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kelvinmak's Blog

OS Soccer Blog - Thursday Links Stuck

Posted on January 17, 2013 at 01:41 PM.

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Luis Suarez admits he dived

A few angles to this:

Suarez: Hell of a footballer, not so bright a person. Don't get me wrong, I like him. Not just because of his ability on the pitch but also his talent at trolling just about anybody who's not a Liverpool fan. And it's refreshing, in many ways, to see somebody put his hand up and actually admit he'll do pretty much anything to win.

However, from a more practical standpoint you also have to wonder if he'll ever get another call in the box--there are a lot of players who've dived to win penalties, but nobody comes out and admits it. These things stick with refs, and it's my perception that the Premier League ones especially, when they see a tumble in the box, are looking for a reason to say no rather than a reason to say yes. And in that split second when they have to make their decisions, guess what they'll remember if it's Suarez who is going to ground?

Liverpool: As a ripple effect, Brendan Rodgers is now forced to publicly reprimand his star-- what else was he going to do? He sure can't let him get away with it. Most likely though, it's probably going to be nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

"Manchester United Control the Media": Not true, of course. They control the referees.

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Guardiola to Bayern

So Guardiola said he wants manage in England. It's only natural that the day after he is announced as Bayern's manager for next season.

Bayern's a relatively safe pick for Guardiola, and in a lot of ways it's quite similar to Barcelona. It's a "legacy" club, there's plenty of resources, and perhaps most importantly, it prides itself on its youth development. Now the most pressing question is: can Pep teach Arjen Robben to pass?

Few more questions: Is this, with a three year deal, Pep's way of waiting for the job to open up at Old Trafford? Who does Roman go after for Chelsea if he doesn't make Benitez's job permanent? Will Wenger stay at Arsenal beyond this season, and is it because he's the guy they trust, or is it just because of a lack of better alternatives?

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Oh yeah, some games were played too.

FA Cup Replays:

Man Utd 1 - 0 West Ham

Arsenal 1 - 0 Swansea

Premier League

Chelsea 2 - 2 Southampton

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Meanwhile, SuperExpectedly, Andrew Farrell went first in the MLS SuperDraft to the New England Revolution. Follow the SuperAction here.

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Wayne Rooney should stop taking penalties.

Photo via The Mirror

Comments

# 1 gigadkc @ Jan 17

"Now the most pressing question is: can Pep teach Arjen Robben to pass?"

I've read that so often since yesterday. Where does that come from? If people think Robben doesn't pass then they haven't seen any Bayern games for at least 2 years.

anyway a very smart decision by Pep. EPL is nice and stuff but it's no Bayern M�nchen

btw: I really doubt that Pep will leave Bayern if he is doing well. There's a reason why people don't want to leave Bayern on their own

# 2 kelvinmak @ Jan 17

I think it's two perception of extremes clashing, that Robben and Pep thing.

I mean, I probably watch nowhere as many Bayern games as you do, but I've seen quite a few times, mostly in Champions League, where he either dribbled his way into a dead end or took an ill-advised shot (though with him, an ill-advised shot may still find its way into the net somehow), and statements like these don't help the narrative either. And then on the other side, of course, you have the guy who most people associate with tiki-taka football.

Anyway, I think it's a great fit, Pep and Bayern. I'll definitely be tuning into more games, that's for sure (at least if they ever show more of them in Canada).

# 3 kelvinmak @ Jan 17

Hmm, I guess the link didn't show up (you can still click on the word "these"), but it's basically Beckenbauer calling Robben out last year for being selfish.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news...cle868344.html

# 4 gigadkc @ Jan 18

Beckenbauer always has his own "special" opinion. A few years ago he didn't even know one of the German international players (and that guy - Owomoyela - played in the Bundesliga for at least 3 years when Beckenbauer failed to recognize him). Just to show you how closely he followed football for the last 10 years or so.
I mean Beckenbauer is a great guy and I like him a lot but over here pretty much nobody gives a f*ck about his opinion when it comes to serious football arguments these days.

I mean yeah, Robben is kind of a selfish player but that's what makes him this good. That doesn't mean that he doesn't pass. Ribery and Robben are awesome dribblers, that's what they're paid to do but that doesn't mean they don't pass. Just take a look at the assist. Ribery is the only Bayern player that has more assists per game than Robben. (I think Ribery is the current Bundesliga leader when it comes to career assists per game). Robben even has more assists per game than Kroos, also more than M�ller. Probably hard to believe for some people but it's in fact true. (all of those stats are career Bundesliga stats).

Any more facts needed? M�ller and Kroos are assist beasts. Robben averages more than those two so it's hard to say that he doesn't pass. Robben is not the player he once was, especially since van Gaal was coaching him. He turned into a real team player.