Bloody Football!

I think Rafa returning would be a good choice also but I doubt whoever take's over will be given the time they really need to get the job done at Liverpool - the first thing they need to do is earn the right to be classed a top 4 club again & I feel that is omething that may take 3 years to do rather than the 1 the owner's will want it to take.

The problem with many of these football club owner's these days is that they want instant success & don't seem to realise that to get to where they want to be could take 3-5 years of steady planning. Also another thing (I don't want to annoy any of our American friend's) I don't like the fact that all these top English club's are being run by foreigner's that have no sense of tradition & as soon as anyone refer's to football as SOCCER I kind of loose interest!!!!!!!!!!!!

But that is the beast the Premiership as become these day's & at the end of the day money talk's - player's constantly getting their head's turned by parasite agent's who are looking to get the best deal possible so they can take their piece of the cake.

I for one will not be surprised to see Van Persie leave Arsenal purely cos he knows he can pick up more money elsewhere, he is happy at Arsenal but that simply isnot enough for these player's these day's - obscene amounts of money being earned....

Jealous you fucking bet I am :pissed:

CHRISTIAN Bale, Stavros?

Shurely shome mishtake.....

Although Tottenham could probably do with some help from Batman..... :dancing:

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Originally Posted by SammiValentine

Most reports was Van Gaal for this "DOF" bollacks job, not the manager post. Load of shit all these diff roles anyway.

We sold our soul to the devil (thanks moores) and we are still getting fucked from it, are the 2nd set of owners any better than the first lot..?? Well they have not started assett stripping yet but , still no new stadium news. All this talk of "Money they have invested", we have the biggest sponsorship deal we ever had and biggest in the prem. Furthermore from that "£120 million spent" approx £25-30million was all that was not raised through selling our players. Now take into account the MASSIVE wage difference that you will see in next years accounts, all the new "big money signing" players are on a fraction of what the old stars are, plus all the deadwood that was sat on big wages has gone.......vast amount of money saved weekly, not to mention our mechandise is still one of the best sold "brands" in the world (which is they they took us on, obviously) so if we do not get any funds it all goes back to the golden question... where is the money going? Are we due another £37 million ihn surveyors fees like H&G - before a spade even went in the ground... lol

Apart from that they seem to be sat in Boston and do not have a clue what theyre doing Manager wise, online polls suggested 80% was against removing Dalgish, and polls also indicate that 60-70%+ (Varies forum to forum) want Rafa back but wont even be interviewed... playing a risky game imo. They do not have a clue.

Rar.

Rant over. Carry on.
xx

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It's a big quandary, no doubt about that. In a different climate they might have left Kenny in place for another season, and what they need is a stabilising influence. But..... isn't that what Hodgson was supposed to provide? Oh well......

I reckon that what we're seeing at Liverpool is possibly unique in the premiership era - owners who are if anything more desperate for success than the fans. What I mean by that is that the owners are pressurised by the need to show a healthy return on capital for their shareholders, or their entire business will fall under critical scrutiny, while the fanbase, more experienced and ingrained in their club's traditions and its emotional attachment to the city community, understand and accept that it will take time, five years or more, for Liverpool to reach a status where they can have even the slightest hope of returning to former glories.

So, the fans have more patience and strategic insight than the owners. You can't make this stuff up, can you?

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Originally Posted by robertlouis

CHRISTIAN Bale, Stavros?

Shurely shome mishtake.....

Although Tottenham could probably do with some help from Batman..... :dancing:

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Freudian slip I think...I wasn't sure at the time, I think I once had to google it because I wasn't sure.

Roy's Ingerland take on the might of Norway over the weekend.

Any thoughts?

And apart from Capello and Hodgson, does anyone honestly believe that Glenn Johnson is a better right back than Micah Richards?

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Originally Posted by robertlouis

Any thoughts?

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Thoughts on England :

We are shit. We will continue to be shit. Our new leader is shit. As soon as the players put on an England shirt they become shit. We will be shit at the euros

In conclusion :

A bunch of shit

Will watch whatever I can, really do not care though and have no thoughts. Just hope our players come home in one piece, in the past players such as owen, gerrard, torres.... getting injured in internationals all the time..lmao

I do care about something though, so roll on August. No splitters!! Stand!! :D

I think we should play Sammi in the hole :salad to throw the opposition's concentration & give us half a chance of scoring!!!!

Sorry my mind is still stuck on Sammi :fuckin::fuckin:

in the hole sounds good :D

mmmmmmmmmmmm yes it does!!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by SammiValentine

Will watch whatever I can, really do not care though and have no thoughts. Just hope our players come home in one piece, in the past players such as owen, gerrard, torres.... getting injured in internationals all the time..lmao

I do care about something though, so roll on August. No splitters!! Stand!! :D

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Well, good news for Liverpool - and England - that twat Glenn Johnson has a knackered toe.

Does anyone think that there is a better alternative to hung matches than a penalty shoot-out? Sepp Blatter has appointed a commisison headed by Beckenbauer to look into it. Am I right in thinking that a penalty is a part of a football match if a foul has been committed in the area? Is there something about a player being unable to score from a penalty so embarrassing that it must be scrapped? Or could it be that if you cannot score a penalty you shouldn't be on the pitch anyway? The penalty is a fascinating combination of footballing skill (also true of goalkeepers) as well as a psychological test, and that is why I think it should stay. Better than tossing a coin. The Daily Mail has suggeste 'rock, paper, scissors' whatever that it is, it doesn't sound very footbally to me though.

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Originally Posted by Stavros

Does anyone think that there is a better alternative to hung matches than a penalty shoot-out? Sepp Blatter has appointed a commisison headed by Beckenbauer to look into it. Am I right in thinking that a penalty is a part of a football match if a foul has been committed in the area? Is there something about a player being unable to score from a penalty so embarrassing that it must be scrapped? Or could it be that if you cannot score a penalty you shouldn't be on the pitch anyway? The penalty is a fascinating combination of footballing skill (also true of goalkeepers) as well as a psychological test, and that is why I think it should stay. Better than tossing a coin. The Daily Mail has suggeste 'rock, paper, scissors' whatever that it is, it doesn't sound very footbally to me though.

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When I was a lad we had this quaint thing called a replay - if you couldn't settle affairs within 90 minutes you came back next week and started from scratch. What the hell's wrong with that?

Oh yes, it doesn't fit with the TV schedules. Well, fuck 'em. Penalty shoot-outs might make for brief gladiatorial spectacle, but they're a perverse way to finish a football match, let alone the Champions' League or the FA Cup - even the World Cup, all too often. And they ruin careers. Remember Baggio in 1994, Waddle, Pearce, Southgate etc etc?

Play the game again FFS.

A bit overwrought I think RobertLouis -in the first place, a penalty is part of a football match, and the core question is why didn't those players score a penalty? Why do some footballer faced with an open goal hit the ball over the bar? It is a critical moment psychologically, and there is some guy in Manchester I think who claims he can train players so that they never miss.

A replay sounds just, but what happens if the second -and the third- replays don't deliver a single goal or end 1-1 or 2-2 or even 6-6? How many times can someone from, say Liverpool make the trek from Birkenhead to, say, Istanbul for a football match? Finances are also a consideration, and for the fans.

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Originally Posted by Stavros

A bit overwrought I think RobertLouis -in the first place, a penalty is part of a football match, and the core question is why didn't those players score a penalty? Why do some footballer faced with an open goal hit the ball over the bar? It is a critical moment psychologically, and there is some guy in Manchester I think who claims he can train players so that they never miss.

A replay sounds just, but what happens if the second -and the third- replays don't deliver a single goal or end 1-1 or 2-2 or even 6-6? How many times can someone from, say Liverpool make the trek from Birkenhead to, say, Istanbul for a football match? Finances are also a consideration, and for the fans.

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Yes, of course there are limits logistically, but right now if I was a Sheffield Utd fan whose entire season came down to my team's goalkeeper taking a penalty against his opposite number and missing it, I'd be wondering if there was a better way to decide something so important. Don't forget that Sheff Utd finished 3rd by one point and gave way in the play-off final to the team that finished 11 points behind them.

But that's the cruelty of football -if city had not scored in extra time in the last game of the season United would be champions -it is an accumulation of points from individual matches, not a general verdict on a season that wins titles -United in the past have scraped through loaeds of games 1-0 without playing well. This is why some argue Chelsea were not the better side in Munich, as if defending were a secondary part of football -its about winning. The core question remains: why didn't Sheffield United win during 90 minutes of play if they are that good?

I'm a believer in the "golden goal." Play your 90, do your overtime, then it's 15 minute periods until someone earns the win. If you had that, I guarnatee Munich would have the cup, and not the rent boys.

Fine, but what happens if nobody scores? Can a football match last for, say, seven hours, or indeed, seven days? It may sound absurd, but the tennis match at Wimbledon a few years ago between Mahut and Isner which went in the last set to 70-68 games was noticeable for the steep decline in the quality of the play. It lasted that long because both players were playing so badly, and were equally matched in fatigue and lack of imagination. No, penalties are part of football, and they have the drama, comedy and tragedy that gives players an extra motivation to prove their worth.

This is an interesting graphic. The graph showing wages spent vs League position is particularly telling. It shows how well Spurs, for example are doing, compared to their wage bill.

check liverpools wage bill in the next set of books. :)

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Originally Posted by SammiValentine

check liverpools wage bill in the next set of books. :)

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I presume its gone down ?

Dunno really

massively

Sammi what is your position on a new stadium? Should Anfield be developed, or should there be one grand stadium in Liverpool for the use of Liverpool FC, and Everton -and maybe even Tranmere? Economically, I would have thought it made sense for a new one, and also, I think I might have said this before, in spite of the rivalry between the reds and the blues, the derby has more frisson there than anything other than, perhaps, Arsenal-v-Spurs. The Reds and toffees jokes are way ahead of any other footballing jokes even if I can't remember any (Where's Stand Boardman when we need 'im?)...

and where would it be? And...what would it be called...please please not the Beatles Stadium....or the Cavern Hub....but...the Shankly-Sharp stadium is possible-(can anyone ever forget that devastating goal by Graham Sharp.."the Evertonians have gone berserk..."??

That Goal By Sharpy! - YouTube

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Originally Posted by Stavros

Sammi what is your position on a new stadium? Should Anfield be developed, or should there be one grand stadium in Liverpool for the use of Liverpool FC, and Everton -and maybe even Tranmere? Economically, I would have thought it made sense for a new one, and also, I think I might have said this before, in spite of the rivalry between the reds and the blues, the derby has more frisson there than anything other than, perhaps, Arsenal-v-Spurs. The Reds and toffees jokes are way ahead of any other footballing jokes even if I can't remember any (Where's Stand Boardman when we need 'im?)...

and where would it be? And...what would it be called...please please not the Beatles Stadium....or the Cavern Hub....but...the Shankly-Sharp stadium is possible-(can anyone ever forget that devastating goal by Graham Sharp.."the Evertonians have gone berserk..."??

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Never been to an Old Firm game, have you, Stavros?

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Originally Posted by Stavros

Sammi what is your position on a new stadium? Should Anfield be developed, or should there be one grand stadium in Liverpool for the use of Liverpool FC, and Everton -and maybe even Tranmere? Economically, I would have thought it made sense for a new one, and also, I think I might have said this before, in spite of the rivalry between the reds and the blues, the derby has more frisson there than anything other than, perhaps, Arsenal-v-Spurs. The Reds and toffees jokes are way ahead of any other footballing jokes even if I can't remember any (Where's Stand Boardman when we need 'im?)...

and where would it be? And...what would it be called...please please not the Beatles Stadium....or the Cavern Hub....but...the Shankly-Sharp stadium is possible-(can anyone ever forget that devastating goal by Graham Sharp.."the Evertonians have gone berserk..."??

That Goal By Sharpy! - YouTube

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if we can hold 65k in an anfield bolt on then its gotta be that, otherwise new. (id much prefer to redevelop anfield though for many reasons!)x

Name will be determined by £ not by sentiment sadly :|

Yay for football:(

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Originally Posted by robertlouis

Never been to an Old Firm game, have you, Stavros?

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A comment of no relevance to the situation in Liverpool; as I said, in spite of the rivalry, the reds and the blues at least know how to get a good laugh out of their historic partnership, which can't be said about Celtic and Rangers.

Stavros, football fans who "get a laugh" out their rivalry as per your words , well it can hardly then create a "frisson" to use another of your words, now can it.
There is but one absolute rivalry that exists in football and its the Old Firm.

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Originally Posted by zeebeedee

Stavros, football fans who "get a laugh" out their rivalry as per your words , well it can hardly then create a "frisson" to use another of your words, now can it.
There is but one absolute rivalry that exists in football and its the Old Firm.

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Just back after 5 days gigging in and around Glasgow. Rangers' travails dominate the front as well as the back pages and the old rivalries are as sharp as ever. Everton and Liverpool can and have buried tribal rivalries when their community has needed unity. Spurs and Arsenal can get nasty, especially the tasteless and offensive antisemitic filth from the Gooners, and things can get tasty in the north east and elsewhere. But stir in that deadly poison of sectarianism and there's an altogether different and more combustible edge to the Old Firm.

But just to show how wonderfully parochial rivalries can become, a friend was at a game between Plymouth and Exeter for bragging rights in Devon, only to hear the Plymouth fans regaling their hated rivals with chants of "Dirty Northern Bastards!". You can't buy humour like that.

:dancing:

lol

Arsenal are shite

Does anyone think the Chelsea-Manchester United game was a thrilling mixture of football and farce? Is the real issue player surrounding a referee and trying to intimidate him into reversing or giving a card? In how many sports are the players allowed to surround a referee as if they were about to lynch him? Although I would be surprised if Clattenburg used bad language as is claimed (and Chelsea players have had to publicly retract allegations about referees before now) if he did then he must go. But the real issues must be the way that players dive, or cheat or deliberately try to provoke bad behaviour from an opponent to get them a card, and the combination of lack of respect for the match officials and their occasinally bizarre decisions. It might make for a lively match, but if it isn't fair, it can spoil the enjoyment of the game.

And to think we have to go through it all again tonight! Surely its time to drop this pointless competition, why are there two cup competitions for this country? Enough!

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Originally Posted by Stavros

Does anyone think the Chelsea-Manchester United game was a thrilling mixture of football and farce? Is the real issue player surrounding a referee and trying to intimidate him into reversing or giving a card? In how many sports are the players allowed to surround a referee as if they were about to lynch him? Although I would be surprised if Clattenburg used bad language as is claimed (and Chelsea players have had to publicly retract allegations about referees before now) if he did then he must go. But the real issues must be the way that players dive, or cheat or deliberately try to provoke bad behaviour from an opponent to get them a card, and the combination of lack of respect for the match officials and their occasinally bizarre decisions. It might make for a lively match, but if it isn't fair, it can spoil the enjoyment of the game.

And to think we have to go through it all again tonight! Surely its time to drop this pointless competition, why are there two cup competitions for this country? Enough!

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I'm fucking tired of Chelsea. It was a good game, Man Utd looked dominant for 25 mins but Torres diving (again) deserved a red card. I think the allegations against Clattenburg will be false and if that's found out to be the truth then the players making them should get an extensive ban and the club fined. Lying, cheating and intimidation starts at the top with this club and when you've an owner whose made his money through those methods, it's natural it spills down.

Changing tack a bit. Champions League. All the British clubs have so far been, well, a bit pants, haven't they? Celtic have an excuse as they don't have any money - and they were within a minute of holding Barca to a draw away - but Man U, despite having max points so far have looked very shaky and unconvincing, and the other three have just been shite.

Best league in the world? Hollow laughter.....

The Champions League needs Liverpool :) Bah.

I think the current premier league is actually more competitive right now, compared to the big four era (which was 04/05- 08/09, which is the period when english clubs "dominated" the champions league, note I say dominate in a sarcastic tone as its a long way off the late 70's early 80s when that was real english dominiation) however I do think that the overall quality of the premier league has dropped, the imports since 09/10 have not matched the exports, and I include Managers in this equation. The change of the big 4 has weakened the "premier leagues" performances or results in Europe as the new teams have not stepped up to the mantle, Liverpool was big hitters most seasons under rafa in europe.

To me its no suprise the results in champs league, not since Messi run rings Man Utd at wembley in May 2009. The only real surprise for me was Chelsea managing to win it last year, and we all remember that amazing sporting spectacle. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz :)

Re Celtic, punching above their weight in champs league, well done to them, I tip my hat. Now I can watch them put everyone behind the ball and hang on for dear life all day long v Bacelona, but a team such as chelsea and how they have changed the game with Roman, hahaha. SMH as they say.

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Originally Posted by Stavros

Does anyone think the Chelsea-Manchester United game was a thrilling mixture of football and farce? Is the real issue player surrounding a referee and trying to intimidate him into reversing or giving a card? In how many sports are the players allowed to surround a referee as if they were about to lynch him? Although I would be surprised if Clattenburg used bad language as is claimed (and Chelsea players have had to publicly retract allegations about referees before now) if he did then he must go. But the real issues must be the way that players dive, or cheat or deliberately try to provoke bad behaviour from an opponent to get them a card, and the combination of lack of respect for the match officials and their occasinally bizarre decisions. It might make for a lively match, but if it isn't fair, it can spoil the enjoyment of the game.

And to think we have to go through it all again tonight! Surely its time to drop this pointless competition, why are there two cup competitions for this country? Enough!

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Nothing wrong with two cup competitions. A lot of clubs outside of the premier league are very grateful for this extra source of income. Worthwhile IMO.

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Originally Posted by SammiValentine

The Champions League needs Liverpool :) Bah.

I think the current premier league is actually more competitive right now, compared to the big four era (which was 04/05- 08/09, which is the period when english clubs "dominated" the champions league, note I say dominate in a sarcastic tone as its a long way off the late 70's early 80s when that was real english dominiation) however I do think that the overall quality of the premier league has dropped, the imports since 09/10 have not matched the exports, and I include Managers in this equation. The change of the big 4 has weakened the "premier leagues" performances or results in Europe as the new teams have not stepped up to the mantle, Liverpool was big hitters most seasons under rafa in europe.

To me its no suprise the results in champs league, not since Messi run rings Man Utd at wembley in May 2009. The only real surprise for me was Chelsea managing to win it last year, and we all remember that amazing sporting spectacle. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz :)

Re Celtic, punching above their weight in champs league, well done to them, I tip my hat. Now I can watch them put everyone behind the ball and hang on for dear life all day long v Bacelona, but a team such as chelsea and how they have changed the game with Roman, hahaha. SMH as they say.

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I agree entirely with your comments on the EPL, although it's less about the rest upping their quality and more about the frailties, mostly defensive, of the Big 4 - and if Liverpool get some striking power to match their overall play, their challenge after Christmas could be interesting.

And the last decent Champions League Final was Milan v Liverpool in 2005 - which I watched over an iffy internet connection in Tokyo!

Any chance that Rafa might take the Scotland job? :praying:

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Originally Posted by robertlouis

I agree entirely with your comments on the EPL, although it's less about the rest upping their quality and more about the frailties, mostly defensive, of the Big 4 - and if Liverpool get some striking power to match their overall play, their challenge after Christmas could be interesting.

And the last decent Champions League Final was Milan v Liverpool in 2005 - which I watched over an iffy internet connection in Tokyo!

Any chance that Rafa might take the Scotland job? :praying:

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I dont know, the premier league has lost Ronaldo, Fabregas, Alonso, many others - have they really replaced them? You could argue current stars at chelsea and man city do rival such names, your Agueros, Silvas, Hazards etc but even so theyre not under the same influential management, Mouriniho, Rafa.. who has replaced them? Mancini, Di Matteo...? Ouch.

As I say Man City have attracted quality players with unlimited money but still not gelled as a side, the fact that the champions are not really what I would class a "team" are what I base my expectations of prem clubs doing in the champions league, and that is very little. As i said chelsea was a shock last year, hopefully not repeated :)

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Originally Posted by SammiValentine

Nothing wrong with two cup competitions. A lot of clubs outside of the premier league are very grateful for this extra source of income. Worthwhile IMO.

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Then leave it the clubs outside the Premier League, I think its possibly unfair on clubs that don't have squads as large as the major Premier League Clubs, unless they play two different teams for the two different tournaments; and anyway, the FA Cup is not as exciting as it once was.

I am no fan of Manchester City, but I thought they were hard done by last night. The oddest thing of all is that Roberto Mancini reminds me of an Italian woman I used to know (and like rather a lot) and no, its not his hair..

What a fantastic result for Celtic! If the ref had had the courage, Mascherano would have been sent off, young Watt would have scored again and Barca would have been down to ten men, 3-0 or 3-1 the final score. A fervent Glasgow crowd, Parkhead or Ibrox, is truly the twelfth man.

The Barca boss remarked before the game that when they'd won he would play a youth team in the final two games. Tosser.

Now possibly his final two games :D