The association football 2009/10 thread...

[Hellsinkey]

Thankfully another late goal. Sunderland almost deserved to win, uninspiring performance from ManU. Giggs wasn't even among substitutes. Berbatov's goal was nice though. Hopefully Chelsea won't win tomorrow.

[MickeyG]

Sunderland deserved all 3, IMO. Too many United players were awful today.

Last season United had that run where they played poor like this and picked up a bunch of 1-0 wins. Fergie could change the team every match and because the opposition didn't show up and a 1-0 steal was enough. That's not gonna work this season.

United are less scary without Ronaldo and teams will fancy their chances. A more settled team is required, and preferably the strongest 11, which it wasn't today.

Foster is having a rocky patch, Nani was poor and I'm not sure Welbeck will be good enough. I'm not sure if he plays wide for the reserves, but if he plays up front for the reserves then he should do for the first team when he plays. Rooney and Scholes were shocking today. Rooney keeps getting hyped up in the press and by Fergie, but he's way off world class for me. Ronny used to get shit for being overrated, but he's nowhere near as overrated as Rooney is.

[pieceofme]

Sunderland deserved all 3, IMO. Too many United players were awful today.

Last season United had that run where they played poor like this and picked up a bunch of 1-0 wins. Fergie could change the team every match and because the opposition didn't show up and a 1-0 steal was enough. That's not gonna work this season.

United are less scary without Ronaldo and teams will fancy their chances. A more settled team is required, and preferably the strongest 11, which it wasn't today.

Foster is having a rocky patch, Nani was poor and I'm not sure Welbeck will be good enough. I'm not sure if he plays wide for the reserves, but if he plays up front for the reserves then he should do for the first team when he plays. Rooney and Scholes were shocking today. Rooney keeps getting hyped up in the press and by Fergie, but he's way off world class for me. Ronny used to get shit for being overrated, but he's nowhere near as overrated as Rooney is.

You see the blog on the BBC about the best strikers in Premiership? It was by Steve Wilson so it was a load of bollocks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/stevewilson/ ... ho_wo.html

He gave Rooney 9 out of 10 for finishing. Seriously has he watched a Man Utd Game?

[SLASH1976]

Argentina finally won a match
It was close though

Ronaldo might be out for a month. Madrid must be happy

[Sammi_Curr]

Brilliant article. Really excellent read - with some cracking links to Youtube videos along the way.

The forgotten story of ... Danish Dynamite, the Denmark side of the mid-80s

They won nothing, but the ultra-attacking team of Elkjaer, Laudrup and the Olsens were one of the most interesting in football history

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog ... mentpage=4


HERO- The official documentary record of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, highlighting the Captain of Argentina, Diego Maradona.

http://www.frontlinefootball.com/Video- ... 1986-film/

[MickeyG]

I think Ron Atkinson once said that he signed Jesper Olsen on the back of that match against England in the Euro 84 qualifiers.

[Sammi_Curr]

Nice little player. Never quite reproduced it in the Big Time at United.
To this day in Denmark, a serious faux pas is described as a "rigtig Jesper Olsen" (a real Jesper Olsen), whether by the general public or even in parliament.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObWQJ4yEHhI

[pieceofme]

Brilliant article. Really excellent read - with some cracking links to Youtube videos along the way.

The forgotten story of ... Danish Dynamite, the Denmark side of the mid-80s

They won nothing, but the ultra-attacking team of Elkjaer, Laudrup and the Olsens were one of the most interesting in football history

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog ... mentpage=4


HERO- The official documentary record of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, highlighting the Captain of Argentina, Diego Maradona.

http://www.frontlinefootball.com/Video- ... 1986-film/

Michael Laudrup was one of the first footballers I knew, and he's still one of my favourites.

[MickeyG]

Nice little player. Never quite reproduced it in the Big Time at United.
To this day in Denmark, a serious faux pas is described as a "rigtig Jesper Olsen" (a real Jesper Olsen), whether by the general public or even in parliament.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObWQJ4yEHhI

He was too lightweight for the English league. I do remember seeing him score 2 goals in a friendly against a Rudd Gullit inspired AC Milan back in the late 80's though.

[Sammi_Curr]

Michael Laudrup .......... and he's still one of my favourites.

Beckenbauer:

"Pelé was the best in the 60's, Cruyff in the 70's, Maradona in the 80's and Laudrup in the 90's."

Franz Beckenbauer - Gute Freunde Kann Niemand Trennen (1966)

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

[MickeyG]

Another defeat for Liverpool, and apart from the last 5 minutes they never put Sunderland under any pressure. They have nothing up front without Torres.

Liverpool fans were claiming that if they turned the home draws of last season into wins they would be title winners.

but they've already lost twice as many as last season. Whenever they've played against anyone any good they have lost. Sunderland have looked decent so far this season, and proved it again today.

United failed to kill of Bolton, but held on under pressure at the end. Chelsea lost an end to end match which could have gone either way.

So not a bad day for United fans really.

[Hellsinkey]

Not a special game for ManU, but for Chelsea and Liverpool slipping... Back on top.

[pieceofme]

Not a special game for ManU, but for Chelsea and Liverpool slipping... Back on top.

My thoughts exactly.

lol at the Liverpool fan throwing the beach ball on the pitch which led to the Sunderland goal.

[Sammi_Curr]

[SLASH1976]

http://www.frontlinefootball.com/Video- ... 1986-film/

Thanx for this

[shocked_the_monkey]

LMAO @ Sunderland/Liverpool. Apparently the Liverpool web site has sold out of beach balls after opposing fans have bought them all.

It does beg the question though, why would you want/need a beach ball in Sunderland in October?

[Hellsinkey]

Not a special game for ManU, but for Chelsea and Liverpool slipping... Back on top.

My thoughts exactly.

lol at the Liverpool fan throwing the beach ball on the pitch which led to the Sunderland goal.

It was a Liverpool fan? Doh! It probably would have gone in anyway, those beach balls are very light.

[jellyheadrobertson]

That beach ball came closer to a goal than any of our strikers.

[MickeyG]

Not a special game for ManU, but for Chelsea and Liverpool slipping... Back on top.

My thoughts exactly.

lol at the Liverpool fan throwing the beach ball on the pitch which led to the Sunderland goal.

It was a Liverpool fan? Doh! It probably would have gone in anyway, those beach balls are very light.

The angle which the ball hit the beach ball made quite a deflection. Would Reina have saved it without the deflection? Quite possibly, it was heading straight for him. I'm not sure how long the beach ball was on the pitch, but if the Ref didn't see it, then Reina should have removed it if he could. I mean, it was in his 6 yard area, or really close to it.

[ryan76]

Beachball culprit revealed.........

[pieceofme]

Beachball culprit revealed.........

Thats quality.

[MickeyG]

From F365.com....

UNITED FANS FACE BEACH BALL SEARCH

Manchester United fans will be searched for beach balls before their clash with Liverpool on Sunday in a bid to stop a Darren Bent goal 'tribute'.

Liverpool beach balls have sold out on the club's official website, with Red Devils fans thought to be snapping up copies of the now infamous red ball ahead of their trip to Anfield.

And although Liverpool are not planning any specific measures ahead of kick-off, fans will be searched before the game and any offending items - including beach balls - will be confiscated.

"It will be the normal search policy," said a Liverpool spokesperson.

Reds supporters watched in disbelief as they lost 1-0 to Sunderland on Saturday when a shot by Bent hit a beach ball and swerved past Pepe Reina.

Hahahaha!

[Hellsinkey]

All that experience and he goes for the red ball.

[MickeyG]

4 in a row now for Liverpool. Defeat to United on Sunday and I think Rafa will be sacked.

I think they'll get at least a draw though. Big clubs rarely suffer 4 defeats in a row, never mind 5.

[CliffByford]

I hope some of you tossers are noticing some of the results further down the football pyramid. Amazingly, my hometown club Bournemouth is top of League 2, despite a tiny squad, no money and a transfer embargo. They have the youngest manager in the English professional game and still rely on 37 year-old talisman Steve Fletcher, whom they re-signed from the non-league game, to act as a target man. It boggles the mind.

Also, after their traditional indifferent start to the season, look at QPR now - the last two games have seen 4-0 and 4-1 victories over Preston and Reading respectively; the first result was especially impressive as Alan Irvine has organised North End into a tasty, tidy little team who should be pushing for a playoff place.

Still, we've got some explosive players in Wayne Routledge and Adel Taarabt, plus some real class in Akos Buszaky and Alejandro Faurlin. Solid central defensive partnership too in Kasper Gorkss and Damion "Stewpeas" Stewart - and of course, let us never forget the amusingly named "One Size" Fitz Hall!

U RRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSS!!!!

[jellyheadrobertson]

4 in a row now for Liverpool. Defeat to United on Sunday and I think Rafa will be sacked.

One can only hope. Even if Liverpool beat you lot, it only masks a lot of serious problems. Can't win the Prem when half the side are Championship ( or less) players.

[Sammi_Curr]

I just can't see Benitez getting fired today, but I also can't see Liverpool beating Man Utd. today.

[MickeyG]

Looked like a pen to me when Carra scythed Carrick in the box. Berba was harshly booked too, when he was initially pulled back.

Liverpool have been the better team, with a chance from a free kick and a chance from a header which they should have scored from.

[Sammi_Curr]

REMI GAILLARD AS A SOCCER PLAYER IMPOSTOR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKbUOeMu ... r_embedded

[MickeyG]

Fuckin joke refereeing today from this fella.

Carra should have been sent off for stopping Owen but then he sends Vidic off for a clash on the half way line? For a ball Kuyt was never gonna get?

Funny watching Rafa on the touchline, you can see how much it means to him.