Football 2013-2014

[eFestivals]

In terms of Liverpool it's no where near as good as Jan Molby or John Aldridge.

In terms of Liverpool there's no one near as good as Jan Molby.

To my mind, he's the best footballer I've ever seen - or at least, how he operated as the hub of that team was just mindblowing.

[ThomThomDrum]

No idea if it's balls or ability, but it certainly looks like that could be true. Why else has he never taken one for Liverpool in 4 seasons despite ample opportunity?

[TheGayTent]

Because the Liverpool captain is the established peno taker. I thought that much was obvious. And as far as ability, I think to suggest that he does not have the ability would be a be very odd indeed considering his scoring ability, free kick ability and history of scoring penos at Ajax.

[DomDom1984]

Jeezo, This is Reading lineup level of argument here. What is the actual point here?

[ThomThomDrum]

Well I dont know the reason behind Suarez not taking a peno in 2012 (and I assume no one here does) but he certainly has shown in the past that he has the balls and ability to take them. (Peno number one especially shows balls)

[strummer77]

No idea if it's balls or ability, but it certainly looks like that could be true. Why else has he never taken one for Liverpool in 4 seasons despite ample opportunity?

[eFestivals]

Going round in circles here.

Who has taken penalties for Liverpool in the last 4 seasons when Gerrard was out injured or wasn't on the pitch for whatever reason? Whomever it was, it wasn't Suarez.

2012 league cup final against Cardiff went to penalties. Suarez was on the pitch.

Liverpool's penalty takers? Gerrard, Adam, Kuyt, Downing, Johnson.

it could be pointed out that Suarez's scoring accuracy was shite that season - when Liverpool had the worst conversion rate in Europe!

----

Just looked at Suarez's wiki page in the hunt for penalty stats (which aren't there), but did notice that his goals-per-game crept up to over one per game in Holland, before he came to England, then it slumped when he did. He's again worked his way up to that scoring rate.

It'll be interesting to see if he goes beyond that next season - tho Liverpool will need to keep him for him to do that, by the look of those stats.

[TheGayTent]

He has taken them. And missed. Twice.

[strummer77]

Well I dont know the reason behind Suarez not taking a peno in 2012 (and I assume no one here does)

[strummer77]

Ta.

Which is presumably why he hasn't taken any since?

Were the two misses prior to the 2012 league cup final?

[TheGayTent]

A 0% conversion rate, missing 2 out of 2, whichever way you want to describe it, makes it likely he won't be taking another any time soon. I would guess?

[eFestivals]

A 0% conversion rate, missing 2 out of 2, whichever way you want to describe it, makes it likely he won't be taking another any time soon. I would guess?

when there's already an above-average pen taker, why would the club want to take the risk on Suarez? No one's that daft.

If/when there's a penalty again with Gerrard off the field, perhaps he'll get another crack and then perhaps things might change.

[TheGayTent]

when there's already an above-average pen taker, why would the club want to take the risk on Suarez? No one's that daft.

If/when there's a penalty again with Gerrard off the field, perhaps he'll get another crack and then perhaps things might change.

[ThomThomDrum]

when there's already an above-average pen taker, why would the club want to take the risk on Suarez? No one's that daft.

If/when there's a penalty again with Gerrard off the field, perhaps he'll get another crack and then perhaps things might change.

[strummer77]

A 0% conversion rate, missing 2 out of 2, whichever way you want to describe it, makes it likely he won't be taking another any time soon. I would guess?

Edited April 8, 2014 by strummer77

[TheGayTent]

Not sure. Except Sturridge (1/2), there isn't another player who has taken one during a match. So if Gerrard is off it is probably one of those two.

[strummer77]

This season or since Suarez arrived? That'd be interesting to know.

Look forward to the scenario describe happening - will tell us a lot.

Edited April 8, 2014 by strummer77

[TheGayTent]

Cheers Strummer.

[eFestivals]

It's not even an EPL record. It's a 38 game season record. Can you compare that with early days of EPL or pre EPL due to more league games?

Give Luis the chance, and it looks like he's going to beat the 42 game season record too.

And quite possibly the 'modern top-flight' record too, if he ever gets to be ban-free and play a full season

He perhaps won't get the all-time top-flight record, but that will be because the game was less organised in 'the old days'.

Edited April 8, 2014 by eFestivals

[DomDom1984]

I don't think Suarez is far behind. Even when his conversion rate was fairly disappointing, it was obvious that we were watching a pretty incredible football player.

Now that his finishing is spot on and plus he's just got skill coming out of his arse, it's pretty clear he's up there with the best strikers to play in the EPL. I don't really care about what the stats say this early in the day. What I know is that I watch him and I can't think of many better.

[mrtourette]

Why is it referred to as the EPL? It's not and never has been called the 'English Premier League', and it's not as if anyone is going to be confused with the Luis Suarez and Liverpool that play in the Welsh or Ukrainian Premier League (which is the proper name of those leagues). I've never known anyone refer to the FA as the EFA.

[DomDom1984]

The Premier League to me has always been the Scottish version, even though that changed at the start of this season to the Premiership ( ffs ), but I'd imagine it'd take a while to get out of that habit.

[pink_triangle]

I still find it funny that the top 3 leagues in the English pyramid sound like they are the top league from the names. Give me divisions 1-4 anyday!

[DomDom1984]

Aye, and we felt the need to copy you. Because marketing is helped by just ripping off your neighbours.

[DomDom1984]

Had an eye on both games tonight.

Dortmund/Real was proper heart attack stuff for a while. Dortmund were magnificent for the first 60-70 minutes but they ran out of steam in a big way. Real didn't quite control things from that point, but they did look much more comfortable and it looked like the time had passed for Dortmund.

Chelsea weren't quite as urgent as Dortmund but always looked threatening. They had more patience about them, and it seems to have worked for them so fair play. Two pretty bad goals to concede from PSG's point of view though and they didn't turn up at all.

Edited April 8, 2014 by DomDom1984