It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
:D I can only imagine mate.
Well obviously Spurs are not going to win it, we'll crumble eventually, so I wholeheartedly hope that your Foxes do - partly because it will be good for the game and partly because I could of course not STAND those bleedin' Gooners bragging about it for the next decade.
They still go on about their title from 12 years ago, for god's sake.
Oh, and won't Gary be buck naked on MOTD if Leic. go all the way...?
Yes, indeed he will..or at least he said he will.
I'm a bit like you, if we don't win it I hope Spurs do. It's good for the game even though it exposes an alarming lack of genuinely great teams in England. Leicester get by on team spirit and a gung ho mentality. Tottenham look like a genuinely great team in the making if they can keep the squad together.
So why are the usual suspects bottling it? It has to be the fact they aren't as good as we thought they were. There was a time when any team going to Old Trafford simply wrote the game off, capitulated and Man U got the 3 points. This season Foxes and Spurs, as well as West Ham, Southampton and others have not been afraid of anybody, and the big guys don't like it.
As Wiz says other leagues are dominated by the great teams, but those great teams win the biggest honours. And we as a footballing Nation seem to be slipping away. And at a time when a crop of promising English players are sneaking through.
Having said all that I'm sort of looking forward to seeing how Barcelona try to handle Jamie Vardy next year. \:D/
Keenly observed - and to be honest I'm not too worried about it, same thing happened to Serie A and French League about 12 years ago. They just no longer contended the top European competitions and both leagues became something of a non-entity - not attacting any really big names.
What this did is allow the young national talents (Italians & French respectively) to integrate in the better teams and get lots of experience & game time – and their national teams seem to have some real gems as a result of it. I feel a similar scenario might be on the cards in England… Butland, Stones, Barkley, Vardy, Kane, Alli, Dier, Sterling... the number of young(ish) English players as key starters for top Prem Lge teams has never been higher I think...
Really? "Italian and French teams declining 12 years ago"?? Your describing the period in time when AC Milan where the definitive powerhouse in European football, winning the Champions League in 2003 defeating fellow Juventus in the final (aften having beaten another Italian team, Inter in the semis), reached the final in 2005 demolishing Liverpool (yet somehow managing to lose in the end), then returned to get their revenge and win the title yet again in 2007? The Italian league did eventually decline, however much later in time, and I think no one informed would claim it has had a positive effect on their national side. In fact "the Azzuri" have been through one of their bleakest eras in terms of player personal, with the current squad considered as the least impressive in decades. Its sure a big contrast to the side that won the World Cup in 2006, when Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, Francesco Totti, Alessandro del Piero, Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso (the list goes on) all were at the peak of their powers, funnily enough the period in time you describe as when Italian football hit its lowest point and started turning it around. (Not even all of the stars mentioned got to play the tournament...)
The mentioning of France is also interesting, as the French league hasn´t really had a single team able to realistically compete for the Champions League since that controversial Marseille team in the early nineties. (Olympique Lyonnais sure had some decent results for many years, but were never a serious contender for European titles). France has an interesting generation of talent at the moment sure, but hardly any of their key players play in the domestic league. It has nothing to do with the rise of PSG, that´s for sure... The core of their national side is spread through out Italy, Spain and England.
So I am not sure what point you are trying to make exactly? And I have no high hopes for an improvement of the English national side either. The current struggle of the Prem´s big teams certainly has nothing to to with bad economy or lack of eagerness to buy foreign talent. On the contrary we can expect plenty of new foreign stars entering the Premier League this summer, especially when Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho take charge of the two Manchester sides. (However the absolute world beaters will continue to play at the four European powerhouses; Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern and PSG). Your hopes of improved playing time for local English "talent" are naive at best.
From my perspective, Barca and Bayern are in an elite group of two, Madrid sit on their own just behind that (only because they have an ability to perform in Europe, ala Liverpool, despite poor form) and below that you have teams like PSG, Juventus, Atletico, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City who can all beat each other.
PSG are far from being a European powerhouse outside of superficial factors.
I admit its a stretch based on past results. When I chose to include them in a top four it is partly down to prediction. From what I have seen of them this year they seem like the strongest side in Europe after the two FCBs. They are a very solid side both physically, tactically and technically, and unlike a team like City they look cohesive, soundly constructed and strong in defence. I think they will challenge until the very end this year and stamp their athourity as one of the top sides in Europe from this year onwards. To their disadvantage they face poor competition in Ligue 1, but that's the only thing they have going against them I think.
My predictions could however be wrong of course... And to clarify, I find them just as dislikeable as City and Chelski.
Ironically Spurs winning on Saturday might be the worst thing they can do because if Arsenal get in a manager not afraid to spend and who can instill some bottle then they might finally rouse themselves from their 4th place/last 16 slumber of the last 10 years.
Depends on how you interpret my remarks. The 'decline' of the Serie A (other than AC most of the other previously 'big' teams went into decline after 2004) led to it becoming a great breeding ground for young talent that had previously not been permitted the game time at clubs like Inter, Juve, Fiorentina, Roma - exactly because of the previous great generation of Azzuri that you mention.
It's all about game time, as I'm sure you know - potential itself is worthless unless you give the player lots of games between the critical age period of 19-22. And that is waht the (relative, granted) decline of the Serie-A gave youngsters.
French clubs were never European powerhouses, true, but they have developed a new generation of excellent talent through their Lyon, Lens & Monaco youth programs.
On another note, the title race is certainly one of the most closely contested in a while, with Arsenal, Spurs and City losing last night, it puts Leicester back in the driving seat - their draw with WBA doesn't look like the worst result now.
Who is your team??
Who are??
Har har har. Jason Bournemouth, the team that forgot itself...
Bournemouth doing really well in the Premier League. Super won over Southampton the other night. Hope they stay up, great side, great young manager in Eddie Howe.
Norwich! Amazed that none of the chasing pack closed the gap on Leicester last night!
Full time Man Utd 1 - 0 Everton, not pretty though job done. United still in the hunt for top four, looking at fixtures got a good chance. Spurs away next week is a must win.
The City, Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arse scouting, coaching and playing staff should all hang their heads in shame at being outplayed by this collection of journeymen, championship players and free transfers.
If I was a Roman or Sheikh Mansour I'd be asking serious questions of all these people as to where my money was going.
Overrated show pony Raheem Sterling cost more than the entire Leics squad FFS!
Foxes still have to visit Old Trafford and Chelsea, perhaps there will be some points dropped there, but 7 full points is a huge advantage really, despite the goal difference advantage Tottenham have.
Great for the Premier Lge anyhow. Perhaps the hegemony is finally breached.
Best goal difference, most scored / least conceded, plus lest we forget - the youngest & most ENGLISH team in the league.
But points win it, of course :>
There is a lot of suspicion about how Leicester can be where they are when they were rock bottom this time last season. The thing is, they were far too good to be bottom back then - they played terrific football, but simply had none of the breaks some teams have.
This season with about 3 superb additions to the squad they have gone the other way (and are having a lot of luck as well). Under achieving last season, over achieving this season. In truth they were and still are certainly good enough for top 10, but something special is propelling them on this season, and better teams are dropping points.
And as we reach the end Mahrez is losing form, Vardy has stopped scoring, yet other players have stepped up and taken the responsibility on. It's a very good team.
That is the mark of champions right there - not playing great, best players having 'off' days, but other squad members stepping up when it matters most...
If Leicester do indeed go on to win it, I think it will be by a single point. I'll be heartbroken, but they will deserve it =D>
On the contrary I think Spurs need to start looking behind them. It would be just like Spurs to not only bottle it but let the Arse overtake them into the bargain.
From the last few matches I'd say Spurs' arsehole is starting to squeak more than Leicester's at the minute.
I reckon Fergie might have it right that they win it with three games to spare.