Moneyball won't win the Premiership 2012-13

alec baldwin needs to go in to an arsenal defensive coachin session and glengarry the shit into em

i sort of agree with sam though, he was starting to show signs of the current decline, at liverpool. stroppiness and going missing in the odd game.

He was definitely declining, being subbed at bad times, dropped occasionally - he still had his powers, it was mostly teethgrinding management as I recall; though there was a prolonged period of him operating on weak hamstrings too, which you'd think might be a forewarning except he really doesn't seem to have lost his pace as such, just the opportunity and will to put it to use.

Of course it's laughable with hindsight that nine goals in his half-an-intermittent season under Hodgson was considered pretty baffling at the time.

i definitely recall his being played on tweaky hamstrings during big matches at the end of rafa' time there, when he didn't look fit nor to be enjoying himself

Oh yeah I'm not saying he turned into Emile Heskey. Just that seemed, even at the time, like something had obviously changed (incl. injuries and mood) and that he was making a shift down the scale. Its when he started to be less involved or less trusted w/ Spain too iirc? i may not rc

basically it just seems silly that a lot of the talk is torres based and chelsea may want to change the conversation to his defensive achievements more than a guy he might not be able to turn back the clock with.

Zonal marking though.

I'm busy this afternoon, but could somebody maybe trawl the old epl threads and put together a definitive timeline of Torres' winding down at Liverpool? Thanks.

Best regards.

He was definitely rubbish in the first half of the season before he moved to Chelsea. And then worse once he got there.

on it

Is it beyond the realms of possibility that Rafa might actually win the league with Chelsea? This season?

I mean he'd have to buy a striker in the transfer window and drop David Luiz forever but otherwise the personnel situation seems pretty well suited to him.

I'd say he'll have a real push for the title with them next year.

depends which striker(s) they get in January. Apparently they're trying to get Drogba back before then though

No, is the thing. It depends if the players are willing to run with it imo - if he's allowed to mould them and it happens fast, they could do. Also depends on the Manchester clubs not just winning every game tbf.

lol Ronan

they will wait until falcao/cavani can come in the summer imo. or pay an extra £15m to get one of them in january.

need four or five players obv

I'm busy this afternoon, but could somebody maybe trawl the old epl threads and put together a definitive timeline of Torres' winding down at Liverpool? Thanks.

I have found evidence that he was "out of sorts" under "Rafa"! Are you ready for this?

I thought Liverpool were okay, they just got what they deserved against a stronger outfit. I was going to say 'outmuscled' but it wasn't really about strength, it was about United being better-organised. What Liverpool really lacked was a wide option, they had to try to pick their way through all the time and united left no space there. It's basically the same reason why arsenal get beaten in these games too.― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 21 March 2010 15:42 (2 years ago)
Also Torres's touch wasn't quite there, and Gerrard was rubbish― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 21 March 2010 15:44 (2 years ago)
I missed most of the first half but from what I saw chances were few and far between but Utd looked more likely to nick one. Torres and Gerrard looked a bit out of sorts which always means Liverpool end up struggling. ― sock for injustice and evil (onimo), Sunday, 21 March 2010 17:08 (2 years ago)
torres was a little out of sorts today but scored yet another against a good side and has 16 in 20 pl appearances, gerrard has played 25 (mostly as attacking mid or second striker) and scored 4 excluding penalties― nakhchivan, Sunday, 21 March 2010

bombshell

16 in 20 vs 11 in 58.

didn't david ngog outscore gerrard that season? seem to remember that.

i mean, i loved gerrard in his time but this 100 cap shit knee-bending in the media last week was just baffling. is it really impossible to say (or see) how truly shit he has been since 2008/2009. the goals have dried up completely if a really obvious stat is needed.

And in how many of those 100 England appearances has he actually been any good?

he got to be captain long after he deserved to be.

He set up seemingly every England goal in the Euros which has probably prolonged the fawning for another couple of years. Don't remember him being particularly good in open play though.

I don't watch England as much as you lot but I struggle to remember him ever turning it on for England

can't remember anyone turning it on for England

shearer?

Gazza!

steve stone

96

Owen that one time.

Speaking of which, have we discussed this yet? Yeah it's Movember twattery but I honestly didn't think he could grow facial hair.

http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/6w4SjXucmJ63DNsy.SgIGg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en-GB/blogs/early-doors/owen640.jpg

ew

on the scale of that one time merson tried doing it ew

The weird thing is how it makes him look younger than ever, he's like a ten-year-old in a particularly dull Hallowe'en costume.

WTF is that on Michael Owen's face? Get it off!

― pandemic, Wednesday, November 21, 2012 7:04 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The weird thing is how it makes him look younger than ever, he's like a ten-year-old in a particularly dull Hallowe'en costume.

― Ismael Klata, Thursday, November 22, 2012 4:25 PM (36 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This. Looks like someone stole the rest of his cowboy costume.

Forget the moustache. Why is the upper part of his head so swollen? And why is he wearing a cheap wig?

Color him green and you have The Leader:

http://marvellegends.net/Faces/MLFO1LeaderVariant.jpg

will fit right in at stoke

Clattenburg 'cleared', Mikel charged despite never making any allegations in the first place or at any time iirc

charged for his postmatch antics

Rafa Benitez on his returning to the Premier League after a three-year absence: "Out of the game is not out of the game."

Vintage Rafa

I'm soothing my pain with the knowledge that they'll *hate* that stuff at Stamford Bridge

the priest on the mountain of sugar has not been excommunicated FACHT

He's written an extraordinary number of match analyses in the past year or so, for whatever that's worth.

We never should have let him go. He wasn't the problem, it was everybody else.

i often wonder if rafa supporters would have taken the THIS IS ANFIELD sign and rafa in a swap for everything else

<3 that sign