LGP Futbol Thread - (CL, EPL, Serie A, Liga, 2016 Euros)

[Draftnik]

Warnock plays for Villa. The Soccernet article is wrong. Rovers sold him to Villa in the summer 09 window. I'd say Warnock would be chosen over Bridge based on form during the 09/10 season, although Warnock may be injured as well. I don't think he featured vs. United yesterday.

Interesting on Cole. United lost Giggs for a month so both teams dropped a key player yesterday.

[pfim]

Warnock or Baines will be candidates, but I can't see either in the squad if Cole is out. I think they'll take the experience of Bridge if he's fit and willing.

[Draftnik]

[Draftnik]

Watching Milan vs. Udinese.

Milan concedes a lot of possession at San Siro to a lesser team. They are very dependent on the counter attack. Udinese are very poor in the final third. They seem content to take hopeless shots from 30+ yards. Alexis Sanchez does not seem to have the final ball quality necessary for United to spend a big fee for him IMO.

Pato is a great player. I remember when he, Henry, and Bent were all sold around the same time for ~ the same fee and how I thought Pato was an absolute steal in comparison.

Even the lead footed JKH is getting his groove on today. Milan have been very good with their finishing today to make the scoreline appear more comfortable for them than the balance of play would indicate.

[jmh470]

If Donovan continues his current form, I will be quite disappointed if he is in MLS after the summer window. He still needs to grow a pair when he has a chance at goal, but his passing and build up play have been quality. One can only hope his new/current contract will allow a team abroad to buy him at a reasonable price.

[Draftnik]

Donovan has been amazingly good. It seems like he wasted his life in MLS. Maybe he is/was content with the nice weather, DP $$$ and low pressure of relatively meaningless matches. Based on his current form I'm sure Everton could find the money to keep him. He is firmly integrated as a key member of their starting XI. He definitely should have time & space on the ball to make something happen vs. United in his next match.

I wonder if Donovan has a new perspective on how Beckham is relatively disinterested in MLS compared to European football?

[slappybrown]

Watching Milan vs. Udinese.

Milan concedes a lot of possession at San Siro to a lesser team. They are very dependent on the counter attack. Udinese are very poor in the final third. They seem content to take hopeless shots from 30+ yards. Alexis Sanchez does not seem to have the final ball quality necessary for United to spend a big fee for him IMO.

Pato is a great player. I remember when he, Henry, and Bent were all sold around the same time for ~ the same fee and how I thought Pato was an absolute steal in comparison.

Even the lead footed JKH is getting his groove on today. Milan have been very good with their finishing today to make the scoreline appear more comfortable for them than the balance of play would indicate.

I am at work unfortunately, so I havent caught any of the match yet, but they've been poor lately. My primary hope was to get through today without injury, which hasn't happened, as both Mancini and Thiago Silva went down. Any word from the broadcast as to their condition? The Italian sites haven't provided a further update.

[Draftnik]

Watching Milan vs. Udinese.

Milan concedes a lot of possession at San Siro to a lesser team. They are very dependent on the counter attack. Udinese are very poor in the final third. They seem content to take hopeless shots from 30+ yards. Alexis Sanchez does not seem to have the final ball quality necessary for United to spend a big fee for him IMO.

Pato is a great player. I remember when he, Henry, and Bent were all sold around the same time for ~ the same fee and how I thought Pato was an absolute steal in comparison.

Even the lead footed JKH is getting his groove on today. Milan have been very good with their finishing today to make the scoreline appear more comfortable for them than the balance of play would indicate.

I am at work unfortunately, so I havent caught any of the match yet, but they've been poor lately. My primary hope was to get through today without injury, which hasn't happened, as both Mancini and Thiago Silva went down. Any word from the broadcast as to their condition? The Italian sites haven't provided a further update.

No updates on the injuries. Silva might be the worse of the 2 from what I saw. Pato is a beast. I think he will catch Ferdinand, Vidic, Brown, Evans, etc on the end of longballs a few times during the tie. Ronaldinho looked very good at sending Pato in with perfectly weighted long passes.

[slappybrown]

Watching Milan vs. Udinese.

Milan concedes a lot of possession at San Siro to a lesser team. They are very dependent on the counter attack. Udinese are very poor in the final third. They seem content to take hopeless shots from 30+ yards. Alexis Sanchez does not seem to have the final ball quality necessary for United to spend a big fee for him IMO.

Pato is a great player. I remember when he, Henry, and Bent were all sold around the same time for ~ the same fee and how I thought Pato was an absolute steal in comparison.

Even the lead footed JKH is getting his groove on today. Milan have been very good with their finishing today to make the scoreline appear more comfortable for them than the balance of play would indicate.

I am at work unfortunately, so I havent caught any of the match yet, but they've been poor lately. My primary hope was to get through today without injury, which hasn't happened, as both Mancini and Thiago Silva went down. Any word from the broadcast as to their condition? The Italian sites haven't provided a further update.

No updates on the injuries. Silva might be the worse of the 2 from what I saw. Pato is a beast. I think he will catch Ferdinand, Vidic, Brown, Evans, etc on the end of longballs a few times during the tie. Ronaldinho looked very good at sending Pato in with perfectly weighted long passes.

Thanks.

Unfortunately, at times, that can be the bulk of their attack. Pato is a spectacular player. They were hoping to partner him with Huntelaar with Pato playing off of him -- which in theory, seems to be a wonderful combination in the classic two striker mold -- but Huntelaar has disappointed. I am still relatively skeptical of their chances versus ManU. Even if they manage to break down ManU's back line, their inability to hold leads and give up that crucial goal will haunt them. Unlike the Milan teams of the past decade, they are unable to get a lead and then just play keep away with long stretches of ball possession.

That said, individuals can make the difference at the highest levels with moments of brilliance like Kaka back in 2006, so here's to hoping Pato can match his countryman and drag us into the quarters. Not that you'd like to see that or anything.

[slappybrown]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/st ... al&cc=5901" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kaka's groin was back in the news this week after AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani laughed off reports in the Spanish press that Real Madrid were sold a "broken player" when the they paid a world record transfer fee for the Brazilian in the summer.

Real Madrid mouthpiece Marca claimed that Kaka arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu with a chronic hernia injury and that Los Blancos were effectively swindled out of €68.5 million.

Now far be it from us to suggest that the Madrid-based newspaper was trying to blame Kaka's indifferent form this season on outside forces, but as Galliani correctly pointed out: "Last season Kaka played 31 games in the Italian league and was a virtual ever-present. I don't like the suggestion that we gave Real Madrid an injured player. It's absurd."

Kaka, who returned from injury to score in the 3-0 win over Espanyol on Saturday, declared himself "totally cured".

Marca is hilarious. I wish the Pens had their own "independent" propoganda machine.

[Draftnik]

Kaka went to Madrid for the money. What do they expect? At least Ronaldo pined for the Iberian Peninsula in addition to his fame & fortune. Kaka seemed like he went to Madrid more for Milan to get the transfer fee than some personal desire.

I'd love to see Perez' project blow up. I want to see United get Benzema at a 50% discount and watch SAF transform him into the world class striker he could be in the right environment. Then United can sell him back to Madrid for 3X the price.

[Point Breeze Penguins]

Anyone watching the Soton v. Pompey match? Epic.

[Loaf31]

Anyone watching the Soton v. Pompey match? Epic.

Yea I woke up and started watchig in th 75th min....what a finish

[Draftnik]

5 goals in the last 25 minutes. I slept in until 10:30 today for the 1st time in more than a decade

A south coast derby in the FA Cup with Pompey needing to advance to help stave off administration and possibly winding up. It must have been a very charged affair.

The Reading - West Brom match is fairly entertaining. I love the FA Cup.

[slappybrown]

Kaka went to Madrid for the money. What do they expect? At least Ronaldo pined for the Iberian Peninsula in addition to his fame & fortune. Kaka seemed like he went to Madrid more for Milan to get the transfer fee than some personal desire.

I'd love to see Perez' project blow up. I want to see United get Benzema at a 50% discount and watch SAF transform him into the world class striker he could be in the right environment. Then United can sell him back to Madrid for 3X the price.

Very much -- the entire saga was Kaka essentially saying if this has to happen for the good of the club, then I will transfer.

Though looking back on it, I kind of wish that the alleged 103 million pounds Citeh had on the table would have materialized. In the Italian press at least, Citeh were portrayed as bumbling fools, without any idea how to negotiate a deal of the magnitude the Kaka transfer would have been. Supposedly, Citeh showed up to the final sit down meeting with Galliani without a contract prepared and with little plan on how to structure the deal and payments, as well as the player's rights in sponsorship/merchandising/images, etc.

Though, of course, everything I read in British sources paints the opposite picture -- that Mlian and Kaka jointly used Citeh to drive up the eventual fee for a team Kaka would actually be willing to play for, like RM.

Have you seen Robinho's performances for Santos? That has to be a nice twist of the knife for the red half of Manchester.

[Draftnik]

I don't think anybody doubted Robinho wasn't giving any effort to citeh. What did they expect? When Madrid sold him he thought he was going to Chelsea. His agent scammed him and was fired shortly thereafter. It will always be like this with citeh. Players go there for the money, not for the love of the club or to win trophies. I saw Robinho fly in on a helicopter with Pele at his unveiling and score a neat backheel goal. I wasn't aware he was doing that well.

The little Argy had to return to his homeland for a family emergency. In all seriousness I hope things are OK for him and his family, but he is the only guy with any heart in that band of mercenaries. They desperately need the FA Cup to elevate their on the pitch status to justify a fraction of their wages and transfer fees and they couldn't put Stoke away at wastelands today. If they don't have the little Argy for their match with Pool next week who is going to be their talisman?

Mourinho is a special manager that was able to galvanize Chelsea's band of mercenaries into a team with heart. I think the Abu Dubai group will have to bring him to wastelands to take their so called project to the next level.

[Draftnik]

Lescott wondering why he sucks so much

[Puffymuffin]

he is the only guy with any heart in that band of mercenaries.

I'll add Bellamy to that list as well.

[Gaucho]

Bellamy is a despicable human being.

[Puffymuffin]

Bellamy is a despicable human being.

Well yeah, but he also does lots of charity things in Africa.

[slappybrown]

Today is the day. I will begin an internet embargo at 245 since I am stuck at work and have to DVR. Silva will be back, though Huntelaar is in for Borrielo. Expect to see Inzaghi by the 55 minute mark.

[Draftnik]

SAF seems very confident considering United have never scored vs. the Rossoneri @ San Siro. United battered Villa last week despite being down to 10 men so I suppose he is confident the form will carryover today. I think United will definitely score a coveted away goal.

[Trip McNeely]

1-0 Milan, Ronaldhino

[Draftnik]

Some sloppy defending but all in all 3 goals and a road win at San Siro is a good result for United. Well taken goal by Ronaldinho on the dreaded 2nd ball. Rooney had his finest aerial game that I can remember. Neither side had much of an imposing midfield. United dominated most of the 2nd half but the 2nd goal gives Milan hope for the return leg. Valencia supplied great quality from the right side. Nani was very poor with his balls into the box.



Rooney is turning into a real leader. I think he might be ready for the armband next season if he has a big World Cup.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 029764.ece

Maybe SAF is bequeathing the hairdryer to the balding Rooney.

[slappybrown]

I cant even talk about this right now. Tomorrow.