Soccer thread 07/08

[fsquid]

At least one lower division side will be in the Semifinals of the FA Cup as Bristol was drawn at home to WBA.

[Naples39]

Soccer blog awards

For those looking for some good links or new blogs to read. I'm not familiar with most of those blogs myself.

[RobVarak]

Soccer blog awards

For those looking for some good links or new blogs to read. I'm not familiar with most of those blogs myself.

Excellent link, Naples. Thanks. I recognized a few, but there are a bunch of great new additions!

[RobVarak]

double post

[pk500]

The chaos continues on Tyneside:

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Sto ... rss&feed=5

A real-life comedy club.

Take care,
PK

[Macca00]

Who Ate All The Pies is fun.

I'm ashamed that Liverpool are the first ever top flight team to lose to a lower league team at home in the FA Cup. Never seen anything like it before, particularly not in this tournament...

I find it hilarious that the British media talks about Liverpool and the European Cup like it's the Carling Cup - "Rafa may keep his job only if he wins the Champions League" - it's the BLOODY EUROPEAN CUP, if they haven't noticed only two British teams have won it in the last 20 odd years. The saddest thing is that some Liverpool fans are buying into it...yeah, he should only stay if he brings us the greatest prize in European football...AGAIN.

Kuyt for Player-Manager if Rafa gets the boot.

Macca
[President, Rafael Benitez Goatee Fan Club]

[davet010]

Being banned from Europe for 6 of those years didn't help.

Oh, and I wonder whose fault that was.

Benitez has spent rafts of money, much of which has been spunked away on complete incompetents, has no idea how to select a squad or to motivate them when 1 or 2 key individuals are missing. All the twining about the directors is largely a smokescreen - you think that Torres gives a brass tack who the directors are, so long as he gets his £100k a week ?

The reference to the CL in this case is that it is the only competition that Liverpool can still conceivably win, not that it is perceived to be easy.

[RobVarak]

My favorite part of the latest jive is that people are STILL using the rotation policy as an argument. This despite the fact that the single person who bears the most responsibility for the Barnsley game was Carragher. He was in very poor form and clearly not up to speed, and gee...guess who has had nary a break due to injury in the back line? LOL

Still, if we must win the CL AGAIN to keep Rafa around I guess we'll go ahead and do it then...

[Jared]

[Post deleted due to lack of reading comprehension on my part... ]

[Macca00]

Sorry Dave, British teams haven't won the CL in 17 years, not 20.

Rafa still hasn't spent net nearly as much as Jose or Sir ExLax over the years - not even close.

As for having no idea how to select a squad or motivate them when 1 or 2 individuals are missing - that's a symptom of Liverpool's lack of quality in their depth, which is a symptom of their lack of financial muscle compared to United and Chelsea. Chelsea's strikers cost 24 million, 30 million and 15 million. They can also throw up a 21 million pound winger.

Liverpool's strikers cost 20 million, 9 million, 7 million and free. When the 20 million pound one is injured we're f ucked. We have two wingers that cost 6 million and 11 million.

But it matters not because f uck me as I type this Dirk Kuyt just scored.....

[RobVarak]

Sorry Dave, British teams haven't won the CL in 17 years, not 20.

Rafa still hasn't spent net nearly as much as Jose or Sir ExLax over the years - not even close.

As for having no idea how to select a squad or motivate them when 1 or 2 individuals are missing - that's a symptom of Liverpool's lack of quality in their depth, which is a symptom of their lack of financial muscle compared to United and Chelsea. Chelsea's strikers cost 24 million, 30 million and 15 million. They can also throw up a 21 million pound winger.

Liverpool's strikers cost 20 million, 9 million, 7 million and free. When the 20 million pound one is injured we're f ucked. We have two wingers that cost 6 million and 11 million.

But it matters not because f uck me as I type this Dirk Kuyt just scored.....

LMAO The Gerrard goal was a f'in beauty! (Exhales)

Oh, and before you haters start in I agree the yellow cards were both atrocious. OTOH, that Viera hand ball was a terrible, terrible miss as well. That Blind Beligian shouldn't see another European match for some time.

[dougb]

My favorite part of the latest jive is that people are STILL using the rotation policy as an argument. This despite the fact that the single person who bears the most responsibility for the Barnsley game was Carragher. He was in very poor form and clearly not up to speed, and gee...guess who has had nary a break due to injury in the back line? LOL

Still, if we must win the CL AGAIN to keep Rafa around I guess we'll go ahead and do it then...

Hmm, that's a new one - blame the centre back when the team loses 1-0. Complete inability to score might not have had something more to do with the loss than leaking 1 goal?

Best wishes,

Doug

[Jared]

Barnsley won that match 2-1. And they had a LOT of chances on goal...the Barnsley GK was simply brilliant during the entire match.

[dougb]

Barnsley won that match 2-1. And they had a LOT of chances on goal...the Barnsley GK was simply brilliant during the entire match.

Smacks self on head - yeah 2-1.

brilliant keeping or not, Liverpool should still be able to ring in 3 or 4 against that team.

[10spro]

M. Materazzi is one of the leaders for Inter and his early expulsion just screwed up the game plan for the Italians. Ibrahimovic was too lonely for the black & blues and Liverpool never panicked and were rewarded for their superior play in the end.

What's wrong with Real lately? They've been struggling locally too.

[fsquid]

Schalke representing for the Germans.

[fsquid]

By the way, has anyone seen a Euro 2008 TV schedule yet?

[Jimmydeicide]

M. Materazzi is one of the leaders for Inter and his early expulsion just screwed up the game plan for the Italians. Ibrahimovic was too lonely for the black & blues and Liverpool never panicked and were rewarded for their superior play in the end.

What's wrong with Real lately? They've been struggling locally too.

SUPERIOR ?? Is that what its called. Other than the first minutes where Liverpool did dominate possession before Inter were down to 10 men i thought they were terrible. One dimensional long ball up front after another, long ball from wing to wing or from defense to wing . All it did was tell the inter defenders to go over here the ball is not coming down for a while and they where able to cover it all without even breathing hard.

I thought some ground play thru the middle to get them running around a bit but no not even a thought.

At least Benitez recognized this and threw on Pennant and Crouch at least players who fit the style of play and only then did anything come out of it and that was probly helped with tired legs even.

Benyoun should have been on much earlier and Alonso but other than that for once i agreed with Benitez's decisions.

But they were far from superior they just had the ball more cause they had more men , thanks to the great refereeing.

[Macca00]

C'mon, everyone step right up and take a big swig of this Cherry flavoured
Haterade (TM).

[Jimmydeicide]

C'mon, everyone step right up and take a big swig of this Cherry flavoured
Haterade (TM).

Errrr, im a Liverpool fan. Just pointing out They are not playing well.

[Macca00]

C'mon, everyone step right up and take a big swig of this Cherry flavoured
Haterade (TM).

Errrr, im a Liverpool fan. Just pointing out They are not playing well.

It still tastes nice though. I like Cherry.

[JRod]

Knowing Liverpool, they'll do well in the CL, keep Rafa. Keep the owners. Flounder next season. Have more financial problems with the owners wanting someone to buy Liverpool but asking too much. Rafa will always be one poor result from getting fired but play a CL fixture to save his job.

The best thing for Liverpool is to lose in Milan, have Rafa get fired. Then have Hicks and Gillette run out of town and find some new owners, not DIC.



Mmmmm...cherry.

[Macca00]

IMO the best thing would be for Mourinho to become Newcastle manager so the bored English press can find someone else to obsess over.

Here's a piece from the Guardian that sums up my thoughts on Benitez;




Liverpool 2-0 Inter Milan
Benitez: Veni, vidi, vindicated


Paul Doyle
Tuesday February 19, 2008
The Guardian

The first instinct is to hail Franck De Bleeckere as the most benevolent referee to visit Anfield since Jose Maria Garcia-Aranda, the Spaniard who awarded Roma a penalty in the 2001 Uefa Cup and then, after ardent requests from Liverpool, pretended he'd done no such thing and waved play on. But the fact is the unjustified dismissal of Marco Materazzi in the 30th minute of tonight's game made a Liverpool victory even more unlikely: for from that point on Inter, who hadn't begun particularly ambitiously in the first place, decided a draw would be a fine result and piled sandbags around their box.

Article continues
Few teams would have managed to pick their way through such a defence, but Liverpool created a couple of chances. The best was in the 44th minute following marvellous interplay between Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Steve Gerrard; if Dirk Kuyt had anticipated Gerrard's cut-back, rather than dawdle dumbly behind his marker at the back post, Liverpool would have taken the lead. Unless, of course, Kuyt had scooped the ball over the bar from two yards, which, admittedly, can never be ruled out.

It was staggering that Kuyt started the match and plain bizarre that, after another wretched display, he remained on the pitch when Babel was withdrawn and Yossi Benayoun sat idle on the bench. It was tempting to deduce that the Dutchman's continued presence in the team was designed to prove Rafa Benìtez's fallibility, in much the same way that deliberate flaws in Persian rugs are designed to proof that only god is perfect. And then, incredibly, Kuyt scored! And then Jermain Pennant, surprisingly introduced instead of Benyaoun, set up Gerrard for a second. Just as we were preparing to blast Benìtez for failing to exploit Liverpool's numerical supremacy, he basked in glorious vindication.

Guess that means there'll be no more hysterical headlines calling for the Spaniard's head tomorrow. Oh yes, like skinny jeans and those mass produced "tribal" tattoos that ovine women insist on getting at the base of their backs, badmouthing Benìtez is all the rage these days. But though it's true the Spaniard has committed errors of judgement during his three-and-a-half years at Anfield, it must also be acknowledged that he's made many inspired decisions too. And it's plain wrong to say that overall he's underachieved.

Tonight was just another step in his already-legendary European odysseys. As for the Premier League, only a wizard or a criminal could have connived to get Liverpool closer to Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in that time. Those clubs are far richer, as, indeed, are Inter. It's unreasonable to expect Liverpool to rival them on the pitch if they can't match them in the market.

United and Chelsea have, over the last few seasons, forked out colossal fees and wages that Liverpool can't afford. Arsenal may have been more prudent in terms of players - because they were busy splurging over £400m on a brand spanking new 60,000-seater stadium - but they've still had the luxury of speculating to the tune of £10m on Theo Walcott. Furthermore, Arsène Wenger has been able to augment his purchases with a stream of youngsters schooled at the club - they constitute the fruit of many years' cultivation. Liverpool's youth academy lapsed into decrepitude under Gérard Houllier - the club has brought through no young players through since Steve Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen ten years ago. Benitez has begun to revamp the facility but, even though the youngsters are now top of their reserve league, it will take time for the senior team to reap the rewards.

Liverpool fans' insistence on competing with teams who've far greater resources is perhaps the last relic of the days when they were kings. When David Moores began his chairmanship in 1991 Liverpool were unquestionably the finest club in the land. The reign quickly unravelled amid negligence and nonsensical decisions. That was the context in which Benìtez arrived in 2004. His astonishing feat of winning the Champions League in his first season (just two years and nine months ago) perhaps convinced fans that the unfeasible leap into a new era had been completed. In reality, what that victory, the run to the final in 2007 and tonight's win show was that in cup competitions, where the disparity wrought by superior resources is not as stark as in 38-game seasons, Benitez can make a little go a long, long way.

Here's a question for anyone who still thinks Benitez should be ousted: if Benitez were to be sacked tomorrow, who could take Liverpool higher? The American owners' flirtation with Jurgen Klinsmann doesn't suggest they know the answer to that question. One obvious candidate is David Moyes, whose Everton side currently sit above Liverpool in the Premier League. You could argue, if you were looking for a contrived point in his favour, that Moyes's superiority in the transfer market is neatly summed up by the fact that it is he, not Benitez, who has recruited the best Spanish midfielder currently on Merseyside (and it's true that Mikel Arteta was an excellent signing, especially for just £2m). Though that would be to ignore the millions squandered on the likes of Per Kroldrup and James Beattie.

Also, solid as Everton have been this season, it remains to be seen whether Moyes can sustain such form over a longer period or instead lurch into another battle against relegation as per their one-terrific-season-followed-by-one-terrible-season model. And, of course, you might also question whether it's worth Everton qualifying for the Champions League bearing in mind their farcical venture into it in 2005/06.

Andriy Voronin is no genius (but what do you expect from a free signing? He's not worse than Steve Sidwell or Claudio Pizarro at Chelsea) but in general Benìtez bought very well in 2007; his one marquee signing, Fernando Torres, has been an outstanding success. Lucas Leiva, Javier Mascherano and Alvaro Arbeloa are effective and Benayoun and Babel have contributed goals and - crucially, given that some detractors liken him to Houllier - unpredictability, the precious quality that Houllier feared in his players. So his most recent signings have suggested he's headed in the right direction, even if many of those that preceded it didn't.

Having said all that, it's true that Liverpool have produced some dreadful performances this season. Perhaps Liverpool do need to bring in a new man. But not to replace Benìtez, rather to assist him. The disjointed displays at home to the likes of Marseille, Wigan and Birmingham and away to Besiktas and Boro, along with recent rumblings of discontent from Liverpool's dressing room, indicate that the club is missing Pako Ayesteran more than Benìtez would have hoped. Benitez's former No2, who left Anfield last August, was the players' friend, the cuddly man-manager who helped ensure the team and Benìtez, whose personality is more remote, were on the same wavelength. Benìtez hasn't replaced Ayesteran - and allegedly vetoed a proposal to install Paul Jewell in that role before Jewell went to Derby County.

Perhaps after a perceived betrayal by his long-time partner he's finding it difficult to trust another man? He needs to get over that and commit to a new relationship. Or maybe tonight's result over the run-away leaders of Serie A will foster new togetherness and cohesion between team and manager. And fans and owners.

[RobVarak]

Oh yes, like skinny jeans and those mass produced "tribal" tattoos that ovine women insist on getting at the base of their backs, badmouthing Benìtez is all the rage these days.

That's the most delicate and erudite description of a tramp stamp that I've ever seen LMAO

Good piece, and I agree with it as well. I mentioned the Pako issue earlier in this thread and the rumored goings on with Xabi Alonso and others in the locker room seems to support this as being another problem this season.

[fsquid]

Bayern roll in the NIT of Europe, the UEFA Cup