Liverpool FC Forum

by **Sabre** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:49 am

If you attend to the buzz surrounding him they seem to have signed up the best striker of the world

It's too soon to say how he's doing, so far he has done lots of interviews and nothing else, but some goals in the preseason that do not count really. Raul has past his best and more importantly he seems to have lost much of the credit he had, Ronaldo is not regular enough to play week in week out so I guess he'll be important this year.

Owen's case was one of the most unfair cases I've seen in Spain. He literally was great. One of the best strikers I've seen in Anoeta in my whole life, sometimes I looked at him even when the ball was somewhere else, it was a pleasure to watch him roaming correctly through the pitch, his movements were clever and he was explosive when he started his runs. When you score the same goals as your partner strikers in 30% of their minutes, you are doing great. He had some minutes only yet he scored. If he wasn't in the starting eleven regularly it's just because the dress room didn't allow the coach to do so.

by **account deleted by request** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:56 am

Thanks for the informative reply Sabre.

Regarding Raul why has he fallen so far so fast? When he scored 2 against Man U he was being talked about as one of the best strikers in Europe, with great movement , first touch etc. He is not that old 28/29. Has he had a bad injury ,or do you think its because Madrid are no longer the power they were, and dont create as many chances?

by **Sabre** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 9:54 am

It's a mix of many factors.

Raul is a player a la Emilio Butragueño, he showep up very early, at 17 in the first team. Back then he had a great positioning, he was not pacy but his acceleration was good and could surprise. But most importantly he wanted to tryumph in football.

I don't think his actual problems are due to the injury because his problems were pretty the same before that injury. He still has a great positioning, but has lost that acceleration, and most importantly the willing to be a great football player.

Real Madrid environment doesn't help. Real Madrid is an excellent opportunity for the Madrid housing tycoons in order they wash their money. That's why there are tough battles for the presidential seat. In order they get the votes they require from the stockholders, they promise names, one candidate promises Fabregas and Kaka, another one says he has a deal with Van Nistelrooy.

So there's nobody competent and with footie knowledge actually taking the decissions there, and the results could be seen last year. If you make a team of names, you get that, a team of names, not a football team. You cannot win the games walking, no matter how good you are. There are too many big egos in the dress room, and several groups. Somebody has to put order in that dressroom. Perhaps Capello will do it, but there are too many negative elements within that dressroom to do that task in one season.

As for Raul, his main problem is Real Madrid itself, he has been far too accomodated. Owen had the numbers to sit down Raul, yet he didn't due to the dressroom, so why would he bother to give his best in the training sessions?. There's an anecdote about Mori that says it all. When he came from Monaco he came back to Real Madrid. And you know what? he went to training session in a jogging suit, and all his team mates started to laugh, as they were wearing their Armani suits. In a dressroom that a player hides his eau d' Toillete so that another team mate doesn't copy it, there's not proper footie atmosphere, and all that are the reasons of the decline of Real Madrid and Raul alongside Real Madrid.

by **account deleted by request** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:17 am

It seems such a waste of talent. He was my favourite Spanish player when he was younger and scoring lots of goals. Maybe he achieved all he wanted too early with Real Madrid, lost his desire and should have moved clubs. Whether he could rekindle the desire and hunger for success elsewhere now, is very unlikely.

by **GFB_oNuR** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 2:54 pm

Nihat is the best player in Primera Division

by **CardinalRed** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:34 pm

That's a big shout GFB, considering Ronaldinho plays there......!

:cool:

by **Bad Bob** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:11 pm

Sabre, can you confirm that Aurelio did play mostly at LB for Valencia? I ask because, although I'm sure I read comments from the player himself stating that this was his preferred position, three weeks in a row now I've had to listen to John Gregory (one of the tv commentators from whatever British station we pick up the footie feeds from) blather on about how shocked he is that Aurelio, a left midfielder, is being played in defense by Rafa. It winds me up everytime and I just wanted to confirm I'm right so I'll feel even more righteous when yelling at the telly next week!

by **Sabre** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:48 pm

Yes I can, that commentators have little knowledge of F.Aurelio's background, because even I that I don't support Valencia know that he came as a LB, and he considers himself a LB.

F.Aurelio's start in Valencia was great, full of praises and all that. He was forced to play as a left winger/midfield due to Vicente's important injury. He wasn't as sucesful at those position (was even tested as an attacking midfielder). But as a LB he was completely succesful.

This quote of F.Aurelio when he decided not to continue in Valencia says it all (translated)

I expected to provide a lot of things to the team this season, and making merits in order I could be selected for my national squad. I thought that after the injuries I had it was the time to confirm definitely myself in the squad and show my abilities.
But on the contrary it has been a wasted year from my personal point of view. I had little chances to play in my favourite position, left back, which makes me think this might not be the best team for my future"

Fabio Aurelio came in 01/02 to Valencia, played two completes seasons as a LB, then had a year full of injuries, and played again as a LB until last year, in which he was used as a susbtitute to the injured Vicente.

by **Bad Bob** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:00 pm

Sabre wrote:Yes I can, that commentators have little knowledge of F.Aurelio's background, because even I that I don't support Valencia know that he came as a LB, and he considers himself a LB.

F.Aurelio's start in Valencia was great, full of praises and all that. He was forced to play as a left winger/midfield due to Vicente's important injury. He wasn't as sucesful at those position (was even tested as an attacking midfielder). But as a LB he was completely succesful.

This quote of F.Aurelio when he decided not to continue in Valencia says it all (translated)

I expected to provide a lot of things to the team this season, and making merits in order I could be selected for my national squad. I thought that after the injuries I had it was the time to confirm definitely myself in the squad and show my abilities.
But on the contrary it has been a wasted year from my personal point of view. I had little chances to play in my favourite position, left back, which makes me think this might not be the best team for my future"

Fabio Aurelio came in 01/02 to Valencia, played two completes seasons as a LB, then had a year full of injuries, and played again as a LB until last year, in which he was used as a susbtitute to the injured Vicente.

Thought so. I don't know who this Gregory fella is--ex-player obviously--but it just p!sses me off when commentators don't do basic homework on the players they'll be discussing for 90+ minutes.

On the other hand, I'll take second-rate British announcers every time over North Americans. When our lads are behind the microphone "soccer" stops being the beautiful game and gets hyped up into this breathless, seat-of-your pants faux-thrillfest: "Finnan collects the ball out of bounds and throws it back to Reina who sends it screaming up field....what a clearance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Pathetic.

by **adamnbarrett** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:06 pm

Bad Bob wrote:Thought so. I don't know who this Gregory fella is--ex-player obviously--

If it's the same john gregory then it's the former Derby and Aston Villa manager. He also played for Villa when he was a player.

This bloke by any chance?

by **account deleted by request** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:10 pm

John Charles Gregory (born November 5, 1954 in Scunthorpe) is a former player and football manager of Plymouth Argyle, Portsmouth F.C., Aston Villa, Derby County and other clubs. As a player he was an adaptable midfielder who played for Brighton and Hove Albion, Queens Park Rangers, Derby County and Aston Villa and also made several appearances for England.

His first two spells in management (between January 1989 and June 1990) with Portsmouth and then Plymouth Argyle, lasted just a few months each, shortly after he linked up as a non-contract player with his former England team mate Phil Neal who was manager at Bolton Wanderers. He later worked under Brian Little on the coaching staff at Leicester City (1991-1994) and Aston Villa (1994-96) before moving back into management with Wycombe Wanderers in September 1996. Wycombe were rock bottom of Division Two when Gregory took over, but he oversaw a massive improvement in league form which saw the club climb to a secure mid table finish. They were progressing well in February 1998 when Gregory quit Wycombe to take the manager's job back at Aston Villa. He helped improve their league form during the final 3 months of the 1997-98 season and they qualified for the UEFA Cup. Halfway through the 1998-99 season Villa were Premiership leaders but a slump in form saw the club finish sixth in the final table and miss out on a European place. Villa reached the FA Cup final in 2000 but lost to Chelsea and Gregory finally quit Villa in January 2002. Gregory's spell at Villa is also notable as he became the last manager to field an all English starting 11 in the Premiership, until Steve McClaren's Middlesbrough did the same against Fulham on May 7th, 2006.

John Gregory's most recent spell in management was with Derby County (January 2002 - March 2003). When he took charge at Derby they were bottom of the Premiership, and after winning both of his first two games at the helm it looked as though he might be able to save them from relegation. But seven defeats from their final eight fixtures saw Derby slip out of the Premiership after six years. The club's financial problems meant that Gregory had no money spent on players in 2002-03, and their form in Division One was disappointing. He was sacked in March 2003 for alleged misconduct and later won £1 million compensation for unfair dismissal, although he has yet to return to management.

Wikiepedia

by **Sabre** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:16 pm

On the other hand, I'll take second-rate British announcers every time over North Americans. When our lads are behind the microphone "soccer" stops being the beautiful game and gets hyped up into this breathless, seat-of-your pants faux-thrillfest: "Finnan collects the ball out of bounds and throws it back to Reina who sends it screaming up field....what a clearance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Yes it sucks. But then, consider yourself happy you don't have to listen the Spanish radio cráp.

It's difficult to me to translate or make you understand the levels of idiocy they can reach, but in a nutshell, imagine those ignorant american commentators, but believing they understand quite a lot of footie (they even tell to shut up the real pundit/ex player etc) and a fanatic devotion for Real Madrid. It's a heap of cráp you simply can't understand. :angry:

by **stmichael** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:32 pm

looking forward to seeing how real madrid get on against lyon this week sabre. should be a cracking match. didn't van horseface score a hatrick for them yesterday?

good to see valencia back where they belong aswell.

by **Bad Bob** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 9:47 pm

adamnbarrett wrote:
Bad Bob wrote:Thought so. I don't know who this Gregory fella is--ex-player obviously--

If it's the same john gregory then it's the former Derby and Aston Villa manager. He also played for Villa when he was a player.

This bloke by any chance?

He's the one Adam and Saint, although I had to hunt about a bit on the internet to find an image to verify. You see, we never actually see the commentators who call the matches.

Watching Premiership matches in Canada is a bit unique. There's about 10 minutes of build-up in the studio with Canadian announcers. Then they "send us off to stadium X" for the match, at which point they pick up the Sky Sports feed.

So, for the entire 1st half we get British commentary which, Aurelio miscues aside, is quite pleasant (as I've explained above). Back to the Canadian studio for some filler over half-time and then back to the Sky feed for the 2nd half.

The thing that sucks about it all, though, is that the minute the match is over, it's back to the Canadian lads in the studio for their post-game remarks. No interviews, no British post-game punditry, nothing. It was years before I heard any of the players speaking and I almost fell out of my chair when I heard Beckham's squeaky voice for the first time!

by **CardinalRed** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:36 am

Has anyone noticed that Real Madrid have stepped up their quest for World (merchandising) domination with a new channel on Sky? Real Madrid TV on Sky Channel 446......?

:cool:

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