Football: A New Hope

[AncalagonTheBlack]

Virgil is class.

UEFA Men's Player of the Season award for 2018/19

 

[BigFatCoward]

I know why defenders rarely win these awards, but this is deserved as shit. He has been immense. For the past 2 years he has been the best centre half of my lifetime. Better than Terry, Stam and even Hansen. 

[polishgenius]

I'm not sure why we're talking about VVD when we should be talking about Cantona's speech.

 

 

[BigFatCoward]

4 minutes ago, Soylent Brown said:

Steady on!

Never thought I'd see it in my lifetime. 

Obviously he is still behind Jonathan Woodgate. 

[Consigliere]

35 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

I know why defenders rarely win these awards, but this is deserved as shit. He has been immense. For the past 2 years he has been the best centre half of my lifetime. Better than Terry, Stam and even Hansen. 

VVD is obviously world class but I'd put off calling him the greatest defender of my lifetime just yet. Nobody was making such statements when he was at Southampton. I think he needs a few more years of world class seasons to get in among the all time greats. Hansen was unbelievably good for Liverpool over many more years and then there's the likes of Baresi and Maldini as well who were Rolls Royce defenders for a long time. 

[Iskaral Pust]

That should be a reasonable group for Liverpool, and a bonus of relatively short travel for away matches.  Napoli were tough opponents for us last season; I hope we do better this time.

Easy group for City, but not much excitement in those games for their fans.  Spurs should qualify with less anxiety than last year.  Chelsea fans might have some fun with their group -- their opponents are relatively naive, ball-playing teams but not a cagey, cynical side that might expose Lampard's lack of tactical ability.

RB Leipzig have a decent chance of qualifying from pot 4.

 

[BigFatCoward]

25 minutes ago, Consigliere said:

VVD is obviously world class but I'd put off calling him the greatest defender of my lifetime just yet. Nobody was making such statements when he was at Southampton. I think he needs a few more years of world class seasons to get in among the all time greats. Hansen was unbelievably good for Liverpool over many more years and then there's the likes of Baresi and Maldini as well who were Rolls Royce defenders for a long time. 

I was only taking about UK defenders. He's no Maldini yet. While Hansen was great for a long time I dont think he had a 2 year peak like VVD. Also any Arsenal fans thinking 'Tony Adams' should wind their necks in. 

[ants]

On 8/26/2019 at 3:08 AM, Rorshach said:

And now no penalty against Lacselles. 

Seems blocking opponents legs with your body and hand is okay, according to VAR.

But accidental handball isn't allowed. 

F*ck me, but this introduction is horribly bungled.

Don’t blame VAR. offside and the ball hitting a players arm are easy black and white decisions. 

But on all the others, VAR has been deliberately neutered by the FA. They want to “protect the sanctity “ of the umpires. Which is a crock. They also clearly don’t want time taken and the ump spending time on sidelines looking at a screen  

Listen to Foy et al speak and it’s clear the bar is set high to overturn umpires decisions. But with a high bar, it means the mistakes are around that point, leading to forwards being KICKED and not getting a penalty. And of course it leads to heaps of dodgy calls not being overturned. 

[Rorshach]

9 minutes ago, ants said:

Don’t blame VAR. offside and the ball hitting a players arm are easy black and white decisions. 

But on all the others, VAR has been deliberately neutered by the FA. They want to “protect the sanctity “ of the umpires. Which is a crock. They also clearly don’t want time taken and the ump spending time on sidelines looking at a screen  

Listen to Foy et al speak and it’s clear the bar is set high to overturn umpires decisions. But with a high bar, it means the mistakes are around that point, leading to forwards being KICKED and not getting a penalty. And of course it leads to heaps of dodgy calls not being overturned. 

I may be wrong, but it seems the refs are directly or indirectly relying on VAR on the tough situations. Basically, they don't call, and rely on VAR to tell them they're wrong. 

May be not, but those three this round - feels like at least one of them would have been called if VAR wasn't there.

[ants]

3 minutes ago, Rorshach said:

I may be wrong, but it seems the refs are directly or indirectly relying on VAR on the tough situations. Basically, they don't call, and rely on VAR to tell them they're wrong. 

May be not, but those three this round - feels like at least one of them would have been called if VAR wasn't there.

Possibly, but I doubt it. VAR is getting the umpires view from him, and then overlaying that on their view of the video. So the umps know they’re views are given a lot of weight.  If they say ‘no’, it’s unlikely to be overturned unless it’s completely blatant. 

[Rorshach]

3 minutes ago, ants said:

Possibly, but I doubt it. VAR is getting the umpires view from him, and then overlaying that on their view of the video. So the umps know they’re views are given a lot of weight.  If they say ‘no’, it’s unlikely to be overturned unless it’s completely blatant. 

Well, nothing to do but wait and see. 

And complain. Because football fans excel at that.

[Mme Erzulie]

Come on, mate, that's not fair. Can't believe you've done this. 

[Consigliere]

Di Marzio reporting that United and Parma have reached an agreement for Darmian for a nominal fee of €1.5m since his contract was up at the end of the season. 

 

Europa League groups.

 

[A Horse Named Stranger]

18 hours ago, BigFatCoward said:

I was only taking about UK defenders. He's no Maldini yet. While Hansen was great for a long time I dont think he had a 2 year peak like VVD. Also any Arsenal fans thinking 'Tony Adams' should wind their necks in. 

First I didn't know the Netherlands are part of the UK. WRT to Adams, please, VVD is good, but can he do it black out drunk on a rainy monday evening in Stoke? On a more serious note, Adams is a different generation of defenders, who were less accomplished footballing wise.

[BigFatCoward]

41 minutes ago, A Horse Named Stranger said:

First I didn't know the Netherlands are part of the UK. WRT to Adams, please, VVD is good, but can he do it black out drunk on a rainy monday evening in Stoke? On a more serious note, Adams is a different generation of defenders, who were less accomplished footballing wise.

I meant I was only comparing him to defenders who had played in the UK. 

Adam's obviously is the winner of pussed performances. With a honourable mention for Paul McGrath. 

[polishgenius]

Mata and Pereira in the starting lineup together, oooof.

 

 

 

[A Horse Named Stranger]

MADS is the greatest Norwegian footballer ever. 3-0 fucking Dresden.  Meh, 3-1 as I was writing.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Bah. Fecking idiots, throwing away a 3-0 at the fucking AfD loving orcs of Dresden. There's not enough alcohol to make me puke sufficiently.

[Consigliere]

Yet another godawful performance - everyone was so sloppy in possession. Rashford's decision making is wank. I can see why Solskjaer has preferred playing Martial up top as he's a much more intelligent footballer than Rashford. Not signing replacements for Lukaku, Herrera and Fellaini already looks like a massive mistake (Sanchez too if he was not part of the manager's plans). The already paper thin midfield and forward line is going to capitulate once all the competitions start and the fixtures begin piling up. 

[Jeor]

Monreal and Elneny out at Arsenal. Monreal did great service for us for many years, he was getting old though so not a complete surprise. Elneny has been tidy whenever he's played but just never really nailed down a spot.

I like that Sanllehi is being proactive with managing the squad, though, and that he's generally filled it with younger players. There's a decent core of youth players - Holding, Bellerin, Tierney, Torreira, Pepe are all under 25 years old and all of them have the quality to be first-team regulars whether right now or in the near future. And early days but I hope we get to keep Ceballos who fits in that category too.

Eventually we are going to have to re-tool the forward line - Aubameyang, Ozil and Mkhitarian are all 30. Lacazette is 28 so has a bit more time, but unfortunately that magical frontline of Auba/Lacazette probably only has a couple more seasons in it.