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Monday Football thread
The Scousers enjoy the sun at the top of the Premier League after the weekend's results.
Arsenal v Chelsea tonight could see that change, however. I'm going to stick my neck out and predict a 1 - 1 draw.
In other news, West Ham defender James Tomkins has been charged with assaulting a copper at a discotheque in Essex.
Anything else?
That bit where Les Ferdinand and Tim Sherwood were gesticulating for ages
That bit whee Chris Foy gave Adebayor the stink-eye for his twatty dancing
That bit where Januzaj is really fucking good but a bit cheaty
That bit where Ross Barkley spoke in an interview again
Not really keen on Barkley's new do.
A skinhead doesn't suit him.
I don't think there's anything else
but this thread is my hope for today so let's keep it rolling
Given no one could be arsed starting the thread until half eleven
I wouldn't hold your breath.
tim sherwood is really dislikable isnt he?
Demanding the job as well after 5 mins. Awful man.
He's a big prick
Refused to give my mate an autograph when we were kids as well
I quite like his moxy
He's a man
who knows he's got two weeks at most to give it the big un, and doesn't intend to waste it.
learning
the Harry Redknapp ways!
What a cunt Barton is
And people clapped him off! I couldn't believe it
I don't understand it
I was devastated at the hero worship he got at first match of the season.
Fucking cannot stand the prick.
Ref was shit but thought he got the sending off pretty right.
Austin looks KNACKERED. Whatever happened to "the Uruguayan lad"? Easiest money anyone's ever earnt. Followed him on twitter for a bit when we signed him. He appears to be addicted to FarmVille or something.
My dad and I first game of the season were like how badly is he going to get booed
Yet it was like the second coming of the messiah. Don't get it at all. I hate him, but was prepared to tolerate him as long as he worked hard and put his head down. Knew he was going to get binned as he was gobbing off at the ref all game - ref had to bring over Hill to remind Barton who the captain was.
Chevanton only had a contract to Christmas Eve and not being extended apparently. Cue Crouch chat for the whole of January.
Ref was terrible, he had no control of the game at all. Thought 2 of our penalty shouts were pretty hokey, but that Benayoun one was definitely a penalty. Way we played on Sat though probably would've missed it
Was outraged by BAE trying to attack Austin - Austin runs his arse off in a role not natural to him.
I was embarrassed when he got a standing ovation
Chevanton looked good for the 13 minutes I saw him play. Bit odd that he never got a single chance. Why on earth would anyone ever give Redknapp any money to sign players? Surely Hitchcock could have sat on the bench and the club could have saved about 100 grand (I realise it's likely to be far more than this)
BAE vs Austin was mad. It was the wrong ball from BAE, but then Austin went for it and BAE was aiming at Krancjar. Austin told him to where to go - mostly because he looks shattered - and BAE just went off. I've never seen him look remotely bothered before. He'll be off and we'll miss him, but Traore's pace might be useful. Shame Traore is absolutely fucking shit at defending mind.
Crouch and Taylor are going to be our constant January rumours. Wish we'd stop signing players on such ridiculous wages. Do they honestly not give a fuck about this supposed Financial Fair Play thing?
i liked sherwood's post-match interview
the atmosphere at Old Trafford is so much better now, actually worth going.
can't help but wonder how hyped pogba would be if he'd stayed in Utd looking at how revered Januzaj is.
i hope we're really good again today
We're rested (and no one's ill probably) this time so no real excuses except for vermaelen if he fucks up, and he's not even a good excuse.
He will do something impulsive
that, if not leading directly to a goal, will put his team mates under undue pressure which then leads to a goal. The guy's a liability.
We'll let in 2 or 3 tonight, in a one-goal loss.
Unbelievably bored. Love christmas football though.
Think a few of the big games will tell us a lot about the title race.
Given Spurs and Man Utd's fixtures, I can see them both getting 7 points and weaselling their way into conversation again.
Liverpool's next two matches are massive and if they can come away with 2 points or more (+ 3 at home to Hull), no embarrassments and their midfield looking as great + Suarez maintaining his path to having the best season by anyone ever, I'd genuinely start considering them title contenders, especially given all their rivals european commitments later on, while Liverpool have got a decent run.
Chelsea I expect to falter, playing 3 tricky games in 9 days. Tons of depth but a few injuries and a lot of players looking crap. I'd be very surprised if they get more than five points,
think Arsenal will drop points tonight and at St. James's too.
City you'd expect to get 6 points from Palace/Swansea, so they still should be in a decent position regardless of the Liverpool result
Can see Everton winning all 3 matches, given their routine run. And with all the teams around them playing eachother, they should be minimum 3rd, maybe even top going into FA Cup weekend. Which would be absolutely mental
the way you word stuff sometimes
Makes you sound like one of the many many ex-Liverpool pundits on tv.
no offence
we totally showed them up at the emirates, i dunno why it's be any different for city or Chelsea. Wouldn't mind if Liverpool did get points off both though, theyre not gonna win the title (c.f their loss to hull like 3 weeks ago)
More or less this
whilst MOTD and the media were busy jacking off over Suarez, I saw a supremely hooky defence get away with two solid penalty appeals and let the easiest set-piece you'll ever see in whilst a callow midfield lost control a bit in the second half against a very ordinary and fraught Cardiff side. Not going to pretend our defence isn't clownish as well and it's definitely a much more impressive Liverpool side than those of recent vintage but we really should be sticking enough past them to win on Boxing Day.
I've not said that Liverpool sh/would get anything
I'd predict maybe 4-2 to City.
But, considering Liverpool have got a considerably more troublesome attack than Arsenal (scored 3, could've had more) and Fulham, you'd have to say they'd score. And while Liverpool's defence has looked pretty suspect lately, there's personnel there that are capable of containing and Aguero-less City to less than a thrashing - Sakho and Mignolet in particular could have excellent matches. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that Liverpool could get a point - and even more likely against a tired Chelsea who look pretty dodgy front and back.
The post above just says that in the event of points taken from city and chelsea, they should be taken more seriously. It's a pretty big caveat.
:D
read Nestor's post in a Lawrenson voice and you're spot on.
we've got a tricky fixture coming up
We always struggle over the xmas break.
Our chairman has fallen out with our assistant manager.
Etc
today ive mostly been thinking about
Kompany scoring that own goal and then crying actual tears of blood
I'm taking advantage of bet365's free in-play bet offer on the Arsenal Chelsea game
by putting £50 on Arsenal or Chelsea pre-game and then £50 on a draw once the game starts. If if it's a draw I earn £70, if it's not a draw I earn £16.66. Thanks.
let's hear it for king tipper everyone
printing money.
what if someone scores after about 7 seconds?
I think it changes to in-play just before the game actually kicks off
Yeah it's already on the In-Play bit now
could be cancelled later
how does everyone think their team will do in the 3 xmas/ny games?
Utd have Hull away, Norwich away, Spurs home.
Absentees: Carrick, Vidic, Van Persie, Nani, Fellaini, Welbeck, Ferdinand.
Think this will be a big test for Moyesylad. Under Fergie you'd expect 7 from 9 minimum, but Hull have been good at home this season and who knows how Spurs will perform under the best manager in the world. Based on current form with Vidic/Carrick/RVP missing from the spine i'll probably go for a conservative 5/9.
LINEUPS:
DDG/Rafael/Evans/Smalling/Evra/Young/Cleverley/Jones/Januzaj/Kagawa/Rooney
DDG/Fabio/Smalling/Evans/Buttner/Valencia/Anderson/Fletcher/Giggs/Zaha/Hernandez
DDG/Rafael/Evans/Smalling/Evra/Valencia/Cleverley/Jones/Januzaj/Kagawa/Rooney
yup. pretty bored.
I'd have to say, they'll lose them all while playing horrible football
cheers.
you were really bad on saturday
morrison did nowt particularly
correct.
Imagine we'll win our home games and draw against Swansea.
7 points has to be the minimum return really. The loss of Aguero isn't as much of a concern as it should be, I just hope what Pellegrini takes from the Fulham game is that playing Negredo and Dzeko in a 4-4-2 is an absolute wally move. I have faith that Jovetic can stop puking long enough to feature at some point, and that Pabzab will be in contention for the Swansea game.
Dunno really (spurs)
i'll go for a win and a draw against West Brom and Stoke and a defeat at Old Trafford.
Maybe a Bentaleb inspired team will cruise to 9 points who knows
rotherham on boxing day is the big one
but steve evans has got under our collective skin so well that i can't imagine us taking a point against one of his sides ever again. scored 0 conceded 12 in the last 4 meetings.
think we'll LOSE to rotherham
BEAT swindon
DRAW at notts county
could easily lose all 3 though
I think Liverpool *could* beat us.
There are actual tactical reasons and form reasons though, not the usual anti-bants like saying we'll lose to Spurs or West Brom. Think it's probably a much bigger game for them than us as well.
Should beat Palace. Should beat Swansea if we play to our best, but they always raise their game against us and we've not scored at the Liberty yet, so would probably take a draw.
5 points from 9 would do me, given that we've won six and drawn one of our seven games in December thus far.
sheffield wednesday
NOWINSLOL
Keep thinking Chelsea are gonna win 3-0 tonight
:(
Nah.
I mean, they have to be huge favourites to win given who they're playing, but not 0-3. Maybe 1-2.
Tbh, though, it's one of those win/win games. Either Arsenal lose again, Chelsea lose again, or they both drop points. Probably best for us if Arsenal win, though, as Chelsea will inevitably click into gear at some point and win the title by beating everyone outside of the top four 2-0.
Chelsea not even playing their strongest side.
Dreadful game.
Two average sides too scared to lose.
Savage sounds like he's commentating on a funeral
Savage sound drunk
Arsenal are diving all over the place here.
Can see some moral points being awarded at the end of this one.
yeah..
that's probably a red card challenge from mikel isnt it
horror challenge by Rosicky there.
at least a yellow.
Are we really doing this?
It's Christmas.
?
Come again...
Come on now
*opens arms, tilts head to one side*
ramsey's gone massively off the boil
quite upsetting.
Abandoning the double pivot hasnt helped i don't think. We're basically playing 4-1-4-1, and i'm pretty sure it hasn't worked since it was implemented (about Everton sort of time).
Really rubbish performance so far.
Imagine being that guy waiting on a Ramsey goal to win half a million quid
Sherwood appointed as Spurs' manager to the end of next season.
Sherwood appointed Spurs pemanent manager.
2-year deal.
WOW!
can't expect ramires not to step on at least one of your players' ankles
and gratuitously dive/feign injury
jfc.
you'd honestly have to be a fucking retard to think that was worthy of a red card.
barely a yellow, ffs. dunno why Arsenal feel that a challenge that hurts someone is automatically a bad challenge.
^ not a reply to the above post.
moreso the clueless US TV commentators.
watch the language.
;-D
Sorry Mary Whitehouse!
You have OCD mate.
Should know better.
bizarre from spurs
been banging on about ambition, mega transfer spends, and then appoint a guy who has never managed a football team and makes Redknapp sound like Prince Charles
It makes sense to me
Levy gets someone who he can easily undermine and sack early next season without it having to cost him too much. He can then appoint whoever he really wants then, as no one is available now.
this match could do with a sending off
it's building up nicely to one
genuinely, genuinely not trying to rile the DiS gooners...
but the Arsenal crowd are being so fucking needy. Dean's barely put a foot wrong. Why do they do this in every fucking game they're not winning?
football fans eh
Hate players putting balls out for throws in situations like that.
damned if they do, damned if they don't, aren't they?
for me the onus should be on the ref to encourage them to keep the ball in play.
someone win this game PLEASE.
don't care which side, but one of you, ffs.
giroud has to be the most slicey striker in the world
Arsenal on the verge of making history here...
no shots on goal in a home PL game
mourinho playing with 4 centre-backs and 3 deep midfielders...
after 88mins
BORING BORING CHELSEA. Mourihno trolling Wenger for years.
the onus is on the home team to attack.
Can one of Liverpool, Arsenal or City
do everyone a favour and win the league please. That was so painful.
*Liverpool, Arsenal or Everton.
rubbish game
rubbish result
they get booed off then?
is that how i should be spelling booed?
they were booing the ref
still stupid, but...
no they were booing chelsea/mourinho
no one actually thinks mikel should have been off. it probably should have been a penalty on walcott but aside from that dean did fine. the boos came directly after the 'boring, boring chelsea' chants so pretty sure thats what it was mainly about.
thought we were very average. walcott giroud and ramsey seemed to lose the ball more times than not, can't really afford that kinda wastefulness with the way we play (or in any team, but especially with us i think). chelsea set up primarily to get a draw and did the job well, we didn't do enough to break them down. from an offensive point of view i thought only gibbs and rosicky can come out with any credit really, though ozil and arteta were fine.
thats 4 opportunities we've now had to prove a point and/or put daylight between us and rivals, failed all 4 to varying degrees (united, everton, city, chelsea).
Wish the Arsenal fans would get behind their team.
They're an okay side to watch, but their fans have such a weird, negative, Dalglish era Liverpool level inferiority complex. In games like that a loud, positive crowd can make all the difference, but instead they choose to cry about apparent injustices. Happened tonight. After the game against City, albeit away, they decided to focus on imaginary disallowed goals. Against Villa they were crying at a nailed-on penalty. They don't win trophies in part because their players lack confidence when under pressure. They don't get much support from the neutrals because they're whinging softies.
the ground is too big, too open, too expensive.
the technical areas are ridiculously big
Just happy to get through that tbh
Not a great result or performance by any means, but we now have a run of relatively easy games to pick up some form.
Bit confused as to why Arsene didn't make any subs?
stubborn.
boring boring football
no mention of Messi going to City?
jfc
perfect result that
someone said that wasn't a great advert for premier league football
how many adverts last 90 minutes you daft pillock?
didn't watch the game.
pretty surprised Sherwood's been given til end of next season
expected til the end of this one til someone else became available. This is probably going to be bad and we're going to be a laughing stock again.
Chelsea getting a bit of a bashing for being negative again.
Twice as many shots as Arsenal, twice as many efforts on target. Average more goals per game all competitions than anyone bar City and Liverpool.
the shots and efforts belie the actual rhythm of the game though
a lot of their efforts were either on the break or from distance, we had 8 or 9 outfield players behind the ball.
thats not an excuse, we needed to do more, just that chelsea having more shots on and off target is pretty meaningless when looking at what the game was actually like.
when i say 'we had'
i mean when we were attacking they had 8 or 9 players behind the ball.
Printing money.
I've only just realised it was you I called king tipper up there and not forza
You people and your new usernames starting with b are causing havoc with my banter.
I thought he was going for a Mr. Creosote reference this time
then I realised he'd named himself after a whiny nerd album for nerds.
what odds would i get on sherwood not making it to the end of that contract?
Not very good ones I should have thought.
Very brave decision by Spurs.
(there's no point doing a fresh football thread for today is there?)
I like his style
Losing to West Ham's stiffs at home and then demanding to be installed as permanent manager or else.
In Japan he would have run himself through with a sword on the field to preserve his honour
Looks like Boxing Day football is going to be suitably bright and freezing eveywhere.
Hopefully Macclesfield vs Hyde won't get frozen off. Looking forward to a Boxing Day localish game against a team that still haven't won this season.
RIP Ron Noades
The ex Palace chairman has passed away, he had cancer.
He oversaw the most successful era in our history, with us finishing 3rd in the top flight and an FA Cup final appearance (plus winning the famous ZDS Trophy), which I saw as a young kid. There was a lot of animosity against him which I never really understood. RIP Ron.
didn't he manage brentford at one stage too?
Yes
After he sold us to Goldberk he bought Brentford and managed them for a while too.
After that he bought loads of Golf courses around here. In fact I only saw him a couple of months ago driving his Rolls Royce.
yeah he did
he bought us when we were completely debt free, sacked the manager who got us relegated (fair enough), took over himself and got us promoted from the old division three on a massive budget (prime example - signing hermann hreiddarsson for £750k in division three in 1998) which was fine because he was going to fund all our spending and we'd stay debt free. except he wasnt and we didn't, it was all loans secured against our ground, which he then tried to sell so we could go and ground share at woking instead which thankfully never happened. then he got pissed off that the fans weren't delighted by all of this happening so stopped putting any money in, which with the massive debts he'd lumbered us with meant we spent the next few years having to survive on people doing sponsored walks to matches, local people giving us loans, selling our decent players etc and nearly going out of business until the fans association managed to buy the club off him.
don't think we'll be having a minute's silence before our match on Thursday.
Dave Kitson unmasked as The Secret Footballer.
Meh.
Still think it's much more likely to have been a number of different people, but whatever.
sloppy stuff from the lad.
loads of nice articles about Brendan in the papers today.
It's about time he got a bit of praise. Shot himself in the foot admittedly when he first joined with his envelopes and training dogs sound bytes. But this calendar year has been fantastic for him.
Feels great to be top of the league at Christmas and I'm well excited to go to the emptihad on boxing day. Don't really fancy us much but would love to see this side tested by the best in the league. I'm far more confident of getting something at Chelsea, mainly because their forwards are crap. Allen gave Yaya the runaround at Anfield last year, hope he can replicate that performance a bit and keep Suarez and Coutinho well fed.
All the darts and all the prem - Christmas is well good init
Must admit i've warmed to Rodgers.
Mainly since he dropped the David Brent act and focussed on being the promising tactical manager he is. Seemes the club have changed their PR people as well. The Dalglish era set the back about ten years in that respect. They're actually a likeable club, with likeable fans, and a generally likeable squad. If we don't win the league, i hope they do, not just because of the enemy's enemy stuff, which is pointless bollocks really, but just because over the season, and the calendar year, they've played some really good football, and once you get past the silly tribal nonsense, that's all we all want to see really.
If they beat City, as they're perfectly capable of doing on their day, i think they'd have to be considered serious title contenders alongside City; who have the best squad, and Chelsea; who have the best manager.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2013/dec/100-greatest-footballers-2013?CMP=twt_gu
Koscielny above Zabaleta!!!
Some of what them lads are smoking, please.
leave it out, mate.
it's christmas.
Gareth Bale 7th
:'D
I know it's christmas and all
but this massive news must not go unacknowledged: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25515001