The Ongoing Serie A, La Liga, All English Football, Champions League Thread - - - - - - - - Part 17

Great win for Swansea, nice to see someone other than the big 4 win something.

I must say as well, not that it will happen, but if Swansea could keep hold of all there players, add a few more, and most importantly the manager, they could have a chance of cracking the top four in a few years. They were sensational today, League 2 opposition or not.

 

Chelsea need to keep Torres benched & Ba on the field for as much as possible. Torres came on against City & was so ineffective on the game it was shocking. In fairness all Chelsea lacked today was a final ball, however Ba did well with the scraps he was fed to recover them & help keep the ball.

Chelsea should bite Madrid's hands & arms off if they are considering a Torres/Falcao swap deal. Torres's only chance of rediscovering goalscoring form will be back in Spain were in my opinion, the defending isn't as physical & tight as it is in the BPL.

Good win for City, they still shockingly lack any width. Any manager with brains will realise that flooding the middle of the park is the key to stopping all service to Aguero.. Tevez on the other hand will make his own chances, but Dzeko & Aguero need service I feel.

City shouldn't worry about chasing Suarez, Cavani or Falcao in the summer, they should focus on signing a few wide men for when their central attacks aren't working.

 

Cisse from Newcastle with one of the goals of the season

 

Love the pundits trying to justify bending the rules for Cisse's goal yesterday. Quality strike, but it really shouldn't have stood.

 

Not seen the goal... What was wrong with it?

 

Francis Lampard!

I just watched it on youtube and the only thing I can think is a possible push on the center back by the other Newcastle player before the ball came into Cisse's path.

 

Great goal! Hopefully we are back on the road to safety.

 

Thought the goal from Rafael was better in all honesty.

 

Both great goals...Rafael's goal just felt more flukey as it was all power... Cisse had every intention and perfect timing on that goal, no chance the keeper saves it.

 

Flukey? Are you kidding me bro? They're both essentially the same type of goal.

 

If Rafael's was fluky, then so was Cisse's

 

Both are such great strikes, it's the old cliche but when you hit one that sweetly you know it's in. You can make a case for either being the better goal.

I can't agree Rafaels was a fluke, the guys got previous. His goals against Liverpool this year and Arsenal a few years back were very special.

 

Gareth Bale? More like Gareth UnstoppaBale.

 

Gareth Bale, the new Ronaldo. Jesus Christ.

 

Just occured to me, come the Summer, is there anyone from the relegated teams (at the time of writing- QPR, Reading and Aston Villa) that you'd have at your club?

I'm guessing Loic Remy to Newcastle?

 

Apart from Fabio's loan being ended? None that I can think of....

 

Well we're ****e so I'd take most of them, but I think alot of Premier League clubs would do well to get Guzan, Benteke, Bent, Westwood, Lowton and Weimann from Villa. Mackie from QPR, Kebe and ALF from Reading.

 

Remy passed on Newcastle to join QPR...big mistake, i dont think he comes.

Newcastle may go after Beneteke though, I can see that or Gabby.

If they go french they should get Gomis

 

I could see Benteke going to Spurs.

 

Adel Taraabt to Liverpool?

 

Taarabt hasn't even performed well for QPR this year so I highly doubt Liverpool would be silly enough to pay actual real money for him from QPR should they go down.. however they did pay £35m for Andy Carroll so who knows. Would be a big mistake though, he had 1 good season in a QPR shirt & that was 3 years ago.. and it was in the Championship. He hasn't come close to reproducing the same form in the Premiership.

Personally I feel it's foolish talking about Newcastle signing players of teams that go down, Newcastle themselves I don't feel are even safe. There are only 6 points that seperates 13th (Newcastle's positon) & 18th. Newcastle's turning point might have been signing Moussa Sissoko (who for those that care in previous Football Manager games turns out to be a world class player by the age of 25.. but then again so did Obertan.. forget I said anything) who looks like he has changed their midfield dynamic when he is in the side. He has helped them get 6 valuable points against teams around them which lifted them clear of the bottom 4/5 teams. That being said I still think Newcastle should consider themselves still in danger. They should aim for 40 points to confirm their survival as I can see even Reading/Villa/Wigan all finishing with at least 30 points before the end of the season potentially 35 if they can pull their fingers out.

 

QPR will have to clear some of those wages so a loan move might not be out of the question.

 

Real Madrid took Barcelona apart tonight in the Copa Del Ray semi-final 2nd leg, a brace from Ronaldo and a nice header from Varane, I've never seen Xavi and Messi so ineffectual and Pique continues to be exposed as overrated.

He's in amazing form, stonking winner against West Ham. I think there may be a bidding war for him in the summer, I am an admitted skeptic and the media over-hyped him for the last couple of seasons, however this season he is looking like he's put it all together and is now the real deal.