European Leagues 2009-2010

[DeLorean]

Think ESPN might be decent value at €12/month or whatever it is. I was watching PSV v Ajax this morning. Cracking match, finished 4-3 to PSV, Ajax having led twice. Some Hungarian fella, Bakkal, scored twice for PSV the first a brilliant free kick, the second also a free kick but not sure if he meant it. He looked a really fine left sided player and he also set up one of their other goals with great wing play. Had never heard of him before. Suarez, a Uruguayan, scored twice for Ajax and looked a super player also. To be honest the quality was poor but it led to great entertainment. Does anybody know about these players? I'm sure I've heard of Suarez but hadn't heard of Bakkal- Edmundo might know something:confused:

[superfrank]

Are you sure the Hungarian lad is Bakkal?

PSV have a very good attacking midfielder called Dzsudzsak who is Hungarian. Anytime I've seen him, I've been impressed. I think Bakkal is Dutch/Tunisian.

Suarez had a great season at Groningen in 2007 before switching to Ajax. He was a cracking player for Groningen when he was there but I haven't seen much of him at Ajax so I don't know if he's made the grade there.

[DeLorean]

Are you sure the Hungarian lad is Bakkal?

I was sure til you doubted me:o thought the commentators said he was Hungarian.


Suarez had a great season at Groningen in 2007 before switching to Ajax. He was a cracking player for Groningen when he was there but I haven't seen much of him at Ajax so I don't know if he's made the grade there.

He seems to have made the grade alright. According to Frank Stapleton they turned him from a midfielder into a striker last season and it's worked very well. He's their captain now and he scored a hat-trick last wkd apparently.

Edit- Yeah you're spot on. Bakkal got the other two goals, got confused. Dzsudzsak was outstanding.

[superfrank]

Suarez was top class for Groningen. I remember playing up front for them, but if he was playing in midfield then his goal haul in that one season at Groningen is even more impressive, I think he got something like 15.

[DeLorean]

PSV have a very good attacking midfielder called Dzsudzsak who is Hungarian

Dzsudzsak claims Arsenal approach (http://fourfourtwo.com/news/england/35375/default.aspx)


Suarez had a great season at Groningen in 2007 before switching to Ajax. He was a cracking player for Groningen when he was there but I haven't seen much of him at Ajax so I don't know if he's made the grade there.

No stopping Suárez at Ajax (http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/news/kind=1/newsid=875932.html)

[Infadel]

Is the young Serb Miralem Sulejmani making any impression at Ajax

[philliyk]

That defo was one of the best games i've seen in a while mainly down to how poor both defences were.

Regarding Suarez is he not the same Ajax player who(if memory serves me correct from Setanta last year) has a great tendancy to give some great on-pitch sulks & don't get me started on his play-acting he is without doubt a gold medal contender for diving & an oscar nominee for the acting!!!:mad: Yet I would firmly expect him to command a transfer fee of over 12-15 million either in Jan or next summers transfer window because his movement off the ball is brilliant - just needs another year to improve his finishing to champions league last 8 level.

Definatly think ESPN will be the best money spent this year - mainly for the Serie A & Bundesliga coverage

[irishultra]

can you just like get ESPN without sky or any of that lark?

[DeLorean]

Is the young Serb Miralem Sulejmani making any impression at Ajax

I didn't take any notice of him in the one match I've seen, if he was even playing so I couldn't tell you.

[philliyk]

can you just like get ESPN without sky or any of that lark?
I'm not sure what way it will work for people living down south but in the north here I have it on freeview, but I would guess it should be available on most cable outlets & anywhere else Setanta was broadcasting from

[Infadel]

Currently I'm watching the Valencia Sevilla game and I'm shocked at the state of the pitch its worse than the cabbage patches in our own league.

[CF1989]

shockin pitch. saw a bit of the first half, then the goals on the news after. seems that the pitch helped them with a huge bobble for the 2nd goal which hit the player on the shin and flew in.

fiorentina's pitch was even worse the other night

[DeLorean]

For whoever hasn't seen this tackle it's worth looking for it on YouTube (don't have it at work!!). Saw it in an email this morning, probably the worst I've seen.

Horror Tackle in Anderlecht v Standard Liege (http://goal.com/en/news/755/europe/2009/09/01/1474327/horror-injury-sidelines-anderlecht-defender-wasilewski)

[superfrank]

I think what makes that look so bad is what happens to your man's leg. I've seen dozens of tackles like that before, it's just the end result in this instance is what makes it so bad.

(Not saying it wasn't a poor tackle but the injury inflicted is what's getting it attention.)

[DeLorean]

I think what makes that look so bad is what happens to your man's leg. I've seen dozens of tackles like that before, it's just the end result in this instance is what makes it so bad.

(Not saying it wasn't a poor tackle but the injury inflicted is what's getting it attention.)

Yeah I've seen similar tackles without the same result but it was still filthy and up there with the worst I've come across.

[Closed Account 2]

Think Bakkal is Dutch of Moroccan parentage, he's played for the Dutch underage teams, and I think Morocco are trying to sound him out for their full team before he's tied down to Holland. Dzsudzak is the Hungarian player, he's pretty decent, you can tell he's the Hungarian because of the surname (lots of hard letters, very vowels) PSV's best player is probably Carlos Salcido, very talented Mexican defender, Im suprised no bigger clubs have snapped him up - i guess his age is against him now. Marcellis and Affelay are good players too but you've probably heard of them, Marcellis looks like Van Bommel in appeareance, Affelay is also Dutch Moroccan, but he is tied down to the Dutch national team. Their strikers are interesting, Danko Lazovic (serbian) used to be great til about 1 year ago, and now they have a Swedish player Toivenen, who is good but has temper issues. Sorry for the typing, am on a Cyrillic keyboard hence the dodgy spelling...

[superfrank]

Alex Witsel got an eleven match ban which was reduced to eight on appeal.

http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=882636.html?cid=rssfeed&att=index

[DeLorean]

Barcelona Real Madrid was good last night. Barca with most of the ball but Real the more dangerous team I felt, and unlucky to lose. Real are still carrying a few passengers though, Lass Diarra, Marcelo and Arbeloa to name a few.

[gustavo]

Ibra proved his class last night anyway :)


Hard to see anyone but Chelsea conquering in England at this stage

[Acornvilla]

Suarez was top class for Groningen. I remember playing up front for them, but if he was playing in midfield then his goal haul in that one season at Groningen is even more impressive, I think he got something like 15.

good man yourself :)

[DeLorean]

Messi's hat-trick last night was incredible. It's hard to believe that he could manage to surpass what he did against Valencia the week before but it was probably even better, although the opposition were far worse I suppose. Argentina look in good shape for the World Cup with Messi, Higuain and Tevez all in top form. They've given up on comparing Messi to Ronaldo now, it's all Maradona at this stage.

[De Town]

The man is a magician. Gets better and better every week. Argentina would have a great shot at the world cup imo if they didn't have that clown as their manager, he's liable to do anything. Messi for top scorer is 20/1 I think. Him and Higuain up front together will be lethal.

[Stevo Da Gull]

The man is a magician. Gets better and better every week. Argentina would have a great shot at the world cup imo if they didn't have that clown as their manager, he's liable to do anything. Messi for top scorer is 20/1 I think. Him and Higuain up front together will be lethal.

The bits I saw of the man city game showed Tevez ripping Fulham apart pretty much single handedly. Maradonna is the only thing standing between this team and a World Cup IMO.

This Barca team is as good a team as there ever has been, I reckon.

[pineapple stu]

Maradonna is the only thing standing between this team and a World Cup IMO.
Not something you'd ever expect to hear!

[DeLorean]

This Barca team is as good a team as there ever has been, I reckon.

I would agree if they had some really top class defenders, well of the teams I've had the privilege of seeing. I'm not saying that they have a poor defence but there is a significant gulf in class between their top players and their lesser players. The AC Milan team over the late 80's early 90's were much more balanced in that regard so I'd give them the nod. The Juventus team of the mid 90's and Real Madrid team of the early 2000's are also worth a mention. Highlights videos is all I'd be going on to suggest the earlier Real Madrid team as well as the Ajax's and Bayern's of the past. Come to think of it though that was a serious Ajax team in the mid 90's.

[Closed Account 2]

I'd say Bayern of the mid/late 1990s was a better all round unit. Scholl, Effenberg, Basler, Matthaus, Strunz, Jeremies, Elber, Lizarazu, Sagnol and probably the best keeper of the modern era, Kahn.

[superfrank]

Maradonna is the only thing standing between this team and a World Cup IMO.
Totally agree but I have a feeling the players themselves could roll up their socks and do it their way, a la France in 2006.

[osarusan]

Despite losing 4-0 in the final, I think the Barca team of 1994 was one of the best I've ever seen.

FC BARCELONA

GK 1 Andoni Zubizarreta
RB 2 Albert Ferrer
CM 3 Josep Guardiola
CD 4 Ronald Koeman
CD 5 Miguel Ángel Nadal
CM 6 José Mari Bakero (c)
LB 7 Sergi Barjuán
CF 8 Hristo Stoichkov
RM 9 Guillermo Amor
CF 10 Romário
LM 11 Txiki Begiristain


Apart from Barjuan (who still had 265 games for Barca, and 56 for Spain), they are world-class players in every position.

[DeLorean]

Some team alright, I thought Sergi was a quality player as well. Surely a team has to win something significant to be in the running though? that was some hammering they took in the Final as well, it wasn't just a flattering 4-0 scoreline, Milan were worth every bit of it if I remember correctly. This is some line up as well:

AJAX 1995:

GK 1 Edwin van der Sar
RB 2 Michael Reiziger
CB 3 Danny Blind (c)
LB 5 Frank de Boer
DM 4 Frank Rijkaard
CM 6 Clarence Seedorf
CM 8 Edgar Davids
AM 10 Jari Litmanen
RW 7 Finidi George
CF 9 Ronald de Boer
LW 11 Marc Overmars

[bennocelt]

Despite losing 4-0 in the final, I think the Barca team of 1994 was one of the best I've ever seen.

FC BARCELONA

GK 1 Andoni Zubizarreta
RB 2 Albert Ferrer
CM 3 Josep Guardiola
CD 4 Ronald Koeman
CD 5 Miguel Ángel Nadal
CM 6 José Mari Bakero (c)
LB 7 Sergi Barjuán
CF 8 Hristo Stoichkov
RM 9 Guillermo Amor
CF 10 Romário
LM 11 Txiki Begiristain


Apart from Barjuan (who still had 265 games for Barca, and 56 for Spain), they are world-class players in every position.


What the hell - sure he was one of their world class players;)

[Infadel]

Could things get any worse for Juve losing 3-1 away to Napoli this evening. But interestingly enough Napoli and 4 other clubs are battling for the 4th spot in Serie A

[paudie]

Roma beat Inter this weekend 2-1. 2 goals from Luca Toni.

Roma now 1 point behind Inter.
Milan a further2 points behind

[paudie]

Bayern lost their second game in a row.

Schalke now 2 points ahead with 6 games to go.

[Closed Account 2]

Milan drew with Lazio so are now level on 62 pts with Roma, with Inter the one point ahead. I'd probably back Roma at this stage as they seem to have a bit more form to them.

I saw some of Real v Atletico last night, Raul is a massive drain on that club, why on earth he's anywhere near the first team I've no idea. He missed a complete sitter.

[DeLorean]

Milan are actually 2 points adrift of Roma, a win would have put them level. It's interesting to see Palermo occupying the 4th Champions League spot. Was watching some of the Madrid derby also, didn't think Raul's miss was that bad really, just couldn't reach it. He wasn't on long either so possibly would have been a bit sharper normally alright. I presume it's the one from Ronaldo's assist from the left you're referring to?

I was surprised that Bayern slipped to second, I was under the impression they were walking the league for some reason and hadn't seen the table in a while.

[Closed Account 2]

Indeed, they are 2 points behind Roma - I was looking at the live table before the Lichsteiner equaliser for Lazio.

INTER
Bologna (H)
Fiorentina (A)
Juventus (H)
Atalanta (H)
Lazio (A)
Chievo (H)
Siena (A)

I would expect Juve, Lazio and Fiorentina to be the hard games here.


ROMA
Bari (A)
Atalanta (H)
Lazio (A)
Samp (H)
Parma (A)
Cagliari (H)
Chievo (A)

Only really Lazio is the hard game here, maybe Samp is tricky, but at home they should be ok.


MILAN
Cagliari (A)
Catania (H)
Samp (A)
Palermo (A)
Fiorentina (H)
Genoa (A)
Juventus (H)

Fiorentina, Genoa, Juve and Palermo are all going for a CL place, also Samp away could be difficult.

Overall I think Roma will just edge out Inter, maybe on head to head, Milan's squad is old and as the season goes on this will become more and mor of a factor. Ranieri to pip Mourinho for Serie A.

I think things are done head to head in Italy if the teams are level
Inter have a better head to head vs Milan (1 win 1 draw)
Roma have a better head to head vs Inter (1 win 1 draw)
Milan have a better head to head vs Roma (1 win 1 draw)






Yeah on Raul it was the cross in from the near side (as the camera was positioned) towards the very end of the game, Ronaldo beat Pererea (Colombian defender at Atletico) and the cross was maybe 3-4 yards out, about knee height.

[DeLorean]

Roma are in a fantastic position alright looking at the fixtures. It's quite similar to the EPL actually. I'd put Inter in a similar position to Man Utd, slender lead but with a difficult run-in. The experience of being there before will help them though. Roma are similar to Arsenal in that their run-in is the easiest on paper but haven't been in this position in recent years. Chelsea are like Milan because they have players who have done it in the past but it's been a while and they are getting on in years.

[Closed Account 2]

Yeah that's true, the only thing about is none of the top three are playing each other. For instance the Man Utd Chelsea match has the look of a winner-takes-it all. I certainly think if Man Utd win it they will win the whole thing. If it's a draw (and say Chelsea dont beat Liverpool and Man Utd drop points at Man City) then Arsenal might be able to sneak it. Although each of the teams in Italy has a least one big game (e.g Inter v Juve, Roma v Lazio, Milan v Juve) none of them are 6 pointers, so none of the Italian teams have the ability to bury each other.