Yep, I agree. It was a pen but it wasn't a red.
Then I suggest you watch it again
We could have doubled that.
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2008-09 Football Thread - The Second Half
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Yep, I agree. It was a pen but it wasn't a red.
Then I suggest you watch it again
We could have doubled that.
Someone's glass is half empty here. You'd prefer them not to have taken the opportunity to have the best GD in the Premier League?
My understanding was that the red card won't be rescinded, but, as with Terry, the ban could be removed if they have evidence that the red card was unwarranted. Terry still has a red card on his record, but they did away with the ban. Still, it sounds like he has little hope of avoiding the ban.
Poor Brad Guzan. He's probably USA's No. 2 keeper behind Tim Howard, and here he gets tossed to the lions...hopefully it won't hurt his confidence ahead of our next round of World Cup qualifiers. And at his age he has 20 years of goalkeeping ahead of him.
I always feel a bit sorry for substitute goalkeepers who get brought on and the first thing they have to do is pick the ball out of the back of the net after letting in a penalty.
To be fair to Guzan though, that was the only goal he did concede...
To be fair to Guzan though, that was the only goal he did concede...
On that subject, I heard today that our pint-supping promotion procurer has been granted special dispensation to turn out for City's reserve team for the rest of the season.
It was accepted that he couldn't play for the first team, but apparently the rules weren't totally clear about whether he could feature for the second string.
It was accepted that he couldn't play for the first team, but apparently the rules weren't totally clear about whether he could feature for the second string.
I wonder what will become of him in the long run? If Brown doesn't think he's good enough now, and (assuming Hull stay up) if he will be looking to improve the squad for next season, you'd have to say Deano's time as a Hull starter seems over.
Three options as I see it, given that I can't imagine him wanting to turn his back on the game: Deano the coach, Deano the lower-league/non-league player, or Deano the pundit.
I say the third option because he's increased his media work a bit over the past season so he might be preparing for this, hopefully it'll culminate in him smacking Peter Beagrie live on Sky Sports Saturday or something.
He's taken his coaching badges so that's a genuine possibility and I'd hazard the most likely too. I can't picture him as a manager, mind.
He's said he wants to keep playing as long as possible, but I wonder if a lower league/non-league side would keep him motivated enough. Punditry or managing does seem more likely; at any rate most people that fail in the latter end up doing the former.
Meanwhile, a photo claiming to show the new England shirt has been leaked. It'll be officially unveiled when we play Slovakia on Saturday, but this is apparently what England's finest players and Carlton Cole will be wearing...
I think it's hard to judge a shirt without actually getting your hands on one, but I think it looks great. Simple and lacking the fussy detail that have been plastered on recent shirts, it's got a rather nice retro feel about it. I might have to get myself one, after a few weeks when the price comes down of course.
We'll wait and see if this is a genuine leak or an elaborate hoax...
I think it's hard to judge a shirt without actually getting your hands on one, but I think it looks great. Simple and lacking the fussy detail that have been plastered on recent shirts, it's got a rather nice retro feel about it. I might have to get myself one, after a few weeks when the price comes down of course.
We'll wait and see if this is a genuine leak or an elaborate hoax...
It looks retro. I like the white one with the collar. Why is England's brave John Terry standing bolt upright like that? Is David James pinching his bottom or something?
Villa's game at Old Trafford is going to be key for the title race - Vidic, Rooney, and Scholes are suspended. Berbatov is supposedly out for two weeks, and Anderson and Tevez will be on international duty the day before, so may not be able to start. Even with United's impressive depth, that's a major loss of players.
On the other hand Villa hasn't won at Old Trafford since the Reagan/Thatcher years. I predict they will be mauled...
...though I would have said the same about United's visit to Fulham last weekend. Who knows?
Villa's game at Old Trafford is going to be key for the title race - Vidic, Rooney, and Scholes are suspended. Berbatov is supposedly out for two weeks, and Anderson and Tevez will be on international duty the day before, so may not be able to start. Even with United's impressive depth, that's a major loss of players.
On the other hand Villa hasn't won at Old Trafford since the Reagan/Thatcher years. I predict they will be mauled...
...though I would have said the same about United's visit to Fulham last weekend. Who knows?
Stood there with his chest puffed out I suspect he's either proudly preparing to represent his country, or psyching himself up to take a penalty. Either way, it's liable to all end in tears...
Say what you like about them, but Reagan and Thatcher formed a fantastic partnership up front for Villa. I remember seeing them in some old footage of a Cup tie against Mansfield, they absolutely destroyed them.
I remember them well. Reagan was a bit dim but Thatcher was a real nasty piece of work. Barnsley's Scargill was never the same after Thatcher booted him in the nuts during that classic 1984-85 end of season encounter.
Indeed – Scargill was undoubtedly one of the country's most famous strikers in the early-to-mid Eighties.Barnsley's Scargill was never the same after Thatcher booted him in the nuts during that classic 1984-85 end of season encounter.
When I look at Thatcher's hair, I can only think of Marouane Fellaini. She's probably just as good in the air.
Looks like a polo shirt with the England crest on it. I suppose it would be good for all those English holidmakers whole like to wear their shirt. How many games does an England shirt design last? It just seems like we have been getting them quite a lot recently. Perhaps it is just my warped memory.
I just go around to doing my predictor
I think 4 points is such a big margin at this point in the season.
In terms of the bottom it seems as if the magical 40 points will actually be about 35 ish if the league follows the projections as done by our panel of experts (i.e us lot
)Oddly enough after my comments about Stoke not getting as many points as Jaffa predicted. I have to point out that I have predicted the same points total and goal difference
England shirts have a two-year life span, and Umbro alternate between the home and away so there's a new shirt every year so for example last Spring the red away shirt with the blue flashes was released, this Spring we get the new home shirt, and next Spring they'll release a new away kit.
It has a very 40s/50s look about it, so I see what you're saying about it being a bit polo shirtesque. But the thing is, recent England shirts have gone overboard with fussy details so I think it's good that they'll be 'going back to basics' as it were with this new version assuming of course it is genuine.
I've said for a while that I'd like to see England wearing a simple, no-frills white shirt so it looks like I might be getting my wish...
I've been toying with trying to predict the final table using a convoluted system based on current form and the average number of points teams may gain from the remaining fixtures. I might have a go at that tonight if I haven't got anything better to do. Which, come to think of it, I haven't.In terms of the bottom it seems as if the magical 40 points will actually be about 35 ish if the league follows the projections as done by our panel of experts (i.e us lot
It does look good.
I've been toying with trying to predict the final table using a convoluted system based on current form and the average number of points teams may gain from the remaining fixtures. I might have a go at that tonight if I haven't got anything better to do. Which, come to think of it, I haven't.
Be sure to make a note of the methodology
Stars launch Hillsborough single
Full version can be heard here
I fully expect this to be taken by the fans and will be heard at many a game in the future.
I'll formulate my final table tonight while Miss Jaffa Cake is watching Desperate Housewives and outline my fundamentally flawed system so you can pick holes in it, science boy.Be sure to make a note of the methodology
Meanwhile Fuzzy, I'm afraid that as I have Dutch family this is one instance where I can't really back a Home Nations side. Sorry and all that, but the Netherlands are smashingly oranje...
It's certainly an handsome trophy, mind. Het is lekker.
Right my calculations are complete and here, ladies and gents, are my conclusions.
I'm predicting a tight finish at both ends of the table, with on the last afternoon of the season the title, fourth Champions League slot and two of the three relegation places undecided. But here's how my sums think it'll finish...
But Jaffa! How does it work?
Basically, I split the division up into three groups the Big Boys (the top four plus Villa and Everton), Relegation Fodder (Blackburn, Hull City, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Stoke, Sunderland and West Brom) plus the rest of the division as mid-tablers. I then calculated the average points gained by each team in their last three games against each of these groups, home and away both League and Cup matches were counted. I then compared these averages for each upcoming fixture, to give me the result.
So, for example, City play Manchester United at home on the last day of the season. The Tigers have an average points tally of 0 points at home against the top clubs, whereas United have averaged 3 points against the bottom ones. Therefore, the Reds win this fixture and earn three points.
Hmm... are you likely to have made any errors?
Err, most likely. Let's just say that any results skewed by this represent the potential for unexpected upsets, okay.
Do you actually have a life, then?
It would seem not.
I'm predicting a tight finish at both ends of the table, with on the last afternoon of the season the title, fourth Champions League slot and two of the three relegation places undecided. But here's how my sums think it'll finish...
- Manchester United 87
[*]Liverpool 85
[*]Chelsea 82
[*]Arsenal 70
[*]Aston Villa 68
[*]Everton 66 - Fulham 58
- Wigan 56
- Tottenham 53
- West Ham 47
- Portsmouth 47
- Man City 44
- Bolton 44
- Stoke 42
- Hull City 41
- Blackburn 38
- Newcastle 35
[*]Sunderland 33
[*]West Brom 33
[*]Middlesbrough 27
But Jaffa! How does it work?
Basically, I split the division up into three groups the Big Boys (the top four plus Villa and Everton), Relegation Fodder (Blackburn, Hull City, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Stoke, Sunderland and West Brom) plus the rest of the division as mid-tablers. I then calculated the average points gained by each team in their last three games against each of these groups, home and away both League and Cup matches were counted. I then compared these averages for each upcoming fixture, to give me the result.
So, for example, City play Manchester United at home on the last day of the season. The Tigers have an average points tally of 0 points at home against the top clubs, whereas United have averaged 3 points against the bottom ones. Therefore, the Reds win this fixture and earn three points.
Hmm... are you likely to have made any errors?
Err, most likely. Let's just say that any results skewed by this represent the potential for unexpected upsets, okay.
Do you actually have a life, then?
It would seem not.
I think I had Arsenal down to lose to United and Liverpool but get the win against Chelsea. Whether you're using dodgy maths *ahem* to work it out or just simply trying to predict results yourself, one thing seems pretty clear Arsenal are going to have to tread carefully because Villa are perfectly poised to take advantage.
While the three matches you mention are undoubtedly going to be important for your fortunes and very possibly could help influence where the title ends up Wenger and his team have to make sure they do a completely professional job in their other fixtures too. Too many dropped points could cost you...
Yeah, it's still quite interesting. We should have the opportunity to put good space between us and Villa, as they may well lost to United and not win against Everton, their next two games. If they lose those 2, and we win our 2 - 9 points clear, I see us quite safe. Hm, I think we will do better against United and Liverpool than 2 losses.. our record so far against the big 3 others is WWD. We could well have an influence as to where the title ends up.
In your favour, Villa have hit a poor run of form which they need to address sharpish. I read recently that they've never won under Martin O'Neill during March, in his entire tenure at the club if that's true it's quite a surprising fact.
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