*Official* English Football Season 2006-07

[ash chaulk]

oxford won 2-1 by the way

 

[Craig]

Champions League - Group Stage Draw.

Group A: BARCELONA, Chelsea, Werder Bremen, Levski Sofia

Group B: INTER MILAN, Bayern Munich, Sporting Lisbon, Spartak Moscow

Group C: LIVERPOOL, PSV Eindhoven, Bordeaux, Galatasaray

Group D: VALENCIA, Roma, Olympiakos, Shakhtar Donetsk

Group E: REAL MADRID, Lyon, Steaua Bucharest, Dynamo Kiev

Group F: MANCHESTER UNITED, Celtic, Benfica, FC Copenhagen

Group G: ARSENAL, Porto, CSKA Moscow, Hamburg

Group H: AC MILAN, Lille, AEK Athens, Anderlecht

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barcelona and Chelsea meet a little earlier this time around. I take it that seperates them until the final if both progress from the group and through the knockout stages?

Manchester United draw Benfica again with a 'Battle of Britain' fluff tie thrown in as well.

Group B is a tasty one, while those match-fixing cheats Milan who are only there because of a certain ex-president and ex-Italian PM get one of the easier groups in the whole CL

Arsenal's groups is an interesting one, while I'm looking forward to see the Real Madrid-Lyon clashes and see what reception Mahamadou Diarra will get from the Stade de Garland faithful when when they play there. Considering he virtually burnt his bridges there it shouldn't be pleasant

I personally think Werder Breman must be wondering what they did to deserve to be in Chelsea and Barcelona's draw.

 

[Craig]

Maybe I’m too pessimistic and fail to realise what good teams Arsenal and Liverpool doubtlessly are but I think both groups are real potential banana skins. CSKA Moscow away were be tricky tie, especially with the weather and the fact that CSKA are a pretty good unit anyhow. Hamburger SV also have spent a great amount of money in the recent years and any club which can attract Vincent Kompany, must be heading in the right direction. Also the fact that Arsenal’s defence currently does look very brittle.

Whereas Liverpool will come up against three competent/decent sides, who could all give them a game. Girondins de Bordeaux are having a bit of upturn of fortunes, Micoud has gone back and the enigma which is Stephanie Dalmat has also signed on. Galatasaray SK are hindered with the Turkish citizen ruling and with Turkish football in a whole is going through a low they could be an easier proposition but at home it they are still a hard nut to crack. Whereas PSV might have got rid of one of their 'best' defenders recently and Ronald Koeman is no Guus Hiddink but Arouna Kone and Farfan are ****ing electric up top and could easily tear Liverpool’s slow defence to pieces.

Can not wait, absolutely love Champions League nights.

I was surprised to see Jan Vennegor of Hesselink go to Celtic so that be of some use to them, what do you think of Inter's group? They go finish 1st with the new signings and the squad they have, but we have been saying that since '89

 

[Simon]

Vennegor wanted to leave, hes been with us for 5 years and wanted to play in a different country, going to Porto would have a been a better move for him i think...

we still have enough power up front to get through, i think we can top our group and go through unbeaten, 3 home wins and 3 away draws is a good chance...

my tips for all the groups

Group A: 1st Chelsea 2nd Barcelona
Group B: 1st Inter 2nd Bayern Munich
Group C: 1st PSV 2nd Liverpool
Group D: 1st Valencia 2nd Roma
Group E: 1st Lyon 2nd Real Madrid
Group F: 1st Man Utd 2nd Benfica
Group G: 1st HSV 2nd Arsenal
Group H: 1st AC Milan 2nd Anderlecht (finally)

 

[marc71178]

Well he played left wing for more than half of those games

That's my exact point though, he isn't a proper striker - more of a support man or link player / winger.

I'm not so sure that Martins is as he doesn't play right up front, but he's more of one than Luque.

 

[Craig]

As Mancini said if Martins can use his head and his fast feet then he should get a shed load of goals. Either way seeing him to his goal celebrations and if against LuaLua and providing he scores, then somebody call the circus

 

[Craig]

Nicolas Anelka is now a Bolton player.

Anelka has signed a four-year deal with Bolton after the Premiership club agreed to pay a club record £8million to Fenerbahce for the French striker.

(quote last paragraph from soccernet.com)

 

[Barney Rubble]

As Mancini said if Martins can use his head and his fast feet then he should get a shed load of goals. Either way seeing him to his goal celebrations and if against LuaLua and providing he scores, then somebody call the circus

Nicolas Anelka is now a Bolton player.

Anelka has signed a four-year deal with Bolton after the Premiership club agreed to pay a club record £8million to Fenerbahce for the French striker.

(quote last paragraph from soccernet.com)

Both players turned down Pompey before making those moves.

 

[sledger]

not sure where on earth bolton have got that money from, be paying him a fortune in wages as well, after a season of scoring quite a few goals i can see this arrangement ending in tears.

 

[Great Birtannia]

If they'd a proper striker they'd have nearly hit double figures.

That was the point.

Luque is an Arjen Robben type player that can play upfront in a 3 or in behind a frontman but not as an out and out striker.

 

[TT Boy]

I'm not so sure that Martins is as he doesn't play right up front, but he's more of one than Luque.

Martins is a CF by trade and was used extensively as a second striker or even on some occasions as the lone figure up front. Inter never persisted with him at wide because even though he is electric he can not pass (or even dribble that well) and the most obvious role for him was to play up top and just use the through ball or over the top tactic much like with Michael Owen. Interesting to see how he gets on, main reason Inter let him go was their concern that he could not finish in front of goal and other than his pace, brings little to the side.

 

[TT Boy]

As Mancini said if Martins can use his head and his fast feet then he should get a shed load of goals. Either way seeing him to his goal celebrations and if against LuaLua and providing he scores, then somebody call the circus

Makes you wonder why he sold him them. I think it is really poor business on the part of Inter, Crespo, Adriano, Zlatan and Cruz, fine but hardly much difference is there? Martins at least brought something else which neither one of them (Adriano currently) has, pace.

 

[TT Boy]

I was surprised to see Jan Vennegor of Hesselink go to Celtic so that be of some use to them, what do you think of Inter's group? They go finish 1st with the new signings and the squad they have, but we have been saying that since '89

Tricky, Lisbon are a decent outfit, FC Bayern are still a huge club with some very good players and Moscow away will be decent test but I think Inter have enough to progress and possibly win the group. Was not overly keen with their transfer dealings in the summer. Good getting rid of the likes of Juan Veron, Wome, Ze Maria, Killy et cetera but Oliver Dacourt was not much cope at AS Roma, Maxwell was hardly setting the Eredivisie on fire and Zlatan is a nut job. The likes of Grosso, Crespo, Vieira was good business however.

 

[TT Boy]

I personally think Werder Breman must be wondering what they did to deserve to be in Chelsea and Barcelona's draw.

Supposedly their coach is over the moon with the draw, he likes mixing it with the big boys apparently but one thing is for certain Werder will not set back and defend. They do attack in droves and it will be fascinating to see if the diminutive Brazilian Diego has the same sort of effect Johan Micoud had, orchestrating such attacks.

 

[GIMH]

ALways rated Anelka, Bolton, yuck, psst the man has no morals

 

[Salamuddin]

Liverpool will win the prmeiership this year.

UEFA champions league will be won by Chelsea.

 

[Craig]

Supposedly their coach is over the moon with the draw, he likes mixing it with the big boys apparently but one thing is for certain Werder will not set back and defend. They do attack in droves and it will be fascinating to see if the diminutive Brazilian Diego has the same sort of effect Johan Micoud had, orchestrating such attacks.

I think Diego has a lot to prove IMO after his time at Porto didn't work out that well for him and show his obvious talent.

As for the CL, I reckon Valencia could go a fair way, they have made some good signings, I think Morientes will do well back in Spain, but I am not sure on Francesco Tavano since Italian players haven't always worked out at Valencia, so for me it is very risky. Joaquin should be one of the buy's of the year and I will say David Villa, last season's bargin buy will have another top season.

 

[Craig]

Not British related but I have to post this:

Despite the off-field turbulence, 'Flu' are a respectable fifth in the Brazilian championship with 29 points from 19 games.

Brazil has an extraordinary turnover of soccer coaches and Lopes's move to Fluminense completed a bizarre circle of moves involving five clubs in the last three weeks.

The musical chairs began when Oliveira was fired by Fluminense and immediately joined Cruzeiro, where he replaced Paulo Cesar Gusmao who had been sacked the same day.

Gusmao moved to Sao Caetano to step in for Emerson Leao, who had accepted an offer from Corinthians after Geninho resigned.

Geninho then took over at Goias where Lopes had quit and Lopes completed the circle by joining Fluminense.

England's team named:

Squad:

Robinson (Tottenham), Kirkland (Liverpool), Foster (Man Utd)

A Cole (Arsenal), Young (Charlton), P Neville (Everton), Bridge (Chelsea), Terry (Chelsea), Ferdinand (Man Utd), Brown (Man Utd), Dawson (Tottenham),

Lampard (Chelsea), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Carrick (Man Utd), Gerrard (Liverpool), Jenas (Tottenham), Wright-Phillips (Chelsea), Richardson (Man Utd), Downing (Middlesbrough), Lennon (Tottenham),

Defoe (Tottenham), Bent (Charlton), Johnson (Everton), Crouch (Liverpool)

Surprised to see Phil Neville, Keiran Richardson still there. Luke Young as the like-for-like for Gary Neville but I guess his brother is back up for all positions. The strike force is a bit light though. At least Piscine's number one most favourite player in the whole entire solar system Stewart Downing is a certainty to start.

Still don't know what Jenas offers though.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Still don't know what Jenas offers though.

Rhyming slang for the medical term for the male member?

"So I whipped the old Jermaine out & had a lash behind the bins"

 

[Craig]