yea thats true but i dont think babel's fitness is going to get any better with the minutes he's playing.

1/19/2009 9:41:05 AM

Quote :

"anyone who thinks its smart to play the likes of benayoun, kuyt (especially), and reira over a player like ryan babel who seems to score a goal or make a great play every time hes in is a dumbass."

I don't think Babel is indisputably a better player than Benayoun. Benayoun is more of a pure midfielder, of course, but he can be a magician. I'd take either of 'em over Kuyt, though. I hate to say it, but if Kuyt were to get injured, it might be a good thing for Liverpool.


[Edited on January 19, 2009 at 12:51 PM. Reason : /]

1/19/2009 12:50:31 PM

Babel tore it up in Holland with Ajax - hell, they were practically groveling for him to come back


Babel is world-class, make no mistake. The problem is that Rafa doesn't see that, and makes him ride the pine.


Sure sign of a loser manager, right there.

[Edited on January 19, 2009 at 12:54 PM. Reason : Always someone else's fault, never his own]

You can throw in Kinnear and Avram Grant with that lot, too.

[Edited on January 19, 2009 at 12:55 PM. Reason : i just don't have time for whiners and whingers]

1/19/2009 12:53:58 PM

[Edited on January 19, 2009 at 4:53 PM. Reason : /]

1/19/2009 4:30:54 PM

<3 Everton <3

1/19/2009 10:37:22 PM

"At the moment I don't want to change anything. All the messages that I received said to choose with the heart and I think in the end that has been the decision. It is absolutely not about money."


-kaka

1/20/2009 4:51:16 PM

reading that quote, I assumed he had taken the offer...but apparently not
good for him

1/20/2009 6:43:14 PM

man utd into the carling cup final, but in getting there looks like theyve lost 3 more players to injury....tosic is def gonna have to play earlier than he was supposed to at this rate..

1/20/2009 6:59:44 PM

^ Tosic was on the bench today. SAF and Phelan think he's ready.

[Edited on January 20, 2009 at 7:03 PM. Reason : he's been a beast in training]

1/20/2009 7:02:46 PM

english clubs beware...milan has finished the 1st half of serie a play back in the 3rd spot, knocking on the heels of juve

looks like agger is headed to milan as well to add some youth to the back line, i know there are some fans of his on here

that, along with the return of kaka and the continued improvement of the best teenager in the world...CL BEWARE NEXT YEAR

1/20/2009 11:45:36 PM

yea but what about becks saying kaka is gonna go to madrid next year, then ac milan will be F'd in the A

1/21/2009 10:53:02 AM

until the speculation finally comes to fruition, i won't beleive it

1/21/2009 11:04:39 AM

BEWARE THE SLOWEST PACED LEAGUE IN THE WORLD! lol mls is faster paced than serie yAwn

1/22/2009 12:09:03 AM

you americans are so funny

1/22/2009 12:20:08 AM

lol euromac884

1/22/2009 12:37:04 AM

lol BrazilianMoneyNCSU

1/22/2009 1:26:00 AM

Quote :

"Manchester City have literally paid the price for their impatience in the transfer market after it emerged that £17m new signing Nigel De Jong had a £2.3m release clause in his contract that would have activated in just four months."

hahaha morons



i just dont see what city are trying to do here, or mark hughes or somebody...pay a shitload for wayne bridge who has sat the bench at chelsea for 2 years i believe...pay a shitload for hot head and always injured craig bellamy, and now pay a shitload when they didnt have to for a guy, de jong, that is seriously not gonna help them at all in the last few months of the season...they shouldve just waited on him.

[Edited on January 22, 2009 at 11:43 AM. Reason : please get relegated city]

1/22/2009 11:39:54 AM

It doesn't matter their new owners shit money

1/22/2009 11:44:19 AM

lol theyve spent ~£41 million on players i could never see on an EPL top 4 side this january....and they spent all that money on robinho already too who might not even play for city anymore, and they spent a shitload on Jo who im not even sure starts anymore or has even scored a goal...so theyve prob spent ~£100 mil so far in transfers and the only player i can see doing anything with them is AWOL and didnt even seem to care to be there to begin with.

they are doing bascially the exact opposite of what chelski did back in 04/05...at least chelski went out and bought good players. if they are still in the epl next season they will prob buy at least 1 player for every position during the summer transfers. i still find it laughable they want a new gk, Hart is a great keeper, theres not much any gk can do with a shitty team in front of him.

i also wonder if they are gonna keep ireland next year, hes had a monster year so far...

[Edited on January 22, 2009 at 12:04 PM. Reason : unc colored shitty team]

1/22/2009 11:57:06 AM

Well you can't force people to come to your club so they're getting whoever they can get... and everybody knows they have money so they're being forced to pay out the ass to get them.

I think at this point, it's not important for them to get Top 4 quality players (even though they tried to get Kaka) because what they need is Top 20 players... so yes they overpaid, but players like Bridge and Bellamy aren't bad pickups.

1/22/2009 12:04:19 PM

they had a good team there already last season, getting rid of sven and talking about bringing in players galore has unsettled everyone. theyve gone about this all wrong.

[Edited on January 22, 2009 at 12:13 PM. Reason : and i believe this is bellamy's 8th team he is transferring to...]

1/22/2009 12:07:05 PM

I don't disagree with that, but you can't undo what has been done. They need something different, might as well bring in some different players.

1/22/2009 12:18:08 PM

Quote :

"Juventus have stepped up their interest in Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt as they try and find a replacement for Pavel Nedved. Il Corriere Dello Sport claims the Bianconeri are ready to launch a €30 million bid for the 28-year-old Dutch international. Juventus have already made contact with the player's agent, and it is believed negotiations will begin within the next week."

http://www.goal.com/en/news/593/juventus/2009/01/22/1072415/juventus-step-up-interest-in-liverpools-dirk-kuyt

lol, I know there have been reports since that said this isn't true and there's no way in hell Kuyt = Nedved but..

hot damn that's one helluva bid if true

1/22/2009 3:48:50 PM

Liverpool needs to be all over that

1/23/2009 2:57:07 PM

HAHHAHA 30 MILLION FOR KUYT?


THAT'S RICH

1/24/2009 1:55:33 AM

Well, at least it shows the (perceived) value of hard work.

1/24/2009 11:30:41 PM

Can anyone tell me the best way to watch premier league games around Raleigh? That is, do any places show the big games on the regular?

I know some Irish lads from work stream it from online, but from what I understand the quality sucks.

1/25/2009 9:49:04 AM

Online's the best way if you don't have Setanta sports.


Here's the channels the game appear on, in order of frequency and saturation:

Setanta Sports (Most EPL games, some La Liga, some SPL, Ligue 1)
Fox Soccer (A couple of choice EPL games, choice Serie A, choice Argentinean, A-League, other tertiary games)
Gol TV (Most Serie A games, Latin American leagues)
ESPN (Champions League games)

1/25/2009 10:19:57 AM

A lot of places show games. Hibernian, Tir Na Nog, The Oxford, Tobacco Road. Unfortunately, all of these places open at 11 AM. Most games started at 10 AM, except for the odd late game.

If you have digital cable or satellite you will have Fox Soccer Channel.

1/25/2009 11:04:36 AM

This is where I watch all my soccer...it's not the best quality, but it provides tons of links for most games and you can usually find one that works and keeps up in real time

http://www.worldtvpc.com/live/

1/25/2009 2:58:20 PM

lol at benitez complaining again. this time about everton doing too much defending after his side drew with everton once again.

1/25/2009 11:38:03 PM

how about Torres on the assist though? that shit was money

1/26/2009 9:49:47 AM

i didnt get to see the game or highlights

1/26/2009 1:27:08 PM

http://videos.sapo.pt/moGgZweUyIE45jmeCr9b

well there you go... it's like Torres decided to actually do something and play like Brian Ching

the shot by Gerrard before the goal would have been silly as hell if it had gone in

gotta love the commentary as well

[Edited on January 26, 2009 at 1:42 PM. Reason : .]

1/26/2009 1:40:21 PM

TAKE A BOW SON

1/26/2009 1:52:16 PM

OH YOU BEAAAUUUTTTYYYYYYYY

1/26/2009 1:53:46 PM

that was a sick pass but howard shouldve saved that shot. gerrard had no angle and it went right thru his arms

1/26/2009 5:25:10 PM

really, on the basis of pure production and scoring when it means most, I think Gerrard should be a serious contender for Player of the Year 2009

1/26/2009 7:51:08 PM

player of the league? or world?

because if its the latter, sorry dude, Messi already has that shit on lock

1/26/2009 10:00:05 PM

I was thinking world, cuz he's scored all kinds of goals when Liverpool needed it most...especially if they win the Premier League and/or Champions League
but I haven't been following Messi this year

undoubtedly he is a more skilled player than Gerrard or just about anybody

1/26/2009 10:52:09 PM

yeah i just watched the highlight on FFF, great move by torres, looked more like he was trying to karate kick someone than pass it at first, but wow, timmy shouldve saved that...kinda soft on that half dive to the ground

1/26/2009 10:52:51 PM

Quote :

"Messi already has that shit on lock"

1/26/2009 11:34:50 PM

Utd now top of the league by 3 pts and have now caught chelski in goal differential after destroying wba 5-0 today... and van der sar and the utd defense have the new shutout streak record in the premiership

1/27/2009 5:19:18 PM

UNITED


UNITED


UNITED

1/27/2009 9:38:23 PM

Well, I hate it, but Liverpool's chances ain't lookin too hot right now

1/28/2009 8:14:42 PM

Shittttt. Im a Liverpool fanboy and missed that whole Kuyt/Babel/Riera/Yossi thing. Ill give my 2cents. Just because.

I think Riera should always start on the left. Babel has more 'potential', but hes an incredibly right footed player with a strikers mentality. He has no touch, disappears in 1/2 his games, doesnt tackle, never tracks back, etc. Riera is far more complete. He can be physical, takes people on (more than just sprinting down the corner and cutting in), tackles, seems to give a real shit about the team, etc. He might not be as dynamic or sportscenter ready, but I think liverpool needs someone who isnt afraid to take people on 1v1 and not play second fiddle to steve and torres every possession.

The right is a bit more tricky. I hate Kuyt, I just always have. I think he should definitely start vs bigger clubs as he tracks back, brings energy, seems to come up with a big play, etc. However, Id much prefer Yossi or Babel on the right vs lesser teams. Teams like Stoke (twice) just put 10 men behind the ball. All lower teams do this against Liverpool because it works. They lack creativity and tricky players. Steve is great, Torres is great, but those two can be doubled all game if they just sit back. Yossi and Babel are far more of a wildcard and provide a little spark here and there, even if it is just once or twice a game. We need people to unlock the defense when everyone sits back to defend.

Lucas. I dont know what to say about him, I really want to like him, he seems talented. But he just seems mentally overwhelmed and scared. When he tries to up his intensity, he basically unnecessarily fouls people (not talking about todays penalty really...that was just clumsy). I certainly dont suggest playing him over Alonso or Masch, but I prefer him to anyone else in the middle.

Keane. I dont approve of Rafas treatment at all. He needs time, Liverpool always have trouble scoring, why not give him more minutes. This game would have been a perfect chance for Steve&Masch to be in the middle with Keane and Torres to start up front. I think its a stronger side and Keane needs minutes more than Lucas.

Agger. I really hope he stays. I like him more than skrtel because of what he brings to the team when takes the ball forward. He adds another dimension to the team, he can shoot, he attracts attention, etc. He still seems a little rusty and not there (not 2006 agger) but I still would like him to feature more and not transferred.

OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS (not many of my friends are fans, so bear with me)

TITLE: i think you have to go with united at this point. I simply dont trust Liverpool. Unless Chelsea win vs Liverpool on Sunday and they start getting some solid play out of Anelka or Drogba, I dont see it happening. Despite the injuries, I think theyre too seasoned and talented. I really hope villa stays in the top 4. I hate the gooners. RVP seems to be carrying them with fabregas out. They seem to be somewhat shaky and Villa has a solid/turd-free bunch.

ManCity: I really think theyve got a real dislikable mess over there but theyre starting to develop some real talent:
Forwards: Robinho, Bellamy, Jo, Benjani, Sturridge
Mid: De Jong, SWP, Michael Johnson, Ireland, Elano, Petrov
D: Micah, Kompany (mid?), Dunne, Bridge, Zabaleta
Im sure Im missing people but I like that squad. They have some attitude issues though (Ireland, Binho, Bellamy, Johnson)

Well, Im done ranting.

1/28/2009 11:50:45 PM

Emile Heskey to Villa was probably the best thing that could've happened for him, Villa, England, and most importantly Wayne Rooney.


Villa will remain in the top 4 with Heskey there and Agbonlahor playing with him

and Rooney and Heskey is hands-down the BEST front line Capello has

1/29/2009 12:08:14 AM

i love that benitez is talking shit about wigans tactics now, this guy is such a joke. if you can't beat wigan with liverpools players, no matter what tactics they are playing, you are a joke of a manager. i hate how he's handling this robbie keane situation, and i'm not even a liverpool fan. I can't see him lasting past the end of this year.

also, i'm not sure i agree with you about heskey and rooney being the best pairing. heskey is pretty good, but i don't think hes an elite level striker anymore. I think defoe, owen (if he's ever healthy) and agbonlahor are much better pairings for rooney, and soon danny welbeck, fraizer campbell and theo walcott will be ready to make an impact.

1/29/2009 10:32:37 AM

owen will never regularly play for england anymore and hes not a good pairing for rooney. agbonlahor and rooney looks tasty as a great strikerforce for england.

1/29/2009 7:08:27 PM

nooooo you guys don't get it

Roo is the most explosive striker England has.

Heskey is the best big man first striker england has. Look back to that game when Rooney and Heskey both played up front together for the first time in the Croatia game - the movement and everything they had playing off of each other was amazingly fluid. Not coincidentally, that was the game where Rooney broke out of his year long England scoring slump. Immediately after, he was on fire, and bagged a brace in each of the subsequent 2 games.

Look at the return rate with the two of them playing together. Go ahead, look.

Heskey will never be considered one of the greats, but he knows his role and can hold up any big central defender in the world.

1/29/2009 10:13:19 PM