Soccer 15/16 thread (aka let's talk about Leicester)

[Shannow]

Because let's face it, we might actually have to talk about Leicester winning the whole thing. Which would be 

Also how does Louisi Van Gaal still have a job.

[HaemishM]

I am so rooting for Leicester right now. I love that they are sticking a finger in the eye of the clubs like Man U and Man City that have spent more than some country's GDP on building a roster.

As for Van Gaal, it's pretty simple as to why he's still got a job. No one is sure about Giggs' ability to coach yet, half the board doesn't want Mourinho because he's a dick and it would cost them money and reputation to shitcan Van Gaal during the season when they aren't likely to win anything and may struggle to make Europa League for next season. That would have been 2 bad manager decisions in a row. And the whole bring in Mourinho thing makes no sense, especially if you are concerned that Van Gaal plays boring football (he does). Mourinho is just as boring unless he has a spark plug type player that is one of his. United has that kind of player in Mata but Mourinho doesn't know how to use him without handcuffing him. Mourinho's results wouldn't be much better and would be just about as boring. Plus, let's say he wins the title in his 2nd season. You know that the 3rd season he'll implode and destroy dressing room chemistry and they'll have to start all over again. United needs to blow it all up, start again with a young manager and give him time to succeed. They are in almost as bad a shape as Liverpool.

[Mac]

Shut up. Louis van Gaal is amazing.

[HaemishM]

Liverpool. Lucas taking 2nd penalty. UGGGGGHHHHHH.


... the fuck?

[Amarr HM]

I think LVG has just won over a lot of fans with that performance.

Would love to see Leicester lift the trophy, brings me back to the post Liverpool domination days, when anybody could win the title.

[HaemishM]

It doesn't hurt that Van Gaal did his flop during a game in which United actually played better than I've seen them in quite a while. This is not the same team that played seesaw back and forth square passes for 90 minutes and lose 2-1 or draw 0-0. They were direct and aggressive. Plus they had an 18-year old striker who looks like he has a better map to goal than anyone that's been playing in that position all year. If Van Gaal had done his act while they were losing 3-0 to Arsenal, I don't think United fans would have looked on it too kindly.

[Amarr HM]

You're spot on there, I also watched the two games during the week and I was impressed by how we dominated and looked dangerous at the same time. Long time since we saw United team do that, even against inferior opposition. Seems the injuries have actually had a positive effect on the team by removing Fellaini and Rooney from any equation, also Carrick extracted from midfield helps. Herrera is sheer class on his day, twice the player Carrick ever was.

[lamaros]

Carrick was the only reason Fergie got his last few league wins. Herrera has yet to do anything like that.

[Amarr HM]

 

Yes he was literally the only reason Fergie one his last few titles, Ronaldo, Rooney, Van Persie, Scholes, Giggs, Van Der Sar etc. were just pleased as punch that the most vital cog in the Man United title winning machine "Michael pass the ball sideways Carrick" was there.

Herrera might have won a few titles with Ferguson as manager eh. But nice attempt at a fallacy anyway.

[lamaros]

I'll admit to exaggerating on regards to last 'few', but Carrick was the most significant player in the last one (12-13). When he was out injured the club had no midfield, and the results reflected this. Of the other players you mentioned only Van Persie can be said to have also significantly contributed to that win. The rest were either retired, left the club, or injured.

[Amarr HM]

That is true,  his distribution and ability to dictate the tempo are easily overlooked, but only effective if youre the dominating team,  which we were most of the time. I have always had issues with Carricks lack of killer instinct and the fact he never gave the back four enough protection,  especially in the dying moments of games.

You got to acknowledge RVPs 26 goals that season too,  they were pretty significant also.

Wow tonight,  how about all the top teams dropping points, great season for the unexpected.  

[HaemishM]

I am loving how crazy this season is.

[lamaros]

I just hope it goes right down to the last day, still so far to go!

[Shannow]

Oh Spurs, doing oh so Spursy things.


From the other end of the table, fuck you Sunderland if you manage to somehow limp out of the bottom 3 for another season. You are fucking terrible.

[HaemishM]

Newcastle Appoints Rafa Because Why Not?

Fuck it, Steve McClaren was an abject failure, let's ring up RAFA!!! That's right, Mike Ashley decides that he wants to take Rafa down with him as the Toon Army death marches into the Championship.

Actually, this isn't a bad move because if there's one thing Rafa can do, it's not lose.  And there is apparently a clause that can get him out of the contract if he can't keep Newcastle up so he won't be stuck in the Championship unless he wants to. I'm just amazed at how much talent they've brought in (some of it really good like Winaldjum) and how bad that team has played most of the season.

Rafa's first game? LEICESTER. Way to drop him in the deep end.

I tend to be cynical on Benitez because of how he left Liverpool (though much of that could likely be blamed on Tom Hicks, may he burn in sports hell). However, he should never have been hired at Real Madrid, not because he couldn't have brought them success, but because on that team chock full of egomaniacs (ok just Ronaldo and the club president really) in that atmosphere (expecting high flying football all the time, full of offensive superstars who do not defend) with that club president (expecting to just put together an all-star team like this was FIFA and win everything), there was no way he would succeed there. Newcastle? Well, I mean he can't do much worse than they've been since they shitcanned Pardew.

[Amarr HM]

See what happens when you drop Herrera and bring in Carrick (albeit at half time), Carricks talent at being a liability in important games shown again. What was his contribution on the night, setting up a goal for the opposition and nothing else.

Liverpool were good on the night but their performace was eclipsed by shitty officials and United being utter shit again. Penalty was about as soft as you'll see, first contact was outside the box anyway. Second goal offside in the build up, no doubt Liverpool deserved to win, but fuck me not like they needed any favours.

Jesus fucking christ watching Fellaini reach for the ball is like watching the earth turn from a space station, he's like a fucking black hole time appears to slow down around him and his elbows just suck everyones faces in. David Moyes needs to get a job quick so he can take him off our hands. I'm livid, mainly at how bad the situation is at United. I look at Klopp and have manager envy.

[HaemishM]

I always thought the Fellaini buy was a good idea - until I saw how badly he's been used at United. Fuck, he owes his career to David Moyes throwing him up as a second striker/target man type that just gets in the final third and attracts the ball to his head (and defender's faces to his elbows) and even Moyes didn't know how to use him at United. Van Gaal is even worse because at least Moyes didn't have a religious objection to the long ball. Van Gaal seems to have the same problem Rodgers had at Liverpool, he thinks players are interchangeable. I thought bringing on Carrick was a great idea until I saw that he put him in as a central defender. WHY? His main and only strength is connecting the back line to the midfield in transition and breaking up play. He does none of that when he's trying to defend his 18-yard box badly. Bring Carrick on for Mata, push Fellaini up to the #10/target man role, run the fuck out of Memphis and Martial on the flanks with Rashford in the center. It's not like Mata has ever been used correctly at United either and he made no difference in that game whatsoever.

Normally, when LVG's United suck, it's because they seesaw passes from one flank to the other for 90 minutes and rely on De Gea to keep them at 0-0 until they get a lucky set piece goal. This wasn't even that good. They were fucking horrible in every phase of the game other than having one of the top 3 goalkeepers in the world blocking the fuck out of shots he has no business saving (or having to save for that matter). I didn't think the penalty was that bad a call - yes, it started outside the box but continued well into the box so the ref has the option to call a spot kick on that. The 2nd goal, Henderson was offsides. The refs were really inconsistent all night, calling somethings as fouls when a minute later the same contact doesn't even warrant a second look from the officials. But it isn't like Liverpool really needed their help. I only hope United plays that bad at Old Trafford next week.

Doesn't matter anyway. I think Dortmund wins it all.

[Shannow]

Diego Costa decides to neck Gareth Barry?. Oh I hope they throw the book at him, couldn't happen to a better person and team.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, Costa apparently is trying to dine at the Chez Suarez. If Suarez got 8 games, should Chelsea expect to see Costa back in the Prem this season. I hope not.

[Mac]

Netherlands great Johan Cruyff dies of cancer aged 68

[WayAbvPar]

Fuck cancer.

[Mac]

So a thing happened in Switzerland

The offices of European football's governing body Uefa have been searched by Swiss police.

It follows the naming of ex-secretary general Gianni Infantino - now president of world governing body Fifa - in papers leaked from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.

Meanwhile, a Fifa official also named in the papers - Juan Pedro Damiani - has resigned.

Infantino has denied wrongdoing while Uefa says it is helping police.

While working for Uefa, Infantino co-signed a television rights deal in 2006 with two businessmen who have since been accused by the FBI of bribery.

Meet the new boss etc.

[HaemishM]

I haven't watched much MLS the last few years because my team, the Chicago Fire, have SUCKED IT HARD. But I watched them play NYCFC the other night at Yankee Stadium.

First off, whose idiotic fucking idea was it to play games in Yankee Stadium? It felt like they were playing in a phone booth and the ball bounced weirdly all night. It made for a shitty, shitty, shit game. Too many fouls, no real flow, lots of aimless balls hit 40 yards in the air only to come right back at the other team. Secondly, Chicago is still very very shitty. Please tell me the level of play around the league is a bit better than this because this was fucking horrific.

[WayAbvPar]

Even if you get better play, the officiating is so fucking bad that Christ only knows how the game will end (we just know it will prominently involve a shitty call or 4).

[HaemishM]

SPURSLOL!

[Mac]

Ronald isn't playing against City so this might be their chance against Real Madrid.

And yes indeed lol@spurs.

[Endie]

Despite being a Liverpool fan I am now tense that Leicester, instead of being held up as the most unlikely champions of the modern English game, will somehow contrive to be the most unlikely non-winners.  At home to Martinez's Everton should be three points in the bank with the way the toffees have been playing recently (one win in the league since mid-February) but I keep thinking of Kevin Keegan and Newcastle almost 20 years ago.

[lamaros]

They'll win it. The only shame to the story is that the owner is dodgy.

Would be good for a Utd win this weekend though, just to keep both the title race and the top 4 race going down to the wire.

[Shannow]

4 points needed in 3 games. Obviously the key to winning a PL title is to have a Schmeichel in goal.

[Endie]

4 points needed in 3 games. Obviously the key to winning a PL title is to have a Schmeichel in goal.

They only need three: one win will do it even if Tottenham win all the rest of their matches.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, a win this weekend will put them over the line. Best Spurs can do is 78 points with a better goal differential, and Leicester is currently on 76 points. Granted, Man. U. could beat them or at least give them a draw. But yeah a home game against Everton's woeful defense (with Vardy back, mind you) should be an almost certain 3 points, and even Chelsea at Stamford Bridge is winnable.

Seeing Leicester in the Champion's League next year with Man. U. NOT in the CL would be fucking awesome, especially if Liverpool wins Europa League and gets in the CL themselves. Maybe that would be what finally gets Van Gaal fired but frankly, I'm amazed he's still in the job now.

[Endie]

Vardy will be back while I strongly suspect Spurs will have to do without Dele Alli, their 2nd-top scorer, albeit a million miles behind Kane, for the rest of the season.

Van Gaal, it should be said, still has a lower win percentage than Moyes did.  That said, Moyes has the third-best win percentage of any Man Utd manager ever.

[Amarr HM]

Seeing Leicester in the Champion's League next year with Man. U. NOT in the CL would be fucking awesome, especially if Liverpool wins Europa League and gets in the CL themselves. Maybe that would be what finally gets Van Gaal fired but frankly, I'm amazed he's still in the job now.

I've actually done 360 on Van Gaal, I initially liked how he ousted all the dead weight Nani etc. but then the dire performances and continuing use of Fellaini in a target man role really drove me to jump on the 'LVG out' bandwagon.

Whether by accident or design the introduction of the youth players, especially Rashford, has brought a warm glow over the last few weeks. A lot of managers would have dropped Rashford for a returning senior player or just played an established player out of position. I think even Fergie in his later years stopped trusting in youth players, finally culminating in the loss of Pogba which is actually a major blight on his legacy, if you consider this was all coinciding of his signing of Bebe.

If LVG wins the FA cup then he deserves his third season. The FA cup magic is what got me into football, alongside Maradonas goal against England in 86' and Ray Houghtons header against England in 88'.
My first memory of United winning a trophy was the 85' final, but mainly for fellow Irish man Kevin Moran who was the first player to be sent off in it's hundred year history, I recall my grandmother being quite upset about this, mainly cause he was Irish. I was 8 and only learning about patriotism.

The 1990 FA cup was special, two unbelievable semis, both went to extra time United scrape through after a six goal thriller and Liverpool get pipped by Palace in a seven goal thriller, Alan Pardew scores the winning a goal. United went on to a great final 3-3 against Palace, Ian Wright destroying our defense in the dying minutes and setting up a pretty dull replay, where both teams went into turtle mode. United scraped a win via a random fullback, Lee Martin, not known for scoring and essentially saved Fergies career.

[HaemishM]

I always felt like Moyes never had a chance. His style of play was so defensive and his demeanor was shrouded by the giant fucking Sir Alex shaped shadow he had to live under. And as bad as Moyes' teams played, most of the football played under Van Gaal has been even more dour. The only reason they've improved lately is Martial and Rashford both have the ability to score and the willingness to do so. Juan Mata is hampered by Van Gaal's insistence on leashing him, Depay gets a good attacking game and as soon as he fluffs a pass, Van Gaal benches him for weeks. Felliani is a one-dimensional player whose best attribute is the one Van Gaal hates to use with the white-hot passion of the sun. Rooney's skills have been so dulled by constant injuries and shifts in position that nobody is sure where he's best suited anymore.

Meanwhile, Angel Di Maria tore up the admittedly poorer Ligue 1.

[Amarr HM]

Depay has been terrible Haemish, he fluffs more than the odd pass, usually cuts in and shoots into a defender or row z. Di Maria just wasn't into it, I don't believe people should use that to beat up Van Gaal, Fergie had similar experiences with Veron and Forlan.