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Post by floplexter on Jan 18, 2006 15:23:39 GMT
37 pages of football was it?
Care to sum up your team's current state, in your own eyes, as a starter for ten?
Rangers are quiet. Too quiet. They'd like us to think that they're working hard behind the scenes to fix up some new blood, but there are few signs of it. Lovenkrands looks like seeing out his contract and most fans feel that's just because he wants to play in the Villareal games. Fair enough. He's on 15 goals- 9 in the last six games at the moment. Debate rages as to whether that's because he is, as he claims, now being played through the middle as he always wanted, or just up for a new contract.
We've let another young striker leave on loan- Ross McCormack to Doncaster Rovers. I was disappointed Stevie Thompson left, but at least a double on his Cardiff debut has seen him off to a good start.
It's our defence that is concerning. Big Marv has a heart of gold and is a big solid lump, but skill ain't his bag. As for Kyrgiakos- he likes to look like a footballer, but he's a liability and far too continental.
Rodriguez (J-Rod to the fans) is still injured; Fan-fan has been treated quite badly by McLeish and left to rot after only a handful of appearances and Bernard is still thankfully injured. We have not looked convincing for a while.
On the upside... We have a surfeit of strikers. Kris Boyd hit a hat-trick on his debut and is a big classic British centre-forward, a Rangers boy through and through. Prso is just back from injury as is Novo and we have Buffel and Lovenkrands too, so there is a lot of striker options.
It's good to see a solid Scots base to the team. Stevie Smith, 19, has made himself the left-back, Ian Murray is on the right. Uncle Bob and Barry have been the central midfield for the last 5 or so games. Uncle Bob has come out of the cold and is turning in some great performances.
What we lack is creativity. A DC and a couple of young sparky midfielders and I'd be happy.
Oh, and Klos back in goal. Permy-d ones BEGONE!
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Post by Boony on Jan 18, 2006 16:00:15 GMT
I had Big Marv in my most recent CM0102 game - he was cracking from Div2 right up to the Premiership, I seem to remember. Then he got old.
As for myself, I don't follow a team closely enough to comment. I've barely seen any football this season - I saw the Luton v Liverpool FA cup game, and I think that's about it.
I think Fergie's run his course at Man Utd, though. He should have left a couple of years ago, if you ask me.
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Post by Moo on Jan 18, 2006 16:03:27 GMT
I don't really think I need to go through our lot again, do I? Oh, alright then.
Souness has lost the backing of the local papers, for one thing, so they're making it very hard for the guy to get enything dodne. Unfortunately, 80% of the season ticket holders at SJP are thick and know little about how football works. (Maybe 80% is a bit harsh, but you'll get what I mean.) They'll read the papers and think it's gospel, even if they originally don't agree with it, the more they read the same story, the more they believe it.
There are some fans though that don't want Souness there and they do know about football, I'm heading that way, to be honest. The injuries excuse is a joke now, by which I mean, one comes off the treatment table, another goes on it and the constant mention of it by Graeme and the staff is getting boring. Yes, Mr Souness, we know a lot of your first team players are dead(ish), but we want to know how the remainder of the team are playing so poorly. This is where the coaching staff, and the main point of those that know what they are talking about comes to light.
OK, you have eleven fit players, so what do you do? Tell those eleven on Friday what is going to happen, or tell them on Monday's training session what you want them to prepare for in a few days time. Case in point, Fulham last weekend. We were going to play a 4-5-1 and stifle the midfield. Fine, but why did it seem like they were told that at 2:30pm?
You know what, I have actually bored myself here (and I'm sure countless others in the audience), so I shall stop now. I won't mention the good and bad purchases by Souness (Emre and Moore for example) or the fact that the home fans aren't helping matters, or that Fat Freddie isn't helping matters either.
What will happen is that we will finish below half way again, no sniff of a cup run after Cheltenham (hopefully we'll get past them) and Souness will get sacked. Then the Evening Chronicle will come up with countless stories on who should be offered the job, the numbskulls buying the paper spending countless hours over beers debating the same and wondering why nobody will come and clear up the mess that is Newcastle United.
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Post by floplexter on Jan 18, 2006 16:23:01 GMT
Touché and ouché.
Weirdly enough I woke up this morning and while getting dressed, Craig Moore popped into my head and I thought "what a terrible signing he was for Souness". Weird.
It is very hard to get enything dodne. There's the dodne tax for a start.
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Post by DC on Jan 18, 2006 16:53:35 GMT
West Ham
Prospects: sunny, with showers to the west and east, and south, and north. But alright for the minute, but take a brolly out with you. And a plastic mac. And in fact a canoe, or kayak, or catamaran would be better still - after all Sunderland are out there somewhere.
Team: Carroll = average Prem keeper. Nowt special. Not made any gaffs, really, but at the same time hasn't made the kind of saves we got used to with Jambo and Hislop. Wouldn't mind Bywater getting more looks. Repka = buggering off, after at last being in a defence that didn't rely on him being the sole participant. Showed at last the kind of ability I knew he had all along. No, really. Konchesky = possibly our best signing since John Hartson, or Berkovic. Anton Ferdinand = looks scarily like his brother, even down to the snarly attitude problem. Needs a slap. Good defender though. Gabbidon = handy centrehalf, I like. Etherington = not good enough, but better than nowt and better than most. Benayoun = still too light weight, but does try his little cotton socks off. Scored 20 goals for that Spanish side, wonder what he could do up front. Reo Coker = started off great, then slumped, then injured. Still a great prospect (if lacking in creativity). Mullins = started off averagely...is now probably our most consistent and essential player. Solid. Harewood = Lanky bag of shite. Quick, but that's about it. Zamora = paired with a real strike partner he'd create as well as score. Really coming on as a poacher, all he needs to do is find his feet from range.
Pardew = 7/10. Can't knock him, but am wondering what his solution to Repka buggering off will be.
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Post by Moo on Jan 18, 2006 17:09:10 GMT
He's looking at a Polish international according to skysports.com
I would do a 1st XI rundown like you DC, but it would depress the fook out of me.
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Post by Boony on Jan 18, 2006 17:14:02 GMT
It'd be easy, Moo - shirley they're all out injured...
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Post by coffers on Jan 18, 2006 17:39:17 GMT
Well, Boro finally won a game last night, granted it was only against Nuneaton, but it's a start, I hope. Anything is better than getting battered 7-0 at Arsenal.
The local newspaper really lit rip at McClaren and the team after Saturdays game and that came from a reporter that normally sucks up to the club bigtime.
It's Wigan at home on Saturday, we'll probably get stuffed.
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Post by DC on Jan 18, 2006 19:22:14 GMT
He's looking at a Polish international according to skysports.com I would do a 1st XI rundown like you DC, but it would depress the fook out of me. Baszczynski. Not exactly top of my list of RB's I would like at West Ham. Danny Butterfield from Palace - now there's a player.
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Post by floplexter on Jan 18, 2006 21:37:31 GMT
Baszczynski- he played for Igea. Well, not really.
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Post by elth on Jan 19, 2006 7:27:23 GMT
We're shit, I hate all of our first team except van der Sar, "the other" Ronaldo, van Nistelpoof and Evra, who hasn't been there long enough to hate.
I have a hate-hate relationship with Rooney - I hate him and I hate the way he's so comfortably our best player, the big scouse girl.
Fergie I hates the mostest, he's a fucking horrible gimp and I want him to leave.
I like Heinze but he's injured and I love Solskjaer but he's rubbish.
Bring on Mascherano in the summer window.
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Fuzzy
Spider Monkey
stop chewing!
Posts: 918
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Post by Fuzzy on Jan 19, 2006 8:51:48 GMT
Selangor is doing crap. We were the treble winners last season, and managed to haul ourselves up from the first division into the premier league. But we have lost 6 in a trot and are second from the bottom. So, in short I conclude that the manager sucks. And I've not watch a game in almost a year because they show more EPL matches than local matches and Malaysian stadium sucks. Man Utd has dropped to being a decent team now, I've blamed Fergie since 2002 where he promised to leave just to make a u-turn and ruined this completely. I'm comforted by the fact that a poor season maybe just what we need for him to let this post go and we can get Hiddink And Mascherano won't come, elthy. You forget Corinthians are nothing more than a football farm for Chelski? We might get Essien though
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Post by floplexter on Jan 19, 2006 14:36:56 GMT
Kenny Miller, ex-Rangers and Hibs, has signed a pre-contract with The UnWashed.
I am remarkably unbothered, as I really don't rate him any better than what we or Cellik have at the moment. A couple of high profile Scotland goals, but relatively pish and relegated with Wolves.
Field day for the press.
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Post by Moo on Jan 19, 2006 15:01:41 GMT
Sure, it'll give them something to talk about instead of the tight title race you have at the moment.
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Post by floplexter on Jan 19, 2006 15:05:23 GMT
Touché.
To be fair, it is tight between Cellik and the Hearts.
Bleah.
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Post by Moo on Jan 19, 2006 15:23:12 GMT
Still can't see Hearts getting the title though or within 10 points of it.
Anyway, my apologies for the not very well disguised attacks on your club, Pops, it must be one of those strike first defensive mechanisms I have.
Just a shame my team don't have one. :cab:
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Post by floplexter on Jan 19, 2006 15:27:36 GMT
Attack away. We're pish.
In fact, is anyone on the board happy with their team's current state?
DC maybe. Fruits, nae doot.
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Post by DC on Jan 19, 2006 15:41:06 GMT
I'm always happy so long as I see effort being put in on the field. S'when good players play shite I get a bit miffed. Now we're overachieving if anything, s'all good.
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fruits
Plankton
Don't look into his eyes....
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Post by fruits on Jan 20, 2006 10:30:26 GMT
Attack away. We're pish. In fact, is anyone on the board happy with their team's current state? DC maybe. Fruits, nae doot. Aye, it'd be a bit churlish of me to be grumpy after a 28 match unbeaten run in the league* Coppell's done an amazing job and now that I think we're mathematically safe from relegation, hopefully he'll start looking a bit further up the table. The most encouraging thing from a Reading fan's point of view is that not only have we got the best squad the club's ever had, but we're actually playing decent football too. The mindless hoofing of years gone by seems to have finally been replaced with a quick passing game, with much of what's good coming from the wingers Convey and Little. Convey's been a revelation this season after looking a bit lightweight and off the pace last time around and his partnership with Shorey down the left has been pretty important to our success. Until the wheels fell off after xmas last season, we'd had one of the best defences in the league and keeping the same unit together has definitely been a bonus, as has Superman deciding not to go to the African Nations Cup. The main difference this time around has been that we're actually scoring goals too and the arrival of Lita and Doyle has had a lot to do with that. Last season if opposing teams marked Kitson out of the game, we had no cutting edge whatsoever, but Doyle in particular (Lita's had a few injury problems and been sidelined for a while until the West Brom replay) has been an absolute revelation and looks the buy of the season at £70K. Harper (who I've always rated, but who's never quite delivered on the consistency front) seems to have finally come good this season too, and would be my first pick in our midfield ahead of Sidwell and Gunnarsson. The one cloud on the horizon is Mr Mad's decision to sell the club at the end of next season, but fingers crossed we'll be in the top flight when that happens. We've got to clinch promtion™ first, obviously (another 7 wins should do it I reckon), but I think seeing the impact Wigan have made this season has given any other team going up a glimmer of hope as far as staying there goes. I prefer to think of Blunderland as getting what they deserve. Cheers for the email Pops. * I have my doubts about us making it to 29, what with Palace away this evening, but the side have constantly surprised me so far this season.
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Post by elth on Jan 20, 2006 16:36:44 GMT
And Mascherano won't come, elthy. Realistically, no. We're going to be stuck with Diarra I think.
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Post by coffers on Jan 23, 2006 8:56:08 GMT
We're Doomed I tell you!
Yet another pathetic defeat coupled with incompetant defending and what does MacClaren do? He takes the lazy incompetant buggers on a holiday to Malaga, that's what.
Fooking hell, I'd make the lazy buggers run up and down sand dunes at the South Gare near Redcar, for 8 hours a day until they stopped making all these so called individual mistakes that are leaking us goals.
Bostords!
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Post by Narcizo on Jan 23, 2006 9:11:43 GMT
Aye. Getting your players completely knackered ought to sort it out.
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Post by coffers on Jan 23, 2006 9:42:18 GMT
Well being nice to the bosords has done nowt to sort it out Nark and that's been going on since November. Give em 2 days of it early in the week and they might just think about what they are doing to deserve such punishment.
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Post by Moo on Jan 23, 2006 16:15:02 GMT
I'm off to buy a rifle.
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Post by floplexter on Jan 24, 2006 11:19:56 GMT
Nae luck, Noocastle. That goal was so handball it was girlie. Always happens that way, though.
Thing is, I don't think any bloke will do any better with the situation at the moment. Doesn't sink in with the neanderthals, but there you go.
I'm sure I saw Chopra playing on Saturday- is the injury crisis that bad? Sheesh.
Meanwhile with a week left of the window, we have stopped at 1 new signing. Fair enough, he has 5 goals in three games, but still. We need some new midfield blood. The Mint promised cash and three signings. He promised a "massive announcement which will shock a few people" in December. No sign so far.
A week left.
I love the last day of the window.
Saw the Hammers two goals last night. Very very pretty.
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