(UEFA) Football Thread - Football not Soccer

[Angel4576]

Indeed - Don't think it could possibly have gone any better for him over the first three games.

And now Hendrick is back from international duty as well - it's like two new signings.

With the prospect of Ball having more of an impact across the course of this season as well, and Severn and Atkins out on loan gaining valuable experience, and the likes of Chris Jones and Mason Bennett waiting in the wings, our youth setup seems to be going through a bit of a golden boon at the moment!

 

[Starkers]

Isn't there suppose to be some 15 year old with an unusual name that various Prem teams are salivating over as well?

Still think we could do with another midfielder, and maybe a pacy young left back! The idea of signing Stevie Howard on loan appeals as well as we lack a bit of presense up front, we obviously don't need it at the moment but it'd be nice to have the option, especially late on in a game.

 

[Angel4576]

I heard a few rumours earlier in the week that were saying Howard and Oakley on a six month and 3 month loan - only they weren't sure which way around it was. Didn't put much stock in it until I heard of a tweet from an agent who had sat with Sven and Nigel at the Donny vs Forest game on Tuesday.

Hearts -

 

[Angel4576]

I heard a few rumours earlier in the week that were saying Howard and Oakley on a six month and 3 month loan - only they weren't sure which way around it was. Didn't put much stock in it until I heard of a tweet from an agent who had sat with Sven and Nigel at the Donny vs Forest game on Tuesday.

Hearts -

 

[Starkers]

Interesting. I had a lot of time for both of them back in the day. Obviously knocking on a bit now but we have a lot of youngsters so I don't see that as a bad thing.

 

[Angel4576]

4 wins from 4 as Donny are ruthlessly swept aside!

Great day's football - Leicester and Forest wasting points, and Pornstar's lot got done 7-1 at Posh.

Beautiful days.

 

[Starkers]

Oh happy happy days. Be lovely to go into the international break on the back of five wins!

 

[Angel4576]

Burnley are usually a bogey team, but they've lost Eagles and Mears in the summer, and they don't have a win yet, so who knows. After that it's Coventry away - we've had a fair few wallopings at the Ricoh, but again, they're sh1te this season.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

What the heck is going on at Ipswich! I know they were down to 9 men yesterday but sheesh.

Still top of the table! Long may it continue

 

[Angel4576]

What's going on at Ipswich can be summed up in two words - Paul Jewell. Pornstar's having the same effect on them that he had on us a few years ago. He couldn't organise a solid defence to save his life.

 

[Starkers]

^^ What odds Southampton doing a Norwich?

 

[Angel4576]

Probably very short odds - they look very, very good.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

What the heck is going on at Ipswich! I know they were down to 9 men yesterday but sheesh.

Their problems started long before they were even down to 10. They scored first - a good goal - and then once P'boro equalised they just folded and let three more goals in very quickly. They were finished long before the red cards and the next three goals.

I'm looking forward to the Carling Cup tomorrow... provided no one gets injured. Cardiff have sensibly slashed prices to just £10 for adults so it'd be madness not to go, particularly as Huddersfield are a pretty good outfit. Indeed, they're sort of the Cardiff of League One - constant failures

And to top it off, the club have offered me, for the first time, the opportunity to go to an away game. It's usually members only but it's been opened up to season ticket holders as well. Portsmouth away on a sunny bank holiday Saturday? Sounds like the perfect way to start my attendance at away games to me! (Wembley notwithstanding). I'm excited.. provided the ticket site actually works to let me get a ticket!

 

[trekkiebaggio]

^I for one hope you enjoy a resounding victory against Pompey!

^^ What odds Southampton doing a Norwich?

Probably very short odds - they look very, very good.

We've been playing like this the better part of two season really, and we've been really consistent since January. It was a really tight league last year, all the teams just kept on winning but we managed to sustain it a bit longer.

I didn't think we'd start the season as well as we have. I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility that we can get promoted, after all the majority of the team has been together for a while and have a good understanding. The new guys, particularly Jack Cork, look impressive and like they've settled in well. It's good to see Connolley playing and scoring regularly again.

However, we don't have too many wingers so that could be a problem. Lallana is really our key player, if teams work out how to stifle him or if he gets injured I think we'll struggle to unlock defenses.

 

[Starkers]

Well someone on a Derby forum listed some interest stats about where the top three at this stage of the season have ended up over the course of the last few years and quite a lot of gone up or at least made the playoffs.

I think the big test for Derby will be what we do when we lose? If we pick ourselves up and start getting results again then I will fancy us for the playoffs, but if we start to slide and end up in a losing run then midtable it is (which frankly is still a bloody imrprovement at least)

 

[Starkers]

Joey Barton to QPR then??

 

[Angel4576]

Too much baggage for Newcastle, obviously.

Derby will finish mid-table, there's no way that we'll be able to compete with the likes of West Ham, Leicester, Cardiff etc over the course of a full season.

I'm just glad that we're so much better of than this time last season. Took us until October to get 12 points and 4 wins last year.

 

[Starkers]

I don't know, call me hopeflessly naive, but momentum is a funny thing. I'm not saying we're gonna win the league, but assuming we're lucky with injuries I can see us hovering around the outer edges of the playoffs. Heck we're Derby fans, we know better than most that it's perfectly possible to be promoted by having a hardworking hard to beat team (Billy D) perfectly possible to get to the playoffs on a shoestring (Burley) and that splashing the cash doesn't equate to promotion (Arthur Cox)



That said I think anything 10th and above and I'll be happy.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

Are you kidding? We only have about 17 players - without some loan signings, we're going nowhere!

 

[Angel4576]

Are you kidding? We only have about 17 players - without some loan signings, we're going nowhere!

Cardiff 2011-2012 Squad

Even taking the graduating youngsters out of that you're left with a very solid-looking squad of 22. There are a good number of players in there that would walk into most teams in this division.

I'd be very surprised if Cardiff don't make the playoffs.