The Sandman Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 It's that time again.Transfer window has just opened, and we've finished the last tournament of the year. Well done to Brazil for spoiling Spain's party!As ever, we went for the Soccer thread as we don't need arguments about "football" with Americans. Totts has kindly passed me this illustrious pleasure.With preseason imminent, and five new managers taking control of clubs in the Premiership, it seems only appropriate to start a new thread for this season.Predictions, transfers and arguments are all encouraged.So bring it on in this thread and try and keep it as clean as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManetsBR Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 - It will be interesting to see Neymar finally joining Barcelona.- Next year we'll have a great World Cup. Are we gonna discuss it in here or it will have it's own thread? I know we discussed the Confecup on the SOCCER Thread, but I think the World Cup deserves it's own thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tater Totts Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 By the power vested in my due to the fact I made the last soccer thread, I hereby legitimise this bastard soccer thread and raise it up into awesomeness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Higuain to the true pride of North London, ooooh yess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sandman Posted July 1, 2013 Author Share Posted July 1, 2013 - It will be interesting to see Neymar finally joining Barcelona.- Next year we'll have a great World Cup. Are we gonna discuss it in here or it will have it's own thread? I know we discussed the Confecup on the SOCCER Thread, but I think the World Cup deserves it's own thread.Agreed - and how he fits in.What we normally do is discuss it in here right up until the start of the tournament, and then we start a thread about it then if needed. Keeps all the chat to one place, or at worst, two mainstream places! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nosaj Thing Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 but I think the World Cup deserves it's own thread.Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tater Totts Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Higuain to the true pride of North London, ooooh yess Will be a great signing for you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moreblack Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 but I think the World Cup deserves it's own thread.Yes.There will be one no doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieSheen Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 I love this time of year ..... when a new season is literally a couple of weeks away, and the David Moyes era at Manchester United is officially started, i know it's early yet, but anyone got predictions for the forthcoming season, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Nova Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 (edited) Forza Azzurri & the best goal keeper in history - Buffon Edited July 2, 2013 by Kasanova King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I love this time of year ..... when a new season is literally a couple of weeks away, and the David Moyes era at Manchester United is officially started, i know it's early yet, but anyone got predictions for the forthcoming season, I HATE this time of year, no football for a month and a half . Seasons kick off what, 17th August? Thats fuckin' aaaaaaages away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaider Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 This year I'm watching the Premier League. Fuck la Liga. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Neymar and Messi on the same squad? Pfft, you best believe this boys gonna be watching La Liga! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaider Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 (edited) I'd rather watch a tournament where there isn't such an obvious difference between two teams (Barcelona and Real Madrid) and the rest of the league (18 teams). I mean, it'll be great for Barcelona and Madrid fans, watching their teams beat everyone 5-0 or 4-0, but I think it's way more entertaining when you watch games where the underdogs actually do something or fight or whatever. This doesn't ever happen in La Liga...or hardly ever. If you watch a Osasuna-Barcelona game or a Real Madrid-Celta game, you already know what's gonna happen. It's like the other guys are not even trying. It's as if the said Well, there's nothing we can do. Let's just lose and think about our next game. Now, I have never really watched the Premier League, only a couple of games here and there, but the ones I've watched have been pretty exciting, some of the best football I've ever seen really. I love it when teams like West Ham United or Sunderland or any other weaker team plays against a football giant like Liverpool or Man Utd and they fight and score and give everything they have, even if they end up losing. I don't know. there's something about the Premier League that is very competitive and where it doesn't become a thing of two teams all the fucking time. The same thing happens in Germany, where it's always Bayern and sometimes BVB. I mean... c'mon... Edited July 2, 2013 by TombRaider Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Are you sure about that? Barca have a rough time of it playing Oasasuna, in fact most teams do when they come see em at home, the scorelines often flatter what are hard fought games, they ain't walk-overs. Valencia, Betis, Sevilla, Bilbao, these boy don't lay down for no one.I think it's worth considering the gulf of difference even between some of the more hidden away teams of La Liga compared to other so called 'great' teams. I mean you've only got to look at what Bilbao did to Manchester United.Fact is La Liga teams do the same, give all they've fuckin' got even if they end up losing, thats the way of the world. And quite honestly EPL is often a two horse race too i mean, the top two spots last season for the EPL was sewed up well in advance.Don't get me wrong i prefer EPL too but thats probably to do with being from here, La Ligas fantastic too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaider Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 (edited) I like La Liga too. Been watching it for over 10 seasons and it's always been a two horse race, that's true. However, the gulf of difference is even bigger now. That's my only complaint. And yes, it's not always 5-0 or 4-0 when Barcelona plays, but I wish it were a 4 horse race or at least a tournament where there isn't a 20 point difference between the first and the third team when there are 10 games left. I think big budgets have hurt soccer in general. I have no idea how it was in the past, in the 70's or 60's, but now, at least in la Liga, only Madrid and Barcelona are able to afford the best players and the other teams cannot compete, they just can't. It's such an unequal fight. I bet Elche's budget doesn't even come close to what Messi makes in a single season And it hurts the game. I know not every single team aspires to win the title. but why? Because they cannot compete. and why? because they cannot afford the best players and because salaries are absurdly high. This needs to stop at some point. Do you know how much money Messi makes? and Cristiano Ronaldo? way too much money. more than they can ever spend in their lifetime. I don't know. It's unfair. There are second division players who have part time jobs. That shit doesn't make sense to me, at all. FIFA needs to do something. I don't know. Put a limit to the amount of money a team can spend every season, put a limit to salaries. Someone has to draw the line somewhere. Yeah, it's great if you're a Madrid fan. I'm sure you get all excited when your team signs some star. But this level of spending in soccer will eventually or could eventually destroy the game.Why? Because of the crisis some weaker teams go through. Look at Deportivo la Coruna. They were just relegated. And they fear they will be relegated to the Second Divsion B next season, where they will most likely disappear. Because they cannot survive in 2B. If TV rights were equal or if teams like Barcelona and Madrid were not able to spend as much, or I don't know, if Deportivo could economically compete, maybe, then maybe they wouldn't be going through this. Imagine what would happen if the Liga said there's a limit to how much money you can spend signing players. Well, maybe then all the teams would have more or less the same resources, more or less the same squads. I don't know. Edited July 2, 2013 by TombRaider Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I respectfully disagree, i love the game as it is and the more money gets involved the bigger it becomes and as someone who loves the game I'm delighted, especially at the way so much money is being invested in teams by Arabs or whomever to make certain teams into titans, i don't agree with making into this socialist thing but then I'm sort of a purist, i reckon goal line technology is a load of crap too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaider Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 (edited) I respectully disagree too I think we need technology in soccer. There is only so much the referee can do on the pitch. He's only human, after all. Offsides, illegal goals, golas that should've been given but weren't, I don't know... that'd be a thing of the past if more technology were allowed to give the referee a hand. Edited July 2, 2013 by TombRaider Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Cuz it spoils the cut and thrust end to end continuity of the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaider Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 (edited) Yes, that's true. But imagine what it must feel like if your country is eliminated from the World Cup because of an illegal goal. Man, that must suck. Imagine the frustration. EDIT:and I think some players have unwillingly contributed to the demands for more technology when they fake injuries or score with their hands, like Henry in that world cup qualification match against Ireland (?). Edited July 2, 2013 by TombRaider Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tater Totts Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Cuz it spoils the cut and thrust end to end continuity of the game.I'm sorry but thats bullshit, atleast where goal line technology is concerned. The ref has a watch and if the ball goes in it will say within a second, not stopping the game while we wait for a decision and thus the continuity you want is preserved.However I think it should stop at goal line technology, bringing instant replays for offside calls, dives and similar things would affect the end to end nature of the game and is unecessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 That is what its heading towards though innit? What so they ain't gonna stick it on the big screen or whatever like cricket?Yes, that's true. But imagine what it must feel like if your country is eliminated from the World Cup because of an illegal goal. Man, that must suck. Imagine the frustration. EDIT:and I think some players have unwillingly contributed to the demands for more technology when they fake injuries or score with their hands, like Henry in that world cup qualification match against Ireland (?). A bit of controversy is good though isn't it? Well, sometimes. These things even out over a period anyway, the cosmic Gods of football ensure that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaider Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 (edited) Maybe not for offside calls, because hey, if the linesman makes a mistake, too bad. But, I would use replays for dives in the box. After all, there's usually a minute or two before the penalty kick is taken and the moment the referee makes his call to give the penalty. Use that time to make sure the player didn't dive. Dives are bullshit and so are fake injuries. I've seen players scream and writhe in agony on the pitch to get someone sent off. That is bullshit and it needs to stop. EDIT:Controversy is good because it gives us something to talk about, I'll give you that and it keeps things interesting. But sometimes fake injuries, dives, offsides and illegal goals hurt way too fucking much. Edited July 2, 2013 by TombRaider Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Some of my favorite players are massive divers though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaider Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Some of my favorite players are massive divers though Names? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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