The TT Football Club

[Ross K]

Great form from Arsenal lately. They were superb yesterday until they ran out of gas... and BTW who is this 'new' Roskicky player? He's quite a find - lol!

[Meaghan]

Yeah hats off to the arse, shame about the beautiful flick from VP not going in the back of the net....but lets not forget Wegner's innept display in the transfer market over the past few years left you high and dry.

Playing well buts lets not get carried away, if Liverpool had someone who could score a goal you'd be a further three points away from spurs.

[PureAlph4]

It's just been nice to see some bottle from our players in the past fortnight, playing for their own pride, as well as the club's, even when being dominated.

We still have severe defensive weaknesses that can be exploited, but FINALLY some of the underperforming players are forcing themselves to compete and succeed.

Just shows what a fickle game football has become! Exactly 3 weeks ago there was perhaps the greatest clamour to date for Wenger's head. Now, the fans believe in him and the team again, and we have a legitimate shot at making the top 4.

What a sport!

-----------------------

Steve McClaren seems to be doing a stellar job back out with FC Twente. Took over in January 5 points from the top and on a string of poor form, and now are 1 point from top with a game in hand having thrashed PSV 6-2!

[Ross K]

Meags,

Agree with your above comments re transfers. With a few more quality signings the gunners could be so good - but they are a bit shy of that right now even with 'the ox' in such inspiring form, Rosicky playing like he's seldom done previously, VP playing stunningly well, etc. Wenger simply has to step up to the table with some bucks this summer and nail some top draw and proven talent.


PureA,

Ah, interesting re your sig.


Fena,

Just curious, how has Meireiles been playing for you lot in recent months? He's a player who caught my eye last year.

[Feña14]

Originally Posted by Ross K

Fena,

Just curious, how has Meireiles been playing for you lot in recent months? He's a player who caught my eye last year.

I've always been a big fan of his, I was saying Chelsea should of got him years before he went to Liverpool.

He's not actually played that well at Chelsea, he's scored a couple of great long range goals, but his general play hasn't been all that good. Then again, no Chelsea player (apart from Mata and Sturridge) has played well this season. Maybe he'll step it up next year, possibly if Mourinho comes and has a word with him in the shower, like he did with Lampard the first time

[PED]

Originally Posted by Ross K

Great form from Arsenal lately. They were superb yesterday until they ran out of gas... and BTW who is this 'new' Roskicky player? He's quite a find - lol!

No doubt about that. They said the Ox was sick and I think his drop in form in the 2nd half was a large part of it. Good points about how Theo has been wanting to play in the center of the park for 4 years and Ox gets to do it after only 4 months.

Love the thought of the Ox and Wilshire in the midfield

[PED]

Originally Posted by PureAlph4

We still have severe defensive weaknesses that can be exploited, but FINALLY some of the underperforming players are forcing themselves to compete and succeed.

Re the defense, I've heard several comments about what a leader Mertesacker is in organizing the defense. That appears to be true. He's not been the best signing but he'll get better I think.

Koscielny has such dramatic changes in form, he was a beast last night and had the measure pace-wise of Robinho everytime they clashed. Speed kills

[bad_call]

watched Chelsea vs Birm last nite. lacking a bit in ball control and fluidity tho the 2nd half had a touch more.

[Feña14]

Originally Posted by bad_call

watched Chelsea vs Birm last nite. lacking a bit in ball control and fluidity tho the 2nd half had a touch more.

It was one of the worst matches i've seen

Birmingham were awful, but Chelsea weren't a whole lot better. The pitch wasn't the best which didn't help, and midweek FA Cup replays aren't known for their high quality I suppose.

Will be interesting to see how they play against Napoli, they don't really have anything to lose after being hammered in the first leg, the freedom that brings would be a nice place to start turning things round.

[TERRASTAR18]

Originally Posted by PED

No doubt about that. They said the Ox was sick and I think his drop in form in the 2nd half was a large part of it. Good points about how Theo has been wanting to play in the center of the park for 4 years and Ox gets to do it after only 4 months.

Love the thought of the Ox and Wilshire in the midfield

ox got hurt and so did theo.....that's what killed us. plus rvp wasn't as sharp as usual.

[Breaker]

Originally Posted by bad_call

watched Chelsea vs Birm last nite. lacking a bit in ball control and fluidity tho the 2nd half had a touch more.

I think this will change if the Chelsea players let it, Di Matteo had an inferior West Brom side playing some of the most attractive football in the league without much pace to speak of in the side, however he did have Odemwingie in the side who finished everything so it's up to one of Chelsea's forwards to do the same.

[Feña14]

Originally Posted by Breaker

I think this will change if the Chelsea players let it, Di Matteo had an inferior West Brom side playing some of the most attractive football in the league without much pace to speak of in the side, however he did have Odemwingie in the side who finished everything so it's up to one of Chelsea's forwards to do the same.

I think that's the problem, Chelsea just don't have the players to play that kind of game. Villas-Boas wanted to play the high pressing, slick passing kind of game, but the players don't have the capabilities skill wise, or mentality to do it.

That's why I think Guardiola would be a disaster at Chelsea, people think him coming in would be all it would take to make Chelsea attractive, but let's face it, Sturridge is no Messi, Drogba is no Villa, Ramires is no Xavi etc..

They say the next manager won't have much money to spend at all, so Abramovich's dream of playing like Barcelona can never really come true. Someone like Moyes would do well I think, he knows how to win with very little money to spend so he'd be able to rebuild. The problem is that the current players wouldn't play for him, it seems that if your name isn't Mourinho, they don't want to know.

[NickC]

I get home to see that Messi dropped 5 on Leverkussen today?

My god. And what's even scarier is that he's not even 25.

[Ross K]

Originally Posted by NickC

I get home to see that Messi dropped 5 on Leverkussen today?

My god. And what's even scarier is that he's not even 25.

I feel privileged to have seen the Barca/Messi annihilation of Bayer Leverkusen last night. To witness history being made (1st player to score 5 goals in a CL game), and to see Messi reaching such audacious heights of genius, it was breathtaking stuff.

And as well as the incomparable Messi, how about 'the master' Iniesta last night? And how about Xabi? And how about the Tello kid who scored two? And how about Fabregas (deployed somewhat differently at Arsenal I noted)?... such stunning players and with Barca's uniquely dazzling style, when I see them like this, I just plainly see them as one of the greatest sides ever (and red-hot favourites for the CL trophy this year.)

Side-note: it was also pleasing to observe that my only real past complaint or negative feeling about Barca, namely the histrionics and play-acting always present when I see the el classicos and some of their bigger matches, was entirely absent. If only this could somehow be expunged from their games altogether?

Although I'll add another side-note: how nice is it to see Messi's humble and happy and restrained demeanour on the pitch contrasted to the big headed, snarling, egotistical, badge-kissing, ranting and raving carry on of a lot of his contemporaries these days?

Anyhow, those Messi finishes last night though will live long in the memory... just poetry in motion... perfection... pure unadulterated genius.

And BTW, If Argentina ever get a coach smart enough to utilize him in a similar role and with similar support, I can see them possibly winning a World Cup.

[Feña14]

Originally Posted by NickC

I get home to see that Messi dropped 5 on Leverkussen today?

My god. And what's even scarier is that he's not even 25.

I found it a little uneasy to watch. The tie was all over, to see him keep on going after goals says alot about his desire, but to rub it in and to keep looking to hurt Leverkusen wasn't the nicest thing to see.

It's like being 30 points up at the end of the game in basketball and the superstar keeps trying to knock down 3's, you don't see that often because to humiliate fellow professionals isn't really the done thing.

I'm sure the Barcelona fans enjoyed the show, but as a neutral it wasn't very good imo.

[Ross K]

Originally Posted by Feña14

I found it a little uneasy to watch. The tie was all over, to see him keep on going after goals says alot about his desire, but to rub it in and to keep looking to hurt Leverkusen wasn't the nicest thing to see.

It's like being 30 points up at the end of the game in basketball and the superstar keeps trying to knock down 3's, you don't see that often because to humiliate fellow professionals isn't really the done thing.

I'm sure the Barcelona fans enjoyed the show, but as a neutral it wasn't very good imo.

I confess to entirely failing to get what you're talking about here. I'm taken a-back TBH.

At least three of his goals were complete works of art that had little to do with anything else aside from Messi's jaw-dropping brilliance. What isn't the 'done thing' IMO is to be so audaciously and ridiculously talented as to warrant debates as to whether he's the best player who ever lived... come Fena, you've surely got to enjoy a sublime display like that if you love football?!

[PureAlph4]

I don't think the US notion of 'running up the score,' and its associated negative connotations, really applies to football here.

It is a low scoring game, and even seemingly impregnable leads of four or five goals have evaporated quickly in the past.

Clearly, though, Barca were also sending out the message that in spite of being far behind in La Liga, they are still the undisputed top club side in the world.

[Benhur]

Originally Posted by Feña14

I found it a little uneasy to watch. The tie was all over, to see him keep on going after goals says alot about his desire, but to rub it in and to keep looking to hurt Leverkusen wasn't the nicest thing to see.

It's like being 30 points up at the end of the game in basketball and the superstar keeps trying to knock down 3's, you don't see that often because to humiliate fellow professionals isn't really the done thing.

I'm sure the Barcelona fans enjoyed the show, but as a neutral it wasn't very good imo.

I see what you mean, a bit uneasy to watch in the sense that it looked like an embarrassing mismatch. Leverkusen played like they didn’t belong there at all. I had a similar feeling watching the 2006 Wimbledon quarterfinal between Federer and Bjorkman. But you can’t really ask a tennis player to stop hitting winners out of kindness for his opponent, or a football team in a Champions match, in front of the home crowd, to stop attacking after a couple of goals, or a guy like Messi to stop trying to score. That’s what they play for. It would be like asking a fish to stop drinking. And the truth is Leverkusen really showed not a shred of fighting spirit. After the first 20 minutes or so, they looked as if the only thing on their mind was to wait for the final whistle. The German press is calling them a disgrace, and deservedly so. Or maybe they just had a bad day.

[Feña14]

Originally Posted by Ross K

I confess to entirely failing to get what you're talking about here. I'm taken a-back TBH.

At least three of his goals were complete works of art that had little to do with anything else aside from Messi's jaw-dropping brilliance. What isn't the 'done thing' IMO is to be so audaciously and ridiculously talented as to warrant debates as to whether he's the best player who ever lived... come Fena, you've surely got to enjoy a sublime display like that if you love football?!

It was a Champions League tie that was over, if it was in the league against someone like Real Madrid where you're battling them for the title then by all means go for it. Beating up on a clearly weaker, beaten opponent isn't really what I watch football for.

If Man Utd go to town on a weaker team way below them in the FA Cup, well it's not really in the right spirit. Putting 7 past Leverkusen counted for nothing, apart from making Messi look good, not really my thing.

[Cesc Fabregas]

Podolski on his way apparently. Good signing to add to the attack but not to replace RvP.