What's your unpopular football opinion?

The Talking Bread

Predictive text! You would think Fuchs would be in the English dictionary by now!

Chancer3001

The Golden Miller wrote: »

And Stoke had nothing on Bolton under Allardyce

Bolton who had djorkaeff, okocha, anelka, diouf?

They played some very nice football most of the time.
Got really stuck in to the big boys, especially arsenal. And it worked.

I saw them play against reading where they won 3 0 and they were amazing to watch. So skilful

GavRedKing

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Predictive text! You would think Fuchs would be in the English dictionary by now!

I know, for Fuchs sake.

The Talking Bread

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

Mr.H wrote: »

Please, Sanchez acting the tool to get Fuchs booked.......

Sanchez deserved what he got and I'd be saying the same if he got it in the face

he was allowed to stand there (i think), fuchs got annoyed and threw the ball at sanchez. sanchez went down to highlight the fact to the ref, like what happens in every game. he was infringed upon

He wasn't allowed stand there. That's the whole point!

y0ssar1an22

The Talking Bread wrote: »

He wasn't allowed stand there. That's the whole point!

well that changes things. are you sure?

The Talking Bread

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

The Talking Bread wrote: »

He wasn't allowed stand there. That's the whole point!

well that changes things. are you sure?

Why do you think he got booked! It was the simulation. you see the whole incident? You have to be 2 metres away.

KaiserGunner

I just watched the Sanchez incident again there. The ref blows his whistle on the first throw in attempt. He then appears to allow Sanchez stand where he is and then doesn't blow on the second attempt and then blows his whistle after Fuchs launches the ball at Sanchez. So I think the referee or assistant should have sorted it out before all the nonsense started.

The Talking Bread

Sorry the above makes no sense! I mean the reason Fuchs threw it at him was because he kept impeding him against the rules. Eventually he just took the throw and rightfully hit Sanchez!

He done nothing wrong!

The booking was for simulation from an incident that was legitimate!

The Talking Bread

I mean my above post, not Kaizers

KaiserGunner

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Sorry the above makes no sense! I mean the reason Fuchs threw it at him was because he kept impeding him against the rules. Eventually he just took the throw and rightfully hit Sanchez!

He done nothing wrong!

The booking was for simulation from an incident that was legitimate!

I didn't say that it was Fuchs fault. I think the referee or his assistant after the first failed attempt at the throw in, should have made Sanchez step back the two metres. Yet they didn't. If the two metre distance is so important than the referee should have enforced it before Fuchs eventually threw the ball after a third run up.

Edit, sorry thought you were replying to my post, my bad.

The Talking Bread

Can we not all agree what Sanchez done was pathetic and most of us would have done the same as Fuchs! ! 😂

The Talking Bread

Sanchez is a professional footballer. He shouldn't need to be taken aside and explained the rules. He knew bloody well what he was doing.

y0ssar1an22

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Can we not all agree what Sanchez done was pathetic and most of us would have done the same as Fuchs! ! 😂

it was pathetic, but doesnt absolve fuchs for throwing the ball at him

y0ssar1an22

another one that may be unpopular.

people shooting/passing with the outside of their foot. commentators usually cream themselves over it. i hate it - just highlights to me the fact the player cannot use their other foot, which is pathetic for professional soccer players.

bucketybuck

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

i hate it - just highlights to me the fact the player cannot use their other foot, which is pathetic for professional soccer players.

But it doesn't mean they can't use their other foot.

For example, before a recent United match there was an interview with Zlatan where he talked of enjoying spreading the ball wide with the outside of his foot, do you think he can't use both feet?

Dislike that type of pass all you want, but it doesn't highlight anything except that top footballers can use the outside of their feet when they feel like it.

The Talking Bread

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Can we not all agree what Sanchez done was pathetic and most of us would have done the same as Fuchs! ! 😂

it was pathetic, but doesnt absolve fuchs for throwing the ball at him

By law or morals??

Osmosis Jones

Fuchs was just demonstrating that Sanchez was illegally impeding his throw-in

irishman86

Mr.H wrote: »

So it's been how long since united won the league now?

When in your opinion do they stop being a big club?

You know your logic is rubbish by the way.

United and Liverpool are still the most successful teams in England and until they are greatly overtaken they will remain two huge massive clubs.

Your opinion means nothing. Mine means nothing either. Facts speak for themselves

My logic is rubbish, how so.
I pointed out clearly how it isnt, its been 27 years, United won it in the last 5 I think??
Look at it this way, when was the last time Liverpool got a player one of the top clubs wanted.
They havent qualified back to back in the CL in years.
Historically a big club, for me they just arent a top club anymore.

Mr.H

irishman86 wrote: »

My logic is rubbish, how so.
I pointed out clearly how it isnt, its been 27 years, United won it in the last 5 I think??
Look at it this way, when was the last time Liverpool got a player one of the top clubs wanted.
They havent qualified back to back in the CL in years.
Historically a big club, for me they just arent a top club anymore.

When is the last time United got a player the "big clubs wanted"

Pogba wasnt wanted by Madrid because of the fee. Simple as. Other than that United lost out on players because big clubs chased them.

United havent won it in 2012-13 that is 5 years (as you said) but just ask Arsenal how fast 5 years turns into 13 or Liverpool how fast 13 turns into 27.

What makes a "big club"? probably a topic for a thread itself to be honest.

But your opinion on what a big club is, is built out bias.

If you ask people in any country in the world to name 10-15 top European teams I am positive that more often than not Liverpool will be in their list. That to me makes them a big team

Mr.H

The rules state that Sanchez must be at least 2 yards back. He stayed on front of Fuches to waste time and frustrate the player. Sanchez was in the wrong and he then simulated to get a player in trouble. He deserves his booking

Corholio

Mr.H wrote: »

The rules state that Sanchez must be at least 2 yards back. He stayed on front of Fuches to waste time and frustrate the player. Sanchez was in the wrong and he then simulated to get a player in trouble. He deserves his booking

Both were idiots. Fuchs silly to throw the ball at him.

Mr.H

Corholio wrote: »

Both were idiots. Fuchs silly to throw the ball at him.

I agree. He shouldnt have thrown it at him. But..........

Actual example:
a free kick is given, opposition player refuses to move from on front of the ball. Kick taker kicks ball at opposition player. Opposition player is booked for not being back or being out of the way of the quick kick.

That is a tactic United used on Coutinho a few years back. In fact Coutinho didnt even refuse to move. He started to move and the ball was kicked at him so he was booked for not being back fast enough.

It was a sh1tty thing for Unioted to do but they did it and it was in the rules.

Same situation. It was sh1tty of Fuches to throw the ball at him but it was in the rules and Sanchez was trying to waste time for Arsenal. He was booked and deserved it.

irishman86

Mr.H wrote: »

When is the last time United got a player the "big clubs wanted"

Pogba wasnt wanted by Madrid because of the fee. Simple as. Other than that United lost out on players because big clubs chased them.

United havent won it in 2012-13 that is 5 years (as you said) but just ask Arsenal how fast 5 years turns into 13 or Liverpool how fast 13 turns into 27.

What makes a "big club"? probably a topic for a thread itself to be honest.

But your opinion on what a big club is, is built out bias.

If you ask people in any country in the world to name 10-15 top European teams I am positive that more often than not Liverpool will be in their list. That to me makes them a big team

Pogba still was wanted, United blew them out of the water
A top team for me is one that continually challenges at the top and win titles which Liverpool have failed to do.
How is my opinion built out of bias, I support Marseille, I dont favour any English team.
I dont think most people would.
Im guessing you support Liverpool, if you want to think they are a top team, thats up to you. I dont and nothing you have said has convinced me any otherwise

ERG89

In hindsight the criticism of La Liga earlier was hilarious after watching the clasico last weekend the game tonight was a tragic comedy in comparison with only a faint headbutt as a highlight.

irishman86 wrote: »

Pogba still was wanted, United blew them out of the water.

By who?
Juventus & Raiola had a 1 team auction last summer. United should have thought about that before bidding that much.

irishman86

ERG89 wrote: »

By who?
Juventus & Raiola had a 1 team auction last summer. United should have thought about that before bidding that much.

Madrid wanted him, had United not bid for him he would have gone there probably with some sort of swap deal and cash. Juventus werent selling him for less than United paid. He is the highest potential midfielder around.
United are a team capable of attracting Zlatan/Pogba/Mkhitaryan
Chelsea got Hazard/Costa
Arsenal got Sanchez/Ozil
City signed Sterling of Liverpool
Now correct me if Im wrong, I dont think Liverpool have signed one player top teams wanted.
Im a massive fan of Coutinho (A player I see moving to Barcelona) and Firmino but one was a cast off (Incorrectly) at Inter and the other was from Hoffenheim (I dont remember him linked to anyone, he may have been)
Players I remember Liverpool wanted but didnt get include (Sanchez,Costa,Mkhitaryan,Willian,Eriksen,Xhaqiri,etc)
Its something I personally feel, Im not trying to tell anyone that they shouldnt think it, I just feel they get pushed out of the way when a host of top clubs enter the fray, whether thats league position or signings

ERG89

irishman86 wrote:

Madrid wanted him, had United not bid for him he would have gone there probably with some sort of swap deal and cash. Juventus werent selling him for less than United paid.

Why would Madrid want him?
They have Modric & Kroos, Casemiro then does an completely different role. They had just won a champions league, had no transfer ban as they decided to resign Morata & aren't exactly shy about spending money even when they don't need to.
Did they bid for him? No. I'm sure Raiola said they were keen as it helped him as much as anyone. He's basically doing the same thing with Donnarumma now so he can get a cut of his transfer fee.
Juve sat on the fee as they knew United would be naive to pay it. It's what the premier league does. Pay over the odds & every club outside or inside England know it.

irishman86

ERG89 wrote: »

Why would Madrid want him?
They have Modric & Kroos, Casemiro then does an completely different role. They had just won a champions league, had no transfer ban as they decided to resign Morata & aren't exactly shy about spending money even when they don't need to.
Did they bid for him? No. I'm sure Raiola said they were keen as it helped him as much as anyone. He's basically doing the same thing with Donnarumma now so he can get a cut of his transfer fee.
Juve sat on the fee as they knew United would be naive to pay it. It's what the premier league does. Pay over the odds & every club outside or inside England know it.

The same reason Madrid want any superstar, if you dont know why I dont see how Ill be the one to explain it. Im sure you could ask Ozil why Real wanted James :pac:
Regarding the fee, Real/Barca usually pay more *open to correction
I checked, in the top 20 they have 5
Spain has 8
France has 4

Fr Tod Umptious

Ghana missed out on a WC SF place in 2010 because they could not convert a last minute penalty, not because Luis Suarez's handled the ball on the line

castletownman

Fellaini is nowhere near as bad as people make him out to be.

The Golden Miller

It's not that Liverpool can't sign top players, it's just for a variety of reasons they didn't. It's just a sh!te transfer policy they've had in place for far too long. Did I read somewhere that during Benitez's reign, they spent circa 1.5 billion buying players, yet had little to show for it other than Torres and Alonso? They seem to pigheadedly insist on paying way over the odds for average English donkeys as if to prove some point to other clubs on signing domestic talent, and at times seemed slow to give technically gifted players like Aquilani a chance. I'd put it down to Liverpool being totally mismanaged from top to bottom for over two decades rather than being a small club unable to sign top players. It's not as if they are short a few quid with the money they often shell out on muck.

Another unpopular opinion seems to be claiming Arshavin was a great player. He was brilliant for Arsenal in his first half season, as he was for the entirety of his career up until that point. Once Fabregas returned from injury he was no longer played through the middle and was accommodated out on the left wing, causing a slow deterioration in form and confidence over the next few years. I'd nearly go as far to say Wenger ruined his career.

Similar to the above, Mark Hughes treated Elano very badly when he arrived at Man City. Elano went from being their key player to warming the bench, out of favour to average players like Wright-Philips returning to the club and the ever flaky Robinho etc. Needless to say, they went from being a top team to near relegation candidates once Elano was removed. Delighted Hughes got the sack

Optimalprimerib

Brian? wrote: »

Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville are extremely poor football pundits.

I don't care about players asking for opposition players to be booked. If the referee is actually influenced by it he should lose his job.

Steven "Stevie G" Gerrard was the most overrated player I've ever seen. Even more overrated than Glen Hoddle. He showed a complete lack of ambition by staying at Liverpool as long as he did, he should have moved somewhere to win a league championship.

For Gerrard, that is the one (and only )thing I admire about him.

There is little to no allegiance or heart left in the game now. Players only care about the paycheck and their own brand.

AIG's approach of supporting city because of the manager is actually a good idea because of this. Why should you stick to a team when you disagree with how they play (man utd playing horrific football compared to the fergie era for example). He is supporting a man in the same way you would have your favorite golfer or tennis player.

JamboMac

Optimalprimerib wrote: »

For Gerrard, that is the one (and only )thing I admire about him.

There is little to no allegiance or heart left in the game now. Players only care about the paycheck and their own brand.

AIG's approach of supporting city because of the manager is actually a good idea because of this. Why should you stick to a team when you disagree with how they play (man utd playing horrific football compared to the fergie era for example). He is supporting a man in the same way you would have your favorite golfer or tennis player.

Is that not what we call glory hunting? You pick a team for the good and the bad. That's why I follow Valencia in Spain not Barcelona or Madrid, that and Mendieta.

Optimalprimerib

JamboMac wrote: »

Is that not what we call glory hunting? You pick a team for the good and the bad. That's why I follow Valencia in Spain not Barcelona or Madrid, that and Mendieta.

Guardiola is not exactly setting the premier league alight is he?

MarkY91

I'm a Liverpool fan and I don't consider them a big club.

If we somehow manage to get top 4 then everyone will be going mental like we won the league. A big club should be in the CL without question. Not once every 3-4 seasons and having to talk about past glories from before I was born to try have a comeback to united fans a few years ago who were dominating English football.

Liverpool fans go on about Istanbul like it was yesterday. United and Chelsea win it more recently and it's already, you know, in the past for them.

In short...being a big club 30 odd years ago means nothing if we finish 7th and 6th most seasons in modern times.

Mr_A

The game is not 'all about opinions'.

Most of the big clubs in the premiership at this stage are pretty much soulless corporations. At least the likes of Real and Barca are owned by their supporters.

A lot of football fans know feck all about the game, but regularly consider their opinion to be obviously superior to that of highly qualified and successful managers.

Barcelona are way too far up their own holes. They claim to be 'more than a club' but there is a great deal of evidence that they are pretty classless.

Skylinehead

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Another unpopular opinion seems to be claiming Arshavin was a great player. He was brilliant for Arsenal in his first half season, as he was for the entirety of his career up until that point. Once Fabregas returned from injury he was no longer played through the middle and was accommodated out on the left wing, causing a slow deterioration in form and confidence over the next few years. I'd nearly go as far to say Wenger ruined his career.

His own attitude ruined his career. Great player when he wanted to be, but he didn't try once it went to pot.

The Golden Miller

Skylinehead wrote: »

His own attitude ruined his career. Great player when he wanted to be, but he didn't try once it went to pot.

How? He was playing in a completely different role on the left wing. His attitude to the set up deteriorated over time. Like how do you think Riquelme would fair on the wing? Terrible, as we seen at Barca. Same with Rooney when he was forced onto the left wing at United. I don't see how you can move a player with a very specific role such as a central playmaker onto the wing where you generally need a completely different set of attributes to succedd

Skylinehead

The Golden Miller wrote: »

How? He was playing in a completely different role on the left wing. His attitude to the set up deteriorated over time. Like how do you think Riquelme would fair on the wing? Terrible, as we seen at Barca. Same with Rooney when he was forced onto the left wing at United. I don't see how you can move a player with a very specific role such as a central playmaker, onto the wing where you generally need completely different attributes to succedd

I wouldn't call Arshavin a traditional central playmaker myself, he was well capable of playing on the wings on occasion. Not the fastest but smart enough to make up for it. In modern football teams, you don't get the luxury of being confined to one single position unfortunately.

Ol' Donie

Omackeral wrote: »

Throw-ins make no sense in the grand scheme of football. It's a strange concept when you isolate it.

Haha, that just made me laugh out loud.

Hang on, we're allowed use our hands for this bit? We have to kick it back in if it goes off the end if the pitch, but we can use our hands if it goes off the side? And at no other point in the entire game? Fair enough.

The Talking Bread

Hughes gave Elano plenty of opportunity. Obviously Robinho had to be played. You can blame the Sheiks for that, the men who turned that club to the team they are today s.

Elano was castigated in former clubs for similar behaviour.

He appeared in near a half century of games under Hughes.

The team was never going to be built around him. Also he wasn't a world beater the season before.

Mr.H

irishman86 wrote:

A top team for me is one that continually challenges at the top and win titles

Yet you feel united are a big team (which they are) and they haven't won the league or come close in 5 years.

pjohnson

Ol' Donie wrote: »

Haha, that just made me laugh out loud.

Hang on, we're allowed use our hands for this bit? We have to kick it back in if it goes off the end if the pitch, but we can use our hands if it goes off the side? And at no other point in the entire game? Fair enough.

This reminds me of soccer aid a few years back. A confused Asian-American first kicked a throw-in into play and after being corrected later threw in a corner.
https://youtu.be/fRZ3HnkC4Hk

The Golden Miller

Mr.H wrote: »

Yet you feel united are a big team (which they are) and they haven't won the league or come close in 5 years.

Yes I'd also be interested to know how the criteria works here. I suppose it's nonsense along the lines that if you've won the league 5, 6, 7, 8 years ago you're a big team, but when it goes 9 years you're magically not a big team anymore. I suppose Irishman also considers PSV a bigger team than Feyenoord by the same reckoning

irishman86

Mr.H wrote: »

Yet you feel united are a big team (which they are) and they haven't won the league or come close in 5 years.

Yes 5 years is nothing, 27 years is. Honestly have no idea how you can compare the two. Like a Liverpool fan just poster Liverpool still go on about Istanbul when United/Chelsea have both won it more recently but it never gets mentioned.

JamboMac

Another one of mine is, I liked Louis van gal and as United fan wanted to keep him.

JamboMac

Mr.H wrote: »

Yet you feel united are a big team (which they are) and they haven't won the league or come close in 5 years.

2013 is 4 years ago, I'm in 2017 are you posting from the future?

Most Irish premiership fans are glory hunters, or at least their parents were.

irishman86

RoboKlopp wrote: »

Most Irish premiership fans are glory hunters, or at least their parents were.

A lot of Nottingham Forest fans around your way :pac::pac:

irishman86

irishman86 wrote: »

A lot of Nottingham Forest fans around your way :pac::pac:

Know 2 Forest fans I think.

95%+ I'd estimate are Utd /Liverpool

The Talking Bread

The Golden Miller wrote: »

It's

Similar to the above, Mark Hughes treated Elano very badly when he arrived at Man City. Elano went from being their key player to warming the bench, out of favour to average players like Wright-Philips returning to the club and the ever flaky Robinho etc. Needless to say, they went from being a top team to near relegation candidates once Elano was removed. Delighted Hughes got the sack

Hughes gave Elano plenty of opportunity. Obviously Robinho had to be played. You can blame the Sheiks for that, the men who turned that club to the team they are today s. Craig Bellamy and other City players at the time revealed a lot about the City's Brazilian contingent that season.

Elano was castigated in former clubs for similar behaviour.

He appeared in near a half century of games under Hughes that season.

The team was never going to be built around him. Also he wasn't a world beater the season before.