Shak

Been on holiday in Morocco these last 10 days, not seen any football at all with the exception of both Arsenal-Barca games. (Typical that when we actually win something I fucking miss it ) Had to find some dodgy looking Moroccan bars to watch both games, honestly if Messi hadn't been involved there's no way I'd have gone to the bother. He's just a very special player and one that I feel honoured that I get to watch every week, comfortably the best I've ever seen and barring serious injury there's just no way that he won't be viewed as being on the level of Pele and Maradona by the time he's finished.

Chelsea, Spurs, Millwall, Colchester, Rochdale. Tenner returns 49.

I'd probably actively start supporting Rangers if this happened.

Fucking Towelie.

Come on Villa, score you cunts.

Villa, Spurs, Barca, Valencia, West Brom.

http://i45.tinypic.com/2m3mdf4.gif

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r18/TheZeppelinator/loltiger.gif

Attaboy Chris.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AaFtdasP2WQ/R1I7BR687rI/AAAAAAAAAGg/w1zqdm9iV6A/s1600-R/The_shining_heres_johnny.jpg Here's Joey!!

Stupid West Ham, needed them to draw.

Maybe the entire squad hates Taylor and see Carroll as some sort of legend for decking him?

People seem to forget that Maradona had two other World Cups in his prime where he came nowhere near reaching the form of that admittedly amazing '86 performance. '82 he got a couple of goals in an easy win in the first round, then did nothing else bar get sent off for kicking out at a Brazilian. '90 he didn't score a single goal in the whole tournament. Of course I do realise that Messi still has to go out and do it on the World Cup stage, but he's not even had a go at that yet. The worst display of management I have ever seen pretty much meant Argentina went out before he got a chance in the last World Cup. And while I can't say I saw an awful lot of Napoli games in the late 80's, but I'd imagine Maradona had his off-days for them as well, he did only manage 5 goals in 25 appearances in European football for them after all. With modern football the way it is, we get to see pretty much every game Messi plays and it's much easier to find flaws and point out bad games that he has. Nobody on this forum saw Maradona that much. I'm sure if they did they'd be able to say that he had days where things just wouldn't go for him, or he was marked out of the game, or he just flat out played poorly. Not trying to downplay how good Maradona was, or say that Messi is on course to eclipse him just yet, but I just wonder if maybe people see the Youtube videos and the '86 World Cup tape and think that this was what Maradona did every single time he stepped out on the pitch. Cos I really doubt that it was.

It's the NFL offseason man, I need something to keep me going. Seriously though, I just think it was a daft signing and I don't see the point in him being at the club. I could see him maybe being a passable option in this division, but odds are we'll be in the Premiership next year and I can't see any way he'll ever be able to manage at that level. It's not his fault, obviously, and I've nothing against the lad personally at all. I guess the real frustration is that I fear Ashley is going to use the presence of Best in the squad as justification for not buying another striker in the summer, which is something we'll absolutely have to do to have any hope of staying up.

Well it would appear, he thrives on through balls and not the more aerial/physical approach we adopt. So in a team like West Brom I think he'd do well enough. Lovenkrands seems to do more than well enough in the same team, so blaming the style of play for how poor he's been is a bit weak. Not seen Best make many quality runs in behind the defense in any case, he seems to play with his back to goal more often than not and certainly doesn't seem to have the movement and anticipation you need to be the kind of player you describe. That would be due to him being a target man rather than an out and out goal poacher. I thought he did better as the game went on and the header where he nearly scored showed he's got some power in the air. I don't think he's a player we should have signed but he's nowhere near as bad as people are making out. Aye I know that, I was replying to Kezman's point that he reckoned he was more of a play off the shoulder of the last defender, thrive on through balls type of player.

http://france.theoffside.com/files/2007/10/job.jpg Joseph-Desire Job : Has actually spent the last 14 years of his life gainfully employed as a professional footballer.

I love Skirge. Selling him isn't good enough. It specifically needs to be Leeds that we sell him to.

Careful. To be fair, if we signed Casillas, Maicon, Ronaldo and Aguero to play the other 4 spots he'd probably be right.

Erm, because he'd be f***ing knackered after 10 minutes perhaps? Nah man, remember that game at Old Trafford in his debut. That was pretty much what he did, and it was awesome. Take it you just watched the highlights then? Nobody can sprint for 90 minutes, it's not possible. Sure he had a great debut, and we all want him to have more end product but he needs a breather between running at the opposition. The point is moreso that he doesn't do it anywhere near enough. First half today he didn't get up to much at all.

Well it would appear, he thrives on through balls and not the more aerial/physical approach we adopt. So in a team like West Brom I think he'd do well enough. Lovenkrands seems to do more than well enough in the same team, so blaming the style of play for how poor he's been is a bit weak. Not seen Best make many quality runs in behind the defense in any case, he seems to play with his back to goal more often than not and certainly doesn't seem to have the movement and anticipation you need to be the kind of player you describe.

"He realises at last minute dot com that he shouldn't throw the ball." Jesus christ Beagrie.

Erm, because he'd be fucking knackered after 10 minutes perhaps? Nah man, remember that game at Old Trafford in his debut. That was pretty much what he did, and it was awesome.

Pisses me off when Jonas has those patches of being just a terror, running at players and looking for the ball to be played to him all the time. You wonder why the fuck he doesn't do it all the time. Still, good point in the end.

Sweet.

In all seriousness though I just don't see how you can put any of what we've seen from him down to bad luck. He's looked poor every time he's been on the pitch for us, and often in games where we're completely dominating the opposition which should make it easier for him to make a real impact and notch a goal. But he's not even looked like scoring, don't think he's had more than a shot or two in 4 starts and multiple sub appearances. What's he been unlucky with, in your view?