*Official* English Football Season 2005-06

[sledger]

got that right barney, but aussie did get the bit about sol campbell right, however he was overshadowed by toure. Arsenal did look better, a good performance despite a few players looking short on confidence although thats understandable. The 4-3-2-1 system seemed to work quite well. Jose Reyes had a very mixed game, showed some great touches and vision to set up some great moves with some excellent passing and movement, decent finish under pressure as well, however on occasions gave the ball away far to easily and stupidly, although a promising and improved performance from him overall.

 

[roseboy64]

Very good match there between Fulham and Chelsea if a bit controversial . A draw would have been a fair result there.

 

[marc71178]

Chlesea were ran close by Fulham it seems

Not that close judging by the commentary.

 

[roseboy64]

Well judging by the play on the pitch it'd be about even.

 

[Craig]

Joe Cole's been playing wide right for Chelsea for about a year and a half now. With two left-footed wingers and two right it doesn't make any sense to play a right-footed one on the left or vice versa, hence Robben and Cole are now first choice as opposed to Robben and Duff.

Was a weird system he played and how he went about it as Mourinho basically had three wingers on the pitch.

I mean it was (what the starting line-up said at the start of the game)

------------------------Cech--------------------

------------Ferreria - Huth - Terry- Gallas------------------------

-----------------------Makelele------------------------
------------------Lampard - J. Cole---------------------------

--------------Wright-Phillips - Robben--------------

-------------------------Crespo-------------------------------

So that is effectively 4-1-2-2-1, never been a big fan of that tatic so be honest, I've always prefered having at least two strikers (or sometimes three) on the pitch, unless for example late in the game and you want to close it down then you can tighten the midfield up and play the lone striker.

It is almost the same system that Barcelona play (well in all the games I have seen from this season which is a far bit) and if they sign Henry it would have to change it to please both Eto'o and Henry.

 

[marc71178]

It's basically the system he usually uses, and IMO Chelsea were never in that much trouble.

At 2-2 Jose just stuck on a second striker to get the goal, then reverted to type by bringing back a defender.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Chelsea deserved to win no doubt, but at 2-2 it was quite possible Fulham could have held out, unfortunately they didn't.

Absolutely delighted that City got thumped (late comback aside).

 

[Barney Rubble]

Was a weird system he played and how he went about it as Mourinho basically had three wingers on the pitch.

I mean it was (what the starting line-up said at the start of the game)

------------------------Cech--------------------

------------Ferreria - Huth - Terry- Gallas------------------------

-----------------------Makelele------------------------
------------------Lampard - J. Cole---------------------------

--------------Wright-Phillips - Robben--------------

-------------------------Crespo-------------------------------

So that is effectively 4-1-2-2-1, never been a big fan of that tatic so be honest, I've always prefered having at least two strikers (or sometimes three) on the pitch, unless for example late in the game and you want to close it down then you can tighten the midfield up and play the lone striker.

It is almost the same system that Barcelona play (well in all the games I have seen from this season which is a far bit) and if they sign Henry it would have to change it to please both Eto'o and Henry.

If Henry were to go to Barcelona, they'd just slot him in where they currently slot Ronaldinho and move Ronaldinho central, with Deco dropping out. The positions Henry gets in are often similar to that of your traditional inside-left, so that position would suit him well. With Belletti and Van Bronckhorst as the full-backs, you don't need as much width in forward positions as they attack so often it just crowds the space otherwise.

Barcelona's current tactics are nigh-on perfect for the XI they play, likewise Chelsea - it's when you start shoehorning players into positions that are marginally different than they're used to (witness Rooney at Everton, Diouf at Liverpool, and many others) that you start becoming a different team on the pitch to the one you put down on paper.

 

[Scaly piscine]

3 premiership matches off already, think I've escaped most of the damage in the fantasy competitions - only down to 10 men in the FPL and completely unscathed in the Aussie version.

 

[BoyBrumby]

3 premiership matches off already, think I've escaped most of the damage in the fantasy competitions - only down to 10 men in the FPL and completely unscathed in the Aussie version.

Bugger. I've got 2 Trotters, 1 Blackburn player & 1 Newcastle player in my FPL team. Annoyingly when I heard Bolton was off I swapped Faye for Gray of Blackburn only for that to be called off too.

Just flogged my solitary Geordie player (Given) in the Sportal one.

 

[Barney Rubble]

4-0 down at half time, Di Canio on his way......happy days at Fratton Park.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Di Canio, however much of an idiot off the pitch, will help you out on it though.

United only just gone 2-1 up.

 

[aussie]

didn't look at any premiership action today but obviously disappointing to hear Man U drawing 2-2 with Birmingham especially since they scored late, now we gone more behind Chelsea in the title race who just wont lose

 

[marc71178]

Any problems this time will be cancelled out later in the season.

 

[PY]

Is anyone else slightly worried about the Prem at the moment?

Liverpool absolutely steam-rollered Everton tonight though let in their first goal in 2 months, Chelsea are incapable of losing and Man Utd have also been nailing everyone recently. There's just a HUGE gap between them three then Arsenal (who should be with the other 3) then the rest. I know it's nothing new but it's hit home how boring it is.

I don't usually get to watch Sky games but I've had chance to watch 3 games this Christmas period (ish) and they've all been boring as contests, I was openly cheering Everton on before half-time just to try get some excitement in the game.

 

[Craig]

Di Canio, however much of an idiot off the pitch, will help you out on it though.

United only just gone 2-1 up.

Given that his record in Italy is pretty poor, I hope not for Pompey fans. They have their problems, but a has-been clown is not what they need.

 

[roseboy64]

Redknapps's stated he doesn't want him anyway.

 

[roseboy64]

didn't look at any premiership action today but obviously disappointing to hear Man U drawing 2-2 with Birmingham especially since they scored late, now we gone more behind Chelsea in the title race who just wont lose

They will lose just a matter of how much. Hopefully this won't harm Man Utd in the long run. I still can't see how the ref missed that call on Butt before Birmingham first equalised. Chelsea just get all the breaks. Somehow they manage to turn a game heading towards a draw into a win.

 

[Craig]

Hey Marc what happened in Coventry's game against Crewe? I knew your team was 1-0 u when Mick Doyle got sent off, and finished the game with 8 men? I suppose when you take that into consideration the 1-1 draw is a good result for Coventry?

 

[Neil Pickup]

To anyone with Sky Sports: Exeter v Hereford, Tonight, 1945, weather permitting.