2014/15 Football (aka soccer)

[Vibranium]

well looks like its official

Ballotelli will be calling Anfield home for this season

[John Ossie]

I don't know something about Tan's Revenge

Hmm,, the plot like my gravy thickens. Sorry, couldn't resist doing the Big Bang Theory reference.

In other news Hull and Tottenham are playing their Europa League qualifiers tonight. Any of their fans around?

[John Ossie]

well looks like its official

Ballotelli will be calling Anfield home for this season

Well if it is official....then welcome to Anfield Mario Ballotelli.

[Shinglepants]

Woah. Cannot believe Balotelli is back!
And who would have knew about Malky Mackay?

Yeah! Welcome back Mario.
If the texts he has allegedly sent turn out to be true......I think he'll struggle getting another football job. At least at the top level. No club wants to be associated with a man who is racist, homophobic and sexist. Thats just bad publicity. Still, remains to be confirmed right? I do find it so strange that Cardiff decided to pass this information along now, just as he was looking like signing for Palace. Tans revenge sounds about right!

True. In fairness to Mario I've never even heard stories of him biting people so that's an improvement already

Stories involving Mario are MUCH more interesting than biting!

[Vibranium]

and not to too LFCs horn all that loud, but leadership at Liverpool is probably a touch better than Milan or Man City

[Mari]

Well if it is official....then welcome to Anfield Mario Ballotelli.

Welcome! I hope he is able to contribute what's needed

[Vibranium]

gives LFC 3 good (possibly great) strikers on the front line

[Mari]

gives LFC 3 good (possibly great) strikers on the front line

I think that should be great!

[Clarkie]

Oh that was a brilliant start, I so enjoy watching Man U lose. Well done Swansea.

heh, heh, false dawn.

All kidding aside, it is a glorious thing to wake up to seeing that Arsenal had won and United had lost.

A couple of years ago and it would've been the other way round

I barely recognized them, not a typical Mourinho team.

You should watch more Mourinho teams then. Or even last seasons opener against Hull.

Liverpool needs to regain the crazy balance? Not sure why they need Balotelli.

and Torres to Italy? interesting.

Indeed, although I foolishly want to see him get one more season, he works hard, and doesn't deserve half the stick he gets.

[Shinglepants]

You should watch more Mourinho teams then. Or even last seasons opener against Hull.

Heh, I've watched plenty of Mourinho teams. I don't go out of my way to watch them every week but I think its fair to say that he puts an emphasis on getting results over playing sexy football. The games against City and Liverpool towards the end of the season are prime examples. Sat deep, stifled play, surrendered possesion. Obviously he is a class manager, probably the best, but one thing I do not particularly expect from a Jose team is exciting football.

That said, with players like Fabregas, Hazard, Oscar and previously Mata, Drogba, Ronaldo, Ozil, Di Maria etc you would expect it to happen occasionally!

[Clarkie]

The games against City and Liverpool towards the end of the season are prime examples. Sat deep, stifled play, surrendered possesion. Obviously he is a class manager, probably the best, but one thing I do not particularly expect from a Jose team is exciting football.

Liverpool in the second or third last game of the season is fair enough, but we hit the post twice and could've put four past you at least in the Etihad game, you're also using crunch games against title contenders as an example. Mourinho holds the goals record in La Liga. Chelsea (under Ancelotti) holds it in the Prem. Chelsea scored more goals than Arsenal last season, in a season where we often had at least 25 shots on goal and didn't convert.

[Shinglepants]

Liverpool in the second or third last game of the season is fair enough, but we hit the post twice and could've put four past you at least in the Etihad game, you're also using crunch games against title contenders as an example. Mourinho holds the goals record in La Liga. Chelsea (under Ancelotti) holds it in the Prem. Chelsea scored more goals than Arsenal last season, in a season where we often had at least 25 shots on goal and didn't convert.

Oh, believe me, I know about the Eastland's game. You guys were much the better side, and probably deserved another goal but I would still say it wasn't attractive football. That might have been the most painful game to watch that season. And yes, those might've been crunch games against title contenders but those other contenders did not adopt the same philosophy. That said, Chelsea obviously did the double over City and Liverpool so maybe there is something to it!

In regards to Madrid. You would expect arguably the best team in the world, with arguably the best player in the world, supported by a ridiculous amount of attacking talent to score a lot of goals yes? I would say they hold that record inspite of him, not because of him.

[John Ossie]

Yeah! Welcome back Mario.
If the texts he has allegedly sent turn out to be true......I think he'll struggle getting another football job. At least at the top level. No club wants to be associated with a man who is racist, homophobic and sexist. Thats just bad publicity. Still, remains to be confirmed right? I do find it so strange that Cardiff decided to pass this information along now, just as he was looking like signing for Palace. Tans revenge sounds about right!

Stories involving Mario are MUCH more interesting than biting!

As far as Malky is concerned I hadn't heard anything about that until I went of the internet yesterday, was shocked to read about that. And I agree he's going to struggle to get a job at another football club.

As for Mario, yeah setting fireworks off in your bathroom is a lot more interesting than biting people I agree

and not to too LFCs horn all that loud, but leadership at Liverpool is probably a touch better than Milan or Man City

I think that's a given

Welcome! I hope he is able to contribute what's needed

Same here. I will give him a chance to see how he does.

[mcgaffer]

Cardiff are now calling for the LMA chief to resign. And in other news just sorted out my team for the weekend, really annoyed that I'd left Barkley in for last week.

[John Ossie]

And Balotelli is getting the number 45 shirt just like he did at City and Milan, though apparently he can't play against City.