themanupstairs

Very late with this, but something that really stood out for me during the Arsenal game....Time and time again he was the out ball when we were coming forward and he never looked likely to do anything with it, it was a bit concerning. I didn't watch much last year, was he generally quite productive given the circumstances?

Very much so. Was one of, if not the best, creative forces for us last season. Powerful intelligent running, and a somewhat decent cross.

Ketsbaia new manager of APOEL Nicosia.

 

Should mean CL football for him (I assume, because it doesn't seem like there's ever another Cypriot team in the CL). Good move for him.

 

Anorthosis Famagusta have been in the odd time haven't they?

They have. Ketsbaia was their manager when they became the first Cypriot team to ever qualify for the group stages. APOEL Nicosia have been in there 3 times now iirc, as have AEL Limassol.

Starting to go all Pardew about Rodgers me, can't wait until he's out.

 

Watching Shelvey just adds to it...and countless other players he's ostracized and continues to ostracize in order to play his favourites.

JC is available I believe.

So is King Kenny. He knows the Singular Unique Honorable Righteous TiciTaca Liverpool Way. He would channel The Spirit of Shankly, and they would once again be living in history, exactly where they belong.

Mirror are saying that we tried again for Austin on deadline day in a swap for arrons ( hope it was just a loan )

 

A premier league proven goalscorer for Arrons, who promises lots but delivers nowt.

I'd take that.

obvious wum is obvious

Starting to go all Pardew about Rodgers me, can't wait until he's out.

 

Watching Shelvey just adds to it...and countless other players he's ostracized and continues to ostracize in order to play his favourites.

Serious question: Who apart from Lovren is he obviously playing because they are his favorites over other more capable players?

Maybe Lucas over Can as well?

From the same article

 

http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/wp-content/gallery/worst-statues/maradona.jpg

 

http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/photos/101330/the-7-worst-football-statues-youll-hopefully-see-today.html

 

Fatima Whitbread?

Will Mackenzie isn't it, sans spectacles.

The state of the football

Rob Elliot for me. An absolute impostor.

pashun

Wales.

 

A win at home against Israel on Sunday away from qualifying for a major tournament for the the first time since 1958.

Just got home from the match. They weren't much cop tbh. Cyprus could've and probably should've spoiled the party. Bale was woeful apart from that one moment. But I guess that's all it takes for a special player like him. Ashley Williams is a cunt of the highest order. He was bullied all night by the young centre forward Mytidis and constantly complained to the ref and linesmen. Ramsey was great to watch, and I was very impressed by that Richards kid who put in the cross for the goal. Draw would have been a fair result, but having a player like Bale in your team makes all the difference.

He'd get lost in the shuffle at Spurs, they seem to sign a dozen players for that position every season. I want him to be great.

Fuck Spurs. Would have been as bad a move for him to go there as it would have been to move to Chelsea or Man City at this point. Footballing graveyards for players like him. So happy he's still here and I hope we get to see much more of him this season 

The fee for Martial is £36m. £12m coming in for Hernandez.

That is still bananas

Valencia were pretty much a "build from the back" team the year Cathro was there, and I suspect NUFC was looking to get a bit of that when they signed him. To Cathro's credit, Valencia were an exceptionally hard team to break.

 

That said, the only defensive thing I have spotted in McClaren (didn't see the Arsenal game), is the Colback-Anita pairing, and having two mids sit back isn't hardly something out of this world, it would help if at least one of them was more creative though.

 

I think it's too soon to really appraise the manager's intent. A transfer window where you signed one defender and three attacking players doesn't scream "the new Fat Sam" to me, though.

Going down marra 9-1 FTM, divn't you know?

Garbage what low expectations we have give the owld heed a shake we could have had 12 points with the right approach - this man will take us down with defensive shyte - wait till Sunderland go 1-0 up at both derbies and put some subs on jeeeeeeeeeeezzzz

obvious wum is obvious

Sell for 6, buy Austin for 15. The 9 million difference is well worth it when it will most likely mean staying in the top division.

57 in the end. not a bad haul. 52nd in NO league. dizzying heights!

Urgh I seem to be posting more in the footy section these days...

 

Today I was actually p*ssed off when Arsenal scored.

 

Must not get reeled in...

 

I won't.

 

But I want that feeling of going to the match and enjoying it...

Man up shark man ffs. It's just football. YOLO and all that. You know you want to 

Casual racism isn't funny tbh

This is the Steve MC side I was expecting though. Well organised and defensive. He's done well to sort the defence out but we don't look like scoring. Aye, we are passing it but i'd rather look like scoring.

 

To be fair, we've had 2 games with 10 men against superior teams and a game at Old Trafford where we probably produced more chances than we'd have expected. If we're not creating against West Ham and Watford I'll start to worry.

Let's be honest. Didn't look like scoring against swansea anyway. Ditto Arsenal.

 

 

2 half chances and one genuine chance is hardly anything to talk about in attacking terms.

 

 

I don't consider any of the teams we'v faced to be real untouchable top quality.

 

Pretty sure McClaren himself has said the passing/attacking would come later, the focus is on making us solid first. After last season, he has to be super careful with confidence, especially as do/did have quite a tough opening run of games. I think there's a plan in place and this has to be remembered, it took us quite a while to look an attacking force under KK when he came back, let's not forget.

There's also the small matter of the massive windfall that clubs are hoping to cash in on next season. Priority will clearly be to set up defensively and play the counter-attack for 10 or 11 clubs in the division as they try to avoid relegation.

We spent the majority of two games against the two best possession teams in the league, with a man down ffs

 

In order to reverse the utter rubbish we'd been served up by al pards in the last few years, SMC needed to get back to basics. Professional attitude on and off the pitch, respect for the fans, better communication, proper coaches and backroom staff, and a solid defensive shape that should become hard to break down. This is a game where the 11 players on the pitch (haha) at any given time need to make collective and individual decisions in split seconds. You can't influence that in 5 minutes. It takes bloody time. It's nowhere near good enough at the moment, but McClaren has earned the chance to show what he wants to do.

 

No one's saying we'll win the league next year or owt. But not seeing encouraging signs from the evidence we've had so far is just being stubborn for the sake of it.

 

So by playing two players who can't pass the ball more than 10 yards sideways and backwards, are physically out muscled consistently every game and leaving your main striker isolated without service is the way forward. I can't see encouraging signs it just reminds me of last year but instead of hoofing the ball forward we are now trying to play keep the ball with 10 yard balls between the defence and Colback/Anita. As an attacking force we are virtually a non entity currently - sorry when I see basic mistakes being made which are so obvious then I will call it. If your happy with that so be it but don't know how you can be to be honest. Yes we have been down to 10 men but before we were the team was set up wrong at Swansea and against Arsenal. Add to the fact Sissoko is not a winger and Perez being dropped again (or even De Jong) not being selected to the detriment of the team and resulting in your main striker being totally isolated, then I'm sorry that is certainly not  an improvement.

I've clearly said that the way we're playing is still nowhere near good enough for the future. The fact that he has gone back to basics with the stuff I've highlighted bodes well in that he has to start from somewhere. I also have gripes about the 2 tiny dancers in midfield, and I don't think it's how we should line up once we have settled as a squad with new players and totally new management. I am however willing to be patient and let the new coaching do its job, as the signs are encouraging.

25 pts with 5 to play. Sagna saving my bacon this week, again.

We spent the majority of two games against the two best possession teams in the league, with a man down ffs

In order to reverse the utter rubbish we'd been served up by al pards in the last few years, SMC needed to get back to basics. Professional attitude on and off the pitch, respect for the fans, better communication, proper coaches and backroom staff, and a solid defensive shape that should become hard to break down. This is a game where the 11 players on the pitch (haha) at any given time need to make collective and individual decisions in split seconds. You can't influence that in 5 minutes. It takes bloody time. It's nowhere near good enough at the moment, but McClaren has earned the chance to show what he wants to do.

No one's saying we'll win the league next year or owt. But not seeing encouraging signs from the evidence we've had so far is just being stubborn for the sake of it.

Its an indefensable red card. Over the top of the ball with studs into shin.  No point appealing cos it will just be increased to four games out if we do.  Sign  Austin now.  Mitro will be suspended for half the season as he is too stupid to learn from his errors of judgment.

Top post. As in, topped myself with anguish over the "logic" of the bolded part especially

His distribution was markedly better than usual yesterday Some of his kicks were measured passes rather than aimless punts up-field.

I cannot believe I've just seen an ex-pro actively encouraging players to surround referees and ask for cards to be given.

Astonishing.

 

Why not, they say to hit the deck if even looked at in the box ?

 

It's a horrible, horrible game at this level, only my partisanship keeps me involved.

This 1000000%