Soccer thread 09/10 (contains spoilers)

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 5:53 pm

Can any of you guys get into the Fantasy Premier League site?

http://fantasy.premierleague.com

For some reason that site takes me to a splash ad for Arsenal Red Level Membership where the only option is to enter Arsenal.com.

I don't think people in the UK are having this problem.

[EDIT] It's working again now.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 5:02 am

No, we're OK...and I left my two Fulham defenders in, which is nice

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:38 pm

Chelsea looks strong for both EPL and CL, barring serious injuries. But there's talk about a big purchase in January as insurance.

Meanwhile, Arsenal is too young and not tough.

Certainly the other top teams all have key players well in their 30s. Why is youth overrated in soccer? Because physical play neutralizes speed and young legs?

Barcelona slugs out a win against Real but they're not running away like last year.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:54 am

Real Madrid certainly had chances in the first half, including a very fortunate save from the ladyboy by Valdes with his feet. The return at the Bernabeu should be interesting.

For all Arsenal's vaunted youth team (most of whom were bought, not developed ), they lack a certain mental strength when they go behind to the bigger teams....it was like watching men against boys yesterday, Watching Fabregas's body language towards the end of the game was quite instructive. They really miss a Vieira or someone just to get stuck in and gee the rest of them up.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:35 pm

I think Ronaldo should have done better with that chance. If he had got any loft on his shot it would have been a goal.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 10:22 am

Sounds like an interesting book.

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/1 ... ball-myths

Post by **Jared** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:13 pm

World Cup pots set up. France is unseeded. USA and Mexico get screwed being in the same pot as Asia/Oceania.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:41 pm

Jared wrote:World Cup pots set up. France is unseeded. USA and Mexico get screwed being in the same pot as Asia/Oceania.

What, you don't like the sound of USA being grouped with Brazil, France and Ivory Coast?

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:47 pm

What does that mean, the teams in the same pot are going to end up in the same groups?

Or that they will be matched up with a pot with higher seeded teams?

Why is S. Africa seeded? Confederation Cup performance?

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:57 pm

wco81 wrote:What does that mean, the teams in the same pot are going to end up in the same groups?

Or that they will be matched up with a pot with higher seeded teams?

Why is S. Africa seeded? Confederation Cup performance?

Each WC group is comprised of one team from each pot. E.g., each WC group will be a seeded team, an 'other' euro team, an africa/SA team, and an asia/concacaf team. Because the USA is in the same pot as asia, that means there is no chance we will be in a WC group with a weak team from that region.

S. Africa is seeded because the host nation is always seeded. It's certainly not based on performance--they are one of the worst teams in the tournament.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 6:20 pm

Eeeh, another stunning performance from Arsene 'Mr Respect' Wenger at Eastlands. Having watched City put them to the sword (again), does Arsene get up from his seat, go over to Mark Hughes and shake hands ?

No, he's off down the tunnel like a rat up a drainpipe. Hughes then makes sure that the camera can see him waving down the tunnel, then rightly lays into him in the interview.

That's what I love about Arsene...he's great at going on about 'respecting the game' and all this stuff...until he loses. Of course, it's always possible that he didn't see Hughes, after all he was scuttling away at close to the speed of light.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 7:38 pm

davet010 wrote:Eeeh, another stunning performance from Arsene 'Mr Respect' Wenger at Eastlands. Having watched City put them to the sword (again), does Arsene get up from his seat, go over to Mark Hughes and shake hands ?

No, he's off down the tunnel like a rat up a drainpipe. Hughes then makes sure that the camera can see him waving down the tunnel, then rightly lays into him in the interview.

That's what I love about Arsene...he's great at going on about 'respecting the game' and all this stuff...until he loses. Of course, it's always possible that he didn't see Hughes, after all he was scuttling away at close to the speed of light.

I like City more than Arsenal but looking at the line-ups, I wouldn't call this putting the sword to Arsenal. More beating up on the youth team.

miget33 · Post by **miget33** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:22 pm

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:38 pm

It sure seems like clubs approach the FA and Carling cups with their second-tier players, to save their stars for the EPL and CL matches.

So much for history and tradition.

Sounds like the US is going to have to host another WC to get favorable draw.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 1:01 am

JRod wrote:
davet010 wrote:Eeeh, another stunning performance from Arsene 'Mr Respect' Wenger at Eastlands. Having watched City put them to the sword (again), does Arsene get up from his seat, go over to Mark Hughes and shake hands ?

No, he's off down the tunnel like a rat up a drainpipe. Hughes then makes sure that the camera can see him waving down the tunnel, then rightly lays into him in the interview.

That's what I love about Arsene...he's great at going on about 'respecting the game' and all this stuff...until he loses. Of course, it's always possible that he didn't see Hughes, after all he was scuttling away at close to the speed of light.
I like City more than Arsenal but looking at the line-ups, I wouldn't call this putting the sword to Arsenal. More beating up on the youth team.

....9 of whom had prior experience in the Champions League, abd who are all destined for greatness according to Wenger - tomorrow, that is.

Oh, and didn't the same lineup pop Liverpool 6-3 in an earlier round ?

Just wondering, like.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 1:03 am

wco81 wrote:It sure seems like clubs approach the FA and Carling cups with their second-tier players, to save their stars for the EPL and CL matches.

So much for history and tradition.

Sounds like the US is going to have to host another WC to get favorable draw.

You got a crystal ball or something ? Draw's not made til Friday. Or are you bemoaning the fact that the USA didn't get seeded ?

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 1:29 am

No just going by what someone said about how the US can't play the Asian or African cupcakes.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 4:29 am

As I understand it, the draw is divided into 4 pots, with each of the 8 groups having a team from each pot. The pots break down as

1 - Seeded teams

2 - Africa/S America (non seeded teams)

3 - Asia/CONCACAF/Oceania

4 - Other European teams (non seeded)

So as the USA are in pot 3, the only teams they can't meet in the group stages are the others in pot 3, which are

N Korea
S Korea
Japan
Australia
NZ
Mexico
Honduras

Let's see which of the balls come out of the bags tomorrow.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 4:33 am

Latest from 'Mr Respect', when asked after the game about whether he should have shown some professional courtesy.

"I will shake hands with whoever I like. I have no professional courtesy"

No sh*t, you stinking hypocrite.

Mind you, it is pleasing to note that one cameraman, using the highest speed film available, caught a shot of Arsene 'who the **** is Usain Bolt' Wenger as he sped up the tunnel. Maybe he had to ensure that his 'kids' were home before midnight on a school night ?

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 10:15 am

Is there a football manager whom you respect?

Or at least doesn't draw your ire?

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 10:33 am

No, not even Hughes.....

In reality, there are plenty, but I can't stand hypocrisy. At least Ferguson doesn't pretend to be this Sir Galahad of football purity, who stands against all cheating and connivance, who supports referees and the 'Respect' campaign and who is the last bastion and advocate of the way that football should be.

In reality, he's a liar and a fraud

- who 'did not see' Patrick Vieira plough someone 3 yards away and yet can spot an offside at an oblique angle 60 yards away.

- he maintains that they 'cannot compete against unfair financial advantage', yet they've spent fortunes down the years.

- he's happy to take the credit for developing all these young players, most of whom were signed away from other teams

In the past, he's even made jokes of some of these things, but the heat is on now...they won't win the league, they are out of the Carling Cup, and everything else is a lottery.

His problem is that the team at the moment seems to lack any sort of leadership or mental toughness. Chelsea simply bullied them on Sunday, and towards the end there was no direction - Fabregas playing 5 yard balls directly to Chelsea players then shrugging just said it all to me, his entire attitude seems to be all wrong. And no one is getting into his face about it. Ability is great, but it must be allied to other attributes or else, as he's finding at the moment, there is no plan B.

There is a lot to admire about Wenger and what he has achieved in football in England has permeated much further than Arsenal. But if you are going to be constantly making pronouncements of a decidedly 'holier-than-thou' nature, don't be surprised if you are measured by the same yardstick, and laid into when found wanting.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:00 am

Why Otmar Hitzfeld would not have your respect is beyond me.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:24 am

"In reality, there are plenty".

I didn't mention Hitzfeld because I don't know enough about him.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:44 am

davet010 wrote:"In reality, there are plenty".

I didn't mention Hitzfeld because I don't know enough about him.

greatest manager ever. That is all. Wordl Coach of the Year twice. Two difference teams to the Champions League Title, and 18 major titles in 22 seasons as a manager.

Of course, Uli pissed him off not once but twice and he is managing the Swiss now.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:10 pm

Almightily loath as I am to say it, but I think that is fewer trophies, and aside from the 9 (Bundesliga x7 CL x2) lesser trophies than Ferguson.

Pardon me while I go off to be sick.