12/13 Football Thread

[Alan Lynch]

Regardless of how I'm fed up with him now and the whole racist thing - let's see Hart get into Uefa, Fifa, and several CL teams year of the before his talent is considered in a similar bracket to Terry.

Playing devil's advocate (because I reckon both Manchester sides have looked terrible defensively this season), isn't it harder to get into a list like that for a goalkeeper? A lot of them will pick, say, 4 centre backs and position them at full back.

Just over an hour until Celtic v Juventus; I wasn't this nervous for the Barcelona games. At least I went into those expecting a hiding - there's guarded optimism tonight.

[Captain Clarkie]

Playing devil's advocate (because I reckon both Manchester sides have looked terrible defensively this season), isn't it harder to get into a list like that for a goalkeeper? A lot of them will pick, say, 4 centre backs and position them at full back.

I don't know, there's more places, but there's also more competition.

[king mob]

Based off what, exactly?

Watching them.

Just look at the goals conceded totals of both teams this season, and how many times the forward line has had to bail out the rest of the team. Arguing that City's defense has been worse than United's is madness.

Both are relatively poor, but Man Utd are defending better overall. It's still a defence with a past it Ferdinand and Johnny Evans who must wake up every day wondering why nobody's sussed him yet.

Not to the extent that De Gea has been. I, for one, didn't see any ridiculous stories about how Hart should be sold now, which were the norm for DDG. Hart is essentially the new John Terry. Lionised because he's English, but would be slagged off non-stop if foreign, whether it's deserved or not. Like De Gea has been.

Hart's nothing like the new John Terry. That's the red-tinged glasses in action, but you know fine well that goalkeepers with vast transfer fees are going to undergo more scrutiny than any other type of player, but yes, Hart gets a somewhat easier ride than he should but when I look at Hart I see a bloody great goalie in the making and ins't as overrated as say, Jack Wilshire now is after last week, or how the 'Golden Generation' of England players pretty much let down their country.

[king mob]

I don't know, there's more places, but there's also more competition.

There is, but when you've got around half a dozen keepers better than most of the players in the English top flight and will always get those places, it's bloody hard for someone like Hart to get there.

[king mob]

Just over an hour until Celtic v Juventus; I wasn't this nervous for the Barcelona games. At least I went into those expecting a hiding - there's guarded optimism tonight.

There's an annoying patronising tone some football 'fans' and some of the media are taking over this with this 'BIGGEST GAME IN CELTIC'S HISTORY' bollocks which ignores the fact they won the competition before and broke the southern Europe monopoly that the European Cup had seen previously.

Anyhow, it'd be nice for Scotland's coefficient if they win the tie, but I can see them winning tonight and losing in Italy. I also noticed The Rangers let Juventus use their training facilities. Perhaps they swapped advice....

[Alan Lynch]

I don't know, there's more places, but there's also more competition.

True. I'm still not sure they're entirely analogous though; defenders get off with a hell of a lot more than keepers do.

Incidentally, I do agree that DeGea would've been crucified for any of Hart's mistakes this season. Mob's right that DeGea's transfer fee probably hasn't helped him, but it doesn't change my opinion that Hart isn't getting half the stick deGea would've.

...when I look at Hart I see a bloody great goalie in the making and ins't as overrated as say, Jack Wilshire now is after last week, or how the 'Golden Generation' of England players pretty much let down their country.

Hart is a top goalie in waiting, but he needs to find the consistency he had last season. Assuming the likes of Butland and Forster can keep improving (or find a Premiership club in Forster's case) Hart might find himself under some pressure in the coming years.

[Alan Lynch]

There's an annoying patronising tone some football 'fans' and some of the media are taking over this with this 'BIGGEST GAME IN CELTIC'S HISTORY' bollocks which ignores the fact they won the competition before and broke the southern Europe monopoly that the European Cup had seen previously.

I'm most amused that the game is being shown on ITV, who cheerfully Tweeted "bye bye Celtic" when the groups were drawn.

Amusingly, Italian TV is apparently desperate to show the standard rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone." Right, I'm off to the pub. Win, lose or draw my next post in here will be somewhat coloured by alcohol.

[king mob]

I'm most amused that the game is being shown on ITV, who cheerfully Tweeted "bye bye Celtic" when the groups were drawn.

I'm stunned they've not shown the Man Utd game tomorrow.

Amusingly, Italian TV is apparently desperate to show the standard rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone." Right, I'm off to the pub. Win, lose or draw my next post in here will be somewhat coloured by alcohol.

Just remember Adrian Chiles big puffy face bleating out patronising drivel and Clive Tyldesey dropping a mention in of 'that night in Barcelona' and a mention of Steven Gerrard in for no reason.

Oh, and Gareth Southgate and Roy Keane trying to find a personality between them while Lee Dixon wonders why he left the BBC.

[Captain Clarkie]

Clive Tyldesey dropping a mention in of 'that night in Barcelona'

I'll think you'll find the correct twattish phrase is - 'that magical night at the Nou Camp'.

[Aubergine~!]

Watching them.

Obviously not the case.

Both are relatively poor, but Man Utd are defending better overall. It's still a defence with a past it Ferdinand and Johnny Evans who must wake up every day wondering why nobody's sussed him yet.

Utd have defended better over the past month. Prior to that, City had a far better defense.

[quote\Hart's nothing like the new John Terry. That's the red-tinged glasses in action, but you know fine well that goalkeepers with vast transfer fees are going to undergo more scrutiny than any other type of player, but yes, Hart gets a somewhat easier ride than he should but when I look at Hart I see a bloody great goalie in the making and ins't as overrated as say, Jack Wilshire now is after last week, or how the 'Golden Generation' of England players pretty much let down their country.[/QUOTE]

Red-tinged glasses? Bollocks.

He made a howler, and the media essentially played it down. It's especially rich coming from you, as you've repeatedly stated in the past that English players get lionised by the British press.

And Wilshere is going to be a brilliant player. I don't know how you can't see that one.

[king mob]

Red-tinged glasses? Bollocks.

Errrmm.....

He made a howler, and the media essentially played it down. It's especially rich coming from you, as you've repeatedly stated in the past that English players get lionised by the British press.

Yes some of them do, but Hart gets a fair amount of stick. Not as much as De Gea but every single English keeper since Seaman has been torn apart by the press, so they seem to be holding back on him.

And Wilshere is going to be a brilliant player. I don't know how you can't see that one.

I didn't say he was shite, I said that he'd been hyped after last Wedensday's game.

[king mob]

Just turned over to the Celtic game. Bugger.

[king mob]

Celtic didn't deserve that scoreline last night, but it's another example of how to take your chances as Juventus took theirs perfectly, though the first was thanks to some comedy defending.

Also, just to show that even the Mighty Partick Thistle suffer from mentalist fans, our chairman has had to issue a vote of confidence in Alan Archibald, our temporary manager since Jackie McNamara left for Dundee Utd. This is due to fans on Twitter saying he's no good and we need to aim higher.

Archibald hasn't managed one game in charge yet due to all our games being called off due to the weather over the last three weeks.

In better news, Kenny Dalglish and Trevor Francis was in Frome today opening up new facilities at Frome Town. Francis is apparently much healthier after his heart attack last year, which is great news.

[Alan Lynch]

I think Celtic deserved to lose - we made 3 silly mistakes and Juventus punished us - but it still stings. We did play really quite well, and I worry how we can keep this side together next season. Wanyama has certainly looked the part against much better sides.

That being said, the referee was pish.

If Man Utd hold on to 1-1 it'll be some result. They've been battered for most of this game; and with uncanny timing De Gea has kept Utd in it.

[Captain Clarkie]

That being said, the referee was pish.

a few Celtic players were lucky that they were not booked for diving.