Football Focus

[60026to]

Rooney is by far the most overated player in any league/weekly wage.

 

I hope that he gets injured and therefore cannot go to Brazil and somebody with raw talent and hunger for international football get's his bum on the plane.

 

Yes I dislike Rooney but I want to see England do well in the Summer.

[BoD]

I hope that he gets injured and therefore cannot go to Brazil

 

We've seen it all before.

 

Rooney gets injured but will still go hoping to play later games

England  start very poorly.

Massive clamour in press. Rooney is saviour. All will be well when he returns.

Rooney returns.

Rooney crap.

England even worse.

England come home at end of group stages.

[gwrrob]

Rooney is barely international class let alone world class.Unfortunately we don't have another option but to play him.

[Michael Delamar]

the weak link in the England set up is Roy, I wont go in to how much I dislike the man but he is absolutely awful.

[Stanley Melrose]

Woy always speaks highly of you, Mike - or he did at least the last time I asked him about N5 chimneys and theirsimilarity to Suarez's physique.  It became obvious that he (Woy that is) thinks Suarez gets his penalties (for Stevie Gee to score) because he's the same shape as an N5 chimney and is unable to stand up when placed in the opposition penalty area and faced by a defender with no tender muscles to gnaw so he just lies down and beats the ground in frustration.  The referee then has no option but to award a penalty in case he gets bitten instead.

 

Cheers from Stan (the Evertonian)

[peanuts]

I was reminded of an old joke when it was confirmed that Giggs would be taking charge for now:

 

Q: What's the difference between Ryan Giggs and Ed Miliband?

 

A: One's a cheating left-winger who did the dirty on his brother. The other one's a footballer.

apparently there was pandemomiom in the oldtrafford changing rooms when ryan gigs announced" he had no favourites and would treat all the players like they were his brother "

[Michael Delamar]

You know how much I love Suarez Stan, love him, might post loads of nice Suarez photos here

 

he's ours, we went and got him and we pay him well, he aint on loan, but you lot dont care what the red s**** say  which is what you sing 

 

30 goals with games missed due to his suspension, but we havent won anything yet, not counting any chickens.

 

In case anyone here doesnt know Stanley Melrose  and me know each other and we both share similar interests , just not football teams

 

Gotta say I agree with this about Woy though, it was written by a red..

 

 

 

 

"One of the things Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has always been most passionate and outspoken about is the ability of British players to play football with the same kind of swagger and technique as the continentals. While many coaches, especially at youth level, shy away from such crazy notions and encourage young British players to "play to their strengths" (which usually involves lots of running around, tackling and playing balls into channels), Rodgers has been steadfast in his beliefs to the contrary, and this season he has proved that English players can dazzle with the best of them.


Rodgers has long believed that British players have the technique to play the same kind of attractive, technical football that has been the hallmark of the best continental sides over the years, and he's put those beliefs into practice wherever he has been, most notably at Liverpool where his vibrant young side are playing football that is as pleasing to the eye as anything Europe has to offer. Significantly, he has done it with a core of English players. Six of them, to be exact: Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Jon Flanagan, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge. There's also the Welshman Joe Allen, of course, a midfield player very much in the "continental" mould.

This has prompted plenty of media debate recently as to whether England boss Roy Hodgson should utilise that to his and the nation's advantage at this summer's World Cup in Brazil. After all, every major international tournament ends the same way for England: plenty of huff and puff, lots of "bulldog spirit," but an inevitable exit as soon as they come up against any half-decent opponent who can keep the ball for more than 10 seconds at a time. Then follows the national inquest that invariably draws the conclusion that England's players lack the technique of other nations and they should therefore stop trying to "beat them at their own game" and "play to their strengths."

It is this kind of attitude that Rodgers has been railing against ever since he first started out on his "coaching journey" 20 years ago, and what he's done at Liverpool this season may have opened the eyes of a lot of England supporters as to what English players can do. Build an England team around this core of Liverpool players and they'll automatically play like Liverpool, right? I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

Well, Hodgson for a start. Liverpool fans have seen at first hand the kind of football played by Hodgson, and it's as far removed from the Rodgers way as it's possible to be. In fact, it's bordering on being a different sport entirely. "Hodgeball" and "Rodgeball" may sound alike, but that’s where any similarities end -- unfortunately for followers of the English national side.

Even if the English FA were to hand British passports to Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, Mamadou Sakho, Martin Skrtel and co, and FIFA gave them special dispensation to represent England in the World Cup, you would still not see England "playing like Liverpool," because Hodgson has his own way of doing things, and it's nothing like how Rodgers does it.

All football teams play in the image of their coaches, and most coaches have their own unique way of setting up a team. Look at Manchester United, for example: runaway champions last season, also-rans this season. The difference? They changed their manager, and the style of football has been completely unrecognisable from a year ago, despite the squad being made up of more or less the same group of players.

The point is that, yes, there are English players who are every bit as technically gifted as their overseas counterparts, but it takes a certain type of manager to allow them to show it. Managers such as Arsene Wenger, Roberto Martinez, Mauricio Pochettino and, of course, Brendan Rodgers.

For example, many coaches would see Henderson as just an athlete, someone who will run up and down the pitch all day and not be asked to do much else. Under Rodgers, however, Henderson is fast becoming the complete midfield player. In addition to all that running, he's creating goals with back-heels, delivering 50-yard half-volleyed passes right on the money, and he's playing with great tactical awareness. The only thing missing from his game right now is more goals, and given his rapid development under Rodgers there is nothing to suggest he won't improve in that area over the next few years too.

Then there's Sterling, the flying teenage winger Rodgers inherited when he took over at Anfield in the summer of 2012. Almost two years on, Sterling is still a teenager but you can't pigeonhole him as a "flying winger" anymore as there's so much more to him than that now. Rodgers has spoken of how he is "developing footballers" and not wanting to define players by position. Sterling is the most shining example of that.

The 19-year-old has played in a front three, a front two, he's played wide, he's played central at the point of a diamond and he's even played right back. And he's been brilliant in every single position. How many other coaches would have put so much trust in a "flying teenage winger" to play in such a variety of demanding roles in high-pressure games? Sterling is not just a winger; he's a footballer of the highest calibre.

And what of Flanagan, the young scouse full-back Rodgers brought in from the wilderness and who is now holding down a regular spot in a title-chasing team? The composure and confidence shown each week by Flanagan is testament to what young English players can do when given the encouragement and belief to do it. Flanagan is in many ways your "typical English player." He loves a tackle, he plays with passion and he wouldn't generally be viewed as being the most "technically gifted" of full-backs.

Watch him play, though; his first touch is usually exemplary, his passing is crisp and confident, and while he may not be especially flashy, he epitomises everything that Rodgers has said about young British players having the technique to play, providing you give them the platform and the confidence to show it.

Unlike his five English team-mates, Flanagan will not be going to the World Cup this summer, but even if he was, the chances are that he -- along with the others -- wouldn't perform to the same level he has done with Liverpool. It just isn't that simple.

I'm sorry, England fans, but if you want to see England playing like Liverpool in this summer's World Cup, you'll need more than just half a dozen of their players; you'll need Rodgers, too. And that's not happening any time soon"

[AngryMeerkat]

I would just like to say.....

 

David Moyes is a football genius.

 

Mark, from The Kop

[Michael Delamar]

Oh go on then just one nice Suarez photo, 2 of my favourite players..

 

[Calnefoxile]

And, with so much important stuff going on in the world, should David Moyes really be the lead item on BBC and Sky News?

 

Even though I'm a football fan, I'd still like to know why this subject is being treated as headline news?? Manchester United are only 1 football club out of 92 league clubs, no one, except Leicester City supporters, has mentioned Leicesters achievement of winning the Championship, or Lutons fantastic achievement of getting back into the football league, or Wolve's achievement of ptmotion back to the Championship at thd first attempt.

 

Oh no none of them are headline news, but wo is me, a football club has sacked their manager for not getting into Europe!! Well wooppee doo, all of those teams just mentioned would give their back teeth to finish 7th in the Premiership, and rake in the money for finishing in that position.

 

It's about time the fans of these top Premiership clubs learnt some humility, even though I don't like the way they're going about their business at the moment, I do admire the Man City fans for their loyalty and a certain amount of humility, because they at least know what it's like to suffer relegation twice in successive years and fight their way back to the top, and take their loyal fan base with them.

 

My only hope for next season is that we finish in 17th position, because that means Premiership survival.

 

Regards

 

Neal

A loyal and suffering Leicester City fan for more than 40 years!!!

[Joseph_Pestell]

Rooney is barely international class let alone world class.Unfortunately we don't have another option but to play him.

 

I think the main problem has been that managers have not played him in his best position. Much better as an attacking midfielder than as a striker.

 

I don't believe that any footballer (or anyone else for that matter) is worth more than £10,000 a week / £0.5M per year.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Great picture in one of the papers this morning of Stevie Gerrard as a kid holding the First Division Championship trophy wearing an EVERTON shirt.

[Joseph_Pestell]

You know how much I love Suarez Stan, love him, might post loads of nice Suarez photos here

 

he's ours, we went and got him and we pay him well, he aint on loan, but you lot dont care what the red s**** say  which is what you sing 

 

30 goals with games missed due to his suspension, but we havent won anything yet, not counting any chickens.

 

In case anyone here doesnt know Stanley Melrose  and me know each other and we both share similar interests , just not football teams

 

Gotta say I agree with this about Woy though, it was written by a red..

 

 

 

 

"One of the things Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has always been most passionate and outspoken about is the ability of British players to play football with the same kind of swagger and technique as the continentals. While many coaches, especially at youth level, shy away from such crazy notions and encourage young British players to "play to their strengths" (which usually involves lots of running around, tackling and playing balls into channels), Rodgers has been steadfast in his beliefs to the contrary, and this season he has proved that English players can dazzle with the best of them.

 

 

Rodgers has long believed that British players have the technique to play the same kind of attractive, technical football that has been the hallmark of the best continental sides over the years, and he's put those beliefs into practice wherever he has been, most notably at Liverpool where his vibrant young side are playing football that is as pleasing to the eye as anything Europe has to offer. Significantly, he has done it with a core of English players. Six of them, to be exact: Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Jon Flanagan, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge. There's also the Welshman Joe Allen, of course, a midfield player very much in the "continental" mould.

 

This has prompted plenty of media debate recently as to whether England boss Roy Hodgson should utilise that to his and the nation's advantage at this summer's World Cup in Brazil. After all, every major international tournament ends the same way for England: plenty of huff and puff, lots of "bulldog spirit," but an inevitable exit as soon as they come up against any half-decent opponent who can keep the ball for more than 10 seconds at a time. Then follows the national inquest that invariably draws the conclusion that England's players lack the technique of other nations and they should therefore stop trying to "beat them at their own game" and "play to their strengths."

 

It is this kind of attitude that Rodgers has been railing against ever since he first started out on his "coaching journey" 20 years ago, and what he's done at Liverpool this season may have opened the eyes of a lot of England supporters as to what English players can do. Build an England team around this core of Liverpool players and they'll automatically play like Liverpool, right? I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

 

Well, Hodgson for a start. Liverpool fans have seen at first hand the kind of football played by Hodgson, and it's as far removed from the Rodgers way as it's possible to be. In fact, it's bordering on being a different sport entirely. "Hodgeball" and "Rodgeball" may sound alike, but that’s where any similarities end -- unfortunately for followers of the English national side.

 

Even if the English FA were to hand British passports to Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, Mamadou Sakho, Martin Skrtel and co, and FIFA gave them special dispensation to represent England in the World Cup, you would still not see England "playing like Liverpool," because Hodgson has his own way of doing things, and it's nothing like how Rodgers does it.

 

All football teams play in the image of their coaches, and most coaches have their own unique way of setting up a team. Look at Manchester United, for example: runaway champions last season, also-rans this season. The difference? They changed their manager, and the style of football has been completely unrecognisable from a year ago, despite the squad being made up of more or less the same group of players.

 

The point is that, yes, there are English players who are every bit as technically gifted as their overseas counterparts, but it takes a certain type of manager to allow them to show it. Managers such as Arsene Wenger, Roberto Martinez, Mauricio Pochettino and, of course, Brendan Rodgers.

 

For example, many coaches would see Henderson as just an athlete, someone who will run up and down the pitch all day and not be asked to do much else. Under Rodgers, however, Henderson is fast becoming the complete midfield player. In addition to all that running, he's creating goals with back-heels, delivering 50-yard half-volleyed passes right on the money, and he's playing with great tactical awareness. The only thing missing from his game right now is more goals, and given his rapid development under Rodgers there is nothing to suggest he won't improve in that area over the next few years too.

 

Then there's Sterling, the flying teenage winger Rodgers inherited when he took over at Anfield in the summer of 2012. Almost two years on, Sterling is still a teenager but you can't pigeonhole him as a "flying winger" anymore as there's so much more to him than that now. Rodgers has spoken of how he is "developing footballers" and not wanting to define players by position. Sterling is the most shining example of that.

 

The 19-year-old has played in a front three, a front two, he's played wide, he's played central at the point of a diamond and he's even played right back. And he's been brilliant in every single position. How many other coaches would have put so much trust in a "flying teenage winger" to play in such a variety of demanding roles in high-pressure games? Sterling is not just a winger; he's a footballer of the highest calibre.

 

And what of Flanagan, the young scouse full-back Rodgers brought in from the wilderness and who is now holding down a regular spot in a title-chasing team? The composure and confidence shown each week by Flanagan is testament to what young English players can do when given the encouragement and belief to do it. Flanagan is in many ways your "typical English player." He loves a tackle, he plays with passion and he wouldn't generally be viewed as being the most "technically gifted" of full-backs.

 

Watch him play, though; his first touch is usually exemplary, his passing is crisp and confident, and while he may not be especially flashy, he epitomises everything that Rodgers has said about young British players having the technique to play, providing you give them the platform and the confidence to show it.

 

Unlike his five English team-mates, Flanagan will not be going to the World Cup this summer, but even if he was, the chances are that he -- along with the others -- wouldn't perform to the same level he has done with Liverpool. It just isn't that simple.

 

I'm sorry, England fans, but if you want to see England playing like Liverpool in this summer's World Cup, you'll need more than just half a dozen of their players; you'll need Rodgers, too. And that's not happening any time soon"

 

Goes against the grain to agree with anyone from that side of Stanley Park but I have to say that this analysis is spot on the money.

 

Henderson looked dreadful when he arrived at Anfield and Allen did not get much opportunity either.  Both now doing really well.

 

Flanagan a really good find and England now seems to have a decent supply of full backs which we have lacked for a long time.

 

The World Cup comes at the end of a long season and is always played in warm/hot conditions (except in 1966). You are not going to win too many matches in that sort of tournament by rushing round the pitch like headless chickens chasing after the ball after giving it away. England give the ball away so often they look like a Sunday morning pub team and I find it just too awful to watch.

[Horsetan]

apparently there was pandemomiom in the oldtrafford changing rooms when ryan gigs announced" he had no favourites and would treat all the players like they were his brother "

Another joke goes that Giggs allegedly turned down an offer of managing the team full-time, because he wanted to spend more time with the players' families....

[Michael Delamar]

Great picture in one of the papers this morning of Stevie Gerrard as a kid holding the First Division Championship trophy wearing an EVERTON shirt.

 

Ive wore Everton shirts handed down when I was very young, never bothered me always supported Liverpool, went to watch Everton a few times with my uncle and all the kids, never bothered any of us wearing other shirts, just something to wear when playing football in the street, my red mate had a blackburn rovers shirt when they won the league. Draw the line at United tho

[Michael Delamar]

I hardly wear any shirts nowadays, bit wrong when you get to a certain age, around the house usually.

wish I could have a game in the street again, even at the match I sometimes dont wear them, especially away.

[Horsetan]

Crown Paints. Oh my God that was so long ago...

[Michael Delamar]

need to get a new one one with Suarez on the back

[gwrrob]

I hardly wear any shirts nowadays, bit wrong when you get to a certain age, around the house usually.

wish I could have a game in the street again, even at the match I sometimes dont wear them, especially away.

310630_10150333202477741_1721208833_n.jpg

 

Ah King Kenny.I can still see him chipping the keeper at Wembley to win the European cup.A great player and a great side.

[Ohmisterporter]

YAY finnaly we win something well done Oldham Athletics youth team for winning the Lancashire cup final at Bloomfield road tonight after coming from behind with ten men the future bodes well at Boundary park 

 

Nearly overlooked this one but well done Oldham. Won on penalties after 1 - 1 at full time. Nice to hear of two teams of youth players giving their best, and embarrassing their respective first teams in the process. Blackpool were winners of the North West youth team competition too. 

[greslet]

Ah King Kenny.I can still see him chipping the keeper at Wembley to win the European cup.A great player and a great side.

Ah King Kenny, I still remember him dismantling King Kevin's great side at Newcastle and signing up his dads army. Shame he was simply clueless as a manager. 

 

PS Can I have my stereo & hubcaps back please?

[AndrewC]

Suarez Suarez your teeth are offside.

 

[andyram]

Apparantly there was an outcry in the Manchester United dressing room today.

 

Giggs stated that he would not have any favourites in the squad, and would treat them all as if they were his brother!!!

[Horsetan]

Oh go on then just one nice Suarez photo, 2 of my favourite players..

 

1890635_281349655354232_227514337_o.jpg

That ghosted photo is spooky. The angles are virtually identical, 30+ years apart.

[Enterprisingwestern]

I hardly wear any shirts nowadays, bit wrong when you get to a certain age, around the house usually.

wish I could have a game in the street again, even at the match I sometimes dont wear them, especially away.

310630_10150333202477741_1721208833_n.jpg

 

Did 3 letters fall off the first word of the scarf?

 

Mike.