Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sat Feb 07, 2015 10:29 pm  

Lord Tony Smith wrote:

We're the best form team in the league at present.

Sakho starting to prove his worth now after a consistent run of games. He's a monster.
A settled back 3.
Sturridge returning.

It's looking good for Liverpool IMO.

I'm not sure, Liverpool looked pretty awful today. Sakho is perhaps the worst player ever to play in the Premier League in terms of his ability on the ball. Why Liverpool's other players involve him in the tiki-taka is beyond me. When you are Liverpool's goalkeeper, do you a) Tap it 5 yards to Sakho, keeping in mind that there is a player 30 yards away who will probably take it off him before he's managed to control it, or b) Tap it five yards the other way to a reasonable player?

Everton were worse though, I've never seen a side with such little attacking threat, bar the current Villa side. It's very puzzling when you consider how dynamic and free scoring they were with the same team last season.

On the Barkley topic, are people on here serious? You don't think he's gifted? There aren't many in the Premier League who can do the things he does. I stand by my point, you put him in a league where they are a little less risk averse and he'd be sensational. He's a classy player, two great feet and has the potential to be a fantastic player. He might not even get close to living up to that potential of course, but the potential is there.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sat Feb 07, 2015 11:00 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Everton were worse though, I've never seen a side with such little attacking threat, bar the current Villa side. It's very puzzling when you consider how dynamic and free scoring they were with the same team last season.

It isn't that puzzling - Simply, the full backs, Baines and especially Coleman have been nowhere near last season's form.... This has lead to Lukaku receiving almost zero decent service.

Coleman will hopefully be shipped out to United in the summer, fetching in some decent cash, as long as Van Gaal hasn't realised how vastly overrated he is.... If £28 million for Fellaini seemed like daylight robbery, then I can't wait to see what United fans will make of paying the £25 million being touted for Coleman.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sun Feb 08, 2015 12:17 am  

Dita's Slot Meter wrote:

It isn't that puzzling - Simply, the full backs, Baines and especially Coleman have been nowhere near last season's form.... This has lead to Lukaku receiving almost zero decent service.

Coleman will hopefully be shipped out to United in the summer, fetching in some decent cash, as long as Van Gaal hasn't realised how vastly overrated he is.... If £28 million for Fellaini seemed like daylight robbery, then I can't wait to see what United fans will make of paying the £25 million being touted for Coleman.

It's not just their form though is it? Baines hasn't really got forward this season because Martinez has removed Pienaar from the team, which for me has pretty much destroyed Baines's ability to get up beyond the wide player. Either because there isn't anyone there at all, or because it's someone like Lukaku or Mirallas who isn't comfortable in that position and struggles to link up with Baines. Coleman has still done okay this season and today.

Everton are just static at the moment. They are too slow moving the ball, probably because the players aren't that good technically, particularly at the back and Barry in midfield, and just can't shift it quick enough to expose teams. All teams have to do to stop Everton getting any sort of hold of the game is press high up the pitch. It stops the fullbacks getting forward and means the defenders are playing risky balls into midfielders facing towards their own goal who receive the ball under real pressure. Playing without any creative midfielders doesn't help either. Today they were basically playing a 4-3-3 with Lukaku and Mirallas isolated on the wing and Naismith playing as a defender chasing lost causes and balls being passed around him in triangles. In midfield we had a trio of defensive choppers in Besic, Barry and McCarthy. Fine tactically if you are playing for a 0-0, but they aren't going to beat many teams playing that way.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sun Feb 08, 2015 10:47 am  

Pienaar only played in just over half our games last season, so you can't put Baines's ineffectiveness simply down to his absence.

I agree about the midfield problems though - Barry is absolutely finished as a Premier League player, though if McCarthy stays fit and able to do his 30 miles a game running about, then Everton will get away with him in the side until season end.

I'm happy to see some pace being introduced to the side with Lennon, but you are right that we need some creation in the side just behind Lukaku - Unfortunately, Barkley looks devoid of interest and/or confidence at the moment.

Personally, come summer, I'd hold an auction involving Barkley and Coleman and start afresh with the £50 million or so that we would quite laughably get... Throw in Mirallas's inevitable exit and we would have enough cash to give Martinez one final chance to see if he really is the real deal, or merely a chancer who is able to charm the media with his Spanish lilt.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sun Feb 08, 2015 7:02 pm  

Dave Bassett must be laughing his cock off at Van Gaal being labelled a tactical genius on Sky, for simply throwing on Fellaini and then lumping endless long balls upto him .....

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Wed Feb 18, 2015 6:09 pm  

Chelsea fans in "classless w@nkers" shocker....

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Wed Feb 18, 2015 6:16 pm  

CommanderShepard wrote:

Chelsea fans in "classless w@nkers" shocker....

Oppo fans w@nking themselves off over it, now that's classy.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sun Feb 22, 2015 3:39 pm  

BBC Live ticker wrote:

What's happened to Ross Barkley this season? He doesn't look like a Premier League player at the moment, let alone an international.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Mon Feb 23, 2015 1:45 pm  

Mark wrote:

Liverpool are a joke, tried to tell you all in January. Rodgers is a pretender, helped by having the exceptionally talented racist and no other comps to worry about. Spent £100 million to strengthen and ballsed it up. The kings of cringe are back off their perch.

ynfa

I'd love to know your thoughts on van Gaal then if you think that's the case with Rodgers.

He's spent £150M+ this summer and you are 2 points ahead of a Liverpool team who had lose their best player (and one of the world's best players I'd like to add). They also lost there main goal scorer for 6 months of the season. They've played the most games out of anyone in the PL so far yet Louis van Genius is 2 points ahead of them.

I questioned Rodgers in Novemeber but the man has turned it around. He's shown what a good young manager he is. He's changed the system, brought players in and he's getting results and god performances. He's transformed our defence. 5 consecutive away clean sheets in the league the first time since the 1980s and Mignolet is second only to Fraser Forster on clean sheets.

After the start we've had, too be 3 points off third, in the EL last 32, 80 minutes off an FA Cup semi final at Wembley is incredible IMO.

van Gaal has been pathetic IMO.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Mon Feb 23, 2015 1:48 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

I'm not sure, Liverpool looked pretty awful today. Sakho is perhaps the worst player ever to play in the Premier League in terms of his ability on the ball. Why Liverpool's other players involve him in the tiki-taka is beyond me. When you are Liverpool's goalkeeper, do you a) Tap it 5 yards to Sakho, keeping in mind that there is a player 30 yards away who will probably take it off him before he's managed to control it, or b) Tap it five yards the other way to a reasonable player?

Everton were worse though, I've never seen a side with such little attacking threat, bar the current Villa side. It's very puzzling when you consider how dynamic and free scoring they were with the same team last season.

On the Barkley topic, are people on here serious? You don't think he's gifted? There aren't many in the Premier League who can do the things he does. I stand by my point, you put him in a league where they are a little less risk averse and he'd be sensational. He's a classy player, two great feet and has the potential to be a fantastic player. He might not even get close to living up to that potential of course, but the potential is there.

You are blind if you go by the myth that Sakho is uncomfortable on the ball. He's one of the best ball playing CB's in the league along with Stones.

He's our only defender who can pass it out from the back. His passing is superb. He averages 95% pass completion most games and 65% of them are forward passes.

You blindly stick by the notion that he 'looks awkward on the ball though' and can't pass