Bidley wrote:

He was unsettled due to Rafa's ham-fisted handling of the Barry transfer saga. Alonso was being offered to Juventus amongst other clubs to finance the Barry deal. Which never happened. And Alonso left anyway. Now that's funny

Speaking of Gareth "I want Champions League football because I'm not getting any younger" Barry - he's done himself no favours by jumping the Villa ship to rake in the cash at Man City.

Yeh it was hilarious. Rafa's countless blunders are extremely entertaining. I know why Alonso left, but I don't understand how Rafa was stupid enough to even consider selling him. I wouldn't say Barry is a better player. Alonso certainly passes better and creates more, which is what Liverpool lack atm.

I'll never see the logic of selling Alonso to get Barry - they're both different kinds of player, and they had a good balance with Mascherano and Alonso. Barry is too defensive, so Gerrard and Torres would've suffered.

I'm fucking annoyed at the Stoke game. Not only were we completely shat on in the first half (which is all too remeniscent of our indifferent start to the season), but we lost Bobby Z and Hangeland. I'll be surprised if we keep any kind of momentum now.

What do you think the Yids' chances of the breaking the top four this season are? I think you're in with a shout, as long as you don't choke like Villa last season.

Bidley wrote:

I'll never see the logic of selling Alonso to get Barry - they're both different kinds of player, and they had a good balance with Mascherano and Alonso. Barry is too defensive, so Gerrard and Torres would've suffered.

I'm fucking annoyed at the Stoke game. Not only were we completely shat on in the first half (which is all too remeniscent of our indifferent start to the season), but we lost Bobby Z and Hangeland. I'll be surprised if we keep any kind of momentum now.

What do you think the Yids' chances of the breaking the top four this season are? I think you're in with a shout, as long as you don't choke like Villa last season.

I'd say we have more strength in depth than Villa, so we shouldn't have a big dip in form like they did last year. I actually think we'll improve as the season goes on. In all of our low scoring games we've wasted countless chances. We should be finishing games off and scoring 4 or 5 goals more often, especially now that Modric is back. I hope you're not expecting a clean sheet against us at WHL in a few weeks!
The snow has helped us out. We should have Lennon back to play Liverpool now

Looking at the strength of the top 7 teams, and with Everton in good form again, you should be happy with just a top half finish really.

I don't think you guys should get rid of Robbie Keane, I think he's just a bit out of sorts at the moment (I heard he'd been dropped).

I hope you're not expecting to put 4 or 5 past us, our back line has been solid this season! Having said that, the sooner we get Pantsil and Hangeland back and Konchesky sorts himself the better. I don't expect to beat your lot, but I think it can be done as long as we nip the rot in the bud, and hope AJ finds some form.

At the beginning of the season I said I'd be happy with a good run in the Europa and a top-half finish. I'll still take that, and think we could probably cause an upset in Europe - our draw is pretty tough. Shaktar Donetsk(sp?), the holders, which also gives us a nice long trip to eastern Europe midweek. Then if we beat them, we get either Ajax or Juventus. Ouch.

I'd forgotten how poor the standard of football is in the African Cup of Nations.

Bidley wrote:

I'd forgotten how poor the standard of football is in the African Cup of Nations.

Yeh I remember watching it about 5 years ago when it was all on BBCi (is it still?). There's a reason none of them were seeded for the World Cup.

Bidley wrote:

I don't think you guys should get rid of Robbie Keane, I think he's just a bit out of sorts at the moment (I heard he'd been dropped).

I hope you're not expecting to put 4 or 5 past us, our back line has been solid this season! Having said that, the sooner we get Pantsil and Hangeland back and Konchesky sorts himself the better. I don't expect to beat your lot, but I think it can be done as long as we nip the rot in the bud, and hope AJ finds some form.

At the beginning of the season I said I'd be happy with a good run in the Europa and a top-half finish. I'll still take that, and think we could probably cause an upset in Europe - our draw is pretty tough. Shaktar Donetsk(sp?), the holders, which also gives us a nice long trip to eastern Europe midweek. Then if we beat them, we get either Ajax or Juventus. Ouch.

No, Keane won't go. He hasn't been at his best since returning from Liverpool, but to be fair to him he hasn't had a run playing with Crouch. Keane + Defoe is never going to be a great partnership, so Keane won't look as good as when he played with Berbatov.
We should cash in on Pavlyuchenko and Bentley, before their values drop more.

Yeh that's a tough draw. I think any Premiership team has a good enough XI to challenge to win the Europa League, but teams from smaller leagues are more able to rest players in their league games. In the Premiership there are no easy games anymore.

Neon_Knight_ wrote:

Yeh I remember watching it about 5 years ago when it was all on BBCi (is it still?). There's a reason none of them were seeded for the World Cup.

I watched the last one and it was fucking awful. So much diving and terrible tackles coupled with ridiculous long-range shanks. The first game this year sums it up. How the fuck can a team take a 4-0 lead, then concede 3 goals in 10 minutes for a 4-4 draw?! I'm not massively sure what channel it's on these days, to be honest. I might watch a couple of games for a laugh.

Neon_Knight_ wrote:

No, Keane won't go. He hasn't been at his best since returning from Liverpool, but to be fair to him he hasn't had a run playing with Crouch. Keane + Defoe is never going to be a great partnership, so Keane won't look as good as when he played with Berbatov.
We should cash in on Pavlyuchenko and Bentley, before their values drop more.

Yeh that's a tough draw. I think any Premiership team has a good enough XI to challenge to win the Europa League, but teams from smaller leagues are more able to rest players in their league games. In the Premiership there are no easy games anymore.

Apparently you want too much cash for Pav, so a sale's going to be difficult. It's a shame Bentley can't get a run of games somewhere else, he was looking good at Blackburn.

Bidley wrote:

It's a shame Bentley can't get a run of games somewhere else, he was looking good at Blackburn.

Fulham are welcome to buy him

Neon_Knight_ wrote:

Bidley wrote:

It's a shame Bentley can't get a run of games somewhere else, he was looking good at Blackburn.

Fulham are welcome to buy him

That would be nice, but he wouldn't get a first-team place here either

Bidley wrote:

Neon_Knight_ wrote:

Bidley wrote:

It's a shame Bentley can't get a run of games somewhere else, he was looking good at Blackburn.

Fulham are welcome to buy him

That would be nice, but he wouldn't get a first-team place here either

So he'd be a bargain at £15m He'll score a free kick every 10 games or so...and prance about do absolutely nothing useful the rest of the time.

I agree. This is now the Super Bowl Prediction Thread.
I'm hoping the Packers make it but it will probably be Patriots (if Brady is up to form) vs maybe the Eagles if they stay healthy. The NFC is pretty wide open this year.

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