European Leagues Thread 2012/2013

[Orion1871]

Angel Di Maria substituted in PSG loss to Nantes as his home was being burgled with his family inside. Marquinhos parents also robbed.

[Orion1871]

Just seen on Reddit that the Belgian Darren Anderton, Eden Hazard is injured again. What an awful signing he's been.

[John Smith]

Ankaragücü have been in last place for much of this year - have now won 3 in a row , following a 3-0 thumping of Göztepe

Surprised they were beaten, or didn't score at least, given they boast a squad that includes former WBA superstar Brown Ideye.

[Winston Biscuit]

Turkish Super Lig still throwing up some odd results - particularly intriguing at the bottom end too....

Ankaragücü have been in last place for much of this year - have now won 3 in a row , following a 3-0 thumping of Göztepe, to clamber out of the drop zone for the moment. Their near neighbours Genclerbirligi having suffered a poor run of results to sink to the bottom.

However earlier today saw Gençlerbirligi shock Mesut Ozil's high-flyers Fenerbahce 2-1 in their own stadium.
Last season's surprise champions Basaksehir were beaten at home by Besiktas and drop back ino the bottom four.
Besiktas jump into top spot following a run of 5 straight wins.

Turkish league looks very exciting. Besiktas play Fenerbahce at the weekend and with a game in hand too have the chance to start trying to pull away. Besiktas Vs Galatasaray is 3rd game from the end of the season, which could end up being huuuuge!

Besiktas into the Turkish cup final too, could be quite the season for them

Basaksehir were not surprise champions last year btw. They have been right on the verge of winning it for a few years and 2 years ago they were top with 2 games to go then blew it, much to Turkish football fans amusement. They are the Governments club and have had serious financial backing.

[Four Of Clubs]

Basaksehir were not surprise champions last year btw. They have been right on the verge of winning it for a few years and 2 years ago they were top with 2 games to go then blew it, much to Turkish football fans amusement. They are the Governments club and have had serious financial backing.

...agreed - hadn't noticed their recent (assisted) 'leap forward' - thought I ought to look 'em up (wiki) : not been outside top four since they rejoined the Super Lig five or six seasons back.....

...only became professional early 90s so not what might considered to be a contender outside the big 'top three' Istanbul outfits - probably above Kasimspor and Fatih now though - so perhaps a claim to be part of a 'big four' - unless of course they drop down this term?

Up to the 80s perhaps Trabzon might have been regarded as a top side but since their last win in 84 only Bursar have taken the title out of Istanbul once, in 2010.

[Winston Biscuit]

Basaksehir were not surprise champions last year btw. They have been right on the verge of winning it for a few years and 2 years ago they were top with 2 games to go then blew it, much to Turkish football fans amusement. They are the Governments club and have had serious financial backing.

...agreed - hadn't noticed their recent (assisted) 'leap forward' - thought I ought to look 'em up (wiki) : not been outside top four since they rejoined the Super Lig five or six seasons back.....

...only became professional early 90s so not what might considered to be a contender outside the big 'top three' Istanbul outfits - probably above Kasimspor and Fatih now though - so perhaps a claim to be part of a 'big four' - unless of course they drop down this term?

Up to the 80s perhaps Trabzon might have been regarded as a top side but since their last win in 84 only Bursar have taken the title out of Istanbul once, in 2010.

'The Big Four' in Turkey are Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Beskitas and Trabzonspor. While the latter hasn't had much on pitch success for decades they are seen as historically successful, have a huge fan base and in modern Turkish football have a firm reputation of being the club that brings trough great young talent that then gets sold on to one of the big 3 Istanbul clubs. A Turkish friend told me that there is a phrase used over there which is something like 'you can't win anything without a Trabzonspor player'

[Winston Biscuit]

Eintracht Frankfurt win and Dortmund draw meaning the latter are in 5th place, 4 points behind the former.

They play each other next weekend in what effectively could be the decider for who gets the final Champions League spot

[Winston Biscuit]

Huge 2 rounds of games coming up in the French league

4 teams close together at the top of the table right now. PSG in 2nd place play 3rd placed Lille tomorrow, the the next game is PSG against Lyon who are top

[Four Of Clubs]

.....yet more fun in the Super Lig as Gala lose at home on Fri to Rizespor - leaders Beziktas face local foes Fenerbahce tomorrow. (Sun)

...at the other end of the table Genclerbirligi win (again ) at home to Kasimpasa and get off the bottom.
Ankaragucu are well beaten 4-1 at Trabzonspor.
Denizlispor now prop up the table and play Basaksehir tomorrow.

[Whore Jackie]

Huge 2 rounds of games coming up in the French league

4 teams close together at the top of the table right now. PSG in 2nd place play 3rd placed Lille tomorrow, the the next game is PSG against Lyon who are top

Not quite Winst. Lyon v PSG was this weekend, PSG v Lille is after the international break.

Lyon 2-4 PSG
Lille 1-2 Nimes

1. PSG 63pts +46GD
2. Lille 63 pts +3GD
3. Lyon 60pts +29GD
4. Monaco 59pts +22GD

[Stranded]

Eintracht Frankfurt win and Dortmund draw meaning the latter are in 5th place, 4 points behind the former.

They play each other next weekend in what effectively could be the decider for who gets the final Champions League spot

Frankfurt will lose there and finish 5th. Been knocking on the CL door for a few seasons now and generally collapse when it looks likely they will finally make it.

[Winston Biscuit]

Free kick from Leyton Orient against Nantes
https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/sta ... 48482?s=19

[South Coast Royal]

.....yet more fun in the Super Lig as Gala lose at home on Fri to Rizespor - leaders Beziktas face local foes Fenerbahce tomorrow. (Sun)

...at the other end of the table Genclerbirligi win (again ) at home to Kasimpasa and get off the bottom.
Ankaragucu are well beaten 4-1 at Trabzonspor.
Denizlispor now prop up the table and play Basaksehir tomorrow.

My mate from our local shop is a big fan of Galatasaray-he used to play for them at basketball.
He was delighted that Besiktas v Ferenebache was 1-1 although he said Besiktas should have had the game sown up in the first half.

It is now the big 3 in contention with little between them and Besiktas slight favourites but they all still have a hell of a lot of games to play.

[Stranded]

Free kick from Leyton Orient against Nantes
https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/sta ... 48482?s=19

I may be in a small minority but I tend to find those sort of free kick goals a bit meh.

He's just walloped it and hoped for the best, caught it well and nice to watch but feels like the sort of goal anybody could score if they hit it hard enough.

[Simmops]

Free kick from Leyton Orient against Nantes
https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/sta ... 48482?s=19

I may be in a small minority but I tend to find those sort of free kick goals a bit meh.

He's just walloped it and hoped for the best, caught it well and nice to watch but feels like the sort of goal anybody could score if they hit it hard enough.

Clearly you know nothing about football

Knuckleballs are extremely hard

[Winston Biscuit]

Free kick from Leyton Orient against Nantes
https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/sta ... 48482?s=19

I may be in a small minority but I tend to find those sort of free kick goals a bit meh.

He's just walloped it and hoped for the best, caught it well and nice to watch but feels like the sort of goal anybody could score if they hit it hard enough.

Clearly you know nothing about football

Knuckleballs are extremely hard

I think I only heard the expression 'knuckleball' for the first time recently. I really hate it. Its like someone was desperately trying too hard to think of a name for something that didn't actually need a name at all.

modern day facebook/soccer am generation kind of thing I guess

[Hendo]

It also doesn't make any sense as you don't have knuckles on your feet.

You have a knuckleball in cricket, but that actually means something as you deliver the ball from your knuckles:



It is also oxf*rd difficult.

[Stranded]

Free kick from Leyton Orient against Nantes
https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/sta ... 48482?s=19

I may be in a small minority but I tend to find those sort of free kick goals a bit meh.

He's just walloped it and hoped for the best, caught it well and nice to watch but feels like the sort of goal anybody could score if they hit it hard enough.

Clearly you know nothing about football

Knuckleballs are extremely hard

Ah, the old I know nothing argument - touche.

Not saying they aren't hard - still stand by my view that sort of goal could just be scored by anyone as there is a large amount of hit and hope about it - naturally a professional will do it much much more but there is a hell of a lot out of his control i.e. he can't control when the dip will begin, just that it will dip - just prefer my free-kick goals to have a bit of guile about them - prefer a great routine rather than a hit - would take say, Meite's goal at Bristol a couple of seasons back over that one.. So yeah, nice but, for me, a bit meh.

[Simmops]

It also doesn't make any sense as you don't have knuckles on your feet.

You have a knuckleball in cricket, but that actually means something as you deliver the ball from your knuckles:



It is also oxf*rd difficult.

That's just what they call it because you hit it with the "knuckle" of your foot

I've tried to perfect it for hours but never could

[Simmops]

I may be in a small minority but I tend to find those sort of free kick goals a bit meh.

He's just walloped it and hoped for the best, caught it well and nice to watch but feels like the sort of goal anybody could score if they hit it hard enough.

Clearly you know nothing about football

Knuckleballs are extremely hard

Ah, the old I know nothing argument - touche.

Not saying they aren't hard - still stand by my view that sort of goal could just be scored by anyone as there is a large amount of hit and hope about it - naturally a professional will do it much much more but there is a hell of a lot out of his control i.e. he can't control when the dip will begin, just that it will dip - just prefer my free-kick goals to have a bit of guile about them - prefer a great routine rather than a hit - would take say, Meite's goal at Bristol a couple of seasons back over that one.. So yeah, nice but, for me, a bit meh.

My Favourite ever freekick tacker is juninho pernambucano