English Football

[Guest webmasterofwrestlegame]

Good performance from Saints tonight - I like it when we play like that. Especially when we had a midfielder playing right-back, a right-back with 1 game experience in Prem playing centre-half, Fitz Hall who had played just a few times before as the other centre-half, and a dodgy Scottish left-back.

 

And our defence was still better than Newcastles.

 

I used to play for Suffolk with Titus Bramble. It was never good for a blunder then, but ever since he has gone to Newcastle, he is all over the place.

[TheFranchise 0]

Chelski has bagged another talented English youngster

 

Scott Parker signs for Chelsea

He's the FIFTEENTH midfielder to sign for them :|

 

Reading 1 Derby 0 (2 minutes)

 

 

What a dumb move by Parker, from being a starter for a side in a champs league spot to probaly 6th on the depth charts as a midfielder for Chelski.

I believe Parker made the right choice, looking back.

 

And yes, i was THAT bored that i was reading through this thread again.

[TheFranchise 0]

600,000 isn't a *huge* amount to spend on a player really.

Not when Mathias Svensson joined Norwich for 50,000 (read: 5 figures)

[The Decemberists 0]

Paul Evans - Bradford to Forest for £25,000

 

And he's been awesome for us. I proper midfield hard man which is just what we've been missing for years.

[deancoles 0]

£600,000 isn't a *huge* amount to spend on a player really.

I wish we could say that if we go up we'll have about £500,000 to spend and unless one of Roberts,Murray or Miller gets 15 Goals then we really need a regular Goalscorer.When I look at teams like Rotherham I wonder how they survive because we have better players than them yet they've survived for 3 Seasons.

[TheFranchise 0]

£600,000 isn't a *huge* amount to spend on a player really.

I wish we could say that if we go up we'll have about £500,000 to spend and unless one of Roberts,Murray or Miller gets 15 Goals then we really need a regular Goalscorer.When I look at teams like Rotherham I wonder how they survive because we have better players than them yet they've survived for 3 Seasons.

Well, how about picking someone up on a free?

 

I imagine you aren't talking about the same one above, Iwan Roberts just left Norwich..

[Guest frowned]

Iwan would be a decent pick up as long as you've got someone to knock high accurate balls into the area - he's still got a couple of decent seasons in him. Although you might have to be quick, it's looking increasingly likely that he'll end up at Swansea as Player / Assistant Coach.

[TheFranchise 0]

Jesus, what are we gonna do when Euro 04 ends?? I still have my Germany 1 England 5 video but that wont last me til August!

[deancoles 0]

£600,000 isn't a *huge* amount to spend on a player really.

I wish we could say that if we go up we'll have about £500,000 to spend and unless one of Roberts,Murray or Miller gets 15 Goals then we really need a regular Goalscorer.When I look at teams like Rotherham I wonder how they survive because we have better players than them yet they've survived for 3 Seasons.

Well, how about picking someone up on a free?

 

I imagine you aren't talking about the same one above, Iwan Roberts just left Norwich..

I'm talking about Christian Roberts, he's just turned down a call up to the Wales squad because the friendlies clash with the Play offs.

[The Decemberists 0]

PLATT'S BEEN SACKED!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Thank God the FA have come to their senses.

 

I just pity the poor team who decide to take him on as manager now, as someone surely will.... poor fools.

[deancoles 0]

Who do you think will get the U21 job? They could get a part-time person like Alan Curbishley and then when Sven leaves he could just take charge of the full team.

[The Decemberists 0]

Who do you think will get the U21 job? They could get a part-time person like Alan Curbishley and then when Sven leaves he could just take charge of the full team.

 

Frightenly, that was the plan for Platt - to take over from Sven eventually.

 

I've no idea who they'll give it to. The only person I can think of would be Trevor Brooking as he's the director of something or other at the FA.

[The Decemberists 0]

Interestingly these are the favourites for the England U21 job, according to football365 -

 

A number of names could potentially come into the frame, such as Manchester City coach Stuart Pearce, Nigel Clough at Burton Albion, and maybe Wycombe manager Tony Adams, all of whom have a fine international pedigree as players.

 

Psycho and/or Nige should get it if that's the choice. They'll soon get the lads playing the Forest way. Only winning.

[Anorak 0]

Just got back from Highbury, really good day out and we managed to avoid a thrashing. The City fans were in good voice all game, singing about promotion (i'm not overly confident but we'll hopefully be top 6 & in contention), taking the piss when we took the lead and how quiet the home fans were. Nine men behind the ball for the majority of the game but Arsenal weren't at their best and struggled to break us down, Dickov got a standing ovation from both sets of fans and Walker also had what appeared a 'farewell' sub ovation to make way for Danny Coyne. Jordan Stewart looked like the world's worst left-back in the first half. Stopped to see the trophy be awarded to Viera before running for a train.

[The Decemberists 0]

Until the Arse beat our record of 42 unbeaten they're nothing special

 

Oh, and win two European Cups of course.

[Anorak 0]

Football's a more physically demanding game with skilful players, better pitches and a European Cup full of really good teams these days though isn't it?

[The Decemberists 0]

Football's a more physically demanding game with skilful players, better pitches and a European Cup full of really good teams these days though isn't it?

 

Physically Demanding - Never in a million years. You get booked for the slightest contact these days. And players take about a month off with a slight cold etc. And they played more game in those days - 42 game league season etc. And no squad rotation rubbish either!

 

More skilful - Nope. Obviously never seen tapes off John Robertson or Trever Francis twisting and turning away from oppisition defenders.

 

Better pitches - Yes, the pitches are better, but that makes it easier to win matches. It's far harder to beat a team on a muddy/snow covered pitch, particulary when your a footballing team.

 

European Cup full of really good teams - Come off it. There's FOURTH place teams it in! It's stupid. Plus remember last season - Newcastle lost three games in a row but still got through to the next round. Stupid. Back in the day, when you lost a two game tie you were out. That makes the whole thing much harder. Plus the current "everyone one qualifies" system creates a system where the best teams (will barring awful management) always be the best teams because of the huge amount of money you get from it. In the old days it was a much more level playing field so to speak so to be successfull took much more managerial skill in terms of who to buy and how much to spend.

 

 

 

The Forest team of 1978 to 1980 won the old 1st divison, two league cups (when the "big" teams were bothered about it!), an FA Cup semi-final, 42 games unbeaten in the league and two European Cups.

 

As good as Arsenal are, they need to win *at least* one European Cup to really count as being "great".

 

Although having said that I'd rather watch Arsenal play than any other team, I'd never say they aren't very, very good and wonderful to watch but untill they win the European Cup they cannot be classed as good as the Forest team of 78-80, the Liverpool teams of 77-84 or even the Man U teams of 1968 and 1999.

[Guest Museite]

Although having said that I'd rather watch Arsenal play than any other team, I'd never say they aren't very, very good and wonderful to watch but untill they win the European Cup they cannot be classed as good as the Forest team of 78-80, the Liverpool teams of 77-84 or even the Man U teams of 1968 and 1999.

Of course, Nottingham Forest had such a hard draw in their 1979/80 European Cup campaigns didn't they. In 1979 they beat the powerhouse that was Malmo and 1980 Hamburg.

 

Notts Route in 1979

1st Rd - Liverpool

2nd Rd - AEK Athens

Q-Final - Grasshoppers Zurich

S-FInal - Koln

Final - Malmo. 1 - 0

 

Of course aside from Liverpool, Forest weren't exactly challenged were they

 

Notts Route in 1980

1st Rd - Oster

2nd Rd - Arges

Q-Final - Berlin

S-Final - Ajax

Final - Hamburg. 1 - 0

 

Ack...this is a true demolition of Europe's "quality"

 

This is another case of not being able to properly compare one era's football to another. THe European Cup before the league format was a simple draw with no seedings, so it was possible for a team to win the cup on a relatively weak draw, with all the strong teams eliminating themselves. If we are comparing, Arsenal going a season's league campaign unbeaten is much more impressive than winning a knockout competition against much weaker continental opposition.

[The Decemberists 0]

Notts Route

 

Notts?

 

Oh yeah, I'd forgot the two European Cups Notts County won.

 

 

But one important point your forgetting - It was that much harder to get in the competition in the first place. You actually had to *win* your domestic league, or have won the Cup the previous season.

 

Take the 79 semi-against Cologne. Would it make the achievment anymore impressive to have beaten B Munich instead? As they're a more well known club? According to you it would, but Cologne at the time were a better team than Munich, as they'd finished above them in the German league!

 

The same goes for Hamberg in the 1980 final. They were the best team in Germany at the time, with real quality players, eg Kevin Keegan and half the German national side - and basic core of that team then went on the win the Cup in 1983. Ajax who we beat in the semis that year aren't exactly a no name team, and they'd won the Cup three times between 1971 and 1973.

[Anorak 0]

Football's a more physically demanding game with skilful players, better pitches and a European Cup full of really good teams these days though isn't it?

 

Physically Demanding - Never in a million years. You get booked for the slightest contact these days. And players take about a month off with a slight cold etc. And they played more game in those days - 42 game league season etc. And no squad rotation rubbish either!

 

More skilful - Nope. Obviously never seen tapes off John Robertson or Trever Francis twisting and turning away from oppisition defenders.

 

Better pitches - Yes, the pitches are better, but that makes it easier to win matches. It's far harder to beat a team on a muddy/snow covered pitch, particulary when your a footballing team.

 

European Cup full of really good teams - Come off it. There's FOURTH place teams it in! It's stupid. Plus remember last season - Newcastle lost three games in a row but still got through to the next round. Stupid. Back in the day, when you lost a two game tie you were out. That makes the whole thing much harder. Plus the current "everyone one qualifies" system creates a system where the best teams (will barring awful management) always be the best teams because of the huge amount of money you get from it. In the old days it was a much more level playing field so to speak so to be successfull took much more managerial skill in terms of who to buy and how much to spend.

 

 

 

The Forest team of 1978 to 1980 won the old 1st divison, two league cups (when the "big" teams were bothered about it!), an FA Cup semi-final, 42 games unbeaten in the league and two European Cups.

 

As good as Arsenal are, they need to win *at least* one European Cup to really count as being "great".

 

Although having said that I'd rather watch Arsenal play than any other team, I'd never say they aren't very, very good and wonderful to watch but untill they win the European Cup they cannot be classed as good as the Forest team of 78-80, the Liverpool teams of 77-84 or even the Man U teams of 1968 and 1999.

Heh, I knew you'd bite! I do think Arsenal's whole unbeaten record this season is better than Forest's old one though in truth.

 

I'm glad that the European Cup at least went back to two-leg knockout for the last 16 this season, its far more interesting and exiting and makes it a more level playing field for the less wealthy teams outside of Spain, Italy and England, who didn't have the league format to protect them from going out after 1 or 2 bad performances. Who would have predicted a final between a French team and a Portugese team? I fancied Milan vs Arsenal but they both blew their second legs big time.

[deancoles 0]

Looks like Liverpool are finally getting rid of Heskey, surely that tells Eriksson something, I couldn't see Italy or Spain's 3rd Choice Striker going from a top 4 side to a team in the middle of the league.

 

Birmingham must be mad to pay £3.5 million(rising to 6 on appearances) for Heskey, they could have Forssell for £5 Million and he'd be on less wages.

 

The Martin Keown testimonial is on Sky Sports 1 tonight, should be entertaining and It will be good to see Shawn-Wright Phillips play in the same team as his dad.

 

Edit:Oh crap the Chuckle Brothers are in the Euro 2004 squad.

[The Decemberists 0]

Oh crap the Chuckle Brothers are in the Euro 2004 squad.

 

OK, maybe Phil Nevile isn't quite international class, but name me a better English right back then Gary Neville?

 

Danny Mills? Nope. Jamie Carrager? Not really.... and that's about it as far as our right backs go.

 

 

 

 

And Leicester have released THIRTEEN players!

[TheFranchise 0]

And Leicester have released THIRTEEN players!

Aimin' to go straight back up, eh?

[Guest Museite]

How likely is it do you think that if West Ham don't go up through the playoffs, that Michael Carrick is heading back to the Premiership anyway? I'd say certain.

[Guest webmasterofwrestlegame]

I don't the fuss about Carrick is all about personally. I can't even say he has shined in Division 1 this season.

[Guest Museite]

this is true, but he is still one of their better players

[KTID 0]

And Leicester have released THIRTEEN players!

 

Would this include Peter Canero?

 

*prays*

[The Decemberists 0]

Three new signings at Forest.

 

Impy and Rogers are now properly signed up, and Kevin James from Gillingham has signed.

 

If all the different reports are true, than James plays left back, right back, right wing, left wing and upfront.... All though say he's Marlon's best mate so I'd imagine that's why he's signed. So they can go nick BMWs together like in their good old days.

[deancoles 0]

Oh crap the Chuckle Brothers are in the Euro 2004 squad.

 

OK, maybe Phil Nevile isn't quite international class, but name me a better English right back then Gary Neville?

 

Owen Hargreaves plays there for Bayern and if Glen Johnson had played in the 2nd half of the season then he'd probably have been in the squad.

[Anorak 0]

And Leicester have released THIRTEEN players!

Aimin' to go straight back up, eh?

Sunderland released more than that last season and did well but its going to be a much tougher division next season than it was this past year. Not sure if the same mass exodus will take place at Leeds, although certain players will obviously be snapped up. Looks like Wolves will unfortunately retain the most players and be in the driving seat for promotion although they've always had a history of being too inconsistant to get automatic promotion. I may turn out to be wrong but i'd be very surprised if the top two pull away comfortably next season like they have in the past couple of years, its going to be a lot tighter.

 

Players out:

 

Izzet

Sinclair (shame, wages too high)

Guppy

McKinlay (strange one, would still have done a steady job but maybe they want younger legs for the future)

Williamson

Davidson (gutted about that one, big blow)

Hignett

Freund

Impey

Rodgers

Priet

Murphy

Lewis (was on 15 grand a week!!)

 

Matt Jones, Keith Gillespie and Paul Brooker are avaliable on frees, Heath is staying, Ferdinand is hopefully staying instead of moving/retiring, Scimeca's gone and Dickov will surely go with him to WBA or to Birmingham to join Izzet. Thatcher and Dabizas we'll have to wait and see.