English Football Thread 2012/2013

[MasterBlaster76]

If there was ever a good time to lose the unbeaten run, this was it, with Arsenal fluffing a 4 goal lead and with bigger away games coming up in the title run-in.

True, but the Manchester Derby isn't the match we need to follow it up with - at least it's at Old Trafford. It's worrying that whenever we haven't got Vidic and Ferdinand in partnership, the defence doesn't know what it's doing. We need cover in the summer for those two - at least one quality centre back, who can play full back as well.

An amazing day of football though - unbelievable stuff!

 

[War]

True, but the Manchester Derby isn't the match we need to follow it up with - at least it's at Old Trafford. It's worrying that whenever we haven't got Vidic and Ferdinand in partnership, the defence doesn't know what it's doing. We need cover in the summer for those two - at least one quality centre back, who can play full back as well.

An amazing day of football though - unbelievable stuff!

Indeed. Evans has looked awful this season. United should thank god in general this season Ferdinand/Vidic has played almost all the time, since if it was like last season when Rio was out for so long, United would have been in real trouble at the back.

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Using Luiz as an anchor man doesn't really make sense if you ask me. Mikel is one of the best players in the world in his role (I'd say best after Busquets). If, however, Luiz is going to play as a deep-lying playmaker then that's a different thing entirely. At Milan Ancelotti utilised Pirlo as a deep-lying playmaker in a ridiculously creative and offensively potent midfield. I don't know if Luiz has the vision to play as a playmaker but he has got the technique though.

Id say Mascherano, Yaya Toure, Van Bommell are definately better in that anchor-man role to be fair. While guys like Keita, De Rossi, Toulalan are pretty comparable.

 

[Auwais]

Id say Mascherano, Yaya Toure, Van Bommell are definately better in that anchor-man role to be fair. While guys like Keita, De Rossi, Toulalan are pretty comparable.

Mascherano, Toure, De Rossi, Cambiasso, Motta are definitely better than Mikel IMO. Heck, even Essien is better in Mikel's role than Mikel himself, despite it not being his favoured position. Others like van Bommel, Toulalan, De Jong, Song, Diarra, Palombo etc. are more debatable.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Indeed. Evans has looked awful this season. United should thank god in general this season Ferdinand/Vidic has played almost all the time, since if it was like last season when Rio was out for so long, United would have been in real trouble at the back.

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Id say Mascherano, Yaya Toure, Van Bommell are definately better in that anchor-man role to be fair. While guys like Keita, De Rossi, Toulalan are pretty comparable.

They aren't really "anchor-men" though. Yaya has become more of a box to box player now, and Mikel is definitely better than how good Yaya was at Barca. Mascherano and van Bommel are what I'd call "destroyers". They'd run up and down breaking up play, very different to Mikel. They'll go in for tackles, running for the ball higher up the pitch.

Mikel on the other hand uses his intelligence more than physique. He'll intercept play more often, sitting deeper and reading the game more. He'll go for tackles over a shorter space. He'll regularly be available for an out ball when in possession, and keeps things simple.

Keita is a playmaker, De Rossi is a box to box player, and Toulalan really doesn't compare tbh.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

lfc: Reina; Kelly Carragher Agger Skrtel Johnson; Lucas Meireles Gerrard Maxi; Kuyt.

cfc: Cech; Bosingwa Ivanovic Terry Cole; Essien Mikel, Lampard; Anelka; Torres Drogba.

Subs: cfc: Turnbull, David Luiz, Malouda Ferreira Kalou McEachran Sala.
lfc: Gulacsi Aurelio Suarez Jovanovic Kyrgiakos Ngog Poulsen

This should be interesting! Looks like Chelsea go back to diamond (anelka as trequartista), and Liverpool stick with 3-5-2 from vs Stoke. Width will be key, and on paper bosingwa/cole much better than Kelly/Johnson.

 

[shravi]

Yesssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!

So how does it feel to lose to a club that's not at the top level, Fernando?

 

[JBlues08]

Yesssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!

So how does it feel to lose to a club that's not at the top level, Fernando?

Please, it's just one match. It hardly proves anything.

Anyway, to be honest, it was a poor game overall and what a pathetic way to end what has been great weekend of football.

On the game, I thought we were just rubbish! Absolutely toothless and Ancelotti's new formation hardly worked. I've said previously this was not an ideal game to test it and so it proves.

Both teams had decent chances to score but thanks to a mistake from us, Meireles scored. Yay! We should have gotten two penalties in the second half but neither was given.

A draw would probably be the right result but a defeat is a defeat. We had a chance to close the gap at the top but didn't take it. Now, we should focus on staying in the top 4.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Dalglish was spot on tactically, and Ancelotti took too long to change. With such a congested midfield, Anelka was always going to struggle. Lucas was absolutely outstanding though, tracking him all game. When Chelsea changed to 4-3-3 it was too late as Liverpool were already in their stride.

Here's my full analysis of the game if anyone's interested:

Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool: Dalglish gets it right tactically | Hoof It Up

(Sorry for continually advertising my site, it's just hard to get followers when you're a new site )

 

[shravi]

Please, it's just one match. It hardly proves anything.

Easy there, tiger.

I was just celebrating the win as any fan would. These last 2 weeks have been quite tough to swallow as a fan so it means quite a bit more than just the 3 points.

Putting things into perspective, Liverpool shouldn't get caught up in the fact that they're 6 points away from a Champions League place as Chelsea and Tottenham still have a game in hand. Even if they didn't have a game in hand, I don't think that they should be playing by looking at where they're going to end up at the end of the season. Just take each game as it comes and I think that's exactly what Dalglish has said in the post-game press conferences.

Read your article, Mani. Agree with everything you say. Very astute tactics from Dalglish.

I've said this time and again but it's time for Maxi to go. He's not strong, he's not big, he's not fast, he can't hold up the ball, he can't cross, he can't shoot, he's an average passer and just hasn't got a clue what he's doing in the team. I don't see what he offers. This would be my formation for when Carroll gets fit

------------------------Carroll----------------
-----------Suarez-----------------------------
---------------------Meireles------------------
Aurelio---------Gerrard------------Kuyt/Johnson
?---------Carragher------Agger------------Kelly

 

[mattfb]

Stayed at a real club, you should of stayed at a real club.

Lol at the plastic flag fans. Can't even make up their own banner:

Yfrog Photo : yfrog.com/h55lpnoj - Shared by andrew_heaton

The funniest part is, it still has the Shankly gates on it. Thick f**ks hahahaha

At the start of January, people were talking about Liverpool and relegation. At the start of February, people are talking about Liverpool are Champions League. Four straight wins, four straight clean sheets. And we're playing good football. Long live the King.

 

[JBlues08]

Dalglish was spot on tactically, and Ancelotti took too long to change. With such a congested midfield, Anelka was always going to struggle. Lucas was absolutely outstanding though, tracking him all game. When Chelsea changed to 4-3-3 it was too late as Liverpool were already in their stride.

Here's my full analysis of the game if anyone's interested:

Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool: Dalglish gets it right tactically | Hoof It Up

(Sorry for continually advertising my site, it's just hard to get followers when you're a new site )

While Kenny Dalglish's plan worked well but I thought it was more of us playing straight right into Liverpool's hand by being far too narrow. We were playing at such a slow tempo and there were signs of things are not quite working already in the first half and yet Carlo Ancelotti took far too long to change it.

He should have changed it at half time and bring Malouda for either Drogba or Torres. Instead, he waited till the 66th minute to change it and by the time Liverpool took the lead, they were content to sit back and defend.

 

[Haarithan]

Spot on there regarding your article Mani .
And this one solely aimed at Fernando Torres : YNWA - You ll Never Win Anything (Sorry chelsea fans , this seriously wasn't aimed at you though the torres banner that Mattfb linked was an absolute disgrace from your part )


We Bought The Lad From The Toon
He Gets The Ball And He'll Score Soon
ANDY CARROLL Liverpool's Number 9


And one thing i never really understood is the UEFA financial fair play trouble Chelsea are in right now ! What exactly is their debt right now ?? If at all they are in trouble , why aren't City involved in that list too ?? Can someone please explain me this part of the story ??

 

[War]

Mascherano, Toure, De Rossi, Cambiasso, Motta are definitely better than Mikel IMO. Heck, even Essien is better in Mikel's role than Mikel himself, despite it not being his favoured position. Others like van Bommel, Toulalan, De Jong, Song, Diarra, Palombo etc. are more debatable.

Yep.

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They aren't really "anchor-men" though. Yaya has become more of a box to box player now, and Mikel is definitely better than how good Yaya was at Barca. Mascherano and van Bommel are what I'd call "destroyers". They'd run up and down breaking up play, very different to Mikel. They'll go in for tackles, running for the ball higher up the pitch.

Mikel on the other hand uses his intelligence more than physique. He'll intercept play more often, sitting deeper and reading the game more. He'll go for tackles over a shorter space. He'll regularly be available for an out ball when in possession, and keeps things simple.

Well yea i see what you are saying with Mikel. But when you talk about a complete defensive mid-fielder i think they should have the skills to be both a "destroyers", intercept play & be available for an out ball when in position.

If where to pick a World & Africa XIs. Mikel wont be anywhere near that.

Cant agree that Mikel is as good as Yaya in his barca days TBH. The only reason toure is seemingly playing as a more box-to-box mid-fielder & getting forward @ City. Is because Mancini is probably instructed him to support Tevez & co more (with Barry & De Jong being the other two DMs who are dont have such license to go forward). If Toure is asked to be more restrained again like in his Barca days, he would be right on ball.

Keita is a playmaker, De Rossi is a box to box player, and Toulalan really doesn't compare tbh.

Keita is very much your typical defensive mid-fielder like Y Toure, Essein, Mikel, Zokora, Song, M Diarra, M Sissoko that comes out a africa these days. Never seen him display any playmaker type attributes.

De Rossi is similar to Essein with his box-box attributes & scores goal. But overall his main game is as a DM & he has taken over from Guttuso has Italy's new mid-fielder anchor man in recent years.

Toulalan is defensive mid-fielder too. He style is very similar to Mikel the few times i've seen him for Lyon & France. He does exactly as you said here:

He'll intercept play more often, sitting deeper and reading the game more. He'll go for tackles over a shorter space. He'll regularly be available for an out ball when in possession, and keeps things simple.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Keita is definitely a playmaker. He played in place of Iniesta when he was injured last season.

I think Mikel is fantastic. I don't have the stats right now but I'm pretty sure he has the best pass completion rate in premiership. He does simple things brilliantly, shows great composure, reads the game very well and knows when to intercept play.

 

[JBlues08]

Axed Sky duo set for radio return - ESPN Soccernet

They are back!

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I think Mikel is fantastic. I don't have the stats right now but I'm pretty sure he has the best pass completion rate in premiership. He does simple things brilliantly, shows great composure, reads the game very well and knows when to intercept play.

Yeah but the problem with him is he is not consistent enough. Furthermore, he tends to give away silly free kicks in dangerous areas and sometimes, unaware of what is going around him when the team is on the back foot.