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Post by greyman on Oct 25, 2017 13:10:56 GMT
Just watching a profile of Thiery Henry...What a player. What would everyones all time XI be. Do 2 selections... English all time XI. Non English XI. ENGLISH... GK Seaman. Back 4... G Neville. Ferdinand. Terry. Adams. Midfield. Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, Scholes. Strikers. Shearer, Andy Cole. Non English. GK Schmeichel. Back 4, Kompany Irwin, Gallas, Abdul Faye. Mid Field Ronaldo, Roy Keane, Giggs, Vierra. Strikers. Henry Zola That midfield never worked when it actually existed
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Post by greyman on Oct 20, 2017 12:19:16 GMT
She was dropped for no other reason than she is no longer good enough It's the same with cycling all happy until their not selected then they have been bullied I will lay odds they don't return the medals the so called coaches helped them win We all in our time have been abused in some manner during are working life's To achieve a change we have to stand up there and then not bleat about months after leaving Stop repeating a lie. Not even the FA say she was dropped for not being good enough. The official reason was "unlioness behaviour" at a previous training camp. She did, she followed the "confidential" process, and was dropped within a fortnight. What I don't get is why people can't see stuff like this in context. Would what happened be a problem in ANY working environment? The answer is yes. And if the bosses at that workplace dealt with it in the way those at the FA have dealt with it, would it probably become a legal or tribunal issue? Again, yes. A line manager making comments like this to an employee is stupid at best and if you don't agree, you probably think The Office was a documentary. I don't know whether Mark Sampson is really a racist or a sexist or whatever. I've always thought he came across as a berk, and that would seem to be in line with the comments he made. The real problem seems to be with the people at the FA at the most senior level, who've handled it all appallingly, and just kept digging a bigger and bigger hole for themselves.
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Post by greyman on Oct 5, 2017 20:40:10 GMT
First proper bit of quality all game. Great cross from Walker and great movement and touch from Kane. Worst possible outcome. Just fosters even more complacency amongst a group of players who really couldn't give a shit because they know they'll be picked anyway.
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Post by greyman on Oct 5, 2017 20:37:56 GMT
Trying to deflect criticism obviously. He'll be starting in goal for the World Cup even if he performs in clownshoes for the rest of the season. We're screwed.
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Post by greyman on Oct 5, 2017 20:28:23 GMT
A good save? That must be worth an extra 30 caps.
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Post by greyman on Oct 5, 2017 20:09:42 GMT
No. We need to lose. Otherwise we go into yet another tournament thinking this lot give a shit. The whole thing needs to change. They do give a shit. Things do need to change but nobody wants anything to be different. I include fans in that too. Everybody wants things to be different. Drop them all until they do give a shit because their sponsors discard them. They'd care then.
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Post by greyman on Oct 5, 2017 20:02:44 GMT
If it stays like this we qualify but the frisson of a winning goal would be nice. No. We need to lose. Otherwise we go into yet another tournament thinking this lot give a shit. The whole thing needs to change.
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Post by greyman on Oct 5, 2017 19:58:04 GMT
Which is what happens when Henderson does his "I'm Stevie Gerrard" impression. Thing is Joe if your midfield dynamo can only pass it sideways or backwards with any accuracy then he should be with a team like Stoke and then he'd get nowhere near the England side. Agree. But who else is there really? Dearth of possibilities. What we need is a manager who drops the entire fucking team, but not before phoning their sponsors first so they can pull the deals with them. Fuck the lot of them. And the manager.
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Post by greyman on Oct 5, 2017 13:16:47 GMT
The worst one for that is Martin Keown. Why he's allowed to comment on Arsenal games I have no idea. Just look at what a tit he made of himself about their disallowed goal against us. haha yeah.. he contradicted himself so much he got cognitive dissonance! the look on his face was hilarious .. only a 'foot' offside lol Literally making the rules up as he went along.Started off arguing that a little bit offside is onside. Ended up arguing that if you can't tell how the official called it correctly, then he called it incorrectly. Now would these new ad hoc rules apply to a team playing against Arsenal? Of course not and that's why he shouldn't comment on Arsenal games.
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Post by greyman on Oct 5, 2017 5:27:37 GMT
In what way is he a Stoke legend? Decent player and local lad, but doesn't seem to have had a good word to say about the club since 1980. Take your point, legend might be over egging it, he didn't have a long playing career with us. Mind he does get a thread on here nearly every week! There's times I've been disappointed he hasn't put in a word for us, or he's criticised us (maybe we earned it?); but I'm sure I've heard him speak well of us as well, even with affection sometimes. I've always put his lack of enthusiasm about us down to professional neutrality - which he's better at than a certain Leicester fan I can think of! The worst one for that is Martin Keown. Why he's allowed to comment on Arsenal games I have no idea. Just look at what a tit he made of himself about their disallowed goal against us.
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Post by greyman on Oct 4, 2017 22:59:33 GMT
Dunner agree with Garth about Southampton, and I didn't even see the match! Respect the bloke though; Stoke legend. Weird how some folk seem have a cob on :/ .. watevs .. doubt he'll lose sleep over it. It's only the oatie In what way is he a Stoke legend? Decent player and local lad, but doesn't seem to have had a good word to say about the club since 1980.
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Post by greyman on Sept 27, 2017 20:58:07 GMT
There are a lot of clubs in that category and when you look at the ones who've fallen into the conference and lower, it could happen to any of them. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that a club like Vale could make the Premier League but far more likely they'll go down the trapdoor. If I were Vale, what I'd worry about is the upkeep on that stadium. It's already too big for them and it'll be like an anvil if they go into non League. A club like Vale has already made the PL grey, they are are called Bournemouth and i hope they go down as well That's why I say it's possible. It's just far more likely that the ground opens up for them. If they go, they may never recover in their current form.
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Post by greyman on Sept 27, 2017 17:22:11 GMT
Their fan board is asking for fans to protest but very few takers, I really believe they are doomed, Stockport were bigger than them by a way..... In what way? Similar fan bases I think. There are a lot of clubs in that category and when you look at the ones who've fallen into the conference and lower, it could happen to any of them. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that a club like Vale could make the Premier League but far more likely they'll go down the trapdoor. If I were Vale, what I'd worry about is the upkeep on that stadium. It's already too big for them and it'll be like an anvil if they go into non League.
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Post by greyman on Sept 26, 2017 14:39:03 GMT
I'll always remember him having a complete meltdown on a phone in show with a fan. Completely humiliated himself.
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Post by greyman on Sept 25, 2017 18:10:37 GMT
Nope. There's something wrong with you sunshine. Quick bit of arithmetic suggests you've posted about 24 times a day, every day, for eleven years. That's a lot of whinging and moaning during the most consistently successful period in the club's history. If people like you didn't post such bollocks maybe I could have a rest? 😂 Seriously though. Do you not sometimes think it isn't normal?
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Post by greyman on Sept 25, 2017 9:21:27 GMT
It's got everything to do with that. Even when we win, people like you moan. Because you want the club to fail. There is no other explanation for it. Pointing out we got lucky with decisions isn't moaning, I was happy with the result. That's a relief. We didn't get lucky with the performance though, did we?
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Post by greyman on Sept 25, 2017 8:35:32 GMT
It's got everything to do with that. Even when we win, people like you moan. Because you want the club to fail. There is no other explanation for it. What absolute bollocks!! Nope. There's something wrong with you sunshine. Quick bit of arithmetic suggests you've posted about 24 times a day, every day, for eleven years. That's a lot of whinging and moaning during the most consistently successful period in the club's history.
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Post by greyman on Sept 25, 2017 0:54:21 GMT
The important thing is we always should moan about what the opposition may or may not have got. Hopefully Stoke will be relegated soon and then a few people can have their moment. Some people won't be happy till it happens then they can crow about it. You asked the question, it was answered, if the ref had done his job they'd have got two pens, its got fuck all to do with wanted to be relegated blah blah blah. It's got everything to do with that. Even when we win, people like you moan. Because you want the club to fail. There is no other explanation for it.
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Post by greyman on Sept 24, 2017 19:18:24 GMT
And what luck did you think we got against Arsenal? A correct offside decision? They should have had 2 penos for a start. The important thing is we always should moan about what the opposition may or may not have got. Hopefully Stoke will be relegated soon and then a few people can have their moment. Some people won't be happy till it happens then they can crow about it.
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Post by greyman on Sept 24, 2017 4:54:49 GMT
And what luck did you think we got against Arsenal? A correct offside decision? Diouf penalty decision. Just for a moment there, it looked like you were the sort of negative person who really, really wants Stoke to do badly for some reason.
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Post by greyman on Sept 23, 2017 20:38:53 GMT
It wouldn't have made a scrap of difference to the result. But he should have walked and Mike Dean is a massive cunt. Lady Luck balances out today we got some against Arsenal but not today . And what luck did you think we got against Arsenal? A correct offside decision?
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Post by greyman on Sept 23, 2017 18:01:18 GMT
All you need to know is that the moment it became apparent that Dean was going to let him off, the Chelsea bench immediately called the players over to sub Alonso. Dean bottled it, Conte knew it and knew wouldn't do it a second time.
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Post by greyman on Sept 22, 2017 23:24:22 GMT
The Boatcake on the canal. Via The Gardeners
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Post by greyman on Sept 22, 2017 19:52:29 GMT
From today's Times
In December, Antonio Conte did something audacious — and significant. He sanctioned the sale, to Chinese club Shanghai SIPG, of Oscar: a key member of Chelsea’s title-winning team of 2014-15, a Brazil regular, and a player, at 25 years old, of peak-career age.
He did so despite having an extremely small number of first-team players for a title-contending side, and despite the fact that Oscar was an important part of a large Lusophone contingent in the Chelsea dressing room, also including David Luiz, Willian, Diego Costa and the reserve goalkeeper Eduardo. But Conte had seen which way football’s tactical sands were shifting and come to a realisation: the traditional No 10 was dying.
For a period beginning with the emergence of 4-2-3-1 as football’s most popular formation in around 2008, the position of No 10, or central attacking midfielder, was arguably the most important attacking position in the game, the main creative fulcrum in the football’s default formation, a brief usually filled by a team’s most gifted playmaker.
Last season though, particularly in the Premier League, something interesting happened. Genuine No 10s playing in their natural position became a rarity. Of the foremost exponents of the position in the English top flight, Oscar was sold, Kevin de Bruyne was often deployed in a deeper position as a central midfielder, and Philippe Coutinho, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Christian Eriksen generally played in wider roles. Mesut Özil and Dele Alli both finished the season as inside forwards. The overall picture was clear: this was a season of adapt-or-die for traditional No 10s.
The USA head coach Bruce Arena went as far as declaring: “There really aren’t No 10s anymore. There’s no such thing in the modern game today because the game is much faster, all players kind of attack. Guys that play in the midfield have responsibilities on both sides of the ball.”
Why did No 10s fall out of favour? In part because a certain type of player — an advanced playmaker without defensive responsibilities, a sort of luxury-item attacker — became incompatible with a game increasingly focused around pressing in advanced areas of the pitch. “Think about the passes you have to make to get a player in a No 10 role in a position where he can play the genius pass,” Jürgen Klopp, a notable No 10-sceptic, has said. “Counter-pressing lets you win back the ball nearer to the goal. It’s only one pass away from a really good opportunity. No playmaker in the world can be as good as a good counter-pressing situation.”
The 3-4-2-1 formation effectively sacrifices the No 10 from a crowded area of the pitch for a third centre back. The other two centre backs can split into wider positions allowing the full backs to play more advanced as wing backs thus freeing up the wide midfielders to play in more central areas where they can inflict the most damage upon the oppositionThe 3-4-2-1 formation effectively sacrifices the No 10 from a crowded area of the pitch for a third centre back. The other two centre backs can split into wider positions allowing the full backs to play more advanced as wing backs thus freeing up the wide midfielders to play in more central areas where they can inflict the most damage upon the opposition But also for another reason. Let’s be frank: wingers haven’t really been wingers for a long time now. In the last ten years, traditional, touchline-hugging, crossing wingers have become devalued currency. The prototypical modern wide player generally operates on the opposite flank and is much more comfortable cutting inside towards the dangerous central areas of the pitch than taking a full back on out wide.
Here’s one “problem” with 4-2-3-1 and No 10s. If you’ve got a wide man cutting inside from the right, and a wide man cutting inside from the left, and a No 10 operating centrally, that’s a lot of players occupying the same space. This is where 3-4-2-1 and inside forwards come in.
3-4-2-1 is the hot new formation du jour in the Premier League. Chelsea have used it pretty much exclusively since switching to a back three last September. Arsenal have employed it since their move to a back three in April. At Tottenham Hotspur, Mauricio Pochettino has used it in combination with 4-2-3-1, but the signing of Davinson Sánchez suggests he’s looking to a future with the 3-4-2-1 system. It is also the preferred formation this season of Everton and Stoke City, and may well be West Ham’s too for the foreseeable future after their improved displays against Huddersfield and West Bromwich Albion.
By comparison to 4-2-3-1, 3-4-2-1 effectively sacrifices a somewhat redundant trequartista for a centre back. This allows for greater security and flexibility at the back, where you now have enough centre backs for one to split out wide to cover an attack down the channels. It also means that the full backs are pushed up to become wing-backs, which suits the modern wide defenders that most teams have at their disposal, who are primarily attacking assets rather than defensive players.
It’s further forward that things get really interesting though. In the three-quarter, or attacking midfield positions between the defensive midfielders and the striker, three players become two. Instead of having a right “winger”, a No 10 and a left “winger”, you have two players stationed somewhere between the central position that would be occupied by a No 10 and the wide position occupied by a winger — in what might be termed, in an echo of the terminology of the first half of the 20th century, the inside-forward positions.
Because of the popularity of 3-4-2-1, inside forward is now the position being filled by some of the most talented and creative attacking midfielders in the Premier League and beyond. Eden Hazard and Pedro play there for Chelsea, Alli and Eriksen play there for Tottenham, Özil and Alexis Sánchez for Arsenal. Hoffenheim have used Nadiem Amiri and Andrej Kramaric in the inside-forward positions, and Atalanta have played Jasmin Kurtic and Josip Ilicic there. Roberto Martinez has played 3-4-2-1 with Kevin De Bruyne and Dries Mertens in the inside-forward roles for Belgium, and Serbia have employed the formation consistently with Dusan Tadic and Filip Kostic as the inside forwards. Both sides are unbeaten in World Cup qualifying.
The inside forward position, essentially, allows modern wide players to do what they are good at. Rather than getting chalk on their boots and having to discharge the defensive duties that the wide position demands, they have the freedom to operate in more central positions where they can more easily shoot at goal or play a killer pass without having to make a long dribble infield. (It is perhaps no coincidence that the two leading goalscorers from outside the box over the past three Premier League seasons, Coutinho and Eriksen, have spent some of that period playing at inside forward.) They can flit between the lines of defensive structure while the wing backs provide the width and cover the flanks.
The graphic on the left displays Hazard’s touch map playing on the left in a 4-2-3-1 against Liverpool in the match before Conte switched to three at the back. The graphic on the right shows Hazard’s touch map playing as an inside forward in a 3-4-2-1 against Hull City in the match after Conte switched to a back three. Playing as an inside forward, Hazard is able to affect the game in more central areas The graphic on the left displays Hazard’s touch map playing on the left in a 4-2-3-1 against Liverpool in the match before Conte switched to three at the back. The graphic on the right shows Hazard’s touch map playing as an inside forward in a 3-4-2-1 against Hull City in the match after Conte switched to a back three. Playing as an inside forward, Hazard is able to affect the game in more central areas A look at Eden Hazard’s stats demonstrates this. In the period between the start of 2015-16 and the game against Arsenal in September last season, when he played largely out wide in a 4-2-3-1, Hazard averaged 1.9 open-play crosses per game, 1.8 shots, 0.20 goals and 0.10 assists. Since the switch to 3-4-2-1, Hazard’s crosses have almost halved, to 1.1 per game, but his shots have increased to 2.1 per game, and his production has shot up, averaging 0.50 goals and 0.18 assists in that period.
Interestingly, the presence of inside forwards is the main point of difference between Conte’s Chelsea and Conte’s Italy, who generally played a 3-5-2. That team was mightily effective and well-coached, but had little between-the-lines creativity (arguably because Conte didn’t have the necessary players at his disposal) and sometimes struggled to break down organised defences. At Euro 2016, Italy scored six goals in five games, but of those, one was a penalty; one came indirectly from a free-kick; three were scored after 87 minutes, against defences that were tired or overcommitted in search of an equaliser; and the remaining one came from a long ball by Leonardo Bonucci.
One of the authors of the trend for 3-4-2-1 (first popularised on these shores by Brendan Rodgers in his final full season at Liverpool, who famously told the media that he had conceived the idea of playing Coutinho and Adam Lallana as inside forwards in a 3am brainwave induced by tea and toast) was the former Swansea City coach Paulo Sousa, who used the system at Basle (including in one match against Rodgers’ Liverpool) and subsequently at Fiorentina, with Ilicic and Borja Valero as the inside forwards. Another key member of Sousa’s Fiorentina 3-4-2-1 was — drum roll — Marcos Alonso at left wing back, whose recruitment by Conte doesn’t look like such an accident in that context.
Like any formation, 3-4-2-1 has its weaknesses. If your wing backs get pinned back, it leaves you with very little width. As Everton have discovered, doing without a genuine winger — especially if your inside forwards aren’t blessed with pace — can neuter your threat on the counter. But 3-4-2-1 is undoubtedly here to stay, and with it a new, old position which allows adaptable No 10s and itinerant wide men to strut their stuff.
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Post by greyman on Sept 13, 2017 12:06:28 GMT
Newcastle Town are above Leek in the table, in fourth place. It's possible that two divisions will separate Newcastle and Vale next season.
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Post by greyman on Sept 11, 2017 10:57:15 GMT
I used to live in Liverpool, and would go and watch Tranmere quite a bit. Tranmere used to play on a Friday, so that Liverpool, and Everton fans could go there on a Friday, and to their main team on a Saturday. The relationship between the fans was good, and everyone benefitted. Not only did Tranmere get higher crowds, but Tranmere fans went to Goodison, or Anfield on the Saturday as well. That used to be the case in Stoke, I used to go to the odd Vale game, and a Vale friend of my dad's used to watch Stoke with us at the Vic. However the big difference is that Tranmere have never been in the same division as the other 2, so there is no real chance of rivalry. Unfortunately our time spent co-existing in the '90s has put paid to any chance of that. I think it's going to take generations for the damage in he '90s to be repaired, if ever I'm afraid. Me too. My lads don't get it when I tell them this, so Vale now have a whole generation of Stoke fans, plus old farts like me, who remember all the shit that suddenly came our way and now either couldn't care less or actively wish them harm.
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Post by greyman on Sept 11, 2017 10:53:30 GMT
I did have a look at the League Table and was a bit confused by it. So thought I'd just make it a bit less confusing for everybody. Here you go.
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Post by greyman on Sept 9, 2017 20:08:25 GMT
That'll save Lakeland Potter a bit of time. You making his point for him. God forbid people have a different opinion. The love in for Afellay is one of the more strange things on here. Given it took people an age to like a far superior player who was accused of doing what Afellay actually does. No. You're one of the more strange things on here.
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Post by greyman on Sept 9, 2017 11:05:04 GMT
Afellay is a quality player, I for one will be glad when he is back. He slows the game down way too much. He's not needed except for the last 15 minutes when a game is won to keep the ball. Ireland in this system at his best though would be good to watch. That'll save Lakeland Potter a bit of time. You making his point for him.
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Post by greyman on Sept 8, 2017 17:17:26 GMT
Ireland still needs to prove himself again, but the return of Afellay would be like a new signing. Great player.
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