General Football Thread

[Fudge]

I don't get why it would matter about players playing more games by competing at the Olympics either. School kids play football every single day and aren't getting paid £10000000000 a week for it, so how come a bunch of grown men can't do it twice a week without it causing a ruckus?

[Adam]

Bearing in mind if players who played in the Euros also go to the Olympics then not only do they not really get a break at all after last season, then they will also be missing vital weeks of preparation for their clubs prior to the start of the new season. Maybe someone like Phil Jones who didn't get on the pitch in Ukraine could have gone, but I wouldn't have bothered taking Oxlade-Chamberlain and I'd certainly not be taking Rooney.

[Dingle]

Bearing in mind if players who played in the Euros also go to the Olympics then not only do they not really get a break at all after last season, then they will also be missing vital weeks of preparation for their clubs prior to the start of the new season. Maybe someone like Phil Jones who didn't get on the pitch in Ukraine could have gone, but I wouldn't have bothered taking Oxlade-Chamberlain and I'd certainly not be taking Rooney.

I'd have not started Rooney at the Euro's and put him in the Team GB Squad as someone who could come on and do some magic. And someone who has more international experience than Giggs, Bellamy and Richards combined (that's a guess, but I can't be too far wrong). Why not Oxlade? He's young and could do with the experience, and he's got more in his box of tricks than anyone in the actual team. Maybe it's just me, but I consider representing my country/nation far more important than a few weeks of training, even if I am the number one guy at the number two club. Sure an Olympic Medal might pale in comparison to what Rooney has achieved with United, but it means more to the country.

[Adam]

Bearing in mind if players who played in the Euros also go to the Olympics then not only do they not really get a break at all after last season, then they will also be missing vital weeks of preparation for their clubs prior to the start of the new season. Maybe someone like Phil Jones who didn't get on the pitch in Ukraine could have gone, but I wouldn't have bothered taking Oxlade-Chamberlain and I'd certainly not be taking Rooney.

I'd have not started Rooney at the Euro's and put him in the Team GB Squad as someone who could come on and do some magic. And someone who has more international experience than Giggs, Bellamy and Richards combined (that's a guess, but I can't be too far wrong). Why not Oxlade? He's young and could do with the experience, and he's got more in his box of tricks than anyone in the actual team. Maybe it's just me, but I consider representing my country/nation far more important than a few weeks of training, even if I am the number one guy at the number two club. Sure an Olympic Medal might pale in comparison to what Rooney has achieved with United, but it means more to the country.

It would have been criminal to not start Rooney at the Euros but to be fair, I'm looking at it with a bit more of a club view. Going to the Olympics is a brilliant experience and opportunity but if you've played a lengthy full season, then gone straight to the Euros and played I don't think then going to the Olympics is going to put you in good stead at all for the coming season. Especially as it could be a vitally important one for someone like Oxlade-Chamberlain. If you're looking at it purely from the standpoint of improving the quality of our Team GB line-up, then fair enough. Oxlade-Chamberlain would start every game at the Olympics.

And Giggs and Bllamy have got tonnes of international experience, but of course none coming at an actual major tournament.

[Dingle]

I thought Giggs stopped playing international tournaments quite early? Bellamy was the one I figured had played in international matches, but friendlies and qualifiers are a completely different ball game to actual tournaments, of which I don't believe they have ever been a part of.

Yeah I'm with you on the clubs thing, but I don't really get how players need so much time off. Sure it's draining if you played every week a few times, but at his age I would want all the experience I could get. It's sort of a debate that has merits on both sides and won't really reach an agreement though, so I can definitely see your POV. On Rooney though, he wasn't fit enough to start games and I complained that he started the Italy match when he should've been a sub around the 70th minute.

[Gazz]

I decided to see what former Newcastle full back Oliver Bernard was up to these days.

He trained with Toronto FC to keep his fitness up in June 2008, mainly because he is friends with former Toronto midfielder Laurent Robert.^[9] He retired from football due to a hip injury. In a 2011 interview, he criticised manager Graeme Souness' man management and blamed him for the death of his career. Bernard's injury will require an operation eventually, but he is prolonging it despite the pain. He may never be able to run or have full mobility again- living with a limp for the rest of his life is almost a certainty.

Now I'm all depressed.

[Colly]

One more to add to my 'reasons why Graeme Souness is a cunt' list.

[Hobo]

I don't get why it would matter about players playing more games by competing at the Olympics either. School kids play football every single day and aren't getting paid £10000000000 a week for it, so how come a bunch of grown men can't do it twice a week without it causing a ruckus?

Because their clubs would have a shitfit if their players were taken away for a whole summer and possibly come back injured?

It's a bit more complicated being a professional player than being a schoolboy.

[DavidMarrio]

Supposedly we are getting a mascot.

http://i.imgur.com/IIsnt.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sVCFe.

If this is in fact true and I saw that at Anfield, I wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry I mean what the fuck is it meant to be?!?! A bird, a chicken, a dragon?

[Colly]

The Anfield Twat by the looks of him.

[King Ellis]

The Anfield Twat by the looks of him.

They've already got 40,000 of those. :/

[Hobo]

A Liverbird? Possibly.

It's not any worse than Hopper the TNA mascot.

[DavidMarrio]

Well when I first saw it I was like "That can't be a liverbird" but then just seen it saying that it is. At least I found its only for like kids community stuff and not at Anfield.

We've never really had a mascot and Everton tried one and it didn't really work. Last one that was well received for both us and Everton was Mr.Testicles the man sized scrotum who was raising testicular cancer awareness

[Colly]

I feel like I'm biting here, but really? Mr Testicles?

[Colly]

Just watching Premiership Years on Sky and thy showed Mellbergs last game for Villa where he bought the whole 3000 away fans shirts. What a guy. Bet he got a discount in the club shop mind...

[DavidMarrio]

I feel like I'm biting here, but really? Mr Testicles?

[Colly]

My word. I'm all for awareness, but he's a bit graphic.

[Hobo]

If your testicles are smiling then you do need a doctor.

[Adam]

I feel like I'm biting here, but really? Mr Testicles?

You're biting Mr. Testicles? Hang on.

And yeah, whoever drew the short straw and had to don that costume...wow.

[IAceI]

Should have just had him run around in one of those penis and ball costumes you see on stag-dos, would have been cheaper I bet.

We have Samson and Delilah at Sunderland, they don't do anything really other than high five the kids. One of them jumped on Joey Barton when we beat QPR 3-1 last season though, I can definitely get behind that kind of behviour.