Futebol

Looking forward to watching Liverpool eliminate Man City in the quarterfinals!

Nick wrote:Looking forward to watching Liverpool eliminate Man City in the quarterfinals!

Good luck!

was really happy Napoli grabbed a goal yesterday, i want them to grab dat Scudetto

some journos seem to like Bayern a lot this year, but with Messi's form Barca have to be the CL favorites for my money

i have this feeling that Messi and Dembele are gonna tear people's shit up the rest of the tournament

presumably WP is already getting worked up about this Lautaro signing, he looks like a super kid

chrondog wrote:presumably WP is already getting worked up about this Lautaro signing, he looks like a super kid

I've watched YouTube highlights and heard that he nabbed another hat trick a couple weeks ago. Inter have an amazing recruiting pipeline through Argentina (many of their most celebrated players have been and continue to be Argentine) and Diego Milito has close ties with Racing Club as well.

It is always exciting to be linked with emerging talents like this, but I am more concerned about what this means for Icardi's future... I think if Inter fail to qualify for the UCL again then it is probably his last season with the club. I even think it is possible he moves to Madrid even if we qualify. He does seem more attached to the club than most players of his quality and age are and considering how torrid these last five seasons have been nobody would have blamed him for leaving. He got a lot of shtick a few years ago for his lack of maturity and Inter's ultras were seething that he was made captain but he's been super loyal and dedicated. I would be really, really upset if he leaves (and I might actually cry if Skriniar departs with him).

I know that the windfall of cash we would get in return would be extraordinary (at least €200 million in the current market), but with Piero Ausillo at the helm I don't feel confident that money will be reinvested wisely.

chrondog wrote:was really happy Napoli grabbed a goal yesterday, i want them to grab dat Scudetto

Yes! They were poor the week before against Inter actually and created very little in their final third. Although they predictably dominated possession, I actually thought Inter were the better side in the game and Skriniar very nearly nicked it near the end. I don't really care who wins but I really want it to be within a three point margin on April 22nd when the two teams face off again.

It was about 7am when this happened and everyone in my house was sleeping, including my ninety year old grandmother. No man has ever excitedly ran through their entire house that quietly.

Ҩ wrote:I even think it is possible he moves to Madrid even if we qualify.

Unlikely, I think. Tbf, I don't think he's a Real Madrid type player and his buyout is steep. He's not a flashy name and he's not Galactico quality.

The On the Continent mailbag had a decent discussion of this the other day. Icardi might be priced out of moving to the level of club that would want him.

I haven't gotten around to listening to the most recent. I was actually going to e-mail them that exact question but I am always to lazy to actually bother.

Who are the other strikers that Madrid can pursue in the summer and of those, which are of a higher quality than Icardi? Keep in mind that a #9 seems to the club's biggest weakness and fans have completely soured on Benzema. I think the reason that Mauro isn't considered of Galactico quality is his inexplicable exclusion from the Argentina national team. He should be with the team this summer and I expect him to shine.

Isn't the other big name signing fucking Lewandowski? Who is prizing a 30-year-old Lewa over Icardi?

Think about it this way: Inter currently sit fourth in the league and they've relied on one players to produce 47% of their goals...

Ҩ wrote:Isn't the other big name signing fucking Lewandowski? Who is prizing a 30-year-old Lewa over Icardi?

Almost everyone. Lewandowski is a superstar and has been for 5 years. Bayern destroy everyone so it's occasionally hard to notice, but his finishing and skill level is top 5 in the world. He's an insanely fit player who can play at the top level for several more years. There's no promise Icardi continues to improve, he's been on a terrible run, and he lacks top level all around play. I think Icardi could do really well for an Atletico Madrid or something of that level, but Inter is also a nice fit. He's not the reason Inter struggle.

I don't expect Icardi to play a big role for Argentina this summer either. Dybala is a better player. Higuain is debatably better than Icardi at this moment. Icardi didn't perform well in his one real shot with the NT and I think Sampaoili is kinda stuck, which is unfair for Icardi.

Icardi is very very good, but the difference between that level and the huge club huge money level is big. Inter fans should be happy that the market is totally fucked and Icardi might stay a few more years instead of trying to convince everyone that he's so good that he has to go

I want Arsenal to sign Skriniar this summer lol.

chrondog wrote:here's no promise Icardi continues to improve, he's been on a terrible run, and he lacks top level all around play. I think Icardi could do really well for an Atletico Madrid or something of that level, but Inter is also a nice fit. He's not the reason Inter struggle.

You aren't the first person I have seen mention this. By terrible run do people mean injured and unable to play? Because that is what has been going on for the last two months and nothing more. Icardi is arguably the most ruthless striker in Europe playing in the penalty area. That's obviously always been his strong suit and he is very much a prototypical #9. In a lot of ways, the game has moved past that and strikers are expected to be able to link up with the rest of the forward players much more than in the past. Managers expect this and fans demand it. Icardi's game has evolved a lot over the last few years and he does a hell of a lot off the ball as well. People just don't want to notice that for some reason.

chrondog wrote:Dybala is a better player.

Dybala is phenomenal. He isn't more valuable to Juventus than Icardi is to Inter, but that is only because of the talent disparity between the two sides. I don't know if Dybala is a better player as much as he is a very different player with a more versatile skill set. I'd rather build a side around Dybala than Icardi for that reason.

chrondog wrote:Higuain is debatably better than Icardi at this moment.

Lol, no.

chrondog wrote:I want Arsenal to sign Skriniar this summer lol.

He would be a tremendous asset to Arsenal. There were rumors of both of the Spanish giants sniffing around in the January window. When the transfer fee was first announced (€20.7 million) a lot of fans were scratching their heads and saying that it was just an accounting sleight of hand and that the reported fee was inflated by the artificially high fees Sampdoria previously payed for Caprari all so Inter could get around FFP restrictions. Instead, this ended up being the best transfer in Serie A over the summer. He has been immense and the pairing of him and Miranda has covered our asses so many times this season. I hope he stays...

Zlatan is signing with LA Galaxy. Grant Wahl is tweeting about how the salary is too good for the team to pass up. But the league is such a fucking joke with moves like this.

Ҩ wrote:You aren't the first person I have seen mention this. By terrible run do people mean injured and unable to play? Because that is what has been going on for the last two months and nothing more. Icardi is arguably the most ruthless striker in Europe playing in the penalty area. That's obviously always been his strong suit and he is very much a prototypical #9. In a lot of ways, the game has moved past that and strikers are expected to be able to link up with the rest of the forward players much more than in the past. Managers expect this and fans demand it. Icardi's game has evolved a lot over the last few years and he does a hell of a lot off the ball as well. People just don't want to notice that for some reason.

Fitness and form are linked of course. He's been hurt recently. Also from December 9 through January 28 he scored 2 goals in 726 minutes. I admit to not watching a lot of Inter and getting the impression of his poor form from other commentators, but it's clearly been a bit of a slog for him since he ended the 2016-17 season on a huge tear.

Spalletti is also the one leading the charge in saying that Icardi isn't an all around player even though, as you say, he is improving his link up play. But if a top manager like Spalletti is saying that, it probably holds some weight for scouts and other teams that might want to buy him.

Ҩ wrote:Dybala is phenomenal. He isn't more valuable to Juventus than Icardi is to Inter, but that is only because of the talent disparity between the two sides. I don't know if Dybala is a better player as much as he is a very different player with a more versatile skill set. I'd rather build a side around Dybala than Icardi for that reason.

I mention Dybala because he will probably start for Argentina over Icardi. I agree with your assessment though: Dybala is a bigger talent, Icardi more important to the setup of his current team.

Ҩ wrote:Lol, no.

I think "Higuain is arguably better than Icardi right now" is a less controversial statement than "Icardi is arguably the most ruthless striker in Europe playing in the penalty area".

Even though it's not really fair to bring him into the conversation, Ronaldo is the most ruthless striker in Europe in the penalty area. There's a lot of competition for best penalty box striker in Europe, whereas I think it should be generally accepted that Higuain and Icardi are at similar levels. Higuain killed Spurs in the Champions League just weeks ago.

Ҩ wrote:He would be a tremendous asset to Arsenal. There were rumors of both of the Spanish giants sniffing around in the January window. When the transfer fee was first announced (€20.7 million) a lot of fans were scratching their heads and saying that it was just an accounting sleight of hand and that the reported fee was inflated by the artificially high fees Sampdoria previously payed for Caprari all so Inter could get around FFP restrictions. Instead, this ended up being the best transfer in Serie A over the summer. He has been immense and the pairing of him and Miranda has covered our asses so many times this season. I hope he stays...

I think he's an ideal Koscielny replacement. Koscielny has a chronic achilles issue and needs to be moved on/moved into the Mertesacker role ASAP.

chrondog wrote:
I think "Higuain is arguably better than Icardi right now" is a less controversial statement than "Icardi is arguably the most ruthless striker in Europe playing in the penalty area".

Even though it's not really fair to bring him into the conversation, Ronaldo is the most ruthless striker in Europe in the penalty area. There's a lot of competition for best penalty box striker in Europe, whereas I think it should be generally accepted that Higuain and Icardi are at similar levels. Higuain killed Spurs in the Champions League just weeks ago.

He also missed the penalty kick to put them up 3-0 in the first half of the first leg, which would have been a death blow. Most of the Juventus fans I know blamed Higuain for letting Spurs back into the fixture and generally don't like him much as a player.

and most football fans are complete dumbfucks.

as soon as you start bringing up penalty makes/misses, that's my cue to get outta here. PACE!

Sampoli proving he knows exactly what he is doing keeping both Dybala and Icardi out of the national team. Impressive performance.

chrondog wrote:most football fans are complete dumbfucks.

who fixate on the attacking selection when a team concedes 6 goals

chrondog wrote:who fixate on the attacking selection when a team concedes 6 goals

I predicted this response but I am impressed by the extra effort of your trolling video. How long did it take to find that gem? (Inter ended up losing that game 1-0 by the way, which basically ruined my Christmas)

Ҩ wrote:

chrondog wrote:who fixate on the attacking selection when a team concedes 6 goals

I predicted this response but I am impressed by the extra effort of your trolling video. How long did it take to find that gem? (Inter ended up losing that game 1-0 by the way, which basically ruined my Christmas)

it took 5 seconds and i'm glad your Christmas sucked

And suddenly Mr. Analytical has gotten a bit testy.

Higuain is a choker.

Ҩ wrote:And suddenly Mr. Analytical has gotten a bit testy.

shots needed to be fired for you being such an annoying troll

i am not a troll, i am just mean-spirited sometimes

That Ronnie goal tonight... I can’t fathom being so skilled and confident that on a stage like the CL his instinct allowed him to go for a hit like that.

chrondog wrote:shots needed to be fired for you being such an annoying troll

Fair enough. I really hate this attitude though..

chrondog wrote:and most football fans are complete dumbfucks.

Good luck to Liverpool tomorrow, Nick. I'm going to tape the game and I will probably re-watch it at some point this week. The midweek replay of the Milan Derby takes obvious precedence for me. It's nice having this game on a Wednesday so it gives a little taste of what European football is all about. I've basically forgotten by now.

Ҩ wrote:

chrondog wrote:shots needed to be fired for you being such an annoying troll

Fair enough. I really hate this attitude though..

chrondog wrote:and most football fans are complete dumbfucks.

I hate the appeal to anecdotal evidence of "I know some Juve fans and they don't like Higuain so they must be right." Just make a real argument instead. Certainly you can lean on the opinions of people who actually watch the games, but you need to communicate what they're seeing rather than a simple appeal to their authority as "fans" if you're trying to be convincing. Or don't try to be convincing! Say, "my Juve friends hate Higuain, so maybe that counts for something".

Or just do whatever you want.