2011-12 Football Season Thread.

[tartanterrier]

That's funny as fuck....Nice one :1orglaugh

 

[Slaughtersun]

Wien ist komplett...antiviolett!!!

 

[Johan]

Tonight (8.00pm local time, 7.00pm GMT, 2.00pm Eastern USA time)

Who's gonna watch it ?
I do, VISCA BARCA !

 

[Henrik Larsson]

Disappointing first half so far, this really isn't Barca's season and I'm surprised they pulled it back to 4 points. They have been disappointing in the last two games Imo, as they didn't take their chances midweek and haven't really created any so far today.

As Barcelona are my second favourite team, I hope for a better secong half

 

[Johan]

Final score : FC Barcelone 1-2 Real Madrid
Seems like nothing can't stop Real from being Champion. Let's hope Barcelone will won the Champion's League...

Indeed, this is not Barça's years.
Xavi is getting old, he can't run all over the pitch fro 90' every 3 days anymore
Villa is making a very bad season
Piqué is "distracted" by Shakira
Cesc is no as good as he was in Arsenal
Abidal has kidney cancer

To me, Guardiola should hire more players in his team, not always playing with the same guys, they just can't play every games of the season, they have to rest sometimes.

 

[Smallville22]

This time Cristiano Ronaldo and Mourinho won the clash against Lionel Messi and Guardiola.

 

[Henrik Larsson]

There is a great match on just now. Real Madrid 2-1 Bayern Munich

Two penalties have been given, both teams are set up to attack. It's so end to end, I expect more goals
It's amzzing how much better football games are, when both teams set up to attack, instead of playing anti football and putting 10 men on the edge of the box

Almost 2-2 there. This game is great, and some of the passes have been incredible, inch perfect almost every time

 

[Henrik Larsson]

Wow, I did not see this coming. A quite incredible game and an incredible shootout.

Champions league final- Bayern Munich vs Chelsea

Not the final I would have hoped for, but I hope Bayern go out and win it now, since I hate Chelsea. Not to mention, they could take Tottenham or Newcastle out of the Champions league if they win it

 

[Henrik Larsson]

Double post

 

[Johan]

When the comptetition started, everyone thought the final was gonna be Barcelona FC VS Real Madrid.
With the draw for the 1/4 fand 1/2 finals, it seemed that it was gonna happen.
Finally both team were eliminated. Bayern Munchen beated Real Madrid and FC Barcelona couldn't take over Chelsea. So the Final will be Chelsea VS Bayern. In Munchen (the city in wich the final would be was choosen something like 2 years ago).

This is one of the things I like about Soccer : Fighting with their own assets, weaker teams can beat stronger ones.

 

[nightwanker]

I enjoy Chelsea and Bayern playing the final.
Real and Barca, the dominating teams of this La Liga season again, out versus Bundesliga runner-up Bayern and Premier Leagues sixth Chelsea.

No offense with Spanish football, but I don't like how it's always like La Liga rules the world. Especially compared to Bundesliga.
Madrid and Barcelona put their pants on the same way as you.

 

[STDiva]

So RM scores 2, Bayern scores 1 but it goes to penalty kicks?

 

[Johan]

So RM scores 2, Bayern scores 1 but it goes to penalty kicks?

Champion's League play-off stages (1/8, 1/4, 1/2) have 2 games each, so that each team play both Home and Away.
Bayern had won 2-1 in Munchen. Real won 2-1 in Madrid so it was a draw. So extra-time was played. No goals were scored during extra-time so it went to penalty kicks.

Every years, Champion's League final is played throught 1 game set in a city choosen 2 years before. Luckily for Bayern, Munchen had been choosen for this year.

 

[The~Lone~Ranger]

Great game that last night. I like a penalty shootout, when I support neither team.

Bayern v Chelsea, the unexpected final. Teamwork triumphs against individual superstars.

 

[Buggster]

Well surprise surprise... looks like Bayern will get the title in it's Home-Stadium.

 

[Johan]

Great game that last night. I like a penalty shootout, when I support neither team.

Bayern v Chelsea, the unexpected final. Teamwork triumphs against individual superstars.

Not exactly...
You can't say Barcelona is all about individual superstars. Barcelona is the perfect example of superstars melting in one superteam. Barcelona lost because it's always the same guys playing every games so they got tired. Guardiola needs to recruit some good players to improve the bench and do morte turn-over among his players. A guy like Xavi is 32. He can't play every minute of every game. Same goes for Puyol (34).

You ca't say Bayern is all about team work, they have some superstars such as Ribery, Robben, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Neuer...

 

[The~Lone~Ranger]

Not exactly...
You can't say Barcelona is all about individual superstars. Barcelona is the perfect example of superstars melting in one superteam. Barcelona lost because it's always the same guys playing every games so they got tired. Guardiola needs to recruit some good players to improve the bench and do morte turn-over among his players. A guy like Xavi is 32. He can't play every minute of every game. Same goes for Puyol (34).

You ca't say Bayern is all about team work, they have some superstars such as Ribery, Robben, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Neuer...

Ribery, Robben, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Neuer...

Good players but not quite the superstars of Real and Barcelona like Kaka, Messi and twinkletoes Ronaldo. Robben is a Madrid reject. Jerome Boateng a Man City reject. Barcelona choked at home 1-0 up, Terry sent off, 2-0 up before half time and Messi hit the bar on a penalty. Not very good teamwork overall to throw that one away to 2-2 against ten men for more than half the game.

Real madrid 2-0 up, 3-2 ahead on agg. All they had to do was defend and keep a clean sheet or score another at home. The Spaniards also choked when the pressure was on in penalties. Superstars Ronaldo and Kaka missed and Sergio Ramos booted it way over.

On paper Barcelona and Real had much better overall quality than Chelsea and Bayern, but organisation and grit won on both days IMO.

 

[Johan]

What now for Guardiola? Barca coach thought to be quitting

Speculation is rife that FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola will quit the Catalan club this Friday. The 41-year old has been at the helm of the club since the summer of 2008 and since then has won 13 trophies and the praise the world over for his team’s free-scoring playing style.

But Barca’s supremacy has been shattered within the space of four days since losing a crucial league match against fierce Spanish rivals Real Madrid last Saturday and then being sent crashing out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage by 10-man Chelsea on Tuesday. Both losses took place at Barca’s home stadium, the Nou Camp.

On Thursday Guardiola met with club president Sandro Rosell, who has said he is keen to keep his coach. It is widely expected though that Barcelona-born Guardiola will leave.

The AFP news agency quotes what it calls an anonymous “source close to the team” as saying “Everything points to the coach possibly making a statement on his future on Friday.”

Last April he told Italian media: “I feel good here but I believe my time at Barcelona is ending. I’ve already done three years, one more will be four years. And in four years a big club needs a lot of courage to keep the same coach. Everyone should know when it’s the right time to go, as I always heard when I was a player.”

What next?

In his time as coach of Barca, Guardiola has won the Champions League twice, three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, three Supercopas, two Uefa Super Cups and two Fifa Club World Cups. Such a record would make him the most sought-after manager in football if he confirms the rumours that he is leaving Barcelona after a glittering career as a player and coach.

The most widely-held belief among pundits is that Guardiola will take a year out of management, such has been his close career attachment to Barca. But there are several clubs with plenty of financial clout to tempt him away from a sabbatical including Chelsea, whose current manager Roberto Di Matteo is currently in the post on a temporary basis. Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini may have to answer some tough questions from his extremely wealthy employers if he fails to deliver the Premier League trophy this season. The chances of Mancini winning the title will be all but dead if City do not win Monday’s derby with Manchester United, whose own boss Alex Ferguson is expected to retire within the next few years. All three English clubs, as well as many others in Europe and beyond, will be monitoring the situation closely.

http://www.euronews.com/2012/04/26/what-now-for-guardiola-barca-coach-thought-to-be-quitting/

 

[Johan]

It's done : Pep announced he will quit Barça at the end of the season.

Vilanova follows Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that he will leave Barcelona at the end of the season. His assistant, Tito Vilanova, has been appointed as his successor.

Guardiola has enjoyed great success at the Camp Nou since he was promoted in the summer of 2008 from his role in charge of the Barcelona B side. Under his leadership, Barca won the league title in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Champions League in 2009 and 2011 and the Copa del Rey in 2009.

However, he has been loath to make a long-term commitment to Barca, signing only one-year contract extensions amid fears of burnout in the face of the intense pressure the role attracts.

Following a week in which Barca suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Real Madrid - effectively ceding the title to their rivals - and then a 3-2 aggregate loss to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals, Guardiola told the board that he was not prepared to extend his contract. The players were informed of his decision during training on Friday morning and a formal announcement followed in a press conference attended by Guardiola and the squad.

President Sandro Rosell introduced the conference by saying: "We have called you today to announce that Pep Guardiola will not continue in charge of the team next season.

"Thank you, Pep, for all the happiness you have brought us and for bringing a model of football that can never be questioned. The thanks from everybody at Barcelona will be eternal for the best manager in the history of the club."

Guardiola, who apologised for the uncertainty over his future in recent months, said his exit was the best thing for all parties.

"I would like you to understand that this is not an easy decision for me, but I would like to explain my reasons for this decision," he said. "I have always wanted short-term contracts. Four years is an eternity as Barca coach.

"In the month of October I announced to the president and to the sporting director that I thought my spell was coming to an end. The main reason I have taken this decision is because four years is many years.

"I have given everything and I have nothing left and need to recharge my batteries. The demands have been great and I have not been able to rest much. I have to recover and the only way I can do that is by distancing myself. Otherwise, we would have ended up damaging each other.

"I know that I'm leaving the best place to work in. I am very satisfied with the result we have achieved. I have had the great privilege of coaching fantastic players. I want to thank them."

Guardiola also dismissed suggestions he could take another job this summer. "Sooner or later I'll take up another coaching job, but not right now," he said.

Following Guardiola's speech, it was announced that Vilanova will take charge of the first-team next season.

Rosell hailed Guardiola's contribution and backed Vilanova to continue Barca's success.

"Pep always takes the best decision for this club," Rosell said. "It was his decision and it's a personal one and an understandable one. We hope to follow the inheritance that Pep leaves us with the best we can. He has made us proud.

"Now we can confirm that Tito Vilanova will be our new coach. This was a decision taken by Andoni Zubizarreta and it has been ratified today by our executive committee.

"Tito and Andoni will now work on next season's planning and I am sure they will do a good job."

Barca have successfully promoted several players from the B team during the Guardiola reign, and sporting director Zubizarreta said the appointment of Vilanova was a continuation of that approach.

"Tito represents the philosophy of the club," Zubizarreta said. "We've always said that if the team needs players, we look at home first. Who do we have here at home? Tito.''

Guardiola believes Vilanova will prove a successful appointment.

"I think the club has taken the best decision possible," Guardiola said. "He is more than capable. The players know him. He will make few changes. He will give the club and these players something that I thought I could no longer give.

"I could have continued but it is not what Barca would have deserved."

 

[Henrik Larsson]

"Dignitae Timmy" Rangers fans seem to have the cheek to ask for dignity from celtic fans.
So their fans had a banner saying we had no respect and no dignity, but proceeded to wreck our stadium, sing hate filled songs, throw coins at people in my section, and then shamelessly copy our songs and chants cause they do not have a braincell between them

I know not all Rangers fans are such animals, and I feel sorry for those supporters. The ones who support the team without hating all celtic fans, calling them sectarian names and mocking child abuse.
But for the ones that are disgusting and vile human beings like the ones shown in the video, I can't wait for your club to die.
"We r the peepul", does that mean that they should be let off with everything. They will not be missed.

Edit: I heard a guy say that England hates Celtic and that the English leagues will accept Rangers by themselves. What was it they did to Manchester?. They're a really smart bunch. Uploading crimainal damage to youtube? Seriously?. Good job, Celtic will repair the stadium and Rangers will get the bill. They now own £135,040,000