The Ultimate Football Thread 2013-2014 Vol. 4 EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A etc

Ramsay was far from trash.. he just came on to late, as did all of arsenals subs.. :smh: wenger never changing tactics
 
Ramsay was far from trash.. he just came on to late, as did all of arsenals subs.. :smh: wenger never changing tactics

I've always said his problem is that when that beautiful football isn't working, he quickly runs out of ideas. Struggles to just grind out those results, which is needed to with the EPL. Sometimes those ugly rugby-like 1-0's are what you need to win the trophy.
 
@louislagerfeld sent me this in a PM. For some stupid reason he's still banned from this thread, so I guess Jada is still too. I know all about Mangala but for those who don't and hear me talk about him all the time. Watch this video courtesy of Louis. Thank him.

I thought Mangala was Barça bound, but after the transfer punishment, I'm going with City because I think they'll pay Porto the most. However I think United and Real need to take a look.



 
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:wow: Wow, AC Milan's Taarabt just scored a helluva goal against Genoa... Ish was a heat seeking missle...
 
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Eriksen doing his thing 
smokin.gif
 
@louislagerfeld sent me this in a PM. For some stupid reason he's still banned from this thread, so I guess Jada is still too. I know all about Mangala but for those who don't and hear me talk about him all the time. Watch this video courtesy of Louis. Thank him.

I thought Mangala was Barça bound, but after the transfer punishment, I'm going with City because I think they'll pay Porto the most. However I think United and Real need to take a look.





i pray united can steal him from city.. just gotta offer porto as much as city, and then beat them on his wages

adebayor... making soldado look even worse
 
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Easier said than done Beans. I just don't see United spending 40 million on a CB, City on the other hand blow money like clockwork.

We'll see, it'll be interesting.
 
We are gonna have to invest in a cb tho.. Problem is we also need two mf and a LB.. I still think of all the cb available mangala has the most upside. I don't even wanna think of city with him and kompany at the back
 
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Kimchi Papi Kimchi Papi i remember you (think it was you) saying you listen to a few soccer podcasts. Mind sharing which ones?

The 3 I listen to regularly are The Spanish Football Podcast & Inside Spanish Football's La Liga Podcast which are both on iTunes along with Sky Sports' La Liga show which I listen to from their site.

I'll also listen to WorldSoccerTalk's show on their site along with the following from iTunes; The Football Ramble, The Guardian's Football Weekly, Gab Marcotti's The Game, & sometimes Men In Blazers.

I'll also come across some good ones from posts online like the Everton one that had a long interview with Roberto Martinez which I posted in here a while back.
 
@SkySportsNews BREAKING NEWS: Jay Rodriguez has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament & will miss the World Cup

Manchester United transfer target Toni Kroos tells Bayern Munich mates he wants the move
Apr 07, 2014 22:31 By John Cross

Germany midfielder the Reds are prepared to spend £40million on then pay £200,000 a week is determined to make summer switch

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Kroos control: Bayern star Toni intends to leave Bayern for Man United, not Real Madrid
Bayern Munich superstar Toni Kroos is ready to join Manchester United.

Kroos has told Bayern and Germany team-mates that he is determined to make the switch to Old Trafford.

It comes as Real Madrid have also sounded out the 24-year-old's advisers, but the Reds are set to break the bank to get their man.

Midfielder Kroos, who should face United on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final, has been attracted by the lure of a huge contract and the chance to be main man.

As we revealed last week, United are willing to offer a staggering £40m - even though Kroos has only one year left on his deal at Munich.

Bayern are adamant they will not sell, but that sort of figure may test their resolve.




Kroos, whose contract renegotiations with the European champions have stalled, could get up to £200,000-a-week at Old Trafford.

United boss David Moyes sees Kroos as central to his rebuilding plans and, despite their disappointing season and the strong possibility they won't be in the Champions league next season, the figures on offer have clearly turned the player's head.

Kroos has told team-mates and pals that he would rather be first choice than play second fiddle to Bastian Schweinsteiger at the Bavarian giants.

Bayern simply would not match the sort of cash on offer at United, and Moyes knows the capture of Kroos would also be a huge statement of intent.

The outgoing Premier League champions want to keep rebuilding and if they can get Kroos this summer it could help attract other stellar names.

Another big target is Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho, who is rated at £35m-plus. United had further talks on his future last weekend.



http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footb...ed-transfers-toni-kroos-3385343#ixzz2yFjjqJm9
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Arsenal will not countenance sacking Arsène Wenger even if season ends in FA Cup and fourth-place failure
Arsène Wenger can lose in FA Cup and miss out on Champions League qualification and still be allowed to decide his own future as Arsenal manager
Up to you: Arsenal hope Arsene Wenger will take them into their new era despite this season's travails
Up to you: Arsenal hope Arsene Wenger will take them into their new era despite this season's travails Photo: EPA
Jeremy Wilson By Jeremy Wilson7:59PM BST 07 Apr 2014 Comments13 Comments
Arsène Wenger will be permitted to decide his future even if Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 17 years and go a ninth consecutive season without silverware.
There are doubts within the club, however, about what Wenger will do, with a contract offer still unsigned and the Frenchman unwilling to make a decision before the end of the season. Although Wenger did verbally outline an intention to stay, it is understood that other coaching staff and even some board members remain uncertain about the final outcome, particularly if the season ends badly.
A humbling 3-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday was alarming not just for the ease with which Roberto Martínez’s team won such a critical match but the continuation of a slide that has seen Arsenal win just two of their past nine Premier League games. It has allowed Everton to make up fully 13 points on Arsenal in the space of only six matches and it is Martínez’s team who now have their ‘top four’ destiny in their own hands.
There were reports on Twitter yesterday that Wenger had been verbally abused by some fans as the team arrived back into Liverpool Lime Street station after the game on Sunday evening, although Arsenal were unaware of any incident.
The mood of the fans, though, is likely to influence Wenger’s decision. He was shocked on the opening day of the season by some of the booing and personal abuse he received during defeat by Aston Villa and will not stay if he feels that he has lost significant support among the fanbase.
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A poll of supporters last week, however, suggested that a clear majority do want Wenger to stay if he can deliver both the FA Cup and Champions League qualification. A poll of 8,174 Arsenal fans organised by the Black Scarf Movement found that 68 per cent would want the club’s longest-serving and most successful manager to sign a new contract if he achieved those two targets.
Support would fall to 61 per cent if Arsenal failed to win the FA Cup but qualified for the Champions League and to only 56 per cent if Arsenal won a fifth FA Cup of Wenger’s tenure but dropped out of the top four. Even if Arsenal failed to finish in the top four and lost out in the FA Cup, 54 per cent of supporters would still want him to stay, although many would then favour only a rolling one-year contract.
The attitude of the board and majority owner Stan Kroenke has been utterly consistent. They believe the recent dip is largely explained by so many injuries to key players and still hope and expect Wenger to lead Arsenal into what will be a new era of massively enhanced resources from this summer.
Contingencies have been made for Wenger’s departure, whenever that may be, with Martínez, Diego Simeone and Jurgen Klopp expected to figure on any shortlist. New sponsorship deals will help swell the transfer fund to around £100 million this summer, although fans have grown frustrated by Wenger’s generally cautious transfer strategy even when he has money in the bank.
Aaron Ramsey yesterday highlighted the difficulty of Everton’s run-in and is adamant that Arsenal can win their remaining matches to be sure of Champions League qualification. “We have five league games left and we will aim to win them all to give us the opportunity to finish fourth or higher,” said Ramsey. “I think Everton still have a few difficult games. We were quite vulnerable on the counter-attack [against Everton] and they exploited the opportunities.”
Ramsey returned to the Arsenal team on Sunday for the first time since suffering a thigh injury against West Ham United on Boxing Day. Arsenal’s slide has coincided with his absence.
“It was very frustrating for me to be out for three months of the season when things were looking so good,” he said. “Hopefully I can show what I can do, help this team achieve Champions League again and, hopefully, at the end of the season have a medal.”
 
Oh damn that Zidane gif :x

i remember Zidane had some ridiculous control and balance during a France vs Portugal game in 2000 where the goalie booted to him up the field and he control it with his chest and feet all while spinning :x
 
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Something for the conspiracy theorist :D

Have Arsenal already employed Wenger’s successor? – Conspiracy Theory!!
Posted on 07/04/2014 by goonerdave66 Posted in Uncategorized 27 Comments
Bonkers it's Jonker's job?
Bonkers it’s Jonker’s job?
Rumours are rife that Wenger has not signed the new contract on offer and is considering not doing so. Some feel and I agree that he is a man of honour and will not sign this deal unless he feels he had taken Arsenal forward this season and that he can do so gain in 2014/15.

It would be hard to argue in any footballing sense that we have progressed as a team as we are certainly not playing an improved or different brand of football. The fact that we are so predictable and the samey and even more so without the pace of Ramey and Walcott is undeniable for me at least On the flipside we have attracted a world star in Ozil, spent big in the process and we have a realistic chance of finally winning a trophy , the FA Cup. Whether that will be enough to convince a wavering fan base remains to be seen but given his position and what he had achieved for the football club, that is perhaps not as relevant what the man himself feels.

None of us know what Wenger might be thinking but if he is not having doubts about his vision for the team after the last 2 months he lacks the integrity I believe he has. What cannot ever be questioned is the deep love he has for the institution that is Arsenal FC and that he will always want what is best for it. He will have to determine if he has the strength and conviction to take on the task for 2 more years and it that is what is best for his club.

So what if he determines that this summer is the time to pass on the baton who will pick it up for the next leg? What comes next from me is largely guesswork and theorisation but not all.

In January it was announced that Dutchman Andries Jonker would be taking over from Liam Brady as Head of Youth Development at the club. When it was reported that the appointment was made by Gazidis and not Wenger I was intrgued. That piece of information piqued my interest a while ago and I read up on Jonker, who has an impressive coaching pedigree. My mind began working overtime when this week I read he is bringing in two other Dutch coaches, Frans de Kat and Jan van Loon taking over the Under 18s and Under 16s respectively.

I began to wonder if a contingency plan might not already be in motion should Wenger decide not to sign. After all there is a fairly obvious precedent for the club bringing in a man, who whilst not a big name was in fact a widely respected coach. This would not fit with the social media clamour for a Low, Klopp or a Martinez but there can be no doubting the 51 year olds credentials both within the Dutch FA set up, as a right hand man to Louis van Gaal and as a number one to a degree in his own right.

Learned with a master in VG
Learned with a master in VG
Van Gaal and Jonker first teamed up at Barcelona in 2002/3 but it was between 2009 and 2012 at Bayern Munich that he truly came to the fore. Between 2009 and 2011 he coached Bayern’s first team Bundesliga triumph, the German Cup in 2010 and to a Champions League final in the same year. Even when Van Gaal was sacked in the April of 2011 Jonker was asked to remain as interim manager and won 4 and drew one of the last 5 games. A period which the Bayern players enjoyed as this quote from our favourite player Robben will beat testament to: ‘Andries Jonker brought joy back to training and we rallied under him.’

Respected by the best
Respected by the best
When Heynckes returned to steady the ship and ultimately take the Bayern back to the peak Jonker was retained in the final year of his contract and asked to take the Bayern Munich II and oversea potential future stars.

I am certain a question over such a promotion to a top job might be around the ability of Jonker to attract the big names the Arsenal fans crave. However it is as important to further develop those we have who are on the brink of greatness such as Chamberlain, Wilshere and Ramsey. A quick look back to the period of 2009 and 2011 in Munich might give an indication.

Tomas Muller – Promoted from Bayern II by Van Gaal/Jonker 2009

Toni Kroos – Brought back from loan and promoted by Van Gaal/Jonker 2010

Holger Badstuber – Promoted from Bayern II by Van Gaal/Jonker 2009

David Alaba – Promoted from Bayern II 2009 and loaned to Hoffenhein 2010 for experience by Van Gaal/Jonker

Luis Gustavo – Signed from Hoffenheim for Bayern Jan 2011 by Van Gaal/Jonker. (Followed him to Wolfsburg!)

Obviously all this is conspiracy theory and I am not claiming it is anything more but what we do know is that the footballing philosophy of Jonker would be very similar to that we have become accustomed to. We also know that he has experience of working with the very best talent in Europe.

But he is not a big name though right?

One final interesting factor to add to the mix is that we all know Van Gaal is stepping down as Dutch National team boss after the World Cup. We also know he has expressed an interest in managing in the Premiership and has even thrown his hat in the ring to manage in North London in Seven Sisters. If the Arsenal job was to be available and given a choice I think we all know who he would choose!

Van Gaal has won leagues in Holland and the Champions League with Ajax and the old UEFA Cup. In Spain with Barca he won back to back La Ligas and the Copa Del Ray. At Bayern he oversaw, with Jonker the season I described in 2010, winning a domestic double, signed Robben and converted Schweinsteiger from a winger to one of the best centre midfielders in the world.

Mentor available in July too?
Mentor available in July too?
He has just lead the Dutch to Brazil undefeated winning 9 out of 10 qualifiers and unlike Martinez, Klopp and Guardiola is available should our present manager decide to hand up his coat and it’s troublesome zip. Is a Jonker coach and Van Gaal Technical Director or Jonker assistant to Van Gaal not quite an interesting combination?

Just asking?

Until next time
Gus Poyet says Jozy Altidore to blame for poor form not Sunderland
Jozy Altidore's claim that Gus Poyet system and tactics at are responsible for his failure to adapt to English football has been rubbished by the Sunderland manager
Gus Poyet says Jozy Altidore to blame for poor form not Sunderland
Way to go: American striker Jozy Altidore has found the transition to English football difficult Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Luke Edwards11:00PM GMT 07 Mar 2014
Gus Poyet has rejected Jozy Altidore's claim that Sunderland's system and tactics are responsible for his failure to adapt to English football by arguing only the striker is to blame for poor form.
Altidore has one of the worst goalscoring ratios in the Premier League - three goals in 62 games - and returns to former club Hull City in the FA Cup tomorrow without a goal since December 4th.
The American endured an equally barren period when playing for Hull four years ago, scoring just once in 30 appearances for the Tigers and Poyet warned he cannot treat the centre-forward as a "charity."
Despite a prolific spell with AZ Alkmaar in Holland where he scored 40 goals in 89 games, Altidore, who did not even make the bench for the Capital One Cup Final last weekend, has scored only two goals for Sunderland this season and only one in the league.
Altidore, who complained about Sunderland's system when on international duty, will be given one last chance to impress in the FA Cup this weekend and Poyet hopes the anger he feels about being left out of the side last weekend is the spark he needs.
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"Let's see how he reacts," said Poyet. "I look forward to seeing what type of character he is. I'd like him to prove me wrong. I'm not a charity, it's up to him.
"With me, if you play well, you stay in the team. You can see he's got plenty of things to give, but it's about the consistency and doing it all the time.
"To survive in the league you need a striker who will score double figures, if you don't you will struggle badly. It's different football to Holland.
"He's had too much pressure, he's come in with an idea he'll play for a manager and the manager changed. We changed the system. He's been in and out; he was maybe not so good and then he scored against Chelsea [in December], then he went on a run without scoring."
Poyet, who was far from impressed with the standard of the 14 players signed in the summer by former manager Paolo Di Canio and Director of Football Roberto Di Fanti, also rebuked Altidore for whinging about Sunderland's system, although he hopes the friction between them brings out the best in the £6.5m summer signing.
"We can talk about too many things, how we play, the system we play, who is playing or not playing - at the end of the day we put plenty of effort in to get to him the club and we try to use him the best we can," added Poyet. "We need him. It doesn't matter what he said.
"I went to see him with the national team. He's playing in a slightly different system, but in the game against Scotland he didn't score and this week he didn't score. It's up to him, not me."
 
Love listening to podcast whenever I'm in the car .. If your a united supporter there are a couple good ones on iTunes: redcast and united and Liverpool fans podcast. I also listen to the times ones, world soccer talk, uefa has one as well, and fox soccer. I use to love men in blazers but they release their podcast too late ever week.. Still funny and worth a listen I suppose .. War pig!!!
 
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