So... no World Cup thread yet? (also featuring TTLG fantasy world cup game) - by D'Arcy
Paz on 31/5/2006 at 18:45
Not sure about that. Paraguay have a small defence and relatively short goalkeeper - they're pretty damn worried about the Crouchasaurus. Don't forget the hilarious "lifting Michael Owen up so he can score" vs Argentina either.
I think the phenomena of "extremely tall player not being great at heading" needs more examination though.
Crouch, Francis, Ormondroyd .. not a particularly decent header amongst them - why? Did they have it far too easy during their schooldays and never learn how to jump?
Myoldnamebroke on 31/5/2006 at 18:53
We'll just turn to Owen Hargreaves.
Medlar on 31/5/2006 at 21:48
Hey Iggs, I think you should take that join code off and put it out by PM. Last year we got trolls on the fantasy league by posting it on here.
D'Arcy on 31/5/2006 at 22:53
Quote Posted by Strontium Dog
So why is it that when the topic comes on to Peter Crouch, people can't help themselves focusing on the negatives in his game? How about focusing on the fact that he holds the ball up better than any other player England have, or his excellent technique, or the fact that he rarely wastes possession, or his cute flicks and backheels, or even the fact that his sheer physical presence unsettles defenders like only a 6 foot 7 giant can?
But don't you think that his presence on the field sometimes has a tendency to condition too much the style of play of his team? I mean, it kind of gives me the impression that the adversaries already know in advance that his team will start using him as a target man for long balls.
I say this because of the Liverpool vs.Benfica tie in the CL, which was the best opportunity I had to watch Crouch play. I was a lot more wary of players like Garcia or Cissé (btw, I really like Cissé, and believe that Liverpool isn't getting the best out of him, mostly because he plays so many times on the right wing) than of Crouch. Take the game at Anfield: the first 20-25 minutes we were suffocated by Liverpool, when you created several goal chances, mostly from quick passes between the forward players. However, after Simão's goal, Liverpool changed the system to this 'Crouch is our target man, let's feed him long ball after long ball', and he was more or less an easy prey for our center backs, which meant that Liverpool was never able to create the same danger they did before switching to that strategy.
Paz on 31/5/2006 at 23:53
Quote Posted by Medlar
Hey Iggs, I think you should take that join code off and put it out by PM. Last year we got trolls on the fantasy league by posting it on here.
Well remembered!
Iggles and I have removed the code from our respective posts. He's going away on a magical journey for the next couple of weeks, but anyone who still wants to join can pm me for the SUPER SECRET COMBINATION :)
zacharias on 1/6/2006 at 04:27
Getting called a troll by Strontium Dog of all people, is fucking beautiful in a perverse way.
I probably am in relation to Liverpool.
With that said though i don't think many neutrals would rate Liverpool's success that highly in the last 5 years (that really odd champs league final is the only exception). These days its really Domestic League and/or Champs League that a team is really judged on (so Barca do look quite a bit more impressive recently according to that criteria). The others, League/FA and even UEFA cups really don't mean that much these days. They're consolation silverware. Harsh maybe, but i'd say that for any supposedly top team that won them, not just Liverpool.
Paz, i didn't mean to say that breaking into the league is easy..what i meant to say is that skillwise, heaps of people would have the potential to play at premiership level. Very few do actually make it (plus as you say imports reduce this number) so its kind of a lottery. Thats really all i'm saying.
Brian The Dog on 1/6/2006 at 08:54
Quote Posted by zacharias
These days its really Domestic League and/or Champs League that a team is really judged on (so Barca do look quite a bit more impressive recently according to that criteria). The others, League/FA and even UEFA cups really don't mean that much these days. They're consolation silverware.
I'm sure Stronts will be happy to donate some of those trophies to (
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/mansfield_town/default.stm) my club :ebil:
I too have joined the league, and expect to do as well as Paraguay...
SD on 2/6/2006 at 12:52
Quote Posted by D'Arcy
But don't you think that his presence on the field sometimes has a tendency to condition too much the style of play of his team? I mean, it kind of gives me the impression that the adversaries already know in advance that his team will start using him as a target man for long balls.
I see where you are coming from, but I think that the tendency to use that direct style of play is very much a "Plan B" thing. It's not something you would want to see employed for the entire 90 minutes, certainly, but the good thing about Crouch is that he is also adept with the ball at his feet, which isn't something you could say about most target men.
I do recall the Benfica game, in which we could have scored about 8 times in the first half-hour, but once your mob scored, our lads definitely went to Plan B a lot quicker than they should have. I guess it was more desperation than anything else. Certainly those games against Benfica were among the worst we played all season.
Quote:
I was a lot more wary of players like Garcia or Cissé (btw, I really like Cissé, and believe that Liverpool isn't getting the best out of him, mostly because he plays so many times on the right wing) than of Crouch.
Cisse is going to be sold this summer. He has some good traits (notably pace and an explosive shot) but far too many bad ones to be considered a top quality striker.
For starters, he is without a shadow of a doubt the most brainless footballer I have ever seen. If I had a pound for every time he was unnecessarily caught offside this season, I'd be a wealthy man.
Secondly, he is the laziest player at the club. He never works to recover a lost ball, instead preferring to castigate his team-mates with his hands on his hips. If he spent half as much time chasing loose balls as he did moaning, he might be dangerous.
Thirdly, while I have mentioned his explosive shot, the chances of the ball actually ending up on target are dwarfed by the chances of it ending up in Row Q of the stands. His finishing is mediocre at best.
Tomi on 2/6/2006 at 13:01
Quote Posted by Naartjie
anybody remember Mixu Paatelainen...?
How could I forget? ;) One of my favourite Finnish players of all time. He might have not been that good technically, but I liked his "never give up" attitude.
What happened to his son (Markus, I think), by the way? He got really badly injured a few months ago and nearly had to have his leg amputated ... haven't heard any news about him after that, I hope he's recovering from the injury. :confused:
+ I hope Togo will win the World Cup.
