Parky

High scoring game methinks.

I'm surprised you were that positive since you thought we should have stuck with Allardyce instead of taking a risk bringing Keegan back. ...and you still maintain Owen isn't a good finisher. I said he's not a World class finisher which he isn't. Perhaps that's the difference between going to games and seeing some of the chances he misses compared to watching highlights over the Internet. Most modern strikers miss alot of chances. Name a better goal poacher. Try digging the original thread up and you might have a clue what we're on about rather than jumping in without a clue. I know what you're talking about mate. My point about Owen remains. He said Owen wasn't a world class finisher. He clearly is, just not his all round game nowadays. Being a World class poacher doesn't make you a World class finisher. True, but he is a world class finisher in my eyes. It depends what you classify as a World Class Finisher. I would say it means you have converted a high percentage of your chances at international level against quality opposition and have a good games to goals ratio something like 1 goal every 2 games. Both of which Owen has done. Define what makes a world class finisher. http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=51424.msg1263711#msg1263711 Interesting Slant. Who would you consider a world class finisher in your eyes in the world today? As has been said in that thread there isn't many now, Eto'o, Henry, RVN are the 3 stand out. As I said I'd trust Viduka in a one on one situation more than I would Owen, Owen's strength is using his footballing brain to get into the positions where he'll get more chances to finish than Viduka. Owen has a higher goals to shots ratio this season than Eto'o. Therefore, by your reasoning is a better finsiher. Owen Shots:28 Goals:10 Eto'o Shots:58 Goals:15 http://www.squadgod.com/players/MichaelOwen http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=11718 The difference being Eto'o is a player who shoots from anywhere within 30 yards of goal where as Owen doesn't, I'm talking about what I'd consider to be goalscoring opportunities. So basically what your saying is a world class finisher is someone in say the top 10 of the world, within 10 yards of the Goal one on one with a keeper of equal ability with an equal unchanging global weather system, uniform pitches, equal levels of fitnessetc...... Basically what I'm saying is you can't decide what a world class finisher is by your theory. Every thing has to be exactly the same. I'll stick by saying if you stick it in the back of the net more than most then you're a world class finisher. EDIT: I think we should end this debate, it's pointless and must be well annoying for others. Baggy handed his arse on a plate dontcha know. [Onlyjokingbaggy/] FWIW you do talk a lot of sense about football.

I'm surprised you were that positive since you thought we should have stuck with Allardyce instead of taking a risk bringing Keegan back. ...and you still maintain Owen isn't a good finisher. I said he's not a World class finisher which he isn't. Perhaps that's the difference between going to games and seeing some of the chances he misses compared to watching highlights over the Internet. Most modern strikers miss alot of chances. Name a better goal poacher. Try digging the original thread up and you might have a clue what we're on about rather than jumping in without a clue. I know what you're talking about mate. My point about Owen remains. He said Owen wasn't a world class finisher. He clearly is, just not his all round game nowadays. Being a World class poacher doesn't make you a World class finisher. True, but he is a world class finisher in my eyes. It depends what you classify as a World Class Finisher. I would say it means you have converted a high percentage of your chances at international level against quality opposition and have a good games to goals ratio something like 1 goal every 2 games. Both of which Owen has done. Define what makes a world class finisher. A career 1 in 2 isn't good enough for Baggio. Heavens. No surprise to see you missing the point, perhaps you should stick to being zany in general chat. I'm not missing the point at all. You have no point. Quite clearly you're Parky, not to worry though. Just think of it as a conspiracy theory. Yawn.

I'm surprised you were that positive since you thought we should have stuck with Allardyce instead of taking a risk bringing Keegan back. ...and you still maintain Owen isn't a good finisher. I said he's not a World class finisher which he isn't. Perhaps that's the difference between going to games and seeing some of the chances he misses compared to watching highlights over the Internet. Most modern strikers miss alot of chances. Name a better goal poacher. Try digging the original thread up and you might have a clue what we're on about rather than jumping in without a clue. I know what you're talking about mate. My point about Owen remains. He said Owen wasn't a world class finisher. He clearly is, just not his all round game nowadays. Being a World class poacher doesn't make you a World class finisher. True, but he is a world class finisher in my eyes. It depends what you classify as a World Class Finisher. I would say it means you have converted a high percentage of your chances at international level against quality opposition and have a good games to goals ratio something like 1 goal every 2 games. Both of which Owen has done. Define what makes a world class finisher. A career 1 in 2 isn't good enough for Baggio. Heavens. No surprise to see you missing the point, perhaps you should stick to being zany in general chat. I'm not missing the point at all. You have no point. If you can't see that being a good finisher and being in right place is part and parcel of the same thing as it is imo, there is no point in continuing this is there? ...try and save the side swipes for your wife/girlfriend..

I'm surprised you were that positive since you thought we should have stuck with Allardyce instead of taking a risk bringing Keegan back. ...and you still maintain Owen isn't a good finisher. I said he's not a World class finisher which he isn't. Perhaps that's the difference between going to games and seeing some of the chances he misses compared to watching highlights over the Internet. Most modern strikers miss alot of chances. Name a better goal poacher. Try digging the original thread up and you might have a clue what we're on about rather than jumping in without a clue. I know what you're talking about mate. My point about Owen remains. He said Owen wasn't a world class finisher. He clearly is, just not his all round game nowadays. Being a World class poacher doesn't make you a World class finisher. True, but he is a world class finisher in my eyes. It depends what you classify as a World Class Finisher. I would say it means you have converted a high percentage of your chances at international level against quality opposition and have a good games to goals ratio something like 1 goal every 2 games. Both of which Owen has done. Define what makes a world class finisher. http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=51424.msg1263711#msg1263711 Interesting Slant. Who would you consider a world class finisher in your eyes in the world today? As has been said in that thread there isn't many now, Eto'o, Henry, RVN are the 3 stand out. As I said I'd trust Viduka in a one on one situation more than I would Owen, Owen's strength is using his footballing brain to get into the positions where he'll get more chances to finish than Viduka. Baggy resurrects the old 'fox in the box' debate to cover his retreat. Being in the right place is part and parcel of finishing imo.

I'm surprised you were that positive since you thought we should have stuck with Allardyce instead of taking a risk bringing Keegan back. ...and you still maintain Owen isn't a good finisher. I said he's not a World class finisher which he isn't. Perhaps that's the difference between going to games and seeing some of the chances he misses compared to watching highlights over the Internet. Most modern strikers miss alot of chances. Name a better goal poacher. Try digging the original thread up and you might have a clue what we're on about rather than jumping in without a clue. I know what you're talking about mate. My point about Owen remains. He said Owen wasn't a world class finisher. He clearly is, just not his all round game nowadays. Being a World class poacher doesn't make you a World class finisher. True, but he is a world class finisher in my eyes. It depends what you classify as a World Class Finisher. I would say it means you have converted a high percentage of your chances at international level against quality opposition and have a good games to goals ratio something like 1 goal every 2 games. Both of which Owen has done. Define what makes a world class finisher. A career 1 in 2 isn't good enough for Baggio. Heavens.

I'm surprised you were that positive since you thought we should have stuck with Allardyce instead of taking a risk bringing Keegan back. ...and you still maintain Owen isn't a good finisher.

I've been waiting for years to see the smug arsehole Liverpool fans singing at the end and only at the end to be fuked over like that. That is a magical moment, magic. We were singing louder when they scored, and win or lose next week i dare say. I fancy us to grab a goal there, but they probably will again, to be honest thats what you get if you carnt kill the game with chances we had, if we go out we only have ourselves to blame. Wot the massive 3 chances you created?

When they have a bad game it's never their fault you should know that.

Sooner or later in a big game in Europe Benny will have to pay the price for his safety first policy. Last night was maybe a reminder that not letting the full back cross the half way line is maybe not all that it's cracked up to be. This is the mark of the man... Every decision went against us, moans baffled Benítez The Guardian, Wednesday April 23 2008 Article history Rafael Benítez accused the referee Konrad Plautz of bias and poor timekeeping last night after John Arne Riise's stoppage-time own-goal cost Liverpool a precious lead in their Champions League semi-final first leg with Chelsea. The Liverpool manager criticised the award of four minutes' injury-time and a display from Plautz that, he claimed, had favoured Chelsea throughout. he disgruntled Spaniard said: "It's difficult to understand. There were 94 or 95 minutes and every decision went against us. All the corners, free-kicks and fouls. But, in the end, it was an own-goal. It's not the first time. We knew before the game it was going to be difficult [with this referee]. Against Marseille it was more or less the same. You can't blame the referee for the own-goal at the end but the time? One minute in the first half, four in the second. It's difficult to explain." Benítez also had cause to bemoan the referee for a push by Ashley Cole on the goalscorer Dirk Kuyt inside the Chelsea penalty area, an offence that went unpunished by Plautz. "The first four fouls against us were for pushing," he added. "I saw one of their players pushing with two hands in the penalty area and nothing given. I've seen too many things tonight but I don't want to say too much."

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That's what happens when you only create a few chances at home....

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The Chelsea game will be much closer than they realise. I quite fancy them actually.

Benny has a sly pop at Avram... "Rafael Benitez questions spirit of Avram Grant's Chelsea Matt Hughes Rafael Benítez yesterday belittled Avram Grant's role at Chelsea by describing Liverpool's Champions League semi-final opponents as Roman Abramovich's team. In the first bout of psychological sparring before tomorrow's first leg at Anfield, the Liverpool manager claimed that Chelsea's style of play has not developed under Grant and that they remain wedded to the attritional football favoured by José Mourinho, his predecessor. In contrast with the antipathy that he felt towards Mourinho, Benítez has enjoyed cordial relations with Grant, but that has not stopped him questioning the Israeli's contribution. Benítez has always insisted that Abramovich's spending power has been the main reason for success at Stamford Bridge and Mourinho's departure has done nothing to change his mind. “There's no difference between this Chelsea and last year's Chelsea, only in the press conferences,” Benítez said. “I think it's more or less the same. I was watching the game at Everton on Thursday and they were playing more or less the same. “As I've said before, the key to them was Abramovich. In the past I think they have built a fantastic team. You may miss José, yes, but not me. It could be they have less spirit than under Mourinho, you know maybe better than me. I have enough things to do at Liverpool now. " http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3785225.ece

Just out of interest, whats Martins? I think he means mobile, pacy target man-type ideally. Would have been nice if we'd got Anelka when we had the chance. Chelsea would probably sell him if they got their money back because he's been far from impressive for them. Still think he's a good player. Lot of players have had trouble slotting in at Chelsea in the first season...Ballack, Schev etc... Funny system and now lacking the insight of Jose.

Just out of interest, whats Martins? I think he means mobile, pacy target man-type ideally. Would have been nice if we'd got Anelka when we had the chance.

The problem I've noticed with Viduka in this formation is that he offers little support out wide, because we're not playing with wide men you need the attackers to pull out wide as an outlet, Martins does it well on the left and looks like he's been told to use that as his starting position when we haven't got the ball, Viduka however just isn't mobile enough and quite a few times yesterday we were left with a big space for someone to run into out on the right and nobody to run into it, Beye gets forward well but he can't be expected to do it all and there were times when he was the one looking to play it out. I did notice Beye getting into that space if able. Love that massive run down the right near the end...Beat 2 men??

It was one of those games where the result was all that mattered. I would look to replace Geremi and Viduka in the summer however and we need a bigger and stronger player for the Butt role.

Don't know an awful lot about either of them but I get the impression Hicks will just dig his heels in. It's a situation that's been managed terribly by them all. For a club which allegedly doesn't wash it's dirty linen in public, they're giving an awful lot of interviews. You'd have thought they'd all just shut the fuck up and phone each other rather than inviting Sky round to discuss things. One thing that's always struck me is just how childishly a lot of rich and successful businessmen can be when they feel that someone has got one over on them. You'd have thought they could rise above it, but they can be incredibly petty and vindictive. Aye well, I'll be quite happy to see them ripping bits off each other in public for the forseeable tbh. Never liked Liverpool.

Let's hope he fails then. [scrooge/] I think he'll succeed in the end. More balls and front than Gillette, and has basically made Parry place at the club unmanageable. He will refuse to sell to anyone, and Gillette will get fuked off eventually and sell to him. ....there is a good chance the Dubai iirc consortium will take over at some point. It really is getting perhaps too messy for the Americans. I think there is very little chance. Hicks simply will not sell and Gillette can only sell with Hicks' permission, which he'll never get now, not in a million years. GG will crumble to Hicks, make a few million and part ways before the start of the new season. Parry might survive till then with GG's backing. You think Benny will survive the shake-up?

There is still a chance Mourinho might go there if they don't get Wenger or Van Basten is deemed too inexperienced. Cruyff has some say there still and will push for Van Basten with Rijkaard maybe going as Dutch national coach or part of that set up. KK would make a good Barca manager imho.

My spanish mate just told me he told your Spanish mate to do one!

Let's hope he fails then. [scrooge/] I think he'll succeed in the end. More balls and front than Gillette, and has basically made Parry place at the club unmanageable. He will refuse to sell to anyone, and Gillette will get fuked off eventually and sell to him. ....there is a good chance the Dubai iirc consortium will take over at some point. It really is getting perhaps too messy for the Americans.

Actually there was a vocal minority at one point amongst the members groups that wanted Mourinho... Wenger should really go there. Ideal club for him and he's be devastating there.