Berbatov made Keane. So Rafa should have either sold Torres and got Berbatov, or bought Berbatov to play with Torres.

And on a different subject, will Tevez make a difference playing for City?

When they sign him in the summer that is.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 03/02/2009 20:20:22    197297

Cavan_Slasher
County: Cavan
Posts: 1336

196276 Just after hearing on the news that the 2 million promised to the two Irish banks will not be enough. It seems that they will require 8 million now, i thought i was hearing things. How could this state of affairs occur. Are the Marx Brothers running the country. It is time that our National Emblem, the harp, was replaced by the fiddle as it would be far more appropriate !!


Adjust the bonavox, that was BILLIONS not millions

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 03/02/2009 21:21:24    197388

patrique
County: Antrim
Posts: 1925

197297 Berbatov made Keane. So Rafa should have either sold Torres and got Berbatov, or bought Berbatov to play with Torres.

And on a different subject, will Tevez make a difference playing for City?

When they sign him in the summer that is.



So tell me? how was keane able to score goals on a regular basis before he played with Berbatov???? When Berbatov went to Utd at the start of the Season he was useless for Utd, yet Fergy stood by him, unlike rafa with Keane. Keane scored over 23 goals for Spurs last season, Berbatov did'nt put the ball in the net for Keane. If Rafa had bought Berbatov he would probably have played him as a full back

PJ (None) - Posts: 2288 - 03/02/2009 21:41:08    197410

Berbatov is the best player in the league, well, maybe Robinho.

Doesn't run, doesn't tackle, just makes one crucial intervention a game which results in a goal. And as United now have the Mourinho model of to a tee, they win every game 1-0.

Bit of a boost that for Jose, imitation being the highest form of flattery and all that.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 03/02/2009 22:08:20    197448

Utd won games 1-0 long before Mr Mourinho set foot in the Premiership, thanks to mr Schmeichel at one end of the pitch and a certain mr Cantona at the other end,

PJ (None) - Posts: 2288 - 03/02/2009 23:37:44    197530

Presumably that is Benitez finished now. Has made enemies upstairs and chose to use the first team as the place to fight his battles by refusing to try and accomodate Keane. Sells Keane on transfer deadline day (at a loss) with no replacement in a squad which relies on an injury prone Torres. Has already spooked his team with an uncanny impression of Kevin Keegan. Presumably they are going to look on the last week as evidence that Benitez doesn't think they can win the title this year either as he would have pushed for another striker and/or attacking midfielder. Question is - will Fergie be happy retire with MU and Liverpool having won equal numbers of league titles?

pearsesabu (Antrim) - Posts: 663 - 04/02/2009 09:38:17    197628

Paddy wallace inside centre for saturday ?? No Leamy?? (Although not in the best of form) Earls not in panel?? What ye think.

square_ball (Galway) - Posts: 229 - 04/02/2009 09:58:50    197649

Paddy Wallace is the in form centre in the country. I havent really seen a lot of him playing for Ireland because he was always ROG's understudy under O'Sullivan but he definitely deserves his place in the centre going by his performances with Ulster of which i have seen a lot of him.

Rio Bingo (Tyrone) - Posts: 788 - 04/02/2009 10:47:54    197711

Wallace is the right call for No 12.
I would have had Leamy ahead of Heaslip but that was a close call.
Bowe playing again is a mystery. Surely Earls or Geordan Murphy even Shane Horgan are better options. Still can't figure that one out.

denzel (None) - Posts: 452 - 04/02/2009 11:09:34    197740

Any horse tips. Im Skint

Derry_ledd (Derry) - Posts: 2093 - 04/02/2009 12:13:01    197816

Fair enough wallace at 12 showing good form for ulster deserves a chance, Bowe (playing well for the ospresy's) needs to put in a big preformance needs to be consistant in the green jersey. with Darcy and murphy on the bench there's cover. Heaslip deserves his place leamy is making it back from injury has a few games under his belt now for munster but healsip as been on form for a while now. Pity Earls isn't on the bench but his time will come

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 04/02/2009 12:43:37    197854

Bowe is the form Irish wing over the past year, I don't see why his selection comes as a surprise. To say Horgan(way past it) or Murphy(a full back) are better options is ridiculous. He needs ot play as good for Ireland as he does for the Ospreys, but if he does we're flying. Earls is injured anyway, if fit he would have been on the bench. Back-line is spot on, great to see Kearney at full-back as it's definately his best position, but Murphy is in good form too so it wouldn't have been a disaster to see him play.

mid-mon man (Monaghan) - Posts: 1680 - 04/02/2009 12:51:20    197865

pearsesabu
County: Antrim
Posts: 154

197628 Presumably that is Benitez finished now. Has made enemies upstairs and chose to use the first team as the place to fight his battles by refusing to try and accomodate Keane. Sells Keane on transfer deadline day (at a loss) with no replacement in a squad which relies on an injury prone Torres. Has already spooked his team with an uncanny impression of Kevin Keegan. Presumably they are going to look on the last week as evidence that Benitez doesn't think they can win the title this year either as he would have pushed for another striker and/or attacking midfielder. Question is - will Fergie be happy retire with MU and Liverpool having won equal numbers of league titles?
04/02/2009 09:58:50


im hoping your right pearse, to be honest this whole keane thing has left a sour taste in my mouth. i really hope benitez is gone after this season. he never gave keane a chance, not in the slightest. two weeks ago he was saying keane could stay if he scored more. sure how can he score when hes not getting his game. and then the final insult saying he didnt sign him in the first place. i have now convinced myself the man is stark raving mad. the premier league is gone. he made a show of himself badmouthing fergie, he makes rediculas decisions by taking gerrard and torres off, the man shouldnt be in charge of a paper bag, let alone a top flight team.

lino_de_legend (Dublin) - Posts: 816 - 04/02/2009 13:09:04    197895

Murphy can play on the wing and at Full Back. Way better option than Bowe who was badly exposed against All Blacks. I know he is from Monaghan but surely everrybody can see he is not International standard.

denzel (None) - Posts: 452 - 04/02/2009 13:30:05    197913

It's nothing to do with Bowe being from Monaghan, obviously I'd like him to do well because of that though, but the fact is he's the most in-form Irish wing over the last while, many would share that sentiment. He was doing alright against NZ, made a few good runs, but that penalty try before half-time was a killer, it was a lose-lose situation for him, he wasn't going to come out if it well whatever he did. I suppose as he's not from Munster or Leinster he's immediately at a disadvantage, he's wrote off and as he's at Ospreys he's somewhat "out of sight, out of mind" for many, and Earls is being pushed to be put straight into the XV. Earls has great potential, but what makes you think he's a better option than Bowe, he might not be international class yet for all we know, he's only played a handful of minutes so far as has almost zero experience at that level. He'll be a big part of Ireland's future but he's not proven yet. Bowe has been flying at Ospreys and fully deserved his spot. It's true he needs to bring that form to Ireland but I'm hopeful he'll do that this 6 nations, this is the first time he's really got an extended run in the first XV, something he needs to have a bit of consistency. He's a great finisher, great at taking cross-field kicks and very strong in weaving through defences and making a burst for the line. He may not have searing pace but he's the best option we have at wing at the minute. The team's picked now so reserve your criticism for now and see how he plays. I don't get why you dislike Bowe so much, you're not George Hook in disguise by any chance?

mid-mon man (Monaghan) - Posts: 1680 - 04/02/2009 14:00:48    197965

lino - I'm not a Liverpool fan, but if I was, I'd have had enough of Rafa by now. I think Gerard has largely kept Liverpool in the hunt this year, but you'd nearly wonder whether some of Benitez's tactical decisions were designed to make sure the club do not achieve success. Just like he made sure that Keane was not a success at the club - just to make his point.

pearsesabu (Antrim) - Posts: 663 - 04/02/2009 15:12:33    198046

denzel
County: All
Posts: 175

197913 Murphy can play on the wing and at Full Back. Way better option than Bowe who was badly exposed against All Blacks. I know he is from Monaghan but surely everrybody can see he is not International standard.

Geordan Murphy is blatantly not international standard either, particularly against France. Most of his appearances against them have been horrorshows

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12358 - 04/02/2009 16:04:03    198124

pearsesabu County: Antrim Posts: 156 197628 Presumably that is Benitez finished now. Has made enemies upstairs and chose to use the first team as the place to fight his battles by refusing to try and accomodate Keane. Sells Keane on transfer deadline day (at a loss) with no replacement in a squad which relies on an injury prone Torres. Has already spooked his team with an uncanny impression of Kevin Keegan. Now a wise man yesterday said that Benitez's "Fergie" rant was aimed at the referee before the United V Chelsea match. He also said it was unnecessary as Chelsea were so bad that day the ref didn't matter. It was hardly likely to rattle his own team. What does rattle his own team is the uncertainty surrounding Benitez. Players like to feel safe, and many start to worry "If Benitez goes what happens me". I think this wise man may have had a point. On Rugby matters in the "Observer" last Sunday 3 out of 6 "experts" had Bowe named in their current Lion's team. And someone mentioned a goal keeper called Schmeichel or something. Played for Man City right? About the 7th best City keeper I can remember. And Cantona. I started watching soccer again when he was at Leeds because he looked wonderful in the dire English league. However I always knew he wouldn't make it internationally or in Europe, milk would turn quicker, but wonderful to watch in England. Bit like Henry come to think of it.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 04/02/2009 19:43:39    198382

Derry_ledd
County: Derry
Posts: 365

197816 Any horse tips. Im Skint

Christian Williams to ride Denman in the Gold Cup at 33/1 is an unbelievable price.

Loyal2TheRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 4522 - 05/02/2009 12:04:56    198861

All players fit and well, this would be Ireland best 15
Kearney
Fitzgerald
BOD
Earls
Bowe
O'Leary
ROG
Leamy
Wallace
Ferris
POC
DOC
Hayes
Flannery
Horan

Subs
D'arcy
Heaslip
Best R
Wallace
Ross

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 05/02/2009 12:11:11    198865