European Soccer Part XIII

[Craig P.]

Originally posted by Bob Gray
ManU acquiring Oliver Khan according to German news reportsThat wouldn't seem to make much sense.

[Bob Gray]

Well, there's been a lot of talk about Khan leaving Bayern Munich and you have to expect he'd go to a high profile team. If Tim Howard is the long term keeper for ManU, it doesn't make a lot of sense to acquire Khan, but ManU's transfer habits in recent years haven't been real predictable. I'm just hoping they don't move Diego Forlan!

I was playing Championship Manager the other day and Diego Forlan scored a hat trick for ManU against my Arsenal squad. CM is generally a great game, but that is just ridiculous!:eek:

[FerrisLives]

Rafa Benitez resigned as coach at Valencia today. He wouldn't have quit a club as big as Valencia unless he was already certain of becoming the new guy at Liverpool. And it appears Claudio Ranieri will succeed him at Valencia.

My opinion Ranieri gets the best of this bizarre triangle between Liverpool, Chelsea and Valencia. Valencia won more trophies than Liverpool and Chelsea combined, and Ranieri won't have to work with a dictatorial foreign boss like Benitez and Mourinho both will.

[Nathan]

Good on you Diego!!

Timmy ain't going nowhere! Besides, we don't want Chewie at Old Trafford.

[x-cheque]

We'll take him! There's plenty of bars with plenty of barmaids in Liverpool.

And finally it's Oliver KAHN. He's no Mongol. Feel free to make a Golden Horde joke, I couldn't be bothered.

Benitez working with a dictatorial foreign boss at Liverpool? What are you smoking? If you're referring to the yet-to-be-finalized Thai PM deal you're daft; the control of the club is still in the hands of Rick Parry, who in turn has to report to a board and some other horrifically complex machinations. There isn't a single ownership situation at Anfield like there is at Chelsea. Suffice to say, Benitez will be subject to strictly English dictatorial whims - he's not English, true, so in a way you could be right....

[FerrisLives]

Tottenham have hired French national coach Jacques Santini as their new coach. I didn't think Tottenham had any big moves in them.

[Bob Gray]

Wow, that is big news for the Spurs, er, Scum. I don't know a lot about Santini, but I'm a bit surprised Spurs, who are a good sized club, but hardly one of the most attractive English clubs to run these days, could land a French national coach. Of course Santini will no longer have the luxury of a lineup featuring Henry, Zidane, Vieira, etc. with Spurs. But you have to figure this'll be a good move for Spurs. Can't do much worse than Hoddle and Pleat these last years.

And Chelski loan out Veron to Inter Milan in Mourinho's first move of note.

[MavrckMngr]

City's (rumored) first five fixtures for the upcoming season, as being spread on the Bluemoon board:

Arsenal away
Rags at home
Chelski home
Liverpool away
Newcastle away

We just survived a relegation battle, and this our reward? :confused:

[Bob Gray]

Sounds like what they gave Arsenal last year, when they had ManU, Chelski, Newcastle and Liverpool in a row both coming and going. But it's the offseason, so I will endeavor to not go on one of my FA rants!

[KevinNU7]

http://www.tomnufc.fsnet.co.uk/images/iraqi.jpg

[x-cheque]

Originally posted by KevinNU7
http://www.tomnufc.fsnet.co.uk/images/iraqi.jpg

Figures.

Though I heard Saddam himself was a Man U fan. :D

[Terrierbyassociation]

Where are you guys going to be watching Euro 2004?

[Nathan]

I am getting the package deal at Brits Pub in Minneapolis. $100 for admission to all the matches live, including buffet breakfasts and lunches at most matches.

FYI- UEFA Euro 2004 is a really fun game for PS2. The game play is easier to learn than FIFA 2004, and the form changes based upon league play, etc. is a nice inclusion. Also, you don't have to deal with the training aspect, unlike FIFA 2004.

That being said, first thing I did was replace Heskey in the starting 11 with Roonaldo and moved Parker into the sublist.

Too bad England's best keeper is James. There's a national side that is in desperate need of a big-time keeper. However, after looking through the list of teams and playing all the qualifier matches, England must have the best midfield in the competition.

Becks, Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard on the pitch with Macmanaman, Parker, Butt, Dyer, Jenas, Murphy et al on the bench is unreal.

[x-cheque]

Originally posted by Nathan
I am getting the package deal at Brits Pub in Minneapolis. $100 for admission to all the matches live, including buffet breakfasts and lunches at most matches.

FYI- UEFA Euro 2004 is a really fun game for PS2. The game play is easier to learn than FIFA 2004, and the form changes based upon league play, etc. is a nice inclusion. Also, you don't have to deal with the training aspect, unlike FIFA 2004.

That being said, first thing I did was replace Heskey in the starting 11 with Roonaldo and moved Parker into the sublist.

Too bad England's best keeper is James. There's a national side that is in desperate need of a big-time keeper. However, after looking through the list of teams and playing all the qualifier matches, England must have the best midfield in the competition.

Becks, Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard on the pitch with Macmanaman, Parker, Butt, Dyer, Jenas, Murphy et al on the bench is unreal.

Steve McManaman is on the roster? Even in a video game, that's an abomination. He's at home growing his hair. Amazing the game didn't include Joe Cole or Owen Hargreaves, who actually ARE on the England roster this summer. Cole is quite a talent, if Lampard can't recover from his sore hammy maybe he'll see some playing time, though it's more likely someone like Hargreaves would take his pitch time.

What video games fail to emphasize is that midfielders are used to a certain position - i.e. central, wing, left right etc etc - and that it can be extraordinarily difficult for a man to adjust and get in sync to playing, say, left on his national side when he plays center on his club side. Also underemphasized is the need for left as well as right footed midfielders, a problem England is currently facing. For my money the best midfield in Euro 2004 - for real, that is - is France's, with Zidane, Vieria, Pires and Makelele all on the same side. For that matter, that might be the strongest midfield in the world right now.

[USAFA Bulldog]

Originally posted by Nathan
I am getting the package deal at Brits Pub in Minneapolis. $100 for admission to all the matches live, including buffet breakfasts and lunches at most matches.

Is Brit's going to be packed? I'd enjoy it, but not if it's overwhelming packed.

[MavrckMngr]

Originally posted by x-cheque
Steve McManaman is on the roster? Even in a video game, that's an abomination.

I couldn't agree more. Man, what a freakin' bust he's been at City... :mad:

[Nathan]

Oh, Hargreaves and Cole are on the squad.

I don't remember the entire midfield, but here's what I can remember:

Beckham
Lampard
Gerrard
Scholes
Dyer
Parker
Macmanaman
Hargreaves
Jenas
Cole
Hargreaves
Murphy


And while the French starting 4 might be superior to Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard and Scholes (playing a 1-2-1 in MF with Gerrard at DM, Becks and Lampard at CM and Scholes as AM), nobody has nearly the depth of the Brits.

I agree about that, and frankly, I believe that this game is set up that players are better on their natural wing/foot.

[MavrckMngr]

Press in the land of the surrender monkeys are reporting that Nicolas Anelka is converting to Islam to play for Al Wassal FC. Anelka has been quick to deny, for the fourteen-thousandth time that he is leaving Manchester City.

This is the most half-baked report I've ever caught wind of.

[Don King]

Originally posted by Nathan
I am getting the package deal at Brits Pub in Minneapolis. $100 for admission to all the matches live, including buffet breakfasts and lunches at most matches.


Dammit, why did I move away from Minneapolis? :p

FourFourTwo is a decent magazine. Bought it at Barnes & Noble for plane reading, turned out to be pretty darn enjoyable. I may have to inquire about overseas subscriptions when I get where I'm going. :)

[Nathan]

Yes FourFourTwo is probably the best, readily available football mag I have found.