Moneyball won't win the Premiership 2012-13

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.

i could see sturridge being useful as a sort of inside right, cutting onto his left when attacking, with a more orthodox winger like sterling on the left (except sterling seems best on the right too)

i think this is probably the best way to use sturridge outside of a two striker formation

yet sturridge seems to hate being played there

maybe like a lot of football players he just has a hugely inflated sense of his own abilities and thinks he will be able to displace suarez

Going into this season he must have thought that it was unlikely that Torres would play EVERY single game (for reasons of rotation if not form) but has now gone to LFC where Suarez will definitely (barring injury) play EVERY single game.

wouldnt discount rodgers accepting the need to move suarez in order to get more goals from other sources tbh, not pushing him out to the wing bu accommodating both centrally perhaps

There's always suspension xp, might be a better bet tbh

interesting comparison with the walcott situation

sturridge is a significantly more talented player, more refine technically and more intelligent, but unduly selfish, whereas walcott has done well to make himself a useful player despite his limitations

a few years ago i'd have said both were too small to play as lone forwards in the epl, but players like aguero and even defoe have done it successfully from time to time, and in a fast passing, technical 433 with some interchanging of positions, it could maybe work

i don't see them ever being starters at centre forward for a top team unless 442 variants become popular again, and even then they are never going to be at the level of rvp/rooney and aguero/tevez

suarez has a better injury record than torres, so unless sturridge has got some good voodoo dolls i doubt he envisages suarez spending too much time injured

deems, i would like to see rodgers try that but he does seem really attached to 4-3-3

if he could overcome his prejudices, then playing a 4-4-2 at anfield, especially vs poorer sides, could give sturridge enough game time to prevent him sulking, while retaining the 4-3-3 for more difficult games (in which sturridge would become part of the wing rotation)

At home he could tuck Sturridge in from the right a bit so that he's essentially playing alongside Suarez as long as Johnson is providing the attacking width from the right. Would leave the team v open to the counter down that side though unless Lucas shades towards that side (i think he's more comfortable shading left tho')

I didn't really see AVB playing 4-4-2 either but that's been happening lately. They have to do something - Liverpool are really over-reliant on Suarez for goals at the moment, and Rodgers has shown willingness to tinker and experiment and gradually improve things throughout the season. He might genuinely move Suarez if it means more goals overall, and Suarez's approach play is obviously fantastic.

not listened to it yet but apparently rodgers hinted in an interview the other day that he's planning on moving suarez out wide at some point.

I'm at Craven Cottage. It's quite pretty in the rain.

A win today and you'll be right on their tail. Fulham haven't accrued very much for their good start to the season.

im watching sunderland city

Fuck's sake: Scholes and Giggs starting. Are we actually trying to lose? (Ah, right on cue while I'm typing we've gone behind already)

lol, just checked BBC site saw Scholes/Giggs starting and came here to see if #0 or NBS had posted yet.

normal service resumed however.

hahaha Berba's wearing a t-shirt that reads "Keep Calm and pass me the ball"

wtf is it with masking pop-ups that you can't switch off? I missed that og drama entirely

Trying, and failing, to summon the will to watch Stoke/LFC this evening.

lol that's got to be offside

Wonder what's the most amount of goals Utd have conceded in a league season this century? Are they on pace?

Perhaps naively, I'm looking forward to tonight's game. I figure eventually this fixture has got to produce something worth watching.

always chris fucking brunt, rifled in from long distance out of nothing

p dogged stodge before that but we were making the play

mulumbu is such a pain in the arse, bloody everywhere

These Utd stats, I didn't realise it was so bad - they're heading for 54 or 55 conceded at this rate. Last beaten with 63 in 1979. Otherwise it's 47 in 1987 and 1985; 45 in 2002, 2004, 1991 and 1987.

where is the fitba players u hate thread

Nothing else over forty I don't think.

i wanna add craig gardner

Xp - don't know. The first half of 01/02 featured quite a few defeats, Newcastle got 4 and Arsenal got 3 iirc (and maybe Liverpool too?), so that might be up there, but second half of the season was much better, so maybe not. Similar story in 02/03.

if you dont hate craig gardner, fuck you

(that took so long to type on my phone it was totally superseded by IK's post)

IK - how many conceded when Utd got relegated (in 74)?

I assume Utd are going to tighten up at some point this year, not that they need to with so many points. It's plain weird that they're nearly past most recent seasons already.

That second Newcastle goal though, I don't see how that can't be offside. Interfering with play has got to mean more than 'touching the ball', else the rules have changed without me twigging and we all end up spouting shite like Jamie Redknapp eventually.

Only 48, nbs - you were second-lowest scorers with just 38 though.

I don't know where Yoshida learned to pass, but I fucking hope he kept the receipt. Actually pretty even game apart from their goal and, well, Yoshida.

Some classic ranting from Ferguson at the linesman straight away there. He must've seen the replay immediately on halftime, impressive to keep the fires red-hot for fifteen minutes.

There will be a dodgy call for Utd at some point now, is that even worth pointing out?

there will be at least 2 actually

time to bet on a 94th min man city win

actually may wait until it's 85th mins

hart being shit again

Bugger, if Utd win this