Devil-Dick Willie

Good tight wrestling show. Not overbooked, and all stories were progressed nicely.

23 hours ago, RandoEFC said:

You said "or even inferior to" originally which is where I thought you were over reaching. I'm glad we can agree now though.

In the case of stan the man, yes. 

15 hours ago, RandoEFC said:

Murray is nowhere near the other three but neither were any of those guys you've mentioned close to him. He spent most of that era ahead of at least one of the big three in the world rankings. Murray under performed in terms of grand slam titles but if you look deeper into his results in Masters 1000, end of year championships, Olympic titles, and the fact he made it to the #1 ranking it tells a different story about his career. He even won the Davis Cup with a GB team who had no other top 50 singles players and a doubles team so bad that he had to play that with his brother as well more often than not.

Ferrer and Cilic . Sorry but that take is as embarrassing as the people who convince themselves Murray stacks up anywhere near to Nadal, Federer and Djokovic. Wawrinka is the only one of those named that have any claim to being equal to Murray and that's only if your analysis goes as deep as "how many slams did he win?". Murray's career wipes the floor with his by any other measure. I don't know how you can even pretend to claim that Murray is in any way "even inferior to" any of those players you've named. There's not even a debate there.

Your analysis just cries out a belief that tennis is only played for 8 weeks a year at the majors. Yes they're the most important tournaments, yes anyone who still tries to claim that Murray belongs in a top four are massively over-reaching but anyone who tries to pretend that he's anything like David fucking Ferrer in stature is over-reaching just as much.

I think Stan, in his short peak, was as good as Murray at his much longer peak. Based on the tennis not the titles either. 

I don't think Cilic and Ferrer are as good as Murray, don't twist my words, I just think they're closer to him than he is to the big 3 however. And that's a hill I'm more than ready to die on. 

3 hours ago, Gunnersaurus said:

I'd rather see him get bronze and finish on a win than get silver and finish on a loss. Probably the best British athlete of my generation. I'm not a big tennis fan but from what I gather he was extremely unlucky as he was playing at the same time of 3 of the greatest ever tennis players. If he'd been born in a different time he would of probably one more I've been told 

This is entirely unfair to Murray, but I stand by it. 

I will always resent him, not for anything he did (though him being a bitter Scottish twat was good for a laugh) but I hated the British media spin on that era of tennis. 

"The big 4". 

Except number 4 was sooooooooooooo far behind the others he could barely see them. He had a decent record against Federer The slowest and most 'skillful'. Nadal and Novak killed him at every opportunity. He was held aloft with Djokovic, Federer and Nadal, despite being MUCH closer in stature (and even inferior to) the likes of Wawrinka, Cilic, Ferrer and Del Potro.

I said it at the time and will stand by it. It was a big 3. A huge 3, the best ever 3. Murray didn't deserve to be held aloft with them at all. 

We have a womens football section in this forum and the rule is you're not allowed to trash womens football there so I'll do it here.

I watched Australia vs Zambia. What a fucking utter shitshow. The teenagers that play down the road on a pitch that's muddier than your mums butthole and next to a creek that floods and they regularly have to fish balls out of is a significantly higher level than the shite I was belly laughing at last night. Pay them less until they get the idea jesus christ. 

Cool for metalheads worldwide that Gojira was able to play an opening ceremony! Progressive death metal not exactly what you'd expect 

3 hours ago, Gunnersaurus said:

I'm quite surprised he said it to be honest. I can't stand him but he is normally a very good debater 

He's not a stupid person (he is a hack though). His political alignment requires him to defend the indesensible at times though, so he has to reach for dumb arguments that hold no water for anyone with an IQ over 90

2 minutes ago, Gunnersaurus said:

If he does somehow loose are we expecting him to call it a fraudulent election again 

It just tells you he never truly believed the first result was fraudulent. If it was, this election would also be, and the exercise would be pointless. 

1 hour ago, 6666 said:

He Wilfried Zaha'd himself.

Harry Kane'd

That Turkish kid too. Arda Guler

Rodri
Olmo
Musiala
Xaka

In terms of break out stars Guehi, Bijol, the Spanish kids and Mamardashvili.

Imagine unloading Southgate just to replace him with Gerrard or Lamps lol. What's the fucking point?

Watch both goals carefully. 

Goal 1. Shaw is caught square on and immobile between Carvajal and Yamal. He fucks up, Carvajal has a beautiful 1 touch pass that lets Yamal run onto the ball and at Guehi, and Shaw never recovers. Everyone shifts over 1 player, Walker picks up a midfield runner (Olmo). NO ONE picks up Williams, Walker tries to get across for the block but can't. Neither Mainoo or Saka picked up Williams, partly because Mainoo is a bit clueless defensively, but MOSTLY because it all happened so fast. 

Goal 2. Olmo picks up the ball in midfield with enough time to turn, face goal, put the kettle on and have a cuppa. Bellingam and Rice are sitting deeper than my cock inside Sydney Sweeny in my dreams, and have no hope of offering pressure. Watch Saka and Cucarella closely at this time. Afro man starts his overlapping run when Ruiz passes to Olmo, Saka is very slow to react. Walker DOES fuck up at this time, because the back 4 start sprinting back, each of the other 3 have a man each, but Walker is caught in about 3 minds, because he has Olmo running at him, and he can see Cucarella us unmarked. Olmo makes a brilliant decision to go direct to Oyarzabal, which eliminates Walker. Had he made the easy pass to Cucarella, Walker would have been able to close down. Oyarzabal makes the perfectly weighted one touch pass and even with his pace, Walker now has buckleys chance. 

I think both goals involve a brilliant first touch pass from a Spaniard, and that needs to be recognized. But Shaw is the villain for the first goal by a MILE. And I think Saka is the root cause for the second, as he put Walker in a blender. 

I think i'd take Kane to tournaments even if he had 1 leg. Not to start mind, but if you are awarded a pen from the 70th minute, or in case of a shootout, break glass and bring him on.

Just now, Dr. Gonzo said:

You mean... like it is with Walker? 

No, Walker is dropping off and was worse last season at city than previously, but he's consistent and reliable. He was caught between 2 players for the 2nd goal because Saka let la cucaracha burn him and gave him a nights march. It's a miracle that Walker NEARLY closed the cross down if anything.

On 15/07/2024 at 23:26, Stan said:

Mamardashvili

Theo Hernandez - Guehi - Saliba - Cucurella 

Rodri 

Yamal - Musiala - Dani Olmo - Williams 

Gakpo

 

Honourable mentions - Pickford, Unai Simon, Fabian Ruiz, Cancelo, Mainoo, Mikautadze, Kvaratskhelia, Calafiori, Kimmich, 

Commin atcha with a controversial one. Evertonians look away.

Pickford is a big reason you lost that final. Not from the shot stopping perspective, but the cunt gave the ball back to spain like clockwork. Completed 50% of his passes. Completed a single pass out of everyone that was across the halfway line. A big reason England were so consistently under pressure and couldn't get attacks of their own brewing IMO. 

4 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

If you look at the statistics, they make a case for Trippier being the most well rounded fullback England has, Walker being the tallest, and Alexander-Arnold the most unnecessarily slated for his defensive work. Weirdly, Trent's got the lowest pass completion rate in long and short passes - while Walker's got the highest short and long pass completion rate; yet Trent is far ahead of him in terms of chance creation (where Walker's statistics paint him as virtually useless).

I think moments where you see a brilliant recovery tackle make a player pass the eye-test more than when you see a fullback like Trent vs. Doku appearing to get rinsed but what ends up happening is Doku is ending up isolated in a useless position and losing the ball almost immediately - even if one's good actually defending and the other is using pace to make up for dogshit positioning.

If Trent was playing right back at the final and did what Walker did, he'd be made a scapegoat.

I think you know as well as I do that a lot of the poor defense has nothing to do with stats. Because there's no stat for 'we conceded 10 or more goals this season because our back 3 was stretched to fuck because Trent was off on an adventure'. It doesn't involve missed tackles or dribbles completed against him. Most of the defensive liability isn't from him failing to close down a cross or not clear a ball, it comes from 'where the fuck was trent?' 

Certainly that's what's best for England if they can get anyone decent in now.

I mean, Belgium came 3rd at the world cup, no draws, no penalty shoot outs, to lose to eventual champions France, in a close 1-0 game. They were the 2nd best team at that world cup, despite being probably 4th or 5th best on paper. 2020, lost to champions Italy 2-1. Then they fucked the last world cup up. I'd say it's unfair to slate them for the first 2.

8 minutes ago, Tommy said:

lol he even tagged him. 

Imagine doing punditry for a team whos LB is old, a bit shite a lot of the time, and always playing on an irregular basis, whos best midfielder is a guy who does the basics well and that's it, whos partners were a right back, a teenager (who turned out a fun find but hardly world class yet) and a guy who's only mode is bombing around, and who has taken no dedicated left edge option to the tournament. A team with deep class in some positions and mediocre players in several others. 

Then imagine slagging off one of the top 3 on paper teams of the tournament because their left back underperformed one season in a team he's not suited too, and a team who underperformed as a unit all season. 
Says it all about English punditry really. Spain can't go all the way because Cucurella is off the boil, but England are favorites (pre tournament) with Shaw, Walker, Guehi, Rice and Mainoo as its BEST starters in those positions. Absurd. And to be fair to Mainoo and Guehi they exceeded expectation!

3 minutes ago, RandoEFC said:

No point playing Alexander-Arnold in this England team. You can be the best crosser in the world but it's useless putting a good ball into the box because Kane will be halfway between the centre circle and the edge of the box jogging vacantly forward rather than getting on the end of anything.

The best comment I saw on youtube in reply to Kanes interview after the game

"Harry Kane is so brilliant and elusive with his movement, you cross it into the box, but he's not there, he's off having a conversation with Pickford" 

It's funny as well because Rooney was often the same. A 'hard worker' at the cost of making tackles on the halfway line that left England without a focal point on the resulting attack, or inexplicably bombing down the wing with someone instead of running to the penalty spot. 

1 hour ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

To be fair Kyle Walker has been either decent or a stand out in the past, and plays with Stones weekly, which is HUGE in international football IMO. I'd be grilling him (and Stones actually) for their performance this final, but Walker had an up and down tournament, and Southgate is never playing TAA in a million years if his plan is to win games 1-0.

3 hours ago, Stan said:

Agree with all of your post apart from this bit. Surely the worst case would be going out at the group stage, not getting to the final and losing? 

Agree of course majority of the performances were poor. 

I don't think Southgate stays. 

I think the idea there is you went through each indvidiual game playing as shit as possible and now with no trophy again to show for it the FA will probably offer Southgate another contract based on the outcome, rather than the performance. 

Ask Klopp if he wants the team for the world cup cycle. If no, go Roberto surely. It would be so England to extend Southgate or offer it to Moyes or someone 

Shinzo Abe being blown away with a high school science project volcano years after he was last in power isn't comparable. 

Roberto Martinez. Took Belgium to 3rd, did okay with a shite Portugal team, speaks the kings English, knows the prem and English media.