Official Blu-ray.com football/fútbol thread! ITT - Men who like real sport!

[Blu_Ray_UK2007]

Originally Posted by b0bby

say WHAT? abou diaby to inter? where is he going to play with cambiasso/muntari already there. i guess he could play viera's role on the bench or getting a few games here and there but as of now he isn't even a replacement for viera AT arsenal.

Thats why it's a complete load of shite!

[Vip3rni]

i read awhile back too that torres, riena , alonso and a few others go to eachothers houses to learn chinese cooking etc and take turns making it. chinese food really healthy and allowed in their diets so they said it would be cool to learn how to cook lol.

Yep its common for players to meet after work for golf and alot of other things. I know a few united players are fond of horse racing and fergie has his own race horse etc so i guess thats team bonding in a way too.

[Vip3rni]

Rafa Benitez signs new contract with Liverpool to at least 2014. About time too

[b0bby]

Originally Posted by Vip3rni

Rafa Benitez signs new contract with Liverpool to at least 2014. About time too

i didn't know you were pro-benitez. from my pov it seems like his team can score whenever they want as long as he calls for them to play a more attacking style but most of the time he plays them defensively. his rotation policy and fielding weaker teams against lower opposition and losing or drawing to them is squarely on his shoulders for losing the league this season. his excuses would be that the team he fielded SHOULD beat stoke, hull, boro, but you don't see manchester resting ronaldo or rooney against lower opposition. every game is important given that you are less likely to get points against top teams so you should take lower opposition seriously and sometimes it seems like he doesn't and takes his foot off the gas pedal against them.

this move may affect fergusons decisions to stay on extra years. its likely that he'll dethrone liverpool for EPL titles but surely he's not going to want to retire just to have benitez take the crown back for liverpool in the coming years. the pool supporters here at my work are having mixed feelings about this.

[Vip3rni]

Benitez baffles everyone, including myself with his mix and match but i know he is a technical master when it comes to the big teams and the champions league. I feel he is sometimes a big arrogant when it comes to the premier league and lesser teams.It seems like he plays a defensive team at times and he does but thats all down to the players we have available. We would play a 4-5-1 most times but thats down to gerrard having a role in behind torres. Although benitez comes across as being defensive,last season liverpool scored more goals than any other premier league team across all competitions, season before we were joint leaders in the goal tally so the attacking potential is there. We are just accomodating for our defensive midfielders too such as mascherano.

I also feel over time Benitez will get it right with the lower teams too who are just interested in throwing 10 men behind the ball and defending for 90mins. The progress the team has made since the arrival of benitez has been immense and i feel we are closer to winning the league than ever(the start of this season an example before we his a bad spell of 7 draws:S)

If this progression continues (knocked chelsea out of champs league twice, barcelona at the nou camp, inter milan in both legs,juventus, real madrid in both legs convincingly, double over united and chelsea this season whereas this past few years uniteds had the edge over us) all of this with a budget half the size of uniteds and chelseas i feel its only a matter of time before we are really, really serious contenders (as in losing the league by 2-3 points), if not winners. watch this space lol :P



ps. im also happy he signed a new contract because it brings much needed stability and everyone can now just get on with their jobs.

[b0bby]

Originally Posted by Vip3rni

Benitez baffles everyone, including myself with his mix and match but i know he is a technical master when it comes to the big teams and the champions league. I feel he is sometimes a big arrogant when it comes to the premier league and lesser teams.It seems like he plays a defensive team at times and he does but thats all down to the players we have available. We would play a 4-5-1 most times but thats down to gerrard having a role in behind torres. Although benitez comes across as being defensive,last season liverpool scored more goals than any other premier league team across all competitions, season before we were joint leaders in the goal tally so the attacking potential is there. We are just accomodating for our defensive midfielders too such as mascherano.

I also feel over time Benitez will get it right with the lower teams too who are just interested in throwing 10 men behind the ball and defending for 90mins. The progress the team has made since the arrival of benitez has been immense and i feel we are closer to winning the league than ever(the start of this season an example before we his a bad spell of 7 draws:S)

If this progression continues (knocked chelsea out of champs league twice, barcelona at the nou camp, inter milan in both legs,juventus, real madrid in both legs convincingly, double over united and chelsea this season whereas this past few years uniteds had the edge over us) all of this with a budget half the size of uniteds and chelseas i feel its only a matter of time before we are really, really serious contenders (as in losing the league by 2-3 points), if not winners. watch this space lol :P



ps. im also happy he signed a new contract because it brings much needed stability and everyone can now just get on with their jobs.

well the CL is the biggest club competition in the world. with that said though, i have a strong feeling life long die hard liverpool fans are DYING for a league title. more so than CL glory i think. i'll give him credit he is progessing every year but clearly this was the year for them to win the league. imo they handed us the league with those draws. this years man u isn't as good as last years and given the result over the weekend if liverpool were up as they should be nobody would be catching them.

its weird if things happened differently where they lose to madrid in a close aggregate total and lose to manchester 2-1 or something then surely he would be on his way to madrid in the summer. the sequence of events in the last week though definitely gave him an edge in his contract demands and his transfer control that he wanted. perfect timing for him to sign

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Blu_Ray_UK2007

Classic film nights hosted by Liverpool's Xabi Alonso and attended by several Anfield stars at the midfielder's luxury pad have been attributed as the reason behind the side's team spirit. (The Sun)

That was my fave red-top story in weeks- mailed it to my Liverpool mate.

[Vip3rni]

I for one would pick the premier league over the champions league any day. Every week when theres a prem league match im biting the hell out of my nails etc. When i fly over tomorrow for the weekends match vs villa ill be bit down to the knuickles already before i even leave the airport haha, but when theres a big champions league match on with us against a massive side, it doesnt really worry me as i have alot of faith in rafa in that respect and liverpools a completely different team. The main thing for me is the premier league, would sacrifice all the cups for that.

Only after this weekend ill concede the league if things dont go our way. I love your confidence bobby that the leagues already yours

Uniteds remaining fixtures.
Fulham v Man Utd, 15:00
Man Utd v Aston Villa, 16:00
Sunderland v Man Utd, 15:00
Man Utd v Portsmouth, 20:00
Man Utd v Tottenham, 15:00
Middlesbrough v Man Utd, 15:00
Man Utd v Man City, 15:00
Man Utd v Arsenal, 15:00
Hull v Man Utd, 16:00

* Wigan v Man Utd, -dated changed due to FA Cup-

Not an easy lineup so hopefully more points will be dropped. City has proven not to be an easy game for you and arsenal will be a hard one too as well as villa. I think theres alot of twists to this league yet

[b0bby]

Originally Posted by Vip3rni

Only after this weekend ill concede the league if things dont go our way. I love your confidence bobby that the leagues already yours

Not an easy lineup so hopefully more points will be dropped. City has proven not to be an easy game for you and arsenal will be a hard one too as well as villa. I think theres alot of twists to this league yet

well barring a mental/physical breakdown of the worst kind, freak injuries, a sporting catastrophe never seen in this world, i expect them to win the league. it would be legacy tarnishing for SAF to lose the league at this point. SAF would probably 'throw' CL games (pull a tottenham in the uefa cup) if it came down to it to ensure a 3-peat of league titles.

[Vip3rni]

Originally Posted by b0bby

well barring a mental/physical breakdown of the worst kind, freak injuries, a sporting catastrophe never seen in this world, i expect them to win the league. it would be legacy tarnishing for SAF to lose the league at this point. SAF would probably 'throw' CL games (pull a tottenham in the uefa cup) if it came down to it to ensure a 3-peat of league titles.

Uniteds lost the league a couple of times while having larger leads than they have at the minute. They had an 11 point lead over arsenal only to lose the league by a point and there was another year they had a bigger lead again and lost it. With a bit of luck this is playing in old purple noses head. United arent as good as they were last year because last year they were a 1 man team. Ronaldo single handedly won them the league and the champions league both, on his own. He really carried that team on his back. Bad thing for yous is that he will never have a season like that again as he is showing this season as people get used to his 15-20 step-overs only to land on his arse I know the league is uniteds to lose but its not impossible to lose 3 games out of 10 considering ones a derby and 2 of the other teams are fighting for champions league spots. Also losing vidic for 2 days for his rugby tackle on gerrard. But i guess this is why the premier league is the most exciting in the world anything can happen

[ManUtd]

The last 9/10 matches for the top 3:

Manchester United:
Sat, Mar 21 at Fulham
Sun, Apr 5 Aston Villa
Sat, Apr 11 at Sunderland
Sun, Apr 19 at Wigan Athletic FC
Wed, Apr 22 Portsmouth
Sat, Apr 25 Tottenham
Sat, May 2 at Middlesbrough
Sat, May 9 Manchester City
Sat, May 16 Arsenal
Sun, May 24 at Hull City

Chelsea:
Sat, Mar 21 at Tottenham
Sat, Apr 4 at Newcastle United
Sat, Apr 11 Bolton
Wed, Apr 22 Everton
Sat, Apr 25 at West Ham United
Sat, May 2 Fulham
Sat, May 9 at Arsenal
Sat, May 16 Blackburn
Sun, May 24 at Sunderland

Liverpool:
Sun, Mar 22 Aston Villa
Sat, Apr 4 at Fulham
Sat, Apr 11 Blackburn
Tue, Apr 21 Arsenal
Sat, Apr 25 at Hull City
Sat, May 2 Newcastle United
Sat, May 9 at West Ham United
Sat, May 16 at West Brom
Sun, May 24 Tottenham

Looks pretty even to me.

This should be an interesting finish.

[Slec]

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay

The last 9/10 matches for the top 3:

Manchester United:
Sat, Mar 21 at Fulham
Sun, Apr 5 Aston Villa
Sat, Apr 11 at Sunderland
Sun, Apr 19 at Wigan Athletic FC
Wed, Apr 22 Portsmouth
Sat, Apr 25 Tottenham
Sat, May 2 at Middlesbrough
Sat, May 9 Manchester City
Sat, May 16 Arsenal
Sun, May 24 at Hull City

Chelsea:
Sat, Mar 21 at Tottenham
Sat, Apr 4 at Newcastle United
Sat, Apr 11 Bolton
Wed, Apr 22 Everton
Sat, Apr 25 at West Ham United
Sat, May 2 Fulham
Sat, May 9 at Arsenal
Sat, May 16 Blackburn
Sun, May 24 at Sunderland

Liverpool:
Sun, Mar 22 Aston Villa
Sat, Apr 4 at Fulham
Sat, Apr 11 Blackburn
Tue, Apr 21 Arsenal
Sat, Apr 25 at Hull City
Sat, May 2 Newcastle United
Sat, May 9 at West Ham United
Sat, May 16 at West Brom
Sun, May 24 Tottenham

Looks pretty even to me.

This should be an interesting finish.

I went ahead and gave them points based on placement (1-20 top of the table to bottom). Chelsea and Liverpool tied for second so each is labeled at 3. Aston Villa and Arsenal are tied behind them, both at 5. Subtract 1 place for home game (i.e. game at Arsenal = 4).

averaging out place of teams they play where lower # = harder schedule... all of that to back up your statement bolded above
Man U - 11.1
Chelsea - 10.22
Liverpool - 10.88

I could go back and reweight for top half the league and bottom half the league. maybe tomorrow.

[ManUtd]

Slec it's kinda late in the night for me to think your calculations through so I trust that you got them right. Anyways, as it stands now, 24 points is United's magic number.

BTW, tomorrow is the CL draw. Who do you guys want to be drawn with? I have this strange feeling United is going to be drawn with Chelsea or Liverpool.

[Nielsb90]

Did anyone watch he Mancheser Ciy game last nigh? Damn, that was unfair! I hate seeing a team like that, who think they can just walk through everything

[Vip3rni]

why was it unfair mate, i didnt see it and havent read anything about it? i just heard on news city threw away a 2 goal lead in the last 5 mins but eventually won on penalties. I bet mark hughes was having a squeaky bum time.

ps. i have a feeling we will get chelsea in the draw.

[Nielsb90]

Originally Posted by Vip3rni

why was it unfair mate, i didnt see it and havent read anything about it? i just heard on news city threw away a 2 goal lead in the last 5 mins but eventually won on penalties. I bet mark hughes was having a squeaky bum time.

ps. i have a feeling we will get chelsea in the draw.

Becuse I saw a team with 1/50 of the budget, play a huge European club out of the field! I mean, in the second half, City didnt have 2 passes in a row, and they played like a 3rd division club, while Aab gave everything they had, and was cheated, even the articles I have read about it says so, for 2 penalties.. I mean, if they had lost to a great playing Manchester team, I wouldn't mind cause then at least they did what they could, but City was just a bad team last night and I dont like to see a team like that move on! Combine that with an alltogehter poor effort from the ref, and you have one terrible result

This is the 3rd Danish team they beat in this UEFA Cup, and the first one they also won after penalties, which only got that far because of an own goal from FC Midtjylland in extra time

Sorry about this just have to release my anger

[quirkmanly]

Quarter Finals:

Villarreal v Arsenal
Manchester United v FC Porto
Liverpool v Chelsea
Barcelona v Bayern Munich

Semi Finals:

Manchester United/FC Porto v Villarreal/Arsenal
Barcelona/Bayern Munich v Liverpool/Chelsea

Final

Manchester United/FC Porto/Villarreal/Arsenal VS Barcelona/Bayern Munich/Liverpool/Chelsea

[Vip3rni]

what did i say lol, i f***ing knew we would get chelsea again. Glad to see united getting hand-fed to the final again

[Blu_Ray_UK2007]

F**ks sake.

[quirkmanly]

Originally Posted by Blu_Ray_UK2007

F**ks sake.

+1