World Football Thread V

[Maquiladora]

We have a few strikers, not as good, but what use is Rooney if he gets sent off, plus if he thinks hes protected he'll become complacent anyway. No one is bigger than the team, or that should be the idea.

[CerberusIV]

Rooney's real problem is his team managers. He plays for a club where the manager lost the plot about 5 years ago and for a national side where the manager arguably never had the plot to begin with. Is it any wonder the lad is frustrated and loses it?

Admittedly that's no excuse but his behaviour is at least understandable and I'd rather see a bit of passion than players just turning up and mindlessly kicking a ball around - Beckham anyone?

[reds4ever]

If he doesn't curb it he's going to find that, in the next couple of seasons, referees who let things like foul language and dissent slide because of his age are going to book him.

There have been plenty of times over the last two seasons where he's escaped a booking that would have been given to an older player.

[Footie Mad]

Originally posted by duke o' york


You must be thinking of Duncan Shearer, the Scottish journeyman pro, because Alan Shearer, love him to bits, isn't even interesting enough to display bad manners on the pitch. You must have been living in a nuclear bunker several miles underground for the last few years to have missed how Man Utd have become the premier team of whingers, surrounding the referee at every opportunity to threaten him to change his decision against them, no matter how obvious and deserved the free kick was.
Or is that what the "Mad" in "Footie Mad" refers to?

I'm not talking about the entire team but a single player, and my opinion is that Shearer constantly whines to the referee and tries to use his "status" to gain an advantage. Not saying that this doesn't happen in all teams to a certain extent but Shearer seems to see it as his right and responsability to be on the forefront of complaining and giving the referee stick.

But I guess once you're a "big name" you have special privilieges?

[reds4ever]

Who the hell let Everton into Europe?

[duke o' york]

I don't know, but I can tell you who let them out again.

Shearer may whinge, but he's only Championship material compared to the quality whingers in the Premiership. Craig Bellamy, for example, put him to shame, and will no doubt put us to the sword if he starts on Sunday. We've got a brilliant record of ex-Newcastle players/Geordie players scoring against us.

Originally posted by CerberusIV
I'd rather see a bit of passion than players just turning up and mindlessly kicking a ball around - Beckham anyone?

Some bloke in the pub the other day (Leeds fan, obviously) was suggesting that England should have Championship players to inject some passion into the team.

[alva]

Originally posted by MikeH
Just to change the subject for a moment. Recently it's been brought to my attention that Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (europe) / Winning Eleven 9 (US and Japan) is released in 6 weeks time.

It is easily the best football game series ever and as it's coming out on all formats (PC, PS2, PSP, XBOX and Cube) no football fan in their right mind has any excuse to be without it.

Review:

http://www.eurogamer.net/forum_thread_posts.php?thread_id=36231&forum_id=1

Couple of videos of the new shooting:

http://www.saucedesign.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/evodivx.avi

It's also online compatible and all different versions can play against each other so the potential for poly tournaments is pretty huge.

Just to let you know, the Pro Evolution Soccer 5 demo is out.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Heinze is out for most of the season:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=342755&cc=5901

Gabriel Heinze has been ruled out for most of the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

The Manchester United defender suffered the blow during Wednesday's 0-0 Champions League draw with Villarreal.

Immediately after the match Sir Alex Ferguson said he thought Heinze had only suffered medial ligament damage and would be out for a few weeks.

However, a scan yesterday revealed the damage to be far worse than Ferguson originally feared, with Heinze suffering the same problem skipper Roy Keane had eight years ago.

Although Ferguson has refused to rule out Heinze from the campaign altogether it appears unlikely he will return and he also faces a race against time to be fit for Argentina's World Cup campaign in Germany next year.

It is a major blow for Ferguson and his team. Already without Keane (hamstring), Gary Neville (thigh), Wes Brown (thigh), plus long-term casualties Quinton Fortune, Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the United squad is low on numbers for Sunday's Barclays Premiership trip to Liverpool.

[duke o' york]

Well that's great news for everyone - the diving bugger!
Except those who have him in their fantasy sides - he's a great buy there!

[C0ckney]

well i guess mr abramovich has got to make his money back somehow

What do you think of Chelsea doubling their ticket prices for disabled fans?

As revealed exclusively in today's The Sun, the Stamford Bridge side are forcing handicapped fans to fork out nearly FIFTY QUID to watch a game even though their rivals Manchester United and Arsenal do not ask for a penny.

for some reason i can't find a link to a news story on this, but it's in todays papers

[Drake Tungsten]

Charging a handicapped fan less than the other fans is dehumanizing. Chelsea

[duke o' york]

Bloody hell - I've just discovered that Newcastle's premier "wa**er called Shepherd" has offered Steve Harmison a seat for life at St James's! I've got to get winning me some Ashes too!

[Maquiladora]

God, Newcastle are boring. Bowyer is having a shocker and Souness keeps moaning at nothing. Owen shouldve scored too, because hes in my Fantasy PL team, little waste of space

[Imran Siddiqui]

Boring? Just because we haven't had an on field this year fight doesn't mean we're boring .

And Owen got your goal .

[Maquiladora]

It was still boring after the goals, couldve done with those in the first half. I dunno theres just something really dull about NC at the moment, didnt help they were playing Blackburn who break up the game every 2 minutes, but you couldnt string 3 passes together.

I cant believe Owen got man of the match too.