Derby time
Atleti

ioag, isn't this more of the case of you overrunning the Atleti in mf? Or has Simeone dropped his favoured 4-4-2 for the derby?

IOAG - Please keep us up to date with any interesting chants you hear

I can barely hear it. My mother-in-law's watching some gossip show on TV and I don't want to enter a sound battle I'd only lose. March, it's just I don't really rate Atlético's back line. Our MF doesn't overrun any big sides nowadays; if we don't get it from back to front as fast as possible or regain possession inside their final third we look pretty clueless.

CR scores and I missed it typing this fúcking clueless comment.

BOOOOOOOOO

Woe

@ ronaldu for scoring while ioag types.
Got absolutely no manners that lad

Poor final ball from Atleti

Did you know Atleti had a crowd of 21,000 for their final training session at the Calderon?

Chelsea are said to be after Falcao.
Apparently Wenger's looking at a little known Vietnamese striker called Lak Phao.

Arsenal's board are asset strippers, what do else you expect.

Chelsea, on the other hand, are a managerial graveyard.

Let's combine our weaknesses

Diego Costa's been the most entertaining player so far. Loving his run-ins with Pepe, Ramos & Alonso.

Falcao has to work on his diving.

Or the accuracy of the injury he's feigning

FOOTBALL!

The game so far could be defined by one of the players on Madrid's bench.

Kaka.

Atleti have kept a decent shape for the most part of the game I have been watching.
At the same time, they have been playing in Real Madrid's hands with their 4-4-2 when going forward. When the threat is more likely to come from the wide areas, all Real have to do is keep their fullbacks alert and somebody from the mid close to help them out, and the wide players are contained. Plus, Atleti's wide players have rarely been breaking at pace. With Atleti's wide threat nullified (they never really get in the position to create anything) and the central players not being exactly reknowned for the quality of their throughballs, they cannot bring their most potent weapon in Falcao into game. Route 1 at his general direction won't work either.
Simeone has to conjure up something for the 2nd half, or their title challenge ends before it even started.

How was West Ham's equaliser today not a foul?

comment by itsonlyagame - Shut up Donny! (U6426)

posted 1 minute ago

How was West Ham's equaliser today not a foul?
=====================
Same way they hand out penalties in the prem for situations similar to Falcao's trip over Pepe's leg in mid 1st half.
Refs

On a side note - would you agree with the statement that Varane is the best young CB in the game?

I haven't watched replays, but the take I saw the West Ham player basically climbed all over the Chelsea defender.

We're off again.

How was that a foul against Ronaldo? He flicked the ball beyond his reach anyway

Casillas must have the narrowest instep in football. He never manages to kick a ball straight.