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The Ultimate FOOTBALL Thread (04/05)


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It wouldnt surprise me if Owen came back to Anfield - if Gerrard stays then I think it could happen. Ian Rush did the same thing in similar circumstances at Juventus. Owen is clearly not happy at Real, I think Real is full of BS politics and there is no way Owen could become 1st choice behind Ronaldo ('best player in the world' TM) and Raul (club captain). All the staff at Real keep saying he is 'quiet.' When Raul was taken off in extra time against Juve last week he was obviously well pissed off that Owen was coming on for him. I just think its a no win situation and even though he has done amazingly well that isnt gonna change and he will see that and move on to a club where he will be first choice, and get the experience he needs before the world cup. But would he be 1st choice at Chelsea? Probably not - Liverpool seems a better bet.

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Dunno really. Both teams have improved a lot since the earlier meeting at SJP in November. ManYoo won that one 3-1, but it was a debatable pen that turned the game at 2-1 and the third came in stoppage time. That game was pretty much the start for ManYoos good run.

 

To beat them, we'll have to stick Nicky Butt (!)on Scholes, who always does well against Newcastle, and hope Ruud is still rusty. You've got to fancy the reds, but it's the Cup, so anything can happen.

 

It would be great to see Shearer lift the Cup, but we'll have to do it the hard way, beating Chelsea, ManYoo, and then probably Arsenal.

 

If you want yet more musings about sports but mainly football, try listening to Fighting Talk on Five Live. You can download or stream it from their website. Sometimes it's quite funny.

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\:D

 

---

 

And now for news on DEADLY DIEGO!!!

 

Forlan reigns in Spain

By Simon Austin

 

GOLDEN SHOE 2004/5

 

38 pts Thierry Henry (Arsenal) & Vincenzo Montella (Roma)

36 pts Marek Mintal (Nurnberg) & Andy Johnson (Crystal Palace)

34 pts Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona)

31.5 pts Dirk Kuijt (Feyenoord)

30 pts Diego Forlan (Villareal) & Ricardo Oliveira (Real Betis)

 

As of 1 March 2005

Points awarded depending on quality of domestic league

 

 

A glance at the contenders for this season's Golden Shoe reveals many of the names you would expect to see competing for the title of Europe's top goalscorer.

 

Seasoned hotshots Thierry Henry and Vincenzo Montella lead the race with 19 goals apiece, giving them a score of 38 points.

 

But the name in seventh place prompts a second look: Diego Forlan.

 

Surely not the same Diego Forlan who went 27 games before scoring for Manchester United and was something of a joke figure during his two-and-a-half seasons at Old Trafford?

 

Well, yes. Forlan is the second-highest scorer in the Spanish league this season and one of the main reasons why his unfashionable club, Villareal, are fourth in La Liga.

 

The 25-year-old Uruguayan puts his transformation down to having had a run of games in the first team and enjoying the backing of his coach, Manuel Pellegrini.

 

"Footballers all over the world need to have confidence from the coach," he told BBC Sport.

 

"They need to have minutes on the pitch. If you are a substitute and only play for a couple of minutes, it's difficult to settle in.

 

"Every coach has his own players. Maybe I was not the player that Sir Alex (Ferguson) liked, which is fair enough. He can choose - that's why he's the manager.

 

"But here I am getting a lot of time on the pitch and I know the coach has faith in me."

 

Forlan joined United from Argentine side Independiente for £7.5m in January 2002.

 

 

Forlan scored 17 goals for United

"If you come from a long distance and everything is new and different, you are going to struggle," he said.

 

"But I was very happy because I was at a great club with a great manager. I was only 22 and I was learning.

 

"Yet the years went past and still I was not getting a chance. I was training well, then come the Saturday or Sunday I wasn't in the team.

 

"I would come on and have a chance and score and then I would find myself on the bench.

 

"Sometimes I was not even on the bench - I could see I was losing support."

 

Forlan says he knew his time was up when Ferguson signed Louis Saha from Fulham last January.

 

"I was not surprised they were willing to sell me because I could see things coming.

 

"Saha was signed and then I was not getting many minutes on the pitch.

 

"You need to play as the career of the football player is short - that's why I wanted to move on.

 

"You don't like seeing the games from the outside."

 

Despite his testing time at United, Forlan says he still holds the club and its manager in the highest regard.

 

"I was on very good terms with Sir Alex, even at the end. He was perfect - a nice person and a great manager.

 

"He understood my position and he let me go because he knew it was going to be difficult for me to play.

 

"And the fans were great. From the moment I arrived in Manchester they were supportive and I appreciated that.

 

 

Riquelme is a great player - he can do everything

 

Diego Forlan

"I spoke with everyone in the team - they were nice guys. I had a good relationship with Mikael Silvestre, Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, John O'Shea and Kleberson.

 

"I was really happy in England. Maybe the weather was not as I would have liked but I had friends and settled in."

 

Forlan is already Villareal's leading scorer in a season in the top flight of Spanish football, with 17 goals.

 

He has been flourishing on the service of Argentine winger Riquelme.

 

"Riquelme is a great player, a great talent. He's a great passer and knows how to read and control the game.

 

"He can do everything - keep the ball, shoot and score goals. He really is a great player."

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with Liverpool's current situation I would gladly welcome back Micheal Owen! I do think he sneaked out the back door, but hell we need him now.

 

Cant wait for these FA Cup games, I am rooting for Newcastle now, seeing as they are my local team. Everyone here hated Souness last month/6 weeks ago, and I was telling people to give him a chance - and now look how they are doing! No wonder Newcastle never do well when their fans are so abrasive.

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Newcastle had Saha on loan before he went to Fulham. He didn't look the part back then.

 

Newcastle also had Jon Dahl Tomasson for three quarters of a season before he made it big in Serie A. They let him go after one goal in close to twenty games. Problem was he got stuck up front by himself. We sold Les Ferdinand, and then two days later Shearer got badly injured in a preseason game at Everton. JDT is a hole-type player like Sheringham, not an out and out striker.

 

Its certainly true that a lot of Newcastle fans would like to see Souness, and by extension Newcastle, fail just to vindicate their opinion of him. He came as about 15th choice and an established rep for getting on the wrong side of players, so there is is a strong "I didn't want him in the first place" faction. I missed lots of 90s football, so my strongest impression of Souness is as a player. He was the Keano of his day, if slightly less mad. One European Cup game where he got a hat-trick from outside the box particularly sticks in the memory.

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I'm glad Souness is doing well, he was one player and I've always 'not disliked' Newcastle (when they're not playing us or challenging for honours) lol.gif That should be a fine match.

 

As for Owen - I'd really rather there be someone else 'good' come in other than Owen. I wonder how good Owen is, and will be....

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What drama!!?

 

Saw that Jose article, he sure is entertaining whether you like him or hate him.

 

I think Owen was/is always over-rated, did he really think he'd be in the first team over there? It seems as though he rushed into it without t hinking.

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Hey 11 points ahead again connackers.... feeling pretty confident?

 

If those pesky CRYSTAL PALACE yobbos hadn't got a draw, things might be a big different. mad.gif

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I reckon it`s ours now. Can`t see Arsenal or ManU putting the run needed to catch us if we do slip up. It`s going to be a great battle for 2nd though.

 

Crystal Palace - legends! Just a shame no one has the guts to support them.....

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Looks like Koji Nakata has made a big impression on his debut for Troussier's team in France.

 

Not for the right reasons though.

 

10160386214jt.gif

 

No trick photography here folks. That's him kicking the air Charlie Brown style.

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Interesting article on Real Madrid here

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/european/story.jsp?story=620133

 

We sure as hell don't need/want Owen. He can go back to Scouseland with his tail between his little legs.

 

The Liverpool game yesterday was apparently the most boring tedious game of football ever. In the world. Ever. By far.

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Interesting draw. I`d say we`ve both got a fair chance there, and the really dangerous Milan teams playing each other, very interesting.

 

Good result for you over the weekend. The battle for second and fourth`s going to be class!

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