Team Balance

[Spike 12,049]

It was a slight exaggeration, but the point is Torres can't get away from his opponents over 5-10 metre distances. He needs 20+, which is only effective in a Barcelona style counter attack where he's one on one.

Also regarding peaks, no one can say that Drogba was a better player at ~25 than he was at 30. That was his peak, he plateau'd it out for 3-4 years. Messi appears to have plateau'd in the last year or so, he can't get much better. Unless they give him another round of HGH.

Nonsense, I bet Torres can beat many a defender in a 5-10 metre distance to say that he can't beat any is a blatant generalisation.

Yes because we can now look back at his career and compare, when he was 25 we had no idea when he was going to peak or if he already had. Besides I have no idea what you are trying to convey with that statement. You have no proof that Messi won't get better just a few observations from the last season. The growth hormones were medicine not performance enhancers, I honestly doubt he still takes them.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Nonsense, I bet Torres can beat many a defender in a 5-10 metre distance to say that he can't beat any is a blatant generalisation.

Yes because we can now look back at his career and compare, when he was 25 we had no idea when he was going to peak or if he already had. Besides I have no idea what you are trying to convey with that statement. You have no proof that Messi won't get better just a few observations from the last season. The growth hormones were medicine not performance enhancers, I honestly doubt he still takes them.

Nonsense, I bet Torres can beat many a defender in a 5-10 metre distance to say that he can't beat any is a blatant generalisation.

Yes because we can now look back at his career and compare, when he was 25 we had no idea when he was going to peak or if he already had. Besides I have no idea what you are trying to convey with that statement. You have no proof that Messi won't get better just a few observations from the last season. The growth hormones were medicine not performance enhancers, I honestly doubt he still takes them.

No they wouldn't dare give him HGH now, it would look far too suspicious if he suddenly put on an inch in height and a few kilo's of muscle. How can Messi improve on his virtually perfect ball control/finishing? All the room he has to improve is perhaps physically and mentally, and even that, I doubt- his tactical knowledge is already immense and he already possesses the stamina (read: EPO) to play 65 games for 5 seasons and only burn out for about one month near the end of the 5 year cycle.

Also regarding Torres we can't know until we take a look at training data. I would still back Mikel over 5 metres as he has longer legs.

[Spike 12,049]

No they wouldn't dare give him HGH now, it would look far too suspicious if he suddenly put on an inch in height and a few kilo's of muscle. How can Messi improve on his virtually perfect ball control/finishing? All the room he has to improve is perhaps physically and mentally, and even that, I doubt- his tactical knowledge is already immense and he already possesses the stamina (read: EPO) to play 65 games for 5 seasons and only burn out for about one month near the end of the 5 year cycle.

Also regarding Torres we can't know until we take a look at training data. I would still back Mikel over 5 metres as he has longer legs.

Simple, the standard of everyone else in football suddenly gets worse while Messi stays the same. Witchcraft at it's finest.

It annoys me when people say Messi was doping, he wasn't. He was using Growth hormones as medicine, i.e. to get healthy. If he had been using them to become a better footballer than it would be doping.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Simple, the standard of everyone else in football suddenly gets worse while Messi stays the same. Witchcraft at it's finest.

It annoys me when people say Messi was doping, he wasn't. He was using Growth hormones as medicine, i.e. to get healthy. If he had been using them to become a better footballer than it would be doping.

But if everyone declines and he stays the same, can that be considered an improvement? I would say no.

Also for a player to play in excess of 75 games a season on average (including internationals and pre season) 5 years running whilst hardly ever getting injured and only looking fatigued for one month towards the end of that 5 year period stretches my belief. Furthermore he does a lot more running than other winger/strikers, because of Barcelona's pressing. And then there are the likes of Xavi, who also turn out for Catalunya (albeit rarely) in addition to Spain and Barcelona. EPO is used widely throughout football, as evidenced by all those sudden cardiac arrests we've seen in recent years, the Juventus doping case in the 90s, and Operacion Puerto.

We'll know when he's about 40. EPO enlarges the head, causes heart disease and cancer, increases the risk of cardiac arrest, etc.

[Spike 12,049]

But if everyone declines and he stays the same, can that be considered an improvement? I would say no.

Also for a player to play in excess of 75 games a season on average (including internationals and pre season) 5 years running whilst hardly ever getting injured and only looking fatigued for one month towards the end of that 5 year period stretches my belief. Furthermore he does a lot more running than other winger/strikers, because of Barcelona's pressing. And then there are the likes of Xavi, who also turn out for Catalunya (albeit rarely) in addition to Spain and Barcelona. EPO is used widely throughout football, as evidenced by all those sudden cardiac arrests we've seen in recent years, the Juventus doping case in the 90s, and Operacion Puerto.

We'll know when he's about 40. EPO enlarges the head, causes heart disease and cancer, increases the risk of cardiac arrest, etc.

You could almost apply that exact paragraph to Frank Lampard.

[capriccioso 2,545]

You could almost apply that exact paragraph to Frank Lampard.

Why does that shock you? We're owned by a Russian mobster and our doctor is Spanish. It would be a surprise if it was the other way.

[Kojo 4,676]

Why does that shock you? We're owned by a Russian mobster and our doctor is Spanish. It would be a surprise if it was the other way.

Hes not a mobster, everyone judge roman so harsh!, he a good guy, he superhero.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Hes not a mobster, everyone judge roman so harsh!, he a good guy, he superhero.

Alright, whatever he is, he is an extraordinarily corrupt man. That doesn't take away from his awesomeness, though.

Re: Chelsea and doping:

http://www.guardian....newsstory.sport

Cleared by the UK authorities or not, its still a drug and in other sports would see hefty punishment. I would say every top flight club in every major league in Europe indulges in the practice. There's so much money at stake. You hear stories of athletes from other sports pumping this lethal stuff into their bodies- for maybe an extra 100 grand at the end of the year. A footballer who juices his way to the top can earn that in a week. A football clubs entire financial future can depend on its league position (hi, Leeds)

Using this procedure can fall foul of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) due to possible non-natural elements introduced into the athlete's body.

THE World Anti-Doping Agency has come down on the revolutionary blood therapy that helped Parramatta five-eighth Daniel Mortimer recover from a hip injury in time for a grand-final qualifier last month - a decision that was meant to clarify its position on the controversial treatment but still raised some NRL eyebrows.

WADA has added some forms of the platelet-rich plasma treatment to its banned list for next year, although the NRL's chief doctor said the treatment given to Mortimer just days out from the preliminary final against the Bulldogs would still be a legal one, given he was injected in his tendons rather than his muscles.

http://www.newscient.../article/dn7375

Lets not be naive here. Just because we love someone or something doesn't mean its does not invest in illegal medical practices.

[Kojo 4,676]

No, it's all allegations, he's innocent!. None has been proven, Roman wouldn't do such a thing.

[Spike 12,049]

Why does that shock you? We're owned by a Russian mobster and our doctor is Spanish. It would be a surprise if it was the other way.

Shocked? Bloody hell, Cap you are good at putting words where there is nothing but silence. Where did I say I was shocked? Please tell me. No offense or anything Cap but it seems nearly everytime you quote me you put words in my mouth.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Shocked? Bloody hell, Cap you are good at putting words where there is nothing but silence. Where did I say I was shocked? Please tell me. No offense or anything Cap but it seems nearly everytime you quote me you put words in my mouth.

Apologies.

[coolhead23 1,147]

Torres wins the spirit with Mikel hands down, mate! The thing which were the positive about Torres from last season was that he was ready to backtrack (which he never did before) and he has not lost that pace which everyone thought he would. And anyways Mikel is far too lazy to even get into a spirit (yes he mite outrun the best in the world when it comes to renewing his contract , but that's a different story all together)

It is interesting to see the players slotted into different age groups as created above and concerns on the 25-29 bracket could be more or less correct. However most these players were a part of the squad last season as well with only Luiz and Ramiers getting promoted into it and they really did a good job as far as FA and Champions leagues goes. And to win major competition it is important that there is a blend of youth and Experience which i believe is in there(balance of upto 25 and beyond 25). I mean to get better than this set of group in the 25-29 bracket would be a little difficult to find. I guess what is important for me how well do they gel as a unit would determine the success of our existing team...