Official Football Thread

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

Hargreaves? I'm just waiting for the next press release from United stating "Hargreaves will return in a month or so". Starting to get used to those by now. Poor man, he was great during 2007/2008 and contributed greatly to the success of that season. During the next season ... only 8 games, of which 6 where for England.

He would certainly be a valuable player for United in the league run-in this season, and useful for England as well.

 

[national acrobat]

Hargreaves is (/was?) a fantastic player, I really hope he makes it to the World Cup. As for Michael Owen, unless injured I think he should be in the squad but he seems to be about 8/9th choice amazingly. But he showed in the Cup final last week that given a chance he puts the ball away, and that's exactly what you might need from a sub in the 80th minute of a semi final. Seriously, what is Carlton Cole going to do?

 

[Forostar]

I never was a fan of Hargreaves. He scored 12 goals in 249 matches. That's not much, also not for a midfielder.

 

[Albie]

As for Michael Owen, unless injured I think he should be in the squad but he seems to be about 8/9th choice amazingly. But he showed in the Cup final last week that given a chance he puts the ball away, and that's exactly what you might need from a sub in the 80th minute of a semi final.

My thoughts as well.

Seriously, what is Carlton Cole going to do?

Crouch has to be the better option here - or should he start? No doubting up front for England it has to be Rooney and....., but who should that be?

I never was a fan of Hargreaves. He scored 12 goals in 249 matches. That's not much, also not for a midfielder.

I'm more into Hargreaves' ball wining ability in midfield than scoring, and for that he should be in the squad for 2010 - fitness and form permitting.

 

[Forostar]

Sounds fair enough Albie. Such players are indeed very important. At the present, we have one player like that in the Dutch squad, called Mark van Bommel.

 

[Robbiedbee]

Van Bommel! I remember watching him in person once, and he is the sort of player who the TV doesn't do justice. His work off the ball is awesome.

 

[national acrobat]

Van Bommel almost decapitated Messi in the Champions League last season. I guess even Total Football needs its workhorses.

Crouch has to be the better option here - or should he start? No doubting up front for England it has to be Rooney and....., but who should that be?

I'd have Crouch over Heskey, but as Rooney now seems to be playing as a main striker for Manchester U, rather than behind a target man, maybe Gerrard could be moved to that position, which would also let us have a proper left-winger.

 

[Yax]

Random note: We're closing 100 000 views in here. 

 

[national acrobat]

Football's more popular than Jesus (he doesn't have a thread you see).

Question for Wingman: if the local team you support in Norway met Man U in the Champions League say (I don't know if they're top-flight side or what) whom would you support in that match?

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

Question for Wingman: if the local team you support in Norway met Man U in the Champions League say (I don't know if they're top-flight side or what) whom would you support in that match?

My local team, Fredrikstad. No question. United is number 2. But I've grown up watching them both and it would be a tough experience.

As for the question in parenthesis - this season, they're not a top flight team, but has been so for the last 6 years.

A bit of history:

Fredrikstad FK was actually the last team in Norwegian league football to be relegated from the top flight, in 1973. Before that happened, they'd won the league 9 times, between 1936 and 1961, and is to this date tne team with second most league titles in Norway. They've also won the Norwegian Cup 11 times, last in 2006 (I attended that final, what a day!). Between 1984 and 2004, they were outside the top flight, and returned after two consecutive promotions in 2002 and 2003. A couple of narrow escapes in 2004 and 2005 before steady improvement - the team finished 10th, 8th and 2nd in the three seasons that followed. However, in 2009, everything went wrong and the season ended in relegation. The worst part of this was the way it happened.

In recent years, the bottom two in the Norwegian Premier League are relegated to Division One. Number three from the bottom usually plays a play-off against number 3 in Div. One. Last season, this was altered so that the play-off consisted of number three from the bottom of the NPL, as well as number 3, 4 and 5 in division one. The top flight team (Fredrikstad) played at home against number five in Div. One, and number three played at home against number four. The winners of these two games would then meet home and away. Only the winner of this play-off plays in the top flight this season.

To make a long story short: Fredrikstad FK wasted plenty of chances to score in the first play-off match, and lost 2-0. Against our fiercest rivals, Sarpsborg. Fortunately, Sarpsborg lost the two-legged play-off and were not promoted, so we have a chance to set the record straight this season.

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

Manchester United - AC Milan 4-0 (aggregate: 7-2)

Finally, the demon has been driven out. Manchester United have knocked AC Milan out of the Champions League for the first time, and in a way which more than outweighs the 3-0 defeat three years ago. I will point out three things I see as the main reasons for that:

• Wayne Rooney has been very, very efficient. He's been the dominant player in the two games against the Rossoneri and scored no less than 4 goals. If he continues this form, England may also do really well in South Africa this summer.
• Milan wasted their opportunities in the first half of their home game. Had they put away one or two goals then, they would've been able to come to Old Trafford with a lead to defend. I think they looked resigned after Rooney made it 1-0 at Old Trafford
• Milan lacked in both ends of the pitch yesterday. In attack, Pato was out and that took away one weapon that could have been dangerous - extreme pace. They also missed Nesta at the back, which proved costly when Rooney made it 1-0.

I swear I saw a tear in Beckham's eye when the Stretford End was chanting "One David Beckham, there's only one David Beckham" after he came on. That was a great moment.

Real Madrid - Lyon 1-1 (aggregate 1-2)

I didn't watch this game, but I saw the highlights afterwards. Two fine goals and, in my opinion, a very fine result. Nice to see some surprises. (Or could it really be seen as a surprise? Real Madrid haven't gone through from the round of 16 in a few years now!)

 

[Albie]

• Milan wasted their opportunities in the first half of their home game. Had they put away one or two goals then, they would've been able to come to Old Trafford with a lead to defend. I think they looked resigned after Rooney made it 1-0 at Old Trafford

Just another example of how it's balls in the back of the net that counts. if you can't score, you don't deserve to win.

And players like Ronaldinho really annoy me, why camp yourself in the opponents half when you loose the ball - they should be tracking back to win the ball back that they lost. Ronaldo was like that as well.

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

What really annoyed me with Ronaldinho yesterday was when he nearly butchered Valencia in the second half, and then had the guts to stand there laughing and smiling as if nothing had happened. I usually like the fellow, but yesterday I wished I was there to punch him in the face 

I assume you're talking about the Portuguese Ronaldo, not the Brazilian one, and yes - I agree. It was an annoying habit as long as he played for United. Whenever he lost the ball, he'd far too often stop and be grumpy. A certain United striker and former Evertonian shows how one should act when one loses the ball.

 

[Back in the Village]

Will Ronaldo now be cursing his move to Real Madrid or will his massive wages be enough to offset the early exit from the CL again? It goes to show that simply throwing £250 million plus at a team doesnt necessarily get you success.

 

[Forostar]

if you can't score, you don't deserve to win.

Seriously, I can imagine that sometimes a club deserves to win, even if the club didn't score. Not particularly Milan yesterday, but it happens sometimes.

Will Ronaldo now be cursing his move to Real Madrid or will his massive wages be enough to offset the early exit from the CL again? It goes to show that simply throwing £250 million plus at a team doesnt necessarily get you success.

Real Madrid is officially no top club anymore. In the last six(!) editions they didn't make it to the last eight.
They're looking forward to a final with Barca in their town, bhahahaha.

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

Will Ronaldo now be cursing his move to Real Madrid or will his massive wages be enough to offset the early exit from the CL again? It goes to show that simply throwing £250 million plus at a team doesnt necessarily get you success.

I doubt he'll curse it. For youngsters from Portugal and much of Spain, playing for Real Madrid is the big dream and he always was open about his desire to once play there. Still, the way the majority of fans at Old Trafford supported him will surely have made a lasting impression. That's a difference between Real Madrid fans and many others - they'll easily turn against you if you don't perform up to their expectations. Surely succeeding at Real Madrid would be a huge thing for Ronaldo, but if the team doesn't succeed he will, like the others, suffer the wrath of the Bernabeu. The only one in today's squad who is safe is Raúl.

 

[national acrobat]

ROOOOO-NEEEEY!! A couple more very good goals from him.

Real Madrid is an exercise in how not to run a football club. Barca splash the cash a bit as well, but their team in the Champions League final had something like 6 home-grown players (including four Catalans). In general I'd be in favour of some such quota being introduced - to help the English national side if nothing else.

Wingman, interesting about your team in Norway, they seem to be a real yo-yo club. It makes me yearn for the days when anyone could win the league in England (rather than one of two teams any given year).

And another thing....the Champions League is such bollocks when you can compete in it having finished fourth in the domestic league. They should make it purely for the champions and in turn make the UEFA Cup more competitive and interesting.

 

[Albie]

And another thing....the Champions League is such bollocks when you can compete in it having finished fourth in the domestic league. They should make it purely for the champions and in turn make the UEFA Cup more competitive and interesting.

I sort of agree. By changing the format whereby some leagues get 4 teams in the Champions League has totally devalued the UEFA cup (Millwall competed in this cup a few years back), but on the other hand it's made the Champions League a better competition (in my view) by having the very best teams in Europe compete for one trophy. Perhaps UEFA should change the name back to European Cup.

And Rooneys form is hitting a peak at the right time.

 

[national acrobat]

I sort of agree. By changing the format whereby some leagues get 4 teams in the Champions League has totally devalued the UEFA cup (Millwall competed in this cup a few years back), but on the other hand it's made the Champions League a better competition (in my view) by having the very best teams in Europe compete for one trophy. Perhaps UEFA should change the name back to European Cup.

The Champions (sic) League doesn't really get exciting IMO until the Quarter Finals though, and surely the point of it isn't to see Liverpool vs. Chelsea in the semi-finals every other season.

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

Wingman, interesting about your team in Norway, they seem to be a real yo-yo club. It makes me yearn for the days when anyone could win the league in England (rather than one of two teams any given year).

Norwegian league football has plenty of yo-yo teams. In fact, over the last 10 years we've seen newly promoted teams qualify for Europe a shitload of times. One year, newly promoted IK Start, from Kristiansand, were fighting Vålerenga, from Oslo, for the league title. They lost it in the last match of the season, where they lost 1-3 at home - to Fredrikstad FK. (We also snubbed them of promotion two years earlier, and when we won the cup in 2006, it was Start we beat in the semi-final. In extra time. And in 2007, our defeat on the last day of the league combined with Start's defeat the same day, led to their relegation).

Stabæk, who won the league in 2008, were relegated in 2004, went straight back in 2005 and then finished 5th, 2nd and 1st.

Molde, who finished second last year (behind Rosenborg), were a Division One team as recently as 2007.

So yes, plenty of ups and downs in Norwegian football. The only thing that was certain, was that Rosenborg would win. That is, until 2004. Over the last 5 seasons, they've only won twice (in 2006 and 2009) - and finished 5th in the other seasons.

I also agree about the Champions League. Either they should change its name, or restrict it to champions. (Yes, I'm bloody well aware of the fact that United wouldn't have won it in 1999 if winning the league was a criterion for participating  )

Still, I kind of like the format of the competition, except I think there's too much money in it. It becomes too much of an economical advantage for those who qualify, compared to the teams from the same league who don't. It's become too much of a cash machine.

I'd also like more random draws, maybe with the only restriction being that teams from the same league should not play in the same group. That would increase the probability of having some surprise teams in the round of 16 and could make for some fascinating groups. Imagine a group consisting of Real Madrid, AC Milan, Bayern München and Chelsea? (That would also make sure we got rid of two of those despicable teams early   )