The Football.....

[MarkF]

Needing a win to move into the play offs Bradford lost at home 1-2 to bottom club Colchester, who hadn't won a game of football for t.w.e.n.t.y matches, not since beating, er.......................Bradford.

And one week on............Bradford quite easily beat 2-0 ( and with a missed penalty), the long term leaders Burton Albion.

 

[Stephenite]

Watching the Utd v Liverpool game on norwegian tv. It's a cracker of a game but, i can't get over there is an ongoing competition with the prize of... lunch with Gary McAlister!

 

[Accy cyclist]

Man Utd were well beaten. Liverpool should've won 4 or 5 nil. Some of those Utd fans they showed at the end looked scary. No club colours and necks thicker than their heads, giving abusive signs to Louis van Gaal. Some looked to be in their 50's and 60's, grow up boys!

 

[StuAff]

On the bright side for Man U, thanks to David de Gea, they only have to win at Old Trafford by three clear goals...oh wait a minute....

Gegenpressive Liverpool performance by all accounts.

 

[AndyRM]

I listened to the build up of the above game and it was billed as "The Biggest in European Football This Week!" by 5Live.

What a load of pish. Whoever markets the EPL is an evil genius.

Two average but expensively assembled sides in a competition that's usually described as a nuisance in England.

That said, Liverpool should be good to watch next season. Klopp's ideas are clicking and don't seem to be knackering players any more.

 

[MarkF]

That said, Liverpool should be good to watch next season. Klopp's ideas are clicking and don't seem to be knackering players any more.

These "ideas" look to me like "running around a lot".

 

[ianrauk]

Nicked from a mate

Rafa Benitez starting the season off at Real Madrid then finishing the season at Newcastle.
It's like going to bed with Katy Perry and waking up next to Susan Boyle

 

[Accy cyclist]

Nicked from a mate

Rafa Benitez starting the season off at Real Madrid then finishing the season at Newcastle.
It's like going to bed with Katy Perry and waking up next to Susan Boyle

He's probably getting more money for shagging Susan than he did for Katie....money talks!

 

[Andrew_P]

I don't understand you cannot get a team full of superstars to perform what chance of getting the loon army playing football?

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I listened to the build up of the above game and it was billed as "The Biggest in European Football This Week!" by 5Live.

What a load of pish. Whoever markets the EPL is an evil genius.

Two average but expensively assembled sides in a competition that's usually described as a nuisance in England.

That said, Liverpool should be good to watch next season. Klopp's ideas are clicking and don't seem to be knackering players any more.

It's strange that the Europa League hasn't really caught on in Blighty as on the continent it's a really big deal - and rightly so. it's chock full of good teams and is very hard to win. Not the same scale of prize money though so I guess that's the sad final arbiter.

I rate the competition - but then I support the only team that has ever held the Europa League and Champions League trophies at the same time.

I know it was only for 10 days but what the heck!

 

[AndyRM]

It's strange that the Europa League hasn't really caught on in Blighty as on the continent it's a really big deal - and rightly so. it's chock full of good teams and is very hard to win. Not the same scale of prize money though so I guess that's the sad final arbiter.

I rate the competition - but then I support the only team that has ever held the Europa League and Champions League trophies at the same time.

I know it was only for 10 days but what the heck!

I probably prefer it to the Champions League if I'm honest. You get to see a far greater variety of teams throughout the competition, and like you say the continental teams really go for it.

This is a positive of there being less money available. Teams are playing football almost for the sake of it which is all too rare at the highest levels.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

On the bright side for Man U, thanks to David de Gea, they only have to win at Old Trafford by three clear goals...oh wait a minute....

Gegenpressive Liverpool performance by all accounts.

I do like the finer nuances of tactics and love to watch them being put into practice - much easier when actually at a match than the televised fodder.

Lots of non-footie fans dismiss the game as eg 22 men kicking a bag of air about but there is so much subtlety on the tactical front as in this case: the exploitation of the moment the opposition gains possession and the player is deciding what to do next.

Not an original Klopp philosophy but one that he has perfected - he just needs the right players (sharp of mind and very fit) to execute it properly. I quite enjoy watching the experiment unfold at Liverpool FC and think they will do well next season.

 

[AndyRM]

I don't understand you cannot get a team full of superstars to perform what chance of getting the loon army playing football?

Won 11, drew 4, lost 3.

Not bad. He just wasn't the right fit at Real because of his defensive approach. And I suspect there were a lot of personality clashes between him and certain players.

He has proven himself a world class manager, getting him at Newcastle is a huge, huge result. I just hope he manages to keep them up.

Ashley is obviously after the mega bucks next season promises so will hopefully bin Carr's failed signing policy and give Rafa the money to buy some defenders who can actually defend. Only Dummet gets pass marks this season. Colo and Taylor should be shot and sold for glue.

 

[Roadhump]

It's strange that the Europa League hasn't really caught on in Blighty as on the continent it's a really big deal - and rightly so. it's chock full of good teams and is very hard to win. Not the same scale of prize money though so I guess that's the sad final arbiter.

Nail on head there methinks. I don't know enough about foreign leagues to be sure, but in England money is the be all and end all that perversely makes not winning things more preferable than winning things in some circumstances, hence the devaluing of the F.A. Cup, and how one take on the Europa by English teams is that it is a hindrance, especially those that don't have the resources of the megarich few. There have been some good things about English football since the money came in, but also many negative things as well, and that seems to be one such example.

Anyway, Spokey, I guess from here on today we are enemies until about 7.30 pm.....just off to meet a few mates in the city centre for a few beers and food before moving on to Goodison.....come on the Toffees!!!

 

[MarkF]

I do like the finer nuances of tactics and love to watch them being put into practice - much easier when actually at a match than the televised fodder.

Lots of non-footie fans dismiss the game as eg 22 men kicking a bag of air about but there is so much subtlety on the tactical front as in this case: the exploitation of the moment the opposition gains possession and the player is deciding what to do next.

Not an original Klopp philosophy but one that he has perfected - he just needs the right players (sharp of mind and very fit) to execute it properly. I quite enjoy watching the experiment unfold at Liverpool FC and think they will do well next season.

I don't believe in it, it's dead end football to me, if next season's Klopp's Liverpool meet a team that works just as hard, but has better players, then they'll likely lose.

There are already teams using tactics to negate pressing tactics AKA "running around a lot", this involves the recipient knowing, not deciding, what he going to do next and exploiting the space that such tactics always leave.