The TK_Four_Two_One memorial football thread!

They do well for their respective teams, and as a unit should challenge the top world sides, but they don't.
Thankfully Spain & Holland remind us that we aren't the only world side with decent players that consistantly fails.


I know Quaresma is a Barca reject, but the impression I get is that his talent wasn't allowed to flourish at Barca and he wasn't played much. Nothing to say that wouldn't have happened to Ronaldo if he'd played for Barca.
If Ferguson can change Quaresma as he changed Ronaldo, no reason why he can't be great.

Probably best to try and get Ribery instead.

 

Fabregas was a Barca reject too! Well, not so much a reject but he wasn't considered potential first team material.

 

Italy = Owned

 

The cheating, diving prima donna's got humbled by the Dutch. This makes me unbelievably happy. To top it off, the Frogs couldn't even beat Romania. Happy days! Martin O'Neill, I think it was, put it perfectly when he said "The French think they're better than they really are" and I think the same thing goes for the Italians.

 

Sorry, which two teams were in the world cup final?

 

The World Cup final two years ago. Both teams, but especially the Italians, are getting old. Buffon's starting to lose his reaction time for a start. Two years ago he could've stopped goal three and also possibly number two as well. France have just lost it this past year. Most of them look as though they can't be arsed (Anelka for a start. MIA that entire match). In qualifying they lost to Scotland, not once but twice (not that this is a slight against the Scottish, but the World Cup runners up should brush them aside let's face it). I just don't think the stars are right for France this tournament. With any luck they'll do a World Cup 2002 and bow out in the first round.

 

To my knowledge Van der Sar is older then Buffon and he was able to pull off perfectly good saves.


The main French problem is the midfield. Look at the players in today's game, only Ribery really was an influence. Makelele is good but he's getting old and has no pace, he should've retired after the World Cup. Malouda's over-rated and I don't know who the other guy was but he didn't do much either.

France have great strikers but unless they get some good new midfielders they'll fail, can't rely on old guys for much longer.

And I was confused by the suprised reaction of the Dutch winning. The Dutch have one of the best teams around so they should be a challenge for anyone. In fact they're more consistant then Spain even though they fail probably as often.
Look at the midfield they have at full strength, it's scarey.

Italy's average team age is catching up to them. They have a coauple of younger guys coming through but not enough. They also played a formation they weren't used to.

The France-Holland match on Friday will be key, although if France don't improve they could easily lose by a bigger margin then Italy did.

 

Van der Sar is indeed older, but every player is different (look at James, he's better now than what he was at 27 and that was 10 years ago!) but there's no denying that Buffon could've done better with at least one of those goals if he were younger.

As for France, I think a lot of their problems in that match can be levelled and Domenech. I think he was planning for the Holland game next week and forgot that winning your first game in such a tough group is crucial. Look at the team they fielded at the start: no Nasri, no Evra and with Makelele and Abidal starting (and that's only the people I recognise). Add to the fact that he's gone with Henry and Anelka, both of whom have had poor seasons, ahead of Trezeguet who scored 20 goals in 34 games (only 1 behind top goalscorer del Piero) last season and you've got to wonder if the Alistair Darling lookalike has lost the plot a wee bit...

 

Thought the Holland-Italy match was great! The second goal is an early contender for goal of the tournament. I now feel a little more relaxed about putting my money on the dutch

 

Early days yet. The Spainiards may put on agood performance today, but they still might fail to win the tournament, that is just the way they work.
Holland do the same, they have the potential to be the top world side, but they always fail at the last or second last hurdle.

 

So, England fail to deliver again.
I'm not sure what Capello is expected to do, it seems every time any manager tries to give the team instructions they just go out and don't follow them.


Doesn't look too promising for the qualifying matches.

 

Being a United fan I just have to say that I hope Steven Gerrard does time. That will really mess up what is proving to be the best chance Liverpool have had of winning the premiership in a long time.

 

Only because of the lack of consistency of their fellow challengers. If United & Chelsea were playing well and scoring freely Liverpool would be 3rd by miles.


And I still think that's where they will end up come May.

 

Scolari has been sacked as manager of Chelsea with immeadiate effect

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/7879638.stm



Tony Adams sacked as manager of Portsmouth

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/7878084.stm