*Official* English Football Season 2007-08

[Loony BoB]

Messi half-scared me, but only because of all the reputation preceding him. He made a couple of runs where he got the ball away from defenders quite well, had a shot on goal at one point I think, but otherwise had no more of an impact than over half the United team on the game. Every time he got it, they would say "Messi..." and I'd get nervous and then he'd make a run, eventually get the ball taken from him and that was that. I was just waiting for this game-killer ability of his but it never happened. Don't think he does so well when facing an English defence (where midfielders defend, too, something which I noticed little of from Barca), really. He can get past one player but he only got past two players about twice, and there was always another waiting.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

His shot that you think you remember was a quality strike, if he wasn't being tagged by about 7 United players he'd have scored, no question.

 

[Loony BoB]

He only had 2-3 players directly around him at the time, the shot was saved from the far corner by an out-stretched VDS. If it had been shot any further out of VDS' reach it wouldn't have gone in, so there you go.

But I suppose a lot of goals would have gone in if there were less/no defenders around a player, yes.

 

[headhunter]

Phew! The last 20min of that match got to be the longest of the of my life. Wes Brown and Rio Ferdinand were so gun during this period. Ronaldo frustrating during this period also. Get the **** back behind the ball after losing it. One goal and we're out!
Regards Messi, must dangerous player on the field for Barca by far, every time he got on the ball was heart in mouth stuff.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Can't say I remember him making many crosses, sounds like you just wanted to squeeze your clever little phrase in. He looked dangerous everytime he got the ball just the other attacking options were poor.

Also how dire was chief poseur when he got on? Two backpasses to the keeper and barely looked interested.

Messi's a great dribbler, no doubt, but his end product's ****e. Never made that telling pass or enough space for himself to get more than one shot off. If he doesn't look up more he's vasting his time; if teams feel the need to double-man him it should in theory make more space for his team mates. **** all use that is if he doesn't pass.

I'd agree about Henry tho. Looks like he can't be arsed. Fact is Wenger punted a 30 year old with a chronic back problem for £16m & that looks a decent bit of business now.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I don't remember Messi having the ball taken from him very often, most of the time he'd lay the ball off to someone and they'd then kill the momentum with nothing passes. That would be the only real criticism I'd have with Messi yesterday, he didn't really produce a killer pass or a goal - but a lot of that is down to the rest of the team. With his shot if he'd have timed it properly he'd have scored, however he just hit it so weakly that even tho he was just outside the area and it was curling inwards towards the bottom corner it got saved. I don't remember many times when a Barca player actually made a run in behind Manure.

 

[cpr]

I don't remember Messi having the ball taken from him very often, most of the time he'd lay the ball off to someone and they'd then kill the momentum with nothing passes. That would be the only real criticism I'd have with Messi yesterday, he didn't really produce a killer pass or a goal - but a lot of that is down to the rest of the team. With his shot if he'd have timed it properly he'd have scored, however he just hit it so weakly that even tho he was just outside the area and it was curling inwards towards the bottom corner it got saved. I don't remember many times when a Barca player actually made a run in behind Manure.

You know, i see a decent post, then i see that last word, and realise i'm actually listening to a complete ****wit who's 'humour' levels on on par with my 4 year old nephew.

The fact people call utd that doesnt irritate me that much, what really winds me up is people think that sort of things witty, funny, or insulting. Its about as funny as calling teams ArseAnal or Poocastle (or even Chelski, thats really lame)

 

[BoyBrumby]

You know, i see a decent post, then i see that last word, and realise i'm actually listening to a complete ****wit who's 'humour' levels on on par with my 4 year old nephew.

The fact people call utd that doesnt irritate me that much, what really winds me up is people think that sort of things witty, funny, or insulting. Its about as funny as calling teams ArseAnal or Poocastle (or even Chelski, thats really lame)

You're clearly being less than candid here, given the tone of rest of your post.

 

[Scaly piscine]

You know, i see a decent post, then i see that last word, and realise i'm actually listening to a complete ****wit who's 'humour' levels on on par with my 4 year old nephew.

The fact people call utd that doesnt irritate me that much, what really winds me up is people think that sort of things witty, funny, or insulting. Its about as funny as calling teams ArseAnal or Poocastle (or even Chelski, thats really lame)

Err for years I've intermittently thrown in Manure, if it winds people up this much I'll have to keep doing it.

 

[cpr]

Like i said, its not the fact your insulting utd or its fans that winds me up, its more the fact that the level of conversation with people who think its witty and funny is on the par with the readers thoughts bit in the Daily Star, instantly lose respect for anyone who uses it, doubly so if their trying to make a serious point.

 

[grecian]

Anywhoo.........


Will Rafa Benitez baiting of Drogba before this match go down in history along with Dean Jones telling Curtley to take of his sweatbands?

 

[Scaly piscine]

Bah.

1-1.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Every time he got it, they would say "Messi..." and I'd get nervous and then he'd make a run, eventually get the ball taken from him and that was that.

Yes, he got dealt with well, but I've seen him run past everyone before, and it's always in your mind that he could score a Maradona-esque goal at any given moment. He also forced a couple of (weak) penalty appeals, which, while they were never pens, could easily have been given at the Nou Camp.

The bloke's just an all-round genius IMO, had he not been dealt with so ****ing well, could easily have won it single-handedly.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Fact is Wenger punted a 30 year old with a chronic back problem for £16m & that looks a decent bit of business now.

The bit of business in itself was - Henry in summer 2007, after his 06/07 season, was never worth £16m. However, as it was argued at the time, he nearly sold up in 2006 and he'd have got a lot more than £16m then IMO.

 

[grecian]

Quite exciting all this.

Obviously all just a warm-up for tomorrows match, but still....

 

[Scaly piscine]

The bit of business in itself was - Henry in summer 2007, after his 06/07 season, was never worth £16m. However, as it was argued at the time, he nearly sold up in 2006 and he'd have got a lot more than £16m then IMO.

Yea he should have been sold a season earlier as I'd said repeatedly. It's common sense anyway to sell players at 28-30 because after that they depreciate to virtually nothing not long after. When you've got a player heavily reliant on pace too... well it's even more so the case. The times when you wouldn't do this is when you're a club like Chelsea where money is less of an issue, or similarly if you're a big club that's looking to win things or you've got a sort of moral obligation/attachment to the club involved like Manu(re) and their old guard who've spent their career there. But certainly if you're gonna sell someone, you sell someone who's at their peak as chief poseur was and preferably before they flop internationally (as usual) and go downhill.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Feel a tad agrieved for Liverpool, I have to say. Couldn't really give an arse who won, but when Hyppia was scythed in the box it was a pen every day of the week.

Good game for the neutral tho, to be fair.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Liverpool losing is good value simply for the RAWK response, generally hilarious.

Tad disappointed in a way though... 50/50 whether we'll beat Chelsea, was far more confident of beating the Dips.

 

[cpr]

The times when you wouldn't do this is when you're a club like Chelsea where money is less of an issue, or similarly if you're a big club that's looking to win things or you've got a sort of moral obligation/attachment to the club involved like Manu(re) and their old guard who've spent their career there.

Dunno why but that made me laugh (and completely didnt offend me)

Proof i'm not as dour and humourless as I come accross

 

[cpr]

If peoaple are so confident about Man Utd I'm willing to have an avatar bet that Liverpool will go further than Man U in the Chapions League this season. Any takers?

I'll take the avatar challenge.

Haha, be prepared for a citizen Neveller to appear by tomorrow