Soccer thread 08/09 (will have spoilers!)

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:27 pm

ESPN and Setanta could be teaming upt to buy the US rights to the EPL. Please lord no.

miget33 · Post by **miget33** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:05 pm

I thought ESPN had dropped out, what are they gonna buy Setanta now?

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:17 pm

team up like FSC and Setanta have done. The rights are too expensive for US TV since the viewership doesn't match the pricetag in this country.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:42 pm

That would suck, I really like FSC and their coverage. The guys (and one cute girl) who host the 10pm highlight shows are so entertaining.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:45 pm

miget33 wrote:I thought ESPN had dropped out, what are they gonna buy Setanta now?

Been bundled together over here for a few years now, certainly on Sky.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:12 pm

Feanor wrote:That would suck, I really like FSC and their coverage. The guys (and one cute girl) who host the 10pm highlight shows are so entertaining.

FSC sucks big donkey balls especially that one comedian Derek Taylor on soccer report who thinks hes on espn .
Cant watch Espn cos of clowns now its FSC. I may cancel it it annoys me so much seeing as tho i have to get the top program package just to get it.
Now i have setanta it may be gone and its all because of that twat Taylor.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:58 pm

fsquid wrote:team up like FSC and Setanta have done. The rights are too expensive for US TV since the viewership doesn't match the pricetag in this country.

And that might be bolloxed as well now...in the latest round of negotiations for Prem League TV rights, Setanta have lost one of the 6 packages that the deal is split up into, so have gone from 2 packages to 1.

This means they now will be able to show only 23 live games per season, which isn't exactly going to keep all the existing subscribers, let alone win new ones....and rumour is that they are struggling financially at the moment, partly because they overpaid for rights to other leagues to win some content away from Sky, and partly because the quality of a lot of their coverage and news is a poor rip off of Sky, even down to using old Sky presenters they have lured away with bigger wages.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:55 am

Wednesday does the double in the Steel City Derby for the first time in 965 years. Good start to my Saturday.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 1:01 pm

I heard that the last time that happened, it was one of those medieval football games with a live pig as a ball....

Good win, anyway

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 1:10 pm

Interesting team from Rafa today:

Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Dossena, Arbeloa, Mascherano, Aurelio, Babel, Ngog, Benayoun
Subs: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Torres, Riera, Alonso, Kuyt, El Zhar

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 1:18 pm

davet010 wrote:I heard that the last time that happened, it was one of those medieval football games with a live pig as a ball....

Good win, anyway

Wouldn't doubt it. When the commentator is bringing up WW1 references, you know it's been awhile

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 2:02 pm

9k gathered at Hillsborough just to watch the match on a big tele.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2890/dsc00112bz1.jpg

Macca00 · Post by **Macca00** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 3:34 pm

Dear David Nugent,

What's the score?

Maybe you should use hand signals to describe it to us.

D!ckhead.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 6:03 pm

You know what - I think Liverpool win despite Benitez, rather than because of him. Two shocking bits of defending (Crouch's backpass, Sleepy's hopeless hack at a bouncing ball) set up two finishes, then poor defending and an excellent header from Torres nick it at the end.

But let's be honest...Liverpool's back 5 were never lined up properly, and only Reina can tell you how the 2nd went in.

dougb · Post by **dougb** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 6:29 pm

davet010 wrote:You know what - I think Liverpool win despite Benitez, rather than because of him. Two shocking bits of defending (Crouch's backpass, Sleepy's hopeless hack at a bouncing ball) set up two finishes, then poor defending and an excellent header from Torres nick it at the end.

But let's be honest...Liverpool's back 5 were never lined up properly, and only Reina can tell you how the 2nd went in.

One clever wag suggested that Liverpool's owners give control of transfers to Benitez, if he in turn allows them to do the team selections

Best wishes,

Doug

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 6:34 pm

Jimmydeicide wrote:FSC sucks big donkey balls especially that one comedian Derek Taylor on soccer report who thinks hes on espn .
Cant watch Espn cos of clowns now its FSC. I may cancel it it annoys me so much seeing as tho i have to get the top program package just to get it.
Now i have setanta it may be gone and its all because of that twat Taylor.

I didn't like Big Head at first, but I've warmed up to him a bit.

Macca00 · Post by **Macca00** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 6:37 pm

davet010 wrote:You know what - I think Liverpool win despite Benitez, rather than because of him. Two shocking bits of defending (Crouch's backpass, Sleepy's hopeless hack at a bouncing ball) set up two finishes, then poor defending and an excellent header from Torres nick it at the end.

But let's be honest...Liverpool's back 5 were never lined up properly, and only Reina can tell you how the 2nd went in.

That's what the guys at Setanta, Sky, and pretty much every media outlet love to say, that somehow the guy who makes all the decisions at the club has nothing to do the team's success and only contributes to the bad. So if Rafa wasn't there and any sentient being was the manager they'd be walking away with the premier league title.

I guess forming a squad, training the squad, making tactical changes, making substitutions have nothing to do with the outcome of matches. And really, before Benitez Liverpool were winning titles left right and centre. We should just fire Rafa and let no one run the club then we'd win.

I loved listening to Burley on Setanta today - the man doesn't let logic or even consistency in his arguments get in the way of twisting the knife in Rafa - in chronological order, a selection of his comments;

- I can't believe he's ROTATED the squad again and left Torres on the bench
- Can't believe Torres isn't playing, don't understand why he hasn't started
[Torres comes on]
- Well, he's taken a gamble risking the fitness of Torres by bringing him on

--> so wait a second Craig - when he doesn't play Torres because he's tired and coming back from injury it's Rafa's fault, and then, IN THE SAME MATCH, when he brings Torres on you criticize him for DOING WHAT YOU CRITICIZED HIM FOR NOT DOING!!!

Does my f***in head in! And don't get me started on his opinions on zonal marking...

Not to mention we were dominating in terms of possession and scoring chances before he brought Torres on - it's not like the tactics were s*** from the beginning - we had almost 60% of the possession.

Can't wait till Robbie Keane scores tomorrow against Arsenal - then we'll hear all about Rafa getting rid of Keane - oh how we missed his missing from 5 yards, his telling the manager to f*** off when substituted and the 0.33 of a goal he would have scored!

Whatever, f*** 'em all, top of the league. Come on you Hammers.....

PS Good for Scolari that Rafa's getting so much heat - otherwise some may wonder why they're behind Aston Villa.

EDIT;

Sorry, forgot to sign off my post;

Macca
[President, Rafa Benitez Fan Club]

Just in case Jimmy didn't know where I stood.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:07 pm

HAhAH Macca i knew that, someone has to like him.

Actually it looked like Torres tweaked his Hammy again towards the end of that brilliant Everton performance, so i wasnt suprised he was left out for once.
Who knew Crouch was still a red , great ball to Kuyt.
Burley is annoying as is Macari so thats spanish and scots and mancs and while im at it throw in some cockney

Come on West Ham, playing well under Zola, great manager

Signed
President People hater.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:28 pm

Yeah, P. Crouch misses Liverpool badly.

Macca00 · Post by **Macca00** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:31 pm

Jim,

Funny story - this morning I'm meeting with mortgage broker and as I'm about to leave he spots my Liverpool scarf --> tells me he's a Red and we start chatting (while my fiancee stands there bored shitless). Anyway, he spends 10 minutes telling me how he HATES Rafa and thinks he's an idiot - was quite amusing - you're definitely not alone in disliking Manuel.

Of course my broker is Irish and loved Robbie Keane so that might have something to do with it.....

Was a wonderful ball by Crouchie.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 11:29 pm

Well the whole Keane fiasco was because Manuel didnt want him in the first place and it was a big "ef you im not playing him." using he doesnt fit in as an excuse. Looked to me he was purposely holding Keeno Back.
I can kinda see his point the manager should have control of his team and transactions but to use Keane as a pawn in it is really not cool, the guy loved being there and if all of Ireland were not Liverpool fans before they were for a few months.
Maybe that guy can go and support Spurs again.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:24 am

fsquid wrote:ESPN and Setanta could be teaming upt to buy the US rights to the EPL. Please lord no.

ESPN would air EPL to a wider US audience, unless they put it at pay package tier.

A lot of people who might not have paid for the FSC or Setana channels might tune in.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:28 am

wco81 wrote:
fsquid wrote:ESPN and Setanta could be teaming upt to buy the US rights to the EPL. Please lord no.
ESPN would air EPL to a wider US audience, unless they put it at pay package tier.

A lot of people who might not have paid for the FSC or Setana channels might tune in.

I do not want ESPN to ruin soccer like they have every other sport.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:23 pm

Because of the way they cover it? You could always turn off the audio on the announcers and ignore the pre and post game shows.

I can see if they force soccer matches to have TV timeouts or force last-minute scheduling changes to accommodate TV.

Or change the rules and structure of the leagues to make it more TV-friendly.

But unless soccer games broadcast in the US are able to draw huge ratings and ad revenues, no US network is going to be able to pay enough for TV rights to force Euro leagues to change the game.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:37 pm

wco81 wrote:Because of the way they cover it? You could always turn off the audio on the announcers and ignore the pre and post game shows.

Well that makes for a hugely compelling game-watching experience

I'm happy to see ESPN keep its mitts off the EPL. While they do a nice job with some of their Soccernet stuff, I can't imagine that they'd spend that money without investing some more time and money screwing up even that small bit of decent product.

It would be a shame to have to lose the amazing audio atmosphere of a European soccer match, but it's easier than stomaching the horrendous level of commentary that ESPN generally delivers with its soccer broadcasts.

To me one of the best things about being a US-based fan of European soccer is the TV coverage. Their commentary is so much less busy, and glorioiusly devoid of the reality-show backstory nonsense that pervades US sports on television. It's also mostly unmarred by the garish graphics and production that we have to deal with over here.

I'd take FSC's garage band-level production over the "America f*** Yeah" fireworks, Nu-Metal and MTV-style production favored by ESPN and its ilk. Hell, it's just nice to sit through a 2-hour game without having to deal with a soft-lit Jeremy Schaap human interest piece on how the Goalkeeper's grandmother raised him while working 4 jobs and providing a foster home to 31 Burmese orphans and intrusive sideline reports about what sort of pen the manager is using to jot down his notes.