Football Topic

[Ridley]

--------- Messi -- Falcao ----------
-- Bale ---- Rooney --- Ronaldo --
---------------- Xavi ----------------
-- Evra -- Vidic -- Puyol -- Srna --
--------------- Hart ----------------

Messi, Falcao, Bale, Ronaldo, Evra and Vidic are totally justified. With the rest however I don't know if they really were the players of this season.
Rooney is always important for Utd, but hasn't been quite the very top of the PL this season, although he had some brilliant moments (goal against City).
Xavi has also had a rather quiet season and as for Hart, he's good but really Manuel Neuer has to be the world's best Keeper this season and I'd bet my ass that he'll be the one winning the world goalkeeper award at the end of this year.

---------------- Neuer----------------
--Alves--Vidic--Puyol--Abidal------
----------------Sahin----------------
------Xavi-----------------------------
----------------Iniesta---------------
-----------Messi------Rooney-------
----------------Falcao-----------------

Subs : Casillas, Thiago Silva, Kompany, Hummels, Bale, Busquets, Ozil, Fabregas Ronaldo, Eden Hazard, Chicharito.

Same for Xavi and Rooney here. Abidal had a great season, but I'd say Evra and maybe even Coentrao were still above that.

Btw, when I read Falcao here I just have to come up with Hulk. He's a beast.

[War]

I do agree with you for Hulk, i forgot him, Falcao is like an Inzaghi, he just where he should be to score. Hulk is amazing behind him.
I don't for Abidal, before he was operated, i think he was the best defender on the world, his matches were just impressive.

[Foxy]

what makes Falcao so special?

he can score, but so do Hernandez/Ronaldo/Higuain/SUAREZZZZZZ

[War]

what makes Falcao so special?

Scoring 15 (i'm not sure) goals in Europa League?

[Foxy]

------------------Stekelenburg-----------
---Alves---Pique----Vidic-----Coentrao
--------------------------------------------
------------------Xavi---------------------
----Robben------Özil-------Iniesta------
---------Messi----------------------------
-------------------------Suarez----------

need dutch influences in the person of Stekelenburg, who's had a better season than class keepers like Buffon and Julio Cesar..

Robben = beast, since he's back with Bayern they're going for top 3 again

Suarez is a hero for bringing Ajax to the CL, scoring 10x ish & also impressing in Liverpool


didnt Forlan score about 10-15x in last season's Europa League too..?

[Pricey]

GK - Manuel Neuer
RB - Rafael Da Silva
CB- Nemanja Vidic
CB- Vincent Kompany
LB - Gareth Bale
RW - Antonio Valencia
CM- Marek Hamsik
CM - Wesley Sneijder
LW - Luis Suarez
ST - Javier Hernandez
ST - Cristiano Ronaldo

[Ridley]

need dutch influences in the person of Stekelenburg, who's had a better season than class keepers like Buffon and Julio Cesar..

Still not better than Neuer

@Pricey:
Seriously? Rafael and Valencia? I mean sure they're fantastic players, but not the ones that really stood out on their respective positions. Especially Alves had a beastly season at right back, and as for right wing/ forward you just can't cope with Messi.
Apart from that a very good list. Hernandez has to be the best Utd signing since Wayne Rooney.

[Pricey]

For me, the RB position should not be given to players like Daniel Alves/Maicon/Glen Johnson who just bomb up froward every time theres a glimpse at goal. You need a right back who can defend and not get caught out, I don't rate Daniel Alves as a defender. I also didn't really want to include Messi because everyone would do, Valencia has an amazing crossing ability and has been a revelation since coming back from injury. I didn't want to include C.Ronaldo either, but no strikers this season except Hernandez have really impressed me if im honest.

[War]

Pricey got the Premier League influence for his choices, Foxy the dutch influence, Ridley german and i had Liga influence.
But well, some players are coming often like Neuer, Alves, Vidic, Messi.
We can have a team with us. :P

[Ridley]

You need a right back who can defend and not get caught out, I don't rate Daniel Alves as a defender.

Tbh you kinda got a point there. If I had to judge a RB based on the right balance between defense and offence plus the right consistency, then I'd say Philipp Lahm is probably the best. He wins almost every tackle, has superb tactical awareness, great positioning and his crosses are extremely deadly. Together with Arjen Robben probably one of the best right sides of any club.

but no strikers this season except Hernandez have really impressed me if im honest.

U mad? What about Fernando Torres, Jô or Michael Owen?

For real now, I think that apart from Hernandez, Messi and CR7 there was Mario Gomez, who scored a whopping 27 league goals and 9 CL goals, and Italian oldie Antonio di Natale. But ye, Hernandez is probably the biggest surprise this season

[Foxy]

Look at Napoli too when putting some names down, include Edison Cavani

[Pricey]

Various rumours I've heard recently -

- Kaka's mother posted on Twitter that he and the family will be living in London in August 2011. This has started a huge consensus that Kaka could be on his way to either Chelsea, Tottenham or newly promoted hugely richly backed Queens Park Rangers

- Manchester United may pull out all the stops in order to follow through with a move for Schalke O4's Manuel Neuer (Calm down Ridley). Other keepers on the United alert are David De Gea, Martin Stekelenburg and Hugo Lloris

- Ganso and Neymar, two of Brazil's brightest talents could be on their way to Chelsea in the summer for a huge package deal. Other youngsters such as Romelu Lukaku have been in the mix as well.

- Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho wants Frank Lampard back in his team.. as he prepares for an audacious £35 million bid for him.

- The craziest rumour of all - Oil Rich Manchester City are preparing for ONE big swoop in the summer due to the new Fifa Rules meaning they cannot buy masses of players. According to recent press discussions, One midfield Maestro in Xavi Hernandez from Barcelona has been mentioned as being given a swansong to end his career at Manchester City on a very high wage. This may scare Arsenal fans as it leaves a midfield whole for a certain Cesc Fabregas

- Udinese's star winger Alexis Sanchez is being courted by a number of clubs such as Real Madrid, Liverpool FC, Manchester City and various other European clubs.

[War]

Rumour about Xavi is completely crazy.. He is like Puyol, a 100% catalan player, he did not leave when Barça had its bad time, he won't leave in a really good time.
It is also stupid to buy a 31 years old player to build a "new" team.
Others can be done, but we have some crazy ones like Lampard in Real..

Heard that Altintop is going to Real, is the traductor (Mourinho) going to learn another language with Altintop, Sahin (and Ozil)?

[Ridley]

Manchester United may pull out all the stops in order to follow through with a move for Schalke O4's Manuel Neuer (Calm down Ridley)

Bayern is bidding 25mio right now and offers Neuer a 6mio€ per year contract. Schalke already stated that they are satisfied with this proposition. So the transfer should be announced sometime after the season finale this weekend.

Ganso and Neymar, two of Brazil's brightest talents could be on their way to Chelsea in the summer for a huge package deal. Other youngsters such as Romelu Lukaku have been in the mix as well.

That Neymar will go to Chelsea has long been relatively clear. Ganso however seems to be heading to Milan. It's yet uncertain however if he'll join AC or Inter.

@ Xavi and Lampard moves:
NEVER

Heard that Altintop is going to Real

Ye that rumor is flying around here too. No idea why Real would ever want him, but it's fine with me. We won't extend his contract anyway.

Some rumors from Germany:

- 2. Bundesliga top-scorer Nils Petersen will probably move to Bayern
- Mainz Shooting star and german international Andre Schürrle will move to Bayer Leverkusen or 8mio€
- Bayern talent Memet Ekici will fill in the playmaker spot at Werder Bremen for around 5mio €
- Werder are also looking into A Papastathopolus deal with AC Milan
- Arsene Wenger shows intrest in Freiburg striker Papis Cisse
- Supposetly Bacary Sagna has been offered to Bayern Munich by his agent as he's getting tired of Arsenal's pointless title chases.

[Ironhide]

In my opinion it would be dumb from Neuer to go to Bayern. Of course it is the best club in Germany, but with his potential he could go to way better teams which are even on a competitive level in Europe, and to be honest Bayern was not during the past 10 years except for one season. And now they've just been lucky even to get in the CL next year and are just a few points ahead of Hannover. He is experienced and good enough to find a better club.