Celtic_1967 Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Apropos of nothing, I've taken up cycling in the last few months. I've also decided to try and shift this 6 stone of excess weight. I went, with some work mates, to a spinning class tonight. Fair to say I was hanging out of my arse at the end! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 And Gordon Taylor (the head of the PFA) has just likened Evans' situation to Hillsborough. I officially wash my hands of any further discussion on this, I'm f*cking done. Agreed. That's utterly ridiculous. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Apropos of nothing, I've taken up cycling in the last few months. I've also decided to try and shift this 6 stone of excess weight.I went, with some work mates, to a spinning class tonight. Fair to say I was hanging out of my arse at the end! Excellent news! Pulling for ya, man! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terk Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Apropos of nothing, I've taken up cycling in the last few months. I've also decided to try and shift this 6 stone of excess weight.I went, with some work mates, to a spinning class tonight. Fair to say I was hanging out of my arse at the end! Spin classes aren't exercise. They're a legal form of torture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Okay. Moving on... I'll be in the UK for the first time ever next week. Well, sorta. I'm flying to Iceland, but have lengthy transit times at Heathrow. 6 hours Monday morning and 9 hours Thursday afternoon I think. If you're anywhere near Heathrow then and want to see what I look like () let me know and I'll be glad to do an impromptu FMS Meetup. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balthazars Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Liverpool need a new goalkeeper, definitely - but perhaps not as badly as Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny seems to be more interested in emulating Socrates than David Seaman. If David Ospina has a couple of shockers or picks up yet another injury, I can see Arsene bringing in another goalie before the month is out. Personally, Szc is a far better keeper than Mingolet, so I don't buy the argument that Arsenal need a new keeper more than Liverpool. The reality is Mingolet, particularly this season, is costing his team points, and generally playing without any semblance of confidence. Szc cops a lot of flack because he has a fairly in-your-face personality (although the dumbest things in relation to him tend to come out from his dad), but he's actually a really solid keeper. People forget, he kept 16 clean sheets last season (equal best). This season he's been let down more often by poor defensive displays ahead of him, and bar the Southampton match, he's not really had any real 'disasters'. Ospina seems capable back-up on paper, but we've not had a chance to see him because of injury, so hard to know how he'll fair as a back-up. Now that he's fit again, and given Szc's failure against Southampton, it'll be interesting to see if Wenger sticks with the Colombian this weekend. People also forget that Szc tends to respond well to being dropped by actually working harder. He was almost replaced by Fabianski two seasons ago, but he knuckled down and when the former got injured again, he came back and nailed his spot. Given he's also only 23, extremely young for a keeper, I think Arsenal are in reasonably good shape in the keeper stakes. Also: wow, so many posts from Terk! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Also: wow, so many posts from Terk! Yes. I'm surprised too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bagpuss Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 its allowed they are not story posts Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 I'm still trying to figure out why on earth Victor Valdes would sign for Manchester United. Perhaps another one of those Spanish funny-money bids for a United player(DeGea) in the works? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terk Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 De Gea moving to Real in the summer, I assume. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 De Gea moving to Real in the summer, I assume. So yes, another Spanish funny-money bid. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balthazars Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 So yes, another Spanish funny-money bid. If United go ahead with it, it's a terrible idea. Trade an up-and-coming keeper for a on-the-decline keeper? Particularly when they lack another young keeper pushing for first-team selection? Seems like something that probably won't end well. Valdes was a good keeper in his prime, but I reckon De Gea is already better than him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 This is all on the assumption that Valdes has his eyes on the first team spot. Maybe, having been out for 10 months with injury and without a club for six months, he's just happy to pick up a paycheck. And what better one than at United? He's already called De Gea the best in the world, so I can assume he doesn't mind being stand-by to him then. Also, was van Gaal in charge at Barca when Valdes came through? Maybe it's a sentimental thing? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 It all seems a little too obvious that Madrid will be calling in the summer for him with Valdes being signed up. Strange that his contract is up next year and United haven't renewed it already. Of course De Gea could just let his contract expire next year and go to Madrid for free so i'd expect United to cash in if he doesn't sign a new deal. Not sure how old Casillas is but expect De Gea to be his long term replacement whether it be next season or the one after. To anyone that watches a fair bit of the Premier League, are Sunderland as bad as they was against Liverpool every week? Every non league team i've seen this season looked better than they did yesterday. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Guys. I've just had some dreadful personal news. My uncle Gary has just passed away from pancreatic cancer. He had been ill for about a year. He was rushed into hospital overnight, and from what I've heard, he passed away at some point this afternoon/evening. This news has hit my family, and especially my father, incredibly hard. The next few days will be very emotional, so don't be surprised if I'm not as active on the forum as I usually am. Thank you. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Sorry to hear that Chris, my thoughts are with you and the rest of your family Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Thank you, Mark. The latest I heard was that Gary had an emergency operation this afternoon, and he died on the operating table. Gary would've been 60 years old in two weeks. EDIT: Dad's just given me more information. Gary was taken to hospital last night with chest pains. Early today, he was rushed to the operating table for emergency surgery. He suffered a heart attack during his op, and although he was resuscitated, he suffered a second cardiac arrest from which he succumbed. My dad was informed of his brother's death while working at the college that I used to attend. He then had to phone Gary's children - his own nieces and nephew - and tell them that their father had died. Once Dad told me that, he broke down sobbing in my arms. I myself have been wiping away tears while editing this post. It's been a hard evening for me, so I'd best get some sleep now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offspring8 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 That's terrible news CF, best wishes to you and your family mate Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
copperhorse21 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I agree with Offy. That is indeed very bad news. I'm sorry it was so unexpected and I do wish you and your family make it through the next bit of time with great comfort. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Chris, may God's peace be with you and your family at this difficult time. Lean on us if you need us. Best wishes to you and yours. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Sorry to hear that Chris. I myself know what it's like to have to tell a relative that a close one has died. When I was 17 I had to tell my Grandad that his wife, my Grandma, who he had been married to over 50 years didn't have long left to live after a call from the hospital. It's one of the hardest things I've done and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Stay strong mate for your cousins they are the ones who need you and your dad right now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesterfan2 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Sad news Chris, our thoughts are with you and your family, and like tenthree says, if you need us, we are here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Thank you all for the kind messages. Dad has suggested that I should think about other things at this difficult time, so I'm trying to do that. It's difficult, though. My uncle is probably the first major death in my family since I was a baby, so this is my first real experience of grief. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 The only advice I can give you is what I was told when my dad passed a couple of years ago: You don't deal with grief. Grief deals with you. Take your time, and give yourself time to process emotions. Hang in there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistahc Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 So sorry to hear that mate. A few months ago my friend killed himself (problems with ex and custody etc), and it hit my hard. I found writing about it in a story helped, and even named a character after him in honour. I can't say it will help, but it helped me deal with things. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Sorry to hear that mate. Take care. My grandma passed away from cancer a few months ago, so I can sorta understand how hard it can be. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Sad news Chris, thinking about you and your family in this sad time. Take care and take your time, like 10-3 said Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Once again, thank you all. One of Gary's daughters has spent the last few days over ours making funeral arrangements with Dad, and we've all been helping each other through this difficult time. His funeral has been provisionally set for 5 February. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terk Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Well I was about to come on here and post something entirely flippant, but after reading CFuller's news it somehow doesn't feel appropriate. It sounds cliched but time and family are the only things which will heal that pain, to whatever extent it can be. You have my condolences. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Arsenal finally learnt how to play away to a big team Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
copperhorse21 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I hope Arsenal can keep doing it to the clubs below them too. EVERY time Wenger seems to have the world against him, especially in regards to his defenders, it seems they rally and pull a performance out of a hat like a magician (safe for work metaphor). It would be nice for them to stay consistent. However, I'll take them choosing to defeat Citeh any day if they are going to have a one off. On a related note, I wish Van Gaal would get some more credit for having one of the stingiest defenses in regards to allowing goals. Considering the defensive frailties, injuries, etc. When the Leicester game is removed, they've only allowed 16 goals in 21 matches, which is very comparable to Southampton's and Chelsea's rates of returns... Along those lines, if Koeman can keep things consistent through the end of the season, I think he should win the Manager of the Year award, considering how many first team players were sold before his arrival and in his early days. Finally, how can Citeh afford Bony for the fees they spent (along with Lampard?) if they are already in violation of dodgy Financial Fair Play rules? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but Per Mertesacker impressed me today. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balthazars Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but Per Mertesacker impressed me today. You've clearly not watched him enough over the last 2 seasons! Arsenal gets a lot of flack for being weak defensively, but most of that is due to the big thrashings away from home last season, and admittedly, this season. However, this season is largely due to serious injuries to first-choice defenders (Kos and Debuchy in particular). The thrashings were about not playing to our strengths, trying to match our opponents and thus playing into their hands. When we're set up the right way, I'd say Arsenal is actually one of the strongest defensive teams in the league, and Mertesacker is a key part of that. Mertesacker is a player who really needs the rest of the team set up to play to his strengths. He's obviously got no pace, but he reads the game very well; he's usually very good on intercepts and simply clearing the ball, making sure any danger is snuffed out before it gets out of control. He thus needs a more aggressive defensive partner (perfectly matched thus with Kos), and proper screening from midfield to help prevent opposition players isolating him one-on-one and running at him, or constantly lofting it over the top and forcing him to turn and chase. For over a season, Arsenal have actually been really good at soaking pressure and hitting on the counter with much lower possession, tactics Wenger started using more often in the second half of the 12-13 season when we were scrambling to get into the top-4. That season, Wenger used Ramsey to sit deeper next to Arteta to help provide more disruption to the opposition midfield. Ramsey was then still able to break at pace when we countered, and this started his big increase in form and performances. Last season, we managed to play an established back four for most of the season, and it showed. We kept the same number of clean sheets as Chelsea IIRC (well, our keeper won the golden glove along with Cech), and outside of the thrashings, we tended to concede fewer goals against the rest of the league. We were however MUCH more defensive compared to previous Wenger teams, being lower in possession - particularly against better opponents who like to have the ball more - and creating the lowest number of chances per game of any of Wenger's Arsenal teams. This set up suits Mert in particular, because it means he gets to organise the defence and play to his strengths, but he has a more dynamic partner who can put more pressure on the ball and higher up the pitch. In those away-day thrashings, Arsenal made a huge mistake in trying to play too attacking and open, allowing the opposition to play through us. This was followed up by attacking even more, leaving players like Mert very exposed. Prior to this City game I was hoping Wenger would be clear that the team had to play defensive and on the counter. Soak pressure, hit on the break. Firstly, because we're even better equipped to do that now with Walcott, Ox and Sanchez available as there's a lot more pace and ball-carrying ability in our front three compared to last season, but secondly, because I believe against other teams that like to use the ball, this method of play suits us much better, and we perform well when playing this more deliberate style. Seeing it come together against City in such decisive style is hugely encouraging, and I hope the players take it to heart - it's okay to let the other team have the ball at times, because as long as the team stays focused and puts pressure on in midfield, we're excellent at soaking pressure and have the options to hurt on the counter. Also: for another example of this style, see our home game against Dortmund in the Champions League this season. Very similar. Let them have the ball for large chunks of the match, sat back comfortably and soaked up the pressure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I hope Arsenal can keep doing it to the clubs below them too. EVERY time Wenger seems to have the world against him, especially in regards to his defenders, it seems they rally and pull a performance out of a hat like a magician (safe for work metaphor). It would be nice for them to stay consistent. However, I'll take them choosing to defeat Citeh any day if they are going to have a one off.On a related note, I wish Van Gaal would get some more credit for having one of the stingiest defenses in regards to allowing goals. Considering the defensive frailties, injuries, etc. When the Leicester game is removed, they've only allowed 16 goals in 21 matches, which is very comparable to Southampton's and Chelsea's rates of returns... Along those lines, if Koeman can keep things consistent through the end of the season, I think he should win the Manager of the Year award, considering how many first team players were sold before his arrival and in his early days. Finally, how can Citeh afford Bony for the fees they spent (along with Lampard?) if they are already in violation of dodgy Financial Fair Play rules? One interesting stat I saw on Twitter yesterday was that De Gea has kept 7 clean sheets in 22, yet Mignolet has kept 7 clean sheets in 20. Just goes to show stats don't always paint the right picture. Koeman for me is a dead cert for Manager of the Year but I expect Allardyce to run him close for that honour. City can do what they want since they can just pull in a sponsor for something with their wealthy owners. I do find it quite amusing that Mourinho complains about it after how much they spent in the summer and over the years. Pot, kettle and black springs to mind. Regarding Arsenal they played brilliant though City were poor and clearly missing Touré. I do wonder why though it's took so long for them to play like this against the big teams. Maybe Wenger is as worried as he's ever been this season to get into the top four considering the form of Southampton, Utd, Spurs, West Ham and Liverpool. It's certainly spicing up to be the closest battle for the Champions League places since Spurs qualified. I hope Southampton can stay there but then if they do they may face another summer of the top teams after their players. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 You've clearly not watched him enough over the last 2 seasons! I have, whenever I've had the chance to watch Arsenal. However, most of the times I've gotten to watch Arsenal are when they play the Chelseas and Uniteds and Citys of the world, which are matches where Arsenal as a whole has not brought credit upon itself. As an example -- I watched the last time Arsenal was at the Etihad. Nuff said. I've seen a decent defender lacking pace and looking as lost as his mates. But yesterday, his positional sense was excellent, and above all, he was athetic, which is something else most people won't accuse him of being. I was impressed. That kind of footballer is not just a defender, he's a force. I liked him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terk Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Hahahahahahahahahaha, Green Bay. Hahahahahahahahahaha. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Hahahahahahahahahaha, Green Bay. Hahahahahahahahahaha. Unbelievable climax. One of the most dramatic finishes I've ever seen to any match in any sport. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Hahahahahahahahahaha, Green Bay. Hahahahahahahahahaha. No doubt. As a Minnesota Viking fan for over forty years, they're our arch-rivals. And I'm STILL laughing. "G" stands for "Gaaaaaaaaaaaack!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offspring8 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I was happy to see Arsenal beat City for quite obvious reasons, but it was also generally nice to see an Arsenal side adapt themselves to a stronger opponent and overcome them. Hopefully that goes out the window though when we take a trip to their end! City can do what they want since they can just pull in a sponsor for something with their wealthy owners. I do find it quite amusing that Mourinho complains about it after how much they spent in the summer and over the years. Pot, kettle and black springs to mind. I don't know whether City have been trying to swing the system with dodgy sponsers, but if they have fallen foul of FFP then they should be hit just as hard as any club that does so. Although people like to see Chelsea as the anti-christ, we actually are well in line with FFP - to the point where we could afford to sign, say, Paul Pogba for 60 or 70 million and still fall within the boundaries (you have no idea how much I want this to happen!). Last summer we bought Costa and Fabregas for a combined fee of £62M and they have taken us to the next level. Luis cost £16M and Remy was £10M, that takes us to a total spend of £88M. Luiz was sold for £40M, Lukaku for £28M and then a few youngsters were sold for about £3M, which leaves the difference between transfers in and out at around £17M. When you also take into account that some huge wages were offloaded (Eto'o, Cole, Lampard and He Who Must Not Be Named And Is Now Back At Atletico Madrid) then overall our margins were decent and you can see that the club take FFP seriously. You could go back further to the sales of Mata and De Bruyne but I'm sure nobody wants to read about things like that and amortisation of transfers, impact of sponsorship deals, timings of transfers etc. Basically, Chelsea are one of the better behaved big teams when it comes to FFP! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I was happy to see Arsenal beat City for quite obvious reasons, but it was also generally nice to see an Arsenal side adapt themselves to a stronger opponent and overcome them. Hopefully that goes out the window though when we take a trip to their end!I don't know whether City have been trying to swing the system with dodgy sponsers, but if they have fallen foul of FFP then they should be hit just as hard as any club that does so. Although people like to see Chelsea as the anti-christ, we actually are well in line with FFP - to the point where we could afford to sign, say, Paul Pogba for 60 or 70 million and still fall within the boundaries (you have no idea how much I want this to happen!). Last summer we bought Costa and Fabregas for a combined fee of £62M and they have taken us to the next level. Luis cost £16M and Remy was £10M, that takes us to a total spend of £88M. Luiz was sold for £40M, Lukaku for £28M and then a few youngsters were sold for about £3M, which leaves the difference between transfers in and out at around £17M. When you also take into account that some huge wages were offloaded (Eto'o, Cole, Lampard and He Who Must Not Be Named And Is Now Back At Atletico Madrid) then overall our margins were decent and you can see that the club take FFP seriously. You could go back further to the sales of Mata and De Bruyne but I'm sure nobody wants to read about things like that and amortisation of transfers, impact of sponsorship deals, timings of transfers etc. Basically, Chelsea are one of the better behaved big teams when it comes to FFP! Fair enough I'd forgot the extortionate fees that you managed to get for the most brainless "defender" in the world (how Luiz managed to get in Fifa's team of the year is beyond me) and Lukaku. I think City were heavily looked at for getting a big sponsorship from one of the Sheiks companies a few years ago as their way around FFP. It remains to see if they will be within FFP for next years Champs League but I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't. Will UEFA do anything if they aren't? They've done more than I expected with a slap on the wrist last summer. Would be very surprised if they got kicked out as much as it would be nice to see. Liverpool might have a chance of qualifying then Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offspring8 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Agreed on that one - I love Luiz but Jesus, Mary and Joseph I will never know how he got into that team of the year! He also played as CDM for Chelsea in 2014 after being unable to unseat Terry or even that half-defender, half-professional-back-peddler Cahill but got into the team of the year as a CB, just sayin' FIFA . Yeah I can't remember where I read it but I seem to have seen somewhere that they were paid an extortionate amount by somebody to sponsor their corner flags or something, but who knows, I guess it's down to the ever-trusty football authorities to find this sort of stuff out! What's your prediction for the match tonight, Salks?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
copperhorse21 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 On the drive into work today, I listened to the pundits on satellite radio ask the listeners what it was about football/soccer that they like the most. Obviously, since the program had a North American skew to it, the callers from England/Europe/Australia might not weigh in. However, it got me thinking and I'd like to pose the same question for this forum. What is it about football that you like most? For me, it's the fact that the sport truly is a global game. In the Premiership, it seems common to have at least 6 nationalities on the team. I like that. A lot. Additionally, I love love love relegation. In the United States, watching two teams with abysmal records means so much less than watching two relegation candidates in a dog fight. I will watch Hull and Leicester battle before Liverpool and Newcastle because there is so much at stake. Finally, I love not having playoffs. The MLS will continue to be a joke as long as they have playoffs. I can accept wage caps. I can accept a draft for incoming players. I cannot and will not accept geographically based conferences and playoffs at the top level of the sport. I can understand regional teams in the developing leagues, where clubs don't get national exposure from television broadcasting. But to have the first 2/3 of the season be "league" play and the final 1/3 of the season be the metaphorical equivalent of a cup tournament makes no sense to me and until this system is changed with MLS, I won't watch it. Any others willing to weigh in why they love football? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Very difficult to predict considering the form of both teams at the moment. This is the first big team we've played in a while and I've not been that impressed with how we've played even if we are winning. We seem to be doing just enough to get over the line for me. Chelsea may have won 5-0 at the weekend but I can't see them attacking us with the same intensity as Swansea. If I had to put money on it I'd put it down as a draw which would suit Chelsea a bit more than us. Rodgers has said that we don't need to win the tie tonight, which is true but makes me think he might set us up to not lose. I'll be surprised if we win. Quite interested in what team both sides put out but both may as well go for it with it being a semi final. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Copper, you know that geographically-based conferences are a necessity due to the size of the United States. You can't get away from it in any national sport. Relegation is a great thing for those interested in the integrity of sport. In the United States, though, the goal of sport is not to win but to make money for owners. Therefore, you will see playoffs, you will see glorified cup competitions, and you'll see clubs that are not good enough to win their half of the league still fighting to call themselves champions, because the extra two or three playoff home gates they can generate line the pockets of the owners. It's the American way, the way of the "wild card". It's not going to change, so either we adapt or dump MLS as purist fans. For me, football is all about history. I love to research the teams I manage and I love to research the places they play. I'm with you in that MLS just doesn't have what the top European leagues have and I will never live long enough to see it happen. Sad thing to have to admit but there you have it. MLS is a decent league but nowhere near a top one, and so I'm going to have to search for a great league to follow in the second half of my life. That's the Premiership for me. Give me tradition. Give me the Northwest Derby, give me Tyne-Tees, the War of the Roses, The Superclasico, you name it. I'll watch it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Well I wish I had had some money to predict a draw now!! A very tight game as expected but I wasn't expecting Mourinho to be so negative. 2 shots all match with one of those a rather ambitious 40 yard wack by Luis. Fabregas very very quiet Lucas did a good job of keeping him quiet. Courtois made a few good saves and had to be beaten by a bit of brilliance by Sterling. Wondering what Courtois' clean sheet ratio is compared to Cech's though i'm sure i've heard the latters is better. All to play for in the second leg. Chelsea favorites after that draw which judging by the players reactions they seem very happy with. Wonder if that is Mourinho wanted all the time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Actually, what gets me about MLS is this. There's an element of truth to it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I may be a Brit, but there is something about MLS that is quite alluring to me. It's very different from the conventional European leagues, and I actually like the drama of the post-season play-offs. If it can work in the other major American sports, why not 'soccer'? I've fallen in and out of love with MLS since I was about 11. I remember asking my Mum to record matches that were being broadcast on Channel 5 at about 4am, so I could watch them in the morning before school. I also remember playing a whole MLS season on CM99-00 as all twelve teams (as there were at the time), and I enjoyed it immensely. That was back in the days when tied matches were decided by hockey-style penalty shoot-outs, and all halves ended after exactly 45 minutes. Those rules were so bizarre, though, even you Yanks hated them and eventually ditched them! [For what it's worth, New York MetroStars were my champions.] MLS has changed massively since I first took an interest. It feels much more European (you're even starting to call it football now!), yet it retains some of its Americanness in the form of drafts and play-offs. I've not played an MLS save during the FM era, although I'm thinking of starting one soon. I may even turn it into a story (when have I said that before?). Right now, I'm struggling to decide whether I want to do an MLS save, a Swedish lower-league save, or even another English non-league save. Talk about first-world problems! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 If you think MLS is goofy, if you're old enough to remember the days of the old North American Soccer League, that takes the cake. The NASL had (at least) two things FIFA couldn't abide: first, artificial turf stadia and second, the "35-yard line". As we all know, you can't be offside in your own half. Well, in the old NASL, the halfway line, for offside purposes only, was extended to a point 35 yards from the opposing goal, i.e. the '35-yard line'. It was an attempt to encourage shockingly direct play and higher scoring. I'm old enough to remember the NASL well -- the team in Minnesota advanced to the championship game in 1976, when I was 11 years old - but my dad wouldn't take me to the games because they were essentially boozefests with 30,000 fans a game. The team featured former Middlesbrough man Alan Willey and former Chester, Luton, Manchester City and Oldham striker Ron Futcher. And, as with just about all 1970s fashions, their uniforms were pretty garish. The highlight for the franchise was crushing the New York Cosmos of Pele, Beckenbauer and Chinaglia by 9-2 in Minneapolis in a playoff game -- and losing the series because it wasn't total goals over two legs. It was best-of-three and we lost a "mini-game" in New York after losing the second leg. I think there's something to be said about 'the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence'. There are Englishmen I know who are closet admirers of MLS - not for the football, but because it's a different spin on a game we all love. I've never played an MLS save on any version of FM, and really, I don't intend to. It was hard enough for me to start a Bundesliga save on FM13 - that and Rob Ridgway's year at Calcio Padova are still as far away from the Home Nations as I've ever cared to play. I tried a Brazil save in FM10 and it just wasn't the same. Rule, Britannia! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
copperhorse21 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Actually, what gets me about MLS is this. There's an element of truth to it. I LOVED that flow chart. Whoever created it was genius... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesterfan2 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Ron Futcher. Now there's a blast from the past. And unlike Chris I can't be doing with MLS especially the playoffs, though I can see a draft system has some merit in a still developing league. Now to copper's rather interesting question, which I'd quite like to get back to, what do I love about football ? here goes. I love going to watch Chester FC, I love being that close to the players, I love shouting abuse at the linesperson, I love going with my lad and having shared enjoyment of an event. I love a half time Bovril and pie (though I'm not allowed pies anymore under my newish diet). I love the fact that my anorakish interest in Chester FC gets me a gig as an FM Researcher. But I also the banter between me and my work colleagues, with my mates down the pub. But for banter to work your teams need to be in the same league, and so I follow Liverpool for bantering purposes, which is no different, if you think about it than copper or 10/3 supporting a team in the US and Manchester United at the same time. Liverpool were the team I followed as a boy, but you couldn't get a ticket so we went to watch our local team, Chester, instead, and the rest is history, as they say. And, AND, football gives you such moments of joy. Istanbul 2005, anyone ?? It gives you eons of despair just to heighten the joy. I saw my original team Chester City go out of business, that was bad, but a phoenix grew from the ashes, imagine the joy at that. That's why I love football. In fact is there any reason not to love football ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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