OT: Association Football Thread II (All Soccer Talk Here!)

[Machinehead]

Messi...Messier; clearly there's a connection here. Guarantee plus hatrick incoming.

 

[Ex Officer Friendly]

I love the announcer I swear he is just screaming words .... MAGIC....... ONSIDE...... SUPERLATIVE

 

[Machinehead]

The Scottish guy? Yeah he's GOAT

 

[Ex Officer Friendly]

The Scottish guy? Yeah he's GOAT

lmao that dude body slammed Suarez

 

[Ex Officer Friendly]

SUAREZ!!! 2-1 Barca!

 

[Don Chytil]

Where are all of the lolerpool fans on this board today???

Juan Mata FTW.

Congrats on the win, Mata was great. I think we've got a good shot at winning that game though if Gerrard didn't decide to channel prime Matt Cooke. As someone who just started following the Reds last year, I have nothing but bad feelings regarding Gerrard. I'm sure that to longtime Reds fans that probably sounds like somebody joining HF Rangers in 2020 and talking about how washed up this Lundqvist hack is, but objectively I really dislike watching him on this team.

Assuming that Liverpool doesn't finish Top 4, is there any other way to qualify for the Champions League? Winning the FA Cup would only result in a Europa League birth from what I understand?

 

[Machinehead]

SUAREZ!!!! Mi hermano!

 

[Ex Officer Friendly]

This game is getting rough lol

 

[Machinehead]

This game is getting rough lol

Love when my friends say soccer is a wussy sport.

 

[Cassano]

Congrats on the win, Mata was great. I think we've got a good shot at winning that game though if Gerrard didn't decide to channel prime Matt Cooke. As someone who just started following the Reds last year, I have nothing but bad feelings regarding Gerrard. I'm sure that to longtime Reds fans that probably sounds like somebody joining HF Rangers in 2020 and talking about how washed up this Lundqvist hack is, but objectively I really dislike watching him on this team.

Assuming that Liverpool doesn't finish Top 4, is there any other way to qualify for the Champions League? Winning the FA Cup would only result in a Europa League birth from what I understand?

Only chance they could've made CL is through winning this year's Europa League (Which they lost to Besitkas) or by finishing top 4.

 

[Ex Officer Friendly]

Madrid GK is standing on his head right now

 

[Ex Officer Friendly]

Into Stoppage Time... with Barca still up 2-1

 

[Kakko]

The Scottish guy? Yeah he's GOAT

I love the announcer I swear he is just screaming words .... MAGIC....... ONSIDE...... SUPERLATIVE

Not watching. Ray Hudson, I assume?

 

[Ex Officer Friendly]

Not watching. Ray Hudson, I assume?

Yes thank you lol I had to look up Ray Hudson

Barca won 2-1

 

[Machinehead]

Barca wins

Not watching. Ray Hudson, I assume?

Yes I love how excited he gets

Also, I thought he was Scottish, but his accent is actually North English.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Where are all of the lolerpool fans on this board today???

Juan Mata FTW.

Mata is pure class. It's absolutely ridiculous to think that he was riding the pine for the past three months. There is absolutely no one that can play the position that should be playing over him.

Which leads me to Di Maria. The guy has been a head case. No EPL goals since October. Yes, you read that correctly, freakin' October. With the exception of his assist today, every chance to attack in the 2nd half that went to him died on his feet. He has been a give away machine for the most part. He's been a huge flop.

All this being said, I think van Gaal finally found a cohesive side. I've been advocating for the 4-3-3 since van Gaal took over. Carrick is the perfect holding midfielder/stopper, and Herrera and Fellani are great supporting midfielders for that formation. I would go even as far to say that the 4-3-3 makes Fellani look very good. He was dominant today. I got laughed at for suggesting Blind should be our starting LB. He's looked very good as well. Him and Valencia have the pace and distribution skills to be very good on the flanks. Shaw isn't ready yet.

I think Depay comes to Manchester over the summer. Takes Young's LW spot. Go out and get some CB quality and maybe one more depth midfielder and the Reds can do damage in the CL next season if they make top 4 in the EPL.

Congrats on the win, Mata was great. I think we've got a good shot at winning that game though if Gerrard didn't decide to channel prime Matt Cooke. As someone who just started following the Reds last year, I have nothing but bad feelings regarding Gerrard. I'm sure that to longtime Reds fans that probably sounds like somebody joining HF Rangers in 2020 and talking about how washed up this Lundqvist hack is, but objectively I really dislike watching him on this team.

Assuming that Liverpool doesn't finish Top 4, is there any other way to qualify for the Champions League? Winning the FA Cup would only result in a Europa League birth from what I understand?

Only a top 4 finish will get them in as of now. They can overtake Arsenal, but I don't think they'll catch up to City or Chelsea.

 

[YetAnotherNorwegian]

According to TV2 Sporten another Norwegian (counting Mix), goalie Eirik Johansen, has signed for NYCFC on a permanent deal.

Been part of MCFCs academy since 2008, was loaned out a second tier Norwegian club and helped them get promoted to the Norwegian Premier League. Never heard of him to be frank, but hopefully he'll do well.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Mata is pure class. It's absolutely ridiculous to think that he was riding the pine for the past three months. There is absolutely no one that can play the position that should be playing over him.

Which leads me to Di Maria. The guy has been a head case. No EPL goals since October. Yes, you read that correctly, freakin' October. With the exception of his assist today, every chance to attack in the 2nd half that went to him died on his feet. He has been a give away machine for the most part. He's been a huge flop.

All this being said, I think van Gaal finally found a cohesive side. I've been advocating for the 4-3-3 since van Gaal took over. Carrick is the perfect holding midfielder/stopper, and Herrera and Fellani are great supporting midfielders for that formation. I would go even as far to say that the 4-3-3 makes Fellani look very good. He was dominant today. I got laughed at for suggesting Blind should be our starting LB. He's looked very good as well. Him and Valencia have the pace and distribution skills to be very good on the flanks. Shaw isn't ready yet.

I think Depay comes to Manchester over the summer. Takes Young's LW spot. Go out and get some CB quality and maybe one more depth midfielder and the Reds can do damage in the CL next season if they make top 4 in the EPL.



Only a top 4 finish will get them in as of now. They can overtake Arsenal, but I don't think they'll catch up to City or Chelsea.

There will be another overhaul in Man Utd land. I'm willing to bet that Falcao, RVP, and Di Maria are all no longer members of United. Di Maria will go to PSG. RVP is aging, so probably to Italy or like Turkey. Falcao back to Monaco.

They will have more capital. My friend sent me an article citing the need for players that want to play hard for United. Playing for United used to mean something - players like Giggs, Scholes, Keane, etc were referenced when defining what the "United Way" was. They hated to lose out of pride and out of respect for their team mates.

Di Maria has been a total primadona. RVP disappeared, I don't know where he has gone to. Falcao has been an utter disappointment.

I'm reading Bale is a possibility. Ronaldo is even a possibility. They'll make a splash.

I don't know if either of those guys is the right fit. They need guys who can't accept losing.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

According to TV2 Sporten another Norwegian (counting Mix), goalie Eirik Johansen, has signed for NYCFC on a permanent deal.

Been part of MCFCs academy since 2008, was loaned out a second tier Norwegian club and helped them get promoted to the Norwegian Premier League. Never heard of him to be frank, but hopefully he'll do well.

We needed a goalie. Meara's only here on loan and Saunders is pretty average.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

We needed a goalie. Meara's only here on loan and Saunders is pretty average.

The rumor is that Meara will have his contract bought at the end of the season as the team may prep him to go overseas to Man City if he develops properly in a few years.

Meara is their guy, according to my friend who went to HS w/ Meara and I guess knows friends of friends...

Take that for what its worth - which is a rumor heard along the grapevine.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

There will be another overhaul in Man Utd land. I'm willing to bet that Falcao, RVP, and Di Maria are all no longer members of United. Di Maria will go to PSG. RVP is aging, so probably to Italy or like Turkey. Falcao back to Monaco.

They will have more capital. My friend sent me an article citing the need for players that want to play hard for United. Playing for United used to mean something - players like Giggs, Scholes, Keane, etc were referenced when defining what the "United Way" was. They hated to lose out of pride and out of respect for their team mates.

Di Maria has been a total primadona. RVP disappeared, I don't know where he has gone to. Falcao has been an utter disappointment.

I'm reading Bale is a possibility. Ronaldo is even a possibility. They'll make a splash.

I don't know if either of those guys is the right fit. They need guys who can't accept losing.

Getting rid of Di Maria is going to be very hard. If PSG doesn't take him, who will? Man City probably would, but are those two clubs going to be doing business? I doubt it. Maybe Arsenal would go after him if they fired Wenger.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The rumor is that Meara will have his contract bought at the end of the season as the team may prep him to go overseas to Man City if he develops properly in a few years.

Meara is their guy, according to my friend who went to HS w/ Meara and I guess knows friends of friends...

Take that for what its worth - which is a rumor heard along the grapevine.

I don't doubt your info, but Meara is no where close to being a Man City caliber GK. He's not even a full time MLS starter yet. The only MLS GK who's even close to the level of Man City would be Bill Hamid, and thats probably only as a back up. I don't think he'd even qualify for a work permit though. Meara has one from what I understand, but Meara needs to play and play very well before Man City is a realistic option.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

I don't doubt your info, but Meara is no where close to being a Man City caliber GK. He's not even a full time MLS starter yet. The only MLS GK who's even close to the level of Man City would be Bill Hamid, and thats probably only as a back up. I don't think he'd even qualify for a work permit though. Meara has one from what I understand, but Meara needs to play and play very well before Man City is a realistic option.

Meara is young but he hasn't been at the level he needs to be to consider EPL, I agree. But that was apparently part of their intention in bringing him over. Grooming him to become good enough to go over to the mother club. Whether he gets there... entirely up to how he plays.

He is an Irish citizen, from what my friend told me - he tried to be the starting GK for Ireland during the world cup but somehow it fell through. Don't know the specifics.

 

[I Eat Crow]

There will be another overhaul in Man Utd land. I'm willing to bet that Falcao, RVP, and Di Maria are all no longer members of United. Di Maria will go to PSG. RVP is aging, so probably to Italy or like Turkey. Falcao back to Monaco.

They will have more capital. My friend sent me an article citing the need for players that want to play hard for United. Playing for United used to mean something - players like Giggs, Scholes, Keane, etc were referenced when defining what the "United Way" was. They hated to lose out of pride and out of respect for their team mates.

Di Maria has been a total primadona. RVP disappeared, I don't know where he has gone to. Falcao has been an utter disappointment.

I'm reading Bale is a possibility. Ronaldo is even a possibility. They'll make a splash.

I don't know if either of those guys is the right fit. They need guys who can't accept losing.

Agree with your assessment except for the part about di Maria.

Unless United can find a team to buy him for close to what they paid for him, or just a bit under, they won't sell him after just one year. He's been such a flop that they would be lucky to get 50 million of the 80 million pounds they paid for him.

You said it yourself, RvP is aging. He really hit a wall compared to the past two years. When he's on his game, he's still one of the best strikers in the world, but he's been injury prone and slow when I've tuned in this season. Sell him to a team like Milan, Inter, or even a Portuguese or Spanish team like Sporting, Valencia, or Athletico Madrid.

I can't really say Falcao has been a disappointment, but he's been riding the pine or been injured pretty much all season. I've been very underwhelmed from when he has been out there though. I think he goes back to Monaco, or a team like Madrid or Man City overpays for him.

United will have even more money to work with once loan deals on Cleverly, Nani, and Chicharito become permanent.

I just don't see Madrid selling off both Bale and Ronaldo. I think one leaves eventually, but I don't think it will be this summer. My money would be on Bale, but I have no interest in him if Madrid's reported asking price of De Gea and 50 million is true. For the love of God, keep De Gea for nothing short of a record transfer fee.

Getting rid of Di Maria is going to be very hard. If PSG doesn't take him, who will? Man City probably would, but are those two clubs going to be doing business? I doubt it. Maybe Arsenal would go after him if they fired Wenger.

Agreed. Don't think Wenger is going anywhere. United won't sell di Maria to City or Arsenal for anything short of what they paid for him last season.

 

[Cassano]

Wenger would never spend 60m on a winger, nor will he be fired for the foreseeable future.

di Maria leads EPL in 2014/15 shirts sold and it's not close IIRC. I think that is a big reason why he'll likely stay for a few more seasons.