Football 2012-2013

[strummer77]

What do you lot make of the team of the year?

De Gea (Man Utd), Zabaleta (Man City), Vertonghen (Spurs), R Ferdinand (Man Utd), Baines (Everton), Carrick (Man Utd), Mata (Chelsea), Hazard (Chelsea), Bale (Spurs), Van Persie (Man Utd), Suarez (Liverpool)

[Steve P]

It's easy to say he could go to another country, but if real and Barca weren't interested and no clubs in Italy able to afford the financial package, that didn't really leave many options.

[pink_triangle]

Carrick has the most forward passes of any centre mid in Europe this season.

[pink_triangle]

Having made huge play out of "money isn't important to me", then he certainly did have other options. Cold hard cash drove him to go to Man U rather than Juventus. Of course I can see why he did it, but that doesn't mean we're going to like it.

[Kyelo]

As to money If I was offered £150,000 a week but would spend 50% of my time on the bench compared to £120,000 a week playing 75% of the time I'd choose the latter but hey,ho!

[The Nal]

I have always been a bit of a statistics sceptic to be honest, how do they measure these things, what do they actually mean in repsect to a real game? Is one forward pass always as important as another? To me the best non attacking midfielder in the league this season was Sandro but then we are in the terriory of how many matches a player has to play to qualify for the award.

[Badlands]

I wouldn't hate it, I've always rated him as a manager, although he's prone to bouts of craziness. I'd definitely prefer it to Di Matteo who some fans are clamouring for, didn't like his ugly, defensive run to football and the stats for AVB vs RDM at Chelsea last season don't suggest he's brilliant, despite the trophies. Benitez would IMO be the best one available, but I'm not entirely sure how happy he'd be fitting in with our behind-the-scenes system and what other changes he'd bring in. We'll see what the summer brings I guess.

[TheGayTent]

Only ones I disagree with are De Gea and Hazard.

The others would all be my choices I think. Even if they weren't, I can see the argument for.

[Badlands]

That Michu hasn't had any recognition for the season he's had just demonstrates how thick footballers are.

Hazards a good player but he's been inconsistent.

[strummer77]

The Ashley/Llambias way of getting value out of the transfer market doesn't seem to fit his way at all.

[pink_triangle]

Me too re: stats but his tackling and covering/screening has also been exceptional. And the way Utd play - getting the ball forward and out wide as quickly as possible - means he been very important this season. Hes played nearly every minute of every game and a lot of the games in the middle of the park on his own.

[pehaw]

I think Mignolet has been outstanding this season and should have pipped De Gea.

Lloris has only played 17 league games which isn't really enough to warrant a place in team of the year.

I'm not convinced with the Hazard selection either. Maybe Michu taking his place.

Carrick has been outstanding for the past three seasons at least, certainly domestically and fully deserves the recognition.

The young player award is a bit daft - Bale is 23 ffs and has played in the top flight for six seasons. The qualifying criteria needs looking at.

Edited April 29, 2013 by pehaw

[pink_triangle]

The young player award is a bit daft - Bale is 23 ffs and has played in the top flight for six seasons. The qualifying criteria needs looking at.

[kaosmark2]

What do you lot make of the team of the year?

De Gea (Man Utd), Zabaleta (Man City), Vertonghen (Spurs), R Ferdinand (Man Utd), Baines (Everton), Carrick (Man Utd), Mata (Chelsea), Hazard (Chelsea), Bale (Spurs), Van Persie (Man Utd), Suarez (Liverpool)

[kaosmark2]

My Facebook and Twitter timelines were going mental with reports that Pardew had been told he was gone at the end of the season and Benitez had already agreed to replace him. Its mad how easy it is for daft rumours to spread.

Can't for the life of me understand why anyone thinks Benitez would take the NUFC job. Past history shows that he likes to be backed heavily for his own players (look at the money he spunked away at Liverpool). He also shied away from the Villa job when he realised Lerner wasn't going to give him the sort of money O'Neill wasted. The Ashley/Llambias way of getting value out of the transfer market doesn't seem to fit his way at all.

[strummer77]

Agreed he has played nearly 150 premier league games, he is hardly a novice!

[Steve P]

Nearly all players come out with the "money isnt important to me" line, as football fans its one of those statements we just ignore and assume to be false. If a player comes out and says money is one of the priorities then they would get slated by the media, its a no win situation. RVP is one of the best strikers in world football and that dictates he should be paid accordingly. Unfortunately in a year when Real and Barca werent looking to recruit, that probably only left man u, man c and chelsea as teams that could offer a top league, potential to win trophies and the appropriate salary.

[Badlands]

Can't see it already being agreed. If it were to happen I doubt it'd be announced or go through until June/July.

I think he'd be more likely to be OK with it than the Villa job. There's money to spend and the manager gets call on priority positions and what order of players to go for. Doesn't seem a natural fit though and if things aren't right for Benitez he wouldn't be a good appointment.

[TheGayTent]

Re RVP - I'm with Steve on this one.

[pink_triangle]

I accept all that, but do people really expect fans to politely applaud a player that forced a move to their biggest rivals? If he wanted to be remembered as a club hero he could have gone abroad, still earnt a fortune (was offered at least £150k a week by Juve), and in all honesty most Arsenal fans would have wished him the best. Yesterday he was shown the same respect that he showed the fans when he left.

[The Nal]

I accept all that, but do people really expect fans to politely applaud a player that forced a move to their biggest rivals? If he wanted to be remembered as a club hero he could have gone abroad, still earnt a fortune (was offered at least £150k a week by Juve), and in all honesty most Arsenal fans would have wished him the best. Yesterday he was shown the same respect that he showed the fans when he left.

[kaosmark2]

You reckon the manager gets the call? I'd be surprised if Pardew didn't want more players signed last summer. For me he seems to do what he's told from upstairs and that's why he'll be so hard to replace, there's few that would put up with that.

[RobertProsineckisLighter]

Why does the team of the year have to play in a 442 formation? How many sides actually play 442 these days?

[RobertProsineckisLighter]

What we've been told the structure re. buying is:

Scouting team identifies potential targets.

Manager says priority of targets.

Board negotiates deal, walking away if they don't get a suitable price.

Last summer the board decided they couldn't get a bargain price for anyone and walked away from every deal, which was fucking stupid. They tried to compensate in January, but 2 of those were fairly small fees for players we were intending to sign on a free this coming summer.

Doesn't look like any of that information is a lie. Manager gets the call on what positions matter most and what order to try and negotiate for players but board make the decision in terms of price and whether to seal or walk away.

[kaosmark2]

Why does the team of the year have to play in a 442 formation? How many sides actually play 442 these days?