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Official Football Thread 2006/2007 (Soccer)

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It should be a decent night. At 9:00, american idol will start. After that I'll play a bit of Supoer smash bros melee and then watch the game whilst eating kebab:)
 
Not that anyone really cares about this when the Champs League Final is today, but here's some interesting speculation about RSL making a run at Shalrie Joseph with their newfound cap space....

Eskandarian to Real, Cunningham to Toronto

Alecko Eskandarian is no longer a member of Toronto FC according to ESPN as he has been traded to the team from Salt Lake for Jeff Cunningham. Speculation is Real will use the money ($57,000) saved on salary to go after a bigger name.

A high-ranking RSL official said, "Parting with Jeff [Cunningham] was hard but we are in a much better position now to improve our team. If you think of the cap room we've created not only from this deal, but also from Jason's [Kreis] retirement and [Luis] Tejada's departure, we've got the cash to possibly make a run at Shalrie Joseph or another player looking for the right change of venue."

Combine that $57k with the almost $200k they are saving after bumping Jason Kreis up to coach and you can see they have the space for someone good. Joseph is currently making $180,000 and wants a raise to about $250k. It seems that this move gives them the space to make this happen.

Both players in this trade are having difficult seasons, but both have the ability to inspire a team.
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Cornballer said:
See ya, Jose. I hope this is the one time the Spanish press ain't lying and they get this deal hammered out.
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I got exited when i first read that because I thought you were talking about mourinho.
 
If Kuyt can improve his goal rate than he'd be bigger asset than a pure finisher like Ruud. A player that can knock in a lot of goals but also contribute in other areas is a wonderful thing to behold.

But first and foremost you have to score goals. That should be his first priority.
But you can't knock the kid for his work rate and nor should he neglect that part of his game.
 
Cornballer said:
Yeah, I should have clarified that this is the one that fears water falling from the sky.
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He never used to be like that until the neville brothers kicked the shit out of him at Old trafford.
 
psycho_snake said:
He never used to be like that until the neville brothers kicked the shit out of him at Old trafford.
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Was it raining that day? Maybe they can use hypnosis or some regression therapy to sort that out.
 
If this Newcastle bid succeeds, I reckon Owen might stay. Part of me thinks he might anyway because of the new manager, but when a guy with a personal fortune of £1.9bn takes over, you know the chances of winning stuff is going to go up massively.

Honestly, could the Premiership get any richer?
 
FuturusX said:
If Kuyt can improve his goal rate than he'd be bigger asset than a pure finisher like Ruud. A player that can knock in a lot of goals but also contribute in other areas is a wonderful thing to behold.

But first and foremost you have to score goals. That should be his first priority.
But you can't knock the kid for his work rate and nor should he neglect that part of his game.
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I doubt he'll ever neglect his work rate because thats one of his strongest abilities. he's admired because he tries so hard. But he's got to improve goalscoring. If he can get 20-25 goals a season that then he'd be an excellent striker. If Liverpool could get that many goals from him then they;d be able to push harder for the EPL.

However i doubt benitez is going to wait for kuyt to reach his potential. He needs to have a good season in the EPL next season and to do that he;s going to need a top class striker, something he's surely going to get with the transfer kitty that he's rumoured to get.
 
I'm really starting to get nervous now. I did so much gloating at the weekend after united lost the FA cup (most people over here are united fans) that I'm totally screwed if we don't win.

Edit: I just heard milan won the toss and chose to play in white, so liverpool are in red, was this known?
 
Cornballer said:
Was it raining that day? Maybe they can use hypnosis or some regression therapy to sort that out.
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:lol It must have been raining that day. There's only about 5 days a year when it doesnt rain in manchester.
 
I was just reading about gareth bale on wikipedia and this is what it said about him:

Because of his superior skills, the school's P.E. teacher, Gwyn Morris, had to write special rules, restricting Bale to playing one-touch football and not using his left foot.
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Here is a video of him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gImzZ1EIyUE

He's got an immense free kick. Im not sure if most defenders have good technical skills with their feet, but bale can do some impressive stuff on the training ground.
 
Sounds like Walcott's surgery went as well as it could have.
Walcott raring to go after successful operation
By Chris Harris

The last sighting of Theo Walcott in an Arsenal shirt was a pretty depressing one.

The 18-year-old, on as a late substitute at Goodison Park in March, left the field clutching his arm after falling heavily in the Everton penalty area. A couple of days later he had surgery to correct a troubling shoulder problem.

Walcott is much better now. The operation was a success and he is kicking a ball again after a frustrating couple of months. Now Walcott is looking forward to making his mark when the new season gets underway in August.

"It's been seven and a half weeks since the operation and everything is going well," said Walcott in an exclusive interview with Arsenal.com.

"I've started light training with the ball and running. The operation had to be done, everyone saw when it happened at Everton. It feels so much better now, I feel so good.

"I have two more days left [at the training ground] and then I'll come back two weeks before pre-season starts with Robin [van Persie] and Thierry [Henry]. So that's when my season starts. I'm really looking forward to it.

"I will be fully fit for the new season, as long as I have a good pre-season and don't pick up any injuries. I'll be raring to go. The same goes for the whole squad really."

There is no 'right' time to go under the knife but, for Walcott, his visit to the surgeon came at a particularly bad time.

Injuries to Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie had already decimated Arsenal's striking options with two months of the campaign remaining. Walcott's presence would have eased the pressure on Emmanuel Adebayor up front and given the teenager valuable match time at the top level.

But, as Walcott explained, he had no option but to cure an injury which had troubled him throughout his first full season at Arsenal.

"I played with it the whole season but it gradually got worse," he said. "It kept on popping out and it concerned me, it was always in my head that it would happen again.

"I started playing with a strapping and that wasn't comfortable at all. It helped a little bit but the operation had to be done. I couldn't play in that kind of pain.

"At some stages I was playing with one arm, effectively. I was too scared to try and push people off with my arm because it kept popping out. It wasn't nice at all."
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chelsea250220072zm0.jpg
 
I know everyone's focused on the CL final, but until I see the team news I'm not gonna make a prediction, so I'll stick with this Newcastle thing.

In terms of their first team, if I had that much cash I'd only be keeping Owen, Dyer and Given in there. Plenty of the others would stay in the squad (Martins, Duff, Parker, Taylor etc), but I think only those three are absolute top quality. And I'd play Dyer as an attacking central midfielder.

So there'd be a big old list of positions to fill:

RB
LB
CB
CB
LW
RW
DCM
FW

These would be my targets:

RB - Alves (£30m)
LB - Lescott (£10m)
CB - Campbell (free)
CB - Richards (£20m)
LW - Pedersen (£15m)
RW - Quarsema (£17m)
DCM - Sissoko (£15m)
FW - Tevez (£35m)

= £142m

Ridiculous prices for some, obviously, but Newcastle doesn't have the appeal of London (in either culture or weather) and can't offer even UEFA Cup football, let alone Champions League, so they'll need to shell out the cash if they want to get a good enough team straight away (both in terms of fees and wages).

This team:

-------------------Given---------------------

Alves------Richards--Campbell----Lescott

Quaresma---Dyer----Sissoko----Pedersen

--------------Owen-----Tevez---------------

could win the Premiership in my opinion, not just break into the top 4. Perhaps needs a few more buys to shore up the squad, but if there weren't too many injuries then I don't see why that team couldn't match any other in the country.
 
Mama Smurf said:
-------------------Given---------------------

Alves------Richards--Campbell----Lescott

Quaresma---Dyer----Sissoko----Pedersen

--------------Owen-----Tevez---------------
Click to expand...
this side could definitely challenge, quality wise

I doubt they are going to have a squad like that though, not quite anyway.
 
That seems a bit too ambitious mama. If newcastle did get taken over by the billionaire, then he's surely going to let big sam spend, but he's not going to give him that much to spend. Even if he did have that much to spend, big sam has got to convince those players that moving to newcastle would be their best choice. Someone like tevez has the choice of moving to real madrid, chelsea and some of the other european giants and those clubs can compete with newcastle on price.

the only players that I can realistically see moving are quaresma, campbell and pedersen. lescott and sissoko are possabilities. Tevez and alves are out of newcastle's reach, even if they had to money.
 
On the Tevez thing, the saga rolls on, Eggert has this to say (today infact):

'There will be a particular focus on Carlos Tevez and I want him to stay. I suspect a lot will be written about his future but the starting point is that he is a West Ham player, registered with and contracted to the club with three years remaining on a 4 year contract. Whatever happens next we will act to protect the best interests of West Ham United FC'.
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Legal wrangle imminent.
 
Anyone reading the live countdown on the BBC sport website? Some funny shit:
"I had a premonition that I will be repeating these words tonight: Carlo Ancelotti, Prime Minister Berlusconi, Dino Zoff, Roberto Baggio, Enzo Ferrari, Leonardo da Vinci, Christopher Columbus, Luciano Pavarotti, Don Vito Corleone, Tony Soprano... your boys took one hell of a beating."
From 606

A lesson in how to twist one of the most famous sporting commentaries. Oddly, no mention of Rocky Balboa - the Italian Stallion. Missed a trick there, fella.
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I wish I was a billionaire (shocking), Blackburn would have the best damn team around. I'd buy that title every year, and no one could say shit because I've supported them since I was a kid.

I'd probably have to redevelop Blackburn (the town) too though, make it a cultural and economic hotspot, to boost the wealth of the area and appeal to players, which will then bring in more supporters.

Sorry poor people, no more Blackburn for you!
 
psycho_snake said:
That seems a bit too ambitious mama. If newcastle did get taken over by the billionaire, then he's surely going to let big sam spend, but he's not going to give him that much to spend.
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I don't see why, even if he spent £200m he'd be happily sitting on well over a billion pounds in terms of his personal fortune. Abramovich spent a shitload of money when he came, it's the only way to ensure success.

Even if he did have that much to spend, big sam has got to convince those players that moving to newcastle would be their best choice. Someone like tevez has the choice of moving to real madrid, chelsea and some of the other european giants and those clubs can compete with newcastle on price.
Click to expand...

Well that's why I said about the wages, they'd need to blow them away. And they'd need to outbid teams like Madrid, though admittedly if Chelsea want the same player then they probably can't outbid them, so the player doesn't have the choice of Madrid or Newcastle, just Newcastle.

the only players that I can realistically see moving are quaresma, campbell and pdersen. lescott and sissoko are possabilities. Tevez and alves are out of newcastle's reach, even if they had to money.
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Perhaps, depends how much cash means to them. And if they saw all these other great players coming, they might have the foresight to see they're joining a club which can really do great things in the long term, even if the first season would just be the Premiership.
 
Here is the cover of my local newspaper, the Liverpool ECHO

SP_A0020.jpg


This has me in tears. :lol

I'm an Evertonian but I'll be cheering Liverpool to victory tonight.
 
As a Liverpool fan I'll be hoping we can do it...and as fan of football I'll be hoping for a good game.

Quotes from the Liverpool Legend Bill Shankly- (reputedly)

“A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are.”

“Aim for the sky and you'll reach the ceiling. Aim for the ceiling and you'll stay on the floor.”

"If a player is not interfering with play or seeking to gain an advantage, then he should be."

“Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass. It is terribly simple.”

“If you're not sure what to do with the ball, just pop it in the net and we'll discuss your options afterwards.”

“We murdered them 0-0.”


and the classic ...

"Someone said 'football is more important than life and death to you' and I said 'Listen, it's more important than that'."

Go Liverpool!!!
 
FuturusX said:
As a Liverpool fan I'll be hoping we can do it...and as fan of football I'll be hoping for a good game.

Quotes from the Liverpool Legend Bill Shankly- (reputedly)

“A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are.”

“Aim for the sky and you'll reach the ceiling. Aim for the ceiling and you'll stay on the floor.”

"If a player is not interfering with play or seeking to gain an advantage, then he should be."

“Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass. It is terribly simple.”

“If you're not sure what to do with the ball, just pop it in the net and we'll discuss your options afterwards.”

“We murdered them 0-0.”


and the classic ...

"Someone said 'football is more important than life and death to you' and I said 'Listen, it's more important than that'."

Go Liverpool!!!
Click to expand...

Those are all awesome :D
 
Roders5 said:
What the hell kind of Evertonian are you?
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The kind that, unlike most Evertonians, actually supports Everton and doesn't give a hoot about what Liverpool do. The majority that I know talk more about their hatred for Liverpool than their Love of Everton. Besides, I would rather have the cup back in my city than in Milan.

edit: Actually, 'cheering' is the wrong word. I'll be hoping they do win but I won't care if they get destroyed by Milan. I just want a good match.
 
Ryck said:
So Liverpool in red and Milan in white? Any comfirmation on this?
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This has been confirmed since when Liverpool and Milan were confirmed to be in the Final.

Mama Smurf said:
---------------------Reina

Finnan---Carragher-----Agger-------Riise

Pennant---Alonso---Mascherano---Zenden

--------------------Gerrard

---------------------Kuyt
Click to expand...

GTFO it's confirmed that Mama Smurf got the team line up spot on. :O

You deserve a special prize for getting Benitez's starting line-up right, i'd given up guessing what Benitez would do near the beginning of the season.
 
Steroyd said:
GTFO it's confirmed that Mama Smurf got the team line up spot on. :O

You deserve a special prize for getting Benitez's starting line-up right, i'd given up guessing what Benitez would do near the beginning of the season.
Click to expand...

YEEEEEESSSSS!

Annoying that Lakitu predicted it before me.
 
My Final Prediction:

AC Milan 2 - 3 Liverpool



Edit: Is it just me but whenever i see highlights of the 2005 final I keep thinking "there's no way Liverpool can claw this back" even thought I know they do!! :D
 
I'll say...ermm...0-0, penalties. And then it's a gamble but Liverpool are good at penalties so them.

But let's hope not (0-0 I mean, not Liverpool).
 
Dida's got a very good record when it comes to penalties, so if it does go to penalties its going to be very close.
 
Wes said:
My Final Prediction:

AC Milan 2 - 3 Liverpool



Edit: Is it just me but whenever i see highlights of the 2005 final I keep thinking "there's no way Liverpool can claw this back" even thought I know they do!! :D
Click to expand...

Yeah when i remember that players like Smicer, Biscan, Baros, Cisse, Dudek were in the squad, i sometimes wonder how the **** did we score 3 goals. o_O
 
Steroyd said:
Yeah when i remember that players like Smicer, Biscan, Baros, Cisse, Dudek were in the squad, i sometimes wonder how the **** did we score 3 goals. o_O
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How could you forget traore?

Don’t blame it on the Biscan,
Don’t blame it on the Hamann,
Don’t blame it on the Finnan,
Blame it on Traore,
He just can’t, he just can’t, he just can’t
control his feet...
 
psycho_snake said:
How could you forget traore?

Don’t blame it on the Biscan,
Don’t blame it on the Hamann,
Don’t blame it on the Finnan,
Blame it on Traore,
He just can’t, he just can’t, he just can’t
control his feet...
Click to expand...

:lol Oh yeah.

Sweet Jessica rabbits panties i've just seen Liverpool fans in the Stadium (which I nearly mistaken for Anfield) and no way that is anywhere near 17,000 of the allocated tickets. O_O
 
Enjoy the game everyone. I'll be spoiler free for the next few hours before I can actually watch the match after work on TiVo. Catch up with you on the flipside - I hope this match delivers some entertainment.
 
Looks like Wembley is being half - penciled in to hold the CL in 12 years time, where did that BS article come from.
Ruud Gullit summed it up nicely.

"Can we start the match now?" :lol

I don't want to see these freaking drums and bodies on the floor I want to see Liverpool lift the cup.

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

They're in the place before you go on the pitch, my memory is failing me godamn you.
 
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