tmonkey

Never rated him until this season-big loss to the Gunners imo. He was smashing at left back for Arsenal the season before last (when Arsenal got to the CL final). Good signing for Milan, the type of player who'll make up for what someone like Ronaldinho might lack in his game.

He does if for much of the seasons he is about as useful as Alan Smith - which was pretty much the case for every away game at the very least. He's always going to remain a good finisher, even now at 35/36 I would expect him to bury alot of the chances that the likes of Martins and Owen have been missing, so he did score a handful of goals (iirc 7 in the premiership with a bucketload in the Intertoto), but lets not gloss over the fact that it was labourious getting him those chances, nor ignore the numerous games where we had to put up with him being back pocketed with ease in the Premiership. Even Ameobi went on a run where he was scoring frequently against mediocre Premiership opposition, particularly at home, and imo thats the level that Shearer had fallen to by that time. It was criminal that we let the situation develop to that extent, big clubs would have moved a player like that on or made him a squad/backup player, instead we thanked Shearer for his service by ensuring that he was a cast iron first teamer (with or without Owen). Shay Given has been nearly as good a servant as Shearer over the years, we're talking about one of the best goalkeepers in the Premiership until recently, someone who frequently dragged us out of the shitter season after season. Yet he's been dropped for poor form now, and rightly so. Thats how it should have been with Shearer.

I wouldnt use that tally as "proof" of him being the best, as it isnt matched or is going to be very hard to beat for several reasons. Top foreign players wont get near that tally purely because they hadnt been playing from the start of their careers (few seasons in for Shearer), nor did they play till the end. Henry and Van Nistelrooy are good examples. On a side note, a very rough examination of figures shows that Henry scored 174 in 254 games, 0.68 goals per game, over 8 seasons thats 21.75 per season, compared to Sheasrer's 260 in 441 games, 0.58 per game, over 14 seasons that is 18.57 per game. (Van Nistelroy = 0.63 goals per game, 19 goals per season). Thing is, these stats mean little without in depth analysis (e.g. injured season, removing penalties if comparing a penalty taker vs non penalty taking forward, etc) and taking into consideration other factors, such as assists, aging performances watering down those stats, etc. At the same time, how many players will be fortunate enough to be in a situation where they were guaranteed a first team spot at their club regardless of physique/performances till the end of their career? Top clubs will move a player on once they age and the standards drop, or at least replace them in the first team. As an example, what would Andy Cole be on now had he never left Theres also the notion that the Premiership was considerably weaker in the early/mid 90's compared to today. Top/good players in the mid 90's would naturally be the same calibre today, but there were more Derby standard sides in the Premiership back then imo. Regardless of what it was like at the time, it'll be alot harder for strikers of tomorrow to score as freely, when mid table teams like ourselves, Pompey, West Ham, City, Villa, etc, have huge amounts of money to spend (as do the top four) and no doubt many of the good/top players around the world would consider a move to the Premiership ahead of La Liga or Serie A (a complete reversal of the situation compared to the mid 90s when nearly all top foreign players went to those two leagues).

We won it 6 times. We won it 6 times.

The Ronaldo wankathon reminds me of Frank Lampard several years ago, you know, back when he was better than Kaka, Ronaldinho, etc. A good player in great form will always be vastly inferior to a great player in good form.

Henry bottles a good chance yet again. Bottler. (Now score you cunt).

Henry

He's been strangely off key today. "In a way, Barcelona wont really be affected by ManU scoring a second"...quite clearly forgetting that the away goal rule only comes into affect if the scores are tied.

Messi is just awesome, he's beaten countless ManU players tonight. That final ball hasnt been there, but everything else before it is on another level.

Park playing well.

Iniesta is such a clever little player on the ball.

Would be an excellent addition. Faye moved into central midfield. We'd have a beastly core to the team.

Milner = squad player we currently have. Malbranque = squad player of a club where we want, and should, be. Work rate and the ability to occassionally produce something decent if he gets enough attempts is something that wont make up for being a poor footballer all round.

What was everyone hauling? Another bus?

sounds spot on. In other words, he didnt have a choice. And im betting theres a dent in one of the lockers at Dinamo FC, coinciding with those few seconds of "suprise".

In terms of Geremi's position and the need for adding pace to the side whilst also improving the footballing ability, this guy would be perfect for that position/role and wouldnt cost a bomb either: http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/images/2005/04/22/kieron_dyer_300x400.jpg

Think we have no chance of signing Diego tbh. Player of the year last season, playing in a champions league side, being chased by some of the top clubs in Europe. What could possibly attract him to Newcastle? http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:HzBtCipplDvNaM:http://apudgeisasandwich.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/money.jpg

Scholes is a legend in the Premiership and im pretty sure every Newcastle supporter in the country would love to have him in our team even at this late stage of his career, yet he isnt half the player on the ball that Deco is. Its easy to forget how much ability Deco has until you see him on the pitch against players who are supposedly as good or better.

Lawrenson and Hansen going to provide impartial and unbiased analysis of a Liverpool game? Of course.

Nearly all the top South American youngsters in FM have moved to good European clubs IRL within the past year or so.

ManU have some real snarling twats in their team. Bunch of cunts.

Ferdinand acting like a smackhead who's supplier has just said hes not getting anymore.

Joe Cole hits the bar. Shouldve passed it earlier though.

Looked a cracking player against England, and although that was just one game where England were shit and managed by McClaren, and although you should never judge a player on one game, if you had to make a judgement based on that (relatively biggish) game, it would be that he looked a genuinely talented player. First touch spot on every time, slick, short dribbling, drove forward at every opportunity from the middle of the park, consistent passing, doesnt lose the ball easily, always available, relatively mobile/agile, and certainly didnt look a slob on the work rate front. One game is hasty, but again, one cracking game from him, and lets not forget the hype element - he was hyped up as a potential future star in the lead up to that game, a talented young player who all the big clubs would be chasing, and his performance justified that sort of hype imo. How often do you get someone young and unproven like that who brings a biggish reputation with him, plays very well the first time you see him in a biggish game, then turns out to be total shit later on?

Since when? Im thinking Chelsea Barca, ManU Madrid (iirc 0-0 first leg). Boring first legs, memorable second legs. Just my opinion, but from what ive seen, the more technical Spanish sides tend not to go all out attack at home, they rely on breaking the opposition down slowly, whilst Premiership teams abroad tend to play defensively at this stage of the tournament, even the good footballing sides, hence why the away leg is normally slow and a bit boring - slow technical football vs defensive football. The home leg is another story, as the English clubs tend to go on the offensive being egged on by the more vociferous home crowd whilst the foreign opposition quicken things up a bit, and thats when the game gets interesting, as you tend to have have attacking football vs technical football, more goals, etc. I meant Man Utd getting bummed at Old Trafford. Well, in terms of performances, they were bummed to an extent by Milan/Kaka. Certainly bummed by Madrid both times (games with Zidane/Ronaldo and Redondo/Raul). Cant quite see ManU sitting back at Old Trafford especially without any away goal, and even then I dont think defensive football at Old Trafford is in Ferguson's blood, whilst on the player front Messi/Deco should be fitter by then. I hope its a cracker anyway, certainly 0-0 is a good platform for that.