2008-09 Football Thread

[Jaffa Cake]

That is why you should buy quality defenders such as Mendy.

On the downside, he tends to come on as a sub so you're not going to get regular points for him. However, of late Brown's used him as a midfielder, meaning he's more likely to get forward and score – but he'll still pick up a defender's points for scoring. 😉

If you want a cheap(ish) City defender, look no further than Michael Turner who has already found the net a couple of times this season as well as a few bonus points. 😉

 

[Lord Blackadder]

My policy of not buying Lampard and Ronaldo hurts my points total and I am proud of my team.

I can't resist using Gerrard and Torres, but with el Nino hurt right now I'm relying on Zaki and Crouchy.

If you want a cheap(ish) City defender, look no further than Michael Turner who has already found the net a couple of times this season as well as a few bonus points. 😉

I'm already ahead of you, picked him up last week. 😀

 

[Jaffa Cake]

You bought him the week before we shipped three against Chelsea and four against Manchester United? Your timing is impeccable, your Lordship! 😛

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I know. My purchase of a player is a sure kiss of death. 😛

I really need Torres back. When he's healthy the goals keep rolling in.

By the way, right now I'm reading Chuck Culpepper's Bloody Confused. The other Yanks in this thread are already initiated into European football culture, but this book (intended primarily as an introduction of Prem culture to other Americans) is still an entertaining outsider's perspective on English football.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Another day, another giddying ride on the managerial merry-go-round.

Watford and Ady Boothroyd have 'parted company by mutual consent', while earlier today Markleshark's Carlisle United parted company with gaffer John Ward.

 

[B&Wtoon]

the EPL is crazy this year – NUFC (wahey!) with a win last night go from bottom, to 3 points behind 7th!

Aston Villa were going for 3rd place and looked very poor.

 

[xUKHCx]

Another day, another giddying ride on the managerial merry-go-round.

Watford and Ady Boothroyd have 'parted company by mutual consent'

It has been coming. After getting to the Premiership and then going down (If only Marlon King was fit for that season as well as keeping Young), stabilising in the championship and then failing towards the end of last season. Add to that the poor start to this season and a long way off the promotion chase. Like 'arry he has done as much as he can with the club. Time for someone else to take the reins.

Good luck to him, he is a good manager.

Now hopefully Watford will recieve the same bump in form Tottenham/Newcastle have had.

the EPL is crazy this year – NUFC (wahey!) with a win last night go from bottom, to 3 points behind 7th!

Aston Villa were going for 3rd place and looked very poor.

More like 8 points in 5 games. Before Kinnear step in I would've predicted Newcastle only getting 6/4 points from those games. Having a settled manager to cover you in the short term has really bought around your season.

The problem is that the other teams in and around you have picked up their game recently as well.

4 points separate 7-19th place is very competitive. It is good for the EPL. Hopefully this will continue through the year making it a bit more like the Championship.

 

[B&Wtoon]

Having a settled manager to cover you in the short term has really bought around your season.

having a manager has helped for sure, but the main factor has been a thin squad ravaged by injuries until recently, with only Viduka and Owen still out at the moment it’s time to get points on the board – or face a relegation nightmare.

 

[Fuzzy14]

Brooks Mileson, the man who took Gretna from England's Unibond league to the SPL and Scottish Cup has died.

Mixed feelings about the fate of Gretna so I won't say anything else.

 

[xUKHCx]

Brooks Mileson, the man who took Gretna from England's Unibond league to the SPL and Scottish Cup has died.

Mixed feelings about the fate of Gretna so I won't say anything else.

Wonder if there will be a minutes silence in the EPL this coming weekend. I guess sadly not.

Wenger has accused stoke of deliberately injuring Arsenal's players

"All I can say is they are brave and, for me, you need to have more courage to play football when you know that someone is tackling you from behind without any intention to play the ball.


"The only intention is to hurt you and I can show some tackles where I can prove what I say. The one who is tackling is not the brave one. For me the brave one is the player who is trying to play football.


"It happened at the weekend. Do you think Delap tried to play the ball when he tackled Walcott? Or that Shawcross tried to play the ball when he tackled Adebayor off the pitch. All the players have been injured deliberately.


"I am not ready to listen to things that are completely untrue and make people who are cowards, for me, look brave."

Alternative BBC article

🙄

Waits for the FA to react in 3.....2....1......

 

[smwatson]

Some classic tabloid nonsense this week.

Daily Mirror reckoned Leeds' star 19 year old goalkeeper Fabian Delph was on his way to Arsenal. Despite him being an 18 year old central midfielder. But oh well.

Bradley Johnson of Leeds, currently on loan at Brighton, is the subject of £1.5 million bids from Southampton & someone else I can't remember... Of course he's not. Bought for £250k in January, I'd bite Southampton's hand off if they offered that. Clearly they havn't though, as they don't have two pennies to rub together, let alone 1.5 mil.

Tabloid journalism... Google in-form lower league footballer, link with Championship/lower Premiership/Arsenal for silly sum plucked out of thin air, jobs a good un.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Daily Mirror reckoned Leeds' star 19 year old goalkeeper Fabian Delph was on his way to Arsenal. Despite him being an 18 year old central midfielder.

Ah, but the fact that he's English immediately blows this particular rumour out of the water. 😉

Is he a bit handy in a scrap, though? I ask seeing as how Arsene Wenger is bleating that his little darlings were bullied by Stoke City at the weekend, as xUKHCx mentions.

Given that the only red card of the game was shown to one of his own players – Robin van Persie, of course – I think he ought to keep his trap shut.

 

[Fuzzy14]

Aaaaaargh! we've just blown our chance to go top of the league.

Rangers 3-3 Dundee Utd

 

[xUKHCx]

Athletico's goal was brilliant play totally carved open the defence.

In regrads to Gerrards penalty i have seen comments that it was a dive, this is simply not the case. The players came together in the air with Gerrard getting the ball first. This coming together caused both players to go down. If this was outside the box then a freekick, if this was a goalie on another player then penalty.

In the grand scheme of penalties ignoring the obvious bad calls from Stlyes it is on the softer side of things however it was a penalty. Yet again Gerrard 90+ minutes in front of the Kop. I said it last night this fairytale has happened too many times, soon he will miss. We are missing Torres and Keane is yet to be effective.

Mean while Chelsea suffer 3-1 defeat with Deco getting sent off. In the highlights they didn't show the first yellow but the second was just plain silly on Deco's part. The ref was clearly showing him wait for the whistle at which point Deco kicked the ball. Whether that was enough to warrant a booking (and thus a sending off) I guess is the letter of the law, perhaps another soft decision.

Adebayor is out for 3 weeks while Gallas and Walcott might make a return at the weekend
Martin Petrov out for 4 months

While it is a busy time for the FA

Keane hit with FA conduct charge

FA decides not to punish Barton

The Football Association says Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton will not face any action over an incident involving Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Barton, 26, appeared to poke Agbonlahor's face during Newcastle's 2-0 win at St James' Park on Monday.

However the poke in the face may just be the surface of the problem

Villa could make Barton complaint

Aston Villa are considering whether to complain to the Football Association over allegations that Joey Barton racially abused Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Now if any racist abuse by any player is found to be true then I hope the FA will act with the strong arm. However if (and that is a big if as that article suggests the evidence will be hard to come by to substanciate any claims) Barton is found to have racially abuse Agbonlahor then surely surely it is time for a life time ban.

Meanwhile Maradona has obviously been looking at my sterling leadership of Argentina to two consecutive world cup victories by giving the job of captain to Mascherano

 

[mouchoir]

Ah, but the fact that he's English immediately blows this particular rumour out of the water. 😉

Is he a bit handy in a scrap, though? I ask seeing as how Arsene Wenger is bleating that his little darlings were bullied by Stoke City at the weekend, as xUKHCx mentions.

Given that the only red card of the game was shown to one of his own players – Robin van Persie, of course – I think he ought to keep his trap shut.

I agree Arsene Wenger needs to keep quiet on that front –*I'm sure they weren't out to injure the players.

However, the tackle on Adebayor came when the ball was already off of the pitch, and the one on Walcott was from behind and was only ever intended to bring him down.

Both intentional fouls, both resulted in injuries. I can see why he would be annoyed.

 

[Stepper]

I agree Arsene Wenger needs to keep quiet on that front –*I'm sure they weren't out to injure the players.

However, the tackle on Adebayor came when the ball was already off of the pitch, and the one on Walcott was from behind and was only ever intended to bring him down.

Both intentional fouls, both resulted in injuries. I can see why he would be annoyed.

Both should of been red cards tbh...Should be a good match today, hoping to see vela work some magic 😎

Also about Barton, hes just come out of jail surely he should be on his best behaivour? If he did say anything racist, then yes he should get a life ban

 

[xUKHCx]

If he was found to have racially abused another player then the FA should take strong action. Add to Barton's history in the game then I think we can safely say that he has bought the game into disrepute. Lets not forget he has had plenty of chances to reform

Racism is creeping back into the game and top level footballers and their behaviour and treatment flows down to grass roots. It is a serious and legal matter and after a plea for a second chance.

2004 July: Criticised by manager for sparking mass brawl in pre-season friendly game
December: Stubs cigar into eye of team-mate Jamie Tandy at Christmas party (fined six weeks' wages)
2005 July: Altercation with teenage fan during Asian tour (fined eight weeks' wages)
2006 September: Drops shorts in direction of Everton fans during game (police take no action)
2007 November: FA probe tackle on Dickson Etuhu after Barton's move to Newcastle but no action
December: Describes Newcastle fans as "vicious"
2008 May: Jailed for assault

All this is conditional of my previous statement of "if".

I
However, the tackle on Adebayor came when the ball was already off of the pitch, and the one on Walcott was from behind and was only ever intended to bring him down.

Both should of been red cards tbh...Should be a good match today, hoping to see vela work some magic 😎

Red cards?

The challenge on Adebayor was a genuine attempt at getting the ball. It was a little late however it was a yellow card. If we start giving out red cards for these challenges the expect every game next weekend to finish with 10 v 9 on the pitch.

The challenge on Walcott was from behind and the player didn't get the ball however again it is a yellow card.

Lets not forget that the only player to actually get a red card in the game was Van Persie. He intended to cause injury to the goalkeeper by going in with his arm, if he was trying to get the ball then he would of only go in with his legs. That was not the case.

Classic diversionary tactics from a manager.

Lose a game that many would've considered to be a walkover. Receive some injuries in said game. With tough games coming up highlight the ref/other team as the source of the problems this way the supporters will feel hard done by through injuries and not mind if you loose the subsequent games.

Wenger wasn't that concerned after the game.

He should be called in front of the FA for his comments.

 

[Blue Velvet]

After review, I've removed some material.

Someone said "football is more important than life and death to you" and I said "Listen, it's more important than that."
— Bill Shankly

But let's play the ball, gents and ladies. I'll put my match report in at the end of the game.

 

[dukebound85]

i hope the broncos will beat the browns this week. they shoudl as Quinn will be having his first start with the browns. i still cant believe they lost to the dolphins

seriously being a broncos fan this season is like being on a rollar coaster...

 

[xUKHCx]

i hope the broncos will beat the browns this week. they shoudl as Quinn will be having his first start with the browns. i still cant believe they lost to the dolphins

seriously being a broncos fan this season is like being on a rollar coaster...

Accrington Stanley! 🙂

 

[Jaffa Cake]

...Quinn will be having his first start with the browns.

To be fair, he does seem pleased about it.

 

[smwatson]

Gerrard. Ridiculous dive. Comes charging in, jumps into the defender and tumbles to the floor screaming. Overrated nob.

 

[xUKHCx]

Gerrard. Ridiculous dive. Comes charging in, jumps into the defender and tumbles to the floor screaming. Overrated nob.

Did you watch the game?

Comes charging in - What do you expect it is a game of football if the players didn't run then it would be boring.

Jumps into the defender - he clearly got there first as the defender collides with his back.

tumbles to the floor screaming - well if you are jumping through the air at pretty much full speed and someone else bumps into you thus causing you to turn I think everyone would fall over. Even the defender fell to a position where, if he had got to the ball first, it would've been a free kick the other way. And screaming?

And if you read my previous description

In regrads to Gerrards penalty i have seen comments that it was a dive, this is simply not the case. The players came together in the air with Gerrard getting the ball first. This coming together caused both players to go down. If this was outside the box then a freekick, if this was a goalie on another player then penalty.

In the grand scheme of penalties ignoring the obvious bad calls from Stlyes it is on the softer side of things however it was a penalty.

Yes it is on the softer side of things but the only ridiclous thing here is the claim that it was a dive.

 

[smwatson]

Did you watch the game?

Comes charging in - What do you expect it is a game of football if the players didn't run then it would be boring.

Jumps into the defender - he clearly got there first as the defender collides with his back.

Rubbish. Watch this (ignoring the other Gerrard dives) http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=PVthv1RqHqo. Clearly he is past the defender AND the ball when there is (minimal) contact made. He is on the downward half of his ridiculous leap, and ends up flat on his face. And somehow wins a penalty. It was definitely not a penalty.

tumbles to the floor screaming - well if you are jumping through the air at pretty much full speed and someone else bumps into you thus causing you to turn I think everyone would fall over. Even the defender fell to a position where, if he had got to the ball first, it would've been a free kick the other way. And screaming?

And if you read my previous description
...

Yes it is on the softer side of things but the only ridiclous thing here is the claim that it was a dive.

It was a dive. 100%.
Gerrard is a diving whining cheater.

 

[XIII]

Hmm.

Yes, that is a dive. You're totally right.