Moneyball won't win the Premiership 2012-13

boss juninhoish technique

wow, torres actually did something good

He's actually scoring pretty regularly now, something like 14 goals this season, and the narrative around him still seems to be that he's failing. He's probably never going to be the player he was at Liverpool but the Chelsea fans I know still fucking hate him.

Contrast with Aguero who really has dipped in form without anyone really noticing.

there's just something very annoying about Torres

This is a proper cunting now.

falcao is perhaps too good for chelsea now and perez will go all out to sign him, so torres could be around for a bit longer

abramovich would probably be happy with torres getting 25 goals this season and looking like a merely disappointing signing rather than a laughable one, before getting rid of him

Rafa out

Zounds. Thanks a bunch villa for turning it on at Anfield.

bollox, lfc are just this much worse than a decent chelsea tbh

^^truth

great goal

both ramires's have been cracking tbh

no on replay goalie's not been great

he's been at fault for more of these today than anyone is going to say

They'd better not get a fucking ninth. That's for proper clubs only.

Moving David Luiz into central midfield would be considered a masterstroke except for the fact that everyone in the world could see that's what needed to be done except any of his previous managers.

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has admitted that he has a "great dilemma" when centre-back Ron Vlaar returns from injury.

The Dutch international will miss Villa's match at Chelsea on Sunday as he continues to recover from a calf injury, but when he does return, Lambert has revealed that he may have to bide his time on the substitutes' bench.

Lambert told the Birmingham Mail: "When he's fit again it's a great dilemma to have. The three lads at the back at the minute are playing exceptionally well. That is the bottom line.

Guaranteed 1-0 victory against Spurs on Boxing Day.

torres has been shinning them in, his touch is woeful and all round he's not looked all that much like an actual footballer. he's only had one concerted spell of 2-3 games for chelsea (last season) where he's looked like much cop and that was spent mostly out wide slinging in crosses. his golden boot & and 14 (?) goals this season are, as jonawils put it, a piece of 'high concept satire'

otoh today's was a genuinely top class goal

think mancini's jiggerypokery w/balotelli, dzeko and tevez has distracted from aguero's lack of goalscoring; besides he's been playing reasonably well from what I've seen of him

"Robin van Persie is lucky to be alive … Robin could have had a broken neck."

If Michu scores on boxing day he should unveil a 'pray 4 Robin' t-shirt

YES

daniel sturridge has gone to liverpool?

can't remember the last time he got a game for city tbh.

they're paying him to leave. Lol

totally meant imo
http://www.101greatgoals.com/wp-content/gallery/gimages/50b39e0b456ab8bc57ca373d107d6177_large.gif

no way, it came off his foot v flat and everything

I can't watch that anymore, it's too awful. It needs to fade away like the 9/11 footage.

feel like I'm risking death every time I just watch that gif

Lucky to be alive? I dunno, imagine spending every day knowing that happened and you were the one who escaped. Death would have been a welcome release imo.

don't see the joke here, a man could've died

if i ever see any of you in public i'm gonna kick a football at your head so hard (i carry one with me at all times)

Just as well they don't do stop-and-search over there

totally meant. look at how he's always looking at RVP's head all way through the kick.

“I didn’t see how he was going to get killed,” Redknapp said in this morning’s press conference ahead of the R’s Boxing Day clash at home to West Brom.

He added: “He [Williams] kicked the ball at him and the whistle had gone but I’ve seen worse things on a football pitch. I’ve got more important things to worry about than whether Williams kicked the ball at Van Persie. It wasn’t a nice thing to do but he doesn’t look that type, Williams.

“He looks a fantastic centre half. He’s been absolutely brilliant for Swansea and looks a really good sort.

“He knew what he was doing but it’s happened so what can you do about it now?”

can't see how you could say williams was looking at rvp's head there and not the ball

i still don't think it's that clear but i can't imagine Ferguson over-reacting just cos his team had dropped two points so

gonna be looking over my shoulder for a week or two for dudes carrying footballs just in case

surprised williams actually got it on target

also i guess that means redknapp will be buying williams

I don't feel safe in a Britain where murderers like Ashley Williams roams free. What if Robin Van Persie's head had been a small child?

Don't really think Ferguson was worried about dropped points - it seems crass to care about such things when a man nearly died out there. It puts it all in perspective really. How sweet it must have been for Robin to wake up this morning and know that this was the first day of the rest of his life.

Unless he's got brain damage, I suppose.

thank fuck it wasn't Rooney then, how would they tell?

idk about this levity

as for breaking his neck from sudden whiplash, that doesn't really seem feasible, i don't think there could be enough power generated from a football

could have ended up with a concussion tho

what would ferguson say abt this

http://i.minus.com/ibtVdai030kFt6.gif

It's kinda sad that Ferguson will have to do without de Gea or Lindegaard from now on, other teams are forever kicking the ball in the goalie's direction

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson is set for a reunion with Sam Allardyce by returning to the Premier League with West Ham in January.

Chelsea forward Sturridge explored the possibility of making it official in any deal that he could only play as a centre-forward.

But he has now now accepted a contract stipulating he will play as a centre-forward is not possible and is set to undergo a medical today ahead of completing his January switch.

There has also been a wrangle over agents’ fees and the claims of Sturridge’s entourage to a percentage of any future sell-on windfall.

It means Sturridge will have to take the word of Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers that he will be given the chance to impress as a central striker.

Interesting experiment for Brendan "all that matters is the team" Rodgers to sign the pathologically selfish Daniel Sturridge.

Trying to recall the last player I was super excited about LFC signing. Oh, Suarez of course and before that Mascherano which must have been 2007-8 maybe?

i don't understand this because even if nobody would give a player a clause like that, sturridge must still expect to be played as a centre forward

except that rodgers seems devoted to 4-3-3, and suarez has been exceptional as the #9

He'll mostly play where he did for Chelsea surely, RWF. With Sterling alternating or occasionally playing on the left.