Midweek Football Thread *spoilers and all that*
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Caporegime
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Rooney, Defoe, Cole, Bent, Crouch, Agbonlahor
On the Heskey debate, at least he's a decent target man. The media assume Crouch is a good target man because he's tall, when in reality he can't really head it and isn't that strong.
I rather have Owen in the squad than Crouch.
I forgot though, Crouch has the ability to score hattricks against Jamaica, so he should be there.
I rather have Owen in the squad than Crouch.
I forgot though, Crouch has the ability to score hattricks against Jamaica, so he should be there.
I watched the highlights after I heard from somewhere it was a great goal (BBC I think?), anyway, I can't see the greatness?
He get's knocked down, gets back up, spins his body(!) and then puts it into a practically open goal. Seems fairly standard to me?
It's not about what they deserve. It's about whose more likely to score. As it stands, agbonlahor, Bent and heskey have shown nothing at international level to suggest they are good enough for the WC. Owen has and the suggestion that England have better options than someone whose approaching 30 and doesn't play often, is sadly just wishful thinking.
Imo, Rooney and Defoe should both start (although it would have been nice to have seen them together more) with Owen and Crouch/agbonlahor on the bench
Caporegime
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I watched the highlights after I heard from somewhere it was a great goal (BBC I think?), anyway, I can't see the greatness?
He get's knocked down, gets back up, spins his body(!) and then puts it into a practically open goal. Seems fairly standard to me?
TROLL!!!!!
Nah, to me it was a great goal, definitely not standard. Look how quick he got up and turned, bear in mind his back was at the goal and he had both the keeper and defender breathing down his neck! Great skill and composure.
His free kick was a belter as well.
Utd did brilliantly last night - patched up defence playing a strange system and everyone played pretty well apart from the shockingly horrendous Nani (when you compare what Nani did in 75 minutes compared to Obertan in 15, I think that comment is fair, despite Nani setting up the 1st goal for Owen), and Welbeck wasnt much better
Wolfsberg should have been 2 - 3 goals better off before Owen scored the 1st, so from that aspect Utd where lucky but as the match progressed Fletcher and Carrick did really well and Evra of course (only as an afterthought as he was in a more natural position even if it was a different system)
PIG did very well indeed even if they missed (very badly) on most of their decent chances, I still think we will need VDS back for AV on Sat, but PIG is actually showing a lot more skill than Foster at the moment (which is unfortunate to say the least) - but he will still only be a decent No 2 imo
Owen has to play for England if he is allowed to keep this up (by SAF playing him frequently). I think his experience is far more valuable than Bent's flakey form, and who knows how Carlton Cole will come back - but either way neither of those two play regular European / Int games and Bent has stopped scoring to boot
Two things really stick in my mind about Owen - 1stly his last ditch goal against City, Ryan Giggs made it happen with a sublime pass without doubt but it was still Owen's awareness and placement that made it possible with seconds to go in the match.......2ndly he played the full 90+ minutes last night and his last goal he had the ball at his feet from the 1/2 way line, he didnt race away from the back tracking defenders but he wasnt beaten either....in the 90th minute!!!! That shows true quality/ grit / determination that England needs up front at the World Cup
Wolfsberg should have been 2 - 3 goals better off before Owen scored the 1st, so from that aspect Utd where lucky but as the match progressed Fletcher and Carrick did really well and Evra of course (only as an afterthought as he was in a more natural position even if it was a different system)
PIG did very well indeed even if they missed (very badly) on most of their decent chances, I still think we will need VDS back for AV on Sat, but PIG is actually showing a lot more skill than Foster at the moment (which is unfortunate to say the least) - but he will still only be a decent No 2 imo
Owen has to play for England if he is allowed to keep this up (by SAF playing him frequently). I think his experience is far more valuable than Bent's flakey form, and who knows how Carlton Cole will come back - but either way neither of those two play regular European / Int games and Bent has stopped scoring to boot
Two things really stick in my mind about Owen - 1stly his last ditch goal against City, Ryan Giggs made it happen with a sublime pass without doubt but it was still Owen's awareness and placement that made it possible with seconds to go in the match.......2ndly he played the full 90+ minutes last night and his last goal he had the ball at his feet from the 1/2 way line, he didnt race away from the back tracking defenders but he wasnt beaten either....in the 90th minute!!!! That shows true quality/ grit / determination that England needs up front at the World Cup
Soldato
Congratz United.
What will happen to Moscow, if their kicked out who replaces them?
Either Wolfsburg or the team that finished 3rd with the most points of any of the groups I would imagine
I would give it to Wolfsburg if it was my choice. Would be completely unfair to give the spot to a team in a different group.
Either Wolfsburg or the team that finished 3rd with the most points of any of the groups I would imagine
I would give it to Wolfsburg if it was my choice. Would be completely unfair to give the spot to a team in a different group.
It will be Wolfsburg undoubtedly
Looks like it will be a horrendous draw with loads of big names in 2nd place
(I have a funny feeling Beckham may get a return to OT with AC Milan who we havent met at this stage of the comp for agessss - a few years ago we met in the 1/4's I seem to recall)
Caporegime
Crikey what rubbish defending by Wolfsburg...letting Owen get a hattrick...god knows how they ended up being German Champs last season.
Good result for Man Utd...as usual always managing to win games that count or even games that dont count and thats the difference between Arsenal and Man Utd...we lose or draw games that we should win.
Anyhow hopefully Arsenal will put a few in against Olympiakos tonight...either that or a stupid draw as usual.
...letting Owen get a hattrick...god knows how they ended up being German Champs last season.Good result for Man Utd...as usual always managing to win games that count or even games that dont count and thats the difference between Arsenal and Man Utd...we lose or draw games that we should win.
Anyhow hopefully Arsenal will put a few in against Olympiakos tonight...either that or a stupid draw as usual.
TROLL!!!!!
Nah, to me it was a great goal, definitely not standard. Look how quick he got up and turned, bear in mind his back was at the goal and he had both the keeper and defender breathing down his neck! Great skill and composure.
His free kick was a belter as well.
Troll?!?
How dare you! Nah, I admit the free kick was pretty damn good but I still don't rate the second goal and I've even warmed to Ronaldo since he left Man U.
Problem is Cole/Bent shouldn't be there either, just depends who is fit and playing next year I guess. I don't rate Crouch overly highly, seems to play a lot better for England though. Heskey is a Target Man, but even then he's not brilliant at that
hm, not so sure about cole and bent. I would rather have owen than one of those two to be honest.
Soldato
UEFA have said CSKA won't be kicked out of the Champions League
Caporegime
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Problem is Cole/Bent shouldn't be there either, just depends who is fit and playing next year I guess. I don't rate Crouch overly highly, seems to play a lot better for England though. Heskey is a Target Man, but even then he's not brilliant at that
Crouch plays better for england because a group of not great players who train together most days of the week and play competitive games every few days are generally better more organised teams than the best players in the world playing together once every 2 months with two training sessions to practice.
INternational football for many many years hasn't come close to the quality of the worlds top leagues, even the bottom ends of those leagues. Derby could spank Jamaica, Brentford might be able to beat Jamaica, Crouch scores against Jamaica because they aren't as good as the teams he faces weekly.
Crouch and/or Heskey going to the world cup is a joke, Cole is a hugely better player than both, who frankly has a better shot, more creativity in his little finger, stronger, heads the ball better, holds up the ball better and really is just better, not to mention fitter, faster and did I mention better than both of them.
The world cup is a lot of games in a short space of time, Crouch looks tired 30 minutes into a game, and is getting on a bit for someone that big and useless, Heskey is barely playing, quite rightly, because he's crap. Why take two ageing players who aren't very fit and aren't very good?
Did not need all of that just to reply to me
There's only really three proper English target men, two of which haven't been capped, and probably wont be picked (although one the BBC/Guardian etc are saying hes in with a shout), but it's very doubtful.
Soldato
I think it's time to start Obertan on the left from now on with Valencia on the right, there's a good balance between the two. But what a result, certainly wasn't expecting a win, nevermind a hattrick from Owen! Lovely finishes from Owen and two great assists from Obertan, we look far more direct when he's played.
Kettering are getting a hammering from Leeds, they've done everything but put the ball in the back of the net. It will take something miraculous from Kettering to win in extra time. Penalties...who knows.
this +1
Obertan really is looking the solution to our left midfield troubles, hes quick and he has excellent feet. but the key thing is, when he gets the ball it always looks like something is going to come from it, hes direct but hes also got a lovely touch of skill in there, its quite a weird form he has.
i hate to put the comparison there, maybe they are very different in attributes but hes in the same mold as ronaldo/giggs in that when hes got the ball he looks confident, creative and like there is definitly something going to come out of it. very impressed with him. thank god we dont have to rely on nani any longer, he showed some decent spark 1st season but he just gets worse and worse the more i watch him. he is utterly useless, his first half pass to anderson that went out of play at the half way line last night sums him up, completely without awareness of whats around him and then he cant even get the pass right, he just seems to throw his leg at the ball n hope something happens. headless chicken, have got to get rid of him and give tosic a role as sub-left wing with obertan our starter.
valencia on the right as hes getting better and better as he adjusts to top level football with top players. very solid and athletic player.
gibson whilst a bit rough i think is showing potential for the centre, it took a long while for fletcher to gather his abilities but now look at him, hes my 2nd choice on the teamsheet behind rooney.
Hargreaves coming back will be a massive boost, solidifies the defensive side to our game by stopping the play before it gets to the defensze, and ive always been impressed with his ability to go forward at times, can play utility and also has an excellent knack with free kicks.
promising times for utd without having to spend massively big. though i think we definitly need a fast proven goalscorer up front, a villa, torres type player. if the debt at liverpool is to be believed and if they are not in the champions league next year i see some niggles coming into torres who i firmly believe would be better off at Utd under a manager like Sir Alex Ferguson instead of the lunacy of Benitez.