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Monday Olympic Football Thread
Team GB beat UAE 3-1. Giggs made up for being awful in their first game, as did Sturridge when he came on. Sinclair bundled in the winner with what I think was his first touch. UAE looked pretty tasty though.
Senegal beasted Uruguay 2-0, despite being down to 10 men for an hour. Uruguay looked really shit, tbh. Even your man Cavani looked pants.
Sticking with Wembley, loads of food kiosk things ran completely out of food and the card payment system went down. I like to think that some devil-may-care maverick caused it by shoving his American Express card into the card reader.
Some other interesting results, notably Spain exiting much earlier than expected.
Aquliani (no idea how to spell it) is off to Fiorentina, Chelsea apparently have three deals on the go and City are set to release Adebayor on a free because Van Persie refuses to play at the same club as him. Oh, and in time-honoured tradition, it emerges that Wilshere is out until October and that neither Giroud or Podolski will be fit for the start of the season.
AOB?
Bit annoying about Podolski & Giroud
Guess this means any deal for Van Persie will be put of for another couple of weeks.
Still at least we haven't slowed Podolski's progress by sending him, Mertesacker and Sagna (also injured) to Lagos to dance around in some advert. http://tinyurl.com/ckbf85a
Sturridge's goal was class
he was awful for the rest of the half though, imho.
In other news, I've got a ticket for the football quarter final at wembley on saturday! Go me.
I actually think Studge might turn into an excellent player
but he's definitely not a lone front man. Either needs to play where Rooney does for Utd or out on the right cutting in.
could do
he needs to learn how to use his teammates though.
agreed on Sturridge
his goal was made easier by the keeper standing in no-man's land, but he took it nicely
I've got volleyball at Earl's Court later. GB are playing. Should be fun.
Read every quote in this article
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19044530
I hope Tottenham get relegated and explode.
'When someone makes a very bad tackle on you, you expect an apology. I've had no apology. And I'm not going to accept his apology.'
footballers are all cunts. when other big sporting events are on it really, really makes me wonder why i bother liking football.
^ this on toast
Although some of the swimmers came out at the Olympics with their fucking Dr Dre headphones on, that was bad (but I decided they must just be copying footballers).
I know it's wrong
but I dislike Gareth Bale even more than I do El Hadji Diouf.
Think it's that little triangle hand signal thing he always does. Or maybe his stupid gibbon face. Regardless - SUCH a cock
Those Kyle Walker quotes at the end are brilliant
Anyway, Bale should be happy. Now he has evidence to back up those silly 'I'm not a diver, I'm just protecting my career' quotes of his.
(bit ironic for Arsenal fans to laugh at other people being precious about tackling, admittedly)
Don't hate him - LEARN from him
I don't think any Arsenal player or Wenger has ever come close to the
*You should be honoured to play against us, how dare you kick us you cowards* line of argument before.
I remember when Bale was on the (very short) list of Spurs Players Who I Actually Quite Like. Blimey.
TBH I'd be annoyed at getting clattered by an artless donkey like Adam in a pre-season friendly
But those quotes from the Spurs players are quite funny.
You wouldn't be annoyed
You'd be flattered.
* flattened
Exactly
Especially considering he'd done him in a few years ago too - I'd be pretty pissed off.
It's Walker's comments that are kind of unnecessary, but he's hardly committed treason
Bale and Walker are right
Adam is, at best, a mid-table League 1 player or Stoke.
saw Mexico vs Gabon and South Korea vs Switzerland yesterday
at the Ricoh... no, wait, City Of Coventry Stadium. The second half of South Korea vs Switzerland was pretty good, though the less said about the rest of either game the better.
I liked the number of headers scored from crosses in the Olympic footie yesterday
Very bish bash bosh. And the fact that Brazil looked a bit more like old Brazil what with their fancy backheels and that.
I went to a wedding yesterday and saw loads of people from my neighbourhood where I grew up for the first time in a long while
They all pretty much universally support QPR. As such I don't think I need to talk about us for the rest of my life. I literally have nothing more to say
People who went to Wembley yesterday, how was the security & queueing?
Been to the Olympic park & ExCel this weekend and that's been really quick and efficient but the football at the other grounds seems a bit poor, is this the same for Wembley too?
Of course you have loads of people so I'd expect things to take a little time anyway, ridiculous to see (non-Olympic broadcaster) Sky try and make an issue of overcrowded after the game as if it wasn't exactly the same as it is for every other event they hold there.
Security was far more, shall we say, robust
than at any other Wembley event I've been to but not particularly problematic. Biggest problem was the food- it looks like someone made a bit of a balls-up when considering the different demographics for this and a standard football event ... Lots of day tripping families in a stadium for 5-6 hours meant that a lot more people were going to want to eat in the stadium than usual. It was a minor annoyance though, really.
PYSCHEology
https://p.twimg.com/Ays65kuCEAAjxmJ.png
The Olympic spirit was certainly lacking in the Spain Honduras game last night
Lots of time wasting and injury feigning by the Hondurans (Just before h/t their #7 spent a minute on the floor whilst Spain had the ball only to jump up and sprint once a Honduran counter attack started). Petulant behaviour from the Spanish followed. Surprised it ended with 22 players. Ref was awful to be fair to Spain, but their reaction was just ugly.
8:45am?
I doubt whoever would've started the thread would've slaughtered sturridge too much, pal, tbh.
Senegal are a fucking awful side.
Uruguay aren't much better.
Quite embarrassing watching them just kick lumps out of eachother, to be honest.
Senegal were very kick-and-rush.
Inaccurate passing and shoddy technique but exciting enough to watch when they channelled their power and pace into breaks and counter attacks rather than assault.
If it wasn't for the violence, Senegal would be a fantastic side to watch
Their counter attacks are insanely fast at times and if they had a little bit more composure they'd be absolutely burying teams. Plus, of course, they've got the stereotypical African defensive naivety and slightly mental keeper.
Aye.
To be honest, though, i'm not completely against watching a bunch of huge black guys kicking Luis Suarez, but at times in both of their games so far, their challenges have been bordering on being serious assaults.
Did you see the Cameroon ladies v Team GB on Saturday?
some of the Cameroonian defending was agricultural to say the leasat.
Good to see Sordell do well, too.
Talented lad.
Also, Craig Bellamy was immense.
Bellers is still good enough to be playing for a top four side.
It saddens me a touch seeing him stuck in the ressies at Liverpool.
Er, so apparently we've signed Tongo Doumbia on loan from Rennes.
It's on the Stade Rennes FC website and everything.
Bizarre signing for Wolves. Wasn't he linked with Arsenal a couple of weeks ago? Why's he come to the Championship? Not that I'm complaining if he's as rated as he seems to be.
If any other Championship team needs midfielders, please call Molineux, we've still got far too many now.
Think we wanted to have him on trial during pre-season,
but West Brom offered him a permanent move and first team football, I'd assumed he went there.
So had I.
But the news story on the Rennes site says he's gone to us.
Unless they've mixed up Wolves and West Brom. Grr.
£13m for Daniel Agger would be a great deal for City.
Can only assume his contract is running down, because he's certainly a lot better than Martin Skrtel. Would've rated him more in the £25m bracket, to be honest.
Not sure it would be the best move for him, but he'd get more football than people think. Kompany's getting niggles, which is a bit worrying, and Lescott's been doing the same over the last year. Having three top centre-halves would mean we could rotate them, given that we could be looking at 70+ games.
Agger is quality
but why would Liverpool sell? Surely he's exactly the sort of defender Rodgers would like
They might have no choice.
Think I've enjoyed watching Senegal more than any team I can remember this season
A man down and they still keep flooding forward in attack and clogging people in defence. Plus...the dancing
Lucien
I don't remember this cause I was steaming but apparently I did the full haka when the NZ olympic team came out on Friday night
Think I started doing an ironic one as it happens
In semi-related matters, keep an eye on the roofs (rooves?) in the cycle race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nTJHYM_j38
Everyone does realise Van Persie is never going to go to City?
Just checking, like.
Hopefully, you're right.
Though the "i'm not going there 'cos <insert name of ex-teammate> is there" stuff does smack of something made-up by a bored tabloid intern. If there was any real issue there, City would simply make Adebayor train with the reserves, and if anything, the fact that Clichy and Kolo Toure are there would be a big positive in that respect.
Van Persie's much more likely to go to United because he'll be guaranteed more football, simple as that...plus it's rumoured they're the ones offering the best contract.
Why are you so sure?
I'm still not sure how he'd fit into our team, unless we play with a midfield diamond, leaving us horribly exposed in defence.
Great to have him on the bench, but don't think that warrants £20m and over £150k/w.
various reasons
Firstly we'd have to build the team around him in order to give him the play time he will obviously want, and with his injury problems and Aguero, probably Tevez and Balotelli to fit in too that's not going to happen, or not going to happen in a clement fashion. It would also mean the end of Dzeko, which few people are keen on- particularly as we'd likely be selling at a loss if we could even find a buyer- not to mention Guidetti, who surely now is deserving of some Premiership football.
Secondly we are currently desparate to move at least three strikers on. Why would we bring in another aging forward on massive wages with an attitude problem? I like to think we learned from the Hughes era, although obviously van Persie is in a slightly different bracket to Roque and Bellend.
The player we really need and want is Javi Martinez. Failing that Agger/Skrtel will do, although neither is perfect.
wouldn't mind De Rossi either.
Agree with your reasoning
But while fans ask 'Why would we...?', Mancini *has* expressed an interest in him.
I could write a similar passage on United (side: Javi Martinez would clearly be welcomed here), but it's obvious we've expressed an interest too, so necessary or not, I wouldn't rule out either side signing him.
I think that's just Mancini shit-stirring to drive up his price for competitors in all honesty
He's learning fast.
Ideally what I'd like to happen is both City and United continue to express vague interest in him in the hope the other will bite, then at the last minute say "yeah nah", thereby forcing the entitled cunt to stay at Arse for yet another season.
Yup, seems like the best outcome for everyone, really
Maybe that's why the bids have been so low, he's not necessary to either team, so bidders are in a position to call Arsenal's bluff. If someone could get him for £12m, then it's another ball game.
The more this goes on
the more i can actually see this happening.
Really hope juve buy him. Please buy him, juve.
we've signed Michael Turner
very pleased with this, he's exactly what we need. Him and Alaya if he stays fit could be quite the pairing.
Axel Witsel to Real Madrid is getting a lot of press
That'd be a weird one, smokescreen to try to force Spurs' hand?
I remember saying the other day about how I just noticed Giggs is past it
I've just noticed this drivel:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/football/9430922/London-2012-Olympics-Ryan-Giggs-turns-back-the-Old-Trafford-clock-but-night-is-ruined-by-Senegal.html
FFS
i guess the issue is
that you've noticed five years after it actually happened. others might not have yet.
Well, the thing is
I know over these past 5 years he's not been particularly good, but I never thought he was bad. Now he is bad. He's slow and can even be wasteful in possession.
The hype for him around the SPOTY award was just shameful.
was it?
i think it was pretty much agreed that it was more or less a retirement award, and with his charitable work and such i guess that covered the 'personality' bit.
if he'd been given the PFA player of the year i'd have understood, but the backlash to it has been a bit over the top i think.
Sometimes I get the feeling that these articles are written before the match is even played
Wednesday have signed Rhys McCabe from Rangers
Anyone know anything about him? The reports are promising. But then the reports were promising for Simon Donnelly, Phil O'Donnell (RIP) and Mark Reynolds. They all turned out to be PONY.
haven't really seen enough of him to comment
but all of rangers (rip) recent youth prospects have turned out to be absolute dogshit
Wolves have signed Tongo Doumbia on a season-long loan
Anyone have any knowledge of this chap?
Gillingham are massive racists
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-19049495
pretty mental that stuff like that still happens
:'(
Spain's frustration and sense of bitter entitlement towards the end of last night
was strangely amusing.
Nice to see a Honduran giving his shirt to a little old lady in the crowd after the match.
Motherwell play Panathinaikos in the Champion's League tomorrow night.
Which is just a ridiculous thing to write.
Hargreaves at QPR
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jul/28/owen-hargreaves-qpr-manchester-city
They really are going above and beyond to be 'that club' who sign all manner of hasbeens, wasted potential and alsorans aren't they?
Glad to see the label heading south after us, Boro and Sunderland have held it.
I'm going to do a DanielKelly and contest that
Yes, we've signed some older players. We massively needed to boost the overall strength in depth, and have done that well to get a load of players in for free
Nelsen replacing Hall - significant improvement
Green replacing Kenny - significant improvement
Johnson replacing Bothroyd - significant improvement
I also fail to see which of those falls into any of those 3 categories. They're all decent players capable of offering a club of our size and season ambition (aiming for top half at best)
We've then signed Park permanently and Fabio on loan - two players who have started in Champions League finals.
We have then signed Diakite permanently - who by the end of next season will be getting tapped up by the top 6, and Hoilett who though I'm not keen on him, is young and highly rated.
Now we've let someone train with us, which happens all the time.
I'll totally accept that we've signed some old players and that is a concern. But I don't think Hughes' signings fall into *hasbeens, wasted potential and alsorans*
Warnock's August signings however, certainly.
ok
proven premier league players
ssssssssssssssssucked in!
well done soapy
Doing a DanielKelly?!
Rising to soapy's trolling in the Football Thread is doing a DanielKelly?!
Fuck. You. I have my weaknesses, but soapy? ffs
£10 million for Steven Fletcher?!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19048370
Sounds fair to me.
Could probably whack another few million on and it'd be a good, at least par, deal.
I know, it's ridiculous.
He won't leave for less than £12m.
Bit late to the party today
but I really enjoyed the two games yesterday. Uruguay's defending wasn't up to much but Senegal were a pleasure to watch. Souare and Mane were brilliant and the standing ovation for Ba after he got red-carded for hacking down Suarez was quite amusing. Plus I was sat near the three most vociferous Uruguay fans in the stadium; it was quite good fun watching them try and get everyone to sing in with their songs - especially as they were in Spanish...
GB v UAE was a good game too. I actually thought for the most part GB played well. The crowd at the start felt like the Drones Club out on the jolly and the Mexican waves got a bill dull but the atmosphere was actually dead good in places and I was way more engaged in the match than I really expected to be - I was properly caught up in it by the time Sturridge got his goal. In summary, I recommend Olympic football. Probably.
SKILLS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVYY5Uuo8dA&feature=player_embedded
Ferdinand charged with being a bellend on twitter
heh
We've just announced Chevrolet as our future shirt sponsors
Disconcertingly for an undisclosed amount.
isn't the DHL deal worth
more than just about any other teams actual first team shirt sponsors
4th highest total in the league I think
interestingly, GM have sacked their commercial manager
several reports are stating the deal as one of the reasons. quids in!
Ferdinand charged over "choc ice" tweet...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19052103
So ridiculous, haven't the FA got better things to be doing?
The situation more generally with Terry/Ferdinand has got pretty absurd
but I don't see what other path the FA could have taken here.
This is just because the FA would be accused of being racist if they didn't follow this up?
Isn't it?
'But if it had been a white player...'
Oh fuck off.
Not really.
He's endorsed a comment that slagged off another player, called into question a verdict from a court in law and a comment that many black people will feel demeans, stereotypes and pigeonholes them.
What exactly did you expect to happen?
This.
That doesn't mean I'm not entitled, amongst pretty much everyone I've talked to, that this deserves no more than a warning from the FA about his us of language and social media and to move on.
I think the time for merely warning Ferdinand about his conduct
in relation to 'bringing the game into disrepute' has long gone.
i think Arsenal might play Giroud in 'le hole'
despite the fact being great at holding up play for others behind him was said to be one of the main reasons we signed him?
Carroll to West Ham on Loan.
nothing further to add
With a view to a £17m transfer, if West Ham stay in the league.
Good deal for Liverpool (if the fee goes through) & for Carroll's development as a player if you ask me.
would be very happy
would rule him returning to us for a ridiculous fee for Ashley's vanity. I'd take him cheap for an option but any huge amount of money would no doubt come out of the pot for players that would fit into our team much better
Yeah, he isn't the right player for Newcastle anymore
Mike Ashley is wise not to assume that he would have the last laugh if he purchased him back for well under the fee he received. The money would be better spent elsewhere.
ugh
Sam Allardyce managing Carroll sounds pretty grim to me.
He's only 23
but he needs to play more football than Liverpool or Newcastle would/should probably give him. He'd be a regular starter at West Ham and they would be more likely to tailor their game to his strengths than us or the Scouse.
The reunion of the Nolan/Carroll onetwo combo is a good option for West Ham to have in their arsenal too. I think the only thing that might scupper it is that Carroll is by all reports determined to come back to the big time over in the north-east.
rhys mccabe joins wednesday on a three-year deal
very highly rated. remember him impressing in one of the old firm games last season. supposedly we've beaten premiership teams to his signing which is very encouraging indeed.
our captain rob jones has left, on his way to doncaster apparently. him and batth were rock solid in defence last season - hope he does well at donny. good player for league one.
our neighbours have picked up tony mcmahon on a free from boro - don't like to give them too much credit but that's an outstanding signing for the third tier.
Watford have signed Fitz Hall
Good signing?
No
:(
Watford signing Alumnia
Gonna win the league?