Soccer thread 09/10 (contains spoilers)

[fsquid]

CL final got a rating of 1.1 which is equal to the golf being shown and lower than the NHL's 1.6.

[wco81]

On which channel?

Last year, I think one of the ESPN channels showed the final between Barca and Man U.

This year was FSW?

Man U. probably would have drawn much higher ratings in the US.

[miget33]

On which channel?

Last year, I think one of the ESPN channels showed the final between Barca and Man U.

This year was FSW?

Man U. probably would have drawn much higher ratings in the US.

It was shown on FOX, the main channel

[Zeppo]

I have to say, I was actually impressed by Menefee in the pregame and halftime stuff. Low expectations helped, I suppose, but he was far more knowledgable than I had expected, and while clearly not an expert, he did display some respect for the game and did well co versing with Arena and Wynalda. Having those two in the same booth was interesting in and of itself, as they didn't try to kill each other.

I also thought it was interesting that they sent those guys all the way across the pond to be in the stadium just for those segments. And kudos to Fox for sticking with the UK commentary because I'd imagine Andy Grey can be hard to comprehend even for Englishmen.

Not the most thrilling game, but finals rarely are, and the level of production value with all the fancy flying cameras and Jimmy-jibs was trough the roof. And yes, given that it was between two clubs that don't have the highest exposure or following here in the States, I'd say those aren't terrible numbers and should, I hope, give Fox the guts to put it on the big channel again.

I'm very curious to see the numbers the England v USA match gets on Saturday the 12th for ABC.

[fsquid]

On which channel?

Last year, I think one of the ESPN channels showed the final between Barca and Man U.

This year was FSW?

Man U. probably would have drawn much higher ratings in the US.

Broadcast FOX and only a tenth better rating than a game on a workday Wednesday.

[JRod]

I have to say, I was actually impressed by Menefee in the pregame and halftime stuff. Low expectations helped, I suppose, but he was far more knowledgable than I had expected, and while clearly not an expert, he did display some respect for the game and did well co versing with Arena and Wynalda. Having those two in the same booth was interesting in and of itself, as they didn't try to kill each other.

I also thought it was interesting that they sent those guys all the way across the pond to be in the stadium just for those segments. And kudos to Fox for sticking with the UK commentary because I'd imagine Andy Grey can be hard to comprehend even for Englishmen.

Not the most thrilling game, but finals rarely are, and the level of production value with all the fancy flying cameras and Jimmy-jibs was trough the roof. And yes, given that it was between two clubs that don't have the highest exposure or following here in the States, I'd say those aren't terrible numbers and should, I hope, give Fox the guts to put it on the big channel again.

I'm very curious to see the numbers the England v USA match gets on Saturday the 12th for ABC.

Though there was a point, at halftime I think, the Menefee made some mistake and Wynalda and Arena both looked at each other and their expressions were priceless.

[fsquid]

Looks like UEFA is set to put in a rule that clubs have to break even and can't be subsidized by owner loans.

[RobVarak]

Ching out and...I say again...Robbie Findley in???

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/ ... 901&ver=us

[davet010]

Looks like UEFA is set to put in a rule that clubs have to break even and can't be subsidized by owner loans.

Which it will take 25 minutes for any competent lawyer to get round. Not to mention possible contraventions on EU laws regarding restraint of trade.

At the moment, you'll end up with 2 second tier leagues (the French and the German - sorry squid, but other than BM it really is) playing each other. Maybe everyone else should just pitch off, set up a non-UEFA European League and then watch the UEFA CL wither away.

The sooner Platini ceases to function, the brighter life will be.

[10spro]

Press conference on Monday to announce Mourinho as the new Madrid man, a buyout in the vicinity of 9 million.

[davet010]

Four year contract, apparently.

Chance of him seeing that out - zero.

Man City have already enquired about Van der Vaart (yes), Higuain (YES PLEASE !!) and Gago (noooo). Let's hope the ever-tedious 'Special One' decides he'd rather have some overpriced tat from elsewhere.

[Feanor]

All those trophies Mourinho wins must seem so tedious to Man City fans. Winning nothing year after year - that's where the excitement's at.

[davet010]

All those trophies Mourinho wins must seem so tedious to Man City fans. Winning nothing year after year - that's where the excitement's at.

Mourinho takes over clubs where the players and infrastructure are already in place, turns it into a me-first circus and has a success rate with the players that he actually purchases of well under 50%. The style of football is turgid, to say the least - and that's not just in Europe, that's in Serie A as well, and whatever the club achieves is secondary to his ego.

He then leaves the club with a coterie of aging stars and almost zero youth development, for someone else to have to dismantle.

If winning was all that was important, each country would have about 4 teams that were supported and no one else. I don't know which club (if any) you follow, but you would be more than welcome to Jose Mourinho's Self-Serving Circus.

Unless RM win the CL next season, the odds are better than even that Mourinho will not last through season 2. The RM fans are not satisfied by merely winning (as del Bosque and Capello found out), and there is not room in the whole of Madrid for two egos the size of Perez and Mourinho. Expect a messy divorce followed by him taking over the reins at Skint Trafford from the Scottish Alecan.

[Feanor]

I support Blackburn, Inter and the Wellington Phoenix. I was more than happy with two years of Mourinho's "circus" as that's all it took for him to turn Inter from perennial European flame-outs under Mancini et al into Champions League winners.

It's particularly amusing that you are trashing Mourinho's ability to bring in the right players when he just won the Champions League with his key signings of Milito, Sneijder, Eto'o and Lucio all being vital to Inter's victory. You want to link me to the website which ranks managers by the success rate of their signings so I can see which managers have a better rate than Mourinho's "well under 50%" ratio? Oh you can't, because you pulled that number straight out of your arse.

Mourinho's style might not be the sloppy, attack-at-all costs style Madrid fans enjoy, but it's far from turgid. The people who run Madrid are nuts, so I won't be surprised if there is a messy divorce, but when Mourinho walks out of there with a sack full of cash, I think it's far more likely he'll go to City than United.


Maybe New Zealand won't be totally out of their depth at the World Cup after all:

All Whites in upset win over Serbia

[davet010]

You'll know all there is to know about turgid football then.

In other news



ENGLAND'S 2010 WORLD CUP SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.

Defenders: Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Forwards: Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney

1600: Breaking news: The seven England players to miss out on a World Cup place are: Leighton Baines, Michael Dawson, Tom Huddlestone, Scott Parker, Adam Johnson, Theo Walcott, Darren Bent.

Let's see, I'd have

Baines over Warnock
Dawson over Upson
Parker over Carrick
Johnson over SWP
Bent instead of Heskey (see what I did there ?)

Other than that, I can't see owt wrong with it

Bit worried that if Shrek goes out, there is no natural goalscorer. Defoe flatters to decieve and chickens out in the big games, and Heskey has scored less goals than Rene Higuita and that Paraguayan nutter goalkeeper, in not many fewer caps.

And Carrick - for God's sake, what's he doing there ? It was interesting also to observe that the media who were piling onto City for paying £12m or whatever for Gareth Barry were convinced yesterday that England would go nowhere without him. How strange.

[RobVarak]

Maybe New Zealand won't be totally out of their depth at the World Cup after all:

All Whites in upset win over Serbia

Well done, Kiwis! Although, to belabor the obvious, there can't be a worse nickname headed to SA this summer than the All Whites. LOL

[wco81]

Kind of surprising that Wolcott was left off.

There's been so much angst expressed about Wolcott getting so much playing time over other forwards but not delivering.

England seems to be hitting a lull now. May be a better time for US to face them than last year when they were ripping through the qualifying matches.

[davet010]

Kind of surprising that Wolcott was left off.

There's been so much angst expressed about Wolcott getting so much playing time over other forwards but not delivering.

England seems to be hitting a lull now. May be a better time for US to face them than last year when they were ripping through the qualifying matches.

Lull = no competitive matches. Last time they went into a WC this out of form they ended up a penalty away from the final.

[RobVarak]

Azzuri cut Rossi.

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/worl ... taly-squad

Trying to reign in my schadenfreude...unsuccessfully.

[Macca00]

Azzuri cut Rossi.

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/worl ... taly-squad

Trying to reign in my schadenfreude...unsuccessfully.

I can see you smiling from here.

[10spro]

Italy rarely goes out of their domestic league to bring in players for the WC. Boy Rossi would look so good for the USA. C'est la vie, and on Lippi's selection how could he choose Iaquinta?

[Jimmydeicide]

Dave i pretty much agree with your 5 changes the one thing i cant believe is no Theo Walcott, he should have been on as a forward if not only to come on as a sub and just blow by some tired legs.
Lennon doesnt have his pace and Heskey well i doubt hell make it through without injury and if he does he may have 1 assist hes pretty much a Donkey and unless Capello has him in mind for a certain match up whats the point crouch does the same thing with more skill on the ground.

[Feanor]

Baines over Warnock
Dawson over Upson
Parker over Carrick
Johnson over SWP
Bent instead of Heskey (see what I did there ?)

I agree with all of those changes, although hopefully for England's sake Bent or Heskey would have been the 4th striker and never played a minute.

Warnock getting in over Baines is bizarre not because Baines is so much better, but because Capello has hardly used Warnock before this.

Not having Adam Johnson in the the team is a mistake... he's a guy who could come on in the last 20 minutes for England and score a goal out of nothing like he did for City against Sunderland. SWP is just a poor man's Lennon at this point.

[davet010]

Walcott is another example of where English youth development has gone wrong over the last 10 years.

Fantastic athlete - check
Run all day - check

Err....completes 1 cross in every 7, and he's a winger ?
Other than that flukey hattrick, scored 1 goal in his last 29 internationals

According to Sky Sports News, final straw was that Capello sat him down after the Mexico game with a video and gave him some pointers, which he then completely ignored.

Leighton Baines cooked his own goose - firstly by having a pathetic outing against Mexico, and secondly by telling Capello that he wasn't too happy about spending 6 weeks away from home.

Not the smartest thing to say when you've already planted a big question mark in the manager's mind, though I can understand it if he lives in Merseyside as he'd probably come back to bare foundations...and the scallies would be digging them out as he drove back from the airport

Adam Johnson I can see - he's only had half a season at City, his stamina is a bit suspect and he can look overawed at times, but I am struggling to think who's going to play on the left side of midfield now.[/b]

[dougb]

Benitez offered 3 million if he'll step down immediately according to the Guardian.

Wish my employer was that desperate to get rid of me!

Best wishes,

Doug