James Barclay

[Futre4]

I cant help it i think he is class, He can still pass better than any midfielder in england . Also its worth mentioning I feel there is a wierd anti-beckham vibe going round which isnt deserved (not from the forum from the england camp) granted he has a had a few bad games and wasnt the player he quite was ( i think this is more about the fact that the rest of the midfield has caught up ) but he still has attributes that make him a good player , eg passing and vision , when players like shaun wright phillips lose form they become abysmal , Beckham is never abysmal so why not have a solid passer in the squad, god knows we always call up random players who will NEVER ever play they are just there for peace of mind.

Lastly i am a Newcastle fan so dont think im being harsh, Steve Mclaren (who knows what goes through his mind) makes a concerted effort (much publicised also) to go and see Michael Owen at Newcastle to check up on him ? , he doesnt seem even to give Beckham the time of day in madrid , yet michael owen is a pile of old cack nowadays, if beckham is considered to be a shadow of his former self then Owen is completely transparent, because as far as i can see Owen was finished at 24 never mind 31.
And lastly charisma and influence Owen is the least charismatic player in England and certainly doesnt spur the squad along when in trouble, the same can be said for most of the faddish players that get called up and used on englands right wing.
By the way this isnt an owen slagging session its just im trying to point out that for some reason people are keen to say Beckham is finished but no were near keen to say others are, its like since Mclaren dumped him people have forgot that he is still a giften player.
Rant over now you can all slate him again ;v) .
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I always knew Chang was Chinese Intelligence.

http://richardpmurfin.wordpress.com/

[Saxx]

Im sorry, but anyone who thinks that Beckham should be back in the England squad are seriously deluded. With so many excellent youngsters coming through, who needs these old veterans, with failing legs. I Love Beckham don't get me wrong, in his day he was excellent. But now, he would be out of his depth. Aaron Lennon, is such a threat down the right hand side, there is no way Beckham could compete with him or SWP for that matter. Beckham always said he wanted to be a centre midfielder, but he is also outclassed there (lampard, gerrard, hargreaves, parker). Beckham is not still the best passer of the ball, Gerrard is.

You need to stop living in the past, and give the younger players a chance to shine, SWP could be an amazing player if he was given the chance at chelsea. People should stop this talk of recalling him, and let him go and enjoy the sun and stardom in LA.

And Futre4, your talk of Michael Owen is absolutely shocking, what are you basing his downfall on, his season long injury, this year? Get a grip of yourself.
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Excuse me, is your refrigerator running? Because if it is, it probably runs like you - very homosexually - Peter Griffin

[Futre4]

ahh me more than anyone would love to see Owen be the player he was, alas he has the fear , even if he physically got back to his best which would be hard , he hasnt got the killer instinct in his eyes anymore, granted he WILL score goals but my point is he will never be the same player , It happened to many a great Fowler lost it also. A Player who has suffered greatly to injury never quite goes into a challenge with the same tenacity , they learn to save themselves from another injury its kindof a subconscience defence mechanism , shearer developed it quite effectively towards the end , appreciating that he was quite the same player he adopted safer tactics when go in for challenges and lunges.
Lastly about becks , this post was long before LA , and i agree now yes he shouldnt be in the squad when playing at this level.
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I always knew Chang was Chinese Intelligence.

http://richardpmurfin.wordpress.com/

[Saxx]

But Owen's injury wasnt from a collision with another player. And to be honest how often in the past have you seen Owen diving into tackles, in general I may agree with you, i've recently just started playing again after breaking my metatarsel, and i am not wholeheartedly going into the challenges anymore. But i can't agree with you about Owen. When he comes back and his fitness returns, him and Obafemi will be a formidable partnership.

And December isnt that long ago! lol McClaren was right to drop him from the squad when he did, in my opinion!
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Excuse me, is your refrigerator running? Because if it is, it probably runs like you - very homosexually - Peter Griffin

[Futre4]

I will happily eat my words if Owen does become the player he was, Just when I see him in action for me there is something missing. From a Newcastle and England POV it would be great to see him back at his best, I am vexed sometimes by pundits who say things like " if hes this good at 18 or 20 how good will he be at 27 etc, Im not convinced that the modern footballer develop or can be judged on a learning curve like the old days , Rooney is a prime example , I hear alot about what Rooney can still be , I find it unlikely what when Rooney is 27 he will be better than when he first blossomed onto the scene, indeed i think he will be worse.
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I always knew Chang was Chinese Intelligence.

http://richardpmurfin.wordpress.com/

[Saxx]

I don't think they mean it like that. More like how good will he be in a few years time because he will have more experience, playing at the highest level, playing with his teammates. Rooney hasn't reached his peak yet, he still needs to mature more, which can only come with age. Ronaldo has come a long way since he first joined Utd, and now look at him, best player in the premiership at the minute. I would say Ronaldo has peaked because he is absolutely immense, if theres anything more to come from him it would be unbelievable! Whereas I think Rooney still has much more to offer.
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Excuse me, is your refrigerator running? Because if it is, it probably runs like you - very homosexually - Peter Griffin

[Futre4]

I suppose , but it also depends on your take as to what is a better player , indeed do they mean experience or what they have achieved etc, for my part and call me crazy id rather have the marauding ryan giggs at 22 than maybe a more experienced and calmer ( maybe more versatile ) giggs of 31, same goes for Rooney , people MAY say at 27 wow he has done so much he is more relaxed, calmer and more responsible , but it would be a shame to say he has lost his power and awsome tenacity. This is my argument about Owen , I like the sharp and fleetfooted boy of 19 , and if when is is 30 he has achieved alot and is a better team player etc, does that make him a better player?, im not sure that many wonderkids nowadays progress and improve past 25 , granted they are still fantastic players im not disputing that , Giggs for example is still awsome, but pound for pound id rather have an angry and hungry Rooney prowling and probably getting sent off quite alot , than a laconic and relaxed rooney who has become civilsed and slowed down and plays more responsibly. This is not an argument about team tactics, of course it is better for a team if they gel more etc ect, this is more about footballers and their lifespan ( this goes back to beckham who is pretty much throwing in the the competitive towel by going to the u.s) .
Maybe I just need a way to vent my frustrations , I am also a Leeds fan so i know all to well what can happen to footballers when they hit their prime too early , indeed almost ALL of the great leeds side that reached the semi's of the championsleague have fallen into some sort career nosedive since, at least - Bowyer, Kewell, Bridges, Smith, Seth Johnson, Ian Harte,, too mention a few , Ferdinand and Robinson escaped the wrath of the Leeds curse thank god.
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I always knew Chang was Chinese Intelligence.

http://richardpmurfin.wordpress.com/

[Saxx]

You can't compare a 22 year old to a 30 year old. A footballers life is downhill after 30, the pace starts to go, the stamina, the acceleration, the reflexes. We are comparing a young rooney diving into tackles, getting sent off to a mature rooney staying on the pitch and terrorising the defense. Thats the argument. and the experience needed to mature in his game can only come with age. But you can't just compare a young fit 22 year old to a seasoned veteran of 30. They would have taken so many niggling injuries in that time, that physically they could never compete. Look at Solskjaer yeah hes doing a job, but his body must be in pieces after, the amount of long term injuries hes had. So obviously a young version would be better. And maturing doesnt mean you've lost your hunger for the ball and for the win does it? It just means your more level headed, you know when to slide the pass through, know when to hold it up, know exactly where the right position is to pounce onto the ball, know exactly when to time you run onto a through ball, this all comes from experience.
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Excuse me, is your refrigerator running? Because if it is, it probably runs like you - very homosexually - Peter Griffin

[Farseer]

Most of the time a striker or midfielder peaks around 27, depending on the injuries they've had or the amount of high level game time. For example I can't see Owen ever being what he was because of his string of injuries. With Rooney I think he will peak at 24/25. he's been playing top flight football for years so it will take it's toll on his body but he will mature quicker.

[Futre4]

I agree with alot of what is said , its just i find that pundits at least where Owen is concerned find it hard to admit players arent lasting as long and indeed someone like Owen may not get back to his old self. I would love to see Rooney be awsome till hes 35 , but agree he probably will peak early given the fact hes been playing top flight since 15.
I agree many players do have a hunger for the game even at mid 30s , but all to often you have to agree that people think a player has to mature and not be as rash and insolent , I agree with that and in an ideal world the best players would be stoic , responsible figures who also possess sublime talents , my point is though that too often the reason players have an explosive temperament is because it is heavily connected to their abilities , indeed they may be able to blast past that last player because of the tenacity that fuels them , the same tenacity that could get them sent off 5 minutes later, if that boisterious, tenacious anger was quashed in Rooney , I think you'd see a poorer player.
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I always knew Chang was Chinese Intelligence.

http://richardpmurfin.wordpress.com/

[Drizzt]

Look at Pele, he never had to do that. Gary Lineker, I think, was only ever given one yellow card - if any at all - in his career. Stanley Matthews had a very simlar record.

I don't buy into the theory of players, or some players, needing to be aggressive morons in order to play at their best. It's not necessary.
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Pagan Music

[Farseer]

I think it depends on what sort of player you are. some like to remain calm to focus while others like to get aggressive in order to perform.

[Parmenion]

Gary Linker never recieved a single caution in his entire career, not yellow or red

[Max Power]

Giggs and Scholes are as important to the Mancs now as they were 10 years ago. Sure, Giggs couldn't score a goal like 'that' FA Cup goal anymore, but he is at least as influential now. Players change how they play to suit their speed, stamina, age, weight etc, but as the saying goes, class is permanent.

Ugh, I've just written a whole post about the Mancs, and it's not slagging them off!
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If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

[Parmenion]

go and wash your mouth out with soap....dirty boy!!