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PhilSandifer

Listed below are comments made by PhilSandifer between Thursday, 11th September 2008 and Tuesday, 25th August 2009.

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Benitez and O'Neill on the offensive 5:51pm on 25 Aug 2009 Well, in a meager and mildly depressing upside, at least we've proven to the world that the team last year was more than Gerrard and Torres.

It was Alonso.

More seriously, I would point out that Man U won both of their last titles after very stuttering starts to the season, and that anyone panicking about Liverpool now or writing them off is being silly. Not saying they're going to win, but their odds have not changed meaningfully since the season started. Talk to me after another three games.
2010's dress rehearsal 2:58pm on 29 Jun 2009 The vuvuzelas did not particularly bother me after the first game or so. On the other hand, my dog hated the entire tournament, and my wife has already said she'll be out of the house for the entire World Cup if they're not banned.

I'm sure the atmosphere in the stadium is lovely, but they are a bit of an awful noise on the television.
Ferguson the winner in CL draw 5:55pm on 20 Mar 2009 Indeed, whatever bad things can be said about Manchester United, they've got nine players from the UK who are firmly in their first team, and are very much the exception to the "foreign talent" criticism.
Ferguson the winner in CL draw 5:52pm on 20 Mar 2009 norapeti @61

Nah, I don't disagree - Liverpool's strength isn't on the wings either. The thing is, I think Liverpool's wings are A) improving (Riera was a lovely signing), and B, at least have the capacity to keep the defenders from having to come up. Kuyt, love him or hate him (and I'm apathetic) at least works and harries his side of the pitch. And Riera and Babel can both launch a nice run. Given that Chelsea's wingers are defenders, I have to say advantage Liverpool in this area simply because I think Kuyt, Riera, and/or Babel will push deeper than Cole/Boswinga.

To my mind, your matchup goes like this on paper.

Wings: Advantage Liverpool
Essien/Gerrard: Draw. These are equally competent players, and this is a compelling match-up.
Lampard, Deco, and Ballack/Alonso and Mascherano: Advantage Liverpool. I think their defensive midfield is an unsung hero, and that working a ball through the center is going to be a tough, tough proposition.
Anelka and Drogba/Liverpool defense: Advantage Chelsea.
Torres/Chelsea defense: Draw. Chelsea's defense can handle Torres as well as any defense in the world can, but look, you're still talking about Torres.
Goalkeepers: Advantage Liverpool. Reina in a CL match, every time.

It comes down to a midfield battle for me, in that case, and I think Liverpool has the better midfield. On paper, at least, Liverpool should squeak through. But it is a deliciously tight game.
Ferguson the winner in CL draw 3:14pm on 20 Mar 2009 It still seems to me like Chelsea, even under Hiddink, is a side that lacks tactical flexibility. Their wings are in shambles, depending on pushing defenders up. Their attacking threat goes down the center. Liverpool is more than equipped to deal with it - 4-2-3-1, Mascherano and Alonso will cause all manner of havoc for Chelsea's attack, while your choice of Riera, Kuyt, and Babel will present enough pressure to keep the defenders from coming up. I don't think you've got an easy choice in who has the best attack between Gerrard/Torres and Anelka/Drogba, and while Chelsea's defense are probably superior, I'd pick Reina over Cech as a goalie, doubly so in a match that might go to penalties.

I've gotta go with a slight but distinct Liverpool edge over two legs.
Does Dell covet Apple's design status? 00:29am on 19 Mar 2009 For me, this doesn't compete with the Air. Spec-wise its fine - I'm perfectly OK with the ultralight market being expensive. What I want in a laptop is the comfort and screen space of a high-end laptop with the portability of a netbook. If that costs me money, well, it costs me money.

But a pound is a lot of weight on a laptop. And there's nothing I get for my pound. I still have to lug my optical drive separately on the Adamo. I'm shaving off a few millimeters and getting nothing for it in terms of travel ease. Lame.

Also, this is more expensive than the Air. Which, as I said, I'm willing to spend money on my computers. But I'm not going to just throw it away. (And yes, I'm well aware of the inherent markup in many Apple products. I accept it as the "tech supportable installation of OS X" fee, and I'm willing to pay it as such. Being a Mac is a feature, and I will pay for it. Being a Dell is not.)
Scolari fails to step out of Jose's shadow 11:18pm on 09 Feb 2009 It's also worth noting that much of Chelsea's problem was that they were in a terrible tactical bind. Once they lost Joe Cole to injury, having sold SWP, they had absolutely nothing on the wings. Their wide threat was their fullbacks. Past that, they had to rely on a central attacking midfield to get everything. The modern game is a wide game, and that just doesn't cut it.
Scolari fails to step out of Jose's shadow 11:16pm on 09 Feb 2009 Ugh. Who would even take the job at this point. It's a poisoned chalice. Four managers in two years? Unless you're completely unemployed, you've no reason to take that. And even if I were someone like Rijkard, I'd look at Pompey as the more attractive job at this point.
Jury is out on Spurs chairman Levy and board 00:47am on 27 Oct 2008 I don't know what Tottenham wants here. To be in the Champions League? Still? Now that Liverpool are resurgent, Arsenal are in good finances, and Man City is on the rise? The manager isn't whats keeping Tottenham out of the Champions League at this point, the massive pile of money is.

I mean, Ramos's firing was inevitable, though still unfortunate. But a club has to be realistic. Better to stick with a proven manager (Ramos counts) and give him support than to flit around skittishly trying to do the impossible.
Walcott and Capello stun Croatia 2:30pm on 11 Sep 2008 A moment of optimism: Playing like this, there is no team in the world England can't beat.

Now we just need to learn to play like that more often.

It is a great squad, and there are few changes to be considered. I think you have to contemplate the future of Heskey. When you have an injury-prone 30 year old striker in your first team, you should figure out a second choice. I don't think it's Owen either - Heskey helped the team in a specific role, and you have to consider who else would hold that role adequately.

There's also the very much open question of Gerrard and Lampard. Personally, I'd have them compete for the spot, with the recognition that it is Lampard's at the moment, but also the recognition that Lampard's long history of disappointing results makes it fragile for him. No more attempts to play both.

You also have to ask if Barry gets that midfield spot when Hargreaves and Carrick are fit. The answer may well be "Yes," but that's a spot that could be fairly competed for.

Though I wonder if, the way Heskey was played, playing a CDM like Hargreaves or Carrick further forward wouldn't generate a similar effect.

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