middle so he can have a run at the defenders. His link up and short passing is still a bit ropey, but he's a great runner on the ball and a good finisher.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Soda van Jerk

[ca_gere]

The aguero comparison I can already see. Like aguero he runs at people with the ball at their feet as much as his. Messi does that too. - Get the ball as close to your opponent as possible making it difficult for them to readjust to any quick movement or 'show' you to one side or the other.

He has deceptive pace too. Breezes past folk without even trying.

I'd like to see him through the middle like everyone else but I'm not sure the United team is set up for making any front man a success right now. Need better wingers for that. Maybe Memphis will come good.

[Soda Jerk]

I think the only way a centre forward is going to excel in Van Gaal's style is if he is the kind of centre forward who can just pick the ball up and make something happen from nothing. Run at defenders, burst through the gap and lash a shot at goal. Kind of like how he used Robben at the World Cup. I think he fits that profile, but it's a shame that such a young player is being relied on to make something happen almost on his own. Perhaps he has less responsibility to do that as a winger, but despite his age and inexperience, United would look a much more threatening side if he was spearheading it.

 

Plenty of time for Memphis to come good. Lots of talent to work with, and physically he is impressive. I think the issue is all mental. He looks like an emotional player, like young Ronaldo was. I remember when 21 year old Ronaldo would miss a chance, and he'd look on the cusp of tears for the rest of the game, and he'd end up doing something a bit wild more often than not. Memphis is similar. The game against Brugge when he ballooned a chance over the bar that would have sealed a hat trick, he was in a huff for the rest of the game. Just walked around, shoulders sloped, face like thunder. He's done it a few times when things haven't gone his way. Even something as little as not getting a foul given. He needs to toughen up and just get on with it. He seems to be getting pelters from everyone in the Dutch media since their Euro 16 qualifying failure. That probably doesn't help. I believe that's why he was dropped for a bit.

[Soda Jerk]

United are garbage. Palace should have won that comfortably. Louis needs to take the shackles off. Everyone seems terrified of sacrificing possession. He also needs to bin Rooney.

 

I like Cabaye's transition into some sort of pseudo-hardman. He's a 5ft7 prettyboy. It's just bizarre. The away game against Watford was great, when he scored the winning penalty, then at full time, instead of going to applaud the away support, he just walked around the touchline, squaring up to the home fans.

 

I bet he chins someone before the season is up.

[ca_gere]

As long as nobody chins him back and ruin that jawline

[Murrr]

He's always been like that, TBH. He's never really been the silky-smooth French metronome everyone's pegged him as, and has always had a massive radge streak running through him. Used to fly into all kinds of wild tackles with no regard for human life when he was with us.