TalkBass OFFICIAL English Football thread 2012-13: second half

[SoVeryTired]

Mancini claiming he isn't embarrassed by city's European form. I'm not embarrassed either, just highly amused.

Sunday will be a different matter though.

[Darkstrike]

Of course he's not embarrassed by it, he's used to sucking in Europe now.

[Keano]

Originally Posted by SoVeryTired

Mancini claiming he isn't embarrassed by city's European form. I'm not embarrassed either, just highly amused.

Sunday will be a different matter though.

Sure, he can claim he's not embarrassed because his team gave it 100% in an, admittedly, very tough group. What he should be embarrassed about is that he got his tactics and adjustments edit:*completely wrong for 5 of the 6 games.

[Darkstrike]

Result for Celtic, none for Chelsea, United loose the glorified friendly(for them).


Mostly a good night, would have liked a United win of course.

[Tituscrow]

Celtic v Man United next round?

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by Tituscrow

Celtic v Man United next round?

I hope not, they'd probably take us out...

[Tituscrow]

So, not being too familiar with the nuances of how final standings are decided, I see Chelsea finished on equal GD with Shaktar with an identical W/D//L record. I assume Shaktar get the nod because they beat Chelsea over 2 games? Had Chelsea scored one more tonight, they'd still be equal on points and have the same record, but a better GD...would they have then gone through?

Please say yes...

[MartinG1957]

Cares not a jot - Chelski oot we're in, and that'll do for me lads.
Great news for Celtic - another battle of Britain would be fun DS :-)

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by Tituscrow

So, not being too familiar with the nuances of how final standings are decided, I see Chelsea finished on equal GD with Shaktar with an identical W/D//L record. I assume Shaktar get the nod because they beat Chelsea over 2 games? Had Chelsea scored one more tonight, they'd still be equal on points and have the same record, but a better GD...would they have then gone through?

Please say yes...

No, it's the direct record. Goals don't come into it unless the head to head is even. I think then, it's only goals scored, rather than overall difference like in the Premiership.

[Keano]

I'll just leave it at this - Chelsea "fans" are unbelievable. lol

Much congrats to Celtic!

[SoVeryTired]

No, don't just leave it at that - what have they been up to now?

[Darkstrike]

Looks like the MLS loan deals are starting to be plotted.

See one today for Henry to Arsenal for 6 weeks.

Surely Robbie Keane will drift over to one of his 36 one true boyhood clubs. Donovan could of course visit Goodison, but I doubt it, he's been mulling over retiring.

I wouldn't mind having on of the better midfielders train with us, and see what happen, like Chris Pontius.

Liverpool with being hard up for strikers could do worse than look there too(I hope they don't), Chris Wondolowski is pretty excellent.

[Keano]

Originally Posted by SoVeryTired

No, don't just leave it at that - what have they been up to now?

Well, if you insist, allow me to tell in unnecessarily elaborate manner of Chelski's 5 stages of grief with some quotes from SBNation's Chelski blog We Ain't Got No History.
http://www.weaintgotnohistory.com/
Btw, comments on there right now are only about 75% of what was there yesterday. Their mod has been busy deleting awful a lot of no-no comments. lol

1. Denial

Just a bit o' reminiscin'...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tvvLQtcE9E

-wonder how pissed Hazard is

-why ?

-" I'm joining the Champions of Europe"

-We still are the "Champions of Europe"
And don’t you forget it.

2. Anger

On one hand the EL trophy (BIG if we win it) will add diversity to our trophy cabinet on the other hand

PS I'm still here but I'm just angry

This H2H rule is ****ed.
Level on points with Shakhtar, better GD yet we get booted not them, imagine if the PL was decided like that, there would be riots.

-**** shakhtar
hope they get barcelona in the knockouts

-I hope United get Real!
I hate United !

3. Bargaining

Lets see the positives
Cahill could become the only player to score in 7 different competetions in a season if he scores in Europa, FA cup and CWC.
We can watch more kids get time on the pitch.
We can eliminate Spurs from the Europa.
Last time a team which played in both the CL and EL won the PL.

-WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE, WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE, CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE, :'( , WE KNOW WHO WE ARE

-In a few weeks that could change to CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD. So yay?

4. Depression

I feel like a dick for making fun of Tottenham going to the Europa Leage now.

-I really want Chelsea to take the Europa League seriously
A trophy is a trophy, we shouldn’t act all high and mighty just because we got eliminated from the CL

-Haha.Wait, what, you're serious?

5. Acceptance

Hope we put priorities on getting top 3 in the EPL than trying to advance in the Europa League
Call back a couple youngsters to play in the Europa and ensure we have some squad depth

Disappointed with the outcome, but Shakhtar and Juventus were meant to go through
If you take FCN out of the equation, Juventus defeated both the big teams once and drew with them in the other fixtures.
Shakhtar beat us and also scored more goals at the Bridge than we managed to do at their stadium. And our performance compared to them at their home was worse or incomparable to their performance at the Bridge. The head to head is pretty fair imo.

[Darkstrike]

Hahahahahahahahaha!

[dangnewt]

Sorry I haven't been posting, but I have been checking the thread and the PL table and highlight shows on Fox Soccer when I can. It appears that Liverpool is on a slow steady climb out of the drop zone and now are solidly a mid-table squad. They seem to be coming together more and they look more like a football team rather than a random collection of football players. Is there time to get to the top 4 or 5? Rodgers seems like the right man for the job, is that the thinking in England from friends and foes alike? They still seem to hit a few more posts and crossbars than most teams, but fewer than last year - is there krossbar karma in football?

I'm glad they are still in the Europa - that shows some progress as well.

Should be interesting match this weekend with Andy Carroll and West Ham.

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by dangnewt

Should be interesting match this weekend with Andy Carroll and West Ham.

Carroll won't be playing, loanees aren't allowed play against their parent club.

Shame, I'd laugh for days were Carroll to score a winner against Liverpool, especially this season.

[Keano]

Originally Posted by dangnewt

Sorry I haven't been posting, but I have been checking the thread and the PL table and highlight shows on Fox Soccer when I can. It appears that Liverpool is on a slow steady climb out of the drop zone and now are solidly a mid-table squad. They seem to be coming together more and they look more like a football team rather than a random collection of football players. Is there time to get to the top 4 or 5? Rodgers seems like the right man for the job, is that the thinking in England from friends and foes alike? They still seem to hit a few more posts and crossbars than most teams, but fewer than last year - is there krossbar karma in football?

I'm glad they are still in the Europa - that shows some progress as well.

Should be interesting match this weekend with Andy Carroll and West Ham.

I don't know how Kopites feel over there, but I agree that Rodgers is finding his feet there. In the same way I feel about people (still) moaning about AVB, I hope Rodgers is a long term project for LFC and he'll get a decent season.

Is it enough to mount for a top 4 finish? I'm not convinced yet, Suarez has been playing out of his skin, admittedly.

Is there enough time should they strike gold form? Maybe; we're still only in December.

[dangnewt]

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

Carroll won't be playing, loanees aren't allowed play against their parent club.

Shame, I'd laugh for days were Carroll to score a winner against Liverpool, especially this season.

Thanks for info - my footie newbieness is showing.

The rule makes perfect sense.

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by dangnewt

Thanks for info - my footie newbieness is showing.

The rule makes perfect sense.

No bother mate.

[dangnewt]

Originally Posted by Keano

I don't know how Kopites feel over there, but I agree that Rodgers is finding his feet there. In the same way I feel about people (still) moaning about AVB, I hope Rodgers is a long term project for LFC and he'll get a decent season.

Is it enough to mount for a top 4 finish? I'm not convinced yet, Suarez has been playing out of his skin, admittedly.

Is there enough time should they strike gold form? Maybe; we're still only in December.

I think he is a long term project and I hope he gets a decent season as well.

In Boston, this ownership group was quick to sack the obviously wrong manager (Bobby Valentine) after one year with the Red Sox (even with a year left on his contract) but that was a total disaster. Rodgers and LFC are having a much better year so far than Valentine and the Red Sox had last year. If it were football, the Red Sox last year would have been relegated and that would have been only 5 years after the equivalent of the PL title and 2 years from a top 5 Europa League type season.

I'm cautiously optimistic - I agree that top 4 might be a bit much. But I'd love to see them continue to head to respectibility.