English Football Thread 2012/2013

[War]

Lennon must be considering getting a fake beard and moustache, a new haircut and changing his name. As how he isn't currently England's starting right winger based on form over the last year and a half is just ridiculous. Yet again another stunning performance from him.

Chelsea certainly looking like genuine title contenders now. Wins over Arsenal and Spurs away. Amazing how good they look with Lampard and Terry not in the team!

Yea Lennon and Sterling have been the form English wingers this season. Hopefully soon Hodgson's continous use of the hard-working Milner in the right-wing, position will subside.

However as mentioned, i don't think the best England team going forward, should be starting with wingers, given the passing sickness of the team. Lennon for me should be impact subs.

On Chelsea true on Terry, Cahill/Luiz really should be starting for them. Could even play Ivanovic centrally as well and give the exciting spanish full-back more game time. Terry is passed his peak, but his enormous influence on the club means Di Matteo won't be axing him soon.

Think Lampard though however still fits in well in this new-look Chelsea set-up.

 

[Bevab]

Add Cazorla and Arteta. I can't comment much on the obvious that keeps them out of the squad.

Lol, Cazorla's in the Spain squad. And Arteta not getting picked is weird, but maybe its got something to do with the fact that he left Spain early against the wishes of everybody?

 

[thedon5]

One of the poorest displays I have seen in years from Arsenal. We were so toothless in attack it was ridiculous. We looked better in the 8-2 mauling. Jenkinson and Arteta were the only guys that looked like they gave a damn, perhaps Mertesacker, Vermaelen and Cazorla were OK too. The one thing of note Ox did in his ten minutes before getting subbed was a dribble, it's insane that that was probably the most threatening 'attack' we made all game. The one point where I thought we may make a serious scoring chance.

The international break screws us yet again. Though this alone shows where we'll be come the end of the season, not fighting it out with the Manchester clubs and Chelsea for the title, but Liverpool, Spurs and Newcastle for a top four spot yet again. A real shame as we were one of the best if not the best teams in the league on performances until the Norwich game. We were looking great. As usual though, it's our inability to grind out results and our inability to win a match when we're slightly off our game that will lead to our downfall.

Good to see Wilshere didn't get rushed though, on the bright side. Also brilliant to see 17 year old Serge Gnabry get some game time. I wasn't expecting him to be in the first team fold so early, but looks like he's been performing so well that he had to get a look in. For those who don't know, this guy is the real deal. He is a talent on the level of Fabregas or Wilshere, he will be a world beater pretty soon. Remember the name.

The Chelsea-Tottenham game was great. I didn't think it would work, but the Hazard-Oscar-Mata partnership is godly and alone could win Chelsea the title. They've certainly proven a lot more than either Manchester club. If Torres can stay fit and in form, they'll be a force to be reckoned with. Cashley staying is important as well IMO.

I'm still lost as to why Luiz starts ahead of Cahill when Terry is in the team. He is so much worse it isn't funny. Every time I see a guy from the Chelsea defence make a mistake or a bad tackle, I expect the camera to switch to a shot of Mr. Sideshow Bob...

 

[KBC]

Lol, Cazorla's in the Spain squad.

sure, how often he starts will be a matter to watch, as again chances will only grow bigger.

And Arteta not getting picked is weird, but maybe its got something to do with the fact that he left Spain early against the wishes of everybody?

Would be ridiculous. Fabregas was on the same page and terms as him when he left spain. I hate to say but maybe that's because he was playing for Everton in his earlier years. Either way Spain are missing a heck of a player in him.

 

[thedon5]

VdB likes certain players obviously, he likes having a similar starting XI and a team where all the players have very good chemistry with each other, so pretty much only guys who have been in the team for a while or play for Real or Barca will get into his teams. His current preferred team looks pretty much identical to his World Cup squad, and also to Aragones' team from Euro 2008, only guys who have aged like Senna and Capdevila are no longer in the team, or guys who have really declined like Guiza. Minus Capdevila and Marchena, his World Cup squad actually looks identical to the squads he uses these days.

I'm sure if Cazorla wasn't injured for the World Cup, or if he had agreed to move to Real Madrid when they wanted him while he was with Villareal, then he would be ahead of Silva in the pecking order and perhaps seen in almost a similar light to Iniesta in the team. The fact is in his current form (and Silva's current form), he should walk into the team ahead of Silva, but again, VdB picks Silva to play in the important France game.

So thinking about it this way, Arteta not being in the squad is justified, he was great at Everton, but nowhere near as good as the other guys who were getting into the squad. Now that he has moved deeper at Arsenal, his game has gone to the next level, particularly this season. He'd be perfect as a second choice to Busquets or Xabi Alonso, but VdB will continue to pick guys like Benat, Bruno and Javi Martinez ahead of him. I'm sure his age has something to do with it as well.

 

[Bevab]

Would be ridiculous. Fabregas was on the same page and terms as him when he left spain. I hate to say but maybe that's because he was playing for Everton in his earlier years. Either way Spain are missing a heck of a player in him.

I don't think so Fabregas went against the wishes of everybody. He wasn't seen as a great prospect at that time.

 

[Epic]

Edin Edin Edin Dzekoooooo. Edin Dzekoooooo. Day late, but hey who gives a kerpluck!

Interesting isn't it, he seems totally anonymous when given a start, come off the bench he seems unstoppable. Probably has to do with the change of style that comes about when we're down a goal or just struggling to break a team down, we go from build up play through the middle to just bombarding the other team with the crosses from out wide and what not, seems to really thrive late in for sure.

 

[Lee1981]

Something just don't feel right about city this season

 

[Epic]

I agree and I'm just hoping we fix whatever it is before we come up against you guys. Like if you were to ask me who would win the title based on the performances thus, I'd without a doubt say Chelsea.

 

[ste_mc_efc]

Something just don't feel right about city this season

i disagree. they are playing poorly and snatching points. if they start playing well they will cruise to the title i reckon

 

[shravi]

Jagielka. What a warrior.

 

[ste_mc_efc]

Jagielka. What a warrior.

finally looks like he is back to the player he was before the knee injury. funny how he has started quite a lot of england's recent matches, but watching his club form most evertonians have been thinking "he was twice the player 3 years ago"

on a side note my favourite author favourited one of my tweets today that was vaguely related to the everton qpr game.

 

[Epic]

Just saw the Arsenal game(again, a day late ), super one dimensional is what I have to say about that, they seem to have this one very tiki-taka like style and nothing else to go to when the obvious isn't working. Like what happened to the other side of Arsenal, that very fast counter attacking style(that I've seen in Youtube videos ), guess it all went away when the invincibles went away.

 

[War]

So thinking about it this way, Arteta not being in the squad is justified, he was great at Everton, but nowhere near as good as the other guys who were getting into the squad. Now that he has moved deeper at Arsenal, his game has gone to the next level, particularly this season. He'd be perfect as a second choice to Busquets or Xabi Alonso, but VdB will continue to pick guys like Benat, Bruno and Javi Martinez ahead of him. I'm sure his age has something to do with it as well.

Ye age is probably the biggest issue why Arteta isn't being picked over those talented younger mid-field options, although as you said, he clearly is the best like-for-like replacement for the Alonson/Busquets mid-field base.

I hope he can break into the squad during their world-cup qualifying though, since he certainly deserves to be in the legendary Spanish squad on merit these days.

 

[Skater]

One of the poorest displays I have seen in years from Arsenal. We were so toothless in attack it was ridiculous. We looked better in the 8-2 mauling. Jenkinson and Arteta were the only guys that looked like they gave a damn, perhaps Mertesacker, Vermaelen and Cazorla were OK too. The one thing of note Ox did in his ten minutes before getting subbed was a dribble, it's insane that that was probably the most threatening 'attack' we made all game. The one point where I thought we may make a serious scoring chance.

The international break screws us yet again. Though this alone shows where we'll be come the end of the season, not fighting it out with the Manchester clubs and Chelsea for the title, but Liverpool, Spurs and Newcastle for a top four spot yet again. A real shame as we were one of the best if not the best teams in the league on performances until the Norwich game. We were looking great. As usual though, it's our inability to grind out results and our inability to win a match when we're slightly off our game that will lead to our downfall.

Good to see Wilshere didn't get rushed though, on the bright side. Also brilliant to see 17 year old Serge Gnabry get some game time. I wasn't expecting him to be in the first team fold so early, but looks like he's been performing so well that he had to get a look in. For those who don't know, this guy is the real deal. He is a talent on the level of Fabregas or Wilshere, he will be a world beater pretty soon. Remember the name.

The rubbish I've seen from us this season, yesterday was absolutely fantastic. Our closing down was unbelievable, especially in the second half and we could and perhaps should have been more comfortable - Holt got through a couple of times and Michael Turner had a free header from a corner too. Yes, Arsenal were poor but you have to play well to beat a team like that and we managed it. I'm so pleased to get that first win in the league.