The Official Football Thread

[ElvenPath]

Originally Posted by germanturkey

that's basically the core of our team. we don't have the depth to adequately cover for all of them if they're injured. depth would be like Chelski, where they can have internationals on their bench.

The Gunners' season would now be looking totally different if players were healthy, but you just can't bank on good fortune. If Wenger doesn't bring in adequate depth this summer, Arsenal fans will most likely be lamenting on "injuries" and a "lack of depth" again this time of the year next season.

I wonder if Fabregas will be leaving. There's really nothing to hold him back at the Emirates. The last few seasons have all started brightly, but have all ended with nothing but bitter disappointment. How can one refuse when offered a place in midfield alongside Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi? Although a tough loss for Arsenal and the EPL, he deserves better, and Barcelona just might suit him.

[Emerald Emblem]

I doubt Fabregas would get the first choice position in Midfield and play every game he would want like he can now at Arsenal if he moved to Barca.

[germanturkey]

yeah, he wouldn't get into the midfield at Barca. whereas at Arsenal he dictates the show. plus he's on contract through 2013, so you can bet that Arsenal will fight to keep him.

[Mentar]

Originally Posted by MihawkXGP

Talk rubbish much? Man Utd were all over Bayern. That Red card made things very hard for us in the end. Man Utd > Bayern. Simple as that. Franck Ribery, the guy Bayern thinks is worth as much as Kaka or Ronaldo, got shut down by an 19 year old rookie RB.

I'm really no Bayern fan, but you can't be serious. Yes, ManU successfully managed to overrun Bayern for 40 minutes, yea. And then they stopped playing football. Bayern already had a very good chance prior to Olic's 3:1, and after that, Bayern was simply the better team. With over 60% of ball possession in an away game.

Sorry. For coming back after a 3:0, Bayern deserves praise. And if you can't hold on to a 3:0 at home, you deserve to be eliminated. Simlpe as that.

Barca or Inter will win this.

Probably Barca.

[Saturn Beaver]

Originally Posted by Mentar

Probably Barca.

Yeah, if Messi continues to play like he did against Arsenal I don't see how other teams could provide much of a competition...Even without Messi they still have Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, Ibra, and many other world class players. At least on paper, Barca should win this.

[fertygo]

Originally Posted by Mentar

I'm really no Bayern fan, but you can't be serious. Yes, ManU successfully managed to overrun Bayern for 40 minutes, yea. And then they stopped playing football. Bayern already had a very good chance prior to Olic's 3:1, and after that, Bayern was simply the better team. With over 60% of ball possession in an away game.

Sorry. For coming back after a 3:0, Bayern deserves praise. And if you can't hold on to a 3:0 at home, you deserve to be eliminated. Simlpe as that.

So true, Munich deserve the semi-final ticket, they dominating 90 min. on allianz, ManU just win first half on their home, yes Rafael Red card affect the game, but just as i said before that what you get if you set already booked player marking Ribery, therefore he just a 19-year old kid. Its SAF blunder i think, he praise his young boys too much because the excellent display on the first half and forgot he's already booked.

[ElvenPath]

Originally Posted by Saturn Beaver

At least on paper, Barca should win this.

It would be boring if Barcelona were to simply crush Inter. If anything, there's hope that it'll be a interesting tie because of Jose Mourinho. You just never know want you are going to get when you face him.

[Terrestrial Dream]

Originally Posted by MihawkXGP

Talk rubbish much? Man Utd were all over Bayern. That Red card made things very hard for us in the end. Man Utd > Bayern. Simple as that. Franck Ribery, the guy Bayern thinks is worth as much as Kaka or Ronaldo, got shut down by an 19 year old rookie RB.

Barca or Inter will win this.


But in some brighter news for Man Utd fans.
Man Utd have signed young mexican striker Javier Hernandez from Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara. He has scored 21 in 28. 4 in 4 for the Mexican national side.
This is of course, subject to a work permit, but i'm sure we'll egt that. As part of the deal, Man Utd have to play Chivas de Guadalajara in christening their brand new sexy 40,000 seater stadium in the pre-season.

He looks to be a very exciting talent. He'll be on display at the World Cup, so I can't wait to see him go.

I don't know I would think Utd need to sign a midfielder rather than a striker.

[KiNA]

Originally Posted by ElvenPath

It would be boring if Barcelona were to simply crush Inter. If anything, there's hope that it'll be a interesting tie because of Jose Mourinho. You just never know want you are going to get when you face him.

Because, as much as I hate him, Moaninho is a farking tactical genius .. And his team carries his instruction to inch perfect most of the time.. It made a very boooring robotic movement tho.

[boggart]

Originally Posted by ElvenPath

It would be boring if Barcelona were to simply crush Inter. If anything, there's hope that it'll be a interesting tie because of Jose Mourinho. You just never know want you are going to get when you face him.

If any team were to beat Barcelona, it would be Inter. Their counter attacking game is perfect to frustrate Barcelona's forwards and midfield.

As for Fabregas coming back to Camp Nou, us culés know that he will eventually take over from Xavi to partner Iniesta in our heart. But for now, I really think he is surplus to our needs. Leave him at Arsenal and let him win something!

[Zico]

quite frankly, Inter does not stand much of a chance at all, imo.
Especially if Barca has their regular squad complete Inter's defense can not match up against the unrivaled ammount of creativity and super accurate small space passing game barca is capable of.

[boggart]

Barca does it again against Madrid.

HAPPINESS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT!

It's been a great week for the culé!

[justavisitor]

wow, Barca is beating everyone these days (well, I know it has happened for quite a while already )

Can Messi get the world cup all by himself despite the hmm questionable coaching from Argentina?? I would like to see England to get the cup if Beckham was on the squad...I don't know if I should continue cheering for England now that Beckham is not on the squad...maybe I should cheer for Argentina instead since Argentina is my second choice

[cloak_and_dagger]

^ It'll be interesting to see how Messi handles this pressure; methinks pressure from your own country is more than that of the club arena. There's already talk about how he isn't performing as well for Argentina, so i'm looking forward to his performance in the World Cup.

Almost forgot, BARCA woot woot! 4 consecutive wins against Madrid, and 2 consecutive victories at Bernabaeu, both historic feats. Amazing, and I thought the +70 goal difference last season was an accomplishment!

[Zico]

the fact that messi did not perform much for his national team has more to do with the idiot managers, no matter how much i respect maradona for his past as a player, as a coach he's an idiot. and the ones before him weren't much better. So i think it's unfair to blame that on messi cause entire argentina team sucked and mostly due to the manager's weird choices. I think it'll all depend on how Maradona does his job to make sure Messi can do his.

[justavisitor]

or messi just says "xxxx this" and starts disobeying the order from maradona... Messi at this stage probably can afford to do this for a few games...and all he needs is to do it for 7 games in the world cup

[germanturkey]

they won't win the world cup. i don't think they have the overall skill to do it. plus spain is too much of a complete team. i don't think anyone can beat them at the moment.

and united draw. nothing without rooney.. and spuds lose. its a good day.

[ElvenPath]

Originally Posted by germanturkey

plus spain is too much of a complete team. i don't think anyone can beat them at the moment.

There are some teams out there more than capable of taking on the Spanish, and I would love to see the Dutch do well in South Africa. Their ball possession and movement may not be the same as Spain's, but they do have enough offensive sparks to win games with players like Robben, Sneijder, Huntelaar, and a certain Robin Van Persie.

[germanturkey]

netherlands is a great team too, but i don't think they have the "wtf" factor spain has. ideally, my final would be spain vs netherlands. they're probably the best two teams. i don't think Brazil has what it takes to beat either.

[KiNA]

As always.. my bets on who do well in WC (or any major tournament) depends on wether that team consist of any ol' red nose's player..... That team will most likely stumble out by semi final... No matter how strong they look on paper. Its the curse of the red nose!