ES Soccer Thread

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

https://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2019/02/free-special-liverpool-football-college-dallas-cup/

 

Figured that might be of interest to Americans. 

 

Interesting 20/25 minute free TAW pod with a lot of tidbits on the Dallas Cup and its importance from a whole host of standpoints in youth football.

 

Hail.

 

 

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

The current bookies favourite for the Utd DoF role ......

 

Eric Cantona Esq. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

As utterly ridiculous and unlikely as that is, it would be SO Ed to keep his hold on the POWER!

 

Hail.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Talking of, a timely reminder of one of the best DoF in the business:

 

 

 

Hail.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

JMG.

 

Just saying. 😉

 

 

Hail.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

* @Long n Left As good a Dutch acquisition as ANYONE at L’pool FC IMHO.

 

Because Pep’s always fascinating to listen to (great video)/ read:

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/338146-pepijn-lijnders-interview-liverpool


Yanno’, when folk (often still. Madly) say we ‘miss Buvac/ should replace him with X (Wagner leaving Town the latest) et al’, it always seems a real slight on Pep to me and no less disrespectful to him.

The more you hear/ read Lijnders thoughts on pretty much everything football related, allied to both what they put out in terms of training videos and the exceptionally high esteem all the players/ staff hold him in every time they mention him; the more you appreciate just what a brilliantly innovative young fooball mind our Dutch #2 has. And he aligns perfectly with Jurgens philosophy in how he see’s not just football but people.

With absolutely no disrespect to Buvac, who I can’t thank nor praise enough for his part with all his hard work in laying the foundations; I really don’t think it can be understated just how important Pepijn has been through it all. From being that continued bridge between the Academy and first-team, through all his input/ teaching on first-team training/ preparation and matches, to now being ‘officially’ bumped to Jurgens assistent (which he was in-effect all along); the importance on his return this year has been as crucial as ANY on-field signing to me. And the proof is in the pudding. 

If he doesn't get the (natural) urge to become the main man and manage another club before Jurgen hangs it up; I have a feeling we have our next manager being groomed in-house in the arl boot room tradition. 

But it’s WAY too early to be having that discussion.

 

Hail.

Edited February 16, 2019 by Gibbs Hog Heaven

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Talking Dutchmen, a great Times piece on well arguably Tottenham’s (Eriksen not withstanding), and certainly L’pool’s, best midfielders this season to date.

Both absolutely integral to their respective teams and very informative for those that just look at goal/ assist stats and still (madly) ask just what Sissoko and Wijnaldum actually do?

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/relegated-with-newcastle-moussa-sissoko-and-georginio-wijnaldum-now-thriving-at-the-top-s2d8hv6ls

 

Hail.

[Long n Left]

9 hours ago, Gibbs Hog Heaven said:

* @Long n Left As good a Dutch acquisition as ANYONE at L’pool FC IMHO.

Not sure how much I have left in my locker these days.

 

Would not mind adding another young Dutch CB this summer. I think there’d be enough games to give 3 guys plenty of action. And, as much as I like JMFG, admittedly far less than yourself, he has gotten knocks these past couple seasons.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Can’t see us paying van Dijk money for de Ligt. 

 

Hail.

[Long n Left]

13 hours ago, Gibbs Hog Heaven said:

Can’t see us paying van Dijk money for de Ligt. 

 

Hail.

Though, if they did, the CB position would be set for the next 7-10 years, barring injury.

 

Honestly be pleased whomever they bring in...scouting department been aces these past few windows. Would be nice to have a guy who can cover FB, with a look to move inside as he matures. Kelly and Militao seem to fit that bill.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

@Long n Left

 

FWIW, defensively I can defo see another CH coming in given Lovren and Matip’s health issues. (I really wanted Pavard who ticked all our boxes but Bayern moved too quick.).

 

But I’d wager we give our own every chance to step up at FB. Namely LB.

 

Hoever is the interesting wild card there as, ala JMG, he’s equally as comfortable in the middle or at FB. So you don’t want to be spending too heavilly and bringing in too many the middle to block his path over the next few years and FB opens up more opportunity's in the interim to get him first team experience.

 

I think (and personally hope) they’ll both roll with Trent backed up by Gomez and Camacho ar RB. With Adam Lewis hopefully showing enough pre-season to back up Andy Robbo at LB and take Moreno’s place the squad.

 

Then van Dijk, Gomez, a bought CH (the more versatile to be able to slide to FB if needed the better as you noted. Although if they did bring in de Legit (not heard anything in that direction), I certainly wouldn’t be complaining haha) and one of Lovren/ Matip whilst Hoever continues his rapid development.

 

Hail.

Edited February 17, 2019 by Gibbs Hog Heaven

[techboy]

So Sergio Ramos set a record today as Madrid lost to a team in the relegation zone:

 

https://en.as.com/en/2019/02/17/football/1550408874_866592.html

 

20 career red cards in La Liga (most ever). 25 overall. Apparently the 20 is also a record for most in Europe's major leagues.

 

In most sports leagues, that would give a player a reputation that would cause him to see MORE cards, not less. Think NFL safeties with headhunter reputations, and personal foul flags.

 

Supporting Barca, though, I will sometimes watch Madrid matches (certainly their matches against Barca), and he could easily pick up four yellows a game. Easily.

 

Obviously, there are different rules for Madrid players, and for that matter, Barca players, though I don't think Barca has anyone that dirty. 

 

I'm sure it's because of the money. It's the thing I hate the most about the sport as a new fan... There's just so much money.

 

FIFA is, of course, laughably corrupt.

 

I'm sure UEFA and La Liga are too, though I can't point immediately to a story like Blatter etc., but there's SO much money and I KNOW that UEFA and La Liga are scared to death that teams like Barca and Madrid and the big 6 Premier League sides will leave and join that proposed superleague, so they'll do anything to make them happy.

 

It's just sick. I was watching a match recently and the announcer pointed out that Messi's wages were bigger than the other team's entire operating budget... Stadium, staff, players, uniforms, equipment, mortgage... Everything.

 

I know there's no solution because the sport is a religion in most of the world and it spans multiple countries so it's not like you could have one league or even one government regulate it in any meaningful way (FFP is a joke), but it is depressing, even though I know my team ultimately benefits from it.

 

It does still make me kind of sad that most clubs can't keep their young stars, and success is selling them on for a nice price. Heck, the idea of buying and selling players still seems off to me.

 

Oh well.

 

We'll get another test of this from UEFA, because apparently our friend Ramos ALSO intentionally picked up his third yellow against Ajax so he could clear the count before the quarters now that they're up, which is of course, against the rules and calls for an additional one game suspension.

 

He made it harder for UEFA to ignore it, though, because he gave an interview afterwards where he flat out said that's what he did and why. Then someone must have gotten to him and he tweeted out a denial.

 

Should be interesting.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

I shouldn’t be like, but mooching round the net just now staggers me as regards tomorrow evening’s mamouth tie of the round game against Munich.

I fully appreciate the aching for the league after nigh on three dcades, but people seriously aren’t bothered about going through/ want a weakened side et al?  Against Bayern Munich no less in one of the biggest match-ups of European elites you could ever wish to have. SERIOUSLY?!!!!!

If you guaranteed me now a loss against Utd, but progression in Europe verses a win at Utd but being out of Europe, I’m taking European progression ALL day long.

Bayern’s the most important game of the next 6 days and its not even open to debate. Aside from it being the next one, that automatically makes it so by default, we have 12 league games left. Lose to Utd and we’re level on points with City witn 33 still on the table. Lose to Bayern, on the highest football stage of all, we’re done. No second chances. DONE!
 

NO bigger stage/ prize in football than the Champions League/ being the single best club in Europe. NOT just England. It’s why our standing across the Continent is still up there with anyones. THAT’S what a history does for you. THAT’S what being one of the all time great sides in UEFA competition history does for you.

Don’t get me wrong, I want the league as much as the next man. But ANYONE that would sack off the European Cup, not least in such a tie with a very serious chance of going all the way to Madrid in June; truly neither understands this football club, this magnificant, European BEHEMOTH of a football club, nor Scousers in general. We LIVE for these nights under the European lights and trips abroad.

Europe and Liverpool FC just go together.

Europe and Liverpol FC. It’s what we DO!

Up the European F Royalty Reds!

 

Hail.

Edited February 18, 2019 by Gibbs Hog Heaven

[Berggy9598]

20 hours ago, techboy said:

So Sergio Ramos set a record today as Madrid lost to a team in the relegation zone:

 

https://en.as.com/en/2019/02/17/football/1550408874_866592.html

 

20 career red cards in La Liga (most ever). 25 overall. Apparently the 20 is also a record for most in Europe's major leagues.

 

In most sports leagues, that would give a player a reputation that would cause him to see MORE cards, not less. Think NFL safeties with headhunter reputations, and personal foul flags.

 

Supporting Barca, though, I will sometimes watch Madrid matches (certainly their matches against Barca), and he could easily pick up four yellows a game. Easily.

 

Obviously, there are different rules for Madrid players, and for that matter, Barca players, though I don't think Barca has anyone that dirty. 

 

I'm sure it's because of the money. It's the thing I hate the most about the sport as a new fan... There's just so much money.

 

FIFA is, of course, laughably corrupt.

 

I'm sure UEFA and La Liga are too, though I can't point immediately to a story like Blatter etc., but there's SO much money and I KNOW that UEFA and La Liga are scared to death that teams like Barca and Madrid and the big 6 Premier League sides will leave and join that proposed superleague, so they'll do anything to make them happy.

 

It's just sick. I was watching a match recently and the announcer pointed out that Messi's wages were bigger than the other team's entire operating budget... Stadium, staff, players, uniforms, equipment, mortgage... Everything.

 

I know there's no solution because the sport is a religion in most of the world and it spans multiple countries so it's not like you could have one league or even one government regulate it in any meaningful way (FFP is a joke), but it is depressing, even though I know my team ultimately benefits from it.

 

It does still make me kind of sad that most clubs can't keep their young stars, and success is selling them on for a nice price. Heck, the idea of buying and selling players still seems off to me.

 

Oh well.

 

We'll get another test of this from UEFA, because apparently our friend Ramos ALSO intentionally picked up his third yellow against Ajax so he could clear the count before the quarters now that they're up, which is of course, against the rules and calls for an additional one game suspension.

 

He made it harder for UEFA to ignore it, though, because he gave an interview afterwards where he flat out said that's what he did and why. Then someone must have gotten to him and he tweeted out a denial.

 

Should be interesting.

 

Do you not consider rolling around on the ground in agony and surrounding the referee to demand a card dirty? Give your team a little more credit they've turned that into an art form over the years. Marlon Brando has nothing on Busquets. 

[techboy]

Just now, Berggy9598 said:

 

Do you not consider rolling around on the ground in agony and surrounding the referee to demand a card dirty? Give your team a little more credit they've turned that into an art form over the years. Marlon Brando has nothing on Busquets. 

 

On one play this year, the goalkeeper let his elbow wide a bit and BOTH Suarez and Busquets fell down like they'd been shot, and as I recall, neither one was even touched. It was hilarious and sad.

 

On that, though, it's a simple matter of the rules of the game not properly aligning incentives. There's too much to gain by diving and not enough to lose.

 

They all seem to do it, except maybe Messi, and I don't think his refusal to go down is necessarily because he's unusually honest. I think it's because he's so ridiculously talented and focused that in the moment he thinks he can score anyway. He's right more often than he should be, too.

 

That's not what I meant by "dirty", though. I'm referring more to the hacking, pushing, spiking, pulling people down. Dangerous stuff. The kind of plays American Football fans might call dirty. Gouging the eyes, not getting away with holding on a touchdown pass.

 

Maybe an EPL fan sees it differently, though.

 

Barca players get away with plenty (noted in my original comment), but I haven't noticed anyone particularly dirty in that way, probably because Barca's identity is more about finesse.

[Berggy9598]

Racking up wins domestically and bowing out of Europe to a team with a manager that is on the cutting edge tactically. Can't say Ole isn't trying to emulate his mentor. 

[Corcaigh]

4 hours ago, techboy said:

 

There's too much to gain by diving and not enough to lose.

 

I'd love to see retrospective bans. It happens in other sports.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Tonights proggy cover.

Just in case anyone needed reminding of the marquee tie tonight between two of European football’s bona fide Royalty clubs.
 

That’s a lot of those big silvery things.  😎

 

Hail.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

I like this combinng of Eurooean Cup’s to showcase Europe’s elite idea.

Did this for us and the blue ****e.

 

Hail.

Edited February 19, 2019 by Gibbs Hog Heaven

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Very happy with that. Without winning the game. Not conceading was the key there. I like our chances massively of scoring in Munich.

 

Thought Bayern were superb for 65/ 70 mins or so. Could have done without the time waisiting when they madly settled for 0-0 against our makeshift defence the last 20 but that is what it is. But overal super impressed by them. They worked so hard to close down passing lanes and space. Just no room to play at all, And the pressing first half was ridiculous. Great possesion playing through midfield. Just fell down the top end where we shackled the WC Lewandowski superbly.

 

Been saying it for a while that many Reds have been too easily dismissing Bayern. You can’t do that with that experience. They’re a still a top team and this was always fixmg to be two real tight games.

 

Our whole midfield was superb in turn. The more confidence Naby gets, to try things and not worry when they don’t come off, the more the top drawer player in Leipzig we bought is coming through. His secomd season he’ll be untouchable this league. The captain was immense. My clear MOTM. Gini was Gini. His level just never drops. The makeshift CH pairing did superb. Bobby was all over as Bobby always is before the virus caught up with him. Trent had a poor game but he’s still real raw at the very level of CL football so thats sound as he grows. 

 

Just a really enjoyable, fascinating tactical chess match with two top, top teams cancelling each other out and cagely reapecting the threat of each other.

 

Very good position to be in going out there. Munich either have to win or settle for another 0-0 to take it to penalty’s. We score and that option goes and they have to score twice. 

 

Set up for another titanic struggle that will probably go to the wire. 

 

Shout out to the Munich fans for the message about ticket prices. The shared solidarity there aecond half was brilliant. Top respect boys. Can’t wait to experience your brilliant City again three weeks and your equally brilliant looking ground for the first time.

 

Up the still WELL in the CL Reds! 

 

Hail.

[dchogs]

22 minutes ago, Gibbs Hog Heaven said:

Very happy with that. Without winning the game. Not conceading was the key there. I like our chances massively of scoring in Munich

 

Hail.

I've always wondered about the more common take about needing to score at home and/or drawing away.  Homefield adv aside, it makes the most sense to score away and take that tactical advantage into a home game than to tie and then risk conceding at home.  Or pushing too hard for a goal at home, conceding a counter, and then needing to win by 1+ on the road.  it seems like the numbers would line up for bunkering at home, getting the draw, and then only needing to nick a goal away to get through.

 

Am I missing something (again, other than the home atmosphere)?

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

@dchogs

 

I make you bang on in your analysis mate IMHO.

 

With away goals effectively counting double in rwo legged, straight knockout European football, it’s just as, if not more, imperative to me to not concede at home as score. As much as you want to do the latter of course. So as an away side, scoring becomes even more important.

 

Just seemed a little mad to me tonight, with Fabinho playing CH, that they patently settled for the deaw with 20 minutes or so left to play when an away goal would have made their life that much easier the second leg. Now, L’pool score, they have to score 2. And if L’pool then scored again whilst they chased the 2, they’d need to score three and so on.

 

Not so much the case tonight as that to me was just two top sides cancelling each other out in the main, but it might not always be the prettiest thing to watch as a home crowd but a win to zero/ 0-0 outweighs winning and conceeding. And you can see why a lot of coaches tactically favour that. 

 

Fascinating game at the very highest level isn’t it when you get two top sides like tonight totally respecting each other and having that on-field chess match? 

 

Hail. 

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

One thing that was frustrating me last night. A lot of the crowd were getting antsy with Alisson again. I honestly thought we’d got past the panicking stage.

He’s gonna F up from time to time. That just is what it is. But as long as the manager wants the goalie and defenders playing out from the back at all times, you just have to accept the risks. We chose him over Oblak for a reason. His better ability with a ball at his feet.

Like Brucie Grobbelaar, you just have to learn to accept they’ll be crazy moments. Even costly ones at times. But also like Brucie Grobbelaar, the trade off with his WC brilliance and conpletely new dimension it’s added to our game FAR outweighs the errors.

But he kept the most important thing of last night through it all. A clean-sheet.

Fixing to be like the ‘81 semi this. 

That was a very cagey home first leg 0-0 too between two top European sides with the utmost respect for each other.

Who’ll be our Howie Gayle and have a Ray Kennedy moment this time in Munich remains to be seen?

Proper old school European Cup tie this one.

 

Hail.

[Long n Left]

Not gutted the least by yesterday’s outcome. As you point out @Gibbs Hog Heaven, had we won 2-1, Bayern could still advance with a 1-0 home win. Not conceding, with our #4 CB and DM in the back, and our two FBs having their worst game together, ever, is plenty good enough. Hopefully, Trent has shaken the rust off, and Robbo gets his head right again (he’s been a bit dodgy the last few, IMO) they should be fine for a big game in the Old Toilet.

 

Produced far more very good chances, just off on the end product. Seemed Salah and Mane we’re thinking to help defensively all game. With Virgi and Lovren back in Munich (and maybe even Ox), I’d think the front line will be even more clinical. Kimmich our is a blow for them as well. Score first there, then things will open up, and another couple is a distinct possibility.

 

I think it’s actually quite complementary that a team such as Bayern would commit so many into their own box to try and stop this Red attack.

 

Now, hope the lads find their shooting boots Sunday, and get a result. Be a huge lift on the way to a huge double.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

 

Hail.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Second successive CL Wednesday. 

 

Peno against City took 2:36 to decide. Not all added back on the emd the half. And its debatable whether they got the decision right at the end of it.

 

VAR will kill football from a paying supporter standpoint.

 

Hail.

Edited February 21, 2019 by Gibbs Hog Heaven