Football Discussion (Part 6)

[DA77EN]

We need David Dein back!!

[Arsenalisti]

Walcott's next to go.

Hope not and don't think he will.
I like him on his 'ON' days.

That day comes once a year

True that. But still he's our second best scorer in terms of both goals and assists.

[Arsenalisti]

We need David Dein back!!

Ian Wright was right then.

Edit: Plus we Kroenke now. Yayy

[DA77EN]

Arsenal's second-largest shareholders have written an open letter to the board expressing "deep reservations" over the direction of the club in the wake of captain Robin van Persie deciding against extending his contract.

Red & White Securities Limited, fronted by Alisher Usmanov and Farhad Moshiri, hold around 30% of shares in the Gunners' parent company, which was the subject of a takeover in 2011 by American tycoon Stan Kroenke.

In the letter, concerns are raised over "losing our true marquee player" and RWS also ask the board in the letter: "Where are the safeguards to ensure that this doesn't happen again and again?"

Red & White, who do not n the impression there is a "bitter stand-off" between themselves and the hierarchy.

The letter continued: "In our view it is clear you are trying to distract attention from the more fundamental issues facing the club.

"These are the financial model, the lack of investment and club's future strategic direction.

"At the heart of this is the policy of so-called self-financing. The previous decision by the board to fund the building of the Emirates Stadium with long-term debt was, we believe, certainly not about self-financing."

[DA77EN]

Goal line technology has been given the green light at last

[danny275]

UEFA Best Player in Europe Award contenders:

Sergio Agüero (ARG) – Manchester City FC
Xabi Alonso (ESP) – Real Madrid CF
Mario Balotelli (ITA) – Manchester City FC
Jakub Błaszczykowski (POL) – Borussia Dortmund
Gianluigi Buffon (ITA) – Juventus
Iker Casillas (ESP) – Real Madrid CF
Petr Čech (CZE) – Chelsea FC
Fábio Coentrão (POR) – Real Madrid CF
Leslie Davies (WAL) – Bangor City FC
Didier Drogba (CIV) – Chelsea FC (now at Shanghai Shenhua FC)
Cesc Fàbregas (ESP) – FC Barcelona
Falcao (COL) – Club Atlético de Madrid
Joe Hart (ENG) – Manchester City FC
Zlatan Ibrahimović (SWE) – AC Milan
Andrés Iniesta (ESP) – FC Barcelona
Shinji Kagawa (JPN) – Borussia Dortmund (now at Manchester United FC)
Vincent Kompany (BEL) – Manchester City FC
Frank Lampard (ENG) – Chelsea FC
Lionel Messi (ARG) – FC Barcelona
Luka Modrić (CRO) – Tottenham Hotspur FC
Mesut Özil (GER) – Real Madrid CF
Pepe (POR) – Real Madrid CF
Andrea Pirlo (ITA) – Juventus
Sergio Ramos (ESP) – Real Madrid CF
Raúl González (ESP) – FC Schalke 04 (now at al-Sadd Sports Club)
Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) – Real Madrid CF
Wayne Rooney (ENG) – Manchester United FC
David Silva (ESP) – Manchester City FC
Fernando Torres (ESP) – Chelsea FC
Yaya Touré (CIV) – Manchester City FC
Robin van Persie (NED) – Arsenal FC
Xavi Hernández (ESP) – FC Barcelona

[DA77EN]

Just seen this on Sky Sports News, amazing story for the lad.

[jonas10]

Just seen this on Sky Sports News, amazing story for the lad.

Care to share?

[G7SEV]

Just seen this on Sky Sports News, amazing story for the lad.

Care to share?

Slap bang in the middle of UEFA’s 32-man shortlist for the Best Player in Europe award, amidst a sea of iconic superstars such as Lionel Messi, Xavi and Cristiano Ronaldo, lies the rather less well-known Leslie Davies. The Bangor City striker bagged 16 goals in 31 games for Bangor in 2011/12 and has represented Wales at U21 level. However, very few people saw this high-profile inclusion coming.

So how did the unknown attacker end up on such a star-spangled list? Well, not surprisingly, it seems that patriotic Welsh journalists have been at the centre of the shock inclusion, using their votes to push one of their own. A statement for UEFA explained the voting process:

”A jury of journalists from each of UEFA’s 53 member associations has provided a list of their best-ranked players. The players are ordered from one to five, with the first receiving five points, the second four points and so on.”

“On 14 August, UEFA.com will reveal the three players with the most points overall from the first round of voting. They will then proceed to the live vote in Monaco when the same journalists will use an electronic system to determine the winner from the three candidates.”

Fair play to the Welsh journos, I say. Although I doubt the 27-year-old Davies, known as ‘The Truck’, has much of a chance of making it to the final three. Messi won the first edition of the award last year, by the way.

[danny275]

Hilarious he got through. System needs looking at if that happens more than this once

[G7SEV]

I might try and get myself nominated next year

It is rather ridiculous though, I agree.

[jonas10]

Funny story,tks for sharing.

[danny275]

I might try and get myself nominated next year

It is rather ridiculous though, I agree.

I'd try it but i'd still vote for the wrong person

[G7SEV]

I might try and get myself nominated next year

It is rather ridiculous though, I agree.

I'd try it but i'd still vote for the wrong person

too true.

[danny275]

Nice blog on Coutinho from Football-Italia.net

Coutinho, the pride of Inter

A victim of the turmoil which has engulfed Inter since 2010, Philippe Coutinho is set to become a centrepiece of the new Nerazzurri. Scott Fleming writes.



There's no doubt what the most eye catching aspect was of Inter's trip to Pinzolo, the little town in a valley in the Alps where La Beneamata have spent the last two weeks. It isn't the bright red new away strip they wore in the friendlies against a Trentino select and Slovenian outfit FC Koper, which has angered some fans so much their faces have turned the same colour. It isn't the return of Rodrigo Palacio's infamous 'rat tail' hairstyle either.

No, it's the performances of a certain frizzy haired, vertically challenged Brazilian munchkin which have been more refreshing to those of a Nerazzurri persuasion than a cold gust of Alpine air, a leap in an Alpine lake, a...well, you get the picture.

Philippe Coutinho collected the ball on the left wing with 70 minutes played at the tiny Stadio Quercia on Sunday night. He knocked it inside, tempting two Koper defenders into thinking they could nick it off him, before suddenly spinning off down the left again, a turn so dramatic it left one of the Slovenians on his hind parts. Upon entering the box he flummoxed another poor defender with a sharp swivel and – whilst falling – whipped a shot across goal into the bottom corner.

The 20-year-old also opened the scoring in the 6-0 rout of the Trentino select last Thursday and back in May, during Inter's slightly bizarre end of season jaunt to Indonesia, the highlight of which was Javier Zanetti's appearance on 'Indonesian Idol', struck a brace in a 4-2 win over the Indonesian national side.

A fairly hefty disclaimer is required at this point. The Indonesian national side, a Trentino select and FC Koper are not Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich. Drawing sweeping conclusions from pre-season matches is always dangerous. Yet there is cause to believe that, as the Gazzetta dello Sport wrote after that double in the heat of Jakarta: “The tiny Brazilian is another player altogether after his loan spell at Espanyol.”

Watch the five La Liga goals Coutinho scored in his five months with Barcelona's second club last season – and they include a wonderfully cunning low free-kick, a brilliant individual run and finish and a scorching half volley – and the sensation you get isn't 'hold on, he's actually half decent this kid', it’s 'wow, he's a genius!'

So how did we come to have such low expectations of the boy from Rio De Janeiro in the first place? Signed from Vasco Da Gama aged just 16 in 2008, but not formally arriving at Inter until two years later, the problem was that due to his nationality, age and appearance Coutinho was burdened with Alexandre Pato comparisons from day one, and expected to make the same immediate impact that the Duck did at Milan in 2007.

He failed to do so, but did turn in some very promising performances on the left of a 4-2-3-1 against Werder Bremen and Tottenham in the Champions League, only to disappear almost entirely from the first team set up when Leonardo replaced the sacked Rafa Benitez. Likewise last season, he was only just coming on to a game with a goal against Cagliari and an assist against Fiorentina when the decision to loan him to Espanyol was made.

Having made just 18 League appearances in his first two years at San Siro, Coutinho is a victim of the turmoil that has engulfed Inter since the 2010 Treble and Jose Mourinho's exit. But now, with some tranquillity at long last permeating the club and a new team consisting of one or two of the old faces, several new signings and a number of Andrea Stramaccioni's former Primavera pupils taking shape, his time appears to have come.

Playing once again on the left of a 4-2-3-1, which appears to be Strama's tactical blueprint for the season ahead, gives Coutinho the chance to indulge his favourite pastimes, namely running with the ball and making defenders look very silly Indeed with tricks, flicks and step overs. “We knew he was bit special,” says teammate Diego Milito. “The time in Spain has done him good and he'll help us a lot this year.”

“We often forget that he's only 20-years-old,” states Stramaccioni. “He has matured in Spain and I like him a lot.”

The player’s own take on matters is simple. “I feel good and delighted. Thanks Inter.”

Oh and nice to see Lucio is consistent, if anything

[G7SEV]

He's declined quite a bit in recent years. It's like he's trying to convince himself that his body isn't starting to slow down but I would be more worried about his mental attributes (concentration, decisions). Sound very FM of me

Also, quite a good read on Coutinho.

[danny275]

He's declined quite a bit in recent years. It's like he's trying to convince himself that his body isn't starting to slow down but I would be more worried about his mental attributes (concentration, decisions). Sound very FM of me

His biggest problem has always been his decisions. Even when everyone was raving about him 2 years ago, he was still dodge as **** in half the matches he'd play. It's just gotten worse as he's slowed down (if it's possible for him to have slowed)

Also, quite a good read on Coutinho.

Looking forward to seeing more of him this season, I hope.

[G7SEV]

In the very few games I seen Coutinho play in he was quite impressive and you could see his raw talent. Given the right exposure he has the potential to develop into quite a good player.

[danny275]

Inter have supposedly offered €15m + Pazzini and Viviano (presumably 50%) for Jovetic. I'd cry if that were true. Awesome player

[DA77EN]

RVP refuses to go on tour