English Football Thread 2012/2013

[puddleduck]

Will be joining you I think Manly. Stinky pretty much nailed everything I'd have said.

Also, I genuinely think if a footballer came out as homosexual in English football they wouldn't be abused by the fans as much as you think. Generally most of what fans sing is stuff that isn't actually true. Generally.

Not to mention it would be entirely prosecutable I believe.

 

[shravi]

Puddle, I still don't understand why Davies was dropped for Prior in the ODI side. Davies didn't make many big scores consistently but in four out of eight innings he crossed 25 with three of those scores being 42, 47 and 87. I don't want to suggest any conspiracy theories because it was said he was dropped for poor form, BUT he did announce it on the Australian tour and hasn't played since.

Unrelated I know, but I don't know many examples of sportsmen coming out in team sports.

 

[War]

really disappointing to hear that war, you seem like an intelligent bloke so I don't know why you would feel threatened by someone's personal sexuality. especially as you yourself are from a minority group that has suffered persecution in both general society and in football. I know there are homophobic people out there but it's worse hearing it come from someone I actually generally quite admire and respect. I don't see why anyone should have to hide who they are.

Disagree with all you said & could debate against it forever, but this is the not place for it for obvious reasons. I just brought up my personal position, because i see no evidence in the UK society to goes to football games in my lifetime, that would not make life very uncomfortable to a openly gay footballer. I reckon most footballers know this & if any gay players exist - they would not come out/would act straight.

The amount of players who have sued tabliods this decade for stories that suggest that may be gay also proves this.

Thus if any such player was to go by Gareth Southgate's assertion, it would only be setting them up for disaster unfortunately.

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Puddle, I still don't understand why Davies was dropped for Prior in the ODI side. Davies didn't make many big scores consistently but in four out of eight innings he crossed 25 with three of those scores being 42, 47 and 87. I don't want to suggest any conspiracy theories because it was said he was dropped for poor form, BUT he did announce it on the Australian tour and hasn't played since.

Unrelated I know, but I don't know many examples of sportsmen coming out in team sports.

Davies was drop mainly on a selection hunch -rather than any bad batting form by him or because he announced he was gay. Prior had a excellent 2010 ashes test series & Flower & co thought his then form made him a must pick for the 2011 world cup - thus Davies got the axe.

Of course then Prior struggled in the world cup, then Kieswetter got recalled & has held the keeper position since in limited overs. Now Bairstow & Buttler have also emerged as strong back-up keepers in all formats, so Davies has fell down the pecking order.

 

[barmyarmy]

If I was a gay footballer I would have serious reservations about coming out but it certainly wouldn't be "my" fault.
Society has a long way to go still.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

If I was a gay footballer I would have serious reservations about coming out but it certainly wouldn't be "my" fault.
Society has a long way to go still.

It's more that the football society itself has a long way to go - it's lagging far behind ordinary society when it comes to tolerance about such things.

Anyway - what an unbelievable day of football this has been! I thought Chelsea were going to destroy West Ham so I stopped watching, and then I heard what actually happened! Then there was that sheer craziness at Reading v Man Utd, all nicely topped off by our Blue friends (the light Blue version) dropping points at home.

It's very nicely set up for next weekend...

 

[War]

Anyway - what an unbelievable day of football this has been! I thought Chelsea were going to destroy West Ham so I stopped watching, and then I heard what actually happened! Then there was that sheer craziness at Reading v Man Utd, all nicely topped off by our Blue friends (the light Blue version) dropping points at home.

It's very nicely set up for next weekend...

Yea what a mess Roman and his crazy ownership has created @ chelsea. At this rate it shows how much a fluke the champions league triumph was & maybe their 6th place finish last season is a more accurate reflection of the confusion of that club.

Totteham once they keep Bale fit look good to be back in the champions league. Love the pace & athleticism in that team. When Defoe/Bale/Lennon break forward that is probably the most lethal thing in the league.

Not sure what going on with Arsenal. Still think their mid-field of Arteta/Wilshire/Cazorla is the most skilled in the league - but they are just losing dumb games. This makes it very likely that Everton could get 4th this year - if the gunners don't sort themselves out.

Liverpool just need another good striker & winger to support suarez & take the pressure off young sterling & suso - to do better to me. Demba Ba, Hutleenar (spell check)

At the moment though, i think United will win the league. Whenever they decide to defend better ha, their attacking powers & never say die attitude should be enough. However if they want to challenge the Barca, Madrid, Munich, Juventus in the latter stages of the champions league - the defensive problems need to be sorted out sooner rather than later.

Something isn't right with City this season. Mancini has struggled to make the 3-5-2 formation that is working well back home in Italy work for City. And certain players i.e Yaya Toure i've noticed isn't making the powerful runs forward as frequently as he did last season, which was one of the unique dynamics of City last season.

Michu has to be one of the best signing's this decade in the league. If he keeps this up this season, surely a call up for Spain can't be out of the question.

 

[thedon5]

I'm a bit worried by the number of people who can't spell a completely phonetic name like Huntelaar.

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I hope we don't finish fourth. I'm sick of this crap and I'd rather we take the risk of finishing outside the top four so that we have a chance of seeing some change. I don't want us to be finishing fourth for the next twenty years.

 

[Epic]

I know we've gone past this and actually have gone into the weekend's footy, but I just thought I'd put my two cents in.

If I was a gay footballer I would have serious reservations about coming out but it certainly wouldn't be "my" fault.
Society has a long way to go still.

Society has a long way to go, yes, absolutely, but is hiding from reality going to help change the way the common man looks at certain things? People have got to come out, sure they will be abused and what not, but these things are so beyond just one's life that I feel they're obliged to do this, for the future.

I'm a bit worried by the number of people who can't spell a completely phonetic name like Huntelaar.

Hah, I could understand people struggling with 'Klaas-Jan' (hopefully I'm not making myself look like an ass ), but Huntelaar...

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At the moment though, i think United will win the league. Whenever they decide to defend better ha, their attacking powers & never say die attitude should be enough. However if they want to challenge the Barca, Madrid, Munich, Juventus in the latter stages of the champions league - the defensive problems need to be sorted out sooner rather than later.

Their defensive problems is really the only thing that's keeping me optimistic for next weekend and beyond, then again there's talks of a Vidic return in the next week or so, I really don't know what's gonna go down come May.

Something isn't right with City this season. Mancini has struggled to make the 3-5-2 formation that is working well back home in Italy work for City. And certain players i.e Yaya Toure i've noticed isn't making the powerful runs forward as frequently as he did last season, which was one of the unique dynamics of City last season.

Took me a while to figure it out, but it's sadly all him, I feel he's really what holds our side together and you can't really do that when you consistently give the ball away, make errors and what not. Tbh, the last time I saw him play 'well' or close to well was away to Madrid in the CL, hasn't been the same since then.

I feel Mancini is going to put a real effort into getting another AM come January, one that can also play out wide maybe, like Silva and Nasri.

 

[Umair7]

Reading scored 3 defenders need to improve or another 6-1 is on the cards

 

[thedon5]

Man City haven't been amazing either. I reckon it'll be a high scoring game, but Utd will sneak it. Something like 3-2 or 4-3 is a possibility for sure.

 

[Auwais]

Cue a dull 0-0 draw where Carrick and Barry are the best players on the pitch.

 

[Epic]

http://wherehasourarsenalgone.co.uk/

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Man City haven't been amazing either. I reckon it'll be a high scoring game, but Utd will sneak it. Something like 3-2 or 4-3 is a possibility for sure.

But the last time I checked we have got the best defense in all of premiership(in terms of goals conceded), in comparison to last season we've actually conceded less goals at this stage.

Our main problems have come from midfield and beyond, we're just not creating enough chances really and when they do come we're not finishing them off. Add our slow, below par 1st half performances to that and we'll be down 2-0 before you even know it.

 

[thedon5]

You have been good defensively, but I think United have too much firepower. Rooney and van Persie are looking brilliant atm and Hernandez is obviously a threat off the bench. Aguero and Tevez are strong as well. So I expect a high scoring match IMO.

It's the Manchester derby, defensive form goes out the window really.

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^Arsenal are a joke and as nice as that protest looks, it won't do anything, the board probably watch it and laugh. I hope we finish outside the top four and behind Tottenham, then maybe we may seem some change. I just hope those cancers Hill-Wood, Gazidis and Kroenke fearsome tweak off.

Wenger can keep us in the top four even with this circus going on around him. So when he leaves the club we certainly will have to see some change or we'll be stuck in mid-table with a different manager.

 

[War]

I'm a bit worried by the number of people who can't spell a completely phonetic name like Huntelaar.

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I hope we don't finish fourth. I'm sick of this crap and I'd rather we take the risk of finishing outside the top four so that we have a chance of seeing some change. I don't want us to be finishing fourth for the next twenty years.

Haha for some odd reasons i just keep forgetting how to pronounce & spell Huntelaar's name.

Fair point on Arsenal, do you think he should be sacked as fan?.

Took me a while to figure it out, but it's sadly all him, I feel he's really what holds our side together and you can't really do that when you consistently give the ball away, make errors and what not. Tbh, the last time I saw him play 'well' or close to well was away to Madrid in the CL, hasn't been the same since then.

Ye that Madrid CL game was indeed the last time i saw him make his trademark power run forward in any game. Maybe the big man is tired.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Reading scored 3 defenders need to improve or another 6-1 is on the cards

Our defending was lousy, but our attacking is amazing; as someone else said though, it'll probably be a tight and tetchy draw, which'll do us. And of course if we can sneak it, that's a nice six point cushion going into Christmas.

We have Jones coming back and Smalling, as well as Vidic. I don't know if Fletcher can do the holding man job - maybe SAF's plan was to have Jones in that spot, but I still think we need to dip into the market in January for that area.

@Epic: You might not have conceded many goals, but your defence doesn't look as good as last season - that's probably exacerbated by the fact that the midfield isn't working as well as it can.

Yea what a mess Roman and his crazy ownership has created @ chelsea. At this rate it shows how much a fluke the champions league triumph was & maybe their 6th place finish last season is a more accurate reflection of the confusion of that club.

Although Roman has been directly responsible for Chelsea's recent Premiership and European success, I'm beginning to wonder: in the very long term, is he actually going to be good for the club? Let's look at the last few years: Ancelotti did the double, yet was fired the next year. RDM won the CL and Chelsea had a real good start to the season, yet he's also been fired. We all know Rafa won't last that long, and Guardiola has already come out and said that Roman's a bit too trigger happy with managers at the best of times. What happens if the rot sets in and he (Roman) takes his ball and goes home? There are those who say it'll never happen, but I'm really not that sure. Where does it leave Chelsea, with their colossal wage bill? While I haven't got a great deal of time for Chelsea, I'm not one of these fans who would glory in a football club actually going down the drain.