Euro Division Homepage LXXIV

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World Cup Sweepstakes (1m to winner, 500k to runner up, 250k to losing semi finallists)

Spoiler:

cherriesfna wrote:Lewis grabban , he only scores pens, he only scores pens, he only scores pens lewis grabban, what a waste of 3 mil

This. Should've signed Lars "Destroyer of Useless Defenders" Veldwijk.

GSC wrote:

cherriesfna wrote:Lewis grabban , he only scores pens, he only scores pens, he only scores pens lewis grabban, what a waste of 3 mil

This. Should've signed Lars "Destroyer of Useless Defenders" Veldwijk.

We tried signing a Dutch striker last season, not so great

If he scores 20 odd pens for us next season I ain't complaining, although that's an awful lot of penalties to get eh cherries

Mafia anyone?

David Nugent managed it

Mafia is not a spur of the moment game, it needs at least a couple hours of preparation. I'll play in the next round.

Might be over momentarily

Longest game of mafia ever. Not sure David Nugent could have lasted the full game.

I'm on the verge of falling asleep. Nobody wants to make any actual move.

Anyone want Yousef El Arabi before I accept my lawyer later.

Decent enough striker. Moroccan international, 12 goals in 36 games in la logs last season.

Nows your chance or I sell to lawyers later

I'm also willing to listen to offers on Thomas Buffel, a right winger who I have a lawyers on.

Hard to know what to make of the Dutch. Complacent after thrashing Spain? Lightweight at the back? An off day? Possibly a combination of the 3. Still, avoid losing to Chile and they likely get a winnable tie against Mexico or Croatia in the last 16. Momentum is massive in a WC.

There'll be enough inquisitions into Spain after an unexpected early exit (giggle). Chile were fantastic, immense workrate throughout the team, enough difference makers up front to score. Do wonder if they'll hold up against a team more direct than Spain (hardly difficult) after Australia gave them issues. Holland-Chile should be a cracker.

Croatia did the job against a poor Cameroon side to set up a winner takes all encounter with Mexico. Unambitious and undisciplined is rarely a winning combination as Cameroon have found out.

Imagine the guys that didn't pan out. From 12 years ago

More mafia later after yesterdays epic?

I'm around all day

Guess what I'll be doing at 8pm tonight? That's right, playing hockey!

The bastards couldn't take the world cup into account in scheduling could they? I'll be about an hour behind everyone, desperately avoiding facebook, twitter, here, the bbc, anywhere that other people may be.

I'm up for Mafia but I'd prefer sooner rather than later

I might be around later not sure yet and lolz soddy

Morning

Sodhat I'd feign injury, do the guys you play with watch Football?

GSC wrote:

Imagine the guys that didn't pan out. From 12 years ago

Saw that a while ago. Best part of it his that the pic of Hazard looks exactly like a pic of Enzo Scifo, Belgium's best-ever player.

I can play mafia, as long as people stop killing me for no reason   

VivaPaulScholes wrote:Morning

Sodhat I'd feign injury, do the guys you play with watch Football?

Most do

Worst part is I'm actually a bit ill, but I can't drop out because I'll look like a welcher based on the footy being on. Team player and all that.

Colombia 1-2 Ivory Coast
Uruguay 0-2 England
Japan 1-0 Greece

I can't be the only one half expecting England to lose, can I?

I don't want to be negative, but I don't have the belief we get out of this group.

Be a team player then. Plenty of options:

- Call in a bomb hoax at the venue
- Set fire to a car in the car park
- Get into a fight before the game so you can all watch it together down the local gaol
- Call the venue and pretend to be the other team, cancel the booking and forfeit the match
- Turn up with one of those wrist guards on and say you dislocated your wrist, and can't play. They'll say okay, off you go son
- Buy a Google Glass device and watch the game while playing hockey

sodhat wrote:I can't be the only one half expecting England to lose, can I?

I don't want to be negative, but I don't have the belief we get out of this group.

With Diego Lugano injured, Uruguay's defence may be pretty good now. It'll be a tough game, but I have faith England will win.

How bad must Luganos replacement be if Lugano was keeping him out the side?

Uruguay are pretty ordinary with an out of form Cavani and unfit Suarez. If we can't beat them we deserve to go home.

Maybe I'm just jaded. I can't see us getting a win, but I hope we do.

Maybe the best thing ever

I saw that this morning - what the hell was he doing?

It was the least inconspicuous dig ever.

He's an ass man. Bum bum.

Tiki taka dead? Not convinced myself but it needs to get back to the quickness and directness Barca had back in their prime years.

Its become a parody of itself at club and country level, slow, predictable and indirect.

i can't play Mafia today dammit im out of TP bids and i want to buy someone whilst their still cheap   

I always found tiki taka boring. When there's urgency its great, but the Spain of 2011-14 didn't have that urgency. They just passed the ball about.

Selection has been an issue too. Xavi is clearly done, Alonso too, Silva never achieves for Spain and Busquets is the thinking man's Robbie Savage. Pathetic.

They need to bring in Koke, bring in Morata, bring in the likes of Callejon, Jese, Mata, and play up tempo tiki taka. It won them a World Cup.

I want to buy five or six players

If we play like we did against Italy I'm convinced we'll beat Uruguay as long as Rooney is played behind Sturridge and Sterling on the wing.

The difference IMO is when teams get into final third they still pass around with it sideways backwards instead of the directness and one touch football.

Barkley would help unlock defences. I'd rather he played than Welbeck tbh, even if he is out wide.

For me its last chance saloon for Rooney. If he can't impact this game in his favored position then Roy should seriously look at whether England are a better side when they don't have to accommodate Rooney.

TheSecondComing wrote:Barkley would help unlock defences. I'd rather he played than Welbeck tbh, even if he is out wide.

Those scousers can unlock anything

When Tika Taka failed Spain didn't have Messi to pass the ball too

He didn't exactly shine in a poor Barca season either though Viva (by his own immense standards).

It happens to every great side eventually though. Father Time is undefeated. Spain could perhaps look to the PL for directness, with Silva, Fabregas, Costa and Azpiliceuta all based over here, with Deufoleu having a season at Everton. Koke from Atletico too.

I would drop Sturridge, and play Rooney upfront. Have Welbeck, Sterling, Oxlade in behind the striker. Have Sturridge as an impact sub and bring Rooney deeper if we're losing.

Rooney is at his best when he's the central striker, not tracking back. Just focussed on shooting from around the edge of the box.

Hart - Cahill - Jagielka are a solid central 3 at the back.

Baines needs to cross the ball, not pass it sideways/backwards every single time (I'd actually play Shaw, never once seen Baines play well for England)

Johnson needs to overlap the RW, get crosses in. He did his usual cut inside, shoot on his left peg twice against Italy. If he does that ever again, he should be substituted immediately and never selected for England again.

Gerrard and Henderson are a good central mid pairing, although if Wilshere was both fit and not trying to impress the world with every touch and dribble, he's be a much better player. He is one showboating machine that kid, I'm not a fan now.

I'd have Sterling on the left, allowing Baines the support he needs. I'd have Barkley central, spraying passes around and unlocking the defence. And I'd have Sturridge on the right, he can track back, but also 'do the Johnson' and cut inside onto his left like he did in the pre-WC friendly.

Rooney up top doing what he does best.

As subs, I'd always bring on Oxo Cube first. Pace, power, directness. A potent weapon.

Second sub I'd have is Lallana. Come on for Barkley for fresh legs and pace. Creative, good at set pieces.

Last sub? Rickie Lambert. Throw him up top with Rooney and Sturridge, have a central three, FBs get forward if we need a goal, just bombard the opposition.

I would never, ever select Frank Lampard, James Milner or Danny Welbeck for England. Ever. We'd have been better off with Cleverley, Stones and Defoe.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Welbeck drop out and Milner come in on the left today. Extra cover for the full back, and Sterling right, Roo central.

Sturridge over Rooney as a frontman isn't really in doubt for me. His pace, movement trickery really hurt Italys CBs. Plus hes in much better form.

If Milner plays, England lose. Simples. I'd rather play hockey than watch England with Milner in the team.

Want to swap Azzy?

I don't really mind Milner. Think he does a much better job as a defensive winger than Welbeck who isn't really suited to it beyond workrate.

I don't think he should play in this team though. We aren't winning it, so might as well bloody some more noses before we go out.

I like Welbeck, but if we want to shore up the wings then I'd drop him.

He works hard up the field but he's not a natural defender.

I find people pick the most random things to justify Welbeck. Stuff like "best in the country at dispossessing defenders". Don't think he really does enough offensively or defensively as a winger, and hes not remotely close to Sturridge in terms of striking ability.

Best in the country at dispossessing defenders? Then WHERE THE HELL WAS HE WHEN CANDREVA CROSSED TO BALOTELLI. OH, YEAH, 20 YARDS AWAY WITH HIS HANDS ON HIS HIPS WATCHING POOR LEIGHTON BAINES GET REAMED.

THANKS A BUNCH MR SNIPES. GO BACK TO MANC LAND AND NEVER DARKEN OUR DOOR AGAIN.

/ rant.

Stuff I like about him:

Work rate
Direct dribbling ability
Pace
Unselfish

The bad things are a lack of goals, a bit of defensive naivety, and a frustrating lack of final pass.

I think Welbeck really needs to leave United, even if its a loan.

Go play a season as a forward at Sunderland or something. Hes not going to play up front much with Rooney and RVP.