*Official* English Football Season 2014-15

[GIMH]

We've been through nightmares at Rangers because our board has spunked, and continues to spunk, obscene amounts of cash on rubbish. I'm not buying that supporters shouldn't give a **** because if the directors and manager aren't held accountable then you run the risk of not having a team to support.

Nah tbf yesterday when I first made that point I did say 'if you're not in danger of doing a Leeds'

 

[Ikki]

6m loan fee and 365k pw. So as the Telegraph points out it works out as ****ing **** tons.

It was this reason that we reportedly pulled out. He wanted the same money he was getting at Monaco, tax considered. If it doesn't work, or become permanent, the deal will look really silly.

I can't believe how difficult some people here think it is to score a penalty. All you have to do is get it on target and you're already at well over 50% chance of scoring. Your keeper could probably take them and you'd only miss out on 1/2 goals a season because of it.

It's like bringing in a fly-half who scores a vast amount of his points from penalties and conversions and expecting him to score you a shedload of tries just because he has loads of points. Ain't happening.

Most of the stats sites now consider non-penalty goals per 90 as a good comparison between forwards. If you want to know how much a forward is going to add to your goals, it's probably best not to really consider penalties as the forward in question might not even take them at their new club. It's not like free-kicks or other goals coming from set-pieces as they're hardly a given.

 

[GIMH]

And that's not what I'm saying either.

My point is that penalties have an 80% conversion rate. This is far, far, *far* more than any other shot anywhere else on the pitch. Why should they be included in the standard goal tally when they take much less skill and are much easier to do?

I'm more than happy to see different players' have their penalty taking skills compared but just lumping them in with standard goals is unfair on those players who don't take them.

Again ridiculous stat for all the reasons I outlined already.

There's nothing unfair about it. There's two basic reasons why a player might not take pens. One would be there's someone better at it, and the second would be that you're no good at it.

I'm pretty much done with this debate because
A - we're going round in circles
B - it's getting boring
C - I'm not going to change anyone's mind and vice versa

Apologies to Cabinet and Eds if I was over-aggressive in arguing it

Marcuss la, kiss my plazzie scouse arse

 

[Pothas]

As a Brentford fan I can confirm that it would be really ****ing nice if we could have someone that could take a penalty.

Why has this Falcao thing become all about penalties? Lots of good players get a lot of goals from penalties.

Unless he has got an awful lot worse in the last year then he is one of the best striker around, I can never remember this being up for dispute.

 

[cpr]

Nah, I'm not done with the argument. A player like Falcao is brought into score goals. Be they from 40 yards or 40 cm, they all count the same. A penalty is the product of a team bringing the ball into the box and getting it into a dangerous area (too dangerous for the defender maybe?), just like every other chance - a team wins a penalty no easier than they win every other shot in the box (unless you've got Ashley Young)

And just like every other chance, there's a person who's job it is to be on the end of it. Falcao's job will be to be on the end of these chances.

So 80% of pens are scored, I bet 80% of shots from inside the 6 yard box are scored too. Why any difference between the two when they've both come from a really threatening attack? Van Nistelrooy was considered an exceptional striker for us, yet 12 yards was considered a screamer for him!

If Falcao is this amazing penalty taker like implied, great, because I just don't feel confident when Rooney steps up

 

[Jarquis]

Rooney is statistically one of the worst in the Prem ever so you've got a point there tbf.

 

[Cabinet96]

Nah, I'm not done with the argument. A player like Falcao is brought into score goals. Be they from 40 yards or 40 cm, they all count the same. A penalty is the product of a team bringing the ball into the box and getting it into a dangerous area (too dangerous for the defender maybe?), just like every other chance - a team wins a penalty no easier than they win every other shot in the box (unless you've got Ashley Young)

And just like every other chance, there's a person who's job it is to be on the end of it. Falcao's job will be to be on the end of these chances.

So 80% of pens are scored, I bet 80% of shots from inside the 6 yard box are scored too. Why any difference between the two when they've both come from a really threatening attack? Van Nistelrooy was considered an exceptional striker for us, yet 12 yards was considered a screamer for him!

If Falcao is this amazing penalty taker like implied, great, because I just don't feel confident when Rooney steps up

This isn't the case because with penalties there's no defenders and it's literally the best spot on the pitch to take a shot from given it's in line with the middle of the goal and isn't close enough for the keeper to be able to shut down the angles. I don't know the exact details, but a lot of shots are blocked. Probably about 30-40% probably. And with tap ins there's other skills required such as positioning and reading of the game to get in the right position at the right time.

The reason it's more of a debate with Falcao is because he gets a higher proportion of his goals from penalties than almost any other high profile big goal scorer bar Baloteli. And I don't think he's renowned as an incredible penalty taker, though he's obviously good, he just gets to take more.

But if the argument is done then fine, this is the last I'll say on the matter.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I take it we all saw the poor bloke at Everton getting tickled in the face with a dildo on SSN just now?

 

[GIMH]

Pretty sure the goal line with an open goal is literally the easiest place the shoot from tbh

 

[Ikki]

So 80% of pens are scored, I bet 80% of shots from inside the 6 yard box are scored too. Why any difference between the two when they've both come from a really threatening attack? Van Nistelrooy was considered an exceptional striker for us, yet 12 yards was considered a screamer for him!

If Falcao is this amazing penalty taker like implied, great, because I just don't feel confident when Rooney steps up

Because a shot that is taken inside the 6 yard box is still subject to defenders challenging the forward, the keeper being able to come off his line, and with the striker having to time his shot well. Also, the player in question also had to anticipate the play and position himself well.

This really is a silly discussion, it's obvious why penalties for comparisons sake are removed.

EDIT: er, Cabinet beat me to it.

 

[Eds]

So 80% of pens are scored, I bet 80% of shots from inside the 6 yard box are scored too. Why any difference between the two when they've both come from a really threatening attack? Van Nistelrooy was considered an exceptional striker for us, yet 12 yards was considered a screamer for him!

So, no, even that is half as likely to be a goal.

 

[Furball]

Man Utd seem to be playing FUT with their signings.

 

[Furball]

Also, cannot wait for know nothing morons like Paul Merson and Jamie Redknapp to lambast Wenger for not going out and signing a striker whilst giving precisely zero examples of players who were a) available, b) value and c) an improvement on what's already at the club.

 

[GIMH]

Also, cannot wait for know nothing morons like Paul Merson and Jamie Redknapp to lambast Wenger for not going out and signing a striker whilst giving precisely zero examples of players who were a) available, b) value and c) an improvement on what's already at the club.

Not defending the likes of them but surely a club like Arsenal should be able to find a striker better than what they've currently got

 

[Jarquis]

Not even looking at Morata earlier in the window was a questionable decision tbh

 

[Eds]

Looks like Danny Welbeck for £16m is the go for Arsenal.

 

[Furball]

Not defending the likes of them but surely a club like Arsenal should be able to find a striker better than what they've currently got

Name some, bearing in mind the criteria laid out above.

 

[Cabinet96]

Also, cannot wait for know nothing morons like Paul Merson and Jamie Redknapp to lambast Wenger for not going out and signing a striker whilst giving precisely zero examples of players who were a) available, b) value and c) an improvement on what's already at the club.

Nah, jog on. This was fair January last year, but this year definitely not.

Name some, bearing in mind the criteria laid out above.

Diego Costa, Mario Mandzukic, Alvaro Morata, Adrian Ramos, Ciro Immobile, Jackson Martinez, Karim Benzama, Gonzalo Higuian, Cerci, Destro, etc.

Obviously it's highly debatable how many of them were 'available' but most of those did move this window and we could've at least enquired. Then when you go to post Giroud injury the likes of Remy definitely should've been in mind.

And as GIMH said, Arsenal are meant to have world class scouts and people to find these guys. I don't really know about people not playing in England, Spain or Germany.

 

[GIMH]

Name some, bearing in mind the criteria laid out above.

My point is that Wenger and the scouting network should be able to find someone better than Giroud not that I have anyone in particular in mind

 

[GIMH]

Looks like Danny Welbeck for £16m is the go for Arsenal.

Thought they had come out and denied it?