Championship Playoffs

[gkmacca]

It's infuriating how teams basically start playing for penalties so early in a game. It's far more of a gamble than actually trying to score goals during the game, but the side that wins the shoot out always seems to think it's some tactical masterstroke rather than a reckless gamble. The number of Italian teams that could have won games but played for the shoot out and blew it - it's crazy. I guess there's no way of discouraging it (the team with the most shots on target get to take the pens facing their own fans?), but it's become a real blight on big one-off games these days.

 

[Red Astaire]

Huh? I hope not. I've seen too many "shady" matches in Ukraine – believe me, even a suspicion of foul play spoils the whole competition and is just not worth it. However it does look like we can develop a mutually beneficial relationship with Huddersfield when it comes to loans –similar to how United benefitted from similar relationships with Sunderland and other teams.

Sightly off topic but that reminds of that very snidey hatchet job that Baconface Ferguson did to Preston when they sacked his hapless son Darren. Between him and Pulis they immediately cancelled their loans to them so Preston effectively lost 5 first team players and subsequently got relegated. Classy.....

 

[Portly]

Llori was playing for Reading. I can't remember much about his time at Anfield. Did he have many games in the first team?

 

[Hansern]

Think he's still waiting for a game for the reserves

 

[reuque]

I was surprised to see that thespian buffoon Patrick Stewart at the game. I thought he'd announced he was going to apply for American citizenship so that he could sort out US politics. Maybe he's multitasking.

Just found out he's a lifelong Huddersfield fan. Not sure where your annoyance toward him stems from, but I like the fact that he's ribbed James Corden live at an awards show once.

 

[Bradley]

If we do loan them some talented players it might work out as a six point gift as those players can't play their parent club.

 

[Jack D Rips]

We'll probably get them in the first couple of games, when they're setting the league on fire, before fading into oblivion by Christmas.

 

[gkmacca]

Just found out he's a lifelong Huddersfield fan. Not sure where your annoyance toward him stems from, but I like the fact that he's ribbed James Corden live at an awards show once.

Because he played a captain in a sci-fi show he actually seems to think he's really a leader, and has decided to save America. These days Rousseau's critique of actors makes more and more sense.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Delighted for them, I love to see clubs come up that I've never seen play in the top flight

 

[reuque]

Because he played a captain in a sci-fi show he actually seems to think he's really a leader, and has decided to save America. These days Rousseau's critique of actors makes more and more sense.

Ha ha, I get what you mean. So that's Captain Picard and The Rock pledging themselves for the better future of the US then. It's like the Americans actually like fucking themselves over.

 

[DHSC]

I only watched a bit of the match but I thought that either would relegated next season

 

[Judge Jules]

Wagner knows Klopp inside out as a manager, and will be as determined as anyone to frustrate and beat him next season, so I'd wake up if you think Huddersfield will be some kind of free six points for us. Anyway, thank god Reading didn't make it - a horrible boring club - and it'll be fun to have a couple of unfamiliar clubs in the league.

Another point about Reading is that they're managed by a ManUre alumnus who's even further up himself than most of that ilk.

 

[Judge Jules]

Yeah, It's not like I am @Judge Jules old..

*hides*

Cheeky bugger. 😀

Huddersfield were relegated from what's now the Premiership in the year I left school, which shows you how long they've been out of the top flight.

 

[Insignificance]

Another point about Reading is that they're managed by a ManUre alumnus who's even further up himself than most of that ilk.

I have a soft spot for Stam. He was the one that revealed that Fergie asked his players to dive . I often remind ny mancs friends about that!!

 

[Mystic]

I was surprised to see that thespian buffoon Patrick Stewart at the game. I thought he'd announced he was going to apply for American citizenship so that he could sort out US politics. Maybe he's multitasking.

 

[Judge Jules]

I have a soft spot for Stam. He was the one that revealed that Fergie asked his players to dive . I often remind ny mancs friends about that!!

Fair point. There's also the story about why he really left. It's said that he went into one of the changing-rooms at Carrington and saw Ferguson tearing a youth player a new one, so he said "Boss, give the kid a break" or something similar. Ferguson then supposedly turned on Stam and gave him a mouthful, at which point Stam allegedly picked Ferguson up by the collar, held him against a wall and told him that if he (Ferguson) ever spoke to him (Stam) like that again he'd break his jaw.

That said, I heard him interviewed earlier this season and, when asked what he thought his qualifications for the job were, he made sure to mention what a great player he'd been. It's ironic since I always found the guy overrated - he was strong, and quick for a big man after the first ten yards, BUT hopelessly slow on the turn (Owen and Baros both made a fool of him at times), and his heading and distribution were iffy. He was lucky to play in a dominant team which was rarely if ever forced to defend.

Then again, he played for Milan in Istanbul. 😎

 

[Kay Age El]

Cheeky bugger. 😀

Huddersfield were relegated from what's now the Premiership in the year I left school, which shows you how long they've been out of the top flight.

Ha ha nice anecdote mate, and your memory seems to be in good shape too, just like Huddersfield does once again..

 

[The Nomad]

Balls, just read that you can only loan a maximum of 1 player between Premier League clubs. So that'll be Danny Ward only then.

It's no secret I'd have liked him to be given a chance with us, age is on his side, so lets keep Karius as back up and see how Ward does in the Premier League as a #1, see if he's like a Heaton or a Butland, and take him back the following year as a ready made Ming replacement.

 

[Judge Jules]

Why not loan Karius instead? He might well get more games that way.

 

[The Nomad]

Why not loan Karius instead? He might well get more games that way.

Because Ward is already established as #1?

 

[Judge Jules]

I was thinking Ming rather than Ward, with the time having come for Ward to get his chance in our first team squad and push for Ming's place.

 

[The Nomad]

I was thinking Ming rather than Ward, with the time having come for Ward to get his chance in our first team squad and push for Ming's place.

I see where you are coming from, but how can you push for a place better than playing for another Premier League club, putting in good performances? I'm guessing he'd rather be playing, than sitting on our bench, putting himself in the shop window, week in, week out. It might actually spur Ming into a similar season to this one, which is win win for us.

 

[Judge Jules]

Fair comment. I guess it boils down to how best to strike a balance between giving Ward game time on the one hand and keeping him LFC-involved on the other. Happy to go with Klopp's and his coaches' view on that either way.

 

[gkmacca]

And for the few who don't know, this is our connection with the last time Huddersfield were in the top league.

The day we signed their striker, Frank Worthington, and then, er, we didn't. You tell the story, Frank:


"I went there to sign, and then the medical showed I had high blood pressure. My father had just died so I was probably suffering from some form of anxiety, but I was also enjoying the fruits of being young - so I was promptly sent by Mr Shankly on holiday to Majorca to relax. 'No worries, son,' he said, 'here's a few bob, go and rest yourself, come back and we'll sort it out'. So off I went. I was dating Miss Great Britain at the time, but chatted up another woman on the plane to the Balearic Islands before having a threesome with a Swedish mother and daughter, and then another romp with a Belgian lady. A week later, I returned to Anfield for a second medical, and failed again - my blood pressure was actually worse than before. A bemused Bill Shankly cancelled the deal and sent my mother some flowers!"

 

[The Nomad]

And for the few who don't know, this is our connection with the last time Huddersfield were in the top league.

The day we signed their striker, Frank Worthington, and then, er, we didn't. You tell the story, Frank:


"I went there to sign, and then the medical showed I had high blood pressure. My father had just died so I was probably suffering from some form of anxiety, but I was also enjoying the fruits of being young - so I was promptly sent by Mr Shankly on holiday to Majorca to relax. 'No worries, son,' he said, 'here's a few bob, go and rest yourself, come back and we'll sort it out'. So off I went. I was dating Miss Great Britain at the time, but chatted up another woman on the plane to the Balearic Islands before having a threesome with a Swedish mother and daughter, and then another romp with a Belgian lady. A week later, I returned to Anfield for a second medical, and failed again - my blood pressure was actually worse than before. A bemused Bill Shankly cancelled the deal and sent my mother some flowers!"

For a minute I thought you were making that up in true macca style, (especially around the Swedish Mother and Daughter bit), but nope... Mr Worthington indeed claims it's true.

 

[Dave G]

I actually thought that pic was Jimmy Case !

 

[choperman.v01]

Balls, just read that you can only loan a maximum of 1 player between Premier League clubs. So that'll be Danny Ward only then.

It's no secret I'd have liked him to be given a chance with us, age is on his side, so lets keep Karius as back up and see how Ward does in the Premier League as a #1, see if he's like a Heaton or a Butland, and take him back the following year as a ready made Ming replacement.

Well, according to this article from 2014: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spor...erton-fc-regulations-dictate-martinez-6459979 ... they can only loan 2 players from Premier League clubs now that they're in the same league, so they might not come back for Ward after all. I think that would make sense for them as you'd want to start building a stable defence in the league. They rebuilt part of the backline this season by buying 3 German defenders (Hefele, Schindler, Lowe); buying their own keeper as the next step seems logical to me. In fact, they already did last season, though that was just a 20-year-old rookie.

Faced with these loan limitations, Huddersfield could probably look to use the loans on more experienced players in the league.

 

[The Nomad]

Well, according to this article from 2014: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spor...erton-fc-regulations-dictate-martinez-6459979 ... they can only loan 2 players from Premier League clubs now that they're in the same league, so they might not come back for Ward after all. I think that would make sense for them as you'd want to start building a stable defence in the league. They rebuilt part of the backline this season by buying 3 German defenders (Hefele, Schindler, Lowe); buying their own keeper as the next step seems logical to me. In fact, they already did last season, though that was just a 20-year-old rookie.

Faced with these loan limitations, Huddersfield could probably look to use the loans on more experienced players in the league.

Sorry I meant only 1 from any one team. Maximum of 2, one player from any one team. I get your point though, but to me it seems they are happy with Ward.

 

[peekay]

Give us a chance
Writes Stan Collymore in his Daily Mirror column on Tuesday:

‘I like Jaap Stam and David Wagner, and it’s nice to see some younger, fresher names cutting their teeth as managers.’​

You can sense the ‘but’ coming…

‘So I was delighted that their Reading and Huddersfield sides reached the Championship play-off final. In Wagner’s case, I’m certain he’ll be part of a rising trend of clubs appointing men who once assisted the so-called super-managers.’​

‘So-called’. Collymore’s disdain really is majestic.

‘But I’d also love to see British managers of a similar age to them given the same chances by clubs in and around the play-off places.’​

Erm, Stam and Wagner weren’t appointed by clubs ‘in and around the play-off places’, Stan. They were appointed by clubs in 17th and 18th in the Championship, who had failed under British managers Brian McDermott and Chris Powell. The reason both made the play-offs is at least in part due to the excellence of their managers. Very few clubs in the play-off places appoint new managers, by the very definition of their decent league position.

Still, Collymore is right about British-born managers not getting appointed in the Championship. After all, since Wagner was appointed by Huddersfield only Paul Lambert (twice) Dean Smith, McDermott, Lee Johnson, Neil Warnock (twice), Nigel Pearson, Paul Trollope, Owen Coyle, Alan Stubbs, Garry Monk, Steve Bruce, Steve McClaren, Kenny Jackett, Warren Joyce, Ian Holloway, Paul Warne, Tony Mowbray, Gary Rowett, Graham Barrow, Mark Warburton and Harry Redknapp have been given jobs in that division. Keep fighting the fight for justice.

http://www.football365.com/news/mediawatch-british-coaches-dont-get-chance-to-do-a-wagner

 

[choperman.v01]

Sorry I meant only 1 from any one team. Maximum of 2, one player from any one team. I get your point though, but to me it seems they are happy with Ward.

Oh don't get me wrong; I wasn't correcting you in my reply. Was just filling in the other part about the max. of 2 players from the league. Initially, I had a vague impression that the limit was three but couldn't find anything to verify that. Then your mention of the one per club limit helped me narrow the google search and voila! 🙂