WingA Posted May 2, 2005 check put this article i came across in the mirror.. classic english stuff.. THE PITS OVER HERE, HITS OVER THERE ..THAT'S WHY OUR LEAGUE IS THE CREME DE LA PREM 27 April 2005 A NAME I hadn't seen for a while leapt out from the small print of a newspaper yesterday. I always assumed John Aloisi, once of Portsmouth and Coventry City, had retired years ago. Aloisi, that rare and unusual thing, an Australian striker, was hardly prolific at the best of times and the Premiership was way beyond him. Advertisement In his final season at Highfield Road four years ago, he managed two goals in 17 games. Then they dumped him. Yet there he was being mentioned in dispatches from the league some continue to regard as the best in the world, Spain's Primera Liga. Not only was he still playing but last weekend, Aloisi scored the winner for Osasuna against Atletico Madrid. That goal apart, he's hardly rattling them in for his current employers either, but the fact they're still giving him house room tells you something. On the day when Chelsea and Liverpool meet in the semi-finals of the Champions League, it tells you we can do more than just celebrate the might of English club football. It tells you that we can claim without fear of being contradicted that the Premiership is the best league in the world and that we have left the Primera Liga behind. We've got Rooney, Ruud and Rio. We've got Henry, Vieira and Sol. We've got Terry, Lampard and Robben. We've got Gerrard and we've got our own Ronaldo. Spanish and Italian clubs would kill for them now but they can't afford English wages. We've got the best players in their prime now, not has-beens like Marcel Desailly and Laurent Blanc who came to English football to enjoy their old age. I can only think of five outstanding players from other leagues who would waltz into top Premiership sides and just one of them, Ronaldinho, plays in Spain. The others are AC Milan's Andrei Shevchenko, Gianluca Zambrotta and Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus and Bayern Munich's Michael Ballack. Think about this, too. The same weekend Aloisi was performing heroics for Osasuna, Diego Forlan notched his 18th league goal of the season in 32 games for Villarreal. He is second in the Primera Liga scoring charts only to Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o. That's right. That's the same Forlan who scored 10 goals in 63 Premiership matches for Manchester United. The same Forlan who came to be regarded as a joke at Old Trafford. My abiding memory of him is seeing him sky a shot about 40 feet over the bar in a Manchester derby. Most of his goals seemed to be chucked into the net for him by Jerzy Dudek. In Spain, he's El Sharpshooter. Same with Michael Owen. The Primera Liga makes him look even better than the Premiership did. He only has to get off the Real Madrid bench to score. I saw him play in a dire game for Madrid against Real Zaragoza in January. Off the bench in the 65th minute. Goal in the 85th minute. Easy. The standard domestically in Spain is not good. Ian Harte is in the Levante first team, for heaven's sake. He was the slowest player in the Premiership three years ago. What he's like now, who can guess? Giovanni van Bronckhorst couldn't hack it at Arsenal. Now he's going to pick up a championship medal with Barcelona. Do you want me to go on? Okay, Manuel Almunia was considered an outstanding prospect at Albacete. We all know he's a dodgy keeper. Jesper Gronkjaer was never really good enough at Chelsea or even Birmingham. Now he's in the Atletico Madrid first team. Serie A's a more serious rival to the Premiership but don't forget Paolo Di Canio is still in the Lazio first team. He's good for a nice line in Nazi salutes to the punters in Rome's Olympic Stadium but that's about it. This week of all weeks and tonight of all nights, we should celebrate what we've got. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SoMa_InC Posted May 3, 2005 8 hours to go........ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N.O.R.F Posted May 3, 2005 Liverpool Football Club Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sheherazade Posted May 3, 2005 ^they made it. Grinning I bet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Intel Posted May 3, 2005 Originally posted by Northerner: Liverpool Football Club off to Istanbul? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mojam Posted May 3, 2005 After seeing Liverpool play the friendly against Porto at the skydome last summer i said: Liverpool is the team to watch! Truly a horse race this time I must say it: i was right. I admit though luck was on their side because the blue team looked better than them most of the time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N.O.R.F Posted May 4, 2005 @ NGONGE I'm off to Istanbul in 3 weeks time, any scousers wann join me GET IN THERE MY SON! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WingA Posted May 5, 2005 to watch the game or to join up with the party?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keyz 1-8-7 Posted May 8, 2005 I reckon the final to be between liverpool and inter, its just a hunch. This year the surprise package is to be liverpool and I think they will beat the old lady even though its gonna be tough. As far as chelsea is concerned I think they will beat bayern with some ease. Inter will be looking for revenge and that might just spur them and the fans on to beat AC, though I', not that sure. Im good init Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N.O.R.F Posted May 9, 2005 Rooney, i wish i could check out prices for tickets >>> http://www.sports-index.co.uk/cgi-bin/view.pl?board=sitp and no flights out :rolleyes: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NGONGE Posted May 9, 2005 Originally posted by Totti: Cheslki? Man U? Arsenal? even Lpool? You die hard fans still hoping to reach the final and support your team ? :cool: Well Champions League Final here i come Baby loooOoOol my mates just let me know that he can get tickets, Istanbul 2005 here we come so come what may cheslki Barac Juventus Milan, am there mate Whats turkish for Gettin in there?? Northener, I think it's time we start sweet talking this guy, don't you think? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N.O.R.F Posted May 9, 2005 ^^ a smoked out room smelling of apple will be required Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N.O.R.F Posted May 24, 2005 Now that the 'other' final is out of the way its all about Istnabul,,,,,,,walk on walk on,,,,,, Rafa the gaffa Watch him dominate Kaka and co. Please come back home, we have missed you Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
QUANTUM LEAP Posted May 24, 2005 Im 100% behind Liverpool now as they go into this draw. I believe that this their best chance of winning the European championship as Milan are now dragging their feet and seem to be tired. The have so far been beaten by Juve and this was after coming from 3 down to 3>3. Go Liverpool..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
