Football XL - Thread of the NEW - SUN

[FuriousGeorge]

Why are genius footballers always so odd?

Suarez bit someone before at PSV and got a ten match ban that time, so I doubt he's going to get a three match ban this time. It's not a conspiracy, he just likes to bite people because he's a fucking areshole.

It was for Ajax not PSV and that is exactly what made me say this makes me think he is trying to get away from Liverpool. He bit that guy in late 2010 and was still suspended for it by the time he was sold to Liverpool in January 2011. He probably would have stayed at Ajax till the end of the season if he hadn't done that. I don't think the FA will give him 10 games though I think he will just get the standard violent conduct ban.

[brAnthelAstgreenseer]

Suarez the man-eater

[Alex.]

The man is an absolute enamel.

Edit: haha, I shit you not, as of the time of writing, Mike Tyson is now following Luis Suarez on twitter.

Outstanding.

[polishgenius]

If we sell Suarez I think our chances of making Europe next year would pretty much be over at that point.

I wouldn't say so, especially since you're not in it next season anyway so the workload is much less but yeah, it'd be tough. I don't think losing Suarez would make you regress quite as much as some people are insinuating though. He's obviously brilliant a lot of the time, but quite apart from the disruption caused by his antics he leaves some things to be desired as a team player when Sturridge isn't playing - whoever comes in would almost certainly take less really bad shots and make better use of possession in simple areas, unless you really ballsed it up something rotten. Mind, when Sturridge is playing their combination is absolutely brilliant and the sort you could base a title challenge around if you give it the backup it needs to build up steam, so keeping him would probably be better.

Got to say, his contribution to the season when talking about PotS has been slightly overrated in comparison to a couple of others- Mata being the obvious one. Why he isn't being legitimately considered for the running is beyond me. Though the biggest miss from the list entirely is Fellaini, who's been the main man in taking Everton to fairly likely finishing above Suarez and pals.

I'd rather have had Mancini up front than Dzeko today.

What about Adebayor?

Also Nasri is such a coward.

[Iskaral Pust]

I don't understand Suarez. Is he mentally unhinged? It seems hard for the club to persist with him after this and yet it would be a huge setback to next season: yet another transition year.

Aside from that, it was a good second half from Liverpool and they probably deserved to win. They created much better chances than Chelsea, who only got two soft goals from terribly-defended corner kicks. Chelsea had a few passages of interplay in the first half but didn't create much at all and had more ridiculously over-hit long balls (Luiz especially) than defence-splitting passes. The penalty was bizarre because the replay showed that Suarez was not even looking at the ball when it hit his hand. It was a hand-ball but it didn't look intentional.

Liverpool looked pretty toothless (no pun intended) for most of the first half after the opening 5-10 minutes. Coutinho was mostly shut down by Azpilicueta, Downing was poor, Henderson at the front of the midfield triangle pressed well but wasn't great in possession, and Gerrard was untidy with a few passes.

Sturridge looked great in the second half, which was a relief after a couple of inept showings in recent appearances. He set up Gerrard for what should have been a goal and hit the post within minutes of coming, scored a nice goal and then assisted the equalizer. He had some good movement and was very direct.

Lucas and Carragher had very good games. Decent by Enrique, Johnson, Reina and Agger (lost his man for the opening goal). Shelvey did ok as a sub but still cannot take the chances that fall to him.

Niggly and contentious between the two teams, as it has been every game since Mourinho. I thought both Torres and Mata dived to get Carragher and Lucas booked. Torres elbowed Carragher. Mikel somehow did not get booked for several heavy fouls in the first half. Sturridge should have been booked for connecting with Bertrand's follow through, and of course there was Suarez.

I have not been one of the Rafa-loyalists preaching his return for the past three years, but I can't help thinking that he would be a better option than Rodgers. And I have not forgotten the frustrating days late in Rafa's reign.

[MercenaryChef]

a loss, but a fantastic time with kair and inigima at the dc united vs philly union tonight.

a win would have capped off the outing, but we still had fun. this is a team that is really trying hard to take me as a solid fan.

[Lightning Lord]

Spurs take it to City. Happy panda.

Our weak GD worries me a bit. Spurs should handle four of their final five matches with relative ease... Four bottom-half-table teams, two of which at home? And a third, Wigan, that's facing relegation... I mean, Spurs should be able to get a decent haul of points from that slate of matches, right? Right? :unsure:

On the lighter, more delicious side...Suarez biting more people. I love me some nutty footballers :D

(yes, late to the party...durn time differences)

[baxus]

and dzeko is a skilled poacher of goals. look at what he did in germany. i just think he does not fit man city at all. why would you not play kun aguero up front?

dzeko is a world class striker. he's just not the aguero/tevez type of player that mancini seems to prefer and base his team's play on.

Looks like he might have done. If he has he's going to get a lenghty ban and fair enough. I've got absolutely no idea why he'd have done it though, if he's snapped it's not as though it's going actually hurt anyone and if you're going to get banned you might as well just hit him. Just bizarre.

have you seen ivanovic next to suarez?

would you hit someone that much bigger than you?

suarez is a psycho at moments, but he's not an idiot

next year's bayern is going to be even more frightening. they will likely add bale and have one of the best coaches in the world. i think they will win the champions league this year and be a frontrunner for it again next. heynckes is getting quite a sendoff from the club with the league already in the bag and a couple more trophies likely.

who will not be part of pep's side next year? i could only see him wanting again the slick passing of his barca sides but with more finishing. who fits into that? who does not?

i'm looking forward to seeing how pep does with a non-barcelona team.

i prefer the football bayern's playing now to anything barcelona played under pep. football style that favours shots on target is much more attractive than one that focuses on ball posession.

[Alex.]

What about Adebayor?

Lets not get silly now, eh.

dzeko is a world class striker. he's just not the aguero/tevez type of player that mancini seems to prefer and base his team's play on.

He looked like a competition winner yesterday. He didn't win a single header until about the 80th minute, and even then he headed it the wrong way. People were actually cheering when he won it though.

To be fair to him, he does seem to turn on the class when he plays for Bosnia. If they qualify for the World Cup/European Championships anytime soon it will be in large part down to his goals.

[baxus]

@AlexT:

i haven't seen yesterday's city match, but from what i've seen from him thsi season he's still a great striker.

stats confirm that, with him being city's striker with least minutes on the pitch (1569, aguero 1675, tevez 2070) and most goals scored in the premiership (12, tevez 11, aguero 10).

it's not as if he's this dead weight dragging the city squad to the bottom. more likely, he's the unsung hero.

[Alex.]

@AlexT:

i haven't seen yesterday's city match, but from what i've seen from him thsi season he's still a great striker.

stats confirm that, with him being city's striker with least minutes on the pitch (1569, aguero 1675, tevez 2070) and most goals scored in the premiership (12, tevez 11, aguero 10).

it's not as if he's this dead weight dragging the city squad to the bottom. more likely, he's the unsung hero.

I can't deny his goalscoring stats - In fact, a lot of those goals were important match winners. He's not a dead weight, but he slows play down so, so much and he doesn't have the technical ability or vision that players such as Silva and Aguero have. He's not a bad striker (apart from yesterday - good lord), but he's not good enough. Off to the West Ham game next weekend so hopefully he'll be better. I assume he'll start that game to give us a bit of size up front.

Shame Aguero was injured for three or four months out of this season. He'll be back stronger next time around though.

[brAnthelAstgreenseer]

PFA wants to send Suarez to anger management program.My question is why should the PFA do this?

[Alex.]

Because he bit someone, seemingly without knowing why? That's not the sign of a healthy mind.

[BigFatCoward]

apparently ivanovic wants the police involved. tart.

[Maltaran]

I heard the opposite, that he doesn't want to make a formal complaint.

[baxus]

apparently ivanovic wants the police involved. tart.

i have also heard the opposite.

even if what you're saying were the case, i don't see why he should be considered a tart.

suarez bit someone on the pitch. it's not something that could've been done by accident during play. it is not a part of football any more than punching someone in the face is.

i don't think getting the police involved would be that far out of line. after all, if he bit a guy on the street i'm certain he would be facing some sort of charges.

[john]

It was for Ajax not PSV and that is exactly what made me say this makes me think he is trying to get away from Liverpool. He bit that guy in late 2010 and was still suspended for it by the time he was sold to Liverpool in January 2011. He probably would have stayed at Ajax till the end of the season if he hadn't done that. I don't think the FA will give him 10 games though I think he will just get the standard violent conduct ban.

But they shouldn't just ignore it, even if it was under another FA, he's done the exact same thing before!

[Inigima]

Ahahaha. The line is the Guardian's, but I saw it on Footbal365:

Headline Of The Day

'Eats...shoots...leaves?' - The Guardian do well with the Suarez thing.

[BigFatCoward]

I heard the opposite, that he doesn't want to make a formal complaint.

maybe he changed his mind, but this morning BBC were stating he did want the police involved.

i have also heard the opposite.

even if what you're saying were the case, i don't see why he should be considered a tart.

police should not be getting involved in spontaneous things that happen on a football pitch which result in no visible injury IMO.

[Inigima]

No police action, no complaint from Ivanovic:

The Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/10010703/Luis-Suarez-escapes-police-action-for-biting-Branislav-Ivanovic-as-Liverpool-striker-awaits-FA-verdict-and-ban.html

BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22248105

The Guardian - http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/apr/22/luis-suarez-bite-liverpool-future

They all appear to be citing this police statement:

"Merseyside Police can confirm that, following an incident at the Liverpool v Chelsea game yesterday, officers have spoken to Branislav Ivanovic in person," a statement from Merseyside Police read.

"He had no apparent physical injuries and did not wish to make a complaint."