(UEFA) Football Thread - Football not Soccer

[HappyDayRiot]

I don't know why Curbishley's name goes on anyone's wishlists anymore. He's been out of work for... 3 years, is it, since WHU forced him out?

I believe you need, like we did, to get a young up-and-coming manager with new ideas and a fresh outlook in, steady the ship for the season and regroup for a new tilt in a year or so. Getting Malky in is the best decision we've made in ages - it's like a new team, the pressure's off and we're able to enjoy games again. Early days of course!

Perhaps Derby might be even an even better example?

 

[Jax]

Curbishley gets his team sorted out and his track record is solid, he was sacked at West Ham for being midtable and then they got relegated. Good manager & knows what to do with limited funds.

 

[Starkers]

Thing is Dougherty is right, Forest have to learn to live within their means, and maybe McClaren was misinformed about what those means would be, but both he and Davies moaned instead of getting on with the job in hand. Maybe Clough is too much of a company man at times, but he's kept his head down and built a decent team on a shoestring rather than just wanting to sign name players like McClaren did.

I think there's probably a reason Curbishly is out of work, just another one of those managers whose best days are behind I think.

 

[Jax]

Davies was giving money and wasted it, Doughty allowed Billy to get away with too much despite what Billy may say. I loss count of the amount on strikers on the books under Billy. Its time to re-develop our academy, which has been shit for years. We need new coaches and a new way of running it because if we can't spend then we need to produce.

 

[Jax]

Rooney finds out on thursday what will be the punishment of his stupidity. I think it will only be 1 game though if he gets the maximum of 3 games then NO WAY he can go to 2012. Fabio says Rooney will not start any games before 2012, which is a little stupid because if its only 1 game you need to experiment with him as well as without.

ENG need to bulk the midfield to have any chance of making EURO 2012 look respectable. We have no chance of winning but if were very very good and just a little lucky we could make the last 4. I would take the last 8 if we actually played well and could take something away from it like Holland in Euro 2008 who then went to the WC final 2 years later. I would like to see a proper number 9 with young Owen esq pace, so I want to see Walcott up front and behind him "Parker, Wilshere and one of Gerrard/Cleverley"

 

[Roger Wilco]

We have no chance of winning but if were very very good and just a little lucky we could make the last 4.

England obviously won't be a favourite, but once you are in such a tournament, anything's possible - just look at Greece or Uruguay.

 

[Jax]

We have no chance of winning but if were very very good and just a little lucky we could make the last 4.

England obviously won't be a favourite, but once you are in such a tournament, anything's possible - just look at Greece or Uruguay.

Am sorry we haven't met before, Hi my name is "England" we flop at major tournments . The future is not too shabby though IMO because they are some very good players comng together and I look forward to some attacking style/possesion football under Harry Redknapp who can translate his spurs style onto ENG but we have a better defence I look at the players after 2012 and it gives me a reason not to lose all hope...

Hart
Walker
Richards
Kelly
Jones
Smalling
Cahill
Dawson
Shawcross
Gibbs
Baines
Bertrand
A.Cole

Lennon
Johnson
Young
Downing
Albrighton

Cleverley
Wilshere
Rodwell
Henderson
Huddlestone
Barkley
McEachran
Milner

Welbeck
Walcott
Rooney
Sturridge
Carroll
Bent
Defoe
Agbonlahor

 

[Starkers]

There's been great players coming through for over a decade. We don't need great players we need a half decent English manager who'll build a team (not just throw all the best players together irrespective of whether they can play together) and we need the English media and populace to lower their expectations!

 

[Jax]

So now we know 12 of the 16 teams...

POLAND
UKRAINE
SPAIN
HOLLAND

GERMANY
ENGLAND
FRANCE
ITALY

DENMARK
GREECE
RUSSIA
SWEDEN

Thats also the expected pot order though pot 3 might change after the playoffs that contain...

Portugal *
Croatia *
Turkey *
Ireland
Czech Republic
Montenegro *
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Estonia

The awful seeded system returns for the playoffs (* = my guess for the seeded teams due to FIFA rankings).

 

[Starkers]

So no Rooney for the group stage then?

Should we even take him?

Bloody muppet!

 

[Jax]

It should of been 2 games, if this was Ronaldo, Snejider etc they would get off lighter. It all depends on how hard the group is and form of Rooney that wil probably decide it.

 

[Roger Wilco]

3 games is a hard penalty, but fuck Rooney, England will be better off without depending on him. Rooney has never performed for the team when they really needed it anyway. Americans would call him a choker.

 

[Starkers]

Trouble is, either you leave him at home and risk the ire of the media/fans when we're inevitable knocked out, or you take him and are faced with an impossible situation if we're actually playing well without him. Do you bring him back for the knock out stages or not?

It could be a huge positive. I still remember 2002 when Joe Cole's injury forced Erikson to play Trevor Sinclair on the left, and suddenly we looked a more balanced team, even though he wasn't the most talented option.

 

[Starkers]

Well went to the game Saturday. Bit of an odd one. We were five minutes late and so missed Derby's goal, and maybe because of that the game seemed a bit lifeless until Southampton equalised, when it livened up a bit. They're a good side, but whilst you could see the goal coming I still thought the game had more goals in it, and certainly the last ten minutes or so I thought if anyone was going to snatch a win it'd be us.

I think the trouble is we sat back somewhat after we scored...of course in hindsight that might have been a wise course given we were playing top of the table. Hard to tell really, but we never seemed overawed by them.

Another loss for Forest but I'm guessing Cotterill wouldn't have had much chance to make an impact yet. Another loss for Leicester as well. Sven's spent a lot of money but they aren't pulling up too many trees yet.

 

[Jax]

Forest didn't play that bad and we should of got a point but our finishing is pathetic at the moment. However not playing Miller/Derbyshire on the fucking wing might help that situation

 

[Starkers]

Well Derbyshire isn't an out and out winger is he? I always remembered him as an attacking midfielder come striker? Miller definitely is a centre forward though.

 

[Jax]

Well Derbyshire isn't an out and out winger is he? I always remembered him as an attacking midfielder come striker? Miller definitely is a centre forward though.

Derbyshire is a goal poacher, while Miller is your old style number 9. They could be a great duo but it helps to have a midfield with some creativity.

 

[Starkers]

For a goal poacher he don't score many!

 

[Jax]

For a goal poacher he don't score many!

Injuries and lack of playing time at Blackburn did him no good and then he started so well at Olympicaos until injury hit him again. I remember watching him for the U21's and he always looked a good player but hes not going to create his own goals that sure unlike Miller probably can.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Heh, is this now finally the year United loses its dominance in Manchester?

I don't think I've ever seen them lose like that.

eta: and it's 6, wow, incredible.