The Real Football Thread

[craig1985]

He'll be waiting for a few more years for SAF to retire though.

On a different subject, Parrulo, I know you don't like Porto, but good of a player is Fredy Guarin as he is set to join Inter shortly.

 

[craig1985]

He is a player that i know well. I first saw him at St Etienne and he was a player that really impressed me. I remember also seeing him play for Colombia in a friendly against ireland and he ran the midfield. I seen a lot of Porto over the years and to me he is a midfielder who can do a bit of everything. The one thing you will notice from him is that he has got a great strike of a ball from distance.

Its a good signing alright as i thought he was on his way to Juventus last week as his agent said he had spoken to them.

By the way i heard Coutinho could be on his to Espanyol on loan according to reports in Spain. I think thats a good move for him if it happens. He needs a run of games to develop more.

And Inter picked up Angelo Palombo on the same day after Inter sold Thiago Motta to PSG. I don't mind the sale only from a financial POV as getting 8m for a 29 year old midfielder who has had his fair share of knee and hamstring injuries. Remember he was at Barcelona, had a lot of serious knee problems and his career was on the rocks, and eventually he found himself at Genoa before Inter bought him along with Milito. It was really a boring transfer window, nothing like last year's one where Chelsea bought Fernando Torres and Liverpool bought Andy Carroll. I bet they wish they could have that time again.

 

[lancaster]

it's the not knowing that kills you.

west ham fan, currently top of the league not exactly filling me with confidence losing 5-1 to ipswich is really embarassing.

the thing that makes me happiest about everything at the moment (other than collison and noble) is @TheBig_Sam on twitter really funny s**** account.



in other news the transfer window was bad, just uninteresting.

 

[Amsterhammer]

it's the not knowing that kills you.

west ham fan, currently top of the league not exactly filling me with confidence losing 5-1 to ipswich is really embarassing.

the thing that makes me happiest about everything at the moment (other than collison and noble) is @TheBig_Sam on twitter really funny s**** account.



in other news the transfer window was bad, just uninteresting.

Ah, a fellow masochist.

To get thumped that badly by a team as poor as Ipswich - one point from their nlast six games - was certainly pretty embarrassing - to still be on top of the table is rather amusing, though.

A Barnsley reject, a Bristol 'prospect', and a fat-headed 18 year old ManU Balotelli wannabe will have to be our saviours and goal scorers. I'm underwhelmed.

On the bright side, we can't keep playing as badly as we have been, so if we ever do hit form the fizzy pop better look out.

 

[craig1985]

Not often a striker scores four goals and your team still doesn't win. <defendingfail.jpeg>

 

[Amsterhammer]

This is awful beyond belief.

It seems that there was more than just a football rivalry going on here. Am posting the whole article rather than editing it.

Cairo (CNN) -- Political tensions flared Wednesday after more than 70 people were killed when fans rushed the field and rioted at a soccer game in Egypt.

It was unclear whether intense sports rivalries or political strife caused the clashes in the northeastern city of Port Said.

But hours after the fighting, protesters in Cairo chanted, "Down with military rule" and "Tomorrow we come, we take the military down." And the secretary-general of the Muslim Brotherhood party blamed Egypt's military for the deaths.

Egypt's interior ministry blamed fans for provoking police.

"There were organized groups in the crowds that purposely provoked the police all through the match and escalated the violence and stormed onto the field after the final whistle," Gen. Marwan Mustapha said. "Our policemen tried to contain them but not engage."

At least 47 people were arrested after the clashes, he said.

The clashes left at least 73 dead and 1,000 people injured, 150 of them critically, health ministry spokesman Dr. Hisham Shiha said. Most of the injured had concussions and deep cuts, he said.

The fighting occurred in a stadium in the northeastern city of Port Said after the home Al-Masry team beat Cairo's Al-Ahly team 3-1.

Fans from both sides bashed each other with rocks and chairs, said Mohamed Sultan, head of the ambulance association in Port Said.

Many of those who died fell from bleachers inside the stadium, according to Ahmed Saeed, an official from the Port Said governor's office.

"The police stood there watching, and the ambulances arrived late. I carried several dead fans in my arms," said Mamdouh Eid, the executive manager of the Al-Ahly fans committee.

Tension was building throughout the game, Eid said, as Port Said fans threw bottles and rocks at players. Many Al-Ahly fans were trapped in the bleachers during the fighting, he said, because police did not open gates that would have allowed them to exit the stadium.

"Some fell off bleachers, others suffocated, and many were beaten to death and stabbed by knives," Eid said.

When the clashes broke out, about 22,000 people were inside the stadium, which can hold up to 25,000 people. About 2,000 Al-Ahly fans were at the game, he said.

Authorities have been dispatched to hospitals to interview the wounded and investigate, said Adel Saeed, a spokesman for Egypt's general prosecutor.

Egypt's military deployed two planes to transport the Al-Ahly team, some of its fans and some of the injured back to Cairo, he said.

Port Said is about 125 miles (200 km) northeast of Cairo, where hundreds of angry fans gathered outside the Al-Ahly club's headquarters, vowing revenge.

"This is a plot to stir violence in Egypt. Why would a winning team attack others ... and kill them? We will not let this one go," Al-Ahly fan Ahmed Tabaei said.

Protesters outside the club chanted, "Down with military rule; leave it to civilian rule."

The Muslim Brotherhood condemned the violence and said authorities had failed to protect citizens.

"It's a security vacuum in the whole country that has led to armed robberies on banks and random killings. Some have threatened rebellion against the parliament and threatened the youth of the Muslim Brotherhood ... which may indicate that some police officers may be punishing the citizens for causing a revolution," the party said in a statement.

While authorities were responding to the fighting in Port Said, a fire broke out during a match in a Cairo stadium. It was not immediately clear whether the incidents were related.

Lawmakers were scheduled to discuss the situation in an emergency session of Egypt's parliament Thursday.

Sepp Blatter, president of the sport's international governing body, FIFA, said he was "very shocked and saddened" by the events.

"This is a black day for football. Such a catastrophic situation is unimaginable and should not happen," Blatter said in a statement.

The large death toll from the fighting is unprecedented in Egyptian soccer, CNN contributor James Montague said.

"It's not unheard-of to have organized violence between football clubs (in Egypt), but something on this scale has never been seen before," said Montague, who researched soccer in the Middle East for his book "When Friday Comes: Football in the War Zone."

During Egypt's revolution, well-organized groups of soccer fans became a powerful force for political change, he said. Soccer was also closely tied with former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's government, which used the sport to boost his popularity, Montague said.

But it was unclear whether political fury fueled Wednesday's clashes.

"There's been a security vacuum, so we don't know whether it's that or whether there's a Mubarak element to it. We just don't know at the moment," Montague said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/01/world/africa/egypt-soccer-deaths/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

 

[Amsterhammer]

Amsterhammer, I was talking to a lot of my friends who are big Man United fans and they were raving about Ravel Morrison for some time and they are disappointed to see him leave.

They said he will be so good for West Ham that they will struggle to keep hold of him in a couple of years time. I remember watching him in the Victory Shield when he was 16 and i thought he was top notch. Henry Winter on The Telegraph said he seen him play for United reserves and he is the best young english talent he has seen since Rooney and that he could be even better then Jack Wilshere.

If yee can get his mind fully focused on his football yee could have a gem of a player for the future.

I also think Vaz Te is a good addition to West Ham.

There's a lot of 'ifs' there, and we haven't exactly got a reputation for successfully dealing with these kinds of spolied young men. There's an awful lot of night clubs in London and Essex.

I also wonder why they let him go for a mere 650k? They were obviously very glad to see the back of him. I know nothing about him as a player, so we'll just have to wait and see what he can do.

 

[craig1985]

The Egyptian FA has been dissolved as a result of the riots in Port Said.

 

[Fus087]

The Egyptian FA has been dissolved as a result of the riots in Port Said.

Which will probably make the FIFA go all "political involvement" and ban Egypt from international competition until the old FA is reinstated.

They're really trying hard to be the most ridiculous sports governing body.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Which will probably make the FIFA go all "political involvement" and ban Egypt from international competition until the old FA is reinstated.

They're really trying hard to be the most ridiculous sports governing body.

Fat Pat says "what are you talking about?".

Thank you. I will show myself out

 

[craig1985]

Pat McQuaid is an amateur. In terms of corruption, he has nothing on the FIFA board members. Whatever Lance has ever donated is small change.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Gooner, Carlos Vela is saying that he doesn't want to return to Arsenal and has asked his agent to negotiate with Arsenal.

 

[greenedge]

Poor Vela. I'm assuming everyone has seen the cat on the pitch for Liverpool vs the Spurs???

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Milan Mandaric and Harry Redknapp found not guilty on all charges.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Milan Mandaric and Harry Redknapp found not guilty on all charges.

Incredible, mind-boggling.

 

[Amsterhammer]

No surprise here. The other day i heard he was referring to his bulldog when he took to the stand and members of the jury started breaking out laughing. Redknapp has many friends in the english media and he knows how to play people.

Does anyone believe this when he said in court he can barely read and write and that he doesnt know how to text a message on a phone or use e-mail. Dont pull the wool over our eyes. I constantly see him having a phone around him at his press conferences.

BTW Amsterhammer, i heard our buddy Ravel Morrison is already at it on twitter.

Oh yeah? Do tell!

I know that 'Arry can play to a crowd, I know that he can sometimes come out with very funny one-liners. He's a caricature of an 'East End wide boy made good', and that's how the media suck up to him too. Alas, as a Hammer from way back, I know only too well how bent he really is. I can't believe that a jury of adults bought that sh!te about a foreign account in his dog's name. Jesus wept, how gullible can you be?

 

[Amsterhammer]

This is the story about Ravel Morrison:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/...vel-morrison-homophobic-twitter?newsfeed=true

Cheers, Gooner. I'm so pleased.

For anyone interested in top class youth, the Euro U18 quarterfinal between Barca A1 and Ajax A1 can be followed live on Barcas' youtube channel.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Ajax leading by 2 goal.

 

[palmerq]

cappello has resigned from england :S

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/08022012/58/euro-2012-capello-quits-england-boss.html

 

[Zam_Olyas]

cappello has resigned from england :S

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/08022012/58/euro-2012-capello-quits-england-boss.html

Spurs will have to release 'arry now

 

[palmerq]

Spurs will have to release arry now. for the good of england

harry to england, jose to tottingham and capello to real.... the perfect crime :S..

 

[Nastyy]

England won't qualify from their group now that they have lost Capello. Not that they would've gone far with Capello but now they really stand no chance whatsoever.

 

[palmerq]

england should have gone easier on sven, he's been their best manager for a long time :S

 

[Zam_Olyas]

england should have gone easier on sven, he's been their best manager for a long time :S

 

[palmerq]

who cares about win percentage, england only lost out in 2002 to the eventual winners, in 2004 very unluckily on penalties to portugal who were on great form, and again on penalties in 2006... if it wasnt for rooney breaking his foot I think england would have won euro 2004, and if not for his crotch stamping they would have done portugal in 2006... infact if it wasnt for big phil scolari sven would have had it so much easier... england were a big force with sven and haven't been since..