2006-07 Soccer Thread

[Mac Howard]

Originally Posted by daedalus

I did not know that but from your description, it makes a lot of sense.For a classical front man, I would agree with you. And, in the case where the "3" (especially the 2 wide men) are speed merchants who seek to run off through balls from the front man, definitely.

I think, though, in the case of these 4 specific individuals, it works. Instead of everything funneling through the front man with the back "3" playing off of him, the most likely scenario has the ball being played through Ronaldinho with Eto'o running off his setup where this combination of players work.

It's a very flexible formation and will depend on how you want that front man to integrate with the three behind him - which will be the primary source of goals, the front man with the following three supplying or the front man supplying with the following three scoring.

With quality players you can mix it up.

My questions, though, are: 1) with the new additions, what happens to Fletcher and Richardson and 2) what is the long term plan in goal?

As Big Fo says - Fletcher will be a squad player - pick one from Scholes and Carrick with one from Hargreaves and Fletcher for the central/back two. If I remember rightly the 7 goal thrashing of Roma was this formation with Carrick and Fletcher. I would give Hargreaves 40 of the 60 or so matches played and Fletcher the rest though injuries will obviously impact on this.

Richardson can go!

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by daedalus

2) what is the long term plan in goal?

Ben Foster, no?

[TredWel]

41 percent more households tuned into Gold Cup final than Stanley Cup final

June 26, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) -- The CONCACAF Gold Cup final attracted 41 percent more television households in the United States than the Stanley Cup finals clincher -- and that was just for the soccer game's Spanish-language telecast.

The United States' 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Mexico on Sunday received a 2.5 fast national rating on Univision, the network said Tuesday. That translates to 2.83 million households, nearly double the 1.48 million homes that watched the 2005 Gold Cup final between the United States and Panama.

This year's English-language telecast was on the Fox Soccer Channel, which is available in about 30 million homes and is not rated. Anaheim's series-ending 6-2 victory over Ottawa in the Stanley Cup on June 6 received a 1.8 rating on NBC, which comes to 2,005,000 households.

The rating is the percentage watching a telecast among all homes with televisions, and a ratings point represents 1,114,000 households.

I don't know if this says more about the current popularity of soccer or hockey in the U.S.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by TredWel

I don't know if this says more about the current popularity of soccer or hockey in the U.S.

POint - but that's a good sign. I seriously think soccer is going to be a big thing here.

[cthomer5000]

They are definitely sports headed in opposite directions.

[Blade6119]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

Ben Foster, no?

Im guessing the long term plan is not yet on the roster, much as you could have said for the AMC and RW spots before the anderson and nani signings respectively.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Blade6119

Im guessing the long term plan is not yet on the roster, much as you could have said for the AMC and RW spots before the anderson and nani signings respectively.

I guess I'm a little surprised if Foster isn't the long-term plan.. he has been England's #2 recently, and they seem to be 1 year from needing a new keeper. You really think they'll make a move between now and opening day 2008?

[Blade6119]

I think van der sar will start for 2 years, not 1...and i expect to make a move sometime in the next 2 years, yes. I dont think they like foster, at least not at as a top level starter. Foster could start for a lot of premiership clubs, but man u needs a elite player, and i dont think they believe foster is one.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Blade6119

I think van der sar will start for 2 years, not 1...and i expect to make a move sometime in the next 2 years, yes. I dont think they like foster, at least not at as a top level starter. Foster could start for a lot of premiership clubs, but man u needs a elite player, and i dont think they believe foster is one.

I think it's a safe bet to expect Edwin van der Sar to play for one more season and then retire after the 2008 European Championships. A month or two earlier if the Netherlands doesn't qualify.

Originally Posted by Critch

Klose and Toni with Podolski coming off the bench is an amazing forward line.

Now this is one of those things in soccer I'll never like. (I mean, I'd do the same thing in CM/FM, but that's different. ) Why does Bayern think they need both Klose (29yo) and Toni (30yo) when they already have Roy Makaay (32yo) around? Lukas Podolski is so much younger (22yo), but his potential is going to be wasted on the bench. I know, these kind of teams want 4 top strikers, but to me it's obvious that by the first transfer window one of those four will be leaving the club out of disinterest in riding the bench all season.

The same can be said about Barcelona, people are drooling over the thought of Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o on the same team. Personally, I doubt it's going to happen, it's been told over and over the past two seasons, Henry had to be signed to add depth to the team. One of these four will ride the bench, barring injuries, which always happen. At least Barcelona will usually play 3 of the 4 guys, possibly all four in non-leading late-game situations, but I won't be surprised if Ronaldinho or Eto'o is outta there in the January transfer window. Heck, it might even happen before the 2007/2008 season starts.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Now this is one of those things in soccer I'll never like. (I mean, I'd do the same thing in CM/FM, but that's different. ) Why does Bayern think they need both Klose (29yo) and Toni (30yo) when they already have Roy Makaay (32yo) around? Lukas Podolski is so much younger (22yo), but his potential is going to be wasted on the bench. I know, these kind of teams want 4 top strikers, but to me it's obvious that by the first transfer window one of those four will be leaving the club out of disinterest in riding the bench all season.

The 4 won't last til the first transfer window, Makaay has already been told to find himself a new club and leave for free so he's out of the mix, saw some rumors he was PSV or Lyon bound. Santa Cruz and Karimi are also on their way out, Pizarro has already gone, so Bayern are really shaking up their forwards.

So the Bayern forwards will be Toni and Klose backed up by Podolski and Schlaudraff (a young German international that they signed from Aachen). Podolski didn't look very good last year for Bayern, so a season coming off the bench and filling in behind Klose and Toni will probably be good for him, take the pressure off him. He didn't handle the weight of expectation well last season and was out the first team at Bayern by xmas.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Critch

The 4 won't last til the first transfer window, Makaay has already been told to find himself a new club and leave for free so he's out of the mix, saw some rumors he was PSV or Lyon bound. Santa Cruz and Karimi are also on their way out, Pizarro has already gone, so Bayern are really shaking up their forwards.

Ah yes, but so far he didn't find a new club. He's been linked with Feyenoord overhere because of the Toni signing and the Klose negotitations. He may have been linked with PSV as well, but that seems a bit unlikely right now, after they signed Danko Lazovic. Of course, you never know with this 'world'. Anyway, until Makaay signs somewhere else, there's still the posibility he'll pull a trick like David Beckham did the last couple of months. It's still kinda sad how clubs sometimes go 180 degrees on a player who carried the team in one way or another. In his Bayern period, Makaay scored 80 goals in the 1.Bundesliga, about 30 more than anyone else in those four seasons. Bayern has no guarantee of Toni or Klose living up to their 2005/2006 form (they can't have been wanted over their 2006/2007 form, can they? )

[Critch]

Bayern scored 55 goals in 34 Bundesliga games last year, one of their lowest totals ever, so they've decided to rebuild their forward line. Makaay is 32 and past his best, so it makes sense he's one of the players they shift out.

Biggest worry for Bayern with the Klose/Toni front line isn't their 2006/2007 form, it's more whether they are too similar in style to play side by side. Have to wait and see about that.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

I won't be surprised if Ronaldinho or Eto'o is outta there in the January transfer window. Heck, it might even happen before the 2007/2008 season starts.

I keep hearing one of those two (more likeley Ronaldinho) will be gone before the start of the season. The funny thing is I really haven't heard him linked to any specific clubs.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

I keep hearing one of those two (more likeley Ronaldinho) will be gone before the start of the season. The funny thing is I really haven't heard him linked to any specific clubs.

There was a rumor last season that Eto'o and Ronaldinho didn't like each other to an extent where one of them would have to be sold, with Ronaldinho seeming the most likely. AC Milan were rumored to be the club, with Kaka moving on (probably to Real Madrid) to free the cash.

When you get to the level of Ronaldinho and Kaka, there are probably only about 8 clubs in the world that are realistic destinations.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by moriarty

Ehh, I was hoping to see him back in the EPL, but that probably makes sense for his career.

Beasley's move to Rangers has been confirmed, subject to him getting a work permit (which shouldn't be a problem).

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Critch

Bayern scored 55 goals in 34 Bundesliga games last year, one of their lowest totals ever, so they've decided to rebuild their forward line. Makaay is 32 and past his best, so it makes sense he's one of the players they shift out.

Biggest worry for Bayern with the Klose/Toni front line isn't their 2006/2007 form, it's more whether they are too similar in style to play side by side. Have to wait and see about that.

Ah yes, the good old "he's too old" reasoning, didn't Machester United use that on Ruud van Nistelrooy? But really, Toni is only a year younger, although he is much younger in terms of years at top level soccer. Anyway, you called it, Makaay will reportedly today sign with Feyenoord.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Ah yes, the good old "he's too old" reasoning, didn't Machester United use that on Ruud van Nistelrooy? But really, Toni is only a year younger, although he is much younger in terms of years at top level soccer. Anyway, you called it, Makaay will reportedly today sign with Feyenoord.

The too old for van Nistelrooy was just an excuse though, they couldn't say "we had to sell him cos he kept on beating up Cristiano Ronaldo in training"

Capello has definitely been fired by Real Madrid now.

[flere-imsaho]

I love this about Capello from the Guardian Online:

Capello also won the league in a previous one-year stint at the club, in 1996-97. Indeed, he now boasts a phenomenal record of having won eight domestic titles in the last 15 years and at four different clubs, though Juventus were subsequently stripped off their titles for match-fixing. He's unikely to have much trouble finding a new employer.

I think Capello's problem is that he comes in and immediately stirs things up, isn't afraid to bench people who are sucking, and conforms the team to his plan, even if it leaves some people on the outside. Most of these clubs don't want that kind of turmoil at the top.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by Critch

Bayern scored 55 goals in 34 Bundesliga games last year, one of their lowest totals ever, so they've decided to rebuild their forward line. Makaay is 32 and past his best, so it makes sense he's one of the players they shift out.

Biggest worry for Bayern with the Klose/Toni front line isn't their 2006/2007 form, it's more whether they are too similar in style to play side by side. Have to wait and see about that.

I think Klose is more versatile than just the front man that people tend to consider him to be. During the World Cup, he went wide and set up Podolski quite a bit (in the games that I saw).

He was THE one "big name" I really wanted to see Arsenal sign, regardless of Henry's situation.