mood swung wrote:JPA has just impressed the heck out of me since his signing was announced. Not just his play. He goes out of his way to say positive things about the team and his teammates. Even when he bitches, it's positive.
Josie asked me last night if we named her after Altidore.
Should be fun. If it's better than my previous experience (and I can't see how it could be worse), I'm considering getting a mini season ticket package for next season. The new stadium is still two years away, from the sound of it.
He looks very dangerous against Deportivo today. Beauty of a cross for Raul's goal and he has been excellent throughout. Becks definitely has a lot left in the tank and seems to be back to his best.
Fair dues to McClaren for selecting Becks again if he's on form. It's a asad reflection that his set pieces might be our best/only hope of getting goals at times, as was generally the case in the World Cup, but if he's playing at the level of his early days in the captaincy, it might eb a wise inclusion. Perhaps he should change his mind about being put out to graze for lets of moolah in LA.
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
Otis Westinghouse wrote:Perhaps he should change his mind about being put out to graze for lets of moolah in LA.
I certainly hope not. MLS is getting more competitive and the Champions League-type arrangement with the Mexican league is long overdue. It's pretty decent entertainment for the most part.
It's like that teaching a pig to sing thing - you can never win a David Beckham argument. If he does well, it's because he's a greedy bastard and the league stinks; if he sucks, it's because he's a greedy, over the hill bastard AND the league stinks. I don't expect MLS to be the EPL - and anyone who does will be sadly (and quickly) disillusioned. I like being able to take buy six tickets behind the benches for cheap. I like watching young players screw up and grow up and play like they're damn glad to be there. All I want from DB is one simple thing: don't fuck that up.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Except, of course, that as a sociological experiment, the whole Designated Player idea is pretty darn fascinating. How they adapt to this game and team, and how the other "normal" players adapt to them...
Fishfinger king wrote:One goalie in and one out for the Gooners.
IP - how do you rate Fabianski?
Presumably he'll take over from Mad Jens for the season after next?
I rate him very highly. He's got attributes of a world class goalie - anticipation, fast reaction time, composure and concentration. Last season he was named the best goalkeeper in the Polish league.
He's also played 4 times for the national team, and probably would do it more often, were it not for the strong competition from Celtic's Artur Boruc.
All in all, he should be a great replacement for Lehmann
If you don't know what is wrong with me
Then you don't know what you've missed
Looks like Beckham's PR have done a fantastic job. Maclaren has basically said he's brought him back to help us win the next game. I have to admit, I think we would really struggle to beat the mighty Estonia without him
Still at least it will help Brand Beckham with their next range of goods.
He was outstanding for Real Madrid this past weekend. Easily man of the match, so he does have something to offer. Still, it gives players like Lennon and SWP (who was getting a decent run in the Chelsea team and showing some improvement) less of an opportunity.
Who Shot Sam? wrote:He was outstanding for Real Madrid this past weekend. Easily man of the match, so he does have something to offer.
It still ranks as desperation to me. Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong in admitting you've made a mistake. But it doesn't it solve our midfield situation. We all know any combination of Beckham/Lampard/Gerrard doesn't work so what is Maclaren going to do? We're just going backwards in my view. You can't tell me we're bringing Beckham back as our saviour for a friendly and a match we should win with no changes from any squad we've had for the last few matches anyway.
It can't be seriously seen as a long term solution so why the desperation? Travelling back from the USA for England games won't work and in any event, he will, with due respect to the MLS, will be playing a much lower standard of football. It'll hardly keep him in the higher echelons of football.
No question about it - it's a stop-gap solution at best. I also can't see the Galaxy being too happy about him jaunting off to England for meaningless friendlies on a regular basis. I'm just saying that he still has something left in the tank. He is certainly a more accurate crosser of the ball than any of his potential replacements, and if I were an England supporter I'd much rather have him taking free kicks than Lampard, for example, who always seems to go for power over accuracy.
...he will, with due respect to the MLS, will be playing a much lower standard of football.
OK, VG, you've got ONE too many words in there! Reminds me of Jose's pre-MLS All Stars/Chelsea game comments, which were something like 'they (the MLS players) play like they are as good as we are... of course they are not.'
...he will, with due respect to the MLS, will be playing a much lower standard of football.
OK, VG, you've got ONE too many words in there! Reminds me of Jose's pre-MLS All Stars/Chelsea game comments, which were something like 'they (the MLS players) play like they are as good as we are... of course they are not.'
Oh God don't tell me you drank the anti-Mourinho Kool-Aid as well!? He said nothing of the kind, from what I recall. He was very complimentary of the goal and of the standard of play in general.
I thought VG's comments were fairly tame. You're not seriously arguing that MLS is level with the Premiership in terms of quality, are you? I reckon it's on a par with what I saw at Sheffield Wednesday, which is no insult.
good lord, no, Sam. I haven't drunk ANY kool-aid, btw. But Mourinho did say that. I remember it well, because I thought it was nice. Until the last part. I am just giving VG some stick over the word "much." I don't think that has to be emphasized! at least in polite conversation.
Otis Westinghouse wrote:And Lennon, along with Rio, is out with a groin strain. What have the two of them been up to?
Must have been a threesome - Dawson is also out with a groin strain!!
Re the Beckham discussion - 'stop gap', 'going backwards ' too far away ' blah blah blah! blah! If a player is playing outstanding matches and is good enough to play for England he should be selected - end of chat!
Am I the only one who doesn't give a toss? International footie lost its allure for me when Sven started treating friendlies (and 1 or 2 competitive matches) with contempt.....thus the players do the same. Dawson hardly missed a game last season for Spurs....now he suddenly gets a groin strain. How very unlucky.
England matches are virtually always dull and lacking any passion or creativity. I can only think of 4 great England performances in the past 17 years...Cameroon and Germany in 1990.....Holland in 96 and that other Germany game. The rest have been either dire or functional at best.
Lets just get the summer over and get back to the real football.
I was watching that holland game on ESPN the other weeek and it dawned on me how many great players we had then, but didn't appreciate it.
The side that day was:
1 David Seaman
2 Gary Neville
3 Stuart Pearce
4 Paul Ince
5 Tony Adams (c)
6 Gareth Southgate
7 Steve McManaman
8 Paul Gascoigne
9 Alan Shearer
10 Teddy Sheringham
11 Darren Anderton
Subs who played:
12 David Platt
13 Robbie Fowler
14 Nicky Barmby
Can't think of many of today's England 'stars' that would get into that side.
Yeah great players - we have always had great players through the years but no world cup win for 41 years and not many truely outstanding games. What is the problem then? - just bad management ??
Ok - we have many fantasy footie managers here - anyone like to pretend they are the England manager and put us right?
