The Ultimate Football Thread 2013-2014 Vol. 4 EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A etc

[thatpersianguy]

Raul has scored for Real Madrid. What year are we in again? lol

 

[eracism]

Di Maria with the assist today and surplus tomorrow.

 

[Coupé It]

Benzema wouldn't score a goal like that. Raul has that great touch. :x

 

[mastamind89]

@FFArsenal Podolski is to go on loan to Schalke with Arsenal paying some of his wages http://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/schalke/poldi-soll-als-leihgabe-kommen-31942924.bild.html
- Di Maria is available for transfer (Telegraph)
- Arsenal are preparing to launch a 10-day shopping spree that could bring them 5 players, inc Benzema & Di Maria, total of £80m. (Telegraph)
- Aaron Ramsey covered 12.19km last night vs Fenerbahce. The most compared to any player on the pitch.
@Passenal1 Interesting (from Telegraph article):

@DeadlineDayLive Marouane Fellaini has told Everton that he wants to join Manchester United. (Source: Daily Mail)

 

[nychiphophippo]

Like somebody said earlier, I can't see Real selling Benz unless they're planning on pulling some galacticos type **** and out the blue snatching up Suarez with Bale.

Odds of that are crazy unlikely so I can't see it.

 

[lyonbc1]

Hmm podolski going on loan back to Germany? At least this means well get some signings like its 100% guaranteed wonder what Arsenal end up doing with the money, hope it's not a set up for disappointment. Giroud wants another top striker to join the fold as well...

 

[mastamind89]

Hmm podolski going on loan back to Germany? At least this means well get some signings like its 100% guaranteed wonder what Arsenal end up doing with the money, hope it's not a set up for disappointment. Giroud wants another top striker to join the fold as well...

He'll be guaranteed a starting position at least and it's a World Cup year. He's had the ankle issue and I know his match fitness hasn't been on par but I was really hoping he would have a better season with us.

 

[mastamind89]

The Last Word: Talk of revolt at folly of youth system
Suspension of NextGen series and worries over Premier League plans leave coaches up in arms
MICHAEL CALVIN SUNDAY 18 AUGUST 2013

It was the future, and it worked. The NextGen Series was football's finishing school, in essence the Champions' League for Europe's best young players. A tournament featuring 24 teams drawn from 12 nations created excitement and expectation in the name of progress and education.

Over two seasons, a teenaged elite emerged. Current champions, Aston Villa, unearthed Gary Gardner, a midfield player of rare promise. Nathan Aké smashed the glass ceiling protecting Chelsea's first-team squad. Arsenal's Chuba Akpom announced himself as a natural goalscorer. Raheem Sterling broke through at Liverpool.

Tottenham's philosophy of cultivating mobile, technically adept youth players was embodied by Alex Pritchard, a small, two-footed attacking midfielder. Further afield, Viktor Fischer, at Ajax, and Sergi Samper, of Barcelona, were hailed as embryonic superstars.

Scouts were mesmerised. Coaches learned how their best young footballers coped with the rhythms and challenges, both tactical and cultural, of regular continental competition. Club executives saw, in the precocity of home-grown players, a solution to a new era of financial fair play. The initiative was too good for its own good.

Though Friday's announcement of NextGen's suspension for a year because of "a lack of definite funding" was largely lost in the small print of a new Premier League season, its significance lies in the political and commercial machinations which led to its demise. Aston Villa academy director, Bryan Jones, spoke for many when he condemned the situation as "shameful and hugely disappointing".

The usual suspects stand accused of blatant self-interest. Uefa, driven by the expansionist principles of their president, Michel Platini, sought to kill the NextGen project by unveiling the Youth Cup, a rival competition run on similar lines. The Premier League rejected the opportunity to support a counter proposal guaranteeing entry to 16 English clubs in an expanded 32-team event.

Their response, to offer clubs a series of weekly tournaments, featuring three games at a cost of £50,000 to each entrant, merely increased the sense of alienation with the £340 million Elite Player Performance Plan, which purports to be a blueprint for a better England team, supplied by a streamlined, strategically driven coaching system.

Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, hails it as "a huge breakthrough". Clubs are obliged to employ more coaches, who theoretically spend more contact time developing young English players in state-of-the-art facilities. Yet resistance to the plan, and scepticism about the viability of the new Under-21 League, are growing. There is a widespread lack of faith in Ged Roddy, the Premier League's youth director. Clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool are understood to have grave doubts about a system which is regarded as excessively bureaucratic and philosophically flawed. Villa and West Bromwich Albion are among those angered by the iniquities of the compensation system for players poached by rivals.

Crewe's Director of Football, Dario Gradi, the most respected figure in youth development, complains that coaches are spending too much time in front of computers rather than working with players on the training pitch. Several coaches of my acquaintance admit they have been distracted by obligations to supply PMA, the Premier League's new data system.

These are not natural agitators. They are educated, passionate football men. They understand the magnitude of the task and the extent of previous failures. They promise any revolt will be tempered by realism.

Perspective is stark. A Liverpool side containing Sterling, Andre Wisdom, Jack Robinson and Jonjo Shelvey, who all played in the England Under-21 team which thrashed Scotland 6-0 in midweek, was beaten 8-1 on aggregate by Sporting Lisbon in the NextGen Series. They lost 6-0 at home to Ajax. Clubs in Spain, Holland, Italy and Germany are light years ahead of their English counterparts. Smaller nations like Portugal, Greece and Belgium, where Anderlecht excel at youth level, are immensely more productive.

We are the poor little rich boys of Europe. Our future doesn't work.

 

[imasoleman18]

(except city)

 

[Coupé It]

Seems like this Mata for Rooney swap deal is garnering some heavy weight.

You United and Chelsea fans, how would y'all feel about it?

I personally think it's a win-win for both. Oscar is better suited at CAM for Chelsea and United need someone like Mata.

 

[imasoleman18]

wont believe it until i see them both holding shirts

 

[trunks206]

And here I thought the 50 and Suarez gif was one of the funniest gifs I'd honestly ever seen...then this is made....

My ******g sides hurt!





(**** was a great show, loved it when I was a kid. Always wished I'd see huge blow up versions of things we were shopping for when we went to the grocery store. )

 

[the hater boxden]

no its not best, bale isnt worth the money, madrid are about to make a mistake

bale is worth every dollar.

 

[lyonbc1]

And here I thought the 50 and Suarez gif was one of the funniest gifs I'd honestly ever seen...then this is made....

My ******g sides hurt!





(**** was a great show, loved it when I was a kid. Always wished I'd see huge blow up versions of things we were shopping for when we went to the grocery store. )

hahahahahaha but as an arsenal fan smh

 

[eiddyfouw]

no its not best, bale isnt worth the money, madrid are about to make a mistake

bale is worth every dollar.

And with those image rights... Smh they'll recoup the cost of him ridiculously quickly...

 

[blackmomo]

Looks like Willian is about to join Chelsea

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...nt-snatching-Willian-Tottenham-32m-swoop.html

 

[8pm at msg]

Idk how to feel. Rooney does address our needs for a striker upfront but he's hard to get a grasp of in terms of where he's at mentally. He had issues at United and they were always competitive but as you all stated we have so many attacking midfielders....not to mention I would like a complete DM along with a striker

The deal still actually has to go through though so I'll wait and see.

 

[thatpersianguy]

Looks like Willian is about to join Chelsea

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...nt-snatching-Willian-Tottenham-32m-swoop.html

I just don't get it...

 

[thatpersianguy]

However, Mourinho insisted he intends on keeping the playmaker, saying: 'He is a player we all like and want to keep. We want more quality in the team, not less. We want to add quality to what we have. Juan is not a player we want to lose.'

At least this is refreshing to hear. I wonder what the hold up is on Eto'o though.

 

[Coupé It]

I don't get why Chelsea need Willian either. Weird move, unnecessary. They could have used that money flat out for Rooney.

Only way the deal makes sense is if a Mata/Rooney swap is bound to happen before the transfer window closes.

(Kind of shady from Chelsea as well. I know AVB won't enjoy that coming from Mourinho.)

 

[jada2001retro]

Bale is not worth more than CR7.

 

[gma 11]

Willian/Chelsea

Definitely seems like the case of buying a player so no one else does. I now know how Liverpool fans feel

 

[8pm at msg]

I don't get why Chelsea need Willian either. Weird move, unnecessary. They could have used that money flat out for Rooney.

Only way the deal makes sense is if a Mata/Rooney swap is bound to happen before the transfer window closes.

(Kind of shady from Chelsea as well. I know AVB won't enjoy that coming from Mourinho.)

That's the only thing that makes sense to me. Oscar gets the #10 role, Willian plays out on the wing where Mata would've been. We'll see.

 

[blackmomo]

Willian is a great buy for Chelsea if it goes through. As much as i do love Mata, i think his best position is as a #10 n not a winger. I think Willian is the better winger. This gives Chelsea a much deeper team n also doesnt allow one of our rival clubs get such a talented player. I think Chelsea are good for dm, they got Ramires, Essien, and lets not forget Mikel. I would like them to add another LB and a CB.

 

[thatpersianguy]

I don't get why Chelsea need Willian either. Weird move, unnecessary. They could have used that money for Rooney.

Only way the deal makes sense is if a Mata/Rooney swap is bound to happen before the transfer window closes.

(Kind of shady from Chelsea as well. I know AVB won't enjoy that coming from Mourinho.)

I'm trying hard to figure out how we plan on playing Willian when we already have Mata-Oscar-Hazard-De Bruyne-Schurrle-van Ginkel-Victor Moses at our attacking mid positions.