Football 2015/16

[luckysalt]

16 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

yeah, he did (as wiki told me when I looked). He's had jobs since Chelsea too, which I didn't know.

He has, as I said on previous page, he did very well with Schalke but left after failing to finish in the top 4, but is the last manager to beat Real Madrid at their ground, they've not lost in 23 games since then. 

Kevin Bond is this morning being said to be coming in as well by a local press, another defensive coach! 

[eFestivals]

10 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

You should watch more bundesliga - it's very good viewing 

I'm not sure the missus would be happy to see me plug in to even more footie.

If I did any euro leagues that'd be my first choice from what I've seen of teams in the euro competitions.

[TheGayTent]

23 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

I'm not sure the missus would be happy to see me plug in to even more footie.

If I did any euro leagues that'd be my first choice from what I've seen of teams in the euro competitions.

Watch it instead of all the Liverpool you watch then 

[GlastoSimon]

Some good managers in the Championship next year, be interesting to see what Villa's recruitment is like over the summer.

[mjsell]

3 hours ago, eFestivals said:

Anyway, last night... Dull as fuck.

I can see this going much like two years ago, Woy without a clue.

 

My only solace from last night is that it was the last game right before a major tounament so as much as some players are still competing for places, there was never going to be any intesity or desire required. 

Also i hope to god that it taught Roy that last nights system was truly terrible and should never be even considered again. I've never been more annoyed by tactical decisions than last night.

Taking it all into account now the starting lineup I'd have next saturday is as follows:

               Hart

Walker Smalling Cahill Rose

         Dier    Wilshere

Sterling    Alli     Rooney

              Kane

 

[TheGayTent]

19 minutes ago, mjsell said:

 

               Hart

Walker Smalling Cahill Rose

         Dier    Wilshere

Sterling    Alli     Rooney

              Kane

 

Wow, with that line up I'm grateful that Hodgson is manager. 

[mjsell]

12 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Wow, with that line up I'm grateful that Hodgson is manager. 

Care to elaborate?

What is your take on the starting 11 then?

 

Its pretty easy to slate someone elses opinions with empty statements, maybe try backing it up with reasons or opinions of your own

Edited June 3, 2016 by mjsell

[TheGayTent]

42 minutes ago, mjsell said:

Its pretty easy to slate someone elses opinions with empty statements, maybe try backing it up with reasons or opinions of your own

What, like you did about Roy's tactics in your previous post? 

FWIW if we've learnt anything from watching England over the last 30 years it's surely got to be that you don't put square pegs in round holes. Yet that's exactly what you've done with Rooney. 

[mjsell]

29 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

What, like you did about Roy's tactics in your previous post? 

FWIW if we've learnt anything from watching England over the last 30 years it's surely got to be that you don't put square pegs in round holes. Yet that's exactly what you've done with Rooney. 

So detailing the starting 11 I would play isnt offering an opinion? Right-o.

You are right I didnt give a reason for slating roys tactics, I wrongly assumed everyone who saw the game would have been thinking the same thing - "why the hell are neither of the top scoring English centre forwards from this season playing centre forward?"

And you are again right that Rooney is not playing in his preferred position, good spot. He was very fortunate to make my 11, however I was not the guy that only picked 1 winger in the squad, and I believe he is most capable to adapting to a wider role (although he would come more inside than Sterling) - due to his experince, technique, and generally having a better footballing brain than Vardy. The closest alternative was probably Lallana but went with Rooney due to his role as captain and generally to give the team a bit of major tournament experience.

Now, how about that team of yours then?

 

 

Edited June 3, 2016 by mjsell

[kaosmark2]

I really think there's only two players in the England squad who other "big" teams would like to have. Kane and rooney. I rooney hasn't really performed in tournaments for 10 years but he's still talented regardless of the criticism he's got lately, and when he does do well England do. 

Everyone else in the squad is either a middling player in good form, a good player in middling form, or an inexperienced spurs midfielder.

[TheGayTent]

27 minutes ago, mjsell said:

You are right I didnt give a reason for slating roys tactics,

Excellent, I'm glad we've established that you did exactly what you later pulled me up on...those in glass houses...

[mjsell]

8 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

I really think there's only two players in the England squad who other "big" teams would like to have. Kane and rooney. I rooney hasn't really performed in tournaments for 10 years but he's still talented regardless of the criticism he's got lately, and when he does do well England do. 

Everyone else in the squad is either a middling player in good form, a good player in middling form, or an inexperienced spurs midfielder.

Agree to some extent... But it does feel like no matter where Rooney is to be played at this Euros (and he will play) he is being shoehorned into a team that he doesnt fit (which is exactly what i have just done in my team above). He's the 2nd/3rd and sometimes 4th best option for every position.

 

[TheGayTent]

30 minutes ago, mjsell said:

I wrongly assumed everyone who saw the game would have been thinking the same thing - "why the hell are neither of the top scoring English centre forwards from this season playing centre forward?"

I made two incorrect assumptions:

1) That nobody would be so daft as to pick Rooney on the left hand side 

2) That nobody would put too much emphasis on a friendly match this close to a major tournament where no manager in their right mind wants to show their hand and no player wants to risk getting injured. 

[TheGayTent]

Blatter and his cronies awarded themselves pay rises worth £55m over four years between 2011 and 2015. 

The only surprise is the amounts were that small. 

[mjsell]

7 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

I made two incorrect assumptions:

1) That nobody would be so daft as to pick Rooney on the left hand side 

2) That nobody would put too much emphasis on a friendly match this close to a major tournament where no manager in their right mind wants to show their hand and no player wants to risk getting injured. 

Still giving no opinion on who you would actually play? Is that because you dont know?

I know its easier to say 'thats a stupid idea' but try giving your alternatives it benefits a discussion more.

And I'm not sure who your second point is aimed at, I said the exact same thing in my original post.

[TheGayTent]

6 minutes ago, mjsell said:

And I'm not sure who your second point is aimed at, I said the exact same thing in my original post.

Well yeah you did...and followed it up with you've never been more annoyed by tactical decisions than last night. 

Which I find bizarre - you're more het up by tactical decisions made in a friendly designed for experimenting than you have been for any tactical decisions made by England managers in previous major tournament matches? 

Are you 15? Do you have the memory of a goldfish? Or have you stumbled across football late in life? 

[mjsell]

28 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Excellent, I'm glad we've established that you did exactly what you later pulled me up on...those in glass houses...

Hahaha, I like how selective you are with your quoting, to try and make yourself look better...

I originally said " maybe try backing it up with reasons or opinions of your own"

I accepted that i didnt give a reason, but did give an opinion. You gave neither.

[TheGayTent]

13 minutes ago, mjsell said:

Hahaha, I like how selective you are with your quoting, to try and make yourself look better...

I originally said " maybe try backing it up with reasons or opinions of your own"

I accepted that i didnt give a reason, but did give an opinion. You gave neither.

On the contrary my friend, I quite clearly gave my opinion. My opinion being that I have a greater confidence in Hodgson to pick the team than I do in you. 

Edited June 3, 2016 by TheGayTent

[mjsell]

23 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Well yeah you did...and followed it up with you've never been more annoyed by tactical decisions than last night. 

Which I find bizarre - you're more het up by tactical decisions made in a friendly designed for experimenting than you have been for any tactical decisions made by England managers in previous major tournament matches? 

Are you 15? Do you have the memory of a goldfish? Or have you stumbled across football late in life? 

In my opinion, the friendly directly before a major tournament is not 'desiged for experimenting'. England are going in to this tournament with a very unstable side and could play a huge variety of players and systems. By now there should be an established core with the correct framework, with 2 maybe 3 players that could be swapped in/out. When was the last time England played the same team twice in a row? Will the team we start next saturday have ever played as a whole together before?

 

The commentators or pundits last night made the claim that any one of the 7 defenders in the squad are still in with a shout of starting. I dont see this as a good thing. As a centre back by trade (albeit in a far far lower level) I am very conscious that the best defences are ones that know and play with each other on such a regular occurance they are aware of one anothers flaws, characteristics and subtle movements so they can work together as one to correct individual errors and be stronger.

That is the reason I was annoyed by the 'experimentation' on show last night. We should be past that by now.

 

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, mjsell said:

Agree to some extent... But it does feel like no matter where Rooney is to be played at this Euros (and he will play) he is being shoehorned into a team that he doesnt fit (which is exactly what i have just done in my team above). He's the 2nd/3rd and sometimes 4th best option for every position.

His best position is off a striker, who would you say is better at that than him?

[mjsell]

Just now, kaosmark2 said:

His best position is off a striker, who would you say is better at that than him?

If the striker is Kane then Alli is better for that role.

[kaosmark2]

Just now, mjsell said:

If the striker is Kane then Alli is better for that role.

Rooney's been playing off a striker with plenty of central attacking midfielders around him for years. They can both fit in together alongside each other easily, and even if they couldn't, I'd still say Rooney is better. Alli is not a proven player. He is a prospect.

[TheGayTent]

Oh dear, where to start...

International football by its nature is very different to club football. The players get together rarely, the manager doesn't see his players for months at a time. The pool of players he has to choose from is vast compared to the squad a club manager chooses from. Each squad is different because form and injuries are taken into account. Welbeck scored 6 goals in 5 games during the qualifiers - had he not been injured he'd be nailed on for a place.   Players you didn't consider in December because they haven't played a game since May, might get a transfer to a new club in the January window, and by March are not only playing but are in magnificent form. Do you not have a look at them because you want to keep a settled side? What if the player he could replace is injured or out of form?

Hodgson is lucky to get 3 days with the players at a time - he is forced to experiment in games, sometimes two or even three times within the same game. If Hodgson had the luxury of having the players for 5 games in 4 weeks, you might see a settled starting XI. He doesn't, so you don't. It's not difficult to understand. 

Edited June 3, 2016 by TheGayTent

[TheGayTent]

8 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

His best position is off a striker, who would you say is better at that than him?

It's bizarre that Rooney, Alli, Barclay, and to some extent Lallana were all picked. All are really competing for one position. Pick them anywhere else and you're playing them out of position. 

I would have chosen Rooney and Alli. Possibly one of the other two but certainly not both. 

[kaosmark2]

44 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

It's bizarre that Rooney, Alli, Barclay, and to some extent Lallana were all picked. All are really competing for one position. Pick them anywhere else and you're playing them out of position. 

I would have chosen Rooney and Alli. Possibly one of the other two but certainly not both. 

I've said before that I wouldn't have taken either Lallana or Henderson. If they played for any other club with similar league position they wouldn't have been considered. 

 

In completely different news, I'm sad about Steven Taylor leaving. Did a lot of great work for us and you could see his passion, but his injury record meant he hasn't really improved since he was 22. I'm disgusted at the idiotic fans saying good riddance, morons the lot of them.