wacko

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Also represented in the last 5 finals, and three of four semi-finalists for the last three seasons. Barca, AC Milan and PSV are the only non-English sides to have knocked out an English club in those last three seasons. Barca's sweet, sweet victory last night and their semi win against Chelsea were the only times an English side has been beaten by a continental side since the 2007 final, I believe. Barca and Milan are the only non-English sides to have appeared in the final since 2004. That's pretty dominant. I'm still made up from Barca's win last night. Man Utd winning would have been really depressing.

People fucking suck this shit up as well, just spotted this on another board I post on and I'm afraid I had to bite. yeah ive responded to a couple of posts like that on other forums. there is a media driven stereotype floating around of what the typical nufc fan is like and it bears little relation to the vast and varied reality. People conflate typical with having a relatively high proportion. The NUFC stereotype is as accurate as that of any other other club's fans.

I seem to remember there being quite a high proportion of nutters in Nigeria. Perhaps it was just the driving. Pretty evil thing to do. Tragic for the victims and their families.

St Pauli are the world's best football club. I am planning a pilgrimage to the Millerntor next summer. Yeah, I'm a big admirer of the club also. Dont know much about St Pauli, not even the region/City they are based in - can someone tell me in a couple of sentances more about them and why they are so admired? I never went to a game when I lived in Hamburg, so I can't tell you about inside the ground or the atmosphere, but every single St Pauli fan I've ever met has been absolutely sound. The stadium is in one of Hamburg's red light districts (the Reeperbahn is in St Pauli), the skull and crossbones is the fans' symbol, and being a top bloke seems to be a core element of the club identity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_St._Pauli

What a mug. £400 for 5 grams. I wonder how much weed he got for his £20.

A team's success in Europe has knock-on effects for the rest of the league. It ups the league's UEFA ranking, which determines how many places the league gets and also increases the ranking of the league's other teams. English teams' recent success in Europe would guarantee a European debutante from the PL seeding in the first or second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. That said, I almost always want other English sides to lose in European games.

When Freddy hired him, I thought, "what the fuck are they doing? No way they'll get anywhere near 5th next season with that clown in charge." For an outsider, that stands out as being probably the worst of many bad decisions made by the NUFC board.

Haven't seen any of your contributions elsewhere on the board. I'm curious to know what you think of everything that has transpired here as a liverpool fan. I'm quite sure you're quaking in your boots as far as the title goes. Peter Lovenkrands > Fernando Torres lyke To be honest, it seems to keep getting worse and worse for you every time I think it should get better. I can't believe you're in the relegation zone. I thought the RELEGATIONOMETER was a joke when it went up. I think NUFC fans will not tolerate negative, defence-minded football, so despite the silverware that Houllier and Benitez have brought to Liverpool, I don't think either of them would have survived at SJP, because of their style of play. The only thing Liverpool fans really care about is winning that bloody league again, and we have a huge tolerance for tedious football as long as we're getting the points. It's different here, though. I've always thought Newcastle's problems were down to rotten executive management. It's the same at Schalke just up the road: consistent underachievement relative to spending, and it's because incompetent executives hire incompetent managers who spend too much money, which would be better spent elsewhere anyway, on players who aren't good enough. (And regarding Schalke, their squad is so full of dross, you'd be mad to buy any player they want shot of, i.e. Løvenkrands.) I thought Ashley might sort that out: being a successful businessman, he'd probably know to bring in good people and let them get on with their job. It appears he's not that sophisticated, though, and he seems to have made a string of bad decisions. Still, it's hard to think of many examples of football club owners/chairmen who are paddling with all their oars in the water. Villa seems to be a very well-run club. Re: Liverpool, I'm probably the last person who'd give a neutral opinion, but I can't see you winning the league under Rafa. Partly down to Man Utd's strangehold, partly down to Benitez's chopping and changing (although signs this season that he's trying to be a bit more consistent it seems), and partly down to overly frequent defeats to no-rate sides. I can however seeing you win the CL again this season (sigh). Why do you think it is that you seem to have the edge in Europe, and regularly get far; is it Benitez's European know-how? I think this is a good move by Shearer, pure common sense really. The players seemed to be doing whatever the hell they wanted under Kinnear and Hughton. I don't see why not. Obviously, the ball's in Man Utd's court, as they are already ahead and can outspend us twice over, but we are making progress every season under Rafa. Sure, we lose the odd game we really should win (who doesn't?), but Rafa is right to rest players when he does because it's always given us a squad that is hitting peak form at the sharp end of the season. We need better backup, as Chelsea and Man Utd have. In particular, this season we've beaten Chelsea and Man Utd home and away, having got virtually nothing from those games in previous seasons under Rafa. I think our success in Europe is largely down to the combination of Rafa's tactical nouse and English tempo. You have to play possession football in Europe. Rafa spends a lot of time preparing the side tactically for European matches, and his game plans are the reason we beat teams with supposedly better players time and time again. The flipside, I guess, is that meticulous tactics don't help against sides whose game plan is to park the bus, and we need to just get stuck into Prem sides the way we did into Real. Anfield can also be a deciding factor when the second leg is there, and all British fans turn European finals into home games. Haven't seen any of your contributions elsewhere on the board. I'm curious to know what you think of everything that has transpired here as a liverpool fan. I'm quite sure you're quaking in your boots as far as the title goes. Peter Lovenkrands > Fernando Torres lyke To be honest, it seems to keep getting worse and worse for you every time I think it should get better. I can't believe you're in the relegation zone. I thought the RELEGATIONOMETER was a joke when it went up. I think NUFC fans will not tolerate negative, defence-minded football, so despite the silverware that Houllier and Benitez have brought to Liverpool, I don't think either of them would have survived at SJP, because of their style of play. The only thing Liverpool fans really care about is winning that bloody league again, and we have a huge tolerance for tedious football as long as we're getting the points. It's different here, though. I've always thought Newcastle's problems were down to rotten executive management. It's the same at Schalke just up the road: consistent underachievement relative to spending, and it's because incompetent executives hire incompetent managers who spend too much money, which would be better spent elsewhere anyway, on players who aren't good enough. (And regarding Schalke, their squad is so full of dross, you'd be mad to buy any player they want shot of, i.e. Løvenkrands.) I thought Ashley might sort that out: being a successful businessman, he'd probably know to bring in good people and let them get on with their job. It appears he's not that sophisticated, though, and he seems to have made a string of bad decisions. Still, it's hard to think of many examples of football club owners/chairmen who are paddling with all their oars in the water. Villa seems to be a very well-run club. I'm sorry, I cant agree with that. The restof your post is a good one, but not that bit, like. If we were playing direct, drab(ish) football BUT were still getting results and moving up the table/progressing in cups etc. then whoever it is managing us would be tolerated. Afterall, its results that move you up the league- not style of play. For too many years now have we had a combination of shit football and shit results. When those two mix the manager hasnt a chance. Example: Allardyce As for Shearer- Good man, Alan! Bout fucking time these buggers get a kick up the arse! They could do what they wanted under Houghton, but now things are different....thnakfully. Sorry, didn't mean to offend. Obviously, I don't know anywhere near as much about it as you, and I didn't see many of the games under Allardyce, but points-wise, he was no worse than Roeder. Still, he was no great shakes, either.

Haven't seen any of your contributions elsewhere on the board. I'm curious to know what you think of everything that has transpired here as a liverpool fan. I'm quite sure you're quaking in your boots as far as the title goes. Peter Lovenkrands > Fernando Torres lyke To be honest, it seems to keep getting worse and worse for you every time I think it should get better. I can't believe you're in the relegation zone. I thought the RELEGATIONOMETER was a joke when it went up. I think NUFC fans will not tolerate negative, defence-minded football, so despite the silverware that Houllier and Benitez have brought to Liverpool, I don't think either of them would have survived at SJP, because of their style of play. The only thing Liverpool fans really care about is winning that bloody league again, and we have a huge tolerance for tedious football as long as we're getting the points. It's different here, though. I've always thought Newcastle's problems were down to rotten executive management. It's the same at Schalke just up the road: consistent underachievement relative to spending, and it's because incompetent executives hire incompetent managers who spend too much money, which would be better spent elsewhere anyway, on players who aren't good enough. (And regarding Schalke, their squad is so full of dross, you'd be mad to buy any player they want shot of, i.e. Løvenkrands.) I thought Ashley might sort that out: being a successful businessman, he'd probably know to bring in good people and let them get on with their job. It appears he's not that sophisticated, though, and he seems to have made a string of bad decisions. Still, it's hard to think of many examples of football club owners/chairmen who are paddling with all their oars in the water. Villa seems to be a very well-run club.

I wasn't trying to compare them, I just thought it had been tried before. Can't see any of the players defying Shearer, tbh.

Didn't Allardyce try to impose a bit of discipline, and the squad turned on him? Start of the end, like.

Slapped his wife around. £5m is more like it for Cissé. Totally one-dimensional and a rotten on-field attitude.

It makes me smile to see how he's gone downhill since the moment he followed McMoneyman to Real. Great player to have on the bench, but at a fraction of the wages he's on now.

Anelka was willing to come. Anelka's always willing to come. And within 8-12 months, he's sulking and wants away again.

Gerrard is English, so the English media suckle his arse. Hardly a conspiracy. Essien is definitely one of the best players in the world. Can do everything, though could score more, and has the intelligence and attitude Gerrard lacks. Surely anyone would love to have him in their team. When he replicates his Liverpool form for England, I'd glady have him in the England team every game without doubt. However, is that ever going to happen? It hasn't so far in 70 caps. I hope he proves me wrong one day because if he does replicate his Liverpool form, we might actually get somewhere in South Africa next year. For me, Gerrard is a world-class player but only in terms of league football because he doesn't perform on the International stage. Messi is streets ahead in regards to the original question by the way. Fair enough. Can't comment on that, because I haven't watched an England game since 2006. wonder what his release clause fee is? I'd be surprised if they had the foresight to set it higher than Man City are prepared to go. Madmen will probably offer £100+m.

What does this even prove? Xavi and Iniesta are crap? Dunno why you'd say Gerrard even if you are a Liverpool fan, Messi is without doubt the best player in the world and anyone who says otherwise is either blind or smoking crack tbh. It doesn't prove anything, but it says more than asserting anyone who disagrees must be blind or high, though. Gerrard is English, so the English media suckle his arse. Hardly a conspiracy. Essien is definitely one of the best players in the world. Can do everything, though could score more, and has the intelligence and attitude Gerrard lacks. Surely anyone would love to have him in their team.

I voted for Gerrard, surprisingly. In contrast to the others, he's also extremely effective when the other side has the ball. For better or worse, he's also less dependent on having quality players around him. Consummate big game player, too. Always comes up with the goods in the really big games. If he only had a brain... Don't agree he's better than President King Ruler of the Earth Gerrard though. A cracking player, though. Oh, Xavi? Xavi vs Gerrard is an interesting one. Technical wizardry vs physical domination. Xavi got taken off after 65' in the Liverpool game at the Nou Camp in 2007. Alonso, Gerrard and Momo totally bossed Xavi, Iniesta and Deco. Admittedly, Momo doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the other 5.

Quite right. Arsenal might struggle against Barca because they don't get stuck in enough, but in general, English sides put the willies up Spanish sides. Like in 2006 when Barca beat Arsenal and Chelsea in the process of winning it? Right. The same year Arsenal knocked out Villareal and Real Madrid. Also the year before Chelsea beat Barca in the group, and we knocked them out in the last 16 (as Chelsea did to them in 2004/5), and Chelsea beat the remaining Spanish side, Valencia. Last season, Chelsea beat Valencia in the group stage and Man Utd knocked out Barca in the only other English-Spanish match. In fact, Barca's victories against Arsenal and Chelsea in 2006 are the only times a Spanish side has beaten an English one in the CL since 2005 (including group stage home and away ties), compared to the six Spanish losses against four different English sides (excluding the group stage).

Quite right. Arsenal might struggle against Barca because they don't get stuck in enough, but in general, English sides put the willies up Spanish sides.

I'm confident we'd beat Barcelona over two legs. I feel confident of beating anyone on current form.

Wow! We even turned the goal difference around.

Not something to be wished for. Not happy getting Chelsea again, either. Would've much preferred Porto, Villareal or even Bayern.

I don't think he'd have been fired if we'd lost the Real and Man Utd games: he makes us too much money from the CL. I think he might have walked if he hadn't got concessions regarding transfers and the academy that he wanted (he was told that he could spend £18m on the right player, but not Barry, and he had zero influence on the academy. At the moment, he basically runs his own youth team in the reserves.) The 2005/06 side did so well in the league because we were dumped out of the CL relatively early. As in all of Rafa's seasons prior to this one, we were out of the running for the league by Christmas, but in the other years the league took a backseat to our CL campaigns and results suffered. If Torres hadn't spent most of the season injured, I dare say we'd have 3 or 4 more points at this stage. There's no way Rafa will be given a huge kitty this summer. The owners are trying to sell up before the loan they took out to buy LFC is up for renewal in the summer, so they won't want to be putting more of their own cash in, and given the current financial climate, they'll be expecting a sizable drop in revenue next season.

Villa, please please please. Not that it'll happen, like.