Another Drive4show 'Anything goes' thread

[kwinigolfer]

First topic message reminder :

Sr,
1).Correct. Wonderful is right. Though in the American order of things behind the NFL, College Football, High School Football, NBA, College B'ball.
2).Not much of a market: 21,000 per home game.
3).But no other nations pay their players a fraction of this sort of bounty. He'll probably end up using PED's, just like his predecessor as highest paid.
Ridiculous money!

[super_realist]

Lallana is not young though is he! I do not see anything in Chambers, i can see why Clyne kept him out the saints team last season. Good to see that Arsenal produced two of the 6 mentioned. And even then Kieran Gibbs, is not that good, and Jack Wilshire, is good but his career has not really taken off. Remember when Arsenal played Barcelona and Pep was asked about wilshire, he declared him nothing special and they have many of his type in the B team coming through.

Didn't think Clyne looked very good, mind you in a relative sense, all UK teams are a pretty poor standard. No team would be looking at that match last night and be worried about either team.

I tend to agree with you super. The current England team is pretty mediocre; the world cup demonstrated this. Just because the team has won 6 games in a row against minnows like San Marino and Scotland doesn't suddenly make them world beaters.

However I was glad that they out-classed Scotland last night. Not because I dislike Scotland but because it illustrated the gulf in class between England and the other home nations. The current England team are relatively weak for a country that should realistically expect to progress to quarter final stages of major tournaments. They are still miles ahead of the also-rans in world football.

Make no mistake though, England are also rans too.

[beninho]

England are consistent qualifiers for all championships. They may not achieve much but in terms of getting to events, they are within the top group in Europe.

[super_realist]

England are consistent qualifiers for all championships. They may not achieve much but in terms of getting to events,  they are within the top group in Europe.

In terms of tournaments they are also rans. England are consistently 2nd/3rd tier competitors along with loads of other countries who are there to make up the numbers, and I would certainly question that they are within the top group in Europe.



There are probably different levels of also rans, and you could consider England to be better than Wales, Scotland, NI, Ireland etc but remember Ireland qualified for the last Europe and were woeful, they were also-rans in that tournament, just as England were in the World Cup.

[Davie]

But crucially they currently play for Arsenal, so when labeling them it makes sense to refer to them as arsenal players.  

 

Don't worry kwini, the rest of us understood you

That was a dig at davie not kwini.

Was it? I wonder why it was aimed at me and not kwini who said the same thing?

[kwinigolfer]

Mac's digs should be seen as a badge of honour. Let's share it!

[McLaren]

If true this is interesting, the secret footballer tweeted the following fact;

"Manchester United's academy has produced more footballers currently playing in Europe’s top 5 leagues than any other club in the UK."

[super_realist]

Why is that interesting or surprising Mac?
I would think that if asked the question 9/10 people would probably guess that.

[kwinigolfer]

Can't believe that is breaking news, Mac.
Pity they're mostly playing for other clubs.

Also: Would think it's been true, at least in British football, for most of about 70 years.

[GunsGerms]

What are the numbers of academy players playing outside of the UK and is that indiciative of the PL's over reliance on established overseas players.

What is the point of having an academy if you arent giving any of those players a chance? Philantrophy?

All you have to do is go to the ManU academy wiki page to see that very few of the players they listed as notable academy players made it at ManU.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C._Reserves_and_Academy

[raycastleunited]

What seems to happen in England is that many academy players don't quite cut it when it comes to getting into the 1st team at Man U, Chelsea etc, so they drop down a grade and play in the championship or even several grades lower and play in the Scottish Prem.

Very few British players try their luck abroad. It's a real shame, I'd love to see young England players going to Germany and Italy in search of 1st team football, it would educate them so much.

[McLaren]

This is a team of players still playing who used to play for man utd and came from the youth system

Ron-Robert Zieler

Phil Bardsley
Pique
John O'Shea
Shawcross


Darron Gibson
Paul Pogba
Cleverly
drinkwater

Giuseppe Rossi
Danny Wellbeck

Subs
Matty James
Kieran Richardson
Danny Simpson
Frazier Campbell
Ravel Morrison
Robbie Brady

[MustPuttBetter]

It will always be very few players that come through the academy to properly represent the main team.
I was in Woking's academy and they used to tell us if they got one player per age group through to represent the first team they had done their job. And that's Woking, who you'd think would be more reliant on their academy than bigger teams.

I disagree with so many of the comments above re the England team that it's not even worth starting ha! football more than anything, is a game of opinions as is proved here

[MustPuttBetter]

Ps and so many of those opinions are wrong

[MustPuttBetter]

Mac, United brought Rossi in from Parma when he was 17. Hardly a product of the youth team. Well, he was, Parma's!

[MustPuttBetter]

And the same re Pique from Barcelona. A bit tenuous to say the least that list of yours!

[beninho]

And Zeiler spent 5 years at koln before joining Manchester.

[MustPuttBetter]

Pogba ditto, joined at 16

[MustPuttBetter]

Cristiano Ronaldo joined at 18, might as well claim him too Mac

[navyblueshorts]

Pogba ditto, joined at 16

...who then left. How dare he???? How dare he think it might be better to play football regularly and that Manchester Utd are not the be all and end all??? How dare he ignore the great Sir Alex???

[MustPuttBetter]

Indeed. Was certainly a mistake to let him go, he looks excellent now and still young

[incontinentia]

Been on holidays recently super?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/bono-underwent-five-hours-of-facial-and-reconstructive-surgery--including-three-metal-plates-and-18-screws--after-ny-bike-accident-9870365.html

[GunsGerms]

That was a really nasty accident. Poor lad.

[incontinentia]

He's had a bad run of luck recently. A door fell of his plane mid-flight, chased down the street by German anarchists, and now this!

[super_realist]

Shame there wasn't a cliff nearby.

[McLaren]

full list

[pedro]

He's had a bad run of luck recently. A door fell of his plane mid-flight, chased down the street by German anarchists, and now this!

If something happened to him would it be pro bono?

[navyblueshorts]

He's had a bad run of luck recently. A door fell of his plane mid-flight, chased down the street by German anarchists, and now this!

If something happened to him would it be pro bono?

Only if it was a +ve thing. I think these might be con Bono...

[Roller_Coaster]

He's had a bad run of luck recently. A door fell of his plane mid-flight, chased down the street by German anarchists, and now this!

If something happened to him would it be pro bono?

Only if it was a +ve thing. I think these might be con Bono...

Bono con, isn't that what he did to get his album on everyone's iTunes?

[incontinentia]

One of my mates said he was cycling too close to the edge...

[raycastleunited]

One of my mates said he was cycling too close to the edge...

nice one.

Maybe he had a sudden attack of vertigo?

[raycastleunited]

I heard he swerved to avoid a jogger in central park who suddenly stopped. He was running to stand still.

[super_realist]

Maybe he's just a tw@t and he couldn't see out of his sunglasses.

[GunsGerms]

In fairness his accident was fairly serious. He had five hours surgery, 18 bolts attached, multiple broken bones including one bone protruding from his skin. Sounds like some people are almost happy about this? Strange world we live in.

I wouldnt wish that on anyone.

[super_realist]

I wouldn't wish it upon anyone either, but now it's happened it doesn't mean we can't make light of it, nor does it mean we are required to have sympathy for him.

He's a deeply unlikable person who I've always had disdain for, and I'm not going to be a hypocrite by wishing him a speedy recovery.

[kwinigolfer]

Hope he didn't damage his shades.

[westisbest]

I'll wish him a speedy recovery.

Not a good thing to happen to anyone.

[super_realist]

I'll wish him a speedy recovery.

Not a good thing to happen to anyone.

yeah, he better get well soon, because the world needs him

[westisbest]

Yeah ok whatever you say.

Another good post from you

[GunsGerms]

I wouldn't wish it upon anyone either, but now it's happened  it doesn't mean we can't make light of it, nor does it mean we are required to have sympathy for him.

He's a deeply unlikable person who I've always had disdain for, and I'm not going to be a hypocrite by wishing him a speedy recovery.

I dont think anyone will think you are a hypocrite if you refrain from rejoicing in his fairly horrific injury. There is a difference in not liking someone and wishing them harm. Big difference.

[super_realist]

I'm not wishing him harm, but I certainly don't care that he is injured.

[raycastleunited]

Oh Super, you're So Cruel. But you don't need to show concern, with or without you he'll get though it.

[super_realist]

Well they do say "Pride" comes before a fall don't they?

[pedro]

...chased down the street by German anarchists!

Anarchists? I bet that street had no name.

[kwinigolfer]

German anarchists shouting Achtung Baby . . . . .

[incontinentia]

...chased down the street by German anarchists!

Anarchists? I bet that street had no name.

They were chanting "make Bono history!"

[super_realist]

Sunday Bloody Sunday eh Bono? Can't have been a Beautiful Day for him

[SmithersJones]

For people who purport to dislike or even hate U2, you all seem to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of their back catalogue.

[Roller_Coaster]

For people who purport to dislike or even hate U2, you all seem to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of their back catalogue.

As evidenced in just One thread

[Roller_Coaster]

These certainly are Mysterious Ways to proffer disapproval of their discography.

Anyone else overwhelmed yet? I'm a bit Numb to say the least.

[super_realist]

perhaps we should just Walk On, I'm not sure I've still got the Desire.

[Sponsored content]