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2008-09 Football Thread
- Thread starter R.Youden
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I would never be so foolish as to describe Machester United as being weakened by injury, but they are missing Ronaldo to surgery, Anderson to the Olympics and now Rooney to a Nigerian mystery virus. They still have a good side but could these few key absentees result in a slow start to the season like last year? Maybe it will just give Pompey a chance to nick the Community Shield, guaranteeing two straight seasons of silverware. 
The season can't start soon enough for me. Watched my Columbus Crew get beaten 2-0 by the Houston Dynamo in what had to be the worst MLS game I've ever seen. Our team has no depth, and with a few key missing starters (off to the Olympics) the football was abysmal. We couldn't string two passes together.
The season can't start soon enough for me. Watched my Columbus Crew get beaten 2-0 by the Houston Dynamo in what had to be the worst MLS game I've ever seen. Our team has no depth, and with a few key missing starters (off to the Olympics) the football was abysmal. We couldn't string two passes together.
I would never be so foolish as to describe Machester United as being weakened by injury, but they are missing Ronaldo to surgery, Anderson to the Olympics and now Rooney to a Nigerian mystery virus. They still have a good side but could these few key absentees result in a slow start to the season like last year? Maybe it will just give Pompey a chance to nick the Community Shield, guaranteeing two straight seasons of silverware.
The season can't start soon enough for me. Watched my Columbus Crew get beaten 2-0 by the Houston Dynamo in what had to be the worst MLS game I've ever seen. Our team has no depth, and with a few key missing starters (off to the Olympics) the football was abysmal. We couldn't string two passes together.
another crew fan!?!? swee-eet. watching superliga final tonight?
. I don't have Telefutura, so I don't think I can watch it. By the way, how stupid is it that the only US broadcast of a match between Houston and New England is in Spanish? WTF? 
The season can't start soon enough for me. Watched my Columbus Crew get beaten 2-0 by the Houston Dynamo in what had to be the worst MLS game I've ever seen. Our team has no depth, and with a few key missing starters (off to the Olympics) the football was abysmal. We couldn't string two passes together.
I may lose years off my life watching Galaxy games. They make Spurs' defense look like a brick wall. And as I feared, Beckham must be beside himself watching his crosses get flubbed by amateur strikers.
They are playing better than I thought they would. I be he isn't as upset as you'd think.
mlsnet.com
I watch most matches online here:
mlsnet.com/TV
You might be able to get the final tonight for $4.95 US.
Now $9.95 US for the rest of the season!
Thanks for the link...I think I'm going to be out during the game anyway. I'm not sure who to cheer for in that final anyway - as a Crew supporter I'm not really wishing either team well.
Rangers slump to shock Euro exit
Oh poo.
I was going to call FBK Kaunas a pub team, but to be fair to them it was Rangers who looked like a bunch of amateurs.
So that's last years UEFA cup finalists out after two games, and no safety net of the UEFA cup this year. Some frantic calculations will be taking place tonight by accountants.
Oh poo.
I was going to call FBK Kaunas a pub team, but to be fair to them it was Rangers who looked like a bunch of amateurs.
So that's last years UEFA cup finalists out after two games, and no safety net of the UEFA cup this year. Some frantic calculations will be taking place tonight by accountants.
Funny enough, it was almost expected, especially after the 4-0 drubbing from Liverpool. Nobody in my work seems particularly surprised about it. There is increasing bad words being said about Walter Smith particularly because of his unusual choice of summer signings (8 strikers now on the books when we need defenders and midfield). Depending on results, he could be gone by Christmas.
GB will field 2012 team, says FA
As resident moany Scotsman, that's awful nice of the English FA go to ahead and represent Britain without the backing of N Ireland, Wales and Scotland, but a team comprising of 11 English players is not representative of Team GB and I won't support them.
GB will field 2012 team, says FA
As resident moany Scotsman, that's awful nice of the English FA go to ahead and represent Britain without the backing of N Ireland, Wales and Scotland, but a team comprising of 11 English players is not representative of Team GB and I won't support them.
Why is this different from, say, the Great Britain cycling team headed to the Olympics? I'm not asking to provoke by the way, I'm just curious for a local, non-English perspective.
I'm not sure of the make-up of this years cycling team, Scots have been quite predominant in recent years, but a good example was the hockey team a couple of years back, they won gold with 10 English and 1 from Northern Ireland. However Scots/Welsh were eligable to play in that team, it's just none were good enough. (Actually, the womans curlers that won gold may have been 4 Scots???) Difference is the English FA are saying they are going to pick 11 English players for the British team.
The reason Scot/Welsh/NIrish FAs don't want to participate is they feel they may loose their national teams and individual European places (and I suspect they are using an irrational fear in an attempt to justify their own existence) - if FIFA members see British team thus why not force all the FAs to submit 4 British teams into Champions league (instead of 3 English, 1 Scot, rest preliminaries)? One British team for the world cup? Saltire waving by the nationalist Scottish government isn't helping matters either (although as a supporter of them - see signature - I must take some of the responsibility for that!)
I would like to see (and would support) a British team at the Olympics if the rest of Britain were eligable to play in it, I just don't think it'll happen. If the team consisted of 11 English because they were the best out of the pool available then fair enough, but I won't support them because they are there by default.
Why shouldn't the FA press ahead with plans?
If Scotland, Wales and Ireland are too stuck up their own arse to join us then so be it. Have fun sitting at home for all I care.
As has been proven today, the Olympic teams are completely separate from any FIFA World rankings or anything to do with the World Cup or European Championships.
The FA has quite clearly and quite openly said it wants a British football team at the Olympics and the Irish, Scottish and Welsh FAs have all quite clearly and quite openly said they don't for whatever tin-pot reasons they came up with. Basically, they've had their chance.
If Scotland, Wales and Ireland are too stuck up their own arse to join us then so be it. Have fun sitting at home for all I care.
As has been proven today, the Olympic teams are completely separate from any FIFA World rankings or anything to do with the World Cup or European Championships.
The FA has quite clearly and quite openly said it wants a British football team at the Olympics and the Irish, Scottish and Welsh FAs have all quite clearly and quite openly said they don't for whatever tin-pot reasons they came up with. Basically, they've had their chance.
Agreed, I haven't heard a reasonable answer why Scot/NI/Wal shouldn't take part (indeed Sepp Blatter says a GB team won't affect FIFA's opinion of individual countries) and I think their respective FAs are doing their countries a disservice. I'm not terribly happy the English FA saying well we'll just enter an English team and call it team Britain, but I suppose we'll just have to live with it. I'm just not going to support them, that's all because they don't represent my country.
I think it all comes down to Scots thinking they are Scottish first, British second and English thinking they are British first (although apparently opinion is changing south of the border.)
Breaking news:
I will stay at Man Utd - Ronaldo
[yawn] I don't care
I think people in England associate with their REGION first (eg the Scousers, the Geordies etc) and then as British. Being English has been associated with the English National Party and Nazism, while being British is not so closely related. The Scots seem to see it as the English conquered and then don't care for them, whereas the truth is its a marriage through blood (James I/VI of Scotland). Its a London-centric press literally - talk of bias towards England becuase of this ignores the fact that Scotland gets the same amount of press as similarly large regions in the UK; very little compared to London.
I don't see a big issue with a GB football side, but then again I've never been to the UK and experienced what it's like to be in England/Scotland/Wales/the two Irelands. It's true that with individual teams GB as a whole gets more representation, but I guess it boils down to how you define yourselves - one nation or a confederation? There's a lot of historical baggage there.
Red Bull NY was totally outclassed, especially in defense where the pure pace of Barca proved irresistible. But the MLS side did mount a few good attacks. Chivas lost 5-2 against Barca the other day, and the Spanish side took Fiorentina apart recently, so the 6-2 loss isn't a disgrace. At least they put the ball in the back of the net twice.
Barca hammered NY/Red Bull side last night 6-2. I'm very surprised NY even scored...
Red Bull NY was totally outclassed, especially in defense where the pure pace of Barca proved irresistible. But the MLS side did mount a few good attacks. Chivas lost 5-2 against Barca the other day, and the Spanish side took Fiorentina apart recently, so the 6-2 loss isn't a disgrace. At least they put the ball in the back of the net twice.
I admire your accuracy with James VI (very common to get that wrong!) however union with the crowns coincidental, it was more to do with the Act of Union 1707. Funny how it's 300th anniversary wasn't celebrated last year!
And you're right, I forget how 90% of England are also ignored by Fleet Street/Wapping/Canary Wharf.
Anyway, didn't mean for that to turn into a Scotland v England rant was just trying to point out I thought the English FA were out of the jurisdiction.
Out of interest, would our English cousins support a British team if the EFA said no but the other 3 said yes? I believe they would and so this is just part of the usual umbrage taken by the colonies against England when it comes to big sporting things.
I was trying to think of an example for his Lordship, but it's a bit hard as team USA is generally going to leave 40 states without representation. If Minnesota (if memory serves me correct) didn't have a member in the team would you follow them? Yes, because you lot sorted out your state v country issues 142 years ago!
I think its partially my fault this bit of the thread went all Scotch on us.
Re whether the English would support an non-English UK team (if that makes sense), the answer is "yes, unless it was deliberately done to annoy the English". Andy Murray wasn't liked at first really because of his alleged hatred of the English, but when he distanced himself from that he was ok. And remember when Eire got to USA '94 and most of the UK supported them?
for those of us in the football league, the season start tomorrow with the mighty Birmingham on Sky against Sheffield United. Of course I'm predicting a win for us and what will be the start of a promotion winning season.
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