Looking forward to Barca/Atletico tonight. Atletico apparently only have one fit centre back so some 20 year old might be starting having barely played before
Looking forward to Barca/Atletico tonight. Atletico apparently only have one fit centre back so some 20 year old might be starting having barely played before
Mad game in Madrid, ref let Iniesta off with a pretty definite red card and now he's given Barca a free kick instead of a pen. Barca on the verge of going out.
Some interesting stats....
1. Diego Simeone earns less than half what Arsene Wenger does
2. Atletico Madrid make less than a quarter of what Arsenal do on match days
3. The Atletico first 11 cost less than half what Arsenal's cost
4. The Atletico wage bill is less than half Arsenal's
5. Atletico play in a much smaller ground
6. Atletico have sold/lost: Arda Turan, Courtois, Diego Costa, Thiago, Falcao and yet they've continued their incredible success.
Good to see Barca lose out to a shit refereeing decision for once. Quite difficult to call a winner from this point, all the teams have notable weaknesses but are more than capable of matching anyone on their day. I'd love to see Atletico go one better and win it this time, definitely the neutrals' favourites.
Interesting stat: 100% of Arsenal fans are utter cunts.
They are better than you regardless than any of that guff you've come out with there.Originally Posted by Romford Pele
Wasn't that Romford's point, that they're much better despite being on a fraction of the finances?
Why not compare them to Barcelona or any other genuinely bigger team (that have bigger grounds and have spent more money on both wages and transfers) they have also got further in the CL than instead of directly comparing to Arsenal in some kind of weird self loathing comparison?
You could come up with a list of random 'facts' comparing any two sides in the world if you want to put across a one sided view. It means nothing basically.
1. Barnet have scored one more league goal than Arsenal this season
2. Barnet are, financially, the 3rd smallest club in their division yet currently sit 15th in the table a massive overachievement whilst Arsenal are the 4th biggest club in their division and currently sit third which is frankly piss poor.
3. Barnet are unbeaten in European competition having beaten Serie C side, Pavia, in their only European game in their history whilst Arsenal have lost multiple times in Europe which isn't good enough.
SOME INTERESTING STATS THERE. FUCK MY LIFE CUT CUT STAB HANG
I was doing an article recently about clubs that have fallen out of the Premier League and the company I was writing for insisted they wanted average points and average goals for their current season...even though they're meaningless because the teams are all in different leagues.
http://www.thesoccerstore.co.uk/blog...-the-titans-2/
What could have been a half-decent idea for an article ended up basically being complete shit full of irrelevant, meaningless data.
The graphics are repulsive.
You can't read them
Also why is Rangers relevant?
Exactly. And yes sof it looks ugly as sin. They even changed the title to include the word titans. BY what possible measurement have Portsmouth ever been titans?
In that Mitchell and Webb sketch maybe.
MOST RECENT SUCCESSFUL SEASON 92/93 QUALIFIED FOR UEFA CUP
EUORPE? NO
ok
Yep. It flew over BBFs head though.
Whoosh right over my head WAHEY
You IDIOT
Iniesta shouldn't have been on the pitch though so think ref decisions level out
What a LEGEND
is it really? I mean, yes it is, but in that context I don't see why?
According to Arsenal fans they should win the treble every year and be the best team ever and WENGER OUT.
In all honesty, the Arsenal self harm that this board sees is pretty dull at times but I do genuinely find it hard to see how they don't see that the level at which they moan waters down the effect.
For example when you get 'MANAGER OUT' at most clubs it has an effect because it shows that things at the club aren't good and something needs to change. Arsenal fans do it so often though that it doesn't have that effect they desire and no one gives a shit.
yeah I get all that, I just don't see how being the 4th biggest team in their league and sitting third in the table is a negative disparity, taken in its own context
Its not I was just taking the piss that the situation isn't good enough for Arsenal fans.
Is it thicko day in here today or something?
Oh look it's Jimmy Thavile.
Wasn't the point of building the Emirates that they could start competing with Man U? Their fans pay £100 a week and they haven't actually challenged for over 10 years. Wenger hasn't made an inspired signing since Henry. Their two recent signings that have kind of worked out were Madrid/Barca cast offs.
They sell all their best players to United/City and end up playing cunts like Coquelin and Flamini. They get in the CL every year but haven't come close since Paris.
They're not even good to be on FIFA anymore.
The point of building the Emirates was to make vast sums of money for the owners. Task accomplished.
They're always good on FIFA.
Walcott and Oxlade are dead, the pace thing was years ago. Giroud is a myth
Pace can still murder you on FIFA.
Only if they have other abilities too. You can't just rinse fuck out of someone with nothing more than pace any more, it's useful if you're already beyond the defender but otherwise you need strength and control too. They fixed that a couple of years ago, it's all about rounded players now. Lamela is my boy, not the quickest but you try nick the ball off him and he'll be past you like you weren't there. Same with Eriksen.
Oh yeah, of course. Pace alone isnt easy to abuse, but a player with lots of pace and half decent stats everywhere else will usually do more damage than someone like Eriksen or Lamela.
If you play online, people still use fast players over the skillful ones, and Arsenal have a fair few.
And its not just for attacking. Hector Bellerin for example is an absolute monster in defence even though his overall stat average is poor.
I think I would enjoy watching Steve McManaman being brutally murdered. Him and Burley.
This has been really rubbish from Man City.
C'mon Atletico. I want Torres to win it and rub his ballsack in Ronaldo's face.
Marcelo is shite
Pepe is a tool.
Pepe is a maniac.
Come on Atletico.
Boring!
I fucking hate Pepe, total scumbag on the pitch.
I think ATL were unfortunate to not come out on top. Real deserved a couple of straight reds which were let go, one of which went to Ramos who scored in penalty kicks. They should have converted on their second half penalty, but other than that I think they were the better team throughout.
Irritating that Ronaldo is getting so much praise for a very poor performance. Reeks of Sidney Crosby's "golden goal" moment (if anyone can make reference to that).
Who's praising Ronaldo? He loves waiting to get the glory on the 5th penalty. He tried the same thing for Portugal and they were beat before it got to him.
Last edited by wardy; February 14th, 2017 at 5:24 PM.
Might just be the local stations (Canadians who can't name anyone outside superstars), but he is the main headline on almost all the articles I have seen.
It was a strange and fairly dull game. Atletico were as poor as I've ever seen them under Simeone in the first half and Real sat back for most of it. I thought Ronaldo was poor and it seemed like he wasn't 100% fit. Bale was slightly better but again didn't seem fully fit. Real seemed to lose control of the game after Kroos went off which I thought was a really weird decision. Casemiro MOTM for me.
Anyone watching the Celtic game?
TAPS AFF!
practically impossible where I am - how they looking?
absolutely shite.
TAPS AFF!
Ambrose and Janko have no right to be anywhere near the team.
Christie's crossing has been rank he is seriously under performing, Griffiths looks lost on the right, Brown is taking set pieces, why?
Dembele's goal should have stood and the pitch isn't great but still shockingly bad.
TAPS AFF!
1-0 Imps...
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#RodgersOut
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fucking hell...I think I'm about done with football. It's so fucking garbage.
Sutton on Ambrose:
"You can't trust him in any game!"
;hasfdlkjhasjhahahahahaksjdfhuweyyqhahahflkghahah
TAPS AFF!
how have Celtic managers over the years, ALL Celtic managers in my lifetime, had such a blindspot for utter bombscare defenders?
Lustig was on the bench.
TAPS AFF!
That was one of the worst games I've ever been to. I was considering leaving if it had gone to extra time.
90th min goal. same old celtic.
TAPS AFF!
It looked a soft penalty. I don't think the ref could be arsed with extra time either.
Haha.
was the safe standing used last night?
Also were Armstrong, Brown and McGregor as bad every is saying? I still don't understand why Allen is being loaned out seems a bit of creativity would do you the world of good at the moment.
I thought Brown had a decent game, he done his job breaking up attacks and keeping the ball but none of the attacking midfielders, bar Roberts, weren't worth a fuck. I want to see more Rogic and less Armstrong.
Roberts is such a promising talent. I hope he flourishes under Rodgers, he seems like the sort of manager who can bring a kid like that on even more, quite exciting. Has he done his hammie proper?
I wish people would stop calling him paddy.
also Fanny reply to my pm!!!
what PM?
i replied...
TAPS AFF!
Hope you enjoyed that GARY LINEKER. Plenty more where it came from.
That Rogic guy is pretty good.
I love him.
good result last night, Celtic surely through to the Group stages now. And with recent performances and the way the squad is coming together, I'm almost getting carried away to thinking we won't be totally embarrassed in the group. Brown is hitting top form again. He has a lot of detractors but I just can't see past him when he plays like that, proper captain. I still think Gordon can be a Joe Hart-esque calamity waiting to happen, excellent shot-stopper though he is.
So it's not just me then! My brother supports Everton (don't ask) and he's excited that they may sign Hart, I tried to point out he's a walking calamity but he was having non of it.
He's better than Tim Howard though.
Hart's a quality goalkeeper, he just isn't the type of keeper Guardiola wants. Guardiola obviously plays a very intense possession game and he requires his goalkeeper to be able to function as an outfield player, even if they're not as good at the basics of goalkeeping. Claudio Bravo looks likely to sign (I would imagine as an interim goalkeeper before they get the one they want, although the fee is big if that's the case?) and I don't think he's as good a goalkeeper as Hart from what I've seen of him, but he's better with the ball at his feet and that makes a huge difference to Guardiola. The modern emphasis on goalkeepers being able to use the ball well is probably the major reason why Lloris has never had any serious offers from elite Champions League clubs, either at Lyon or Tottenham.
Hart will go somewhere else and show what a fantastic goalkeeper he is - the criticism of him recently has been way over the top considering he's been consistently good for the best part of a decade. Unfortunately for him, City have signed the best manager in the world, and he happens to play a system which doesn't suit Hart's abilities - it doesn't make Hart a bad goalkeeper, just as Zlatan failing to adapt to Barca's system didn't make him a bad striker, just a bad fit.
If Hart has any bollocks about him he'll go abroad, given that it's his only opportunity to get CL football if he leaves City. Plenty of good sides in Italy and Germany with ropey goalkeepers, and he's good enough for that level.
Stekelenburg is a pretty decent keeper. He made some textbook saves against Spurs.
Maybe so, they should be showing more ambition than 'better than Tim Howard' though.
What do you think of Brendan Rogers so far?
Really good result last night and probably the best 45 minutes for Celtic ive seen in a good few years. Lapse in concentration for about 5 minutes in the second half, but last year if that happened the game wouldve finished 3-3. Ronny would've taken Forrest/Sinclair off, put a holding midfielder on and just invited pressure. Rodgers brings on a striker and tries to kill the tie off, which it looks like he's done. Excellent stuff.
This team is coming together very well. Another holding mid to sit alongside brown (Bitton and Rogic are doing an alright job of it so far to be honest) and we will be laughing.
Gordon
Tierney
Toure
Sviatchenko
Lustig
Roberts
Brown
Schweinsteiger (one can hope)
Sinclair
Griffiths
Dembele
is a squad that could get us results in Europe.
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Enjoyed watching Celtic last night. I wish them well.
Does Toure have it in him to play regularly? Enjoyed him bombing forward last night. Turned back the years a bit there.
He's got it in him to play in the Scottish League every week and play like that 6 times a year I reckon - which is basically perfect for us.
He will walk through Scottish League games just through reading the game better than anyone else. Got 3/4 other decent CBs coming through too who are not named Efe Ambrose. Unbelievable turn around on pretty much the same group of players as last season. Just shows how clueless Ronny was/how good Rodgers is.
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It does show how cack the Scottish league is (no offence) when Scott Sinclair looks like Messi already.
It really is. Pundits up here are putting it down to the fact he was playing so defensively with Villa and never got the chance but it just highlights the gulf. He will score 20 odd this season from left wing and get a 10m move back down to England next year no bother.
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Schweinsteiger would be an awful signing for Celtic - another Ljungberg - he'd barely kick a ball and pick up a massive pay check for doing fuck all.
Hart is a great shot stopper but that's about it.
Yeah the defense of Hart in here is laughable, the guy will lose you as many points as he'll win you, absolute fucking bombscare
Back page news on one of the red tops is Joey Barton saying how it's 'disgusting' how he's been treated and 'why treat him like that?'.
Like what? He's lost his place after a horrible run of form. He lost his place under Pellegrini to Caballero at some point last season too. It's not like he's been sent to train with the reserves.
That's bollocks though isn't it?
No.
Well it is. Joe Hart has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League for the past seven or eight years. Hence why he has been a key player and regular starter for the best team in England over that entire period.
He makes three or four high-profile errors every year but that number is dwarfed by the games his shot-stopping has won.
If he was a "fucking bombscare" he wouldn't have had the success that he has had.
He is an average goalkeeper who has been made out to be great by the usual idiots at the Sun/Star/Mirror etc.
The reason he is massively overrated is because we didn't have a decent keeper for a decade since Seaman retired for England (Rob Green....Paul Robinson...David James FFS), so as soon as Hart came through he was treated as a messiah in the press.
The reality is that he is not in the class of Cech, Courtois, Lloris, De Gea just in the Premier League alone. I would make the case that Jack Butland will and should overtake him soon as Englands no 1 keeper.
Also, why is anyone listening to the professional buffoon that is Joey Barton?
De Gea is streets ahead of everyone else in the league. Hart is roughly as good as any of the others you mentioned - based on the past couple of years I'm not sure how anyone can deride Hart but say Cech, Lloris or Courtois are notably better. All three are overrated IMO, and while they're probably all better than Hart, it isn't by much at all.
I do agree that Butland is a great goalkeeper though and should take his spot - it seemed like Forster was ahead of him under Hodgson, but Butland seems the better keeper already and will improve further. I reckon United will go for him once De Gea fucks them off.
Hart is as good as Courtois or Cech, really? I don't think he is as good as those players, not consistent enough.
I'm not saying that because I think Hart is brilliant, I just don't think Cech is anywhere near as good as he once was and makes just as many mistakes as Hart (how many times has he been beaten from long range since he joined?!), and really don't understand why Courtois is so highly rated in the first place.
If I was ranking the league's goalkeepers they'd be above Hart, but not by much at all. De Gea is the best by an absolute mile, then there's little to choose between Hart, Cech, Lloris, Courtois, Begovic, Butland, Forster andGomesSchmeichel. The standard of keepers in the Prem is now really high, much higher than it used to be - I'd say only Mignolet and Boruc are notably crap, the likes of Fabianski, Mannone and Adrian are among the weaker keepers in the league despite being perfectly decent.
Butland is the English system's golden child, they know exactly what they have on their hands. Forster wasn't ahead of him. He got injured playing for England in a game away to Germany.
Probably less than Szczesny. That's been an ongoing problem for years - we concede more than anyone from long range shots because we allow the opposition so many. Poor defending, poor tracking back etc. Always too much space. Can't really fault Cech too much for that IMO.
We need to play Rogic, he's class. Griffiths up top with Rogic behind and Biton in the midfield with Brown is the way to go in Europe.
Group stages are drawn tonight. We're back in the CL
I fear we may struggle at Wembley, but I'm excited to see it.
Potentially a ridiculously tough group - we're in pot 3, which means as well as the top seeds we'll get one of Dortmund, Atletico, Sevilla, Napoli, Porto or Leverkusen.
Best case scenario: CSKA Moscow / Porto / Celtic
Worst case scenario: Bayern / Atletico / Monaco
You've done pretty well there.
Yeah that's about as good as we could have hoped. Monaco is tough but getting the weaker teams in pots 1 and 2 is great.
See people laughing at Celtic's draw, but it's the best one possible for them surely. Not going to win it, so to get all these huge matches in the group is a treat for the fans.
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