The [Horribly Unpopular] Soccer Thread

[Grannyknot]

The kid is a punk. He admits to time wasting.
Hazard is a punk.....have we forgotten the overly hyped, prima donna esque transfer saga of Hazard this past summer?
Chelsea FC didn't do themselves any favors with their initial "official reaction", which they later decided to apologize for.
None of this suprises me. The club is basically like the Kardashian's in my mind.
They do something outrageous on a weekly basis just to get in the headlines.
That being said, I don't think Hazard deserves any further punishment.

Arseanl put on a good show, But they have a tough run of games coming up.
Sadly, these games are an enigma for Arsenal. You see these types of performances from them when they play teams who don't close down on the ball in midfield, as well as teams who are subject to gettting caught on the break by committing too many slow players forward.
Liverpool is hot right now, and we've done well if we get a point out of that game.

 

[aygov]

The kid is a punk. He admits to time wasting.
Hazard is a punk.....have we forgotten the overly hyped, prima donna esque transfer saga of Hazard this past summer?
Chelsea FC didn't do themselves any favors with their initial "official reaction", which they later decided to apologize for.
None of this suprises me. The club is basically like the Kardashian's in my mind.
They do something outrageous on a weekly basis just to get in the headlines.
That being said, I don't think Hazard deserves any further punishment.

Arseanl put on a good show, But they have a tough run of games coming up.
Sadly, these games are an enigma for Arsenal. You see these types of performances from them when they play teams who don't close down on the ball in midfield, as well as teams who are subject to gettting caught on the break by committing too many slow players forward.
Liverpool is hot right now, and we've done well if we get a point out of that game.

+1 to everything you've said.

Against a team who are effective at closing down players and keeping it tight in the midfield we struggle. Passing back and forth with almost zero penetration. Then we inevitably over-commit going forward only to have a pass go awry in midfield allowing the opposing team to break with maybe 1-2 of our defenders in position. The effective tactic to stymie us is park the bus and hope to pinch an errant pass and hit us on the break. Gone are the days when allowing us time on the ball was a death sentence because we could work out a killer pass to unlock a defense.

 

[Grannyknot]

yes, yes, & yes aygov.

Have you ever noticed that when we get caught on the break, its always Per Mertesacker left alone against like 3 athletic speedsters?
I really wish we would buy a solid center back, and move Vermaelen into a defensive midfield role.
I actually cringe at the thought of our center back situation, especially when I think back on Tony Adams and the like.

 

[aygov]

yes, yes, & yes aygov.

Have you ever noticed that when we get caught on the break, its always Per Mertesacker left alone against like 3 athletic speedsters?
I really wish we would buy a solid center back, and move Vermaelen into a defensive midfield role.
I actually cringe at the thought of our center back situation, especially when I think back on Tony Adams and the like.

The reason Per is stuck back there is because he's about the only person in defense that offers precisely zero going forward. He's lumbering and slow and with our habit of sending Sagna, Gibbs, and Vermaelen up to help the attack he often times is greatly exposed. He's a decent CB, but he does not fit in with the way we play.

I understand Wenger's thinking behind buying him as we are a bit short at the back. Unfortunately we need someone with size AND speed, not size at the expense of speed.

 

[mrgstiffler]

 

[Grannyknot]

Keeping up with the Chelseans.

This is my all time favorite episode

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[hoppyhoppyhippo]

That picture really just further proves both are in the wrong. Kid shouldn't have been laying on the ball and Hazard shouldn't have been acting like a kid to get the ball from him.

 

[lgilmore]

Actually the "kid" is the 17 year old son of the club director. HE is there because of his dad's job. It was his last game cause really he's too old. His twitter page has him and his buddy posing with their tins of beer and him boasting about what he was gonna do at the game tonight..... the player that toe poked him is 5 years older.

Both were wrong but it should be over for the player. For the club director, I think it's just getting started. I think this "kid" has put his dad's job in unfriendly waters. UK boards of directors for professional sports are very old school. This kid disrespected his dad and his dad's job. I also wonder if this kid was a bit drunk as well.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

If hazard plead with the refs the kid and his dad would have been in a much bigger trouble.

 

[aygov]

If hazard plead with the refs the kid and his dad would have been in a much bigger trouble.

This exactly.

Don't engage in ********* antics with some ********* ball boy that's looking to get his 10 seconds of fame.

How ridiculous would it have looked if Hazard had walked up to get the ball and the kid falls down and smothers it without Hazard doing anything? Perhaps the spastic ball boy would have been the headline then?

 

[aygov]

And the FA have charged Hazard with violent conduct.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

This exactly.

Don't engage in ********* antics with some ********* ball boy that's looking to get his 10 seconds of fame.

How ridiculous would it have looked if Hazard had walked up to get the ball and the kid falls down and smothers it without Hazard doing anything? Perhaps the spastic ball boy would have been the headline then?

The key is being professional. I mean the kid is clearly at fault, especially when you have the mitigating factor of his twitter comment. But when you're a professional athlete you have to hold yourself to a higher standard. It's not appropriate for Ron Artest to run up in the stands and beat someone because they threw beer at him during a brawl. It's not appropriate for Roberto Alomar to spit in an umpires face even if he did something wrong.

 

[Grannyknot]

Hearing that the Brek Shea to Stoke city deal has fallen through.

edit: also hearing that MLS blocked the move because Stoke wouldn't pay their asking price.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Hearing that the Brek Shea to Stoke city deal has fallen through.

edit: also hearing that MLS blocked the move because Stoke wouldn't pay their asking price.

Good, hopefully Everton or Fulham picks him up.

 

[aygov]

The only thing Brek Shea would pick up at Stoke would be the ability the throw the ball from one end of the pitch to the other and become the master of hoofing it....

 

[Rubes]

Big win for Arsenal today It's been a rough month, and it's not getting any easier, especially with the lack of new blood coming in.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

NEWS:

Beckham's future is getting a bit more clear. He's training with Arsenal right now... he hasn't signed but I kind of feel that it's a done deal if he's reporting for training.

So much for not suiting up for any EPL club that isn't Man U

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Becks is a baby that's why. He just wants more money and fame. I'm really surprised he's leaving LA though, wonder if LA doesn't want him back.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

He left on good terms. It's like a mutual breakup: we'd like to have him back and make it work but we've set him free to pursue other ventures.

EDIT: But if him leaving means Juninho and Sarvas will be the starting center midfielders I'm A-OK with that.

 

[aygov]

NEWS:

Beckham's future is getting a bit more clear. He's training with Arsenal right now... he hasn't signed but I kind of feel that it's a done deal if he's reporting for training.

So much for not suiting up for any EPL club that isn't Man U

If I remember correctly he's done this previously when he wanted to keep his fitness up during the MLS off-season. I highly doubt we'll see him taking the field for The Arsenal...

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Wowzers, Balotelli to AC Milan.

Also in the shocking department there's talks of Wenger to Real? What?

 

[Grannyknot]

Now they are saying that the Shea to Stoke deal is back on....
good grief.

 

[ScotBrew]

Becks trained with Spurs but it was just to keep him fit. Plenty of players do this at other top clubs. It's just to give them training facilities and get some sharpness back in the legs. I doubt Becks will play in the Premier League but I'm open to be proved wrong.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

He left on good terms. It's like a mutual breakup: we'd like to have him back and make it work but we've set him free to pursue other ventures.

EDIT: But if him leaving means Juninho and Sarvas will be the starting center midfielders I'm A-OK with that.

I meant more along the lines of that LA is the perfect city for Becks. He's a hollywood type of dude. Also I severely doubt he signs with Arsenal, unless he's ok with a Bench/Carling Cup spot.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Now they are saying that the Shea to Stoke deal is back on....
good grief.

I read that as well. Stoke would be wise to pay the asking price for Shea, but I wish he was going to a better club. Hopefully if he goes to Stoke he plays his way out of there in a year or 2.

 

[Grannyknot]

Wenger to Madrid, Arsenal to sign Beckham, & pigs flying.

 

[ScotBrew]

Feb 24th. Milan Derby. That is all.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

NEWS:

Beckham's future is getting a bit more clear. He's training with Arsenal right now...

Gotta work on that six pack. Perfume and clothing doesn't sell without a good six pack.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

The US B Team drew against Canada. Not a pretty game for the US. Offensively I think the best looking players were Agudelo and Gatt. Both are flawed, Agudelo can't hold and isn't skilled enough in his creativity yet to make up for that. Gatt needs to learn to trush his left foot more. You can tell Klinsmann like he did with Chandler and Johnson is trying to break him of his one footedness. He looks a lot like Bale. Obviously nowhere near as talented as Bale not even gonna pretend that he is but in terms of speed and strength he looks like Bale and hopefully someday he can be half as good as Bale is cause I'd be happy with that from the left wing or right wing.

Canada was camped back happy with a draw and got their wish. I don't think if Dempsey, and company were there that they would have gotten away wth the same. I can't wait for Hex.

 

[Grannyknot]

The game was pretty piss poor.
I thought Beckerman did ok, which I expected, considering he is more or less a first team member.
ESPN kept talking about Omar doing well, but he was never really tested on defense, and couldn't put 2 headers on frame, so not sure how they came to that conclusion.

Gatt needs to grow up and quit complaining every time someone touches him.
I wasn't too impressed with his performance.