The English Football Thread

[Tomo 21,733]

Henry on his way back to Arsenal on loan, again.

TBH with the form and lack of options of our forwards, its something i would have not minded us considering if his allegiance to Arsenal didn't make the move impossible.

Just watched MOTD again and i LOL at the Spurs fans who think Lloris is better than Cech, Petr is on another level to him completely.

[Milan 17,859]

[communicate 2,703]

I have just realized after watching Manchester derby how awful top team in EPL have been this season.

Our mourihno/ancelotti teams or Manu ronaldo era will win this EPL this season in landslide

[CHOULO19 24,332]

In 2011 when we played united at home we were something like 10 points behind them and it was the end of February. We ended up coming pretty close that year. Technically, we still have a chance, but it all depends on a slump by united or injury to key players, namely RVP..

True but in 2011 we had experienced players who had been playing together in the PL for years. That kind of comeback takes PL experience imo. Take Cech, Terry and Cole out of the starting XI and you are left with no one with more than 2 years experience in the PL.

[Milan 17,859]

Man United fans' chant -

"THIS IS HOW IT FEELS TO BE CITY, THIS IS HOW IT FEELS TO BE FAKE. THIS IS HOW IT FEELS WHEN YOU SOLD YOUR SOUL TO THE SHEIKH!"

[Spike 12,049]

I wonder how it feels to be prostituted to the Glazers, then?

[Rmpr 8,977]

I have just realized after watching Manchester derby how awful top team in EPL have been this season.

Our mourihno/ancelotti teams or Manu ronaldo era will win this EPL this season in landslide

This is absolutely true!

although, if you look carefully it is not a talent issue, the teams as a whole are worse.

[Strike 7,252]

3 playmakers "rejected"(for want of better term) in Spain are tearing up Premier League defences. Mata, Silva and Cazorla. Even Michu is in sublime form. Pablo Hernandez and Suso etc seem to be doing well.

if you look back there were Xabi Alonso at Liverpool before.Ivan Campo at Bolton - 2002-2008. Fabregas at Arsenal. Arteta at Everton/Arsenal overlooked by Spain all these years. Ofcourse there have been exceptions like Albert Luque, Jordi Gomez and Albert Riera but it Really begs the question. English clubs are good for only hoofing long balls aren't they? Stoke and West Ham are thriving in the league this season. The exception to this is Swansea who play on the floor and they have 2 of the Spaniards mentioned. Also, there is Arsenal who play on the floor - marshalled by Cazorla.

The only players England are capable of producing are pacy and tricky wingers. Bale(accepting British players now), Lennon, Walcott, SWP, Dyer, Routledge, McLeary, Moses, Chamberlain, Albrighton, Jarvis, ...i can go on but the point is England can't seem to produce quality playmakers.

Jack Wilshere , Paul Scholes are the only English playmaker i can think of. Joe Allen ( borderline Welsh playmaker) but i can't think of anyone else. Lampard and Gerrard are also borderline 'playmakers'. Hardly Wilshere or Pirlo level in passing.

[TacticalBlues 2,817]

[Corner 456]

3 playmakers "rejected"(for want of better term) in Spain are tearing up Premier League defences. Mata, Silva and Cazorla. Even Michu is in sublime form. Pablo Hernandez and Suso etc seem to be doing well.

if you look back there were Xabi Alonso at Liverpool before.Ivan Campo at Bolton - 2002-2008. Fabregas at Arsenal. Arteta at Everton/Arsenal overlooked by Spain all these years. Ofcourse there have been exceptions like Albert Luque, Jordi Gomez and Albert Riera but it Really begs the question. English clubs are good for only hoofing long balls aren't they? Stoke and West Ham are thriving in the league this season. The exception to this is Swansea who play on the floor and they have 2 of the Spaniards mentioned. Also, there is Arsenal who play on the floor - marshalled by Cazorla.

The only players England are capable of producing are pacy and tricky wingers. Bale(accepting British players now), Lennon, Walcott, SWP, Dyer, Routledge, McLeary, Moses, Chamberlain, Albrighton, Jarvis, ...i can go on but the point is England can't seem to produce quality playmakers.

Jack Wilshere , Paul Scholes are the only English playmaker i can think of. Joe Allen ( borderline Welsh playmaker) but i can't think of anyone else. Lampard and Gerrard are also borderline 'playmakers'. Hardly Wilshere or Pirlo level in passing.

Over the years, England and English teams have depending much more on wingers as a lot of the game involved crossing the ball from the wings. Football is played differently in every country and that's because when players are young they are taught to play a certain way. In Spain, young players are coached to play with the ball on the ground which is why they have a lot of great playmakers. In England, players are taught to use their strength more and to play a more direct style of play. Football in England is changing a lot as more and more teams in the Premier League prefer to play with the ball on the ground and a less direct and shorter passing game. So, eventually English youngsters will be taught to play that way (I'm guessing).

IIRC, under 50 per cent of players playing in the Premier League are English. That suggests two things. That more and more English teams are depending more on players who can play a less direct style, and that English most players are just not capable of playing this way.

[Strike 7,252]

Over the years, England and English teams have depending much more on wingers as a lot of the game involved crossing the ball from the wings. Football is played differently in every country and that's because when players are young they are taught to play a certain way. In Spain, young players are coached to play with the ball on the ground which is why they have a lot of great playmakers. In England, players are taught to use their strength more and to play a more direct style of play. Football in England is changing a lot as more and more teams in the Premier League prefer to play with the ball on the ground and a less direct and shorter passing game. So, eventually English youngsters will be taught to play that way (I'm guessing).

IIRC, under 50 per cent of players playing in the Premier League are English. That suggests two things. That more and more English teams are depending more on players who can play a less direct style, and that English most players are just not capable of playing this way.

true. the way stoke and west ham play, you really need a wide-screen TV to follow the ball.

[Rmpr 8,977]

@Strike, I dont think you understood what we were saying...

We were complaining that the top teams in EPL for the last 2-3 years arent as great as they once were. Mourinho`s Chelsea, CR7`s Manure and Carlo`s Chelsea were much better than those 2 Manchester teams. I quoted saying that it was true but I thought it was due to the lack of team performance, not the individual players quality/talent.

I dont get how it has to do with England and Spain NTs.

[Strike 7,252]

@Strike, I dont think you understood what we were saying...

We were complaining that the top teams in EPL for the last 2-3 years arent as great as they once were. Mourinho`s Chelsea, CR7`s Manure and Carlo`s Chelsea were much better than those 2 Manchester teams. I quoted saying that it was true but it was due to the lack of team performance, the individual players were just as great.

I dont get how it has to do with England quality or Spain talent.

yeah. i get it. completely irrelevant post then.

[Corner 456]

@Strike, I dont think you understood what we were saying...

We were complaining that the top teams in EPL for the last 2-3 years arent as great as they once were. Mourinho`s Chelsea, CR7`s Manure and Carlo`s Chelsea were much better than those 2 Manchester teams. I quoted saying that it was true but it was due to the lack of team performance, the individual players were just as great.

I dont get how it has to do with England quality or Spain talent.

I don't think he was replying to what was already being said. Think he was just making a random point mate.

[Rmpr 8,977]

yeah. i get it. completely irrelevant post then.

I don't think he was replying to what was already being said. Think he was just making a random point mate.

AH, alright then!

My bad.

[communicate 2,703]

This is absolutely true!

although, if you look carefully it is not a talent issue, the teams as a whole are worse.

Yap not really sure why.

Early last year city was devastating, i was extremely impressed. Kolarov and richard bombed forward silva was just killing every team but since then i feel that their offense does not have any fluidity

Manu in ronaldo era was just devastating in counter, this manu team can still score but I just don't feel scared whenever they attack/counter

[Kojo 4,676]

Is Diame the new Tiote then?

No, they are different players, Diame is more of an attacking player however he has pace to come back and actually surpisingly does a good job. Going forward he can be a monster also, got a lot of flair about him, he's pretty similar to Ramires actually, although Diame looks better, Ramires would still do a better job than him in our team if they were both on the same side.

Tiote is completely defensive, he's not one for doing skill or going forward, he's got a decent pass on him also. But he's just a ball winner, he will run around all game and win the ball back, just like an Essien, however we need that sort of player as i don't think Ramires is so great at what he does but he's good.

Tiote has just became so damn injury prone it's uncanny, someone once told me he's injury prone and i said he isn't. Well i was wrong about that one, this season he's had like 3 injuries already, i think he's just came back now. Haven't had time to watch him much this season.

[LayZ 201]

No, they are different players, Diame is more of an attacking player however he has pace to come back and actually surpisingly does a good job. Going forward he can be a monster also, got a lot of flair about him, he's pretty similar to Ramires actually, although Diame looks better, Ramires would still do a better job than him in our team if they were both on the same side.

Tiote is completely defensive, he's not one for doing skill or going forward, he's got a decent pass on him also. But he's just a ball winner, he will run around all game and win the ball back, just like an Essien, however we need that sort of player as i don't think Ramires is so great at what he does but he's good.

Tiote has just became so damn injury prone it's uncanny, someone once told me he's injury prone and i said he isn't. Well i was wrong about that one, this season he's had like 3 injuries already, i think he's just came back now. Haven't had time to watch him much this season.

Thanks for the info...gr8 analysis..