The Soccer Thread

[davie]

Owen did cost 18million.

Sure it wasn't £16 million?

[davie]

Owen is the biggest waste of 18million , Hargreaves wages are nowhere near Owen`s and Hargreaves isint hyped up like Owen is.

The worst thing about Owen is the fact that they wont just bench him when hes doing bad , instead they will start him ahead of Martins who has been much better for us. Least Man Utd saw Hargreaves lack of talent and said fuck u (when hes not hurt) ..... Newcastle still persist with playing Owen. Man Utd can also afford to fail on a player for 18 million WAYYY more than Newcastle can .

Instead of buying 2-3 decent people to strengthen a thin squad we bought Owen for 18mil , R E T A R D E D

Man Utd can say that to Hargreaves because they spent (wisely 'lol') another £17 million on Michael Carrick.

The Owen signing was retarded. They should bench him when he's not performing. But just because he's thought more highly of than Hargreaves is doesn't make him a bigger waste of money (especially when he cost less).

[calgaryballer]

Sure it wasn't £16 million?

It was. Hard to keep track of all that money when you also paid 9.5 million for ALBERT FUCKING LUQUE!

[davie]

It was. Hard to keep track of all that money when you also paid 9.5 million for ALBERT FUCKING LUQUE!

Newcastle have always enjoyed spending a lot of money on shit players. Let us not forget one time world's most expensive defender and fringe player on the England squad - Warren Barton. £4million of pure shit.

[Bigpapa42]

It was. Hard to keep track of all that money when you also paid 9.5 million for ALBERT FUCKING LUQUE!

In defense of that buy, Luque was an above average player in for Deportivo in La Liga. Nowhere near worth that money, but at least he wasn't a completely crap player.

[davie]

In defense of that buy, Luque was an above average player in for Deportivo in La Liga. Nowhere near worth that money, but at least he wasn't a completely crap player.

The PremierLeague is a mess. It seems like being a physical freak is necessary. That's not what football should be about.

Players like Andriy Shevchenko and Hernan Crespo (excellent finishers, with great career goalscoring records) failed in Jose Mourinho's Chelsea system because they didn't work their balls off like dogs, preferring instead to have chances created for them to convert.

It's not always the case, and it's not just Serie A players that are examples. Xavi and Iniesta may not be successful if they moved to the PremierLeague because they're small and technically gifted rather than being some mug who runs box to box (Kevin Nolan springs to mind).

[calgaryballer]

The PremierLeague is a mess. It seems like being a physical freak is necessary. That's not what football should be about.

Players like Andriy Shevchenko and Hernan Crespo (excellent finishers, with great career goalscoring records) failed in Jose Mourinho's Chelsea system because they didn't work their balls off like dogs, preferring instead to have chances created for them to convert.

It's not always the case, and it's not just Serie A players that are examples. Xavi and Iniesta may not be successful if they moved to the PremierLeague because they're small and technically gifted rather than being some mug who runs box to box (Kevin Nolan springs to mind).

Sheva hasn't exactly set the world on fire since his return to Serie A. I think he was past it when Chelsea got him, just nobody knew it yet. And I love Sheva.

It is too bad, but there is a place for the smaller guys in the Prem. Modric has really come on of late, Antonio Valencia at Wigan had a bright start to the season, Robinho can play well, etc. Xavi and Iniesta would have to adapt to the physicality of it, which their small frames may not be able to handle, but their passing would work at any of the top teams

[Archer]

He has a point though , only in the premiership will Richards (man city defender) ever be regarded as a good player . They even summed him up when they said "he often makes mistakes and has horrible natural positioning but his pace and strength makes up for it" .... thats not what football should be about . The premiership is the fastest and strongest league in the world , alot of the time because they search for these physical freaks instead of talented on the ball players (not saying they dont have any) .

Saying all this it is still probably the best league in the world but id much rather watch La Liga instead.

[davie]

He has a point though , only in the premiership will Richards (man city defender) ever be regarded as a good player . They even summed him up when they said "he often makes mistakes and has horrible natural positioning but his pace and strength makes up for it" .... thats not what football should be about . The premiership is the fastest and strongest league in the world , alot of the time because they search for these physical freaks instead of talented on the ball players (not saying they dont have any) .

Saying all this it is still probably the best league in the world but id much rather watch La Liga instead.

Agreed, but I'd rather watch any Serie A game than any PremierLeague game.
Give me Reggina - Lecce over Man United - Liverpool anytime.

It's the most popular because people like entertainment, which must mean they like inept defending leading to shit loads of shit goals.

[Senser81]

Agreed, but I'd rather watch any Serie A game than any PremierLeague game.
Give me Reggina - Lecce over Man United - Liverpool anytime.

It's the most popular because people like entertainment, which must mean they like inept defending leading to shit loads of shit goals.

I like watching Serie A games with crooked officiating and no fans in attendance.

Fabio Cannavaro was one of the top Serie A defenders, went to Real Madrid, and sucked ass.

Chelsea plays like a Serie A team...stout defending, lots of diving, and an offense designed to score off set pieces.

I agree that people like entertainment, but I don't think the EPL is as bad as you make it out to be.

I remember the 'great defense' AS Roma played against Man U last year in the Champions League.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sphuUDTv2cg[/media]

[davie]

I like watching Serie A games with crooked officiating and no fans in attendance.

Fabio Cannavaro was one of the top Serie A defenders, went to Real Madrid, and sucked ass.

Chelsea plays like a Serie A team...stout defending, lots of diving, and an offense designed to score off set pieces.

I agree that people like entertainment, but I don't think the EPL is as bad as you make it out to be.

I remember the 'great defense' AS Roma played against Man U last year in the Champions League.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sphuUDTv2cg[/media]

I'll take my crooked officiating over retarded officiating. Despite whatever small amount of "matchfixing" Italian officials don't seem to make the horrific errors you see every week in the EPL and beyond (Josep Simunic making history for receiving 3 Mike Riley cautions in one game).

Less fans in attendance - yes. Possibly because in Italy the ultras, are actual extremist fans making games more dangerous to attend? Dida 2003?

Fabio Cannavaro is still one of the better defenders in the world. Give me him over £30million Rio Ferdinand. He plays inbetween Metzelder (nice aerially, not the smartest defender) and Sergio Ramos who is defensively retarded.

Chelsea are a negative team because Guus Hiddink is a tactical genius and they have one of the world's best defenders - Ricardo Carvalho.

Give me technical ability, tactical intelligence over "entertainment". Tactical fouling, defending as an organised unit, diving (yes, that's a skill, ask Pavel Nedved), extremist fans, high percentage of players actually from that country. Those are more than enough reasons for me to choose Serie A.

[ATL Jones Bro]

Just came across this on Youtube. Are you kidding me? Thats beastly.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQGAEtYpqs4&feature=related[/media]

[davie]

Just came across this on Youtube. Are you kidding me? Thats beastly.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQGAEtYpqs4&feature=related[/media]

There aren't many places like Brazil that have such a poor attitude when it comes to defending things properly.

Nice close control though.

[Archer]

I'll take my crooked officiating over retarded officiating. Despite whatever small amount of "matchfixing" Italian officials don't seem to make the horrific errors you see every week in the EPL and beyond (Josep Simunic making history for receiving 3 Mike Riley cautions in one game).

Less fans in attendance - yes. Possibly because in Italy the ultras, are actual extremist fans making games more dangerous to attend? Dida 2003?

Fabio Cannavaro is still one of the better defenders in the world. Give me him over £30million Rio Ferdinand. He plays inbetween Metzelder (nice aerially, not the smartest defender) and Sergio Ramos who is defensively retarded.

Chelsea are a negative team because Guus Hiddink is a tactical genius and they have one of the world's best defenders - Ricardo Carvalho.

Give me technical ability, tactical intelligence over "entertainment". Tactical fouling, defending as an organised unit, diving (yes, that's a skill, ask Pavel Nedved), extremist fans, high percentage of players actually from that country. Those are more than enough reasons for me to choose Serie A.

Ultras may effect attendence but thats not why the Italian game is less popular , the Spanish and English league get way more viewers worldwide , clearly the Ultras arent stopping people from watching the game . Barca and Real also have "ultras" and they are consistently averaging better than nearly every Italian Team

People like to see Goals and retarded defending i guess . Personally i enjoy Spanish football the most because of players like Xavi , Iniesta and co .

The Premiership provides more entertaning games it seems because the teams are less tactically aware (most not all) .

Btw Carvalho doesnt start for Chelsea dave , Alex and Terry have started ever since Hiddink joined.

People forget just how poor the Premiership is outside of the top 3 (please dont even say Arsenal)

[Senser81]

Give me technical ability, tactical intelligence over "entertainment". Tactical fouling, defending as an organised unit, diving (yes, that's a skill, ask Pavel Nedved), extremist fans, high percentage of players actually from that country. Those are more than enough reasons for me to choose Serie A.

Too each their own, I guess.