"Weekend Soccer 12/22-23: Guns Drawn At Dawn [El Clásico]"
It's Clásico weekend, and the game is insanely early. 6am here in the Central. 4 fucking am on the west coast. I'm gonna try me best to wake up and watch, but that is very likely gonna end in failure. Interesting match-up though in that this version of Barça isn't great, but is unbeaten since July. Meanwhile, Madrid have been having a epic struggles to get results. Barça is already running away with the league, and if they get the win, we might be able to just call it. We damn near can already.
Elsewhere:
Fri. Arsenal v. Liverpool
Sat. Everton v. Chelsea Leicester v. Man United Juventus v. Roma
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"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."
2. "Barring injury, probably" In response to Reply # 1
Barça usually go through a tough spell in/around February, which, if Madrid can get their shit together might make it interesting. But for that to happen, that have to win tomorrow.
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"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."
4. "This is the best Serie A year since pre-Calciopoli" In response to Reply # 1
Juve remains VERY strong and is rounding into form. But they aren't the juggernaut they were. Still, they easily have the most talent in the league and could probably just push things into another gear and win the thing with a 9 point cushion.
Inter spent that China Bol money really, really well and, wiser still, pounced on Luciano Spalletti to make it all work. Some of their results have been convincing, others haven't, but they're back - and Icardi is a top 5 #9 in the world right now, indisputably.
Roma is... man, I am as excited as I've ever been for the club's long-term future and we're still being competitive. But it probably won't be us.
And then you have everyone's favorite second team, Napoli, that plays some of the most beautiful football in Europe. The team that brought the band back one more year to win it all. Boasting the deadly trident of Mertens/Insigne/Callejon and the god Marek Hamsik who stuck around when Cavanni/Lavezzi/Higuain all bounced. God, if Roma somehow falls out of the race I want them to win this thing SO BAD, lol. But they might not have the depth, and they're SO reliant on the aforementioned players + Ghoulam & Kalidou... when they go down (as Ghoulam recently did), results will suffer.
And Lazio is certainly hanging around the conversation too. But fuck them forever.
craziest it's been @ the pub since the NLD. xhaka and ozil goals set the roof on fire.
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it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
10. "I don’t doubt it." In response to Reply # 7 Fri Dec-22-17 06:50 PM by dillinjah
>craziest it's been @ the pub since the NLD. xhaka and ozil >goals set the roof on fire. BTW, This years team is an entertaining train wreck, even more so than usual. I can’t not watch, even though we all know they’re shit.
I doubt we’ll get the coveted 4th place trophy tho
13. "Glad I was able to wake up for this one!" In response to Reply # 0
Satisfying ass win! Absolutely shredded them on the first two goals. I really appreciate how hard and direct Paulinho runs, but fuck bruh... How is your touch so fucking shitty?! Again, we see the difference between Messi and Ronaldo. One of them influences the game even when they're not scoring, even though that goal eventually came.
Madrid might as well just sell (us) Isco at this point.
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"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."
it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
30. "Eventually, i think we’ll pay him 200/week" In response to Reply # 28
Yes, we’ve never come close to that, but he means so much to the club that they’ll break the wage structure to keep him happy. If you want him, you’ll have to do better than that (or wait a few years until Harry gets tired of playing with the lesser talents we acquire to afford him).
And that’s before you talk of transfer fee. Bidding starts at 250
---- bshelly
"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God
it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
dula dibiasi Member since Apr 05th 2004 21925 posts
Tue Dec-26-17 05:17 PM
33. "he sounds like a fucking moron with zero self awareness. " In response to Reply # 31
burnley's entire XI costs what united pays for a striker.
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it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
since pep and mou took over, city's outspent united by 70m. factoring in mourinho's "historical big club" tax, you're talking one, maybe two world class players.
and the net spend is even closer, less than a £2m difference (138.1 vs 136.2)
that alone explains a (soon to be) 15 pt gap by boxing day?
city splurging a record fee on a fullback (who isn't even playing btw) explains your side dropping points to burnley, huddersfield and stoke?
it's nothing but classic mou tactics, whining about what some other club's doing to distract from your own side's problems.
clown needs to shut up and look in the mirror. coach better. spend better. maybe don't pay 30m on guys who can't even get in the matchday squad, and 90m on that fucking donkey of a striker.
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it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
BrooklynWHAT Member since Jun 15th 2007 85077 posts
Tue Dec-26-17 08:04 PM
37. "Who cares LVG and Moyes misspent almost all the money they used. " In response to Reply # 36 Tue Dec-26-17 08:04 PM by BrooklynWHAT
The money Jose spent was just required to get us back to a decent level which he's done. It's like going from -3000 in jeopardy back to 0. Further investment is necessary.
Yall really forgot how truly awful we were. And if we're still awful (we're not) what does it say about the rest of the big clubs in the league.
If Jose wants another 300m give it to him. It's not like we'll struggle to find it or make it back. I trust him to spend it in a way that will get us back over City.
39. "He always does this and people continually take the bait" In response to Reply # 29
He takes the heat and focus off his own players by using some audacious comment as a lightning rod. Same thing he did here and it’s working, yet again.
--------------------------------- <--The drought is over
"have fun reveling in your pettiness tho" (C) Dula summing up 98% of OKS
"I didnt finish a damn thing...matter of fact I jerked off after she left." -Kobe speaking to investigators
44. "It's not even giving up goals that I'm mad at" In response to Reply # 0
It's the type of fucking goals we give up.
The first on a basic centering ball drag-back where we have 5v2 in the box but Kolasinac doesn't follow the run of Townsend and it results in a free shot from 10 yards.
The second on a basic corner lofted into the box.
Then you add in the how we were getting terrorized on our right side (Zaha mostly) but never made the adjustment to either have Bellerin hang farther back or tilt a holding-mid over to that side.
Good fucking grief
--------------------------------- <--The drought is over
"have fun reveling in your pettiness tho" (C) Dula summing up 98% of OKS
"I didnt finish a damn thing...matter of fact I jerked off after she left." -Kobe speaking to investigators
45. "On a diff note - forgot just how good Wilshere is " In response to Reply # 0
He's playing at a top 5 level right now - balancing his play beautifully with his tracking back and defensive coverage, distributing from midfield (that lofted through ball to Alexis? my fucking gawd), getting into space, and most importantly making excellent decisions in high risk areas.
The way he sees and anticipates the game is a sliver below Ozil - which means he's in the highest stratosphere whereas Mesut is out of this world.
Also, Alexis...his finishing was superb (both goals...especially that first touch off his thigh to perfectly control Jack's aforementioned through ball) and he was tracking back. Going to miss this dude
--------------------------------- <--The drought is over
"have fun reveling in your pettiness tho" (C) Dula summing up 98% of OKS
"I didnt finish a damn thing...matter of fact I jerked off after she left." -Kobe speaking to investigators
dula dibiasi Member since Apr 05th 2004 21925 posts
Fri Dec-29-17 03:02 PM
50. "heart of vieira, skill of brady, elegance of bergkamp!" In response to Reply # 45
so good to see him back and fit. hopefully his best years are still ahead of him.
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it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
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