*Official* English Football Season 2014-15

[flibbertyjibber]

What's Eden Hazzard done this year?

Which is basically why I said about Suarez. Hazard is a very good player but hasn't been that great.

 

[Cabinet96]

With regards to Suarez, I think there's obviously a bit of both between what Furball and Sledger are saying. Suarez cooled off a bit last season in the second half, had one good game at the World Cup, but basically cost his side any chance of progressing beyond the second round by bitting someone and has therefore done nothing this season. That being said, it's hard to look at that list and not go a bit 'meh', Suarez was obviously better than some of them, they obviously just used some of the justification to say "he bit someone we're not going to nominate him".

 

[OverratedSanity]

Diego Godin was ****ing robbed. None of the forwards in that list bar potentially Mario Götze scored goals that were as important as his. Given that Götze basically just got nominated because he scored the World Cup winner, you would've thought one of the best defenders this year would. What's Eden Hazzard done this year?

Godin and Alonso both pretty shocking exclusions imo

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Ballon d'Or is so very boring now anyway. When did it become such a big thing?

When Fifa bought it...

 

[Ikki]

Winston Reid on a free in the summer? Apart from being a Kiwi I can't say I've seen much of him.

I reckon he's very good, definitely would add to your side. Wouldn't be surprised if he became a starter after a while, if he can keep his own at that level. Great in the air and seems very calm. West Ham really missed him when he got injured - the same with NZ in the qualifiers.

With regards to Suarez, I think there's obviously a bit of both between what Furball and Sledger are saying. Suarez cooled off a bit last season in the second half, had one good game at the World Cup, but basically cost his side any chance of progressing beyond the second round by bitting someone and has therefore done nothing this season. That being said, it's hard to look at that list and not go a bit 'meh', Suarez was obviously better than some of them, they obviously just used some of the justification to say "he bit someone we're not going to nominate him".

Yeah but Suarez was scoring like 2 goals a game in the first part, so it's understandable that he'd drop off, even though he scored 12 in the 19 from January onwards. He was still assisting a ****load (winning lots of penalties too) and generally his all-round work-rate and creativity for a forward is unmatched. There is just no one like him and as much as I like Aguero...it's Suarez all day long.

I think the only player last season who has a real claim over him is Ronaldo and even then Suarez stacks up well in performance, because he doesn't in team achievement. Suarez had a similar scoring rate (not in total, played less games) despite not taking a penalty and was 2nd only to Gerrard in the league for assists and there's his general involvement in build up play and the defensive side. He was also playing for the then 7th placed side in England, not a juggernaut like Real or Barca. There was so much rubbish about his scoring against big sides as people seemed to miss the fact that he was still huge in those games either assisting or just being a menace in general.

While I like for Suarez to be remembered for his ridiculous season; I'm not sure I disagree with Fifa's choice. He made his bed, he has to lay in it now.

But there are a few names there for me who don't deserve to be there and one glaring miss for me (Stevie G ). On the coaches, I think Rodgers did an incredible job too.

 

[Eds]

Does anyone know if the Balon D'Or bracket is 2014 games only, or from the moment voting was done in 2013? Given the votes are done in November (I think?), do December performances just never, ever count, or do they carry over to the next year?

If they carried over, it'd be almost impossible to exclude him IMO. Scored 10 league goals in three weeks in that time and then had a strong second half of the season. I'd include him regardless though tbf.

 

[GIMH]

Under no circumstances was Suarez not the best player in the Prem last season full stop, nevermind position.

 

[Uppercut]

In any case, Aguero's excluded too. A lot of the voters probably didn't watch much of the Premiership, which is fair enough. Only Toure and Hazard got in- Toure because of the African vote, and Hazard because he's randomly enormously overrated for some reason- maybe because he has so much potential.

 

[Furball]

A complete lack of Premiership players is fair enough considering how poorly English clubs did in Europe and how little impact Premier League players had on the World Cup.

 

[Ikki]

Well, thank **** for that. Avoided extra time. Balotelli comes on to level the score and Lovren finishes it off.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Proud, gave Chelsea a fright but promotion is more important than a giantkilling. Just hope we can keep hold of Woods.

 

[Nate]

That cross from Borini was sublime.

 

[Uppercut]

Coming on as a sub suits Balo so much better. Was always by far his most effective role at Citeh.

 

[Eds]

Does anyone know if the Balon D'Or bracket is 2014 games only, or from the moment voting was done in 2013? Given the votes are done in November (I think?), do December performances just never, ever count, or do they carry over to the next year?

If they carried over, it'd be almost impossible to exclude him IMO. Scored 10 league goals in three weeks in that time and then had a strong second half of the season. I'd include him regardless though tbf.

So his December performances count, but he's excluded presumably because of the bite.

 

[MW1304]

Well that was unexpected.

 

[cpr]

Managed to catch most of the City game tonight, which is more than the City players - they were woeful. Of course that means they will **** us come Sunday.

 

[Uppercut]

Silva being injured would be a big plus though.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

We're trash. No movement at all.

 

[GIMH]

Well that was unexpected.

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you love Ryan Taylor

 

[MW1304]

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you love Ryan Taylor

On a scale of 1-Ryan Taylor I love him Ryan Taylor.