Soccer thread 08/09 (will have spoilers!)

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:48 am

wco81 wrote:Is there a manager worthy of respect?

Or one not deserving of scorn?

Only after they're done it seems. Paisley, Busby etc.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:30 pm

My scorn for Redknapp is based on his criminal activities (for which he was formally arrested) in terms of illegal transfer payments. Allardyce is of the same kidney - just like the Drunken Scot, he used his son as an agent in transfers, which isn't exactly ethical.

As for managers worthy of respect, I could throw out a few names..

Clough (though he was also implicated in bungs, won the title with 2 very unfashionable clubs and led Forest to 2 European Cup titles) , Bobby Robson, Joe Mercer, Howard Kendall (mid 80's version), Lawrie McMenemy (at Southampton), George Burley (at Ipswich), Jock Stein.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:04 pm

Arrested, but not charged.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 416117.stm

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:00 pm

Damn Liverpool...

It seems the more I root against this team that better they do.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:05 pm

Feanor wrote:Arrested, but not charged.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 416117.stm

Only because the cops made a pigs ear of the warrant.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:05 pm

Feanor wrote:Arrested, but not charged.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 416117.stm

And don't think that his continued presence in football means that there was obviously nothing in it...after all, Venables is still involved in football, and he was banned from being a company director for at least 5 years and described as being 'fundamentally dishonest' by a High Court judge.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 8:00 pm

What's the main difference the EPL and the Coca Cola Championship League? I'm watching a replay of the Crystal Palace and Reading match. The game speed appears to be just as quick as that of the EPL.

Macca00 · Post by **Macca00** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 10:41 pm

JRod wrote:Damn Liverpool...

It seems the more I root against this team that better they do.

Keep it up till the end of the season, PLEASE!!!!!!

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:06 am

Reina has a couple of great saves for Liverpool in the first half, I don't think Friedel deserved the red card. Still, they turned into a scoring machine all of the sudden.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:54 am

Dave, how do you fancy City's chances against the mighty Hamburg and Frank Rost?

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:38 pm

Not good - I was watching the Bundesliga highlights show over the weekend and Hamburg are going well, though I've never really thought of their goalie as one of the world elite.

So I'm going to bet on a 3-0 defeat away, and a 2-1 win at home. If City do go through, I'm not sure that they'd get through against Werder Bremen either, though the latter certainly aren't the force that they were a couple of years ago.

Whenever I do see the highlights, the keeper that always stands out is Gerhard Tremmel from Cottbus...now there's a guy who has to put in a full shift every week

I didn't realise that Hildebrand had gone to Hoffenheim either, though I knew that he'd left Valencia under a bit of a cloud once Koeman had gone.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 1:35 pm

Rodster wrote:What's the main difference the EPL and the Coca Cola Championship League? I'm watching a replay of the Crystal Palace and Reading match. The game speed appears to be just as quick as that of the EPL.

The skill level. Not sure if you follow hockey but it's pretty similar to the gap between the AHL and the NHL.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 2:04 pm

Rost and Hildebrand were supposed to battle for the #1 shirt when Kahn had a stanglehold on it earlier this decade. Now it is Adler and Enke that are battling and the other two don't even make the team anymore. I personally am hoping for Adler since the guy is 24.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:03 pm

Feanor wrote:
Rodster wrote:What's the main difference the EPL and the Coca Cola Championship League? I'm watching a replay of the Crystal Palace and Reading match. The game speed appears to be just as quick as that of the EPL.
The skill level. Not sure if you follow hockey but it's pretty similar to the gap between the AHL and the NHL.

Dunno about that - I would estimate that the skill level of the top half of the Championship is at least equal to the bottom half of Serie A or La Liga...and often the stadia and attendances are way better.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:05 pm

fsquid wrote:Rost and Hildebrand were supposed to battle for the #1 shirt when Kahn had a stanglehold on it earlier this decade. Now it is Adler and Enke that are battling and the other two don't even make the team anymore. I personally am hoping for Adler since the guy is 24.

Not come across Adler, where's he ?

I always thought highly of Tim Wiese at Bremen, he was always a mainstay of my semi successul FM attempts with Bremen, usually after I'd got 1860 promoted.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:09 pm

You just like Wiese's hair. Wiese did get his first cap against England back in the fall. Adler is at Leverkusen.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:13 pm

davet010 wrote:
Feanor wrote:
Rodster wrote:What's the main difference the EPL and the Coca Cola Championship League? I'm watching a replay of the Crystal Palace and Reading match. The game speed appears to be just as quick as that of the EPL.
The skill level. Not sure if you follow hockey but it's pretty similar to the gap between the AHL and the NHL.
Dunno about that - I would estimate that the skill level of the top half of the Championship is at least equal to the bottom half of Serie A or La Liga...and often the stadia and attendances are way better.

Huh? He's asking about the difference between the English PL and the Championship, not Italy and Spain.

And I think the skill level in the EPL is significantly higher than in the Championship, a case in point being a team that plays football like WBA winning the Championship last season and being the worst team in the EPL this season.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:36 pm

Feanor wrote:
Rodster wrote:What's the main difference the EPL and the Coca Cola Championship League? I'm watching a replay of the Crystal Palace and Reading match. The game speed appears to be just as quick as that of the EPL.
The skill level. Not sure if you follow hockey but it's pretty similar to the gap between the AHL and the NHL.

There is no way in hell a top AHL team could add a few players then make the NHL playoffs the next season.

On the other hand, it's not unusual for a Coca-Cola team to finish mid-table in it's first prem season.

I think the gap between the prem (outside of the top 4 at least) and the Cola-ship is much smaller than any north american major-minor league setup.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:44 pm

That's because the talent is much more evenly spread out in the NHL, but I think difference in skill level between a good NHL team and a good AHL team is pretty close to the difference between a good EPL team and a good Championship team.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:17 pm

Naples39 wrote:
Feanor wrote:
Rodster wrote:What's the main difference the EPL and the Coca Cola Championship League? I'm watching a replay of the Crystal Palace and Reading match. The game speed appears to be just as quick as that of the EPL.
The skill level. Not sure if you follow hockey but it's pretty similar to the gap between the AHL and the NHL.
There is no way in hell a top AHL team could add a few players then make the NHL playoffs the next season.

On the other hand, it's not unusual for a Coca-Cola team to finish mid-table in it's first prem season.

I think the gap between the prem (outside of the top 4 at least) and the Cola-ship is much smaller than any north american major-minor league setup.

Naples has neatly summed up what I was trying to say - I was trying to make the point that they were closer than some of the other European leagues...and as Naples pointed out, teams such as Ipswich, Sunderland and Reading had some initial success (thought it's fair to say that the 2nd season is often much harder). I don't really know enough about minor hockey to judge what the difference is between the NHL and AHL, but then there is no promotion anyway in US sports due to their franchise basis, so the question is slightly moot.

It'd sure spice life up for some teams instead of giving up and being crap every year with no real penalty other than an annoyed fanbase.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 7:15 pm

I love the promotion/relegation in football, and I didn't like that they removed it from NZ rugby a few years ago. But I'm very glad the NHL doesn't have it cause my team (the Flyers) were last place in the league by a long way in 2006/07.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 7:21 pm

To me the promotion/relegation model is most sorely missed in non-salary cap sports. I'd love to see cheap-ass franchises in MLB kicked in the behind by the prospect of relegation rather than sitting on their cash and crying about big markets and salary caps.

To be sure, I understand why it's not an option...but a man can dream.

Macca00 · Post by **Macca00** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 7:38 pm

Agree with Rob. Would have been wonderful to see the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Blue Square Premiership North.

(Though to be fair, they've never been last last)

I hate international breaks.

Good to see that the FA rescinded Friedel's red card so he'll be back for Villa when they play Man U.

dougb · Post by **dougb** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 7:44 pm

Macca00 wrote:Agree with Rob. Would have been wonderful to see the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Blue Square Premiership North.

(Though to be fair, they've never been last last)

I hate international breaks.

Good to see that the FA rescinded Friedel's red card so he'll be back for Villa when they play Man U.

Yes, not even successful at being crap - though I'm not exactly in a position to gloat as my Canadiens continue their spectacular flameout.

Best wishes,

Doug

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:05 pm

There is a depth issue too like my Wednesday having 17 senior players while Man U can put out a fresh 11 for their s*** games.