*Official* English Football Season 2006-07

[Matteh]

Notice I said almost full strength. Drogba, Lampard, Carvalho, Cech and Shevchenko were missing. The only people playing against Man Utd who haven't been major parts of Chelsea's season were Sinclair and Cudicini. Better if I had used a different word? Say more experienced?

Cudicini, Diarra (Morais 88), Ferreira, Terry, Bridge, Makelele, Wright-Phillips, Essien, Mikel (Joe Cole 46), Kalou, Sinclair (Sahar 54).
Subs Not Used: Hilario, Geremi

Would say that Cudicini, Diarra, Morais, Ferreira, Wright-Phillips, Kalou, Sinclair, Sahar haven't been a major part of the season, Bridge is borderline for that as well.

 

[roseboy64]

My original post referred to the starting XI and since January Ferreira, Wright-Phillips, Kalou and Diarra ahve played fairly regularly for Chelsea.

 

[TT Boy]

Nice way to waste two hours, Samba’s miss was shattering, it was harder to miss then score.

Though, it has been a pretty decent season. Defence looks more than adequate (Samba and Nelsen are 'gun'), McCarthy has done wonderfully well and Aaron and Tugay have been immense.

However, if David Bentley and MGP had an inch of pace they wouldn’t be playing for Blackburn and its fair to say Jason Roberts only plays football thanks to his physical contributions not for his footballing aptitude. His ****ing awful, got us knocked out of the UEFA Cup and his first touch is so bad he makes Chris Samba look like Kaka.

 

[Loony BoB]

Any team captained by a New Zealander can only be good.

 

[TT Boy]

Any team captained by a New Zealander can only be good.

His Rovers best defender since Colin Hendry, been extraordinary for us and its not erroneous to suggest if he was fit at the beginning of the season Blackburn would comfortably be in Europe. Not bad for a player who cost us nothing.

 

[Matteh]

I'm suprised just how well Benni McCarthy has done tbh. 16 goals when the top scorer has netted 19 is a fair effort, especially as he's in a team that isn't 'the top 4'.

 

[TT Boy]

Yeah his done better than I expected. Saw him play in Portugal and Spain and he looked far to languid and disinterested for my liking. However, his nonchalant style has not prevented him from being one of the best newcomers this year and unlike Bellamy will should be able to keep a hold of him.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Any team captained by a New Zealander can only be good.

Those All Whites have really set the footballing world alight.

Oh wait...

 

[BoyBrumby]

I'm suprised just how well Benni McCarthy has done tbh. 16 goals when the top scorer has netted 19 is a fair effort, especially as he's in a team that isn't 'the top 4'.

Yeah his done better than I expected. Saw him play in Portugal and Spain and he looked far to languid and disinterested for my liking. However, his nonchalant style has not prevented him from being one of the best newcomers this year and unlike Bellamy will should be able to keep a hold of him.

There's obviously some kind of "throw enough **** at the wall & some's bound to stick" in operation, but I did call McCarthy. From 20th Aug 2006:

Blackburn? Hardly cause for reaching for the hemlock just yet. You've made some interesting signings in the close season. McCarthy could be a steal.

 

[marc71178]

Notice I said almost full strength. Drogba, Lampard, Carvalho, Cech and Shevchenko were missing. The only people playing against Man Utd who haven't been major parts of Chelsea's season were Sinclair and Cudicini. Better if I had used a different word? Say more experienced?

No, you tried to pass off a side with about 2 or 3 first choices off as almost full strength when it blatantly wasn't such.

 

[roseboy64]

Chelsea were only missing Cech, Shevchenko, Carvalho and Drogba. United had no first choice players at all in their XI.

 

[Matteh]

Ballack and Lampard released on frees?

 

[pinchy81]

Let's see, who supports non-Prem English clubs?

Myself (Tranmere)
Matteh (mansfield)
Pickup, grecian (Exeter)
Pothas (brentford)
dav (Oldham)
Tomm NCCC (Forest)

I'm sure there are more, and the likes of Brumby have an affection for a local smaller club (the club escapes me, is it Cambridge City?) and a genuine love for the game at all levels.

it would be breaking with CW tradition, steds would protest at there being too many soccer threads () and might not be a popular idea.

Thoughts people? If the lower league lot think it's a good plan, then we could start it in the offseason. Lower league discussion does tend to get lost amongst the bigger stuff

I have a small spot for Torquay

but on happier news Man City's Micheal Johnson and Daniel Sturridge have been called up to the Under 19 team and Micheal Johnson has also been called up to the Under 21 squad as well as Joe Hart and Nedum Onuoha

 

[marc71178]

Chelsea were only missing Cech, Shevchenko, Carvalho and Drogba. United had no first choice players at all in their XI.

If you're going to call the likes of Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Diarra and Mikel first choice players, then half of Manure's side was first choice as well.

Chelsea had at most 3 first choice players playing, Terry, Makelele and Ferreira.

3 is not almost full strength.

 

[Sir Redman]

Those All Whites have really set the footballing world alight.

Oh wait...

Pity Nelsen hasn't played for us since 2004. We'd be number 1 in the world by now if he had, honest...

 

[Craig]

Nice way to waste two hours, Samba’s miss was shattering, it was harder to miss then score.

Though, it has been a pretty decent season. Defence looks more than adequate (Samba and Nelsen are 'gun'), McCarthy has done wonderfully well and Aaron and Tugay have been immense.

However, if David Bentley and MGP had an inch of pace they wouldn’t be playing for Blackburn and its fair to say Jason Roberts only plays football thanks to his physical contributions not for his footballing aptitude. His ****ing awful, got us knocked out of the UEFA Cup and his first touch is so bad he makes Chris Samba look like Kaka.

Must say I have a lot of respect for him to still be around? How old is he BTW?

 

[TT Boy]

Must say I have a lot of respect for him to still be around? How old is he BTW?

36 and he wants to carry on for another two years supposedly.

 

[roseboy64]

If you're going to call the likes of Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Diarra and Mikel first choice players, then half of Manure's side was first choice as well.

Chelsea had at most 3 first choice players playing, Terry, Makelele and Ferreira.

3 is not almost full strength.

I never passed off Bridge, Wright-Phillips and Diarra as first choice. Although, Wright-Phillips and Diarra have been playing more often over recent months which I said before, because they've playing better than they had done at the start of the season. Also, Mikel has been playing regularly for Chelsea over Makelele on form. And how is Essien not first choice? Chelsea were missing Lampard, Drogba, Cech, Carvalho, Ashley Cole and Shevchenko while United were missing, Ronaldo, Giggs, VDS, Vidic, Evra, Saha, Neville, Park, Solskjaer and Silvestre. And in any case I realized almost full strength was the wrong description and corrected that.

 

[marc71178]

You claimed a side with 3 out of 11 to be nearly first choice.

Essien the centre half is not a first choice, it's similar to calling someone like Darren Fletcher a right back (except Essien is decent at centre half and brilliant in the centre of midfield, whereas Fletcher isn't brilliant anywhere, and would only really pass as decent in his main position)

 

[Craig]

FFS does this really go anywhere I mean? The game was played 3 days a ago, so what?

Who gives a rats about whether or not it was a reserve team put out by either club since it ended 0-0.