2008-09 Football Thread

[Lord Blackadder]

Wayne Rooney is back.

He did well to feed Walcott, though Heskey also deserves praise for creating space.

I think this was the day that Beckham lost his starting place for good. Walcott still might be a little raw, but he is clearly worth playing.

 

[remmy]

Apparently Setanta are showing highlights on their channel for free. The Scotland game is finishing of now and its meant to be England's turn in 10 minutes.

 

[Markleshark]

I'm also glad Downing didn't come on when Joe Cole got injured. I like Jenas and he was pretty good.

 

[B&Wtoon]

You know, I'm detecting an increasing sense of hostility towards Windass from you over the past few days. I can only assume you're growing increasingly concerned about the mauling you're going to experience on Saturday. But don't worry, we're only doing it for your own good. You see, we're here to save you. Here to save you from yourselves.

You'll thank us for it one day. 😉

we’re scared of everyone these days, even ourselves, let alone a huge monster from Yorkshire.

– Damned internationals, Spidey (Jonas Gutierrez) dislocated his shoulder for Argentina this morning so at least 6 weeks out, him and Coloccini didn’t make the early flight home and 8 hour wait for the next one!

NUFC are now top of a league:
injury league

looks like I’m getting the excuses in now before the mauling then!

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I'm also glad Downing didn't come on when Joe Cole got injured. I like Jenas and he was pretty good.

I wasn't sure about Downing, but he looked flat against Andorra. In terms of goalscorers, England's future looks bright with Rooney, Walcott and Agbonlahor all still very young.

I can't get highlights of the England match anywhere...not even on YouTube.🙁

Bloody Setanta.

 

[Markleshark]

I wasn't sure about Downing, but he looked flat against Andorra. In terms of goalscorers, England's future looks bright with Rooney, Walcott and Agbonlahor all still very young.

I can't get highlights of the England match anywhere...not even on YouTube.🙁

Bloody Setanta.

Downing is ****.

It was about time Rooney performed mind. In an England shirt or a Manchester United one. Fat Frank was still poor mind. Can't cross a ball for anything. Get well soon Gerrard.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Downing is ****.

After the latest performances I agree, though as you said, this was Rooney's first England goal in a competitive match in what, two or three years?

I agree about Gerrard, with certain reservations. He's so dangerous in the attack, but does he fit into the kind of formation Capello deployed yesterday? Weren't Lampard and Barry a bit deep compared to where Gerrard likes to play? Then again, at least he would have been in the middle...

 

[swiftaw]

A 4-1 thrashing being dished out by England - the last result I would have expected.

Theo Walcott is rightly taking center stage, but Heskey seems to have a good game as well, and Rooney has rediscovered the back of the net.

Credit to Capello for having the balls to start Theo in such an important game - McLaren or Sven would not have done it.

I look forward to hearing tomorrow how England will lift the 2010 World Cup with ease, as this result no doubt demonstrates we will...

I think we all need to be a little bit careful and not get carried away too much. It's a long road ahead. If it weren't for the filter I would post The Wolf's sage advice from Pulp Fiction, since I think it applies to the wave of optimism stemming from last night.

I agree about Gerrard, with certain reservations. He's so dangerous in the attack, but does he fit into the kind of formation Capello deployed yesterday? Weren't Lampard and Barry a bit deep compared to where Gerrard likes to play? Then again, at least he would have been in the middle...

Yeah, last night was almost the team I would pick, except if Gerrard were fit I would play him instead of Lampard, plus I would probably have Richards at right back (again, if fit).

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Yeah, last night was almost the team I would pick, except if Gerrard were fit I would play him instead of Lampard, plus I would probably have Richards at right back (again, if fit).

Richards is a better right back than Brown or Johnson. I'm curious how Gerrard will fit into Capello's plans. Does he slot right in instead of Lampard, like many of us think, or what.

The English press are in a fawning mood today...so fickle!!! Just wait till the next crap performance...maybe they are covering their butts with all those references to Sven and the 5-1 rout of Germany, so they can say later that this 4-1 result was just another fluke.

 

[swiftaw]

I'd also like to say that one person who has been overlooked for praise is Heskey. <Pauses for the laughter to stop>. Seriously though, he is very good at what he does, using his size to create havoc and holding up the ball for the support players. Sure, he's not a prolific goalscorer, but if his presence creates chances for others, isn't that to his credit?

Also, unlike some of our other 'strikers', he doesn't feel the need to keep coming back into the midfield.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Hey, I mentioned him first! 😉

he doesn't feel the need to keep coming back into the midfield.

That's precisely why he's good. He doesn't have the raw ability some of the others have, but he's big, experienced and knows exactly how to play his position properly. What does it matter if he doesn't score often so long as he creates hatfuls of opportunities and gets a bunch of assists?

 

[Brianstorm91]

Does anybody know where I can get hold of the England highlights?

 

[Much Ado]

Does anybody know where I can get hold of the England highlights?

Extended highlights on ITV at 10.35 🙂

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I watched the USA - Trinidad game, and the commentator kept going on about how they missed Dwight Yorke, with Keane keeping him in England. FIFA VP Jack Warner criticized Keane about it, to which Keane responded that Warner was a clown and a disgrace...

I don't know where Roy Keane's future in football is, but his quotes are simply priceless. What a hard-ass. 😀

 

[BoyBach]

I watched the USA - Trinidad game, and the commentator kept going on about how they missed Dwight Yorke, with Keane keeping him in England. FIFA VP Jack Warner criticized Keane about it, to which Keane responded that Warner was a clown and a disgrace...

I don't know where Roy Keane's future in football is, but his quotes are simply priceless. What a hard-ass. 😀

Video of Roy Keane's reaction plus Mr. Warner's 'open letter' response: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/7609778.stm

Give 'im hell Roy! 😀

 

[Jaffa Cake]

So, XL Holidays have gone bust. What this means (bear with me here) is that their sponsorship of West Ham has been terminated. As a result, the Hammers will be playing in unbranded shirts until a new sponsor can be secured.

So, when they play West Brom tomorrow both teams will be playing in plain shirts because – as we've discussed previously – the Baggies are also lacking shirt sponsors at the moment too. All we need are a return to proper boots, heavy leather balls and the sight of Mark Noble lighting up half way through the first half and football's back in the 1950s again. 😀

 

[ayzee]

I hope when West Ham get a new sponsor they will do the right thing and allow west ham fans to trade in their old XL shirts

 

[Fuzzy14]

I hope when West Ham get a new sponsor they will do the right thing and allow west ham fans to trade in their old XL shirts

What kind of lunacy is this? We've got a business to run, accountable only to the shareholders.

Anyway, normal Saturday service has been resumed, SPL has just kicked off on Satan ta. Amused to see the ref in an all red outfit - at first I thought an Aberdeen fan had run onto the pitch.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Yeah, the problems with XL aren't West Ham's fault so – while it might be a nice gesture – really they've no obligation to do anything of the sort.

Mind, I seem to remember something similar happening to another club a few years back (I can't for the life of me think who though), and they offered a discount on the new shirt to supporters if they returned the old one. All the old shirts were then given to charity.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Anyway, a brief rant. We watched the Premier League Preview show on Sky this morning. After they'd breathlessly prattled on about the big four, they briefly turned their attention to some of the weekend's other fixtures, including our tie against Newcastle this afternoon.

There then followed a montage of shots of the players training and that sort of thing, and an arty shift-into-focus shot of the club crest on the side of the stadium. The thing is, the crest they focused in on was that of our egg-chasing groundmates Hull FC! 😡

Just a quick memo to any Sky execs who might be reading... there are two crests on the outside of the stadium, ours unsurprisingly is the one in black and amber, with a Tiger on it. And, as a final hint, the words 'Hull City AFC' on the top.

Sort it out, Sky. You really make it look like you can't be arsed. 🙄

 

[xUKHCx]

There then followed a montage of shots of the players training and that sort of thing, and an arty shift-into-focus shot of the club crest on the side of the stadium. The thing is, the crest they focused in on was that of our egg-chasing groundmates Hull FC! 😡

That is pretty poor form to be honest, someone should've picked that up along the way to getting shown on the telly.

In other news 🙂

 

[Jaffa Cake]

In other news 🙂

You look happy. Watford haven't kicked off yet, surely? 😛

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Slighty dodgy penalty there, but that's not Hull's fault! 😀 1-0 to Jaffa's boys.

Both sides are giving the ball away a bit cheaply, and leaving some good chances begging...

xUKHCx, I'm praying that you're smiling because Liverpool beat Man U...I put my jersey on this morning in an act of retroactive superstition, since the game was already over by the time I got up (started 7:30am local time 😱).

Not even football can get me up at 7:30am..unless its during the World Cup, or the Euros. Or the Champions' League. Or maybe a critical league game...😉

 

[Jaffa Cake]

From the radio, it seems that little Michael Owen is playing behind the front two – it also sounds that our defenders are having a bit of trouble picking him up. Hopefully Brown will sort that out at half-time.

It sounds a very open game at the moment though, so we could be in for a long 45 minutes...

 

[gauchogolfer]

Jaffa you'll be happy to know that Fox Soccer Channel is broadcasting the Hull-NUFC match today (I'm currently TiVo-ing it since it starts a bit early here in CA). How far you've come from last year (when I mentioned you had a brief highlight on one of the wrapup shows)! Now you're featured over the ManU-Liverpool crowd. 😀

*Off to watch the recording spoiler-free*



In other news, did the Agbonlahor saga get much treatment over there? I'm so proud to have him as my Fantasy Striker™. Two hat tricks in one day is pretty impressive. (One local broadcaster called him Gabriel I-banged-a-whore.)