UCL draw live now........here we go here we go....PSG: we want Man U.....
UCL draw live now........here we go here we go....PSG: we want Man U.....
Barca - Atletico
Real - Dortmund
Sounds about right. As our players increase, the coaching and ability to see talent needs to improve as well.
Middleby Gone
Lawrie Out
PSG - Chelsea....... Yeeeeeess happy with that
Hey lquiquer, wrong thread?
Middleby Gone
Lawrie Out
Man U - Bayern Hahahaha good luck Moyes....
man u too easy
and this should be in the ucl thread
don't get technical it's Friday night m8....few beers, few reds and all threads look the same!!!!Originally Posted by Thomas477
Rofl, alright. Just didn't want the last article to get lost in the thread, it's an important one IMO.don't get technical it's Friday night m8....few beers, few reds and all threads look the same!!!!
Middleby Gone
Lawrie Out
^ Agree.... + see previous post in same thread by MFKS
This is just pure comedy gold. Always thought this bloke was a bit crazy am certain now
NFI
Congratulations Brisbane Roar, who claimed their second minor premiership on the weekend, duly recognised when David Gallop handed over the Premiers Plate against an orange and black backdrop at Suncorp Stadium.
Over 24 rounds Brisbane have been the best team by some distance, and deserve all the plaudits which have come their way.
But they’re not yet champions – that will have to wait until grand final day. And if there’s one team the Roar will be hoping to avoid when the title is decided, it has to be Newcastle Jets, who with three home-and-away rounds to go aren’t yet sure they’ll even be playing in the finals.
But if the Jets do get their wings through the door, then Brisbane have every reason to be nervous. Newcastle have won all three encounters between the two teams this season, including two at Suncorp.
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In fact the Jets have lost just twice in 13 trips to Brisbane over the years. They’re the Roar’s bogey team, with a capital B. And in a competition which remains a tipster’s nightmare, who’d be brave enough to dismiss the chances of Newcastle making the grand final, unlikely as it may seem?
The Jets, certainly, made a statement with their biggest-ever win against Wellington Phoenix at the weekend. With just one point separating the two teams at kick-off, the pressure was on – not least because of Newcastle’s woeful home form. But the Jets took off, literally, and when substitute Michael Bridges produced a candidate for goal of the season with the final kick of the game, Newcastle had edged above Sydney FC on goal difference, and into the top six. With two of their last three games at Hunter Stadium, the door to the play-offs is now wide open.
So what’s changed? The coach, most noticeably. Gary van Egmond micro-managed his squad; Clayton Zane is more concerned with the big picture. Pick a team, simplify the game plan, and stick tight.
Zane has always been a phlegmatic character, and becoming a head coach in the A-League a few years ahead of schedule hasn’t fazed him one bit.
Looking across to the technical area and seeing a coach who is so relaxed has calmed down a group of players who have so often looked, and played, like they’re weighed down by expectation.
Newcastle don’t have the best talent in the competition, but they do have decent quality in key areas. Zane has recognised what is his greatest asset – big-game experience – and selected his team accordingly. Old is one way of looking at the starting XI against the Phoenix. Mature is another. That three of those veterans – Joel Griffiths, Bridges and Emile Heskey – were among the goal scorers suggests the big names are ready to produce big performances. Newcastle’s campaign will live or die by their contribution.
What’s particularly instructive is that Zane has ditched all pretence of curriculum football and is instead playing to the strengths of the players he has at his disposal. Van Egmond – an avowed disciple of the FFA’s new curriculum – tinkered endlessly with his selections trying to create a shape, and style, which never really suited the available talent.
Zane has been far more pragmatic, which will displease the evangelists, but so what? Vive la difference and all that.
Thus the long ball is back in fashion, and by withdrawing Heskey to a deeper role, his flick-ons are now finding teammates instead of the byline. Griffiths, Adam Taggart and even David Carney are starting to feed off the big man, who wins virtually everything in the air. In the middle of the pitch, Ruben Zadkovich and Zenon Caravella have less need to over-elaborate and the latter, in particular, has been a man reborn. At the back, Kew Jaliens and Josh Mitchell are keeping things tough and tight, while on the right of defence Josh Brillante is evolving into a promising fullback/wingback in what remains a problem position for the Socceroos. Indeed both Brillante and Taggart may yet sneak onto the plane for Brazil.
There are no guarantees, of course, that the Jets will overcome their greatest weakness – their inconsistency – and maintain their late charge into the finals. They are just as likely to fall in a heap. The Roar, you’d imagine, will be hoping they do just that.
Yet if Newcastle do squeeze into the play-offs, you sense they’ll be more than nuisance value. They’ve already beaten Western Sydney Wanderers, Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory as well as Brisbane, so the finals shouldn’t overawe them. More likely they’ll inspire a group of players who are unlikely to play together after this season to produce once last hurrah. Where that ends is anyone’s guess, but it will be fun hanging on for the ride.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/r...#ixzz2wsOOy8YW
I see what he is doing, bigging us up for once in his journalistic life, putting the monkey on us, making us lose our last 3 games and dropping out of the finals, so Slater and him can fap over Shitney and their customary first round of the finals lossThis is just pure comedy gold. Always thought this bloke was a bit crazy am certain now
NFI
Jaliens gives me the horn
All it's going to do is start the oh so boring debate about finals v first past the post… EVERY ****ING SEASON!
Bigging us up?
The whole piece is full of back handed compliments.
What's the go with Cockerill writing for smh again? Wasn't he laid off a while back and moved on to write for the FFA?
I really enjoyed that article. Pretty much how I've seen Zane since coming in. Also, this paragraph really spoke home to me (and I assume broke militia's heart)
What’s particularly instructive is that Zane has ditched all pretence of curriculum football and is instead playing to the strengths of the players he has at his disposal. Van Egmond – an avowed disciple of the FFA’s new curriculum – tinkered endlessly with his selections trying to create a shape, and style, which never really suited the available talent.
OK
Probably the biggest difference in our side under GVE and Zane is actually the experience levels in our side. Adding Griff and Carney has not only given us 2 quality players but also bumped up the level of experience in the squad dramatically. Add this to the restoration of Roundabout and Mitchell to the starting XI and we have gone from having one of the youngest least experienced sides in the comp to having one of the oldest most experienced squads almost overnight.
DISCLAIMER - The continual selection of Gallaway and the reasons why are a mystery though.
Matter of fact most of the younger blokes that are involved are actually there cause they are doing the business ie Taggz and Beard and not in the side on potential as GVE had them far too frequently.
No point counting chickens yet that we have turned some corner cause if Zane gets the gig fulltime what direction he goes in is still a mystery. All he has done is remedy a few issues with short term fixes so far
No longer works for the FFA.
Doing freelance work for both News LTD, and Fairfax.
Go jetties
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