Football 2013-2014

[eFestivals]

Thought Utd were pretty good in general but sloppy too.

while I thought Utd the better team, I thought they were just about as ineffective as Chelsea. They didn't trouble Cech at all.

There were points tho where I was wondering if they've got a bit ahead of themselves, in thinking they're they most technically gifted players around (which, let's face it, they're not). At points they reminded me of Arsenal, trying to walk the ball into the net ... and if Arsenal struggle to do that, Utd will always fail.

[The Nal]

while I thought Utd the better team, I thought they were just about as ineffective as Chelsea. They didn't trouble Cech at all.

There were points tho where I was wondering if they've got a bit ahead of themselves, in thinking they're they most technically gifted players around (which, let's face it, they're not). At points they reminded me of Arsenal, trying to walk the ball into the net ... and if Arsenal struggle to do that, Utd will always fail.

Edited August 27, 2013 by The Nal

[eFestivals]

People seem to forget his footie style at Chelsea was shit.

not me. The best guy at parking the bus that's ever lived.

[pink_triangle]

currently the hottest English striker by a VERY long way!!!

Not seen any footie this season so far, apart from last night's rather boring match - which struck me as Moaniho seeing not losing as much more important than winning. I'm guessing that he's working the squad upwards by first ensuring they're hard to beat, cos a loss last night would have wasted the previous two games from Moaniho's point of view.

[eFestivals]

I disagree with the "very long way" comment theres a certain forward at southampton who has been pretty prolific in the last 12 months.

I love Rickie Lambert, but you're talking out of your arse. You really need to check the stats.

Sturridge has scored more goals in his last 12 games than Lambert managed all of last season.

A move away has certainly revitalised his career by providing opportunities he would never have got at chelsea. Theres no doubt he has ability, my doubts are more related to how he will react when he hits a rough patch, something that will inevitably happen at some time.

oh, I'm not trying to claim that Sturridge is faultless, far from it. I'm merely referencing the facts.

[pink_triangle]

I love Rickie Lambert, but you're talking out of your arse. You really need to check the stats.

Sturridge has scored more goals in his last 12 games than Lambert managed all of last season.

oh, I'm not trying to claim that Sturridge is faultless, far from it. I'm merely referencing the facts.

[eFestivals]

The stats i read (admitedly I cant vouch for accuracy) showed Lambert has scored the most league goals of any English forward over the last 12 months and that has also been repeated on the radio.

For the Prem, yes that's true for last season.

However, it's now a new season, and Sturridge has now scored (the same number or) more in his last 12-ish appearances - which is much less than a season.

Whether or not he'll keep scoring at the same rate we don't know, but at the mo he's the hottest English striker by a very VERY long way.

Of course Sturridge played less games in that time period. I suppose it depends what time period you classify as currently. Certainly if your talking form in the last 10/15 games it would be hard to argue, although if thats long enough to draw significant conclusions is debatable.

I agree that nothing can be projected from Sturridge's most recent (and not so recent; he's had a lot of injuries) games.

But at the same time he's not had a decent run of games in the past to see how well he might keep up his scoring, so I don't think very much of substance can be taken from his previous scoring stats.

I'm currently undecided about how good he actually is, but there are decent reasons to think that he might be a better player than the opportunities he had in the past have shown him as being.

Good or not, I'm far from convinced that we'll see the best of him when Suarez is back in the team. From what I recall from last season, mostly when they've both been playing Sturridge has seemed to played badly, and my take on that is that too much goes thru Suarez who is then too greedy to bring other players into it.

That's why I said earlier this summer that I didn't think it would be disastrous for Liverpool to lose Suarez. While you can't dispute his individual skills, I'm not sure that he actually improves Liverpool as a team; you only have to look at their scoring when he's not played to see that the other players contribute much much more when Suarez isn't playing.

[kaosmark2]

Mourinho was cautious, but so was Moyes. In the same way Ramires and Lampard weren't getting forward and leaving space behind, nor were Carrick and Cleverley (yes, the latter 2 are far less effective around the box, but more players is still more players). I think both managers were more concerned with not losing than winning. Yes Man U played more attacking football, but not by a massive distance - De Gea had more saves to make.

And Valencia should have been sent off in the 1st half. He had an excellent game otherwise, but that was a hideous tackle that didn't get highlighted in the sky analysis. Looked like a yellow on first viewing but feet off the ground, coming in from behind and smashing into the players ankles without getting the ball (can't remember who, one of the CAMs).

I'm currently undecided about how good he actually is, but there are decent reasons to think that he might be a better player than the opportunities he had in the past have shown him as being.

Good or not, I'm far from convinced that we'll see the best of him when Suarez is back in the team. From what I recall from last season, mostly when they've both been playing Sturridge has seemed to played badly, and my take on that is that too much goes thru Suarez who is then too greedy to bring other players into it.

That's why I said earlier this summer that I didn't think it would be disastrous for Liverpool to lose Suarez. While you can't dispute his individual skills, I'm not sure that he actually improves Liverpool as a team; you only have to look at their scoring when he's not played to see that the other players contribute much much more when Suarez isn't playing.

[eFestivals]

Sturridge's attitude problems are obvious though. He's got the vision to pick out a pass but rarely does. You accuse Suarez of being greedy but I've seen him bring other players into opportunities a fair amount, Sturridge hardly ever does.

He's definitely got an "attitude problem" - but one I'd want any out-and-out striker to have. Without having that, he's a lesser player (the same for any striker).

I think there's a very good reason he didn't get a large number of opportunities earlier in his career.

yep, there is - but nothing of what you're thinking.

He quit Man city about ten minutes before the money arrived - very bad timing! But wanting to play for a top club where you win things is considered an acceptable trait.

So he joined the top team in the country, but too soon. He'd not yet properly established himself because he was still a relative youngster, and he was joining a club with proven strikers - strikers who were doing the business, which meant that they couldn't take a risk on him not doing the business. So he got very limited opportunities, which then further affected his attitude which gave him fewer chances.

Whether he's the real deal or not is still yet to be revealed. But all the same his record at Liverpool so far is excellent, and there's few reasons to think that it won't be maintained at some sort of very reasonable level for a striker at a club like Liverpool are currently, if not better. Chelsea selling him to Liverpool could yet turn out to be one of the worst footballing cock-ups in recent years.

(and even if he's not so good, he's still better than Ba - who they bought at the point they sold Sturridge. Fools!).

[kaosmark2]

So he joined the top team in the country, but too soon. He'd not yet properly established himself because he was still a relative youngster, and he was joining a club with proven strikers - strikers who were doing the business, which meant that they couldn't take a risk on him not doing the business. So he got very limited opportunities, which then further affected his attitude which gave him fewer chances.

Whether he's the real deal or not is still yet to be revealed. But all the same his record at Liverpool so far is excellent, and there's few reasons to think that it won't be maintained at some sort of very reasonable level for a striker at a club like Liverpool are currently, if not better. Chelsea selling him to Liverpool could yet turn out to be one of the worst footballing cock-ups in recent years.

(and even if he's not so good, he's still better than Ba - who they bought at the point they sold Sturridge. Fools!).

[Wooderson]

Sturridge seems a particularly smart fella to me. Comes from decent footballing stock. Think all he needs is regular footie and these attitude issues that may have plagued him (particularly) in his teens will soon be forgotten.

[pink_triangle]

Whether he's the real deal or not is still yet to be revealed. But all the same his record at Liverpool so far is excellent, and there's few reasons to think that it won't be maintained at some sort of very reasonable level for a striker at a club like Liverpool are currently, if not better. Chelsea selling him to Liverpool could yet turn out to be one of the worst footballing cock-ups in recent years.

(and even if he's not so good, he's still better than Ba - who they bought at the point they sold Sturridge. Fools!).

[TheGayTent]

Thus far I don't think WHU have progressed much from last season.

Should still pick up a reasonable number of points at home. Won't pick up many points or score many goals away from home.

Still desperate for a decent 2nd striker

[pink_triangle]

Sturridge seems a particularly smart fella to me. Comes from decent footballing stock. Think all he needs is regular footie and these attitude issues that may have plagued him (particularly) in his teens will soon be forgotten.

[eFestivals]

He still didn't get opportunities when other strikers weren't doing the business at Chelsea.

he did - but only very limited ones (which didn't give him any opportunity to build up some consistency), and in a team that wasn't set up to make the most of what he could offer.

And if they thought he'd become a top player they'd have loaned him out like Lukaku rather than playing him in the odd game then selling him.

nope, that's the wrong way round. They didn't loan Sturridge out because they felt they might need him, whereas they had no need for Lukaku at the level they felt he'd perform at (he then performed much better than expected).

Ba was signed because Ba was doing the business at the time while neither Sturridge nor Torres were.

Ba was doing the business at another club. Just like Sturridge he's a fish out of water at Chelsea, because their style of play (translation: boring ) doesn't suit his strengths.

I think he'll be a good striker for Liverpool for a while, but I don't think he'll ever amount to a top player because I think his attitude problems go beyond the typical selfishness you want for a striker (and that's assuming he is talented enough to become a top player which I'm not sure about)

You might well be right, but we'll have to wait and see.

Personally, I think his "failures" to date have been less about his own attitude and more to do with being in the wrong places at the wrong times. He's at Liverpool at the right time from his own point of view (there's little competition for his position, and the club seem to be on the way back up [tho how sustained that is and how far they go we've yet get to see]), and that might make a big difference.

Having said that, he does also seem to be a player who needs a bit of club-love too, and that's an attitude issue - but not one that's so unusual in many other players of around his level.

[eFestivals]

Im not sure, I think some deals are right for both clubs and if he is very succesful at liverpool, doesnt mean he could have been succesfull at chelsea. Maybe he needed the move to give his career a kick start and if he had stayed at chelsea it would have been more of the same. Then again if he ever leads liverpool to 4th place at chelseas expense you could have a point!

yeah, much like you I don't think he'd have been successful at Chelsea however long he stayed there. I think his only chance real chance of being successful there evaporated over his first few months, when he didn't get the games he might have got in different circumstances. I'd say that his desire to succeed dried up with Chelsea not really needing him to succeed.

I wasn't really saying that (by itself) it was a wrong move to sell him - he wasn't going to fit in after he didn't fit in at the start. I was more trying to say much as you've finished with there, that he might be successful at Liverpool to an extent that impacts back onto Chelsea.

I can see him getting 20-ish Prem goals for Liverpool this season, providing he stays fit (which appears to be a bit of a problem for him with his time there so far).

[pink_triangle]

They didn't loan Sturridge out because they felt they might need him, whereas they had no need for Lukaku at the level they felt he'd perform at (he then performed much better than expected).

[thetime]

That's a strange England squad.

[TheGayTent]

That's a strange England squad.

[The Nal]

Pretty crap aren't we really.

[thetime]

If your English and play for one of the big teams you seem to get picked, this needs to change and quickly.

[TheGayTent]

Amazes me Glen Johnson plays as much first team football as he does. He is dogshit.

[eFestivals]

He's not the best full back in world football that's for sure.

He's a long way from being the worse player in that squad mind.

Wellbeck is not good enough to play international football.

these.

[eFestivals]

That's a strange England squad.

I just came across these words in the comments on the beeb's website, andf they made me laugh, a lot....

Sterling I can understand - or you play Downing otherwise

[The Nal]

Wellbeck is not good enough to play international football.