Football: A Dream of Defenders

[Iskaral Pust]

Aside from Liverpool...

Arsenal did ok. I rate Arteta very highly, but the aggregate quality of the team has dropped, and Alex Song will need to perform miracles to help that defense.

Spurs cut a lot of fringe players, but are still very exposed to the risk of Defoe misfiring. VDV, Modric and Bale all had great seasons last year. If any of them see a drop-off in form or fitness it could really drag on the team.

Everton look short of goals.

Chelsea traded up with Meireles for Benayoun, but I'm not sure they know their best formation or first 11. Mikel doesn't look good enough, Ramirez has improved and has a great engine, but is not defensive enough to play behind Lampard and Meireles. Both Malouda and Anelka are dangerous players, but seem inconsistent in their impact. Torres and Drogba are not gelling and Kalou seems to be on the fringe.

[Black Wizard]

El-Hadj Diouf has been released by Blackburn Rovers.

Going once...

Going twice...

No takers?

[Renasko]

A short summary

League - Spent - Earnt

EPL 559.095.000 € 341.130.000 €

Seria A 501.331.000 € 441.940.000 €

Primera Division 346.315.000 € 290.225.000 €

Top 5 Most Money spent

Manchester City 92.535.000 €

FC Paris Saint-Germain 86.700.000 €

Juventus Turin 85.750.000 €

FC Chelsea 85.700.000 €

AS Rom 78.635.500 €

Top 5 Transfers

Kun Agüero (Man city) 45.000.000 €

Javier Pastore (PSG) 43.000.000 €

Falcao (Atletico) 40.000.000 €

Fábio Coentrão (Real) 30.000.000 €

Cesc Fàbregas (Barca) 29.000.000 €

[Renasko]

Celtic have been reinstated to the Europa League. :thumbsup:

[The Iceman of the North]

Yet another example of the pro-British, anti-Swiss attitude of UEFA and FIFA.

[Renasko]

You jest?

[Black Wizard]

Celtic have been reinstated to the Europa League. :thumbsup:

Is it really worth it though? With a group consisting of Atletico Madrid, Udinese and Rennes there is little chance of Celtic getting as much as a point.

[Renasko]

Is it really worth it though? With a group consisting of Atletico Madrid, Udinese and Rennes there is little chance of Celtic getting as much as a point.

Debatable how well they can actually do. If they play anything like they've done the last 10 games or however many, then yes. We'll badly struggle.

As the club stated beforehand, though: we're in the money game. Their focus is on that aspect. More revenue, plus coefficient boost is crucial to our future success. It'll mean we'll be able to invest in the playing squad in the January window. We need it, as well. We've only one recognisably decent CD, K.Wilson, and the continually impressive Mulgrew.

We're also badly missing Izaguirre, and while it's been nice to bring in a LB on loan from Kyiv, I believe he's cup-tied for European competition, so we'll need to figure something out.

Anyway, I digress. We could surprise one or two of those teams. Everyone knows of our home support. Assuming cravens like Victor Wanyama don't take to the pitch, we could record a victory or two.

[King in the Centre Bit]

Yet another example of the pro-British, anti-Swiss attitude of UEFA and FIFA.

The whole problem here is that UEFA accepted Sion's team and now FIFA have thrown a hissy fit.

[Renasko]

The whole problem here is that UEFA accepted Sion's team and now FIFA have thrown a hissy fit.

Considering UEFA were the governing body to place the transfer ban on the club, in the first place, I'd imagine FIFA were more than in the right in pointing out their lapse. They were also banned from transfering players in the previous two windows. Their chairman is a same vein as the Hearts chairman, Vladmir Romanov.

[Alcibiades]

Frustrating game from the United States tonight. The bright spots for me were Torres and Shae. Shae faded badly in the second half, but he's had a lot of minutes in the last week so I think he's just spent. Torres probably had the best performance I've seen from him in a US shirt. Castillo is a dud.

[Horus Ex Machina]

Frustrating game from the United States tonight. The bright spots for me were Torres and Shae. Shae faded badly in the second half, but he's had a lot of minutes in the last week so I think he's just spent. Torres probably had the best performance I've seen from him in a US shirt. Castillo is a dud.

I was so mad during the second half of that game, but I found the first half to be alot more frustrating. For all of the possession and creativity that they were displaying they couldn't get one shot on goal? When you dominate possession like that you need to get alot more to show for it. I was especially disappointed with Donovan who seemed lost out there. I was furious when he was running down the wing on goal and he chose a centering pass on the ground to Altidore who was being marked by two defenders, he needed to shoot that.

Robbie Rodgers had two opportunities to lead Altidore on open runs to goal and held it too long and Altidore ended up offsides. He needs to one-touch those bc they play is there for a more quick-minded winger. I think that that will be corrected with Adu or Dempsey in that spot. Brek Shea looked very good but made some nice penetrating runs into the box from the wing; he looks like he can be dangerous if he can penetrate and split defenders and get a final pass in.

Torres was a revelation for us, but in the second half he was the only person capable of sending or recieving passes. That's another issue is that our first touches were awful in the final third. But, like I said before the real weak links offensively were Rogers and Donovan. I liked the way Altidore played. He was tracking back defensively he made speculative runs and I think with more timely service one of those offsides would have led to a goal. There were a few articles that I've read that place the blame on the defenders, but they did all that they could once the second half wore on and a frustrated and tired midfield was losing possession left and right. The Ticos were playing a very physical game and that wore on us. They racked up a ton of fouls early and the ref wasn't handing out cards.

Alot of positives in that we can actually run triangles and carry out a less direct, possession attack, but that final pass needs to be made. Shea needs to be a bit more courageous on his penetrating dribbles into the box bc if he'd been more aggressive he would have eventually picked up a pk. Like I said, I would love to see how Adu and Dempsey fit into this scheme. Robbie Rogers is not the answer. Sucks that Steve Zakuani could not get his citizenship fast-tracked (we're one of the only countries that don't do this) bc he would have been a perfect alternative. If Holden had been in form he could be a potential replacement for Donovan if he has a game like he did tonight. Not as much pace on him but his instincts are right up there. Lots of possibilities but I definitely don't want to see Rogers or Castillo starting ever.

Ultimately Klinnsman is trying to teach us how to play football instead of the defensive bunkerball and direct play that we've relied on in the past. It's served us well enough but that ultimately will not win in the WC. It will be a rough process but luckily we do not have to enter the first phase of qualifying so we have time to learn this. Better we start the process now and get it over with than later when the results matter. And bleeding the youth isn't a bad idea from our standpoint.

[Jon AS]

Apparently Germany's first goal last night has officially been awarded to Klose instead of Özil. It's complete bullshit of course, but I guess everybody likes to see records broken. Six to go.

[Slick Mongoose]

Humbug

[Renasko]

I figured it might be that. He should blame Defoe for that shitty pass that made him overstretch himself! What was really puzzling is that he was able to walk off, pick up a ball and boot it down the tunnel upon going off. I'm not sure if he wanted to carry on or if it was just an adrenal spike, but it was a bit odd.

[Mme Erzulie]

In happier news, Steven Gerrard is talking about how fit he's feeling. But taken out of context, some of the quotes sound... a bit dirty?

"My groin is as strong as it's ever been." :leer:

"It's not just what doctors and physios are telling me - the stats are there to prove it." :smug:

"My groin is tested when I'm working and the physios collect data. My groin scores now are better than before I even started feeling my groin" :wideeyed:

"My groin has been fixed and is as strong as ever. What I've done over the past four weeks tells me that's the case and I've got total confidence in it. :smileysex:

ETA: Formatting mayhem

[dajamieson]

Ugh, we didn't deserve to win, but we should have won. Did the ref suddenly lose his eyesight in the last 10 minutes?

[Renasko]

In happier news, Steven Gerrard is talking about how fit he's feeling. But taken out of context, some of the quotes sound... a bit dirty?

"My groin is as strong as it's ever been." :leer:

"It's not just what doctors and physios are telling me - the stats are there to prove it." :smug:

"My groin is tested when I'm working and the physios collect data. My groin scores now are better than before I even started feeling my groin" :wideeyed:

"My groin has been fixed and is as strong as ever. What I've done over the past four weeks tells me that's the case and I've got total confidence in it. :smileysex:

ETA: Formatting mayhem

Dude, those comments are like a month old. In fact, I believe I read them just a couple of weeks after the end of last season. Either way, it's going to be interesting seeing how well Gerrard comes back. He's getting into a dangerous point in his career. A bad injury could end him.

[Renasko]

Well done, you made me doubt my sanity. I found the original article, though. From June 10th.

And the player is 31 now, obviously. It takes longer to heal injuries as you get older and it can be more difficult to overcome.

[So1ar]

Ultimately Klinnsman is trying to teach us how to play football instead of the defensive bunkerball and direct play that we've relied on in the past. It's served us well enough but that ultimately will not win in the WC. It will be a rough process but luckily we do not have to enter the first phase of qualifying so we have time to learn this.

Yeah I completely agree. The ESPN commentators were talking about how suprised they were that we were being creative, and playing pass and more. I wanted to *facepalm*. I kept thinking "you idiots! that's how the game is meant to be played." Klinnsman has my full support. He'll teach our players how to actually play and get us out of the 4-4-2. The icing on the cake will be if he can teach altidore how to score.