[demonrail666]

It's hard to know why players in England aren't at that top level, if only because of its spending power. Bale is the real deal, though. He may not be getting much media outside the UK because he's not at a massive club and his national side is Wales, so he probably gets overlooked for that, too. And as irrelevant as it should be, he doesn't look like a top level football (whatever a top level footballer looks like). But yeah, he's brilliant and would improve just about any side he went to. Bayern and Real are just two that want to prise him away from Spurs.

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

btw i read about gomez also maybe to chelsea-- where he'd be the perfect replacement for torres.

To be fair, you'd probably be a decent replacement for Torres right now.

[h8kurdt]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

It's hard to know why players in England aren't at that top level, if only because of its spending power. Bale is the real deal, though. He may not be getting much media outside the UK because he's not at a massive club and his national side is Wales, so he probably gets overlooked for that, too. And as irrelevant as it should be, he doesn't look like a top level football (whatever a top level footballer looks like). But yeah, he's brilliant and would improve just about any side he went to. Bayern and Real are just two that want to prise him away from Spurs.



To be fair, you'd probably be a decent replacement for Torres right now.

Ha! Every pissing week it feels like I read an interview with him and it's generally the same comment of "yeah I'm learning to adapt a bit more so I think i'm going to be getting better now. Honest guv'nor!

With regards to the world XI. Whilst we may not have the best of the best we do have some bloody great players in the league. And to be honest I think it's testament to how many great players are around these days.

And Neymar? Wait till that sissy boy actually faces some decent teams.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by h8kurdt

Ha! Every pissing week it feels like I read an interview with him and it's generally the same comment of "yeah I'm learning to adapt a bit more so I think i'm going to be getting better now. Honest guv'nor!

It's hilarious. Even some pundits try and gloss over it. "He's holding the ball up nicely", as though that comes close to justifying his £50m fee.

With regards to the world XI. Whilst we may not have the best of the best we do have some bloody great players in the league. And to be honest I think it's testament to how many great players are around these days.

That's obviously true, although given the spending power of the Prem you'd think it'd have more players at the very top than it does. But you're right; the Prem benefits from having exceptional players spread across more of the division. As it currently stands, Fellaini, Suarez, Baines, Bale, Michu, Berbatov, aren't even playing in teams qualifying for next year's CL. Which makes the Prem still the most watchable league, for me, even if it isn't right at the very top quality wise.

EDIT: Doesn't look like Liverpool are missing Suarez too much.

[demonrail666]

PFA just announced their Prem XI 2012-2013:

De Gea (Man U)
Zabaleta (Man C), Vertonghen (Spurs), Ferdinand (Man U), Baines (Everton)
Mata (Chelsea), Carrick (Man U); Hazard (Chelsea), Bale (Spurs)
Suarez (Liverpool), van Persie (Man U).

Not much to disagree with there. Shame no place for Fellaini or Michu but difficult to see who they'd replace.

Player of the year should be announced soon.

[TheMadcapLaughs]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

PFA just announced their Prem XI 2012-2013:

De Gea (Man U)
Zabaleta (Man C), Vertonghen (Spurs), Ferdinand (Man U), Baines (Everton)
Mata (Chelsea), Carrick (Man U); Hazard (Chelsea), Bale (Spurs)
Suarez (Liverpool), van Persie (Man U).

Not much to disagree with there. Shame no place for Fellaini or Michu but difficult to see who they'd replace.

Player of the year should be announced soon.

ferdinand huh? i guess... yeah not many complaints from me though.

[demonrail666]

Ferdinand did OK but he definitely benefited from injuries and dips in form for Vidic and Kompany. He's not even first choice for the national team. And Zabaleta seems to have passed by my radar altogether. Not saying he's bad, I just never really noticed him. And obviously not a vintage season for goalkeepers, with De Gea getting picked.

Anyway

Bale wins Player and Young Player of the year.

 

I'd have liked to see Carrick get it but it was always gonna be between Bale, van Persie and Suarez and I suppose Bale is the one I'd have chosen from those.

[!@#$%!]

 

[demonrail666]

Anyone else hear Mourinho's pre-game interview earlier? Lots of talk of getting tough. Gonna be interesting to see what Pepe's role will be, considering tough for Mourinho usually translates to 'by any means necessary'.

 

"Smash"

[h8kurdt]

I'm hella looking forward to it.

And did you hear this *strains to hear* that's the sound of Sunderland's manager plane crashing again. Just like it happened with Steve Bruce. 6-1...to Villa? You're kidding me. With that it makes Everton's loss to them even more pissing annoying.

[demonrail666]

I honestly think it could get brutal. It's looking like Mourinho's last chance to win the title at Real, and if he instructs players like Pepe to go all out I can see some serious injuries. If Real lose I'll be amazed if they finish with 11 men on the pitch, and no Dortmund players in hospital. Mourinho's quote says plenty:

"We're so pure, so innocent, so naive that [Robert] Lewandowski scored four and we didn't commit a single foul on him. We have to try to win the game. I want intensity and aggression."

Heard the Villa game on the radio. They look safe now, which I'm quite pleased about. Delighted QPR have gone and feel indifferent about Reading. Di Canio's cred as a manager was bound to start crumbling sooner rather than later, but I can't see Wigan doing enough to survive so I think Sunderland will just about scrape through. Ideally I'd have liked Stoke, QPR and Wigan to go down so I'm probably gonna be two thirds happy.

[TheMadcapLaughs]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

I honestly think it could get brutal. It's looking like Mourinho's last chance to win the title at Real, and if he instructs players like Pepe to go all out I can see some serious injuries. If Real lose I'll be amazed if they finish with 11 men on the pitch, and no Dortmund players in hospital. Mourinho's quote says plenty:

"We're so pure, so innocent, so naive that [Robert] Lewandowski scored four and we didn't commit a single foul on him. We have to try to win the game. I want intensity and aggression."

haha, yeah, if by some miracle they make it through theres NO WAY sergio ramos is going to be eligible for the final as he is a yellow away from suspension. sounds like if madrid's going out they're going out in bile!

[!@#$%!]

right, because a high-level tactician is going to telegraph his moves like that. i doubt he means it for a simple reason-- FIFA and the refs read the news too. don't refs get some kind of briefing/warning/lecture/whatever before matches?

it's just a headgame. pure fucking headgame. klopp is smart enough to call his bluff-- he's prolly telling gotze and reus-- "dive, meine kinder, dive like uruguayans!"

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

it's just a headgame. pure fucking headgame. klopp is smart enough to call his bluff-- he's prolly telling gotze and reus-- "dive, meine kinder, dive like uruguayans!"

I don't doubt it, but you've seen Pepe. He's one of the nastiest things in football. How the guy's avoided a life ban is a mystery. And if Mourinho is telling his team to play ugly (which he's never had a problem doing in the past) then we have to expect at least some potential leg breakers flying around. I doubt it'll be enough to get Real through, and we'll probably only see them when the tie is effectively beyond them, but if I was managing a team about to knock Real out of the CL, I know I'd be getting my players to wear extra thick shin pads.

Edit: And West Ham have signed the Romanian Ravzan Rat, who I can see selling plenty of shirts, if nothing else.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

I don't doubt it, but you've seen Pepe. He's one of the nastiest things in football. How the guy's avoided a life ban is a mystery. And if Mourinho is telling his team to play ugly (which he's never had a problem doing in the past) then we have to expect at least some potential leg breakers flying around. I doubt it'll be enough to get Real through, and we'll probably only see them when the tie is effectively beyond them, but if I was managing a team about to knock Real out of the CL, I know I'd be getting my players to wear extra thick shin pads.

right, i know pepe is a beast, and i think he's a great defender (though dortmund made him look bad).

but my point is that if mourinho really wanted to break some legs he'd shut up about it-- unless he was drunk and out of control. which i'm guessing he wasn't?

instead he talks about it. which is not the same. this means to me that he won't do what he says because all he's doing is alerting FIFA and the refs that he'll be using dirty tactics. i.e., real madrid will have to play with 7 men and they might face fines etc. what i think he's really after is that dortmund's attackers lose a little sleep over this-- especially lewandowski with his open contract, etc. intimidate them ahead of the match. oldest trick in teh book. like quaker guns.

plus, believe me, if he were itching for a fight, dortmund is capable of putting infinite hurt as well if they want to. just sick santana on cronaldo's knee and watch what happens to his supreme valuation. subotic is a real son of a bitch too. kuba and piszcek aren't midgets. hummels seems too much of a gentleman but he's a beast. seems to me madrid has a lot more to lose with an all-out fistfight. the germans are used to getting fouled and getting up and continue playing without theatrics but reus can dive like the best of them, and if the refs are warned to watch out for aggressive play...

anyway, who is ref?

---

ps- it's gonna be howard webb! the man who pulled out 14 yellow cards in the wc final! (and regrets not having sent out de jong). hmmm..... not sure he'll allow too much brutality.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

instead he talks about it. which is not the same. this means to me that he won't do what he says because all he's doing is alerting FIFA and the refs that he'll be using dirty tactics.

Dortmund definitely have players that can give as much as they get, which may be Mourinho's plan. Get some of their more hot headed players to start out on the offensive and hope they get a red early on, as they go straight for Pepe or anyone else they're expecting the worst from. But even if Mourinho really is that desperate, I can't see Klopp falling for it in a moment. Dortmund know they're through so long as they stay solid and professional and I can't see them being anything else.

From a neutral's point of view I'd like to see Real score a couple early on just to see how Dortmund cope but realistically I don't think they've got a chance. If anything, from the few games I've seen, Dortmund seem more mentally strong even than Bayern.

[!@#$%!]

oh man, so far dortmund is leading... in fouls!

a pity gotze got that hamstring pull, but grosskreutz should be able to fill the hole competently enough, although he's not magick.

[demonrail666]

Real started brilliantly but Dortmund look to have got through it. Great game so far.

[TheMadcapLaughs]

indeed. dortmund is playing great defense. lewy should put this tie to rest already

[demonrail666]

You know you're fucked when you look to Kaka to turn things around.

Loving Lewandowski's battle with Ramos

[h8kurdt]

Well that was just a huge bag of frustration. And in all fairness, Kaka wasn't that bad for the short period time he was on for.