The English Football Thread

[Sidzeret 2,257]

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Lord Bendtner....he does what he wants. #fuckingwanker

[LAB 1,030]

that they won or...... Arsen ????

[BleedsBlue 1,549]

I'd rather have Arsenal qualify for Champions League than United.

[zolayes 14,489]

Liverpool I agree. Manures were lucky to beat them. I watched the game.

I just feel the goons are not going to falter as we all are used to see.

NO way with lucozade chamberpot the gooners are gonna piss the PL

[We Hate Scouse 10,260]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/early-doors/mum-touched-prem-stars-funeral-tribute-her-young-104933172.html

Massive respect to Swansea

[The_Flash 1,144]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/early-doors/mum-touched-prem-stars-funeral-tribute-her-young-104933172.html

Massive respect to Swansea

Totally agree that is so sad, someone so young to die like that. Really lovely of Swansea to go. I am sure it would have meant the world to his parents that they took the time to mourn a member of their Swansea family. Big respect

[bababoom 4,478]

[The Skipper 20,593]

The England national team fascinates me. Here is how I'd manage the bastards:

Starting XI

Lallana - Rooney - Walcott

Gerrard - Carrick

Barry

Baines - Smalling - Jones - Chambers

Forster

Bench

Hart

Shaw

Jagielka

Milner

Barkley

Lambert

Sturridge

Reserves

Ruddy

Cahill

Johnson

Lampard

Rodriguez

Sturridge should start up front with Rooney. Surely you can't bench a guy who has alongside Rooney been the best English player offensively this season Walcott's injured for the WC anyway.

My starting XI would probably be something like this (if I could bring back JT):

That would be the base formation. Having 3 midfielders capable of passing, plus one who can drive with the ball (Wilshere and Lallana when he drops deeper) should allow a nice possession game, with runs off the ball from Sturridge and Rooney and link up play between them providing the threat in the final third. Rooney can also drop deeper and search for a pass which Lallana or Sturridge would get onto:

When transitioning to attack on the right, the team shape would roughly change to this:

Sturridge cuts in up front, Rooney comes deeper to orchestrate the attack and offer an option with Wilshere, Walker providing the overlap for the space Sturridge has left.

On the left:

Shaw provides the overlap for Lallana, Sturridge cuts in from the right as well and vacates a space which is covered by Gerrard, while Lallana and Luke Shaw (in the team because he and Lallana are incredible on that left side for Southampton) work their magic on the left.

It would actually be a very solid team capable of some nice football. Shame the FA can't get in a decent manager to implement an idea like this though.

Edit: quickly added some images to illustrate the formations a bit better. I'm bored lol.

Edited February 3, 2014 by The Skipper

[bushman 2,043]

The biggest cunt in football is Wenger the baggy coat of the cheapest a-holes in England.

Now, this poodle admits he would not have pursued the loan signing of Kim some crock from Abba had there been more time before the closure of the transfer window. This cunt had 31 days to buy a decent player but he brings damaged goods .

I do not know who will win the PL now, but one thing I know, it must not be fucking Arsenal. These cheap dogs do not deserve it, I feel.

[guddy6969 188]

Perry Groves on talk sport saying Luke Shaw will have to choose between Man u and Liverpool... no mention of Chelsea at all, I idiot..

[kellzfresh 7,226]

Rivals ganging up to ban City: Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal may test Champions League ruling on Financial Fair Play Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool could use UEFA small print to challenge Manchester City¡¯s right to play in the Champions League next season.

The rules now effectively set up a scenario where rivals can claim City have cheated their way to passing UEFA¡¯s ¡®Financial Fair Play¡¯ (FFP) test.

It is understood lawyers for a host of ¡®major clubs¡¯ are aware of these potential rights to make appeals -- thanks to recently amended Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations ¡ª and are monitoring the situation closely.

On Saturday night Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who faces City on Monday in the game of the season so far, accused some unnamed clubs of ¡®dodgy FFP¡¯.

He said: ¡®There are clubs that are following exactly the project of Financial Fair Play and there are other clubs doing it in a dodgy way. For me, that is very clear. I don¡¯t say the clubs ¡ª that is not

my job.¡¯

When asked specifically about City, and a potential UEFA investigation, he added: ¡®It¡¯s for Mr Platini and other people to analyse it, it¡¯s not for me¡­ I¡¯m waiting for that.¡¯

FFP rules compel clubs to limit losses for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons combined to 0537million, with a ban from European competitions the severest theoretical punishment.

City last week announced losses for 2012-13 of 0551.6m, meaning they have lost 05149.5m over two years.

They can perhaps ¡®exempt¡¯ as much as 05110m of those losses to meet FFP requirements. But they face accusations their losses are artificially low after earning cash from ¡®intellectual property¡¯ sales to related companies. UEFA sources have confirmed this will be

investigated to see if it is ¡®real¡¯ income.

Amended small print in the 2014 UEFA FFP rulebook, just published, includes two key changes; one allowing clubs to ¡®plea bargain¡¯ punishments for overspending, and another that allows other clubs to challenge those plea

bargains if they feel the outcomes negatively affect them.

Liverpool are one of the clubs not in a position to compete with City's financial muscle. Arsenal could be another team to benefit if City are to face a form of

punishment

Title rivals: Arsenal could be

another team to benefit if City are to face a form of punishment

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2550222/Rivals-ganging-ban-City-Liverpool-Chelsea-Arsenal-test-Champions-League-ruling-Financial-Fair-Play.html

[kellzfresh 7,226]

Rivals ganging up to ban City: Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal may test Champions League ruling on Financial Fair Play Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool could use UEFA small print to challenge Manchester Citys right to play in the Champions League next season.

The rules now effectively set up a scenario where rivals can claim City have cheated their way to passing UEFAs Financial Fair Play (FFP) test.

It is understood lawyers for a host of major clubs are aware of these potential rights to make appeals -- thanks to recently amended Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations and are monitoring the situation closely.

On Saturday night Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who faces City on Monday in the game of the season so far, accused some unnamed clubs of dodgy FFP.

He said: There are clubs that are following exactly the project of Financial Fair Play and there are other clubs doing it in a dodgy way. For me, that is very clear. I dont say the clubs that is not

my job.

When asked specifically about City, and a potential UEFA investigation, he added: Its for Mr Platini and other people to analyse it, its not for me Im waiting for that.

FFP rules compel clubs to limit losses for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons combined to £37million, with a ban from European competitions the severest theoretical punishment.

City last week announced losses for 2012-13 of £51.6m, meaning they have lost £149.5m over two years.

They can perhaps exempt as much as £110m of those losses to meet FFP requirements. But they face accusations their losses are artificially low after earning cash from intellectual property sales to related companies. UEFA sources have confirmed this will be

investigated to see if it is real income.

Amended small print in the 2014 UEFA FFP rulebook, just published, includes two key changes; one allowing clubs to plea bargain punishments for overspending, and another that allows other clubs to challenge those plea

bargains if they feel the outcomes negatively affect them.

Liverpool are one of the clubs not in a position to compete with City's financial muscle. Arsenal could be another team to benefit if City are to face a form of

punishment

Title rivals: Arsenal could be

another team to benefit if City are to face a form of punishment

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2550222/Rivals-ganging-ban-City-Liverpool-Chelsea-Arsenal-test-Champions-League-ruling-Financial-Fair-Play.html

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,730]

Anybody up to see Spuds play the gooners?

[Jype 6,398]

Anybody up to see Spuds play the gooners?

Face value £61 per ticket, nothing out of the ordinary these days. As for the £316 per ticket I'm pretty sure you could find some companies who charge similar prices for tickets to any sold out Chelsea game and some people, mostly tourists, will happily pay those prices not knowing they're getting ripped off.

[bababoom 4,478]

My starting XI would probably be something like this (if I could bring back JT):

I like that team, the only thing i dislike is Walker. I'd rather Glen Johnson at RB. Walker used to be your typical fullback, good going forward shit at the back, now he's shit at everything, so poor. Maybe even Clyne at Southampton, he's back from his injury, so hopefully he has a good run of form.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,730]

Face value £61 per ticket, nothing out of the ordinary these days. As for the £316 per ticket I'm pretty sure you could find some companies who charge similar prices for tickets to any sold out Chelsea game and some people, mostly tourists, will happily pay those prices not knowing they're getting ripped off.

Even the greenest of tourist should know they are being ripped off for that value.

[Special Juan 27,092]

Anderson "There is a lot of players at United who want out"

[Jase 43,479]