[Football/Soccer] Chamack to score 30 goals for West Ham

Arikado

So Podolski is joining Arsenal? Hmm...

Cristo

Yep and RvP's father already let the cat out of the bag and said he's staying in London in a recent interview.

On to M'Vila and we might actually make a push for the CC next season if we're lucky!

Maz-

I hope Podolski does well at Arsenal..but I do have my doubts.

He's definitely got all the skills one needs to succeed in the Premier League, the question is can he actually prove it on the pitch?

The thing you have to understand about Podolski is that he needs to feel 100% comfortable and that he needs constant support, if not babying, especially from the manager. If Wenger and Arsenal can provide that - fantastic, you'll have loads of fun with him. If not - he'll be back in Cologne within a year.

either,or

815165 wrote: »

I really like Roy Hodgson, but I imagine the press are going to slaughter him.

I think you're right, and it has started already. A few minutes ago on 5 live one of the bbc pundits was accusing him of not taking the job he doesn't have yet seriously, saying that it's astounding that the man who might be England manager isn't at the game in Manchester tonight. There were also a few front page newspaper headlines along the line of the FA had ignored the voice of the fans in passing over Redknapp. It hasn't all been negative, I've heard a few positive reactions but by and large the press haven't taken this news well.

Gosling

About to kick off. For the sake of parity, go City.

Gosling

City and United are playing each other about as hard as you can get without being outright dirty. United's locking things down pretty nicely but they've got to get the ball out of their end of the field a bit more often. City can't score if City doesn't get in range.

EDIT: And right there's what I meant. You give a team too many chances to score and sooner or later they're liable to break through.

The Judge

Boom, City up 1-0.

That many knocks on the door, you gotta figure it would open up at some point.

Edit: I am apparently a parrot sitting in a cage near Gosling's analysis desk.

Gosling

Annnnd things have stopped being hard-but-fair. It's getting nasty now. The social contract couldn't hold forever.

themightypuck

That's that. United have Sunderland away and City have Newcastle away. One figures City can win out given the stakes.

Xrdd

Maz- wrote: »

The thing you have to understand about Podolski is that he needs to feel 100% comfortable and that he needs constant support, if not babying, especially from the manager. If Wenger and Arsenal can provide that - fantastic, you'll have loads of fun with him. If not - he'll be back in Cologne within a year.

I'm not really sure what you're basing this on. I'm assuming his time at Bayern München? If so, that might not be entirely fair - it's just one data point and probably not a very good one, considering that he's far from the only player who has underperformed there.

Tav

That match was sadder than the start of Up.

either,or

Xrdd wrote: »

Maz- wrote: »

The thing you have to understand about Podolski is that he needs to feel 100% comfortable and that he needs constant support, if not babying, especially from the manager. If Wenger and Arsenal can provide that - fantastic, you'll have loads of fun with him. If not - he'll be back in Cologne within a year.

I'm not really sure what you're basing this on. I'm assuming his time at Bayern München? If so, that might not be entirely fair - it's just one data point and probably not a very good one, considering that he's far from the only player who has underperformed there.

It's a popular opinion amongst football people in Germany though, even Jogi Löw has to give him more support and reassurance than he would other members of the national side (he will no doubt have discussed the move to Arsenal with him before signing anything). A lot of Arsenal fans seem to be quite excited by his move though so he should have them on his side.

Speaking of Arsenal strikers, I hope Chamakh returns to Bordeaux in the summer. It hasn't worked out for him in England but he's still a good player and they need someone like him back to play alongside Gouffran.

Xrdd

either,or wrote: »

It's a popular opinion amongst football people in Germany though, even Jogi Löw has to give him more support and reassurance than he would other members of the national side (he will no doubt have discussed the move to Arsenal with him before signing anything).

I know, I've heard it before. It just doesn't seem to be based on much of anything.

evilbob

Adelaide v Bunyodkor tomorrow night. Reminiscing about the the last time we played them at Hindmarsh. Wonder if Andy Harper will be on commentary again.

evilbob

Also yay 11/12 blooper reel is up.

Maz-

Xrdd wrote: »

either,or wrote: »

It's a popular opinion amongst football people in Germany though, even Jogi Löw has to give him more support and reassurance than he would other members of the national side (he will no doubt have discussed the move to Arsenal with him before signing anything).

I know, I've heard it before. It just doesn't seem to be based on much of anything.

Well, he said it himself multiple times, so there's that.
In his first season back in Cologne he didn't really do too well either which was (probably) due to him not getting along with the manager at that time and due to the pressure he was facing - he's basically revered in Cologne and thus people expected nothing short of miracles from him, and that caused him to underperform.
And yeah, his spell at Bayern lends credence to that explanation as well. He can't really handle competition and has to know that his spot in the team is 100% secure, which obviously wasn't the case at Bayern. Thus he became frustrated and was rarely in the starting 11. What he should have done at that point was do everything he can to improve himself and his chances by giving it his all in training sessions, doing extra work and so on..but he didn't, complained that the manager ignores him and fled to Cologne.

Xrdd

Maz- wrote: »

Xrdd wrote: »

either,or wrote: »

It's a popular opinion amongst football people in Germany though, even Jogi Löw has to give him more support and reassurance than he would other members of the national side (he will no doubt have discussed the move to Arsenal with him before signing anything).

I know, I've heard it before. It just doesn't seem to be based on much of anything.

Well, he said it himself multiple times, so there's that.
In his first season back in Cologne he didn't really do too well either which was (probably) due to him not getting along with the manager at that time and due to the pressure he was facing - he's basically revered in Cologne and thus people expected nothing short of miracles from him, and that caused him to underperform.
And yeah, his spell at Bayern lends credence to that explanation as well. He can't really handle competition and has to know that his spot in the team is 100% secure, which obviously wasn't the case at Bayern. Thus he became frustrated and was rarely in the starting 11. What he should have done at that point was do everything he can to improve himself and his chances by giving it his all in training sessions, doing extra work and so on..but he didn't, complained that the manager ignores him and fled to Cologne.

You're still going from "underperformed at Bayern" to "needs constant babying" and that's a gigantic leap.

evilbob

0-0 but Adelaide are through. Qualified from the group stage for the third time in four attempts with a game to spare. Brisbane meanwhile have disgraced the league by already being eliminated.

Gosling

Because it wasn't already disgraced by losing two teams in the last two years with a third trying to commit suicide.

evilbob

To be fair those two were incredibly poorly planned expansion teams run by idiots one of whom wants to build the Titanic II. The Newcastle thing was mostly bs and has been sorted out. Nathan Tinkler will continue to own and run the Jets for the next 8 years.

evilbob

Also Clive Palmer claimed the CIA was funding Greenpeace to lobby the Labor party to kill the mining industry in Australia.

Now he's trying to run for parliament.

I actually feel sorry for him now. Starting to think he has an undiagnosed brain tumor or mental illness.

Gosling

In these parts, leagues don't get to make those kind of excuses. If you can't hang on to franchises that you just created, if you see clubs die off on two separate occasions in quick succession, you're going to look like a laughingstock and the media's going to start speculating about if and when the league's going to die off entirely. We've seen way too many small-time sports leagues go down that road.

evilbob

To be honest the rest of the world doesn't give two shits what happens with sports in america.

evilbob

And I'd get into the whole MLS has 0 clubs thing but it's nearly 4am here.

y2jake215

Have to say there's probably more worldwide fans of sports in America than Australia

evilbob

y2jake215 wrote: »

Have to say there's probably more worldwide fans of sports in America than Australia

And I claimed otherwise where?

oldmanken

Shut it assholes! Messi just broke Muller's record... That's what we need to talk about.

y2jake215

evilbob wrote: »

y2jake215 wrote: »

Have to say there's probably more worldwide fans of sports in America than Australia

And I claimed otherwise where?

evilbob wrote: »

To be honest the rest of the world doesn't give two shits what happens with sports in america.

y2jake215

Whatever, I don't particularly care either way. 68 goals. Jesus. How many games does he have left, max, in all competitions?

oldmanken

Not sure, but I would guess 3-4 games... I could see him cracking 70, if that's the case.

TheBlackWind

Damn, that's awesome.

Dehumanized

His dad's surely going to take him to Chuck E Cheeze after this one!

Dehumanized

Also this is pretty amazing

either,or

Papis Cisse scored an amazing goal tonight. Goal of the season!

Tav

Geoff Shreeves has just popped round to Crouch's house."Peter you've just lost out on goal of the season, you do know that?"

Shando

evilbob wrote: »

And I'd get into the whole MLS has 0 clubs thing but it's nearly 4am here.

I have to say, I'm genuinely interested in having you elaborate on this.

Dehumanized

Mindbogglingly good goal, still kinda prefer Crouch's goal because it never touched the ground

oldmanken

My god, Cisse's goal! Outside of the foot... Amazing!

Shando wrote: »

evilbob wrote: »

And I'd get into the whole MLS has 0 clubs thing but it's nearly 4am here.

I have to say, I'm genuinely interested in having you elaborate on this.

Probably comment on the fact that there are no clubs, just franchises. MLS owns everything. Silly point regardless...

The Judge

That thing broke several laws of physics.

Tav