[!@#$%!]

oh, guardiola at bayern could be awesome! heynckes is purportedly retiring at the end of this season so that would be great. how well could he adapt to language/culture is another story, but if he can--- awesome. and if a german team won the champions-- that would be such vindication of their league.

re: the ranks, i think the results from the euros play a big part on these choices. it's like "pirlo-- awesome. but he didn't win the euro!" so that plays a big part-- was watching some spaniard comment on it on tv yesterday and not sure why he was an authority on the subject but he kept bringing up the euros vs. say the champions.

oh, lots to do today and it's 9am! i wish i have more time to comment & reply to the defenders thing..... but quickly i'll ask-- so you think it's more than simply an environmental/change of tactics/offside rule and it's just a matter of individual talent? k gtg...

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

oh, guardiola at bayern could be awesome! heynckes is purportedly retiring at the end of this season so that would be great. how well could he adapt to language/culture is another story, but if he can--- awesome. and if a german team won the champions-- that would be such vindication of their league.

It makes sense. Bayern can afford him and I think Germany's less hysterical media (at least compared to England's) would appeal to him. He's not someone who seems to like the media spotlight so if he thought it was tough in Spain I can't see him liking it here. Plus, with the likelihood of Mourinho returning, I wonder if he'd be up for another prolonged dose of the kind of mind-games that contributed to his taking a sabbatical in the first place.

re: the ranks, i think the results from the euros play a big part on these choices. it's like "pirlo-- awesome. but he didn't win the euro!" so that plays a big part-- was watching some spaniard comment on it on tv yesterday and not sure why he was an authority on the subject but he kept bringing up the euros vs. say the champions.

Chelsea made the CL impossible to base anything on this year - as happened to the Euros when Greece won it. The problem with Pirlo isn't with Pirlo, or Italy but the fact that he's likely competing with Xavi (not Xabi-Alonso, as some have claimed), surely one of the greatest central midfielders ever. I do think Marcello and Alves are there because of the teams they play for but in terms of midfield and forwards, and goalkeeper, I think the FIFA XI pretty much writes itself. A second XI would've almost been more interesting, with players like Zlatan, Ozil, Bale, Pirlo, Ribery, Yaya Toure, Van Persie, Aguero, etc all challenging in a much closer contest.

so you think it's more than simply an environmental/change of tactics/offside rule and it's just a matter of individual talent?

No, I've no reason to believe Ramos is less talented than some of the legendary defenders of the past, just that the way the game has gone means his purely defensive talents are no longer as strongly developed as they would've been in previous more defence-minded eras. Defenders now seem to be judged on different things, much of which aren't strictly defending. So it can be no coincidence that most of my very favourite defenders were products of the catenaccio system and that the current defenders I tend to like are those who still evoke that system to some degree, say Vidic or Chiellini. But that's just taste and I'd certainly say a player like Lahm far better reflects what's now expected of a defender and is certainly greater than either of those in the context of his (and their) time.

Edit: Sorry for the stupidly long reply. I'm doing all I can to avoid things I should be doing for work right now.

SYG, fuelling procrastination since 2006.

[SonicBebs]

Originally Posted by h8kurdt

Ok so hypothetical question. If Ronaldo, Messi and Falcao were all on the same team do you reckon they could work well together?

we were talking at work about this and picked our "other" team to play fifa's world11

it-went-a-little-something-like-this
Joe Hart
(couldn't pick a right back).Kompany.Vidic.Lahm
we argued about the midfield although we agreed on Pirlo and Yaya Toure and one other (someone said Gerrard)
then up front we had a three of David Silva.Zlatan.Aguero



we argued about whether Vidic could be in a world's best of 2012/13 when he hasn't played much, and we argued whether Tevez was better than Aguero. And we argued whether Yaya Toure would sit or push on. we argued alot and didn't really come up with anything. and they wouldn't let me have Nathaniel Clyne at right back

[h8kurdt]

Originally Posted by SonicBebs

we were talking at work about this and picked our "other" team to play fifa's world11

it-went-a-little-something-like-this
Joe Hart
(couldn't pick a right back).Kompany.Vidic.Lahm
we argued about the midfield although we agreed on Pirlo and Yaya Toure and one other (someone said Gerrard)
then up front we had a three of David Silva.Zlatan.Aguero



we argued about whether Vidic could be in a world's best of 2012/13 when he hasn't played much, and we argued whether Tevez was better than Aguero. And we argued whether Yaya Toure would sit or push on. we argued alot and didn't really come up with anything. and they wouldn't let me have Nathaniel Clyne at right back

I can't say i've much of him aside from watching Germany but surely Laahm can fit in the right-back category?

And as much as I hate Gerrad he's always reliable and ACTUALLY I'd say tehre's a good case for Lampard.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by SonicBebs

it-went-a-little-something-like-this
Joe Hart
(couldn't pick a right back).Kompany.Vidic.Lahm
we argued about the midfield although we agreed on Pirlo and Yaya Toure and one other (someone said Gerrard)
then up front we had a three of David Silva.Zlatan.Aguero

I'd go with:
GK: Hart
DF: Chiellini; Kompany; Hummels; Lahm
MF: Pirlo; Busquets; De Rossi
FW: Zlatan; Di Natale; Van Persie

[!@#$%!]

i'd put neuer as goalkeeper in the "vs." team. i mean, joe hart is a wall, but neuer doubles up as defender, haa haa ha. the fucker is crazy that way. plus he can shoot a mean penalty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ3-5eGH9PU

watch in "mute"!

[demonrail666]

Yeah, you're right. Neuer for Hart. Last season I'd have maybe even taken Hart over Casillas but he's having a bit of a dip at the moment (saying that, Casillas isn't even getting picked at Real - although clearly for non footballing reasons).

Anyway, FA Cup, great, but we'll only know it's really back when the songs return

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcy3gwwxat4

[h8kurdt]

BREAKING: Suarez won't shake hands with any of Man United players this Sunday as he doesn't want to risk any injury to his goal scoring hand.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by h8kurdt

BREAKING: Suarez won't shake hands with any of Man United players this Sunday as he doesn't want to risk any injury to his goal scoring hand.

yes, you might hate him, but you gotta admit, he's always entertaining

[demonrail666]

I'm with Symbols. Suarez is great. And even entertainment aside, given the whole package, would you honestly not want him at Everton? I'd love him at West Ham. Especially today.

[h8kurdt]

Aye I'm not gonna deny he's a great player. And he'd be an assest for any team he plays for.

Shame he's a cheat who-no matter what the usual columnist in the papers say (Ian Wright, Shearer et al.)-deserves all the flack he gets. No smoke without fire and all that.

I do wonder how much longer he'll be willing to go on not winning trophies at Liverpool.

[h8kurdt]

Well even though Liverpool lost (punches the air) I'll say they wont have to worry too much about the second half of the season. After a shocking first half by Liverpool the second really showed some muscle. Already Sturridge and Suarez seem to be working incredibly well together.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by h8kurdt

Aye I'm not gonna deny he's a great player. And he'd be an assest for any team he plays for.

have to work today (just catching a break at the moment) so i won't be able to watch the games till tomorrow (maybe)-- but i caught the main action in the news shows. looks pretty good-- interesting in seeing that 2nd half when liverpool reportedly dominated.

[!@#$%!]

Oh, and may I say, Kompany fucking rules. Pure class:

1. Vincent Kompany ‏@VincentKompany
   Ultimately I'm a defender: Appeal may work or not. I will never pull out of a challenge, as much as I will never intend to injury a player.
   
   Expand
   
   </div>
2. 8h
   
    
   Vincent Kompany ‏@VincentKompany
   About the tackle: If the ball is overrun by the opponent and a 50/50 challenge occurs, collision is inevitable. pic.twitter.com/iOQTIY5J
   
   View photo
   
   </div>
3. 8h
   
    
   Vincent Kompany ‏@VincentKompany
   First. Massive congrats to our team and fans, great game! Also. No grudges against the referee, I understand the difficulty of the job. :-)
   
   Expand
   
   </div>

[demonrail666]

Yeah, love Kompany. The red card was absurd and has undoubtedly fueled calls to bring in replays. It was a perfect tackle. The same thing happened to him last year, against Man U. And if it isn't just a mistake by the referees and they're just following the rules, then the rules have become ridiculous.

[demonrail666]

So, it's Guardiola to Bayern.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...n-munich-coach

What now for Chelsea? Still can't see Mourinho going back there, or Roman giving it to Benitez permanently. Interesting times.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

So, it's Guardiola to Bayern.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...n-munich-coach

oooooooooooooooooooooohhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[demonrail666]

Yeah, it's a great move for both Bayern and Pep. I think he'll eventually go to Man Utd when Fergie retires and this keeps him 'clean' until then. And it'll be fascinating to see how he works outside of Barca. There's still a lot of question marks around him, I think.

Just heard a rumour that Chelsea might be after Klopp. Don't know if there's anything in it, though.

[!@#$%!]

jeezus! and become abramovich's plaything? i sure hope not.

[h8kurdt]

Awesome. There was not a cat-in-hells chance he was gonna come to England with our levels of press intrusion.

And like demonrail said it'll be interesting if he can do managing outside of Barca, which to be fair might as well have been "just go out there and 'oof the ball to Messi, right?"