I will never forget Keanes last minute winner against barnsley. That's about all i'll remember him for, apart from being a useless fat bastard. As for altidore, i thought he improved massively through his time for us, he was strong and powerful, he could run at defenders, often let himself down with his final ball but with last season under his belt i thought he could have a good season for whoever he played for. I'm sure he won more than just the one penalty as well. It would have probably suited him to come back to england for another season as the english game suited his style a little better.
Ive been told he once got red carded for the reserves and was no where to be seen in the dressing room post match only to turn up sat on the coach half cut with a bag of cans and a kebab in hand. Not sure how true it was but why let the truth get in the way of a good story.
You're not wrong there, he wins an inordinate number of penalties too. He won us 3 or 4 penalties last year which, going on recent exchange rates, converts to 6 or 7 for most teams or 25 for Burnley or Stoke Altidore is well under-rated. The idea that a player is judged solely on the nunmber of goals he has scored is silly, even for a striker. There's so much more to football than being the one who sticks it home. It's the same a FBTW's argument regarding McLean. If our defence last year, Gardner in particular, were half as good as Altidore was. We'd still be a premier league side.
OLM Good evening to you,have not conversed for some time, you may remember me under the name of rfsteele a name not easily registered on this site,thus my metamorphasis with a new non de plume. Right thats out of the way. A couple of questions for you. Did Hull live up to your expectations this season,"table wise," and do you think the moving on of Bullard has helped or hindered your recent match results. Your comments are always worh listening to Regards RF whoops valjing
Evening rfsteele/valjing I do indeed remember you from 606(RIP) We lost almost our entire squad in the summer, due to the overspending of the previous regime, we currently have only one member of our Premier League squad still in the starting XI(along with Barmby on the bench when he's not injured). As a consequence, we started the season with a thin squad and no money, resulting in us being in the relegation zone at the start of the year. Since then, Nigel Pearson has managed to keep us in the running and when we got new owners in January, he spent a few million very wisely and we fell just short of getting into the play-off's. I'm happy with where we've ended up and even more happy with where I think we're going. As for Jimmy, it's just a case of getting out of his deal as painlessly as possible. Financially, he's been a disaster, as an individual he's been a prat, but I probably don't need to tell you that. He can still play some decent football, he's done a decent job for Ipswich and I expect someone(probably QPR) to come in for him during the summer. All in all, I'm a happy man.
OLM You must be one of the few supporters who are happy,i thought than anyone posting, had a gripe or moan about something. Anyway if you want to enjoy true happiness for at least 90min,come down to the cottage next time you are in London. The friendliest club in the capital,and have apint on me.
Cannot agree. A striker is supposed to score goals. A striker who doesn't score goals is not a striker. Using the excuse that he "pulls fouls", "gains penalties and free kicks", "provides assists" and "is a work in progress" are simply excuses for not scoring. Altidore was described by one of his fans on the Big Soccer boards as being a "Black Heskey" - Gawd knows what colour he thought Heskey is. Jozy has been to 4 clubs since leaving Red Bulls (where his strike rate was less than 1 in two games). He has a total of about 9 games for Villareal (for 1 goal) played no games for Xerez, 28 for Hull City (for 1 goal) and 8 games for Bursaspor (for 1 goal). His reputation seems to have been made scoring some goals for his USA National team against the likes of Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba and Ecuador but nevertheless his strike rate is over 1 in 3 games - hardly impressive. The guy simply has not got it. I'm sorry as I understand that he is a very nice bloke but there is no sentiment at this level of football on the wages he is getting. The guy has been "bigged up" but unfortunately he is a "Rock Hudson" player - looks like the part but actually isn't.
I think these might be them, Roo; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED7vG3WieBE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYFfq9tecHk
I'm just being flippant mate. My Grandsons told me that they used to 'twitter' Jozy when he was here and that he was a really nice guy. Jozy is a trier but if you haven't got it then you haven't got it. His fans blame everything from poor clubs, poor team-mates, non-supply and gawd knows what else but 1 goal in 28 for us, 1 goal in 10 for Bursaspor and 1 goal in 9 for Villareal say it all. My own opinion is that Jozy needs to get down and dirty. He scored 15 goals from 37 in the Mickey Mouse League, which is equivalent to middle Championship and upper League 1. Perhaps he could do a year with one of the Sheffield Clubs next season - if he's got anything at all it would surely come out there.
No, probs Roo. The problem with MLS is that there is no "in-between", they are either young lads, or, "old has-beens" from this side of the pond, squeezing a last pay-day out of their careers!! I don't even think they are up to League 1 standard! It will be a long time before the American (male) game gets to any real standard of skill, and teams competing at a level to warrant big fees' for their "stars".
I watch the odd MLS game 'live' in the early hours of the morning here in Oz. There are some very capable players in the league but anyone of any note is quickly gobbled up by overseas Clubs. Remember that Becks and Henry are over here and if they spot anyone they quickly recommend them. With Caleb Folan joining the Rapids I was eager to see their fans favourite player, Conor Casey, in action as he was described by many as formidable and a potential star on the World Stage but i was very disappointed to find that he was nothing short of a carthorse with little or no ability whatsoever. We get an abundance of Asian football here too with a number of Australian players playing in that league and in the Asian Cup. The Japanese K League is very formidable (compared with the MLS) but their National players are small by comparison so have imported tall players to supplement their teams. Soccer here is on the breadline though with Clubs relying heavily on sponsorship. The World Cup would have boosted the game here and secured it's future for years but not having a representative on the selection committee and having just blown 75 million on the last bid word has it that they will never bid again.
Shame about the World Cup bid over there, I thought the reason Catarrh getting the 2022 Host Nation was to spread the word of football around the world? Maybe Septic Bleather, and his side kick Bikini!, should look at the smaller countries who have a fledgling football history and bring them up to speed, before worrying about the oil fiefdoms????? Or am I just being a little too sensible for the Muppet's at FIFA & UEFA, et al?????
I seen a rumour the other day that he has been forced to retire recently due to knee problems, don't know if it's official yet. Shame really, never really had a great run in the City side but i'll always remember his winner away at Leicester when we'd had a terrible start to the season under Parkinson.
No longer a rumour. Michael has officially retired through his knee problem and will take up a roll with the Newcastle Jets owners. He has been a great ambassador for the game here in Oz by making himself available for pro-mo's and is a regular on the TV Soccer shows. He also has all of his coaching badges and will probably take up a Manager or coaching roll in the future.
