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Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on Aug 26, 2004 5:58:59 GMT -5
Spain: Reigning champs Valencia will face a resurgent Barcelona led by Brazilian genius Ronaldinho. Deportivo la Coruna are always good for a top four finish.
But the real story in Spain is the Real story. Yeah, those rich bastards from Madrid have bought big, including England internationals Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate. Joining Woodgate to shore up that ropey defence will be brilliant Argentine defender Walter Samuel, signed from Roma for a king's ransom. They didn't manage to snatch Vieira from Arsenal, but will still start as favourites for both the Primera Liga and the European Champions' League.
Italy: Hard to see outside the big four here, though Juventus will be interesting to watch without long-time coach Marcello Lippi at the helm. Can they reclaim the scudetto from prime minister Berlusconi's AC Milan? Expect Inter Milan and Roma to be the nearly men again, with Lazio and Parma fighting for fifth.
England: Already 3 games into the season in England, and Arsenal look awesome, even with Sol Campbell and Patrick Vieira still on the treatment table, and Edu still on holiday (the poor lamb is apparently tired after his Copa America extertions). They've just set an all-time English record by going 43 games without defeat - including the whole of last season. Reyes, Henry, Bergkamp and Pires is surely the best front four in the league.
Also on 9 points already are big-spending Chelsea, surely Arsenal's main threat this year with new coach José 'modest' Mourinho ("I am the special one. After God, me.") at the helm after steering Porto to shock Champs League victory last year.
Manchester Utd struggle on, blighted by injuries. But with Van Nistelrooy, Saha, Rio Ferdinand and Fake Ronaldo all due back soon, and a huge bid placed for Everton and England superstar Wayne Rooney, only a fool would write them off.
Liverpool, Newcastle, Middlesborough and Spurs should all feature in the top half.
Germany: Tight financial rules affect transfers in Germany, and only the rich Bayern Munich have been allowed to spend more than pocket money. They continue to monopolise the best homegrown talent (Ballack, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Deisler etc) and only a fool would back against them this year. They'll also be dangerous in Europe. When are the Germans not?
Over to Maarts for a look at the Dutch league...
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Post by maarts on Aug 26, 2004 6:24:43 GMT -5
..where it looks very much like the Big Three are set to dominate once again- Feyenoord, Ajax and PSV starting confidently with victories, although Ajax looked a bit shakey, starting off with an unconvincing win against FC Twente at home and losing the Supercup to Utrecht, a middle-of-the-table team.
PSV did qualify for the Champions' League- without summer signing Phillip Cocu from Barcelona they managed an impressive 5-0 win over Red Star Belgrade in the returnmatch in Eindhoven last week (narrowly losing the first one 3-2). They lost star striker Matiaz Kezman but seem to have a good replacement in Beasley and Vennegoor Of Hesselink, who now has to step up to the plate and become the go-to-man.
Ajax managed to hang on to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wesley Sneijder and Steven Pienaar- they look to be the crux to the success of the team in Europe where they surprised a lot of teams. Coach Ronald Koeman has been fairly focused on retaining the majority of his squad and cutting out a lot of deadwood.
For Feijenoord last season was a disaster, without much hope on a title or any prize. But they were underestimated two years ago when they took out the UEFA-cup and they could do it again- early season form was up and down, but they started the season well enough, with Belgian international Dirk Kuijt looking for a strong season.
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Post by maarts on Aug 26, 2004 6:36:29 GMT -5
I see lots of pressure building on Real Madrid this year. The old AC Milan-adagio that you can buy a good team to win championships backfired badly. Their main weakness was midfield and the transition to the forwards. Beckham got blamed a lot for that and some of it was just, but, outside of Zidane and Morientes, there was not much movement in the team up front.
It looks that AC Milan will broaden the gap between them and the remainder, AS Roma, Juventus, Inter Milan and Lazio. But the Italian league hasn't seem a real dominating team ever since the Milan of the late eighties and I cannot see it happening with this Milan either- Juve will come very close though.
And in Germany, yeah, Bayern look strong with Dutchman Roy Makaay upfront, but Werder Bremen, Borussia Monchengladbach and Vfb Stuttgart aren't too far behind.
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Post by maarts on Aug 26, 2004 7:20:37 GMT -5
...and just as I mention the relative fortunes of Ajax hanging on to Ibrahimovic, I now download an article that states that AS Roma is intent on buying the striker for an amount, rumoured to be around the 50 million Euro-mark.
The close of the transfer market in the European community is August 31, so they have to hurry...Zlatan hasn't made a secret of it that he wants a bigger club to show off his talents to.
So another top striker looks set to be poached.
I have a feeling that, after Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard might also look around- he was set to stay at Liverpool in the hope that his connection with Owen on the field would lead Liverpool to more success. Now that Oqen quite unexpectedly is chasing gold in Spain, Gerrard might not feel that his loyalty to the club should exceed his personal goals of glory...
I just fucking HATE this kind of stuff.
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Post by maarts on Aug 29, 2004 7:59:23 GMT -5
Hmm, seems like Bayern Munich are struggling to find form...they're hanging midtable after another disppointing draw...
Same goes for ManU...even though their injury worries ar eplenty, the lack of strikepower from midfield starts to wreak havoc...8 points behind leaders Arsenal already (with one game in hand, of course)....
The quality of goals scored in the first few rounds of the Premiership is stunning- Arsenal could fill a whole DVD with highlights from this season already!
Great to see Bergkamp play such great football. A consummate professional- keen to play, even for less money than the youngest defender on the pitch.
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Post by maarts on Aug 31, 2004 17:37:47 GMT -5
Wasn't too particular happy to see Sir Bobby being unceremoniously sacked from Newcastle...here's a coach that i rwespect tremendously and who has gotten more out of a mediocre line-up than ever possible- sure, blame the fact that they didn't get any silverware on him, not on the fact they couldn't buy a set of decent midfielders to support Shearer...
Zlatan's gone to Juve, Rooney to ManU...thank God the markets all close today. What madness is this to have player transfers go on well into the season- preseason taining and the first matches all mean nothing, the effort and preparation to get a team ready for the comp is surely under threat this way....
Say Jesus, if necessary, judging by the number of views this board gets, we could always turn it into a 'secret board'.....
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Post by phil on Aug 31, 2004 19:47:53 GMT -5
Saw a pretty goal on TV today with a player
(from Ajax ?)getting at least four defenders
out of their pants with some incredible footwork ...
Of course we see this kind of TEXTpuck/stick
ball-handling in hockey all the time ...Ü...
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Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on Sept 5, 2004 5:41:53 GMT -5
Gah, bad result in Austria last night. England blew a 2-0 lead against the worst Austrian team I've ever seen. Elsewhere in our Worldf Cup qualifying group, Wales drew in Azerbaijan, and Poland got an impressive 3-0 win in Northern Ireland.
We look even more awful without Rooney (injured) and Scholes (retired from internationals). And what's happened to Michael Owen? Couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo, as they say. I might put a fiver on the Poles to beat us in Poland on Wednesday night.
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Post by maarts on Sept 5, 2004 6:13:44 GMT -5
Yeah, your guys were shit. Time to get a proper goalie too!
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Post by maarts on Sept 19, 2004 7:10:11 GMT -5
Espanyol- Real Madrid 1-0.
I cannot help but be really amused how money fails to buy a team!
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Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on Sept 21, 2004 3:22:00 GMT -5
Yep, two defeats for Madrid and off goes coach Camacho... pathetic but oh-so-funny. ;D
Rumour has it that Sven has a clause in his England contract if Real Madrid should come calling... so maybe we'll be rid of the negative, tedious, disloyal Swede at last. *prays fervently*
Man U starting to show form (boooo!) last night, and Stevie Gerrard out for 2 months with broken foot, which will fuck up Liverpool AND England, unfortunately.
As for Aussies in the Premiership... Fatty Viduka looks as though he's going to have a very good season. Popovic finds ever more bizarre and brilliant ways of scoring own goals for Crystal Palace, Emerton should prosper at Blackburn under new coach Mark Hughes...
But sadly, Harry Kewell is now officially a pathetic shadow of the player he was three years ago.
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Post by maarts on Sept 21, 2004 6:12:51 GMT -5
IM Brian Clough
Middlesbrough, Sunderland, England
Coached Derby County and Nottingham Forest to Premier League success....
Clough died from the results of stomach cancer. He was 69.
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Post by maarts on Sept 21, 2004 6:21:54 GMT -5
Kewell seems to have lost his bottle. I don't know, he never seems comfortable enough on that wing. He had two seasons to settle, now he should take responsability...I don't see him do it.
And Gerrard out...I couldn't frigging believe it! I see another bad year for my club, unless the courage that SG displayed finds its way in the remaining Liverpool- midfielders.
Looks like Newcastle starts to find a bit of grit and feeling up front- liked the way Kluivert and Shearer were starting in attack against Southampton last Saturday.
Viduka reminds me a lot of Mariano Bombarda, an expatriate Argentinian who has played for Feyenoord and Groningen in the past- fat ass which he loves to turn into his opponent, scoot away and a good shot in the right leg to score.
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Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on Sept 21, 2004 6:23:38 GMT -5
One of the greatest coaches (and biggest personalities) who ever lived. To take provincial clubs like Derby and Notts Forest to league titles, and to win two European Cups with Forest - as well as going a record 42 league matches on the bounce undefeated - is an achievment to rank alongside anything.
Well said maarts.
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Post by maarts on Sept 21, 2004 6:34:43 GMT -5
I remember one interview in which he mentioned his love of the European game, especially the short quick passing of the ball. English football was so long known for it's long passing from back to front....Clough replied once when asked about the English game: "If God had intended the game to be played in the air, He would have laid grass carpets in Heaven...."
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