Boards
Tuesday Football Thread
Arsenal leave it late to nab a 2-1 win over Newcastle, but are very much worth the three points. Handbags between Krul and Van Persie. Wouldn't argue with anyone called Krul, tbh.
Everton take on Liverpool tonight, a day before Moyes celebrates ten years as manager. Kenwright talks more about his struggles to sell Everton.
Anderson probably out for the season. Does that really matter?
Mancini maintains that the Manc derby will decide where the title goes, so I'll find it hard to stifle laughs if either side fuck up elsewhere.
Basel take a 1-0 lead to Bayern Munich this evening.
Loads of transfer rumours, but it's March ffs.
Arsenal fans in scarf waving shock!
RVP's post match gloating was so inevitable last night, eurgh, horrible fella.
I nearly ate my laptop when I saw that RVP had scored one of the goals.
Barry Ferguson
Nothing wrong with an affectionate rub of the head.
Probably used up our quota of last minute winners for the season
Nice win, though it only takes one bad result and we could nose dive again. Would be happy if we bagged at least seven points before playing Man City.
Worrying amount of glorying in '4 in a row from losing positions'
Yeah, it's great that after a few years of falling apart at the merest hint of adversity we seem to have developed some balls, but the players and Wenger should really be more interested in not conceding daft goals.
All that said, it was a great moment and good to maintain the momentum and positive atmosphere we've been building. We're hugely inconsistent so if we want 3rd/4th then it's vital we pick up points when we're playing well.
Oh and, as I'm sure people are going to bring it up, Robin was being a bit of a cock, is anyone that surprised? I really hate time wasting though, so fuck Krul.
He was no different to any other keeper including your own
Pretty sure he was, but whatever
Dutch footballers act like dicks, world keeps turning
Apparently while Krul and RVP were arguing after the goal
Szczesny strolled to the centre circle and moved the ball to the corner flag.
He then pretended to pick a fight with the ball-boy that came on to retrieve it.
I hope there's a video of that
Szczesny is fast becoming one of my favourite players
for now
this will have to do http://twitpic.com/8vp6gb
I think time wasting is fine, once you get to a certain point of the game.
A point away at Arsenal would have been a very good result for Newcastle. I can understand why Arsenal players wouldn't have been pleased with time wasting, but don't think there's anything wrong with it in principle at a late stage of a game, within reason anyway. What irks me is sides that do it from kick off, like Stoke. So, so tedious.
Had to laugh a few years ago during our 3-3 draw with Villa. Flagrant time wasting at 2-1 up is what gave them the time to score an equaliser. Irony, eh?
He was getting grief for time wasting from about 10 in
... from Arsenal players.
Meh, don't think Krul wants hanging for alleged time wasting and can't say I'm particularly outraged by Van Persie being a bit of a smug bell, either.
I kinda thought
the time wasting early in games (as Krul did last night) was designed to upset the flow of the game, to break our momentum/rhythm etc. rather than play for a draw. Same reason Stoke do it all the time, make the game choppy.
Bit of both, probably.
Rarely seen Stoke play for anything other than a point away from home, but that's a different matter I guess.
Don't think there's anything inherently wrong with time wasting.
You got to do what you got to do to secure a result. Drogba has made an art out of heading to the corner flag. Of course it can be rather cynical and infuriating which is why I take a sliver of pleasure from seeing teams race up the other end to score.
It reaches a point in some games where it's the only sensible thing to do.
I hate hearing crowds baying for sides with a slender lead to steam forward with not much time on the clock. It's suicide.
Apparently we're going to nab Raheem Sterling off Liverpool
because he hasn't settled in the city and has failed to make the first team appearances he's been promised. *shrug*
Meh.
He's looked excellent for the reserves, but I can't really see the harm in selling a player who's kicking up a fuss about not getting first team football when he's 17 years old. Plus he's tiny; if we played him in the league someone like Robert Huth would literally eat him.
Sweet
I think we've got a sell on clause, which would be nice.
We were so desperate to keep him that Magilton offered him a starting berth aged 15
Everton go above Liverpool if they win tonight, don't they?
Van Persie's trolling face :D
There isn't a single picture of Van Persie/Krul-gate that isn't funny
http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptussowexperts/ee31af5b4daed04d7e795123ebfcb472-getty-509600444.jpg
still my fave
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/420404_10150619365058477_509073476_9109219_367473596_n.jpg
:D
Such a bastard.
trollface.jpg
Awesome
Bookmarked that for the next time someone asks me what the phrase 'shit-eating grin' means.
:D
looks like that crying City fan's having his five minutes
'The Manchester City fan captured in tears on camera during the Blues’ defeat at Swansea today claimed: "I wasn’t crying, I was just frustrated and very tired."'
that fucking picture ffs. :'D
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1488096_exclusive-crying-manchester-city-fan-john-millington-says-he-was-just-very-tired
...
'It was sheer frustration. I’ve been watching City for 21 years and we’ve always been second best.'
Second best represents quite upturn in City's fortunes, tbf.
Best thing about sitting in an upper stand is never being caught by TV cameras.
that's the thing
after all the shit they've endured over the years, you'd think he'd at least make an effort to try and enjoy watching the likes of Silva, Aguero and GazBaz. What a slapped arse.
smells like rag conspiracy tbh
He's not crying
It's just been raining on his face
loved vermaelen's goal last night
literally nothing better in football than a defender storming up the pitch with a purpose and scoring
SUBTHREAD:
this is my favourite example
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSqQBXQZpT0
lovely stuff, terrible goalkeeping
i like to think it's because he would never expect a centre back to glide past him like that
i mean he's got his socks rolled down playing in defence in the 2000s ffs
I'd like to repeat a thought I had last night
If QPR go down, do you reckon Hughes will stay and how will he fare?
Right, I'm off to dig out that thread where I predicted Arsenal to be in the top 4 after their opening 7 games. I'll overlook the part that had Swansea bottom...
he'll stay
Hughes will come good for QPR, I think he's a good manager. Did a fine job at Wales/Blackburn/Fulham, decent one at Man City. He just keeps coming off worse and worse as each season goes on
I can't see him staying if they get relegated
Not in a million years. I doubt they could afford to continue paying his wages, apart from anything else. I still think they'll stay up though - as you say, he's a good manager, he's got by far the strongest squad of the bottom 5, and they've only been a little bit of luck away from comfortably pulling clear of the drop zone. That said, West Ham went down in 2003 under very similar circumstances - people saying "They've got the players, they'll start getting the results eventually" - but still, I think they'll be okay, yeah.
Yeah, agree with this
There's a good side at QPR, capable of some entertaining football that's hampered by bad luck and a stunning ability to continuously shot itself in the foot. As proven time and time again, there is no such thing as too good to go down - if you were that good you wouldn't be in this mess.
The one thing that makes me think he would stay is after his sacking at City and the way he walked out on Fulham, taking us down and then leaving - surely his stock could get no lower and he'd be better served staying with us. That is of course presuming some semblance of self awareness that I'm not sure Hughes posseses
It's got *mutual consent* written all over it
No chance
He'll try to shove all the blame on Warnock/the owners, wait a few weeks for a call from Chelsea and then give up and take the Villa job.
Must make him well angry that the Chelsea job became available
so soon after he went to QPR.
I wonder if we deliberately waited until he was taken ...
I'd really like to have seen his face when Villa gave McLeish the job after he'd already quit Fulham
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Clubs/Club_Home/2011/10/24/1319457315581/Mark-Hughes-and-Mohamed-A-007.jpg
to be fair, our previous owners do have to take a large share of the blame
They refused to sell to the Mittals in early July, then didn't sign the club over to the Fernandes/Bhatia dream team in mid August.
We in essence had no preseason and had to throw a team together in 6 days. We've always been behind the curve from then on. Obviously the team and the managers have to take their share, but our performances have been indicative of the turmoil those wankers caused
King Kenny apparently defending his reign
by saying kit deals are as important as points.
As an Arsenal fan, with all the financial chat we've had lately I can understand the point, but not exactly a great time to come out with a statement like that, makes it seem like he's clutching at straws.
(although having read his more detailed statement this is somewhat taken out of context)
What did he actually say?
From that alone, I think he has a point. To what degree he's responsible for kit deals is another issue.
Yeah the thought did cross my mind
That he's hardly going to have organised the kit deals himself.
Here's what he said in the Guardian:
There are many ways you can judge a season and the best way is progress at the football club as a whole. I don't think it necessarily relates to trophies or points.
You can measure it by how the club has progressed and where it is, from the first team to the kids. Off the pitch, especially, the club is a lot stronger than what it was. You go off the pitch and see how much money we are getting through sponsorship and kit deals [the club signed a deal with US-based Warrior Sports in January worth a potential £300m over six years].
You look at the academy and see how much better it is. You look around here [at Melwood] and most of the people have got a smile on their faces now. The squad is stronger than it was last year. What other areas are there to improve on – apart from points?
---
Reasonable enough I guess, but folks aren't really going to want to hear about how great things are going outside of their league form. It's an odd time to come out with a defensive statement like that, he could've waxed lyrical about how well the club was doing off-the-field just after the cup win and it would've seemed a lot more positive.
It's much like the organiser of Field Day's massive 'We're having a great time in the VIP area' shout
The headline is clearly misleading
The Guardian's football coverage is getting worse by the week.
People say it's all about points
but the toilets here have never been cleaner.
:D
So basically he has all possible resources available to him
and he's still doing a shit job? Is that what he's saying?
.
It's interesting that none of the factors he uses to judge the success of the club's season are any of his responsibility. Can you imagine if Woy had said something like that?
That Guardian piece is a typically horrible, misrepresentative piece of journalism from them.
I'm no Kenny apologist but all he's basically saying is that him and his team have got Liverpool into a decent shape behind the scenes and that the club, as a whole, is operating as it should do. He says all that's lacking is the points which is, in essence, true. Sure, I'm not a fan of the fact that we live in a footballing era where shirt sponsorship deals provide clubs with much needed revenue but... we are.
Nothing wrong with ensuring the back end is all tip-top, it's important, but we do need to perform. Which Kenny concedes.
However, one does wish Kenny was a bit more candid about this season's failings. It's been a terrible season and he needs to show significant signs of improvement next. I'm all about giving him time to build a squash but 7th is absolutely not good enough.
A squash - A SQUASH!
I meant a squad. Cheers.
Dorchester are travelling up to Woking tonight
We have a superb manager and squad but I reckon they'll still be too much for us at their place.
5 minutes?
Fair enough though, Arsenal deserved the three points. RVP - that's no way for a captain to act, could've got himself sent off, really not respecting his team mates at all.
Ameobi was superb when he came on last night, and I'm really not in the habit of saying that.
5 minutes though, seriously? WHere did it come from?
Do you really need to ask?
there was no way Krul was holding the ball for more than about 1 minute in total for the entire match!
and if he was, then why didn't the ref give an indirect freekick at the time?
We had 2 minutes in lieu
carried forward from the Milan game last week. Football's on flexi-time these days, just use it wisely..
Also, Pearce is going to take us to the euro's....isn't he.
The reaction of the press if Redknapp doesn't take the job is going to be incredible
They've already started complaining about the FA 'dragging their feet' as if Bernstein should have just jumped in the first cab to White Hart Lane and started banging on Levy's door
I agree, I just think it's really funny to watch the FA try and s-l-o-wly
e-v-e-r so slowly bring the country around to the fact that they will in fact not get a new manager and Pearce will manage during the Euro's.
It'll definitely happen.
i love all this mock outrage
about van persie's behaviour. so one player was arguing and taking the piss out of another???? woop-di-do. it's soooooooo not becoming of a captain ;0
i find the whole thing hilarious
you obviously don't quite grasp the context of it then
Are you holding Krul's handbag for him there?
What context?
Time-wasting goalie concedes the winner in the final minute of injury time, opposition player gives him some grief in a language he understands. Seems pretty funny to me.
Do you have google alerts set up for when someone says something bad about Newcastle in the football thread?
No, I view the football thread and put my opinions across accordingly.
same as everyone else.
for the record my opinion on last night, deservred to lose. Stinker to lose in the last min when we'd hung on. Van persies (as captain) actions wern't particualy pleasant and just made him look like a knob. Krul might have been taking his time but I don't think was doing it anymore than any other keeper, (something the commentator also highlighted.) Thats my opinion, i am allowed to have it and thats all I have said in this thread. I am not the uber emotional defensive fan you seem to think I am.
Chill out, wee man
What do you think of Krul's actions?
i'm not wound up?
I think Krul had been wound up all game by van persie and while his actions at the end were regrettable it's understandable given the goading van persie was throwing his was after conceeding so late.
Chill out, wee man
Didn't the dispute start because of Krul's timewasting? Rather than van Persie's inherent uncaptainly evilness.
Not defending van Persie as such, but I'm surprised at the amount of self-righteous hand-wringing that's going on over this.
to be honest I am not that bothered about him taking
issue about the timewasting but it was the unclassy goading after they had scored which really wasnt pretty to see and obviously Krul kinda snapped a little. Even if Krul had been timewasting I don't he or the team deserved that and it only served to show Van Persie in a light that in my opinion shouldn't happen as a captain.
bf
Meh, I only think it happened because they know each other internationally, so any shabs and bants would have been more likely to cross the line. In the heat of the moment, if a keeper has been trying to wind the clock down all game and then concedes in injury time then I don't think it's uncaptainly to give him some grief. Just quite funny.
Anyway, it'll all seem even funnier when Holland are running down the clock against Spain in the final of the Euros.
I'm not massively indignant about this issue,
but i think people in this thread are playing down VP's attitude quite a lot. I mean, he had to be dragged away by his (in some cases much junior) team mates before getting himself into an embarrassing ant potentially red card worthy fracas. It might sound over moralistic but that's not a way for the captain to behave.
I know, I know
But handbags is one of the greatest things about football, I'm just getting painful memories of the good old days when Arsenal - Man U always turned into a massive brawl and every pundit and commentator had to give a po-faced 'bad for the game' quote instead of just laughing about it.
Without meaning to drag this out much longer;
What, in Van Persie's actions, was a potential sending off? I've heard that point made a few times today and I don't see it.
Yeah, he provoked Krul and was being a bit of a penis, but Krul is the one who caused all the handbags etc by running 40 yards to have a little cry. Only seen a couple of clips, but don't think Robin raised his hands to anybody, despite getting shoved by a number of Newcastle players.
yeah I'm not saying he deserved a red card
but if he hadn't been led away from the situation he could have ended up in a pushing match that got too close to the face, and oops i've been sent off in the 98th minute.
It's only dragged out
because too many people don't see any middle ground between being a cock and being WORSE THAN HITLER!!11
RvP has acted like a dick many, many times on the pitch, as have countless other footballers. It doesn't affect his ability in the slightest and it's rarely been of any consequence beyond mild disdain.
Personally, I'll reserve the most righteous of my indignation for some higher-level bellendry.
apparently
City haven’t scored an away league goal from open play since Chelsea. That was in December
absolutely loving the Ox
his volley that went over the bar was teh sex. Any chance he will make it into the squad for the Euros or is it too early?
that was beautiful
I think he will be in the squad. how could you bear to leave him out?
No way, you want some experienced wingers
like Adam Johnson, Aaron Lennon, Stewart Downing. Players with a proven ability to be a bit pony at international tournaments.
In the interests of the lad's career
England should not take him
why not?
He's playing better than any other English winger at the moment. He put in good performances against United and Milan so he's proven he can hack it against top teams
I don't really understand the picking players too early for England ruins their careers logic.
Perhaps someone could enlighten me.
Because if he goes and plays well
It will set ridiculous expectations for the media to break him with later
If he plays badly - disgrace scrap
If he doesn't play at all - gor, he must be shit
Basically to protect him from Walcott Hattrick Syndrome
I don't agree with any of this really
You can't play to the media's tune on it too much, if he's good enough stick him in. It should be a footballing decision before a PR one, by a long long stretch.
And the comparison to Walcott is unfair because Theo is the most spineless scaredy-cat in the history of football.
Just because it's happened to Walcott
doesn't mean it'll happen to every young player. As it happens, I'd say he's probably already a better player than Walcott.
If he's good enough, he's old enough.
Exactly, being picked at this age didn't break Rooney.
Depends on the player.
That's the same Wayne Rooney who had a great first tournament
and has either missed or been completely shit at the 3 tournaments since then?
(for the record, I think The Ox should go to the Euros
but I also agree with not placing too much expectation on unproven players).
He's had injury issues around tournaments
and the team as a whole has been shit.
Not sure he was injured for the last World Cup was he?
Just very, very shit.
Unfair to single him out when everyone else was shit though.
Team game and all that.
I don't know about unfair
He was one of the worst performers, even more so in terms of expectation. He's indisputably one of the big daddies of the squad, so I think he deserves more grief than say, Heskey or Lennon, or any other player who you could hardly expect to set the tournament alight.
Well,
doesn't the fact that he was expected to play well enough to carry a poor team back up my original point that his career for England thus far has quite good, and not ruined by being the youngest player to ever be called up at the time?
see down there v
He was expected to carry the team because he's a 30 goal a season domestic striker who gets paid £200,000+ every single week. His international record isn't that great. I take your point that he hasn't necessarily been broken by starting internationals young, but I don't think he's a good example to use for either side of the argument.
Anyway, whatever whatever
I actually agree that we should take a young squad to the Euros, I just don't think Rooney can be used as a poster-boy for successfully breaking into internationals at a young age.
Yeh I could have picked someone better to illustrate that point.
Owen?
...wait.
I think the problem is trying to find a England player to illustrate a point about successful international careers
I'd have just gone with Pele to be honest.
Rooney was widely hyped up as potentially a world class player though
Ox has come in and played quite well.
Mostly i think the Euros are a bit of a write off, I'd actually go against common logic and not taint the youngsters with failure and send all the old cunts we all hate then start afresh for the World Cup qualifiers.
But you all disagree so I guess I'm wrong
Don't see what hype has to do with it.
Everyone thinks the Euros are a write-off, so it's the perfect time to blood some youngsters. If they fail it won't be a big deal because no one expects us to do anything anyway.
Also, better to get them some tournament experience at the Euros than at the World Cup I think.
Look mate, I haven't really thought this through and only have a vague understand of what I mean
Can you stop asking questions that require some engagement? You're making me look bad
:)
Sorry pal.
No he hasn't
He's played well in two games, there's a massive difference between those two propositions
I never said they're the only 2 games he's played well in
I was just citing that he has had good games against the best, amongst others.
Arsenal fans must be buzzing at the minute.
Just to think, only three or four weeks ago they were fifteen points off the top of the league and out of all cup competitions.
I guess its just a great feeling to be a supporter of a team in form right now
Rather than, say, one that has just been totally outplayed by Swansea and the 4th best team in Portugal.
AHAHA.
Porto, Benfica ...
Erm, Braga? Boavista? Belenseseseseseses?
Boavista is fun to say. Do they even exist any more?
Boavista have my favourite shirts in world football so they better bloody not've.
:(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boavista_F.C.
Built a new stadium then totally fucked it up and currently in the Third Division.
Was at emirates last night
Until the 2nd goal things were terrifyingly silent for a team in good form. Felt like a funeral.
Was at Elland Road last night
it smelt of wee and poo.
As well as being in Leeds and not even owned by the club.
Who are in The Championship. And owned by Ken Bates.
Silent's actually an improvement
on recent goings on.
Why is the Merseyside derby so tame compared to other big derbies?
Sure, you get the odd red card, but i can't get my head around the supporters sitting together/Friendly derby stuff. You hear people say that "in Liverpool, you support either one or the other, and families are mixed, etc, etc", but that's no different to most other big two-club cities/towns.
Is the serious answer that the Hillsbrough tragedy brought the supporters of both clubs together, or are there other reasons? If not, i think it's especially weird given Liverpool's a city full of gangsters, wannabe boxers, tealeaves and other assorted numpties. You'd have thought it would've been one of the most edgy derbies around.
A response with no real value would go something like this:
Having spent a lot of time in Manchester and Liverpool, I'd say the main difference between them is that Liverpool is massively edgy but much much more friendly. Maybe they all sit together, have a massive fight afterwards, and then go to the pub and have a pint together afterwards.
Sagna. You're doing it wrong.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27453474@N02/6977506871/
I can't get this out of my head:
The film Gladiator yeah? The bit where the Roman soldiers go to kill Russell Crowe's wife and kid, and the boy runs down the path to meet them thinking Daddy's come home, you know that bit yeah? Well to me this photo seems to mimic that exact moment - something about Cabaye's stance, helpless in the unrelenting and monstrous path of Sagna's rage, just makes me want to weep for him.
well, there is distinction from Glasgow
in that though Liverpool/Celtic, Everton/Rangers have ties the religious divide is no where near as strong/tribal on the Mersey
is the Celtic/Liverpool link any bigger than the Celtic/United link?
didn't actually know of any tie between Everton and Rangers, beyond quite a few player sales down the years. I've heard it said that there's a link between City and Rangers, but there isn't.
Isn't it just in both cases that one team in the city's linked with Celtic simply because there have historically been so many Irish people/fairweather supporters in both cities?
partly yeah
Everton/Rangers are historically connected from the shipyards (as are Chelsea?) its not really that strong anymore, alot of my Celtic/Catholic pals are more into Everton these days
I see United are sticking to their "we won't be held to ransom" promise...
by agreeing to match the £2m + £45k a week Paul Pogba and his agent have been asking for.
...and this is clearlyt the wrong thread.
ah, right, no, it's not...
it'd just BROKE.
amazing
that you are criticising United for giving in to players' demands, no?
no.
would rather have pogba at an inflated price
than have dead wood earning 100k+ a week until their contracts run out. I think the issue was probably with the agent, he's known as a bit of a knob, isn't he?
I'm guessing so
since he represents SuperMario and Z.Ibra.
dead wood earning £100k a week?
no need to bring Anderson into it, mate.
:D
wayne bridge - 90k, not in 25 man squad last year.
adebayor - 170k, sent him out on loan (bet you wish he was back now so you wouldn't need Carlito)
bellamy - 85k? (I think...shipped to reserves, loaned to cardiff and finally left for free after being arguably your brightest player in 2010.)
Anderson is a crock of shite but that's all the more reason to tie Pog down. I'd get Modric in but that's just me.
I love how casual you are about getting Modric in
I suppose
it should read, on FM I always get Modric in. Obviously we are massively priced out of the market and it's a big worry, but it takes the piss when City fans are sniping at us signing a promising talent down...as oppose to signing them up then ruining their careers.
Wouldn't let it get to you pal
and, when
all the Sneijder shit was happening, I couldn't see why we would shell out that kind of money for a 27-year-old, when Modric is a year younger and sits in a deeper position, helping us to play from the middle far better than giving Wesley a free role would.
I moved to Manchester
about 2 years too late.
I'd take Modric in a heartbeat
Wonderful player, an absolute joy to watch and near enough exactly what we need (along with the more pressing need for a midfield bastard)
Not gonna happen though is it.
to put it very simply...
Modric would cost £40m+, and United just don't have that kind of money to spend on one player.
I quite enjoy this "we'll just sign *insert one of the top players in the world*" talk from United fans. When have they ever actually done this?
In my opinion, they don't need to.
Veron
Oh
(DISCLAIMER: I actually think his shitness for us is very much overstated, he was a class act)
Wayne Bridge plays for Sunderland.
Adebayor plays for Spurs, as you allude to.
Craig Bellamy plays for Liverpool.
I'm afraid i'm going to have to move on to the next caller...
...Unfortunately it's the Bournemouth chairman
All those things I was saying the other day about how I'm glad we didn't bow to his unreasonable demands etc
Not that. Anything I might have said about him not making it can be discounted as well.
FIX (+5)
Hai.
Remember when we started that World Cup football blog but fucked it off after about two weeks...then Verbal started his own blog and fucked it off after about two weeks...i've been thinking that it'd be cool to start following a few obscurish (by general standards, not brusma standards) leagues from around the world for the rest of the season. We could either do it on a blog, or even just on here.
Would this be a completely pointless idea we'd initially be optimistic about but sack off within a fortnight again? I think it probably would be.
Could be cool, though, particularly if the leagues we pick are proper, proper shit.
actually, who's the lad who was covering the Finnish league that time?
Someone was doing the Estonian league for a bit.
Can't remember who though.
Bamos used to do that tinpot league with Gedling Miners Welfare in it as well.
moribund still tweets regularly about the Estonian league
how about the Europa League?
;-D
Bigger than the Champions League now.
I might remind you you said that when Chelsea's group is drawn next season
Nyíregyháza Spartacus, here we come!
The one potential good thing about the Europa is getting to play some different teams
and go to some weird away games.
It is sod's law we'll just get Liverpool and Porto though.
I'd much rather be in the Europa League from the start
then end up in it after going out of the Champion's League- could actually be considered some sort of achievement if you went on to win that way.
Still, I'd rather not be in it at all. The most compelling reason to finish 5th rather than 6th or 7th if 4th place proves too much is to avoid further embarassment.
you've just reminded me i need to start mine up again
NEW FOR 2012
I like this idea.
How are we supposed to follow these leagues in any detail though? I have enough trouble inding decent streams of Premiership games sometimes, let alone the Mexican Primera.
Never mind, I've just realised the Mexican Primera Division is on FIFA.
I'll do a season on that and pretend it's real. Not like anybody's going to check.
the scores app i use now updates regularly with Kenyan Premier League scores
now i can follow Mathare United wherever i am
Ahem
http://meistriliiga.blogspot.com/
Probably the shittest league in Europe.
:DD
http://i.imgur.com/cA538.jpg
Can't believe that none of you guys
have noticed Worcester City's unstoppable rise to seventh in the BSN.
If Hereford continue as they are we might even get a Worcester vs Hereford derby next season. Keep your diaries free, fellas.
Goals from last night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WWIg1unkDk4
Two screamers both from outside the box.
Merseyside derby score predictions?
i'm gonna stick my neck out and say 1-1.
1-0 Everton
Gibson to score from outside the box
via a deflection off someone's arse?
I know Giggsy gets about, but...
http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/David-Silva.jpg
amazing.
Everton start without Cahill, Osman, Neville, Heitinga and Drenthe
So much for the whole "overtaking Liverpool" build-up narrative.
Cup quarter final on the weekend.
I'm sure teams, players and managers always want to win derbies, but for Everton, given that they'll neither go down nor qualify for the Champions League (obviously), that's probably the bigger game. Moyes will be desperate to get that trophy this season, and i sort of hope they do it.
I still think a draw's the most likely result tonight, but Everton are touching 5/1, which seems a bit long. Won't be touching it, though, given the team news and Everton's record there.
1-1.
touching post
!
don't get it pal
sorry
undeserved, really.
think Everton have shaded it.
They've looked better going forward...
...but I think either team going in at HT 1-0 would be fair enough.
Mazza Gomez knows where the onion is, man.
phenomenal player
especially over the past two seasons. completely different to the guffer we saw at euro 2008.
one of the best strikers in the world, for sure.
Liverpool are ghey
currently not enjoying the derby
to be expected with the team that's out there, but we could take a 5 or 6 here
three subs?!?!
pre 60 minutes?!?!
...unprecedented scenes
Neither side has any real quality in the final third.
Particularly Everton.
With your home crowd behind you, you might sometimes get a goal and hold out, but they're going to struggle away from against any decent side, as the table shows.
A goalscoring midfielder can be the difference in those circumstances. That slow lad with the bouffant used to offer that, but he's turned into an average midfield clogger now.
nah
their away record at sides above them...
played 7
won 0
drew 1
lost 6
scored 3
conceded 13 (so far)
Between Barca and Bayern,
I kind hope Chelsea don't make it through tomorrow ...
That'll be the sack for Claudio Ranieri then.
and a swift return to management for villas-boas...
Nah.
He won't be stepping into Uncle Jose's shadow again.
That cat's going to Valencia in the summer. Heard it hear first.
* here, ffs.
I hope not, for his sake.
I was doing a twitter search for “Basel brushed” and then twitter broke hmm
ah poop
Baines aside, an abysmal performance all round. Made Liverpool look a good side, ffs.
oh well - gonna win the cup anyway so no sweat
i thought Everton edged the first half
if you'd have put out your strongest 11 I reckon it might have been a different story, i.e. replicated that first half vs Spurs.
A solid victory against a weak Everton team.
A pyrrhic 3 points but I'll take 'em.
Carroll does a better job in defence these days. Might be worth squeezing him back there when Carragher retires.
Just had a look at the table, for the first time in a while.
Had no idea Liverpool would still be 7 points behind us after winning tonight. They must have been far worse for far longer than I'd gathered.
This result takes us to 8 points from a possible 27 for 2012
We've been pretty appalling in the games where we've got points as well (Stoke at home, Christ alive). Catching Newcastle looks to be the priority for the rest of the season.
On the plus side, past the 40 point mark! Safe from relegation for another season. Ye gods.
Played Colchester
9 point gap confirmed. Please get it back together now, lads.
SPECIAL AGENT WILSON
commence final stage of operation choking pig
apparently yoonited players fighting with each other :''''')
all unravelling at sheffield 2 at the moment. if we can keep picking apart teams like we have in jones' past two matches then we'll be following you up automatically.
They're not playing very well at the moment are they?
Not that we are (except, curiously, from the game I attended, where we walked all over Stevenage)
But yeah, they're stumbling with gratifying regularity. Huddersfield will be licking their lips too, though, so don't get too cocky. You've found form but form is pretty temporary in League One. That said, it looks like you've made a good managerial appointment - one more bad result for United and you'll be favourites for 2nd