Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
Nobody plays 4-4-2 today anyway.
Official Football Thread
- Thread starter national acrobat
- Start date
Well England don't have a lot of options. Better play with 2 strikers and try to score a lot of goals to make up for the mediocre defence. 4-2-3-1 is my favorite formation btw.
Dr. Eddies Wingman
Brighter than thousand_suns
Hm. QPR are in the playoff final where they will fight Derby County for promotion to the Premier League. @national acrobat - any thoughts?
Good game, hope they get to EPL 
In other news, Rio Ferdinand confirmed he's leaving Manchester United. Searching for a new club though, I expected him to retire
In other news, Rio Ferdinand confirmed he's leaving Manchester United. Searching for a new club though, I expected him to retire
Januzaj's in, but not Nainggolan or Thorgan Hazard?
Also, it's a very very young team.
The Flash
Dennis Wilcock did 9/11
Not surprised at the exclusion of Thorgan Hazard, he doesn't play that much in the national team. They chose Divock Origi over Michy Batshuayi, interesting. Origi is 19, Batshuayi is 20, neither player is capped yet. Batshuayi had a great season at Standard Liege but the experience of playing at Lille probably did it for Origi.
The biggest surprise obviously is no Nainggolan. And they invited four goalkeepers. That's pretty stupid.
The biggest surprise obviously is no Nainggolan. And they invited four goalkeepers. That's pretty stupid.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
The Belgians have selected 24 players. One goalkeeper still has to disappear before (or on) June 2nd, the latest.
Today Van Gaal has selected 30 guys for the Netherlands (from a bigger group of which most have been training with him in the last week), so on that same date he needs to get rid of 7.
With the "shame red on my cheeks" I need to confess the following:
From Ajax (Dutch champions this season), Van Gaal selected also only two(!) players. Quite remarkable I thought, but at the same time I realize that many players are in foreign leagues and other clubs in the Dutch league, e.g. Feyenoord (seven players!) and PSV (four players) have also some very strong players.
Here goes, 30 players, with only 8 players from the last World Cup (in bold):
Goal: Cillessen (Ajax), Vorm (Swansea), Krul (Newcastle United), Zoet (PSV)
Defense: v. Aanholt (Vitesse), Blind (Ajax), Janmaat, Kongolo, Martins Indi, De Vrij (Feyenoord), Rekik (PSV), Veltman (Ajax), Verhaegh (FC Augsburg), Vlaar (Aston Villa)
Midfield: Clasie, Vilhena (Feyenoord), De Guzman (Swansea City), Fer (Norwich), De Jong (Milan), Sneijder (Galatasaray), Van der Vaart (HSV), Wijnaldum (PSV)
Attack: Depay (PSV), Huntelaar (Schalke), Kuijt (Fenerbahçe), Lens (Dinamo Kiev), Van Persie (Man United), Promes (Twente), Robben (Bayern), Boëtius (Feyenoord)
EDIT:
Holland will indeed play with 5 defenders. According to Van Gaal (always a big fan of 4-3-3) he had to do this because:
- he thinks this system will fit the best to these players
- omission Kevin Strootman
- he lacks a strong left back
Today Van Gaal has selected 30 guys for the Netherlands (from a bigger group of which most have been training with him in the last week), so on that same date he needs to get rid of 7.
With the "shame red on my cheeks" I need to confess the following:
From Ajax (Dutch champions this season), Van Gaal selected also only two(!) players. Quite remarkable I thought, but at the same time I realize that many players are in foreign leagues and other clubs in the Dutch league, e.g. Feyenoord (seven players!) and PSV (four players) have also some very strong players.
Here goes, 30 players, with only 8 players from the last World Cup (in bold):
Goal: Cillessen (Ajax), Vorm (Swansea), Krul (Newcastle United), Zoet (PSV)
Defense: v. Aanholt (Vitesse), Blind (Ajax), Janmaat, Kongolo, Martins Indi, De Vrij (Feyenoord), Rekik (PSV), Veltman (Ajax), Verhaegh (FC Augsburg), Vlaar (Aston Villa)
Midfield: Clasie, Vilhena (Feyenoord), De Guzman (Swansea City), Fer (Norwich), De Jong (Milan), Sneijder (Galatasaray), Van der Vaart (HSV), Wijnaldum (PSV)
Attack: Depay (PSV), Huntelaar (Schalke), Kuijt (Fenerbahçe), Lens (Dinamo Kiev), Van Persie (Man United), Promes (Twente), Robben (Bayern), Boëtius (Feyenoord)
EDIT:
Holland will indeed play with 5 defenders. According to Van Gaal (always a big fan of 4-3-3) he had to do this because:
- he thinks this system will fit the best to these players
- omission Kevin Strootman
- he lacks a strong left back
Last edited:
Nasri not called up for France
El Shaarawy not called up for Italy
I know he didn't play much because he was injured, but he got back during the weekend, and was by far the best player on the field. Plus Italy don't have a true left winger. Yet this hack Prandelli invited that shameless piece of shit Cassano 
El Shaarawy not called up for Italy
I know he didn't play much because he was injured, but he got back during the weekend, and was by far the best player on the field. Plus Italy don't have a true left winger. Yet this hack Prandelli invited that shameless piece of shit Cassano
Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
El Shaarawy is Italian?
That was a lame way for the UEFA Cup final to end. It was a good match but neither team managed to take any of their chances. I'm not knocking penalty shoot-outs but tonight's match had a really unsatisfactory ending.
That was a lame way for the UEFA Cup final to end. It was a good match but neither team managed to take any of their chances. I'm not knocking penalty shoot-outs but tonight's match had a really unsatisfactory ending.
Yeah, his father is Egyptian, hence the last name. But he was born in Italy and plays for Italy.
BlastBeast
Prowler
Tomorrow the big day for my beloved club RC Lens
They are in french 2nd division, after 2 very poor seasons, they have been on the podium (accession is for the first 3 team) on 32 occasions on 37.
They are 3rd with 2 points lead on Nancy with 6 goals more on goal difference.
Lens plays tomorrow at Bastia (last of the division, 4W, 12D, 21D, 21 goals scored, 61 goals against), we need 1 point.
Nancy plays at Auxerre, Nancy needs to win, Auxerre needs to win to save his spot in the division.
I'm extremely stressed since Lens is playing very poorly at the moment as they feel a lot of pressure. They lost the last game home (when a draw would have given us a spot in 1st division) because of the huge pressure on their shoulders. Tomorrow we play in Bastia, who are one of the worst professional teams ever to play in 2nd division, WE NEED A DRAW.
I don't give a f**k about world cup, I just want my team to play in top-flight again.
They are in french 2nd division, after 2 very poor seasons, they have been on the podium (accession is for the first 3 team) on 32 occasions on 37.
They are 3rd with 2 points lead on Nancy with 6 goals more on goal difference.
Lens plays tomorrow at Bastia (last of the division, 4W, 12D, 21D, 21 goals scored, 61 goals against), we need 1 point.
Nancy plays at Auxerre, Nancy needs to win, Auxerre needs to win to save his spot in the division.
I'm extremely stressed since Lens is playing very poorly at the moment as they feel a lot of pressure. They lost the last game home (when a draw would have given us a spot in 1st division) because of the huge pressure on their shoulders. Tomorrow we play in Bastia, who are one of the worst professional teams ever to play in 2nd division, WE NEED A DRAW.
I don't give a f**k about world cup, I just want my team to play in top-flight again.
Ariana
Black-and-white leopard
Local team supporter, so much unlike all the glory-hunting big team supporters. You're now @Black Wizard 's best friend.
Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
I'm sure he'll switch his allegiances to PSG sometime soon. 
BlastBeast
Prowler
LOL
F**k no
Lens is not a small club. Big stadium (40.000 seats app), France champion 98, League Cup 99, victories against Arsenal at Wembley in 99, UEFA semi-final 2000 (lost against Arsenal this time)...
We had a terrible 2007/2008 that saw us being relegated to everyone's surprise and throw us in deep financial troubles.
If we promote now, all our troubles are away (financial stability with new investers, brilliant youngsters, good mentality for once...)
F**k no
Lens is not a small club. Big stadium (40.000 seats app), France champion 98, League Cup 99, victories against Arsenal at Wembley in 99, UEFA semi-final 2000 (lost against Arsenal this time)...
We had a terrible 2007/2008 that saw us being relegated to everyone's surprise and throw us in deep financial troubles.
If we promote now, all our troubles are away (financial stability with new investers, brilliant youngsters, good mentality for once...)
BlastBeast
Prowler
Oh my, he did not play long for us. He joined 1 year after we got promoted in 91 if I remember correctly. Left after 3 months.
Scored 1 goal and sent an insane bicycle kick on the past in one of his last match against Bordeaux.
A famous name in the long list of famous flops we had with Victor Piturca, Radek Bejbl, Dejan Milovanovic, Vedran Runje, Nenad Grozdic, Esteban Fuertes...
Scored 1 goal and sent an insane bicycle kick on the past in one of his last match against Bordeaux.
A famous name in the long list of famous flops we had with Victor Piturca, Radek Bejbl, Dejan Milovanovic, Vedran Runje, Nenad Grozdic, Esteban Fuertes...
