The Real Football Thread

[Zam_Olyas]

Athletic are pleasing to the eye with their movement, as we can expect from bielsa side.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Pep leaves barca and it sucks for Roma that enrique is not given the job but tito vilanova.

 

[Caruut]

The Basque country is one of those few beautiful areas in the world where people care about cycling, If they start being good at football theyll move away from it.

It is important for cycling that they lose.

Athletic Club have always been very popular in the Basque region.

 

[The Hitch]

Why the hell is there no mention of guardiolas doping in any of the thousands of sycophantic "articles" (fanpieces) that have appeared all over the world.

Ben Johnson is still living with this ****

 

[pmcg76]

Why the hell is there no mention of guardiolas doping in any of the thousands of sycophantic "articles" (fanpieces) that have appeared all over the world.

Ben Johnson is still living with this ****

Because its football, simple as!!!

Do you think any of the others who tested positive or got in trouble like Davids, Stam, De Boer, Ferdinand have tarnished reputations. Absolutely not.

 

[The Hitch]

Well said.

You must of been reading my mind. I am saying the same thing over here to my friends here all the time.

Linford Christie gets criticised for his nandrolene offence but good old Pep gets nothing bad said about him. All I am hearing about in the last 24 hours is how he is this great gentleman and brilliant football man. And also this love fest with him is really getting on my nerves. Its like everyone is going around saying Guardiola was the coming of our saviour as a manager in football.

No wonder he is a gentleman. His team are winning all the time. I would like to see how he behaves after a run of bad results and bad referee decisions going against him. I guarantee you he would be no different to any other manager. He would moaning and talking about conspiracies just like the rest of them.

And also he walks out on the job straightaway when the going gets tough for the first time. You hear Graham Hunter on Sky saying it was his demanding management style which caught up on him at the end. And what about Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger? Are they not demanding managers? They never seem to be jaded from management and they just get on with it season after season. The sign of a great manager is how a manager responds when the chips are down and the team is low on morale and form. In the end Guardiola has walked before we can see does he have this quality as a manager. That is the real test of a manager.

Also he didnt exactly take over a bunch of mugs either. The summer he did take over, Spain won the European Championships with Xavi, Iniesta and Puyol playing excellently. The previous season Barca only lost 1-0 to United in a semi in the CL who in the end won the double of the league and CL. Only 2 years before taking over, Barca won the CL themselves. Dont forget everyone in football knew that Messi had it in him to become the worlds best player as he did score a hat-trick in a league game against Madrid before Pep took over. And the football wasnt half bad either before taking over. If anyone remembers the 3-0 win they had at the Bernabeu when Rijkaard was manager and the Madrid fans clapped them off the pitch.

Yeah the fact about Barcelona being the best also gets to me.

During his entire reign 1 of his players has been named the best player in the world, 1 year he had the top 3 players in the world, i think every year he has had 2 of the top 3 in the world, I mean, its not like was up against it.

 

[greenedge]

Is anyone else doing a fantasy League???

I am doing the EPL- just to put it out there.

 

[The Hitch]

From what i saw, Rednapp was lying in that fraud case and got off on a technicality.

Glad theres a chance he won't get it.

 

[DominicDecoco]

So this means England will be hoofing the Euro Championship trophy home now?...

 

[The Hitch]

Oh yeah, better late than never.

Not neccesarily. Several teams have held barca this season, and the stamford bridge leg (thats first right?)wont be easy for barca as the pitch is narrow, the night probably cold and maybe damp and the players physical. CHelsea could sneak a win like they did in 99 and 2004. In the Camp nou leg of course you would expect barca to dominate but teams have held Barca this season and chelsea will probably play a very diffensive and physical game so its not going to be that simple.

I knew it

 

[Swede1]

So for the Manchester derby tomorrow I predict that City will win. United is still the favorite, but I think City will pull this one out. Aguero will score 2 goals. Rooney will score 1. theres my prediction. (most likely I will be completely wrong).

 

[palmerq]

I think man city will definently not win, most likely a draw, which is a shame would be nice for someone different to win the league so I hope city do it

 

[FignonLeGrand]

So this means England will be hoofing the Euro Championship trophy home now?...

HAHA doubt it. Does mean we will have someone with a level head who doesn't buy into cult of personality too much. Better than Rednapp cant stand his media lovely, crafty cockney persona. Very tiring.

Lets be honest even if we get of out group then its spain or italy so whoever comes in needs to build for next worldcup. Brasil at home will be nice n easy!

 

[l.Harm]

Cheering for City. I don't like United at all.

CL-matches I saw in Portugal. Liked to see Chelsea and Bayern winning. Sadly the Sporting side didn't win (I was in Lisbon), but to be fair: Athetic deserved to win. Although the first match Sporting had to score more goals.

 

[Bike Boy]

City may win today but United will win the title.

 

[DominicDecoco]

What a borefest that was.

 

[Bike Boy]

What a borefest that was.

To be honest, I didn't expect anything more

 

[Bike Boy]

Is it fair to say balotelli has cost City the championship this season if they lose?

 

[DominicDecoco]

No. The month where Company and Lescott were out injuried would be the reason. Especially Company. But they are not throwing this away. It's in the bag.

 

[Bike Boy]

No. The month where Company and Lescott were out injuried would be the reason. Especially Company. But they are not throwing this away. It's in the bag.

Makes sense! Unless Mancini includes Balotelli in the starting line up in the next two matches

 

[DominicDecoco]

I hope he does. That kid is hilarious in every way.

 

[Bike Boy]

Agreed, but for all the wrong reasons

 

[DominicDecoco]

Agreed, but for all the wrong reasons

Hah, indeed.

 

[Bike Boy]

Did they. as i remember 1st leg was goalless not "sneaked an away goal" and barca didn't even produce much. bojan missed a sitter and Henry had a pen appeal but chelsea were well worth their draw. 2nd leg chelsea were on the attack. not only did they score they had 2 potential pen appeals from bursting into the box and this was all in the first half before alvez was sent off.

This was before Barcelona were the undisputed best in the world that everyone just sat back and still in the days where a team like chelsea, 3rd not 5th in the league and narrow runners up the previous year, felt that they were as good as anyone

You did the job that I was too lazy to do. Thank you. Just the way I remember it. Chelsea were as defensive as one would expect in an away leg against a very strong opposition. At the Bridge chelsea were dominant in terms of chances, so they did match up to barcelona with "real" football. Based mostly on counter attacks yes, but if you create the most chances that is not bad football in my opinion.

I recon that Chelsea didn't play "real" football against Barcelona this year. But Chelsea does not in generel play that bad football. anybody remember the last time they the crowned champions of England? 103 goals in 38 games!!! yes that's right. No one in their right mind would call that "anti" football.

 

[pmcg76]

Delighted to see City win but still think Utd will win the title. Newcastle will be looking to atone for their hammering at the weekend and playing at home, I think they will take points of City and hand the title to Utd.