The English Football Thread

[Kojo 4,676]

Do you seriously think they were as good then as they are now?

Iniesta was 24, Xavi was 28, neither were called world class before Pep came in infact Pirlo, Kaka you could even argue Lampard and Gerrard too were all more highly rated than them back then, now comparison's between those four and the two Spaniard's with the possible exception of Pirlo, would get laughed at.

Paul Scholes also didn't start playing better when he got older, it just seemed that way because of how long it took for people to finally give him the credit he deserved and now it's gone too far the other way.

Xavi seems to be that player who doesn't need his physical aspects as much, with experience of passing which is always going to improve no matter what, that's what has gotten him better. That is the only scenario which cannot really be proven or anything, maybe Pep did make him better maybe he didn't.

Though Messi and Iniesta, Iniesta came into his prime for me, and Messi was just young, Messi is pretty much just getting better as the years going along.

However what does this actually benefit?, Barca is a different job for me Pep is completely unproven.

[Ryan Fong 2,776]

I thought that but all the reports seem to indicate otherwise.

I'm very much confused, he hit himself didn't he? I'm sure he would make a big fuss if he's hit by a coin, the fact that he didn't complain at all makes me confused.

[The Mak 4,459]

Plus Roman views him as 'his guy' so I think we need to focus on getting him.

HOW DO YOU KNOW ROMAN VIEWS HIM AS HIS GUY?, ARE YOU ROMANS 2ND MAN OR SOMETHING?.

This was always my view as well. Who says that Roman is waiting for Pep? Who said he wants us to be blue-Barca? Because the last time I checked, he doesn't do interviews. It's just media bullshit as far as I can see. What has happened in the past few weeks has told me that Roman, above anything else, wants a winning football team.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I know but i just remembered when you went on about Nuer, he made one mistake and then used that as your point for people like me being stupid insisting he is better than Cech.

Really? I even don't remember that but I do remember that I have never called any member's opinion here stupid. But I do think Cech is better than Neuer atm and if I took an incident as an example to prove a point it does not mean that I built my opinion solely on that incident.

[Kojo 4,676]

This was always my view as well. Who says that Roman is waiting for Pep? Who said he wants us to be blue-Barca? Because the last time I checked, he doesn't do interviews. It's just media bullshit as far as I can see. What has happened in the past few weeks has told me that Roman, above anything else, wants a winning football team.

Yeah exactly, that's just media shit for me.

Though i still think Pep will end up here, as he is the only decent candidate on the free agency list, lets face it Mourinho wont come back here, who else can we get?, Marcelo Bielsa cannot speak english, Hiddink is retiring, there's pretty much no one.

And Rafa is the fall guy definitely, i don't think he will have the job next season.

[Liquidator 5,176]

Man U fans calling for City to be deducted points etc. how short are their stupid memories?

[Rmpr 8,977]

Does anyone have a gif of Mancini reaction when Tevez couldnt score?

[Kojo 4,676]

Really? I even don't remember that but I do remember that I have never called any member's opinion here stupid. But I do think Cech is better than Neuer atm and if I took an incident as an example to prove a point it does not mean that I built my opinion solely on that incident.

No you never called anyone stupid, i probably shouldn't of said you where insisting it because it seems bad. Well don't worry whatever i said there i wasn't implying anythig bad what you said or anything.

And true it doesn't mean you built your opinion on that incident, it just winds me up when someone has a good perfromance and then there's a post like 'he's one of the best strikers in europe that lad'. Like when Ibra thumped England with 4 goals, or when Hart had a good game against Madrid and people where insisting he was the best goal keeper in the world. It's just pathetic that kind of thing.

[The only place to be 11,313]

This was always my view as well. Who says that Roman is waiting for Pep? Who said he wants us to be blue-Barca? Because the last time I checked, he doesn't do interviews. It's just media bullshit as far as I can see. What has happened in the past few weeks has told me that Roman, above anything else, wants a winning football team.

Sometimes the media are right - in this case it's just a massive open-secret. It isn't just Roman either, but most of the key guys at the top of the club (Gourlay and Emenalo in particular).

[Rmpr 8,977]

Sometimes the media are right - in this case it's just a massive open-secret. It isn't just Roman either, but most of the key guys at the top of the club (Gourlay and Emenalo in particular).

For me, Barcelona is a model of how Roman wants us to be remembered (successful, good football, mystic, etc). I dont think he wants us to necessarily play the tik-taka bullshit. I believe he would be more than proud if we stick with our identity and still manage to make an impact.

Now, that he wants Pep is a very wide open-secret!

EDIT: I think Klopp, Guardiola and Mourinho all have a chance of landing here. We will have to wiat how things go...

[BOSS 372]

fucked up

[The Mak 4,459]

Yeah exactly, that's just media shit for me.

Though i still think Pep will end up here, as he is the only decent candidate on the free agency list, lets face it Mourinho wont come back here, who else can we get?, Marcelo Bielsa cannot speak english, Hiddink is retiring, there's pretty much no one.

And Rafa is the fall guy definitely, i don't think he will have the job next season.

I would say maybe Klopp, as he seems to have perfected our formation, but he said earlier this year he wouldn't take the Chelsea job. Plus, why would he? He's doing extremely well with Dortmund. Also not sure about his English.

We can always hope for José, but I think you're right sadly, I don't think he'll come back...we can still hope though!

[Kojo 4,676]

For me, Barcelona is a model of how Roman wants us to be remembered (successful, good football, mystic, etc). I dont think he wants us to necessarily play the tik-taka bullshit. I believe he would be more than proud if we stick with our identity and still manage to make an impact.

Now, that he wants Pep is a very wide open-secret!

That's a shame, to be honest we were the best under Mourinho, our defensive record was unbelievable.

I like having a good defence, a nice composed style of play and dominent, rather than fancy flick passes and fancy skills. I like to have a good control of the game and every team worrying about us when they are to play us.

[The only place to be 11,313]

That's a shame, to be honest we where the best under Mourinho, our defensive record was unbelievable.

I like having a good defence, a nice composed style of play and dominent, rather than fancy flick passes and fancy skills. I like to have a good control of the game and every team worrying about us when they are to play us.

Isn't that Barca? They actually conceded far fewer goals than Mourinho's Madrid in Guardiola's last two seasons and were extremely dominant for much of that time.

[Ryan Fong 2,776]

LOL own goal by Stevie G.

West Ham came from behind once again.

[Rmpr 8,977]

That's a shame, to be honest we where the best under Mourinho, our defensive record was unbelievable.

I like having a good defence, a nice composed style of play and dominent, rather than fancy flick passes and fancy skills. I like to have a good control of the game and every team worrying about us when they are to play us.

100%, I absolutely loved us.

Unfortunately, this is not what Roman really wants and all I was doing was trying to read what he ultimately desires.

[Laylabelle 9,296]

That's a shame, to be honest we were the best under Mourinho, our defensive record was unbelievable.

I like having a good defence, a nice composed style of play and dominent, rather than fancy flick passes and fancy skills. I like to have a good control of the game and every team worrying about us when they are to play us.

Whereas at the moment its the complete opposite.Heck every time West Ham had the ball last week I panicked and that was before they score because they looked so capeable and we seemed to be running off in any direction other then the one we needed to.

[Kojo 4,676]

Isn't that Barca? They actually conceded far fewer goals than Mourinho's Madrid in Guardiola's last two seasons and were extremely dominant for much of that time.

No Barca are very shaky at the back, that's because they don't play decent teams in the La Liga, when they play a good team they always concede a lot, however they score more.

The reason they don't concede so much is because they attack that much and don't give the ball away. But it's starting to show that Maschenaro isn't a centre back, he's made quite a lot of mistakes there.