Other teams .......

I'm not good at putting together tactical lineups, but I'll throw out some other guys from that birth-range who I've seen or heard about:


Raphael Varane (CB, France, Real Madrid): Has the potential to be one of the best in the world IMO

Sebastian Coates (CB, Uruguay, Liverpool): Don't know how he's doing with Liverpool's reserves, but obviously has tons of potential

Miralem Pjanic (MF, Roma, B&H): Haven't followed him that closely to be honest

Christian Erikssen (MF, Denmark, Ajax): Supposedly a cracking footballer, but I don't watch any Eredivisie

James Rodriguez (LW, Colombia, Porto): I've watched him more than anyone and his maturity and talent-level is incredible for a young player. He'll eventually be a big star in either Spain or Italy IMO.

Mario Balotelli (FW, Italy, City): Impressive player despite all the antics

Thiago Alcantara (MF, Spain, Barca): I think he'll be great in a couple of years

Lucas Moura (RW, Brasil, Sao Paulo): Tough to predict how Brasilians will adapt to European football, but he has the tools to be a star.

Douglas Costa (RW, Brasil, Shakhtar): Haven't watched him as much as other here for sure, but I'm always impressed when I see him play

Erik Lamela (MF, Argentina, Roma): I like him a lot

 

Read to the end of the post and then make additions.

 

You're right, your lack of reading comprehension is inexcusable.

 

Coates got his first EPL start last week and was solid. Hope he starts again this week cause I picked him up for cheap on fantasy

Saw Varane, Erikson, Pjanic and Lamela all play in person this season. Lamela has potential, looks like Eto'o and Chamakh the way he runs with those long glides. Erikkson looked good against Real.

Thiago is sick, so is Ivan Cuenca. Cuenca is like an Iniesta type. Barca has another youth striker that will be in the mix soon.

Douglas Costa has been pretty disappointing this season imo

 

Amazing game, Spurs didn't deserve to lose it. and Balotelli didn't deserve to be the hero. Piece of shit stomped on Parker's head, and he was on a yellow already, such a fck face! Played so lazy too after coming on, what a joke he wins them the game. Undeserved points for City, Spurs were awesome.

 

Arshavin lost Arsenal the game v. Man Utd. Well, should say Wenger for even putting him on. Embarrassing by both, Chamberlain was brilliant all game. Brought so much energy and skill to the game and assisted on RVP's goal. RVP was pissed when he saw the sub and the fans let Wenger know about it. Like 2 min after the equalizer lol, one of the worst sub decisions I've ever seen.

Arshavin looked like Larry Bird in 91/92, like he didn't even want to be there. He's pathetic, needs to go back to Russia asap.

 

It was truly unfortunate for Spurs especially after coming back so quickly from being 2-0 down. I don't what to say about Balotelli...

Will this guy live to ripe old age and tell his grandkids what it was like to be an elite footballer?

Somehow I can't see that happening...

Lets now turn on to the other game wher ManUtd went to London and took 3 points.

Arsharvin's got to be thinking why am I here when he comes on for Chamberlain and he gets booed of the field...

Bwahahahaha

 

His face looked more depressed than Sheva's at Chelsea during the winter months lol. Honestly one of the worst substitution decisions I've ever seen. He lost his fire a long time ago, how Wenger can put him on right after Arsenal took the momentum back, and for the new young dynamite, is just mind blowing to me.

 

Valencia squeeled Arsharvin setting up the winning goal that Welbeck scored for ManUtd.

 

Wenger said the booing "showed he got it right to start Chamberlin to begin with"

LOL thats a bigger spin job than Rick Perry could even pull off LOL.

 

Arsenal need to fire their training staff immediately. I can't think of a team with more injuries year after year after year. I can't really imagine they just buy all the injury prone players out there. Seriously, even if they had two deep top class players at every position 90% of the time they'd be fielding a reserve side.

 

I used to defend him cause he's a great coach. But part of being great is sideline demeanor and being good with the press. He's pretty awful at both. Typical arrogant winy Frenchman whose so skinny he needs to wear downer coats to his knees in Oct. and March

Henry has played a total of 50 minutes and is already injured lol

 

Let me help you - Dynamo.

 

I also feel like United are reaching Arsenal stage. Their core is aging and starting to rust, Ferdinand and Vidic can't seem to stay on the field for long. You really trust Johnny Evans at centerback? Giggs is a legend, but frankly at 38, he's clearly slowed down. Carrick is mediocre and after that they have an ill Fletcher and what? Anderson and Cleverly? Fortunately for United they still have Ferguson who has a will to win that Wenger seems to lack, and they'll probably hold on to their attacking talent in Nani and Rooney. Still though, without the money to improve the center part of the team, they aren't going to compete with City who have elite players two deep at every position. Worse for everybody else, City decided to buy young talented players. So whereas Chelsea spent their millions on Shevchenko, Ballack etc in the past, who quickly wore out, City have a veritable under 25 all star team.

Richards 23
Kompany 25
Milner 26
Dzeko 25
Johnson 24
Aguero 23
Nasri 24
Silva 26
Hart 24
Balotelli 21

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/jan/24/gabon-africa-cup-nations

 

A couple of real interesting story lines in the tournament.

Botswana qualified with an almost entirely domestic based squad. This from a country with a population of 2 million, 70% of which is desert.

Libya qualify for the tournament and several of their players were in the rebel army that overthrew Qaddafi. They literally were fighting for their lives a few months ago and are now playing football in an international tournament.

In the same group is Zambia. Finally recovered from the 1993 plane crash that killed the entire team. If they make the semi finals they will play in Libreville, where the plane took off from.

 

I didn't even know Niger had a football team, that's incredible.

And if I'm not mistaken, this ACN tourney was the one where the Togo team bus that included Adebayor had a player killed a few years back. We always consider the US going down to Mexico or Guatemala as a little dangerous and exotic, but it's a totally different world for these Africans when the play in this tournament or in the WC qualifiers.

 

Yes because Angola decided it would be a great idea to hold an entire group match in a part of the country that had an active insurgency.