Football Focus

[Alan Medic]

Agree with Otto that Liverpool look much better this year. I can't understand why they let Meireles go though. I thought that he was just finding his feet at the end of last season. I can't see Bellamy playing a major part but he enhances the squad options.

Given Gerrard has still to return I'd expect Liverpool to be better than Arsenal and Spurs this season. They may even be better than Chelsea who haven't convinced me of their worth yet. United look like they will be better to watch this year than last but a top midfielder would have been good to get. Who knows with City? They wont be allowed wear those scarfs around their necks this Winter.

[Undisputedtruth]

Although Arsenal have lost a bit of quality and cofidence, it seems Arsene has improved the team in the right areas. Namely defense and attack. Looking forward to see Wilshire play along with Frimpong. The midfield duo offers more potential than Fabregas & Nasri. A team that plays as a unit tend to play better than a team of individuals.

[maxxi]

Given Barcelona's latest 'total-football' experiment playing 9 midfielders one defender and a gk is that the way for the top premiership (or all) clubs to go? And shouldn't the England team (bearing in mind the disastrous showings at recent tournaments) be picked and coached to this end also?

If so are out-and-out strikers (especially those who don't track back or tackle) and defenders, who can only put themselves in the way and hoof it upfield, outdated?

[Undisputedtruth]

The problems with the England world cup team were as follows

1) their midfield couldn't string a few passes together

2) lack of pace in midfield

3) lack of quality central defenders and goalkeeper

4) leadership

I'm convinced that within the next four years we will be seeing some really good young technical English footballers coming through the ranks and playing football in the right way.

[Alan Medic]

Apart from the 4 at United, who is there out there that fits the bill?

ETA Wilshere

[Parkdrive]

Joe Hart is an excellent keeper in my opinion.

[red devil]

I wonder how the England fans will react this time to an England team full of Utd players?... hopefully not the booing we had with Beckham et al...Jones is the pick of the bunch, fantastic presence and leadership qualities for a 19yo, definitly a future England captain, Bobby Charlton paid him the ultimate compliment recently, likening him to Duncan Edwards.

[mockney piers]

I thought beckham was booed because of his idiotic sending off, not for being utd.

Or was it the penchant for skirts ;)

[Parkdrive]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> I thought beckham was booed because of his idiotic

> sending off, not for being utd.

> Or was it the penchant for skirts ;)

Or all 3 maybe.

[Otta]

Gary Neville was often booed, but that was just for being Gary Neville.

And looking a bit like a dirty rat.

[red devil]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> I thought beckham was booed because of his idiotic

> sending off, not for being utd.

> Or was it the penchant for skirts ;)

I don't disagree that there was booing of Beckham after his WC sending off, it was to be expected, any scapegoat will do...it's worth noting a couple of seasons later he quickly became a national hero after his last minute free kick against Greece in a WC qualifer, which just proves how fickle the press and football fans are.

I agree Neville was also booed, but along with Beckham, this individual booing happened at domestic matches, a bit like what Terry, Rooney etc get on their travels now.

I'm afraid what I was referring to in my earlier post went deeper than a bit of pantomime villian booing Mockers.

A large number of England fans at the old Wembley would sing anti-Utd songs, the main one being 'Stand up if you hate Man U', as well as booing every touch by a Utd player (Beckham, the Nevilles, Butt and Scholes).

Common concensus was that these were fans from London based clubs...you have to remember this was a period when Utd were very dominant domestically, so it was probably pure envy/jealousy etc.

This collective booing of England's Utd players only ceased when Wembley was demolished and England games were played around the country, with most big games being played at Old Trafford.

Because of this, a section of Utd fans, particularly the away supporters, turned their back on supporting England, and would wind up the London based clubs fans with anti-England chants, the''Argentina!'' chant being the main one...remember this was before Tevez signed for Utd. To this day some still won't support England.

I'm just wondering now that England are back at the new Wembley, what reaction the London based England fans will have if, as it looks likely, England will have another strong contingent of Utd players...Rooney, Young, Welbeck, Cleverley, Jones, Smalling, maybe even Rio. It is also a dilemma for the anti-England Utd fans, do they start supporting England again?

Personally, I've always thought and believed club allegiances should be put aside when England played, but that episode did leave a sour taste in the mouth of a lot of Utd fans...nevermind, C'mon England!..0-1 at time of writing..Cahill :)-D

[maxxi]

red devil Wrote:

>

> I don't disagree that there was booing of Beckham

> after his WC sending off, it was to be expected,

> any scapegoat will do...it's worth noting a couple

> of seasons later he quickly became a national hero

> after his last minute free kick against Greece in

> a WC qualifer, which just proves how fickle the

> press and football fans are.

>

I have to quibble a little with this - it's the kind of thing commentators/journos are always saying but is, I believe, inaccurate.

If a player does well/tries hard - cheers. If the opposite is true - jeers. That is not fickle it is being a supporter. Fans are not simply cheerleaders they are the ones who pay the players' wages and if a player is thought to be taking the piss or letting the team down he deserves some verbals.

Beckham's rehabilitation was was down to hard work, dedication and not moaning all the time - he grew up from the little whiner who needed Roy Keane to protect him on the field to the man he became in that Greece game (when his whole performance that night - not just the goal - was inspirational)

[Bluerevolution]

Celtic reinstated into Europa League.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/02092011/63/uefa-reinstate-celtic-europa-league.html

And Hi all, I'm back !

[red devil]

maxxi Wrote:

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> Fans are not simply

> cheerleaders they are the ones who pay the

> players' wages...

In the olden days this probably held true, but with mass sponsorship and television money, fans now only contribute a percentage to the players wages, would be interesting to know what that percentage is...

[maxxi]

TV money is only there because market is there - market is the armchair fan who may not be heard but - on evidence witnessed in pubs during sky games - is just as likely to scream at screen as a fan is at a game and it is him/her the sponsorship is aimed at too so they do still pay the wages. If the fans walk away there'd be no money.

I just hate all this "They should get behind the lads" crap from the likes of Terry and Lampard and Rooney when they are booed off after a pathetic international performance.

You said it yourself - the performance against Greece made Beckham a hero and was the base for Brand Beckham. He played through the boos and earned fans respect - he didn't act as though it was something he deserved by right (something I think Rooney is also learning).

[mockney piers]

I think, size of stadium depending, gate receipts still account for about 40-60 percent of income as a rough rule of thumb.

[Mick Mac]

Cmon Celtic..... :)

[Laddy Muck]

Bluerevolution Wrote:

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> And Hi all, I'm back !

I was at Wembley for the Community Shield; BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! No wonder you went into hiding.

Blue Moon,

Your team played like a buffoon,

They scored 2 goals way too soon,

And ended up a cartoon.

Blue Moon,

la la la la la la la...

[Laddy Muck]

Sir Alex, Manager of the Month for August (tu)

[red devil]

maxxi Wrote:

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> TV money is only there because market is there -

> market is the armchair fan who may not be heard

> but - on evidence witnessed in pubs during sky

> games - is just as likely to scream at screen as a

> fan is at a game and it is him/her the sponsorship

> is aimed at too so they do still pay the wages. If

> the fans walk away there'd be no money.

I thought your statement they are the ones who pay the players' wages was too simplistic to be applied to the modern game.

Fans don't pay a large proportion of the wages as they used to, as I said before it comes down to percentages, and how you derive that is no doubt very complicated.

Taking your example of the pub armchir fan...how much of what they spend watching a game in a pub goes back into the game and how much into the pockets of the breweries? I would argue that the majority of Sky football viewers are pub armchair fans and don't hand over any money directly to Sky. Sky's main source of revenue come's from the advertisers not Sky subscribers. Does every Ford car owner watch Sky?, no, but they are indirectly contributing to the players wages, even those who don't follow football.

Re. booing, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one, personally I'd never boo a Utd player or the team for putting in a bad performance. Maybe I'm spoilt in that, on the whole, bad performances by Utd are thankfully rare, but when they do underperform I trust Fergie to kick some arses into gear. I'd love to know what were the Arsenal fans thinking when they booed off their team off after a pre-season friendly this summer. What were they hoping to achieve?..it's little wonder the team's morale has been so low. Their players appreciated the great vocal support they got at OT last week...it's a romantic old fashioned ideal, especially in the world of spoilt brat millionaire footballers, but I do believe the role of the fans is to get behind the team and not kick them when they are down.

Going back to Beckham, I stand by my statement that fans and the press are fickle...in the Colombia game before the Argentina sending off, he scored with a great free kick = hero...then the sending off = zero...you can't get any more fickle than that. His subsequent redemption took about 3 years I think. It was Utd as a club, the fans, players, managemant, and of course Beckham himself that got him through that period. The reaction to his sending off was unwarrented, and I think it was down to who he was, not what he had done.

[Undisputedtruth]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> >

> Apart from the 4 at United, who is there out there

> that fits the bill?

>

> ETA Wilshere

The up and coming players are:

1. Jack Rodwell (can either play at centre back, attacking/defensive midfielder)

2. Ross Barkley (attacking midfield, comfortable in possession and excellent passer with either foot)

3. Emmanuel Frimpong (defensive midfielder)

4. Henri Lansbury (centre midfielder)

5. Raheem Sterling (winger - has that ability where he can dribble either side of a defender.

6. Josh Macceachran (centre midfielder - wonderful passing ability and comfortable in possession)

7. Kyle Bartley (central defender but can play in central midfield as well)

8. Martin Kelly (Right back)

[Bluerevolution]

A Liverpool Fan, a Man u fan and a Man City fan are climbing a mountain and arguing about who loves their team the most..

The Liverpool fan insists that he is the most loyal and he yells ?this is for The Reds ?and jumps off the mountain..

Not to be out done, the Man City fan next professes his love for his team.

He screams, ?this is for City !!? and pushes the Man U fan off the mountain..

[Laddy Muck]

One is far from amused.

*pushes BR off mountain*

[Bluerevolution]

>:D

['bout now]

Bluerevolution Wrote:

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> A Liverpool Fan, a Man u fan and a Man City fan

> are climbing a mountain and arguing about who

> loves their team the most..

> The Liverpool fan insists that he is the most

> loyal and he yells ?this is for The Reds ?and

> jumps off the mountain..

> Not to be out done, the Man City fan

> professes his love for his team

>and buys the mountain, pushing everybody into oblivion.

Fixed that for you!