On the Eve of the new Season...

We had more problems than anticipated, but at the end we won and we are 12 points ahead of them. they played very defensively and had a couple of chances, but I like Barcelona this year, we believe in our chances as opposed to last year when we played against Manchester United and the team gave the impression that it knew it could not score a goal in the two games.

Let's see how the champions league draw goes. there are good teams that finished second in their groups, Inter, Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Lyon, Atletico…

seemed like real made a concerted effort to foul messi hard

toon's win against pompey was really needed. it makes no sense to sell mike in jan even if he walks on a free, so they probably punt him to man shitty or someone else in a similar position in the table

i thought adams's decisions in the second half were shocking as was defoe's finishing

godsshoeshine wrote:also, hoffenheim are on gol again (against schalke) sunday at 11 est i believe,

I love the embrace of "The Hoff" as I have started referring to them:


Sunday December 14 2008 The Observer

German village heroes

European football has never seen anything like it - a village team on course for the Champions League. Meet the men behind the amazing story of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

i didnt watch it, and i forgot to check if my dvr caught it. if so, i hope to watch it tonight

godsshoeshine wrote:
i didnt watch it, and i forgot to check if my dvr caught it. if so, i hope to watch it tonight

You're not going to like this, but last night as I was deciding what to watch as I was going to sleep, I decided to watch The Hoff instead of my usual Newcastle match to particiapte in the weekly Newcastle conversation. 

While you watch The Hoff, I'll be watching The Toon.

i hope i didnt give away too much above (sometimes brevity is good)

whats going on with man u? they surely should have converted one of those chances. i was hoping theyd be softened up for their visit to st james park this weekend

i'm going to be busy up until boxing day, but have nothing to do the next whole week. my plan is to watch entirely too much footie oh and maybe vacuum

godsshoeshine wrote:
i hope i didnt give away too much above (sometimes brevity is good)

whats going on with man u? they surely should have converted one of those chances. i was hoping theyd be softened up for their visit to st james park this weekend

24 hour rule in effect.  Anything over 24 hours is game.  I saw yesterdays results last night.

I think United should feel lucky that everyone else is tying as well, or their failure to score might be more apparent.  They have been dominating games, but just can't find the net.  A lot of it comes from really poor crosses and corners - without Giggs playing full matches, they haven't really found someone who can deliver a quality corner (Rooney was bad last week and Park was worse this week).  You can't have Ronaldo do it because he's so good in the air.  That needs to be addressed and soon.

As for the crosses, it seems as though teams have decided to stop Ronaldo's advance, let Evra and "Right Back De Silva" have a good run down the sideline for a cross and collapse on the middle of the box.  That's why the possession is so high for United, but the goals are so few.  The cross comes in, it gets headed away and cleared to mid field, and we repeat the process.  Rooney and Tevez aren't the biggest guys in the world and Berbatov has yet to really figure out how to play with these guys.  Hopefully that will change. 

The last two matches United made an adjustment for this and started trying to drive the ball down the middle of the defense.  But since the middle was already collapsed, it was like forcing a square peg through a round hole.  Hoepfully in the future they will start down the middle, then send it outside to maybe extend the defense and decide to cross it in or dribble it back in.  The lack of a attacking from Evra and Right Back de Silva needs to change - instead of crossing, they need to start making runs at the net.     

Add that to blatant non-attacking by the other side (Tottenham excluded) giving United no opportunities for counter attack, and you're left with a very frustrated squad.

boo my dvr didnt catch it. i think i recorded the wrong one, but i will grab it tuesday. bummer

smackie, i have been meaning to ask: do you care about the club world cup

godsshoeshine wrote:
smackie, i have been meaning to ask: do you care about the club world cup

Not really, especially without a Brazilian team or Boca Juniors.  I did watch Pachuca last year and they were good, but I would much rather have the other teams for competition sake or even a US team for shit's and giggles.  I know nothing about Quito.  Nonetheless, I'll record it and watch it, but it's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation for United. 

Not only is Ronaldo good in the air he's also crap at crossing….I told you they'd have a hard time replacing Becks and they have yet to just that. Berbatov is a lazy slug in my opinion and not a United type blue collar, hard working, grinding player, he's more a Chelski prima donna so it may take a while for Fergie to 'educate' him. Tevez is being a typical latin cry baby because he's not getting to play every game. If he could get his head straight him and Rooney running straight at the defense would be like letting two pit-bulls loose in a grooming parlour.

I think United are playing the most attractive football right now, but as Arse'nil prove time and time again that does not guarantee silverware. The wheels seems to be falling off the Stamford Bridge bandwagon and the rich russian losing interest seeing as he's closed his checkbook for the time being.

I think it will still be very close at the end of the season but I think United have the experience and cajones to keep the crown.

I don't know who this "Frank Gallagher" character is, but he is wise.  I think Mankie would love him!

I have seen an improvement in Berbatov since day one, but yes, he has a long way to go before he hustles like the rest of the squad for the full 90 minutes.

google tells me this is frank:

Yep…that's Frank.

Classic show, but you may have to be a manc to get the humour if you know what I mean.

Big Sam at Ewood….I think that's a good appointment actually. Long ball and dirty bastards…we haven't had that in the premiership since, well, big Sam was at Bolton. The pansies at St. Jame's (Alan Smith being the exception) were incapable of those tactics.

i agree that newcastle united were too highly skilled and classy for such barbarism

godsshoeshine wrote:
i agree that newcastle united were too highly skilled and classy for such barbarism

Highly skilled and classy - I wouldn't associate either of those with Toon. "useless and tacky" would be more accurate.

mostly the players bought by fat sam. especially alan smith

not bad at all.

to be played 24/25 February and 10/11 March

Chelsea FC (ENG) v Juventus (ITA)

Villarreal CF (ESP) v Panathinaikos FC (GRE)

Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR) v FC Bayern München (GER)

Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP) v FC Porto (POR)

Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) v FC Barcelona (ESP)

Real Madrid CF (ESP) v Liverpool FC (ENG)

Arsenal FC (ENG) v AS Roma (ITA)

FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) v Manchester United FC (ENG)

Predictions? Juve, Villarreal, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Arsenal, Man. United.

Barcelona wrote:
not bad at all.

Not bad for you, but I'm not too excited about Inter.

Villarreal draws Paranthanikos.  Ridiculous.