Thoughts on England vs Ecuador, Miami-style

 

Scott's detailed notes from yesterday's game:

 

Ensconced in the luxurious surroundings of a Farlieonfootie-sponsored skybox, after a staggering amount of libationary and gastronomical delights were savored at the somewhat misty tailgate party, the in-town staff members (poor Ed) viewed the proceedings below with the critical eye to which our loyal readers have become accustomed. Dodging my head from side to side in order to catch the action beyond my impossibly large Heineken can (all the craft beer was in the parking lot), I was witness to 90 minutes of English languidness and Ecuadorian effort which, ultimately, earned the South Americans a deserved draw against the sputtering Three Lions.  Despite controlling large parts of the game, including most of the first half, the Brits were unable to triumph.

 

Milner at right back (for a while anyway), Rooney wide to the left, Lambert up top and Gerrard and Sturridge nowhere in sight, English fans will hope that Roy Hodgson learned what he needed to from the experimental lineup and will adjust accordingly. The middle defensive pairing of Jones and Smalling could generously be described as shaky while neither Luke Shaw nor the aforementioned Milner were able to provide appropriate cover at critical times. Shaw, especially, seemed lackadaisical when a yellow shirt threatened the box. Tired?  Adjusting to the climate?  Let's hope so.

 

Rooney and Wilshire were just OK and, while Lampard did ooze calmness on the ball, his howitzer shots from distance were far more dramatic than they were effective.  Barkley, on the other hand, showed moments of creativity which largely contrasted the general play of the English.  I have a sneaking suspicion that he will be critical in deciding England’s fate later this month.

 

Another bright spot was the new Liverpool boy, Rickie Lambert.  What a week he is having!  First signing a contract with your boyhood club at the age of 32 and then scoring an excellent goal for your country.  I think he, too, will have much to offer if given the chance in Brazil.

Chile Con Carnage: Footballing Thoughts on England and the USMNT

            Photo by gkdavie on Flickr

Ed is not optimistic about Brazil:

Watching England battle Chile was sad at first.  They just don't seem to have the players.  Big guys with strong arms against small guys with quickness and footwork.  Not a fair fight.  Chile's players just seemed better at the sport, and ended up dominating in a 2 to 0 win that the English tabloids described as "Chile Con Carnage."  Even Wayne Rooney, who looked the most dangerous of England's players, seemed a distant second to Alexis Sanchez.  Sanchez had everything and reminded of a smaller but no less dangerous Sergio Aguero.  I've never seen much of Sanchez on Barcelona -- it always seems that Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta outshine him.  But perhaps it's more a question of there being only one ball, because even against Brazil last night he seemed the most dangerous and effective player on the pitch.

So is England really that bad?  No, but they're not that good, either. Ultimately, England doesn't have too many players that can just beat you with the ball in the final third.  While there are poachers and strikers that can beat you without -- Robert Lewandowski and Robin Van Persie come to mind -- those that can just run at players make an enormous difference.  See, for example, Luis Suarez, Aguero, and of course Messi.  England's best at this is the newcomer Andros Townsend.  And perhaps there's Theo Walcott, whose speed makes up for his lack of skill and allows him to get past defenders.

What about the USA?  Well, more of the same problem.  Sadly, I still think we are more or less a dumbed down version of England.  This isn't so bad and is much better than it used to be.  But in the game against Scotland the team really struggled with creativity in passing, and until Breck Shea and his ridiculous haircut came onto the field no one seemed dangerous or able to beat anyone.  A great coaching instructor commented that he believed that every country had a style of play, and for the USA it had to do with our conditioning.  Even at the very end of a long game against Angola game four years ago Landon Donovan was able to make a 70 yard run at full sprint and finish a goal.  But I'm not so sure of that.  I think we're still finding our style.  And I expect the US style to be something that contains a little bit of every other element, except our players are going to be bigger and faster than yours.

I'm Just Not That Into You

photo by caseywest	via PhotoRee

 

 

Correspondent Ed's not into you, either:

You ever get the impression that Emmanuel Adebayor just doesn't care? Like when his team sends a private jet to retrieve him from the African Cup of Nations and yet he still doesn't make it to training on time. Or is it when he pretty much loafs around during games conserving his energy for . . . what? I'm not sure. Adebayor has a total of three goals this year for comp to date of about $4 million dollars -- a cost per goal of over $1 million. He was outstanding during a year when he was looking for a new team and a new contract. However, as has happened in the past, once the pay is settled and coming in the door, he seems to take minimal pride in his sport. This is sad for Spurs fans, who need him to raise his game. But it's also short-sighted for Adebayor. Pretty much every old guy I play with on Monday nights gives it their all every week and they've got to go to work the next day to make a living. Enjoy and use your gift Ade, because before long you'll be barely a memory on the passing scene.

o It's amazing the difference Daniel Sturridge makes at Liverpool. While they still looked confident and strong for most of the game against West Brom, they were in many ways the pre-Sturridge version of the team. News flash to Chelsea: Sturridge is good. At times in the past few weeks he looked like the best guy on the field. If anyone recalls, he exhibited these same qualities at Bolton. Now in the right position at Liverpool -- and by that I mean not on the right but up top -- he has freed up Suarez and been a constant menace. Most surprisingly to me has been his footwork, where he's exhibited startling control in holding the ball up, weaving through defenders, and pushing it to oncoming attackers. I'm not sure Liverpool is playing anything even resembling Swansea under Rodgers, but with Sturridge they're not the mid-table team they were a month ago.

Business As Usual: Italy 0 - England 0 (4-2 PK)

photo by Tambako the Jaguar	via PhotoRee

Thoughts I had while watching England lose to Italy on penalty kicks:

Overall: I'm not surprised England lost.  Let's face it, Italy has a very good team....  Ultimately, though, I have to disagree with all those who said that England "exceeded expectations" this year by making it as far as they did.  Shouldn't England at the very least be expected to make the knockout stage of a major tourney -- or have expectations fallen so low that this, too, is now a gift...?  It's not as if the English won their knockout game and advanced to the semifinals....

o Is this the current state of English football?  Should a team packed with Premier League "stars" such as Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Joe Hart, et al -- England's "golden generation" of footballers -- go down meekly without creating much in the way of chances during a match to a team that was definitely beatable?  Is this the "new" England of low expectations and early knockouts?  If it is, thank God they're not my team, because this is a group of guys that appear to be going nowhere in a hurry.  And it's not like the weight of great expectations burdened the English team this year....  No, this was a squad full of individual stars that never learned to play as a team.

o If only I'd known what was to come: Although the game got off to a rollicking start -- Daniele De Rossi's wicked slice off the bar, and an English ball falling to one of the few players on the pitch who was incapable of finishing it (thanks, Glenn Johnson) -- with more chances in the first five minutes than France saw all game on Saturday, that was known simply as "upfronting" the action.  Long periods of torpid play followed, with England so knackered by extra time that they were physically unable to string more than even one or two passes together.

o Does the position of Italian Manager also come with its own suit contract....?  How do those guys always manage to look so casually cool and well dressed....?

o England's defensive posture lacks explanation: fall back and don't pressure the ball. I know about keeping your shape, but the English conceded possession and position to the Italian opposition at virtually every opportunity.

o Joe Hart was completely out of position when Mario Balotelli broke clear on goal midway through the first half. It pains me to say this, but it was only an outstanding play by John Terry that saved a goal. Terry was the only English defender running at full tilt, and it was solely down to his hustle that the scoreline remained knotted at zero.  Sad but true fact: John Terry was England's best player yesterday.

Euro Mazing

photo by StewieD	via PhotoRee

Scott checks in with some thoughts on the Euros:

England may have been fortunate to avoid Spain in the quarter finals, but they won’t go far unless they get more creative on the attack and a little more solid on defense.  Lobbing in crosses won’t cut it every time, especially if they meet the Germans’ superior air power.  And on more times than I can count over the past 2 games, the back four have stopped and looked at each other when a loose ball presents itself at the top of their 18.  Maybe the defense will gel quickly and maybe Steven Gerrard’s pinpoint crosses can do enough damage (his passing has been sublime), but unless they step up their game they may have reached their limit in the competition.  Which, when looking at their lineup, is shocking since they have quality in almost every position.  But, as dominant as these players are for their club teams, as a group and playing for country, they often seem nervous and play below their abilities.  Only Gerrard and Joe Hart seem unfazed by the stage on which they are playing.

England’s ace in the hole may be Wayne Rooney’s return.  Despite missing an absolute sitter of a header against Ukraine, he is fresh from his suspension and as hungry as ever.  Roy Hodgson would be insane to contrive a lineup without him.

Andy Carroll played well against Sweden.  His goal was brilliantly taken and his effort was tireless, tracking back repeatedly to pressure and win balls.  And, of course, there was the usual, effective knock down and hold up play for which the big man is known.  Most impressive to me was to see him sprinting at the 60 minute mark to track back and pressure.  He probably knew he was coming out of the game but that is the type of consistent effort England will need.

Spain may have mastered the 1-0 win but they will need to score more to win back-to-back Euros.  A dearth of goals has always been the weak link for this Barcelona-sans-Messi team (as previously discussed on these pages), but the now-injured David Villa always seemed to come through.  The Fernando Torres-led 4-0 thrashing of Ireland seems to have been an aberration as La Roja returned to their parsimonious ways in a late 1-0 victory over an unlucky Croatia team.  The fact is that the Spanish seem to have lost some of their invincibility.  At one time, they never coughed the ball up in the midfield due to pressure or an errant pass.  But those days are gone as they have proven to be mortal with a slew of lost balls in midfield now combining with their inability to score.  They say great teams eek out results early and improve as the tournament goes on.  Vicente del Bosque knows what to work on.

Beauty or the Beast? Thoughts on England vs. France, and Euro 2012

Photo by Loren Javier on Flickr

More thoughts, as the Euros roll ever onward:

o Beauty or the Beast?  Or, in other words: What to make of the English Team's performance in their first round game against France yesterday?  Michael Ballack and Alexi Lalas got into a rather fierce debate on ESPN about how to interpret the Three Lions' effort: while Lalas thought it was just what the doctor ordered, and even pronounced it a thing of "beauty," Ballack disagreed as vehemently as can someone who has had their personality surgically removed.  For the record, I agree with the unemotional German. Is parking the bus and looking for the rare counter against the French really the best the founding nation of football has to offer....? 

o Although the 1-1 draw did neither team any harm, it also didn't do much to help their cause with the host nation still for both to play.  England fans had better hope there is more in the tank than the team showed on Monday.  England under Uncle Woy retreated into a defensive shell early and often -- pulling off the rather amazing feat of showing the French how to retreat -- and were only very reluctantly coaxed into attacking. 

o With Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck and Alex Oxlaid-Chamberlain on the pitch, England should have displayed some deadly speed and ambition in attack.  Instead, they consistently ceded possession to their rivals from across the Channel, and seemed more than happy to defend their lead and then satisifed to play for a draw once Samir Nasri drew the French level.

o Yesterday's early match was Exhibit A in why I don't love first round games.  There's too much at stake as both teams know they can't afford an early slip up.  The first round of this year's tournament has produced several uninspired games in which both sides played cagily, preferring the type of defensive postures that commonly produce nil-nil or 1-1 draw to looking for an outright win.

o Fortunatelty, that wasn't the case when Spain met Italy, a match that paired the winners of the last two World Cups.  Unsurprisingly, this game also produced the best match of the tournament's first round, and although the action ended at 1-1, the game was played with anything other than a cantenaccio mindset, and both sides should really have scored more.  The end result was just about fair.

o Spain look bored to me, as if they need a new challenge after winning the last European Championship and World Cup.  For the record, no team has ever repeated as European Champion, and although there's always a first time, I don't think 2012 will be it.  None other than Cesc Fabregas admitted that the team had never practiced the 4-6-0 that they sent out against Italy, and it looked almost as if Coach Vincente Del Bosque was daring his team to take their game to the next level.  Unfortunately for the Spanish, the Italians gave almost as good as they got.

o Without the focal point of a striker, Spain to me looked like Barcelona without Messi: all tiki and no taka.

o Why Del Bosque kept his formation intact until late in the game is a mystery to me, and why he chose to insert Fernando Torres rather than Fernando Llorente is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, inside of a riddle.  The diminutive Spanish midfield looked as if they were tilting at windmills as cross after cross flew over their heads -- exactly the kind of situation that would have been tailor made for Llorente, one of the few Spanish strikers who can be counted on to score with his head. 

Euro-fun

photo by What Makes The Pie Shops Tick?	via PhotoRee

The Euro’s are upon us, and the respective national teams in place and ready to go.  Here are Columnist Ed’s thoughts on three of the more relevant sides (to him, at least).

1.        Spain

This may be the last hurrah for Xavi, arguably the best midfielder in the history of the game.  Spain once again seems the class of Europe.  Their success will largely be a matter of how much they care about this Euro title. After winning the biggest prize world football, I’m just not sure whether the fatigued pros want it enough.

2.       England 

Not sure who’s left to play on the England team.  Frank Lampard out and Jordan Henderson in.  Eewww.  Gareth Barry also out (yawn) and replaced by Phil Jagielka.  And of course, most recently out is Gary Cahill after an outrageous push that deserved a red by Belgian forward Dries Mertens -- although it only got a yellow.  (The push was intentional and malicious, and as bad as the injury was it could have been worse.)  Oh, and Jack Wilshere never even made it to the initial team due to injury.  So where does England stand?

Actually, not so bad, I think.  England usually suffers from outrageously high expectations.  For the first time they can play the role of the underdog.  And this despite more speed than I can remember up top with Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young, Theo Walcott, and Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain.  There’s also that Rooney guy coming back after a suspension.  Needless to say, these guys can break and they can score on the break.

As for the midfield, Scott Parker and Stephen Gerrard should be able to hold down the fort, although this is a weakness of this team even with Barry in the lineup.  In short, these guys are neither terrific possession guys nor terrific runners.  As much as I love Stevie G, and as much as I suspect he will do well in the Euro’s, he doesn’t seem to have the flash he did a few years ago.  And perhaps it’s his ankle injury, but Scott Parker has also looked a step too slow in the friendlies.

As for the defense, I think England will be fine with Ashley Cole, John Terry, Phil Jagielka, Martin Kelly and Glenn Johnson.  Cahill would have been nice, but this squad will be fine.

Finally, Manager Hodgson will have this team playing disciplined and tight football.  It probably won’t be easy on the eyes, but I suspect more games just like the one they played against Belgium.  For most of the game, Belgium looked the better team, but England was of course the most lethal.  You simply cannot get too aggressive with the finishers England has up top, and sometimes when you dominate possession you tend to forget their skill and push too far forward.  

Short and Pithy

Ed checks in, a bit late for my liking....

USA

How ‘bout that USA team?  Beating Italy in Italy for the first time, and looking like they belonged in the match.  Now granted, this was a friendly, but still...!  A few comments on the squad:  Jozy Altidore is learning and getting better; he’s very young and sometimes we tend to write these guys off too soon.  Michael Bradley looked, as usual I think, like the best US center midfielder we have.  Bradley is also reasonably young, and because his father was the coach his abilities were unfairly questioned.  Breck Shea has the size and speed of a top class athlete, but is lacking confidence and polish.  I wish he would find a spot on a European team as I believe that would raise the level of his game considerably.  It’s still interesting to me that Carlos Bocanegra remains our best central defender.  How can we not find a top athlete for that position?  And Clint Dempsey, well he only does one thing and that’s finish.  He’s an impressive player that dare I say is not as highly regarded as he could be in Europe because he’s an American. 

A final thought – I liked the 4-2-3-1 formation that the USA played in the game, as well as Coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s decision to put Dempsey in the number 10 spot.  Perhaps this was easy without Landon Donovan available, but even so I’ve often seen managers make the wrong choice and put him out wide.

ENGLAND

England's game against the Netherlands was surprisingly rough.  Nigel De Jong had several cheap shots, as is typical for him.  He deserved at least one yellow, maybe two.  I’m still not over De Jong’s breaking of Stuart Holden’s leg in a friendly against the USA in yet another overly-aggressive and illegal tackle.  It’s one thing to be a tough guy in the National Football League; it’s a bit more cowardly, I think, to make cheap slide tackles against players in soccer games.

But back to the game, I thought Scott Parker was the best player on England, though Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge looked to be the fastest players on the pitch at all times [Ed. Note: Is "Danny" Welbeck a more informal guy than "Daniel" Sturridge?  Apparently so.].  Sturridge, though, probably cost England the game when he let Arjen Robben take a free run at his defenders instead of tracking him down like he clearly could have. 

It seems Stevie G. pulled his hamstring again.  With the injuries pilin gup, I fear his career may end sooner than people realize.  Ultimately, despite the physicality of the game, I thought neither side played particularly inspired soccer, and neither looked that much better than the other.

Two Scoops Too Much

Photo by Joelogon on Flickr

Columnist Ed likes his Raisin Bran served with a nice big glass of prune juice:

Raisin Bran has got to be the most ill-conceived breakfast cereal known to man.  I mean, who wants hard and chewy dried up raisins sprinkled in their cereal?  I don’t want anything like that in my cereal.  Bananas – good.  Strawberries – terrific.  Dried up brown surprises?  No thanks.  I think Raisin Bran is the best proof there is that advertising works, because without that jingly commercial they used to have I don’t think anyone’s really buying the stuff.

So why am I writing about Raisin Bran and why am I so angry about it?  I’ll tell you why.  It’s because we’re in the midst of yet another painful two week international break.  With apologies to our sister site www.farlieonfracking.com, what the frack?!!  Watching these friendlies is like taking a break from the playoffs to watch a couple of pre-season games.  But because I have to, because I’m (theoretically) paid to, I will now comment on a few of the games.

A Four Course Meal: England 1 - Spain 0

Photo by BriYYZ on Flickr

Fat Frank led England out in their poppy-emblazoned Anthem Jackets (coming soon to a store near you) on Saturday at Wembley against a world champion Spanish side that featured Xavi, Iniesta, David Silva and -- on the bench -- the out-of-form Fernan-d'oh! Torres.  The home side held on for a slightly undeserved 1-nil victory, proving the critics wrong and sending the majority of the crowd home happy. 

Some thoughts after watching the game:

o It's somewhat surprising that the NFL logo at midfield was still visible almost a month after the venerable stadium hosted its American interlopers. I would have thought the FA could have found a way to make the logo disappear more effectively than just letting it fade away.... In the end, it was another free advertisement for the NFL -- as if it needs more of that.

o In the first half, England were all too happy to sit back and absorb pressure in their own end, while Spain took the opposite approach, preferring to pressure the man with the ball and give him relatively little time or space with which to make a pass. So guess which side created more turnovers and opportunities?

Fat, Dumb & Happy

England Flags photo by sk8geek via Flickr

England struggled to an unconvincing 1-nil win over a spirited bunch from Wales on Tuesday night at Wembley, in a match more notable for the lack of ambition and cohesion from the England squad than anything else.  Liverpool's Steward Downing combined with Manchester United's Ashley Young to put the English in front shortly before the half, yet the home side was unable to convincingly put the contest to bed in the match's second half, despite a starting lineup containing considerable EPL 'star power.'  My belief is that this stems from a central midfield that played as if fat, dumb and happy, coasting through the game at three-quarters speed, and lacking the required creativity and quality to link up with the man up top, a bonafide goal scorer who goes by the name of Wayne Rooney.

o In fact, England spent the last fifteen minutes of the match on the back heel, as Wales threw attack after attack at their nearby neighbors.  Sure, the English eventually held out and took all three points for Euro qualifying , but at the risk of being obvious, let me point something out. This was Wales they were playing, not Germany or Holland. At home.

o Indeed, England were very fortunate not to end up with a draw, as Rob Earnshaw somehow conspired to miss a wide open net from point blank range with roughly 15 minutes left, well after England had grown content with their slim one goal lead. I can't figure out how a team spearheaded by Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young can look so blase on offense, but Fabio Capello apparently has. Maybe it has something to do with the forcefield that is Gareth Barry in the midfield.

Time To Go

photo by Unhindered by Talent	via PhotoRee

Saturday's action featured two coaches who've both managed to dramatically overstay their welcome, Fabio Capello and Bob Bradley. Herewith some thoughts on two not-so-pretty games for the English-speaking sides:

o Wembley was declared a "sell out" for the England's Euro 2012 qualifier versus the Swiss on Saturday. Amazingly, a number of fans came dressed as empty seats.....  

o You're kidding me, right? Ads on the sideline at Wembley stated that Carlsberg is the "Offical Beer" of the English national team? What's next?  Newcastle sponsoring Denmark?

o There was some shocking defending by the Three Lions in the first half. Memo to Fabio Capello: Do not use James Milner in a two-man wall. In fact, don't use Milner at all. He's terrible.

Over-Matched vs. Over-Hyped

The Welsh National Team in Pre-game Warm Ups
photo by Jon Evans	via PhotoRee

So, the United Kingdom?  It was somewhat surprising -- to this American at least -- to hear the Welsh crowd in Cardiff yesterday booing the English national anthem. And then the English repaid the favor (or is it favour?).  Her Majesty must have been very pleased with her subjects by the time the game kicked off.

Herewith, a few other brief observations on a contest that was essentially over before it began:

• The Welsh managed to pull off a neat trick: not only did they look like The Ronald McDonald All-stars in their red, white and yellow kits, they played like them, as well, as England jumped out to a quick 2-nil lead in the game's first 20 minutes.

• England looked sharp early on, but let's remember this was a Welsh side that's been leaking goals under bossman Gary Speed. It's a bit like testing out your gameplan on a boys' U-7 side (and the B-team, at that).

Spring Break

photo by Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort	via PhotoRee

I've spent some time during the past several days contemplating the dreaded International Break (okay, not a lot of time, granted, but enough to figure out a solution to an issue that's been vexing me in a matter of minutes).  Although it's obviously come at an opportune time for Manchester United -- allowing the players to heal from the various knocks and niggles which have piled up over the course of the season -- I'm not sure I understand FIFA's scheduling logic that led to the break in the first place.

Surely, there has to be a more sensible way to work out the world football calendar than the manner in which it's currently calculated.  Just as I begin to get really excited about the EPL run-in, and the eight (or nine) games left on my team's schedule, here comes FIFA and UEFA to tell me to hold it, just calm down and wait a week or two, because we've got important friendlies and Euro qualifiers to play .  I know I'm dying to see England square off against Wales, and the USA take on Paraguay, but that could be just me.  The dates of those matches have been etched into my mind since...well, since never, actually.  In truth, I'm not sure I'll even watch either game (unless I need a column idea).

So let me make a proposal here.  Feel free to accept it FIFA, and I won't demand monetary compensation for the idea -- just free tickets for the next World Cup and the naming of the new break as the "FIFA International Break, presented by farlieonfootie."  Let's bunch all of the international matches together, and play them over the course of a month, or even six weeks.  They could be held over a "winter break," during January, for example, or even at the end of the league season (which would now end in April, of course, rather than mid-May).  There.  Was that so hard?  Here's my logic, as well as a quick look at some of the benfits which occur to all parties:

Davey and Goliath

photo by Fried Dough	via PhotoRee

Thoughts on finally viewing some live (ok, tivo'ed to be completely honest, and watched later at night) football yesterday, when England played traditional Euro power Montenegro:

- Do All 600,000 People Living in Montenegro Have Surnames Ending in-vic?  It certainly sounded as if it's a governmental requirement, as announcer Martin Tyler reeled off one -vic after another: Bozovic, Ivanovic, Djalovic, Novakovic and more.  Credit to Tyler for keeping them all straight.

- Losing Serbia Has Turned Montenegro into a Football Superpower. Based, at least, on last night's performance, as well as the Montenegran minnows' results to date in Euro qualifying.  Four shutouts in four games is not bad when you're starting center back is no longer named Vidic.

- England Was Much Too Slow in the First Half, completely off the pace required, and gave Montenegro ample time to marshal their defense.  It seemed as if  England's play took forever to develop, as they were unable to play the ballthrough mid-field quickly enough to open up attacking space....

- The 2nd Half Didn't Look Much Better.  Sure, England looked dangerous in fits and starts, and even came close to scoring on one or two occasions, but they were also an 83rd minute crossbar away from losing 1-nil to Montenegro.  I repeat: 1-nil to Montenegro.  At home.  Enough said.

- Roo's Confidence Must be Well and Truly Shattered.  I know he's not playing well, but backing off 2nd-half free kicks so that Ashley Young and Adam Johnson could take them? That's a new feature to his game, and something that never would have happened last season.

- Game Day Beer Review: Watched the game while drinking a Dogfish Head 2010 Punkin Ale.  Loved this beer last year, but don't find this year's version quite as compelling.  The pumpkin spices, including cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg, seem  more muted than I remember, and the malt flavoring more pronounced.  Still, an excellent beer from one of my favorite American breweries.  Rating: B+

I'd be Remiss (negligent?) if I didn't at least touch on the Liverpool situation: I think it's quite funny that a Manchester United fan could end up owning the club.  Although it's far from certain at this late hour, Peter Lim, who made at least a portion of his vast fortune through the ownership of 14 Manchester United-themed bars in Asia, could be installed by the High Court today as the new owner at Liverpool.  Maybe they'll become a Manchester United farm team, kinda like the Toledo Mud Hens.  A decision is due from the court at 4:30am EST.  Stay tuned.

I'm staying tuned, as well.  This is farlieonfootie for October 13.