EPL 2007 Thread

[HaemishM]

I'm not sure dropping Rafa would be a bad thing. He seems hellbent on proving that his football tactics are better than everyone else's even when the team is going through such an inconsistent run. And he's made some not-so-good transfer decisions recently, Pennant being the main one I can think of. Pennant and Garcia both have flashes of brilliance followed by complete fuckups. Crouch should not be anywhere near leading that team in goals, and yet he is. They don't have anyone who bring consistently good wing play, though Zenden could if he'd ever start regularly. Gerrard is not good on the wing, at least not with the team around him. It's not a surprise to me that he's gotten a fuckload better since taking over Momo's spot in the middle.

[eldaec]

Rafa has at least this season and next season come what may.

Not even failure to qualify for the CL next season would be enough to get him fired, or even to turn the stands against him.


1) Winning the Champion's League remains a big fucking deal.

2) Liverpool is a club that has class. We don't fire managers in a hurry.


Plus I think most of the fans recognise that based on Liverpool's current £20-25M ($35-45M) annual transfer budget, Rafa has overperformed in his time at the club. Reasonable observers would still say LFC can realistically expect to finish in the top four in England, and the top 8 in Europe.

[HaemishM]

What's the transfer budget of someone like Man U or Chelsea? I know Chelsea's is obscene but is Man U spending that much more.

[Jobu]

What's the transfer budget of someone like Man U or Chelsea? I know Chelsea's is obscene but is Man U spending that much more.

With the Glazers buying "us" up with a bunch of loans, it's kind of a murky question. They say it wouldn't affect the transfer budget, but I don't really believe it all that much. If you look at this season, you get £12m from Chelsea for screwing around with Jon Obi Mikel, but all of that went to overpay for Michael Carrick (£18.6m), and the sale of Ruud netted another £10m. And that's it. Whereas before the Glazers came in, we bought Evra, Vidic, Saha, Park, Rooney, Van Der Sar, etc. A pretty steady stream of semi-expensive players.

Maybe Fergusson is just being picky these days... but I suspect he would buy some more players (especially strikers) if he thinks he could wrestle the funds out of his bosses. Which he can't. It doesn't help that Chelsea can beat any offer made by any other club, in England or Europe. Maybe it's good for the team. For so long we were the fatcats buying up the big names throughout Europe with modest success (Juan Veron anyone?). I'm hopeful this will push the team back to finding awesome young players like it's history was built on. If you gotta be frugal, you better find some great deals on your investment.

[sigil]

Man U is currently second fiddle to Chelsea when it comes to  budgets. Heck, it may get more pronounced as more gazillionaires enter the premiership. (un)Fortunately Sir alex does a pretty good job at finding younger talent. As a possible example,  rumor has it he saw through the Adu hype and rejected him ;)

[eldaec]

What's the transfer budget of someone like Man U or Chelsea? I know Chelsea's is obscene but is Man U spending that much more.

Chelsea's budget is unlimited for all practical purposes.

They've been spending £50M+ each summer.

The Buccaneers are harder to pin down because they recently changed ownership, and new the owners claim to be only willing to release £25M each year; but recent history suggests the Man U business can support something like £40M per year.

[eldaec]

What's the transfer budget of someone like Man U or Chelsea? I know Chelsea's is obscene but is Man U spending that much more.

With the Glazers buying "us" up with a bunch of loans, it's kind of a murky question. They say it wouldn't affect the transfer budget, but I don't really believe it all that much. If you look at this season, you get £12m from Chelsea for screwing around with Jon Obi Mikel, but all of that went to overpay for Michael Carrick (£18.6m), and the sale of Ruud netted another £10m. And that's it.

This year was a funny year, Ginsoak just didn't manage to get the players he wanted to sign on the line.

Hargreaves will likely cost a big wodge of cash in January.


The debt thing always amuses me. Fact is Man U have always been in debt, previously the debt was in the form of outstanding equity shares, now it is straightforward loans; either way, following the IPO that debt was used to fund massive capital investments in breaking foreign markets with ManU brand megastores and other promotional activity, it worked, and the profit from that project continues to service the loans with plenty left over, just as before Glazer it serviced equity debt by funding dividends.

[Jobu]

Say hello to your new owner, LFC?



Do they start serving lamb curry and hummus in the Kop now? (I kid, I kid) At least he's wearing red.

[HaemishM]

Hargreaves will likely cost a big wodge of cash in January.

I thought Bayern Munich said they weren't going to let Hargreaves get transferred. Of course, unless he comes back strong from injury, I don't see anyone paying the price Bayern will likely want.

[eldaec]

That's what they said, but it's rare that a player doesn't get a transfer eventually if he keeps asking like Hargreaves has been.

[Hoax]

Barca pwned the hell out of Bremen, it only took 20 minutes of timid pathetic play for the game to be put out of reach.  I was all excited about the game too, but really by the time Bremen remembered how to not suck it was over.

[Jobu]

Barca pwned the hell out of Bremen, it only took 20 minutes of timid pathetic play for the game to be put out of reach.  I was all excited about the game too, but really by the time Bremen remembered how to not suck it was over.

I snuck away from work, also expecting an open exciting match. What a waste. It was nice to see some german style play though. I don't get any Bundesliga games... so seeing my old pals Frings and Klose again, who I got to know so well during the summer, was nice. And who is that dude Diego? He was awesome!

[sigil]

The  Premiership seems to be all kinds of knotted up at the moment.

Looking forward to Tottenham v Charlton. I'd like to help Watford get out of the  tail position.

As awkward as the start of the season has been, the hopeful part of me notes that Spurs are still capabale of making noise this year.

[Hoax]

United sure earned their spot in the champion's league it was a hell of a game, really enjoyable.  Christiano Renaldo is so damn good, its too bad he often burns the defense AND his teammates when making a run to the front.  That cross he hit Giggs with was very well placed, but Benfica's goal was the moment of the match, absolutely fantastic shot.

Here's hoping Liverpool get matched against Barca or Real 

[Jobu]

United sure earned their spot in the champion's league it was a hell of a game, really enjoyable.

And notice it took them 25 minutes of wandering around like a bunch of sedated has-beens in 4-5-1 before they woke the fuck up and played in 4-4-2. I die a little inside everytime I see Rooney starting out wide on the left pretending to be a winger.

[sigil]

Jurgen Klinsmann just turned down the US coaching job

The reason? the us wouldn't give up executive control.

You know, because we've done such a wonderful job dominating the world in Soccer.



This line of thought would preclude Pekerman as well, becuause he'd want to  rebuild the youth program from the ground up.

And somewhere, Bruce Arena is laughing with head thrown back, cackling like a fool. Gulati made Bruce look like a wise man.


Fucking bastards. They're trying to piss me off. I swear it.

*Edit* Bob Bradley is named interim. A step down from Arena. Fuck me.

[Jobu]

Jurgen Klinsmann just turned down the US coaching job

The reason? the us wouldn't give up executive control.

You know, because we've done such a wonderful job dominating the world in Soccer.

What do you mean when you say "executive control"? What did Klinsman want to do?

[sigil]

Words just trickling in, but it's control of the program, as to who works where, and where the money should go.

Klinnsman wanted to overhaul the system to allow for more growth and step away from the current developmental system. US Soccer wanted to keep things as they were with minor adjustments.

*based off of interviews and fragments picked up on the net, mixed with a dose of moderate speculation.

If that's even remotely close to accurate, They really :are: a bunch of fuckups.

[Jobu]

It's not like they were looking to hire a "Chairman" or an "FA President", whatever they call it in the MLS hierarchy. They just needed a coach for their team. A coach. The guy who picks the players, trains them, dictates tactics and formations, blah blah blah. I can kind of see their point.

But they definitely should have jumped on the chance to have him re-organize everything if that's what he wanted to do.

[HaemishM]

Barca pwned the hell out of Bremen, it only took 20 minutes of timid pathetic play for the game to be put out of reach.  I was all excited about the game too, but really by the time Bremen remembered how to not suck it was over.

I snuck away from work, also expecting an open exciting match. What a waste. It was nice to see some german style play though. I don't get any Bundesliga games... so seeing my old pals Frings and Klose again, who I got to know so well during the summer, was nice. And who is that dude Diego? He was awesome!

Diego is the shit. Bremen looked like shit, though, so much that I just fast-forwarded through the second half. They have two weaknesses that I've seen. At times, they get really sloppy with the ball in midfield and good teams will pounce on that shit like Barca did. Part of it may be that Jensen is playing (or Vranjes at times) and neither is that great with Jensen being more solid. Baumann is supposed to be out there but has been hurt a good bit lately. The second thing is Wume. As an offensive back, he's good, but he's very very susceptible to getting run on. Most of the goals Werder has given up lately have been because Wume or the other back got beat by someone with blistering pace on the wings.

Was it just me or was that second Barca goal not an offside that wasn't called? Gudjohnson was clearly offside with the ball was passed to him. Is this something about the offside rule I'm missing?

EDIT: And the US should have hired Klensman. What he did with Germany was spectacular.

[sigil]

The thing is, the US Federation is run by a bunch of micromanaging superfans, who don't really get the big picture of whats needed to really build the national program in such a way that it can achieve the goals that have been set out, namely to compete  at the highest  international levels.  I could write a damn book about what's wrongwith the US System, but  I'd rather focus on the game right now.

*sigh*

[Jobu]

Was it just me or was that second Barca goal not an offside that wasn't called? Gudjohnson was clearly offside with the ball was passed to him. Is this something about the offside rule I'm missing?

He was offside when the cross was played to Giuly, but since it went way over his head and Giuly was onside, play continued. Giuly then ran the ball ahead of him and passed a bit behind him (almost level) to cut back to Eidur. The whole time they were both in front of Bremen's defenders... but the offsides only qualifies when you are ahead of the ball. Eidur was behind the ball when he received the pass, irregardless of where the rest of Bremen's team were.

[HaemishM]

I think I understand but that's REAL confusing.

[Luxor]

Oh christ aye, trying to work off what phase of play you are on to see who is offside is just mental. And why dont you know who Diego is, dont you play football manager?  :-D

[Hoax]

Basically the question is, should they have called offsides on the initial pass.  Guldjohnson(sp?) was offsides when the cross came to the French guy but it is the ref's choice whether or not to call it.  Only if he feels that the player influences play should he call offsides.

For example an offsides player who is screening the goalie but who doesn't touch the ball on a shot will always be flagged.

By the time the ball came to him he had moved back into an onside position.  Honestly as a ref I was surprised there was no call on it but I can understand how it happened.

[sigil]

Tottenham is currently ninth in the table,despite scoring a grand total of Jack Shit away from White Hart Lane.

ESPN will carry all the games of Euro 2008. No having to pay 25 bucks per match. :)

[eldaec]

West Ham have sacked Alan Pardew.

Smart money is now on Alan Curbishley to take over at West Ham, Pardew to move to Charlton.

[sigil]

Not EPL related, but not worth a new thread.

Adu got traded to Real salt lake for an Allocation, a player and future consideration.

DC United is about to go raiding the Argentine professional league.

[HaemishM]

The Chelsea/Arsenal game was a damn good game to watch. Back and forth and up and down. That strike from Essien was just masterful. Glad to see Chelsea slip even further from the title.

[Luxor]

Aye, and it wasn't even the best goal of the weekend.

Matthew Taylor of Portsmouth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQi1T-dE8Hk

[HaemishM]

That Taylor strike was just gorgeous and completely preventable. Tim Howard just let off completely. He should have had that if he'd been paying attention. It was still a great shot though.

[sigil]

Champions league Round of 16 draw is up.

FC Porto (Portugal) vs. Chelsea (England)
Celtic (Scotland) vs. AC Milan (Italy)
PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) vs. Arsenal (England)
Lille (France) vs. Manchester United (England)
AS Roma (Italy) vs. Lyon (France)
FC Barcelona (Spain) vs. Liverpool (England)
Real Madrid (Spain) vs. Bayern Munich (Germany)
Inter Milan (Italy) vs. Valencia (Spain)

[HaemishM]

Motherfucker. And it's on the road, in the Nou Camp where no one scores but Barca and where Liverpool have never won.

Motherfucker.

[sigil]

Say Goodnight, scousers ;)

Spurs have Feyenoord away in UEFA Cup. They're a sieve of defense, but  it is away. . .  ugh.

[eldaec]

Motherfucker. And it's on the road, in the Nou Camp where no one scores but Barca and where Liverpool have never won.

Motherfucker.

These are two legged match ups, we play away first, at home second (because LFC won their group, Barca came second), which is the preferred way to do these things.

Statistically around 60% of two leg matchs are won by the team that plays at home second.


tbh, it's better to face Barca now than in a later round. Getting a bye by drawing Lille is nice and all, but after round 2 everyone plays a tough side anyhow.

Not saying I wouldn't swap our draw for the Buccaneer's, but at the end of the day, I'm looking forward to watching Liverpool vs Barca much more than I would be looking forward to Liverpool vs PSV. Espeicially now that we aren't desperate for the cash that each round brings in.

I am a little irritated by the effect it will have on our European ranking if we do drop out in round 2, but we should still comfortably make pool A in next year's CL either way.


EDIT: And besides, Liverpool *have* to win. It's beyond belief that an entire season could go by without us playing Chelsea in the CL.