2011-12 Football Season Thread.

[ace.venturer]

Arsenal are the only team to have qualified for the next round of the champions league. That's a big surprise to me.

I'll be very surprised if they all make it through but my money is on Real Madrid to win.

 

[Henrik Larsson]

Arsenal are the only team to have qualified for the next round of the champions league. That's a big surprise to me.

I'll be very surprised if they all make it through but my money is on Real Madrid to win.

Barcelona>Real Madrid

 

[Ulysses31]

Barcelona>Real Madrid

Barcelona are not doing well lately compared to Real Madrid, I saw them get beat by Getafe last night. Other than Messi, Real Madrid have always had the better players but they usually don't play well as a unit which is why Barcelona always dominate, under Mourinho that has changed and I think Barcelona could lose out this year as they can't match Real's spending power

 

[Henrik Larsson]

Barca are going through a bad spell at the moment but i think they will get back to their best. Barcelona will always be more of a team as long as Madrid hold onto Ronaldo. He is just too selfish for my liking. Mourinho is a great manager but watching the semi final of the campions league last season told me that his mind games and tactics are not always for the best. He set out to defend at home but Barcelona just pushed through them.

I think that the way Barcelona play is just too good for anyone else just now. The passing and movement of the players is phenomenal. Messi is obviously their best player. But players like Xavi, Iniesta and Fabregas really link the play together

 

[ace.venturer]

^ You could be right and on the other hand you could be wrong. I'm not sure to be honest but I do think the only difference between Barca and Madrid "this season" is Messi. If Madrid can contain him they can beat Barca. :2 cents:

 

[Henrik Larsson]

The way to deal with Messi is to put a man on him at all times.

I saw this in the world cup. When Argentina played a team in the world cup(I can't remember who it was) they put a man on Messi. Where the player would constantly stand in front of Messi. You could see he just didn't know what to do.

The weird thing about that though. I have seen Messi go round 8-9 players with ease. So why would one player bother him?

I think it was because the man marking him was always there, always just behind him, following him around. I think it was something new for him and he couldn't cope with it.

 

[ace.venturer]

^ Messi has been man marked b4 and it doesn't always work. It's an old school tactic that is not used much these days. Messi has never really shown his Barca brilliance when playing for his country. Strange but true.

On a side note, as someone who is old enough to have watched the greatest footballer of all time IMO diego maradona defeat England and the rest of the world, during the 1986 world cup, I believe Messi has to deliver the world cup for Argentina if he is to be crowned the greatest.

Maradona did not have as many world class players like Sergio Agüero (man city), Gonzalo Higuaín (madrid) Carlos Tevez (man city) Javier Zanetti (inter), Walter Samuel (inter) etc. to help him in 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994.

 

[Henrik Larsson]

Look at this for a goal, i couldn't get it in English but wow.
[video=youtube;Jysq_fmfNXU]http://www.youtube.com/Jysq_fmfNXU[/video]

Sure the defending isn't that great but for a young guy to run 80 yards and score needs confindence. HE tackles the striker, takes the ball and runs box to box. Well done, that will give him so much confidence. An amazing goal in only his second game as a pro

Dylan McGeouch is only 18, so for him to do that is amazing. Hope he becomes a great player
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan_McGeouch

 

[larss]

Nice goal BMH. Let's see if he can keep it up.

 

[tartanterrier]

It was only against St.Mirren though :1orglaugh Maybe Trappatoni will take him when
they play Spain,Croatia and Italy

 

[Ulysses31]

Former Manchester United prodigy Wallwork jailed for selling stolen sports car parts

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...d-selling-stolen-car-parts.html#ixzz1fhMvqW5l

 

[Henrik Larsson]

Man U Europa league bound. WOW

Last years runners up don't even make it to the last 16. The top two teams in the EPL are out
The headlines will write themselves

 

[Ulysses31]

Man U Europa league bound. WOW

Last years runners up don't even make it to the last 16. The top two teams in the EPL are out
The headlines will write themselves

Although I support Spurs I don't really hate any other English club but do like it when an underdog gets through, a lot of these bigger clubs are getting stale and complacent and I'm glad these smaller clubs with smaller squads and less money who have to work harder to take these big teams down get through , that's what football is all about

 

[YumiYumi_1988]

Bye bye Manchester United :1orglaugh

At least now they'll have a shot at winning a trophy......the Europa League :thefinger

 

[Henrik Larsson]

I'm happy barcelona won the El Clasico

I much prefer them to Madrid

FT Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona

 

[Smallville22]

The holders of Europa League, will win it again. So sorry, Manchester United and Manchaster City.

 

[YumiYumi_1988]

I'm happy barcelona won the El Clasico

I much prefer them to Madrid

FT Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona

Hellz yeah. Now let's see an upset in Udine.

 

[Smallville22]

Manchester City is out of Europa League, because the holders of the trophy are in their way.
But will be 2 good games.

 

[Henrik Larsson]

Please excuse me, i am just really happy right now. We have just one the biggest game in scottish football.

:sing:Can you hear the ranger sing, no, oh
Can you hear the rangers sing, no, oh:sing:

:sing:can you hear the rangers sing
I cannae hear a fucking thing:sing:

Only another supporter of the old firm could tell you this. BUt to win a celtic and rangers derby is one of the best feeling in the world. The hatred between the teams and fans is one of the biggest in world football.

This yahoo answer sums ut up pretty nicely.

Celtic fans are predominantly Catholic. Rangers fans are predominantly Protestant. Back in the late 1800's, the potato crops failed in Ireland, resulting in the deaths of millions of Irish men, women and children. This is more commonly known as the Potato Famine. As a result of this, many Irish people had to come over to Scotland and Celtic Football Club was formed by a Marist brother as a charity to help these people.

Many Protestants did not take kindly to this, as the Irish immigrants were taking more and more of the jobs over here, due to the fact they were willing to work the same hours for less money. This obviously benefited employers.

The main reason Celtic and Rangers fans hate each other is because of this and we have here in Glasgow, what is known as a sectarian divide. Celtic are the Catholic team, Rangers are the Protestant team. There are some sectarianist Rangers fans who actually sing what is known as "The Famine Song", which mocks all the Irish people who died (over 1million), during the Potato Famine

Even though we have lost most of the religious thing. It still means a lot to win an old firm game. I just hope no one dies tonight due to some minority of idiot fans rioting.

Even though i have many friends that are rangers fans, while there is the usual banter and you get along fine, there is always a small part of you that hates rangers

 

[Henrik Larsson]

I have to also say that Healy was lucky to stay on the pitch. HE clearely took out shooders(Forest's nickname for his lack of a neck. He is all shoulders)

This happened the last time Celtic and Rangers played at celtic park, talk about emotion and passion


It was nice to see them talking at the end this time, insted of fighting