English Football Thread! 2006-2007 Season

[Loony BoB]

They likely won't get docked points given that there would be a massive legal case on the scale of Italian football if that were to happen. If anything, they'll be docked points for the start of the next season. I don't think there's a realistic way that they can get through the full legal process in that short an amount of time.

Tough thing about Tevez. United don't need him because we have Rooney in that position and Rossi backing up Rooney, however we don't want any of the other big four to get him, either... so it's a tough call on how that will end up. Absolutely fantastic player, though.

[Cuchulainn]

I'd love Tevez & know full well he's chose us over anyone if we went for him as he is a self-proclaimed United fan. Alas, bob is correct he is basically an Argentine Wayne Rooney & what we need is a striker (it's the saqme deal with Fernando Torres). Jan-Klas Huntelaar or the golden grail that is Berbatov would be the tonic.

[charliepanayi]

Well there we are, the title is Man Utd's...pretty anti-climactic really XD

[Cz]

I really wish Eboué had smacked that chance into the top of the net at the last second. It would have added a nice sheen to what was otherwise a rather muted 'victory'. It's rather hard to be pleased about handing the title to United, even if it does mean denying Chelsea. A win would have also taken us above Liverpool, which would have been a nice bonus.

Oh well, I suppose there are worse ways to round off a season.

[charliepanayi]

I don't think it matters much whether we finish 3rd or 4th anyway - Liverpool's minds have been clearly on the CL final lately and it wouldn't be much to crow about even if we did go above them on the last weekend (especially if they win the CL).

[Cz]

I don't think it matters much whether we finish 3rd or 4th anyway - Liverpool's minds have been clearly on the CL final lately and it wouldn't be much to crow about even if we did go above them on the last weekend (especially if they win the CL).

That's not going to stop us from trying though, is it?

[charliepanayi]

Well I suspect we won't even try much! Since we beat Bolton to pretty much seal that CL place, the players has settled back into a state of just wanting to get it over with (see: the second half performances against Fulham and Chelsea). Next weekend we'll be away to a Portsmouth side going for Europe, and I can't see us winning that when they'll have far more motivation than us.

This is irrelevant anyway! Where are the Man Utd fans? Hurry up and start gloating damn you =P

[Cuchulainn]

We got our trophy back

Thoroughly deserved, we were great all season. Bar the Carling Cup we have fought for every trophy unlike others who played for one. It took its toal in the Champions League but we got the important one. The Premiership. Great day.

[Burtsplurt]

Where are the Man Utd fans?

Milton Keynes.

[Psychotic]

I'm hoping the Hammers go down so we can relieve them of their other Argentinian.

As long as we get dibs on Robert Green, then fine. .

Oh I don't know, you'll have tough competition from Portsmouth and Middlesbrough for him. Still, it'll be good to put one over on your UEFA Cup rivals, I suppose.

I don't think it matters much whether we finish 3rd or 4th anyway - Liverpool's minds have been clearly on the CL final lately and it wouldn't be much to crow about even if we did go above them on the last weekend (especially if they win the CL).

Yeah pretty much. As I said earlier in this thread, neither 3rd or 4th is anything to be especially proud of. I'd like us to finish 3rd, of course I would. But I'm not really going to lose sleep over it.

Next season, LFC have to mount a serious title challenge (that's not the same as winning the title, of course). Absolutely no excuses. We've been finishing 3rd and 4th for far too long and it just has to stop.

[charliepanayi]

Same with us as it is for Liverpool - just to mount a title challenge would be a good start.

And there go Charlton...looks like unless Wigan win and West Ham lose on Sunday it's all settled down the bottom then?

[Psychotic]

Somewhat peturbed by the media's apparent belief that the Champions League is a competition for poor teams, and Liverpool are only in the final because we played our reserves in the league. Guess they're pretty sore they can't fap about another Utd vs Chelski clash.

So then, remind me of something because I appear to have forgotten. Did Liverpool play their reserves in the league when they steamrollered their group, and were the first English team to qualify for the next round? Did Liverpool play their reserves in the league when they outmatched Barcelona? Did Liverpool play their reserves in the league when they smashed Arsenal's conquerers 3-0 in their own stadium? Oh wait, it's all flooding back to me. No, they did not.

Could it be because, oh, I don't know, Rafa's tactics are perfectly suited to the European game? Maybe because of the reds fanatical fans? Or how about because, quite simply, Liverpool are England's best team in European competition? No, couldn't be that. It's because Utd and Chelsea weren't trying. :rolleyes2

Praising LFC every once in a while wouldn't kill you, Fleet Street.

[Cuchulainn]

The argument against Liverpool & Milan is very strong I'm afraid. Teams that concentrate one one trophy after a certain period of the season tend to do well. Liverpool lost interest in the FA Cup in the 3rd Round. Once they realised their CL place was secure, they lost interest in the Premiership & everyone loses interest in the Caqrling Cup until later rounds (even then....)

Teams that are fighting on 3 or 4 fronts WILL get tired easier. They don't rest players at the final leg of the season like other clubs, they can't afford to. Both Milan & Liverpool rested players in their DROVES and surprise they both went through.

The CL is not a measure of the best team in Europe, it never will be until there is a 18 team league. It's a measure of a good cup team fighting for maybe 2 trophies OR if they are lucky a very good team fighting for 3 and getting lucky breaks.

The argument that a club were fielding their full squad when everyone else was too is invalid if we are talking about a period where a club fielding a 2nd squad when others can't.

[Psychotic]

Liverpool didn't lose interest in the FA Cup in the third round. Other than Jerzy Dudek, we played our best 11 and were beaten by a superior Arsenal side who were also full-strength other than their goalkeeper.

Chelsea also rested their key players, as I said in another post in this thread, before the second leg. They didn't rest as many players as Liverpool did, but all their match-winners such as Drogba, Lampard and Joe Cole were all on the bench. And let's take the last game between Liverpool and Chelsea when both teams didn't get to rest players. It finished 2-0 to Liverpool.

And come on now, you can't just ignore the other rounds just because they don't fit in with what you're trying to argue. They're proof that Liverpool and Milan can take on some of the best and win - even without resting players.

Maybe, just maybe, United and Chelsea simply weren't good enough.

PS: With United expected to rest players now that they've won the league, assuming they are victorious at Wembley stadium, can we put their FA Cup victory solely down to them resting players?

[charliepanayi]

Ah good old Liverpool v Man Utd bickering! I would say simply that I would still much prefer for us to win the Premiership over the Champions League. But right now either one would be nice to at least try and win next season