2008/2009 Football (Soccer) Thread

[sidereal]

It isn't Madrid.

[Endie]

Yeah, I was only there for a couple of months, but Manchester isn't a great place to live or work.  Not that most of the players do: they're mostly out in Cheshire and the like.

Anyway, last night, having beaten Celtic to go top of the Scottish Premier League with three games to play, Rangers managed to hold that position until two nights ago, when Celtic won their game to go back ahead.  Rangers, playing a day later, should have reclaimed the lead, but they only just managed to scrape a draw with a late equaliser against Hibernian last night, and so are behind on goal difference.

If Rangers don't win the league this time, they may not for several years: they have run up tens upon tens of millions of pounds in debts and are probably going to have to sell most of their few remaining star players in the summer (which in turn will probably lead to them failing early in the Champions League in 2009-2010, compounding their problems).

Amarr will be chortling his head off - and I must admit to a little Schadenfreude myself - but it's a sad state of affairs for one of Scotland's few "big name" sporting teams.

[Amarr HM]

Despite having the best manager on the planet awesome facilities and the like, as Endie said there's a serious lack of glitz or even culture in the working arena of Manchester that it's understandeable Ronaldo has looked towards the bright lights of Madrid and I don't begrudge him this never have. Actually if you watch Ronaldo collect Manchester player of the year on you tube in front of the supporters club it's a bit like a scene from Vegas nights. But if he wants to keep on winning trophies and being recognised as the best player in the world then he has to believe Manchester is the place for him so he's certainly in a state of conflict.

As far as Rangers go all I can say is they should be using that money to strenghten their youth system and general infrastructure Scottish league isn't the place for drafting in superstars anymore, they need a long term plan and it also benefits a league as a whole if teams invest in their youth system, so yeah I've no sympathy there.

[HaemishM]

Ronaldo wants to go to Real Madrid for the same reason Beckham did... money and fame. And he'd probably go a long way to fixing some of the problems the team has had lately - namely, they can win the La Liga title but look like also-rans in the Champion's League, especially in comparison to the Barcelona juggernaut. Plus, La Liga would actually suit him better, as he'd get pummeled less and be able to dive more.

[Jobu]

Beckham left for Madrid because he was marginalized and essentially kicked out by Ferguson. He was happy to stay there his entire career, really.

[Amarr HM]

Ronaldo wants to go to Real Madrid for the same reason Beckham did... money and fame.

Real Madrid is a whole different team to when Beckham went there and even that was a team in decline, I would imagine the reason is actually women and lifestyle choice. The money and fame is in the Premiership these days.

[lamaros]

Ronaldo wants to go to Real Madrid for the same reason Beckham did... money and fame. And he'd probably go a long way to fixing some of the problems the team has had lately - namely, they can win the La Liga title but look like also-rans in the Champion's League, especially in comparison to the Barcelona juggernaut. Plus, La Liga would actually suit him better, as he'd get pummeled less and be able to dive more.

Beckham loves Utd, was just kicked out by Fergie. He'd still go back there an play in a heartbeat if the job was offered. Didn't you see him in the Champions League semi rubbing his hands in glee when Utd scored their third against Arsenal?

[Endie]

Ronaldo wants to go to Real Madrid for the same reason Beckham did... money and fame.

Real Madrid is a whole different team to when Beckham went there and even that was a team in decline, I would imagine the reason is actually women and lifestyle choice. The money and fame is in the Premiership these days.

If Ronaldo wants to go to Real Madrid, it's not about the football.  Look at the Champions' League to see where the centre of excellence has lain in European (and world) football now and over the past few years.  If you are in an English club it's unlikely you'll get knocked out except by another English club.  The trend is so striking that I thuoght i must be wrong, and had to go away and look it up to be sure, but no non-English (later edit to make sense) English club got knocked out of the Champions' League by a non-English side between Man Utd losing to Milan in the semis in 2007 and Chelsea going out on away goals in the semis to Barca a couple of weeks ago.  And you have to go back to the 2003-04 season for at least one of the two finalists not to be English.

[Endie]

Damn the lack of an edit function on f13's mobile client. Of course, imeant no english club being knocked out by a non-english one between the man utd-milan and chelsea-barca games.

[NowhereMan]

Manchester's got culture! There's a library and a theatre and... there are some museums about science and engineering... Umm... they've got Man Utd too, sport teams count as culture don't they?

As far as British domination of European football I'm curious as to why that is. I'm not much of a football fanatic but it seems to be pretty much down to money, the British teams that are dominating are the ones that managed to really sell themselves as brands and pretty much adopted the model of being a business first and a team second (while using the money to make sure that the second part pretty much made them the best in the world). Chelsea I know got saved by Abramovich but again that's because British teams seem to have managed to sell their brand abroad far better than most European teams, Barcelona and Real Madrid are the only other ones I can think about that have much of an international following. Is this it or is there more to it I'm missing out on because I'm not a huge fan and only really get exposed to UK journalism about football?

[Mosesandstick]

Ronaldo's probably sick of the food.

English teams are unbelievably popular in parts of the world that no one else has matched, especially in Asia. Man U has the biggest following by far that I've seen, with probably Liverpool next (especially amongst the older fans). From my experience the EPL is just better marketed, and the ubiquity of English probably helps, in addition to significant British expat populations as well as there being numerable ex-colonies.

Juve and the milanese teams also have fans. But outside of those teams you get very, very, few supporters.

[Endie]

Assuming that they ever get the right stage to perform upon (ie the English Premiership, not some North Atlantic nonsense) Celtic have a large overseas following in some potentially lucrative markets.

[lamaros]

I think the Premiership really took off with the Premiership, and while the money has played a part I think the marketing of the 'product' globally has been much better than other leagues.

It used to be that you'd watch Seria A in the early 90's, but from about 95 onwards I just remember it being all EPL. And it's hard to say that Utd and Arsenal bought their way to early success there. In the last few years I think the money issue has played a larger part, but before that I'm not so sure.

[Abagadro]

Couple of pictures from Camp Nou.







You see that tiny fenced in area up in the very top left next to the scoreboard with the barbed wire around it? That's the Villareal fans. All of them. 

[Abagadro]

So I'm watching the Everton-West Ham game and every time Fellaini gets the ball all I can think of is Fletch.

[HaemishM]

You know, you look pretty high up there, yet the pitch doesn't look that small. Just from the pics it definitely looks like it's easier to see the game from there than it is from the nosebleeds of a place like the Superdome (the one place I've seen a live NFL game).

[Abagadro]

We were in the third deck, but the forth row thereof, so ya high up but still pretty decent. The stadium itself was really well designed IMO and I agree that the sight lines were better than most NFL stadiums.

[Tale]

Couple of pictures from Camp Nou.

Isn't this Barca vs Real? That guy's waving a Chelsea scarf.

[sigil]

Real?

Dude, That's the yellow Submarine of Villareal.

So envious...

Also, Camp Nou's pitch is monstrous. largest allowed by FIFA

[Abagadro]

Couple of pictures from Camp Nou.

Isn't this Barca vs Real? That guy's waving a Chelsea scarf.

As pointed out, Villareal.  That scarf is a two-sided one from the CL semi with Barca on one side and Chelsea on the other. 

[Endie]

I notice a lot of yellow speckled around the stands. Is it semi-desegregated, and more relaxed than in the uk? I like sitting next to opposition supporters at rugby matches, but never pictured latin football supporters as likely candidates for mingling.

[Abagadro]

Barca's away jersey is bright yellow and I would wager most of that yellow are those types of jerseys.  That away fan area literally did have barbed wire around it and high fences with those angled tops you see around prisons and they had a fair number of security personnel around it so I doubt there were many Villareal fans making a real show of it down in the regular crowd.

[sigil]

at the very best, they would be heckled mercilessly and teased.


However th outlook would be better than say a River plate fan standing in the supporters section of La Bombanera in Buenos Aries.

[Abagadro]

This is where I was talking about earlier. Our hotel was about 100 yards from that fountain. It didn't get as bad as this after the Chelsea game though.

[lamaros]

Nice photos. Much more enjoyable looking than the Stadio Olimpico in Roma. Easier to pick out the opposition fan area in that stadium due to all the riot police and burning chairs...

[Abagadro]

So it looks like the CL final will be on ESPN on the 27th. Looks like I need to figure out a way to disappear for 2 hours in the middle of the workday.

[sigil]

So it looks like the CL final will be on ESPN on the 27th. Looks like I need to figure out a way to disappear for 2 hours in the middle of the workday.

Good luck with your efforts. My seekrit plan is a go.

Next year the final will be on F/X. Can't wait for popups of Nip/Tick to be shown on corner kicks.

Is it wrong of me to move Ribery to Tottenham on FIFA?

[WayAbvPar]

I just hope SAF moves him to ManU this summer  That guy is fun to watch.

[Bokonon]

Go go Fulham!

COYW!

[sigil]

Well, true to form, today was falling backwards to victory (Fulham, Hull, I"m looking at you)


Congrats to both, now Champions league final and then it's International time 

[Bokonon]

Well, true to form, today was falling backwards to victory (Fulham, Hull, I"m looking at you)


Congrats to both, now Champions league final and then it's International time 

Seriously, what Fulham did is the definition of "backing into" Europe.

[HaemishM]

Yay! Hull managed to stay up because Newcastle sucks more! And Liverpool finished 2nd, meaning they don't have to play the extra qualifiers in next season's Champion's League. All in all, a decent enough day.

[Hoax]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahah

Newcastle and Boro gone!!! Man that is priceless, another title for Utd. is great too.  Arsenal still needs to add depth and durability to their squad but they are the only other team that I'd be satisfied seeing win it.

[Endie]

Someone please post, on Youtube, slow-motion footage of Newcastle fans crying into their "best fans in the world" scarves overlaid with Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor as a soundtrack.

This and Leeds failing to get promoted make this an almost-perfect season for Schadenfreude.  I just wish that St Mirren had been relegated.

[HaemishM]

Burnley looked damn good after the first 10 or so minutes of the playoff final. With them, Birmingham and my favorite Championship side Wolves in the EPL with Hull, Stoke and Sunderland, next season will see me following a lot of Premier league sides.

As for Newcastle, yep, they deserved it. I hope Allardyce is laughing his ass off in Blackburn. Fuck the Toon Army, let's see if they can get themsevles together and make a Championship winning side.