The Football.....

[SpokeyDokey]

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!!!

Sadly we couldn't get tickets and we quite like a trip to Goodison - fans have always been good to us on past trips.

May the best team on the day win - and let's hope there are no Official howlers!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

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.

I can't agree that it's dead end football. To me it's not just a style of working hard but also one of working smart - the latter being seemingly hard to drill into some players.

I think the exploitation of the transitional moment is pretty much key for most decent teams. Apart from the early season trauma with Jose, Chelsea were always (at least the last decade and a bit) brilliant at exploiting that 'moment' albeit not in quite the same fashion as Klopp tries to play. Our players almost instinctively chose between counter attack or deep lying defensive depending on the situation at the time of gaining possession. We seem to have lost some of that fluidity.

Even the mighty Barcelona, esp' under Pep, added a very high and fast press to their well established possession game and it works very well for them. They look languid at times, mainly because of their high possession football, but they are very Klopp-esque when it comes to exploiting the moment of dither when they cede the ball.

As an aside, I can't wait for next season to come as this one has been a complete Mare.

 

[StuAff]

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.

Whatever one thinks of Benitez's credentials as a manager (that would be a 700 page thread on its own....) he was on a hiding to nothing with a boss like Florentino Perez. This, after all, is the guy who sacked Carlo Ancelotti the season after Real won the craved tenth European Cup at last, and Vincente del Bosque after four incredibly successful seasons. Apparently, his instructions to Benitez were to play all the galacticos 90 minutes of every match, yet to keep them fresh for the whole season. Oh, and to bring academy players through as well. Not barking enough? When they defeated Rayo Vallecano 10-2, Benitez substituted Gareth Bale in the 74th minute, when they were 8-2 up and Bale had scored four. Rafa's thinking was that the rapturous reception for Bale as he took his bow would be a confidence boost and strengthen the bond between fans and player. Perez was furious. 'He should have stayed on. He might have scored five'. I can't see Zidane lasting long.......
As for Rafa joining Newcastle, out of the frying pan.....

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Three wins in a row and we temporarily move into the top half of the table

 

[mark st1]

Man shitty beating Norwich was a banker they said bang goes the acca on result number 2.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Man shitty beating Norwich was a banker they said bang goes the acca on result number 2.

No bankers in this years Premier League, it's a topsy turvy season where anyone can beat anyone (And everyone can beat Aston Villa).

All the better for it too (Unless you're Aston Villa).

 

[StuAff]

The PL should be like this every year....

 

[ianrauk]

Would make things a whole lot more exciting..

 

[mark st1]

No bankers in this years Premier League, it's a topsy turvy season where anyone can beat anyone (And everyone can beat Aston Villa).

All the better for it too (Unless you're Aston Villa).

Agreed strange season has been unpredictable to say the least.

 

[mark st1]

So are Leicester the one off like Blackburn were or have they gate crashed the so called top 4 for good ? On paper they seem to have an ageing squad but still get the results week in week out. I like seeing them play Mahrez looks a proper talent hate Vardy but can't dispute he is a good player.

 

[StuAff]

'For good' is what shouldn't be happening.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Good old fashioned FA Cup game there - evenly balanced but a contender for goal of the season from Lukaku put the first nail in our coffin. One of the best CF goals I have seen for a long long time.

Costa & Barry were a pair of idiots today - matched up together there was always going to be trouble.

Chelsea - a season to forget and I look forward to the rebuild and possible change of identity.

 

[mark st1]

Costa is a very angry man. Not a bite for me though either that or Barry has a neck made of iron.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Costa is a very angry man. Not a bite for me though either that or Barry has a neck made of iron.

Agreed - not a bite and they had a cuddle and grin apiece at the end. Media will hype it up no end of course.

FWIW (and I think Everton deserved to go through purely on the basis of Rom's two class efforts) I thought Oliver was very poor esp' at the start of the first half when I thought Everton were putting in some very heavy tackles as part of their over-exuberant pressing.

Costa is an angry man but has behaved well for some time now but the tackle by Barry preceding Costa's yellow was bang out of order and the slow motion replay showed the nasty bend as Costa's lower right leg twisted back. Totally unpunished which was par for the course at that stage of the game.

 

[mark st1]

Agreed - not a bite and they had a cuddle and grin apiece at the end. Media will hype it up no end of course.

FWIW (and I think Everton deserved to go through purely on the basis of Rom's two class efforts) I thought Oliver was very poor esp' at the start of the first half when I thought Everton were putting in some very heavy tackles as part of their over-exuberant pressing.

Costa is an angry man but has behaved well for some time now but the tackle by Barry preceding Costa's yellow was bang out of order and the slow motion replay showed the nasty bend as Costa's lower right leg twisted back. Totally unpunished which was par for the course at that stage of the game.

Yup agreed Barry has always been a thug in disguise he may look like Clark Kents boring brother but puts in some filthy challenges that largely go unpunished. Good game in the second half but you always knew Lukaku would get on the score sheet good couple of finishes there.