Quote:
Originally Posted by d f x-
:D :DQuote:
Originally Posted by me
3-0. Easy, easy, easy, easy
These teams are a load of bs. Sao Paulo are the only decent side in it, and the only one capable of giving us a game. Even then, I fully expect us to beat them.
Sao Paolo aren't that great. They nearly got relegated last season when they won the Copa Libertadores.Quote:
Originally Posted by mypost
They may have been easier than expected to quote Crouch, but you must prepare for all eventualities. To prepare on the grounds of 'who's heard of them' or 'I've never heard of them so they must be shíte' is unprofessional in the extreme. The aura of triumphalism in your above post indicates such a lack of professionalism that I am comforted that Benitez does not have.
We prepared, we won 3-0 and we now move on and treat Sao Paulo in exactly the same manner.
In Saprissa's credit they came quite close on a few occassions to breaking Liverpool's clean sheet run. They were clearly well behind Liverpool in standard but did carve out a few chances. Granted a few of them were after Liverpool went 3 ahead.
That approach is straight out of the Brian Kerr coaching manual. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by d f x-
It's not triumphalism, it's reality. That shower of world-beaters couldn't live with European Champions. How long did it take to win, 2 minutes? They must be absolutely shi... if Peter Crouch scored against them, twice!! :eek:Quote:
The aura of triumphalism in your post.
So, after all the "other Champions" playing, it's back to the traditional battle for the World Club Championship between the European and South American Champions. Same as it always was and probably, always will be. The other sides are only there to make up the numbers.
Jesus, sounds like some sort of Euro-centric football social-Darwinism!:eek: Don't be surprised to see the Asian side cause an upset some year. There's an increasing investment by oil rich millionaires in Middle Eastern sides like Al Ittihad who only lost by a goal to Sao Paolo. Ok, I didn't see the game but I imagine they kept up to some standard in the match. They tried to sign Kaka and some other high profile star on loan exclusively for the tournament and had 3 Brazilians thrown off their squad as their registrations were rushed too late. The lads behind that club mean business for this tournament. My hope is that this tournament provides some sort of bar for the other continents to raise themselves to. I'm not quite sure the Middle Eastern clubs are going quite the right way about it. However for all I know they are building proper infrastructures while they attempt to lure in big stars.
From the other continents, well the Oceania representatives are only going to get weaker as Australia join the Asian confederation. I don't know if the African representatives can get any better due to the economic situation there. That said clubs like Al Ahly are massive in their own right and shouldn't be looked down upon due to your own footballing ignorance. To the best of my knowledge the CONCACAF Champions League is not taken seriously or competed properly at the moment due to it having next to no prize money on offer. Mexican sides haven't fared as well in it recently having only won 2 of the last 5. Mexican sides are of a decent standard though and have reached the latter stages of the Copa Libertadores since being invited to it in around 2000.
Blatter's heart with this tournament may be in the wrong place (either buying votes or having his ego drive him to make a competition to rival the CL) however I am for it. It gives all clubs in the world the chance to compete with the best and is an incentive for other countries to raise their standard to compete with them.
Sorry???? :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by Poor Student
Well, how far did 2 Asian sides get this year? 1 match. How far did the best of North/Central America get this year, before collapsing?? 1 game, and 2 minutes of another one. Granted, they have their chance, but in a competition like the WCC, the European and South American representatives, who have being doing this shindig for 40+ years, will chew them up and spit them out. Having teams from other confederations taking part, merely weakens the tournament, not improve it.Quote:
Don't be surprised to see the Asian side cause an upset some year. It gives all clubs in the world the chance to compete with the best and is an incentive for other countries to raise their standard to compete with them
This trip is a 2-week junket for FIFA bigwigs, and a chance to tap into the Japanese market for the clubs. There was talk that we would withdraw from it earlier in the year due to our fixture congestion, but we reluctantly took part, after the pre-season Jap tour had to be cancelled. We should beat SP, but win or lose, it doesn't matter one way or the other.Quote:
Blatter's heart with this tournament may be in the wrong place (either buying votes or having his ego drive him to make a competition to rival the CL) however I am for it.
LOL your the biggest windup merchant on this site :D pity you cant do it a bit more cleverly though......Quote:
Originally Posted by mypost
Can you back up your point as to why they weaken the tournament? id like to see you try!!!
Explain to us why the champions of each confederation should not have the right to play for the world club championship? How does this weaken the tournament?
Should costa rica and australia be thrown out of the world cup also because they weaken the WC?
Get some sense lad will ya!:rolleyes:
Condolences to Rafa on the sad passing of his father R.I.P.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drill...51216-0618.htm
Actually Sao Paulo finished in mid table. They won the Paulista Championship as well as the Libertadores. The Libertadores was the big one for them and they rested several players for Brasileiro games during the year, thus their lowly finish. They did have a good run during September and October but having come to the end of a very long season I doubt if they have the hunger or abilty to beat Liverpool. I hope SP do win but I think the way Liverpool are playing at the moment that they just won't be good enough. I can't see anyone beating the reds at the moment. (Now that's something I thought I'd never say!:eek: ).Quote:
Originally Posted by superfrank
Trust me, I don't want to reply for fear of more bull about the tournament from yourself, but I have to here...Quote:
Originally Posted by mypost
Excellent..:DQuote:
Jesus, sounds like some sort of Euro-centric football social-Darwinism
The only way these teams are going to get anywhere near the world beaters mypost desperately wishes is by playing in this tournament and getting gradually better rather writing them off as delinquents in the footballing world and emphasising the superiority complex some give to Europe and South American teams. This is not a junket, these are not friendlies, I would regard this as far more competitive than the Confederations Cup which is just a shameless preparation for the World Cup the following year and nothing else.
mypost has now come full circle and is blasé about playing Sao Paulo and anyone else it seems. Whereas the rational amongst us (everyone else) do not panic when we lose one match against a poorer team or sells one player he wanted to stay, mypost slaughters everyone and deems the manager incapable. When those same people proceed with caution and prepare properly for a game so that you can actually go and hammer them, mypost is questioning why they are even turning up because we're too good. When we are actually on a decent run with the tightest defensive run in the club's history, mypost dismisses it as irrelevant.
I do now not know how to continue a debate with mypost as he keeps changing tack from we are too great (for this tournament) to we are useless because we only beat "crap" teams convincingly. I cannot argue with someone going from one end of the scale to the other. I give up. JoeSemi, jockser, Poor Student, BGR and anyone else can soldier on if they so wish..
Not a botherQuote:
Originally Posted by jockser
The results tell their own story. These non European/South American teams are out of their depth. We play our first game in the tournament against Saprissa, and it's so easy that we're ahead after 2 minutes, and 2 up in half an hour!! God only knows how many Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, Milan, Juventus, River Plate and so on would hit them with, a cricket score probably.
Most of those teams feature local players. The South American teams have good players on show, the Europeans have players from the best countries in Europe, together with imports from other continents. It doesn't matter how many years the non Europeans/South Americans play tournaments like this, they are both technically, and tactically inferior to the heavyweights, and always will be. That is the reality, as shown once again this time. Get rid of that tournament, and bring back the Intercontinental Cup Final.Quote:
Originally Posted by dfx
I regard the Confed Cup along the same lines as this tournament. It's a cash cow for the big clubs, and a handy holiday for the FIFA beaks. Oh, and after that, there is also some football played. :rolleyes: Sides receiving byes, 5th/6th place play-off, wtf?? :confused:Quote:
This is not a junket, these are not friendlies, I would regard this as far more competitive than the Confederations Cup.
Did I slaughter the boss for selling Baros?? Did I slaughter the boss for losing at Fulham?? Far from it. You only have to take the case of SG, to hand. I was the one who defended him last season, while others wanted him sold, to "rebuild the side". One poster here dismissed him as a sulking prima donna, who he didn't want near our club. On the contrary, Stevie has been once again the engine and heartbeat of the side during this season. Buying 5 new players in the summer, wouldn't have replaced his influence on the pitch. Far from been a sulking prima donna, the guy is irreplaceable.Quote:
Whereas the rational amongst us do not panic when we lose one match against a poorer team or sells one player he wanted to stay, mypost slaughters everyone and deems the manager incapable.
I said it was all very well beating poor teams, but what we need to do is beat our rivals. I don't want us playing 1 man upfront in home games, I don't want to be thrashed by a title rival at home, I don't want to waste €10 million on a "striker" who, far from being a goal-machine, takes no less than 5 months to open his account.Quote:
When we are actually on a decent run with the tightest defensive run in the club's history, mypost dismisses it as irrelevant.
FYI, I never dismissed the run as irrelevant, I said it was expected. Of course we should beat Portsmouth, West Ham, Sunderland, Wigan, etc, etc. Anything else in those games is failure. Games against the teams around us, are ones that will determine where we finish in the league. Not facile wins against sides whose only ambition is to beat the drop.
Two comments:
1. Gerrard last season was irreplaceable. An irreplaceable prima donna.
2. Did you want Baros to stay? If not, then why would you complain? Or maybe it's Smicer I'm on about. Maybe you wanted him to stay..:rolleyes:
Otherwise, no comment.
Sao Paolo's manager claimed that if you put a European team into the Copa Libertadores, they would struggle in it. He said that if you put a south American team in the Champions league, they would do very well and have a good chance of winning it:eek:.
:D :DQuote:
Originally Posted by sligoman
Next joke?? :D
Why did the chicken cross the road?;)Quote:
Originally Posted by mypost
Because there was no zebra crossing?:p
How are they bound to be technically and tactically inferior forever? The progress in both of these areas in continents and countries outwidth Europe and South America even over the last two decades has been immense. How can you abitrarily deny the overwhelming majority of the world the right to compete against the best clubs in the world?:confused: You would deny them this for the sake of two clubs playing 1 extra match? I think you mentioning 2 Asian sides only highlights your ignorance and dismissiveness of the other clubs. Care to show me the 2nd Asian side?Quote:
Originally Posted by mypost
By the way, I guess Palace don't deserve to be in the football league after conceding a goal in under 30 seconds today against Plymouth eh? What a silly specious argument.
Yes dfx, that's it well done:rolleyes:. :D.Quote:
Originally Posted by d f x-
Yaaaaayyy:cool: :p