Arrivaderci Roma

[TANGODANCER]

The Mancs are blowing Roma away. 4-0 at half time (5-2 aggregate) and tearing the Italians to ribbons. Much as I dislike the Stretford hooligans there's no denying their skills. They've been all over the cheating, diving, coniving Romans. If Ronaldo ever learns the art of honest football he'll be a world-beater. (Oh, how it hurts to say that) He's making mincemeat of the defence and is all over the park. A ref too who's allowing a bit of the hard stuff and not being fooled by the prima-donnas. Top class entertainment.

[officer_dibble]

They are absolutely awesome whether you like em or not. I hate the scroates but I'd rather team like that won the league than functional moneybags Chelski...makes our 'performance' there almost look acceptable...

[TANGODANCER]

Absolute massacre. United showboating all over the park. The Romans can't do a thing about it. Every attack is dealt with and, just as I speak, De Rossi scores a cracker for them. Too little, far to late. You get the feeling United aren't finished with them yet though.

[Montreal Wanderer]

You certainly don't want to get ManU's blood up - Italian police action might have been worth a few goals.

[TANGODANCER]

Afraid it was all pies and no pizzas tonight Monty. United weren't even trying second half. They did it without Scholes in the midfield even. Thought Ole Gunnar Saucejar might have poped one in but at 8-3 on aggregate I suppose even Fergusson could have come on. Great display from the Redsox. What were you saying this morning Mr Totti?

[Little Green Man]

Pah! If I want to see someone prancing and skipping with a ball I'll tune into rhythmic gymnastics when it's next on.

(As long as they take those bleedin' ribbons from the badge!)

The game on ITV4 was good value. Two stunning saves from the Valencia keeper but he should have covered the near post for the winner.

[Luna]

The game on ITV4 was good value. Two stunning saves from the Valencia keeper but he should have covered the near post for the winner.

Aye, Canizares, that save from Ballack's header... Banks v Pele anyone?

Also, how bloody good was Terry's post match interview? Half way through a sentence and Mourinho runs into him screaming.

[Bruce Rioja]

Aye, Canizares, that save from Ballack's header... Banks v Pele anyone?

Saw it just before on the highlights and instantly thought - Banks v Pele. It's one of those saves that's that good it actually shocks you. Absolutely top drawer.

[coffeymagic]

David Pleat - 'Ronaldo now being compared to the incomparable Georgie Best.'

What a tool.

But there's no stopping united when they've got their dander up. I'm glad they did it. When is Italian football going to get fined, banned, made illegal? Bent refs, murderous fans, cynical players - If that was going on over here we'd never be allowed into Europe again.

Well done United. Come on PSV.

tc

[Backgammon]

Unbelievable game… Roma are a decent side (2nd in Seria A?) but they were just ripped apart. Smith's goal was brilliant to watch; all one touch passing until the ball was in the net.

I actually thought Roma's goal was the best of the night. He volleyed it in while facing away from the goal; it was undefendable.

You have to take your hat off to them, particularly Ronaldo. His ability to beat a man scares me and makes me hide under a sheet…

[No shxt Sherlock]

What a game 7-1 unbelievable.

Did you see the news, Before the game all the Utd fans and the Roma fan kicking off and i think they kicked off after the game aswell.

Shocking

[TANGODANCER]

David Pleat - 'Ronaldo now being compared to the incomparable Georgie Best.'What a tool.

Actually I doubt whether George Best would live with the pace and skill of today's Premiership. He came from an era of heavier balls, less than perfect playing surfaces and a slower game. Football has moved on and, as I said in an earlier post, when Ronaldo finally matures and learns to drop his inclinations to cheat, he'll be a world beater. The lad has everthing, pace, great ball skills, the confidence and ability to take on the best defenders and beat them and the skill to score good goals. Litle wonder Real and Barca want to get their hands on him. Imagine Ronaldo (the United one) and Ronaldinho in the same team. Frightening.

[warthog]

David Pleat - 'Ronaldo now being compared to the incomparable Georgie Best.'What a tool.

Actually I doubt whether George Best would live with the pace and skill of today's Premiership. He came from an era of heavier balls, less than perfect playing surfaces and a slower game. Football has moved on and, as I said in an earlier post, when Ronaldo finally matures and learns to drop his inclinations to cheat, he'll be a world beater. The lad has everthing, pace, great ball skills, the confidence and ability to take on the best defenders and beat them and the skill to score good goals. Litle wonder Real and Barca want to get their hands on him. Imagine Ronaldo (the United one) and Ronaldinho in the same team. Frightening.

I couldn't agree less. Best was astonishingly quick in his prime. You mention poor playing surfaces, and heavier balls. That makes his skills even more remarkable not less. And you've missed out the fact that in those days, strikers got little protection from clogging defenders. If you think that Kevin Davies gets a rough deal, have a look at the treatment meted out to likes of Best and Eddie Gray.

Ronaldo's good, but Best was something else all together.

[bobo the clown]

They are absolutely awesome whether you like em or not. I hate the scroates but I'd rather a team like that won the league than functional moneybags Chelski...makes our 'performance' there almost look acceptable...

Can't add to that. My views exactly.

[Daxter]

David Pleat - 'Ronaldo now being compared to the incomparable Georgie Best.'What a tool.

Actually I doubt whether George Best would live with the pace and skill of today's Premiership. He came from an era of heavier balls, less than perfect playing surfaces and a slower game. Football has moved on and, as I said in an earlier post, when Ronaldo finally matures and learns to drop his inclinations to cheat, he'll be a world beater. The lad has everthing, pace, great ball skills, the confidence and ability to take on the best defenders and beat them and the skill to score good goals. Litle wonder Real and Barca want to get their hands on him. Imagine Ronaldo (the United one) and Ronaldinho in the same team. Frightening.

I couldn't agree less. Best was astonishingly quick in his prime. You mention poor playing surfaces, and heavier balls. That makes his skills even more remarkable not less. And you've missed out the fact that in those days, strikers got little protection from clogging defenders. If you think that Kevin Davies gets a rough deal, have a look at the treatment meted out to likes of Best and Eddie Gray.

Ronaldo's good, but Best was something else all together.

I can't really comment on Best. The clips I have seen of him are outstanding and there is no doubting he was a fantastic player, particularly with the lack of protection from referees he received. I have to say though Ronaldo is just unbelievably good. For him to have this kind of season off the back of what happened at the world cup shows great character and he seems to have curbed any cheating. A truly awesome player and it is good that he is playing in the premiersip.

[TANGODANCER]

David Pleat - 'Ronaldo now being compared to the incomparable Georgie Best.'What a tool.

Actually I doubt whether George Best would live with the pace and skill of today's Premiership. He came from an era of heavier balls, less than perfect playing surfaces and a slower game. Football has moved on and, as I said in an earlier post, when Ronaldo finally matures and learns to drop his inclinations to cheat, he'll be a world beater. The lad has everthing, pace, great ball skills, the confidence and ability to take on the best defenders and beat them and the skill to score good goals. Litle wonder Real and Barca want to get their hands on him. Imagine Ronaldo (the United one) and Ronaldinho in the same team. Frightening.

I couldn't agree less. Best was astonishingly quick in his prime. You mention poor playing surfaces, and heavier balls. That makes his skills even more remarkable not less. And you've missed out the fact that in those days, strikers got little protection from clogging defenders. If you think that Kevin Davies gets a rough deal, have a look at the treatment meted out to likes of Best and Eddie Gray.
Ronaldo's good, but Best was something else all together.

I'll agree Best was a great individual talent, but today's game is based on rapid passing interchange and is more a team thing than it was in his day. Ronaldo fits into this perfectly. I take nothing away from Best's skills but I still think he'd look less significant in the modern game. Every generation has had individual talent in some area, Len Shackleton could bend a medicine ball around a defender years and years ago. It's just that the quality of defenders and midfield has accelerated so much since the seventies that it's a different world now.

Just my opinion

[coffeymagic]

Different times, different players - different game. I don't think you can compare like for like just say that of their time they're both at the top of the games.

You know that goal they always show of Best's (It could be against Sheff U but I could be mistaken) where he dribbles it past about 6 players and chips it over the goalie into the net?

My missues thinks that's cheating becuase 'he's walked it all the way into the net.'

Ahh women.

tc

[warthog]

David Pleat - 'Ronaldo now being compared to the incomparable Georgie Best.'What a tool.

Actually I doubt whether George Best would live with the pace and skill of today's Premiership. He came from an era of heavier balls, less than perfect playing surfaces and a slower game. Football has moved on and, as I said in an earlier post, when Ronaldo finally matures and learns to drop his inclinations to cheat, he'll be a world beater. The lad has everthing, pace, great ball skills, the confidence and ability to take on the best defenders and beat them and the skill to score good goals. Litle wonder Real and Barca want to get their hands on him. Imagine Ronaldo (the United one) and Ronaldinho in the same team. Frightening.

I couldn't agree less. Best was astonishingly quick in his prime. You mention poor playing surfaces, and heavier balls. That makes his skills even more remarkable not less. And you've missed out the fact that in those days, strikers got little protection from clogging defenders. If you think that Kevin Davies gets a rough deal, have a look at the treatment meted out to likes of Best and Eddie Gray.
Ronaldo's good, but Best was something else all together.

I'll agree Best was a great individual talent, but today's game is based on rapid passing interchange and is more a team thing than it was in his day. Ronaldo fits into this perfectly. I take nothing away from Best's skills but I still think he'd look less significant in the modern game. Every generation has had individual talent in some area, Len Shackleton could bend a medicine ball around a defender years and years ago. It's just that the quality of defenders and midfield has accelerated so much since the seventies that it's a different world now.

Just my opinion

No. Still disagree.

We have very few players with outstanding individual skills now, so he'd be more significant, especially given the protection that strikers get nowadays. What's changed now, is not the skill of defenders, but the way they're organised. 4-5-1 is the norm with the midfield flooded with bodies in order to stifle the opposition. He'd still have overcome that.

I don't agree that today's game is based on rapid passing interchange. United do it very well and Arsenal to a lesser extent. The Liverpool team of the eighties and Brian Clough's Notts Forest team in the late seventies played that way as well, but apart from those, English football has always, and continues to be poor in that respect. That's why England continue to do badly in international tournaments.

[coffeymagic]

I still think Bestie, even at his decomposing current state would still be too good for King Henrik to get the ball off.

'Did I ever tell you that one about the Miss World and the waiter?'

Yes George, a million times.

tc

[communistworkethic]

two things.....

do we actually do badly? or just not as well as we're lead to believe we should? I'd say Spain, who allegedly are so much more technically proficient, are by far the poorer performers.

is any failure due to inability on the players part or the coaches, given most of the players come from the teams who apparently do pass?