*Official* English Football Season 2010-11

[Nate]

Totally don't mind if we sell Torres. Multiple strikers ftw.

 

[vcs]

Sellng Torres for a big pile of cash would be totally counter-productive and short-sighted, IMO. He's ideally suited to Liverpool and has been since day 1. Sure, he's been injured a lot, but despite that, head and shoulders better than the backup Liverpool have, or are likely to get even if they reinvest the money.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Here's a clue: the game Thierry Henry is famous for playing is football.

No Chief Cheateur is famous for playing handball.

Someone like Ronaldo used to score tons of headers for Manure, the differential between the two is huge. This sort of thing is actually a significant part of football, yet it gets overlooked frequently.

 

[Jarquis]

Some bookmakers have stopped taking bets on Torres to Chelsea

 

[L Trumper]

Roy was fantastic in that match but arguing that he carried United to that title is silliness.

You are not seriously thinking gerrard did more for liverpool in 2005 than keane in 1999? Are you? That is absolute bullocks.. When did gerrard carried them in 05, in finals it was hamann's introduction in the 2nd half which changed the tide, even then pool never dominated the game. Against juve and chelsea it was garcia's wonder strikes that put them in finals.
Watch 99 juventus match, the match that stopped italian dominance of continental competitions.. Probably greatest midfield performance of the decade in CL. Keane may not score as many goals as gerrard, but during their glory years the matches without keane are terribly difficult for man u to win. Keane constantly outshone more famous partners in midfield on the field.

 

[L Trumper]

No Chief Cheateur is famous for playing handball.

Someone like Ronaldo used to score tons of headers for Manure, the differential between the two is huge. This sort of thing is actually a significant part of football, yet it gets overlooked frequently.

Not sure about that.. Ronaldo(original), Romario are not good at heading. That doesn't stop'em from being great.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Not sure about that.. Ronaldo(original), Romario are not good at heading. That doesn't stop'em from being great.

They were proper, top notch natural finishers though. They took their chances at the highest level. Ronaldo also had incredible pace and strength. Simple but incredibly difficult to stop, hence his scoring sprees in World Cups.

 

[L Trumper]

They were proper, top notch natural finishers though. They took their chances at the highest level. Ronaldo also had incredible pace and strength. Simple but incredibly difficult to stop, hence his scoring sprees in World Cups.

I'd agree. But my point is not having good heading ability doesn't necessarily make henry a bad striker. He is great for 5 seasons without having proper heading technique. But depended on his pace and long range shooting which were his plus. Although once his pace dropped his ability significantly reduced...

 

[vcs]

No Chief Cheateur is famous for playing handball.

Someone like Ronaldo used to score tons of headers for Manure, the differential between the two is huge. This sort of thing is actually a significant part of football, yet it gets overlooked frequently.

Well, atleast you got that bit right.

 

[Furball]

No Chief Cheateur is famous for playing handball.

Someone like Ronaldo used to score tons of headers for Manure, the differential between the two is huge. This sort of thing is actually a significant part of football, yet it gets overlooked frequently.

How would being good in the air have improved Henry at Arsenal?

 

[Scaly piscine]

How would being good in the air have improved Henry at Arsenal?

He still had the odd heading opportunity, of course he fluffed virtually all of them. It would have helped in that they could have actually crossed the ball more instead of trying to walk it in.

 

[Furball]

He still had the odd heading opportunity, of course he fluffed virtually all of them. It would have helped in that they could have actually crossed the ball more instead of trying to walk it in.

You're seriously going to pick holes in how Arsenal c. 2001-05 played? A team that had no problems scoring domestically against all opposition, a team who didn't lose a game for 49 matches?

**** me.

 

[Ikki]

You are not seriously thinking gerrard did more for liverpool in 2005 than keane in 1999? Are you? That is absolute bullocks.. When did gerrard carried them in 05, in finals it was hamann's introduction in the 2nd half which changed the tide, even then pool never dominated the game. Against juve and chelsea it was garcia's wonder strikes that put them in finals.
Watch 99 juventus match, the match that stopped italian dominance of continental competitions.. Probably greatest midfield performance of the decade in CL. Keane may not score as many goals as gerrard, but during their glory years the matches without keane are terribly difficult for man u to win. Keane constantly outshone more famous partners in midfield on the field.

Haha, sorry, but that's dreamland stuff there. Even more ridiculous since Keane missed the final. Some of the above has some truth (like the importance of Hamann) but to say it was anyone other than Gerrard who was more responsible is pure delusion. He scored, won the penalty and even played right-back for a portion of the match. And Italian football still dominated post 99, lest we forget...AC Milan won 2 titles and got to another final just over the turn of the century - ironically playing Juventus in one final and twice Gerrard's Liverpool. Gerrard's performance and our comeback in that final is the stuff of make-believe...but it actually happened. He also had another performance like that in the FA cup a year later. Keane just can't touch performances like those and to be fair...I'm not sure I can think of others who can. Coming back from 3-0 in a European cup final...scoring a last minute screamer to tie the match (again)...I recall Henry saying not even forwards have scored as many important goals as Gerrard. Sometimes it beggars belief to witness a player routinely boss a match and carry his side over the line. Gerrard's probably got a top 20 in last minute goals scored alone.

 

[GIMH]

Beckham V Greece?

 

[Furball]

Haha, sorry, but that's dreamland stuff there. Even more ridiculous since Keane missed the final. Some of the above has some truth (like the importance of Hamann) but to say it was anyone other than Gerrard who was more responsible is pure delusion. He scored, won the penalty and even played right-back for a portion of the match. And Italian football still dominated post 99, lest we forget...AC Milan won 2 titles and got to another final just over the turn of the century - ironically playing Juventus in one final and twice Gerrard's Liverpool. Gerrard's performance and our comeback in that final is the stuff of make-believe...but it actually happened. He also had another performance like that in the FA cup a year later. Keane just can't touch performances like those and to be fair...I'm not sure I can think of others who can. Coming back from 3-0 in a European cup final...scoring a last minute screamer to tie the match (again)...I recall Henry saying not even forwards have scored as many important goals as Gerrard. Sometimes it beggars belief to witness a player routinely boss a match and carry his side over the line. Gerrard's probably got a top 20 in last minute goals scored alone.

Italian football most certainly didn't dominate post 1999.

Maybe your over-rating of Gerrard stems from the fact that you don't seem to understand what the word "dominate" means.

The 2nd part of your post just shows you that you didn't watch Keane's performance in Turin in 1999. The greatest midfield performance I've ever seen. Keane did it against a side who had reached 3 Champions League finals in a row, and who were 2-0 up at home, in the second leg of a semi final where Manchester United had gotten out of jail with Ryan Giggs' last minute equaliser in the first leg.

Steven Gerrard's FA Cup final performance which you're eulogising came against West ****ing Ham. There's a world of difference.

 

[Cevno]

Extent of Barcelona's debt revealed by fresh audit

A new audit into Barcelona's finances have revealed the club's debt is 442m euros (£369.5m) after a loss of more than 77m euros (£64.36m) last season.

The previous board, led by Joan Laporta, had announced the club was 11m euros in the black at the end of June.

But a new audit carried out by Deloitte for new president Sandro Rosell's team reveals a far less healthy scenario.

BBC Sport - Football - Extent of Barcelona's debt revealed by fresh audit

 

[vcs]

Haha, sorry, but that's dreamland stuff there. Even more ridiculous since Keane missed the final. Some of the above has some truth (like the importance of Hamann) but to say it was anyone other than Gerrard who was more responsible is pure delusion. He scored, won the penalty and even played right-back for a portion of the match. And Italian football still dominated post 99, lest we forget...AC Milan won 2 titles and got to another final just over the turn of the century - ironically playing Juventus in one final and twice Gerrard's Liverpool. Gerrard's performance and our comeback in that final is the stuff of make-believe...but it actually happened. He also had another performance like that in the FA cup a year later. Keane just can't touch performances like those and to be fair...I'm not sure I can think of others who can. Coming back from 3-0 in a European cup final...scoring a last minute screamer to tie the match (again)...I recall Henry saying not even forwards have scored as many important goals as Gerrard. Sometimes it beggars belief to witness a player routinely boss a match and carry his side over the line. Gerrard's probably got a top 20 in last minute goals scored alone.

Iniesta.

Can't see you bigging him up quite as much as Gerrard though.

The point is, there are more ways to affect matches than scoring late goals when your side is trailing.. sure Gerrard has done that and made a reputation for being a great big match player, but I'd say Torres has a better big-match record than him in recent years in actuality. He's scored in all Liverpool's CL knockout rounds in recent memory and the winner in a Euro final. Xavi routinely puts on master-classes from midfield in big matches for Barca/Spain. He doesn't score flashy goals, but as I said, that isn't the only way to influence the outcome of a big match.

 

[Ikki]

Italian football most certainly didn't dominate post 1999.

Maybe your over-rating of Gerrard stems from the fact that you don't seem to understand what the word "dominate" means.

The 2nd part of your post just shows you that you didn't watch Keane's performance in Turin in 1999. The greatest midfield performance I've ever seen. Keane did it against a side who had reached 3 Champions League finals in a row, and who were 2-0 up at home, in the second leg of a semi final where Manchester United had gotten out of jail with Ryan Giggs' last minute equaliser in the first leg.

Steven Gerrard's FA Cup final performance which you're eulogising came against West ****ing Ham. There's a world of difference.

In the last 10 years the Italian clubs won 3 CLs, got to another final...and then also won a World Cup. At least until 06, they were still dominant. I did watch Keane's performance and to describe it amongst the greatest midfield performances you've ever seen, from any midfielder, beggars belief. Suffice to say I don't even see a point in arguing it - it's that wrong in my mind.

Gerrard's performance in that FA cup was more dominant than Keane's in 99...let's not even get to Istanbul (a CL final) because there is more than a world of difference there.

Iniesta.

Can't see you bigging him up quite as much as Gerrard though.

The point is, there are more ways to affect matches than scoring late goals when your side is trailing.. sure Gerrard has done that and made a reputation for being a great big match player, but I'd say Torres has a better big-match record than him in recent years in actuality. He's scored in all Liverpool's CL knockout rounds in recent memory and the winner in a Euro final. Xavi routinely puts on master-classes from midfield in big matches for Barca/Spain. He doesn't score flashy goals, but as I said, that isn't the only way to influence the outcome of a big match.

Iniesta against ?

Torres has scored numerous goals against big teams in big games. I'd kinda agree with you there but even in that Euro final besides the goal I wouldn't define his performance as domineering. Xavi I'd also agree to an extent; but frankly both the sides he plays for (Spain/Barca) are so ridiculously talented they rarely don't dominate as a team.

With Gerrard, I am more referring to the fact that he's had to pretty much do it on his own. I don't think any of the aforementioned players could do what Gerrard did in 05/Istanbul.

 

[vcs]

Juve were very good in the CL till upto 2003 or so and Milan were always certs to reach the final stages until Arsenal kids put them to the sword in 2008. After the match-fixing scandal, they have been in decline in general. Inter won last year but they were usually poor before that and don't play many Italians anyway.

 

[L Trumper]

You are bias towards gerrard is clouding your judgement.. If you seriously think gerrard's performance in 05 final is better than keane's in 99 semis... Its not even close. I am pretty positive in saying that hamann's performance was better than gerrard's in that final.

As far as italian dominance considered, italian teams are reaching finals of both european tournaments for a decade till 99, then manu stopped juve. Serie A is miles ahead of all otheer leagues since the mid 80s to 99, its not even funny how good they are.. Every CL final has a italian team till 99. Historically that match against juventus was remebered as the turning point in club football.