*Official* English Football Season 2009-2010

[Uppercut]

Was Yossi actually and yeah that goal was absolute class - the pass was superb and Torres was, well, Torres. Not much more that Rio or anyone else could have done.

Yossi was given too much freedom in the midfield to pick the pass, and you could also say we were holding a line too far up the pitch given Torres's pace. Great goal though, Torres is pure class.

 

[The Sean]

God, Nani is awful. Lucas is beyond bad too but at least he's quite good at giving away dirty little free kicks in positions it's hard to create anything from.

Very poor performance today, one of those where we only looked like making anything once we were a goal down. Scholes and Carrick were completely overrun, need a bit of Fletcher and/or Anderson in there for the big games I'd say.

Blackburn at home next week, then a trip to Stamford Bridge.

How Lucas stayed out of the book after repeated fouling all ****ing match is a real mystery. I'm impressed though that you thought we looked like making something once we were 1-0 down, because at no point at all did I think we looked genuinely dangerous.

Given what Arsenal and Chelsea have done to Blackburn in recent weeks, I'd like to think we're going to bounce back with a big, big win next weekend.

 

[Uppercut]

How Lucas stayed out of the book after repeated fouling all ****ing match is a real mystery. I'm impressed though that you thought we looked like making something once we were 1-0 down, because at no point at all did I think we looked genuinely dangerous.

Given what Arsenal and Chelsea have done to Blackburn in recent weeks, I'd like to think we're going to bounce back with a big, big win next weekend.

Valencia hit the bar, a few attacks that petered out. They were still ****, but they looked like they were trying to score. Before the goal, they didn't. Also, Owen's movement is a class above Rooney's and Berbatov's.

Carragher should have walked late on, but you can't complain about the result.

That's Torres's seventh goal in five games against United, Arsenal and Chelsea this year.

 

[The Sean]

Also, Owen's movement is a class above Rooney's and Berbatov's.

Agreed, he at least occupies positions from where a goal might follow. I've been trying to defend Berba for the better part of 18 months now but for all the flicks, tricks, first touch class and obvious quality the actual product still isn't there, particularly in the very biggest games.

Carragher should have walked late on, but you can't complain about the result.

No complaints whatsoever. We got precisely what we deserved out of the match.

That's Torres's seventh goal in five games against United, Arsenal and Chelsea this year.

The bloke is pure, unadulterated quality. I know the players don't set their own values but it's a source of real annoyance to me that we paid more for Berbatov than Liverpool did for Torres.

 

[Uppercut]

Agreed, he at least occupies positions from where a goal might follow. I've been trying to defend Berba for the better part of 18 months now but for all the flicks, tricks, first touch class and obvious quality the actual product still isn't there, particularly in the very biggest games.

I know, it's frustrating. But you can't deny that he's improving on last season's performances. I'll reserve judgement until the end of the season.

The bloke is pure, unadulterated quality. I know the players don't set their own values but it's a source of real annoyance to me that we paid more for Berbatov than Liverpool did for Torres.

Yeah, for sure. He's scary good- if it weren't for his suspect fitness, he'd be the best striker in the world for mine.

 

[The Sean]

I know, it's frustrating. But you can't deny that he's improving on last season's performances. I'll reserve judgement until the end of the season.

He has been better this season, for sure, and has given some excellent displays - still nothing truly defining though, and today was the perfect opportunity to put his mark on a major game.

Hopefully such a performance is coming in the near future, because his talent warrants it and I really want him to deliver.

 

[Uppercut]

It certainly feels like something big is just around the corner, but that might just be Berbatov.

I wish Owen's fitness could be relied on. The positions he takes up are a level above any striker we've had since Van Nistelrooy.

 

[Matteh]

Carragher should have walked late on, but you can't complain about the result.

I certainly wouldn't have sent him off.

It wasn't a goal scoring opportunity as it was too wide and there was a line of defence stood ready, Owen gave him a shove and Carragher then decided to hold onto Owen, a little bit handbags and a yellow was about right.

 

[Uppercut]

I certainly wouldn't have sent him off.

It wasn't a goal scoring opportunity as it was too wide and there was a line of defence stood ready, Owen gave him a shove and Carragher then decided to hold onto Owen, a little bit handbags and a yellow was about right.

It was a pretty clear goalscoring opportunity as I remember it, and looked quite deliberate too. Owen was certainly in behind and would have had a clear shot from about six yards had Carragher not held him back. And it was outside the box, so it's not really one of those ones where the punishment doesn't seem to quite fit the crime.

If Owen made a shove in the build-up and there should have been a free kick to Liverpool before that, then I missed that. But like I say, we can't complain too much. We were outplayed and Carragher departing probably wouldn't have made any difference.

 

[sledger]

I would have sent him off as well tbh. It was a blatant attempt to stop him going through and Owen was angling in on goal with pretty much nobody to stop him, so yes, Red Card for mine.

 

[Uppercut]

It's weird, but Liverpool-United (particularly at Anfield) is the one United game in the calendar I don't enjoy. I'm too nervous- far moreso than for the games against Arsenal, Chelsea or Citeh. Even when we win, it's more of a sigh of relief than a cause to celebrate. Maybe it's just the only game I dislike losing more than I like winning.

Anyone else have matches like that?

 

[sledger]

It's weird, but Liverpool-United (particularly at Anfield) is the one United game in the calendar I don't enjoy. I'm too nervous- far moreso than for the games against Arsenal, Chelsea or Citeh. Even when we win, it's more of a sigh of relief than a cause to celebrate. Maybe it's just the only game I dislike losing more than I like winning.

Anyone else have matches like that?

I used to really hate it when Arsenal had to play Man Utd at Old Trafford tbh, by far the most dreaded game of the season for mine. Though not so much these days, seeing as Arsenal aren't really the great rivals of Man Utd as they once were between 97 and 03. I think the match that involved the Van Nistelrooy penalty incident and the fracas afterwards was probably one of the most uncomfortable matches I have ever sat through, I literally could not watch the penalty...but was ecstatic when he missed it. But was just pleased when the whole thing was over.

 

[Johnners]

Torres, WAG.

 

[GIMH]

How funny was Carragher's post-match interview.

""I thought he pushed me tbh."

Then the interviewier says, "do you think you could have been sent off for that?"

"No - do you?" Carragher glares at the interviewer and you could hear him squirm. I lolled.

 

[The Sean]

How funny was Carragher's post-match interview.

""I thought he pushed me tbh."

Then the interviewier says, "do you think you could have been sent off for that?"

"No - do you?" Carragher glares at the interviewer and you could hear him squirm. I lolled.

Would have been funnier if the interviewer had the balls to reply "Yes Jamie. Yes I do."

 

[sledger]

Would have been funnier if the interviewer had the balls to reply "Yes Jamie. Yes I do."

Haha, don't know why he didn't tbh, not like Carragher could have done anything about it.

 

[Uppercut]

I used to really hate it when Arsenal had to play Man Utd at Old Trafford tbh, by far the most dreaded game of the season for mine. Though not so much these days, seeing as Arsenal aren't really the great rivals of Man Utd as they once were between 97 and 03. I think the match that involved the Van Nistelrooy penalty incident and the fracas afterwards was probably one of the most uncomfortable matches I have ever sat through, I literally could not watch the penalty...but was ecstatic when he missed it. But was just pleased when the whole thing was over.

Hmm, I remember those games- when it was United and Arsenal at the top- as the most exciting I've ever seen though. There was Arsenal's 3-2 job in '97, the 2-1 FA Cup semi-final replay, the 3-0 loss, the 6-1 win, the 2-2 at Highbury in '03, the 4-2 Vieira vs. Keane game... I'm being selective, sure, but those are the games that come to mind when I think of Arsenal-United.

When I think of Liverpool-United games, I think of cagy affairs. It typically finishes 1-0 or 2-0 and I just spend the entire game crapping myself.

 

[sledger]

Hmm, I remember those games- when it was United and Arsenal at the top- as the most exciting I've ever seen though. There was Arsenal's 3-2 job in '97, the 2-1 FA Cup semi-final replay, the 3-0 loss, the 6-1 win, the 2-2 at Highbury in '03, the 4-2 Vieira vs. Keane game... I'm being selective, sure, but those are the games that come to mind when I think of Arsenal-United.

When I think of Liverpool-United games, I think of cagy affairs. It typically finishes 1-0 or 2-0 and I just spend the entire game crapping myself.

Haha that's generally how I used to find the Man Utd games tbh, was much more interested in just avoiding defeat rather than actually getting the victory. The Van Nistelrooy penalty one is the match that always springs to mind whenever I think of Arsenal Man Utd games. Failing that I usually remember the one the year after when Gary Neville kicked Reyes to death and VN scored from the spot. Or the one where Overmars scored and Arsenal won 1-0 or when Wiltord scored to win Arsenal the league, if I'm feeling more positive.

 

[The Sean]

the 6-1 win

That's one of the truly great United results of my lifetime and yet I never got to enjoy it the way I should have.

I didn't have cable at the time so I woke up on the Monday morning to hear the result on the radio - I was ecstatic for about two and a half minutes until the announcement came over "...and in breaking news, we've just been informed that Sir Donald Bradman has died."

And that's how I remember that day. Stupid Bradman, must have been a Gunners fan.

 

[sledger]

****ing Igors Stepanovs and Gilles Grimandi playing at the back for Arsenal that day is what did for us on that occasion, one absolutely awful player and one who was totally mediocre.