2008-09 Football Thread

[pachyderm]

I demand victory this afternoon. There is after all only one team in Yorkshire.

Hull City 2 - 1 Middlesbrough
79' 1 Tuncay Sanli
80' Ross Turnbull (og) 1
84' David Wheater
85' Marlon King (pen) 2


Southampton 1 - 1 Sheffield Wednesday
14' Bradley Wright-Phillips 1
87' 1 Marcus Tudgay

Sheff Wed 8-5-8

GOALS
7 Tudgay
4 Clarke
3 Esajas
2 Sodje
2 Watson
1 McAllister
1 Spurr
1 Small
1 Burton
1 McMahon

 

[Jaffa Cake]

We'll be comin',
We'll be comin',
We'll be comin' down the road.
When you hear the noise of the Bill Shankly boys,
We'll be comin' down the road.

I predict nothing but abject misery for you next Saturday. Just so you're prepared for it, like.

 

[Queso]

Well, at least we managed to score three....

 

[és:]

I predict nothing but abject misery for you next Saturday. Just so you're prepared for it, like.

What I like about Hull is that you don't care who you're playing, you go out and play football. There will be none of this 11 men in the final third nonsense that has hurt us so badly.

However, I do think that Hull are well capable of a post-European upset. We need to be clever.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

You can be certain that Phil Brown and his staff are poring over the ProZone stats and tapes to identify any weaknesses. If Liverpool play as well as they can then they should do fine against us, if the players go out with the mindset that it's only Hull City and they don't have to put that much effort in, then you could very easily come unstuck as Arsenal did - and as Manchester United very nearly did when they took their foot off the pedal and let us back into the match.

We've not got tickets for this match, so we're heading to the pub where they're showing it on some dodgy foreign channel. Hopefully we'll be able to witness a famous victory, but this is really one of those games where any points we can pick up are a bonus.

 

[pachyderm]

stickfootball

 

[és:]

You can be certain that Phil Brown and his staff are poring over the ProZone stats and tapes to identify any weaknesses. If Liverpool play as well as they can then they should do fine against us, if the players go out with the mindset that it's only Hull City and they don't have to put that much effort in, then you could very easily come unstuck as Arsenal did - and as Manchester United very nearly did when they took their foot off the pedal and let us back into the match.

We've not got tickets for this match, so we're heading to the pub where they're showing it on some dodgy foreign channel. Hopefully we'll be able to witness a famous victory, but this is really one of those games where any points we can pick up are a bonus.

Well, Fulham and West Ham took a point of us at home. However, they are teams that come to close down the space by packing 9 of the outfield players in the final third and that really stifles us when we've not got Torres to rip them apart.

We need to get that Gerrard/Torres partnership back as soon as possible - there are very few that can match the 54 goals they knocked in last season.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Three goals for Liverpool, but all from midfielders...Keane didn't even make it off the bench!

If we've resorted to putting Kuyt back up front by himself we must really be desperate. Rafa had better buy a striker in January if he doesn't have any confidence in Keane. We're having a good run so far this season but we won't win the league if we rely on Torres and his gammy leg for 90% of our goals.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Rafa had better buy a striker in January if he doesn't have any confidence in Keane.

Equally, you're going to need another top class striker in the team if Torres' recurrent injury keeps, erm, recurrenting.

We watched the Everton-Villa match and it was a cracking ending to the game – Lescott getting your blue neighbours a draw in injury time, cueing scenes of disconsolate Villa players laid on the turf with their heads in their hands. The match restarts to play out the remaining seconds, and Ashley Young pops down the other end of the pitch to score the winner!

So in the end it was Everton who were left staring at each other mouths agape – and I'm sure we'll be witnessing scenes of defeated, shellshocked scousers in Liverpool's other stadium this Saturday.

 

[mouchoir]

Denilson on the other hand had a very good game against United at home. As it happens I do agree he's not right and is a weak link, and we need another midfielder (who won't come cheap, if he needs to be significantly better than Denilson) to replace him, before we just sent him away.

And also - he's only young and shouldn't be totally judged yet. He's a good backup player to have - just not first choice in my opinion.

I'm sick of hearing people lay into Denilson at matches. He was great when Fabregas was out at the beginning of the season, and always seems to give his all. I agree though that he is maybe not the best partner for Fab, but a suitable stand in for him.

The guy sat next to me on Saturday spent the entire match swearing at Denilson, and then Eboue. When Denilson nearly scored he looked furious that he had a good effort!

I'm never sitting in section 15 lower tier again. There was virtually no-one singing, but they were all happy to boo Eboue off –*I found it really appalling. Wigan didn't bring much support, but our 'fans' did a find job of filling in for them by booing our own players. Well done! You really helped the cause.

 

[Fuzzy14]

We'll be comin',
We'll be comin',
We'll be comin' down the road.
When you hear the noise of the Bill Shankly boys,
We'll be comin' down the road.

I've only ever known that as a Tartan Army song! I realise a lot of teams share songs with different words, wonder which used it first?

In the SPL this weekend, Rangers lost a goal to Hamilton, before scoring 7! Celtic lost to Hibs so that narrows the gap at the top to 4 points. Not over by Christmas after all!

 

[és:]

I've only ever known that as a Tartan Army song! I realise a lot of teams share songs with different words, wonder which used it first?

Yeah, it was the tartan army first. It's just a song that we've been singing recently.

 

[XIII]

I'm sick of hearing people lay into Denilson at matches. He was great when Fabregas was out at the beginning of the season, and always seems to give his all. I agree though that he is maybe not the best partner for Fab, but a suitable stand in for him.

The guy sat next to me on Saturday spent the entire match swearing at Denilson, and then Eboue. When Denilson nearly scored he looked furious that he had a good effort!

I'm never sitting in section 15 lower tier again. There was virtually no-one singing, but they were all happy to boo Eboue off –*I found it really appalling. Wigan didn't bring much support, but our 'fans' did a find job of filling in for them by booing our own players. Well done! You really helped the cause.

Yeah he is a suitable stand in for Fabregas - but as you said, I don't think he's the kind of player Fabregas needs to be playing in the centre with, like Flamini was - it needs a more defensive midfielder.

15 must be half way line ish - always fairly **** round there, never sit there. Block 19 is ok usually next to the away fans or the 24/25 behind the goal near away fans. Obviously block 5/6 are the best, failing that behind the goal north end.

Generally home games are **** for atmosphere (although United and Spurs were pretty good this season actually), I have so much more fun on away days.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

I'm never sitting in section 15 lower tier again. There was virtually no-one singing, but they were all happy to boo Eboue off –*I found it really appalling.

15 must be half way line ish - always fairly **** round there, never sit there. Block 19 is ok usually next to the away fans or the 24/25 behind the goal near away fans. Obviously block 5/6 are the best, failing that behind the goal north end.

I can't remember numbers or owt, but from what you say 23-20 is the away bit, yeah?

Actually, that looks about right...



Anyway, some good news for Arsenal fans – Eduardo is pencilled in for the reserves in about a week's time.

 

[Fuzzy14]

I'm wondering if David up in Aberdeen managed to catch Borat's howler against Hibs at the weekend?

For those who don't know, Celtic's keeper has an unfortunate history of stirring racial hatred so the good karma fairy got him at the weekend. He claims his view was blocked and that the ball mysteriously changed direction at the last moment, none of which evident on the video. Also, read the comments for typical funny but sad You Tube abuse.

 

[XIII]

I can't remember numbers or owt, but from what you say 23-20 is the away bit, yeah?

Actually, that looks about right...

View attachment 147651

Anyway, some good news for Arsenal fans – Eduardo is pencilled in for the reserves in about a week's time.

Yeah - 23-20 is about right for the away fans. As you can see block 5 and 6 where there is some atmosphere is handily located as far away from the away fans as possible..

Eduardo back is good news.

 

[swiftaw]

Did anyone see the new qualifying system for next year's Champions League? I've attached it below. What do people think?

Leagues 16-53:

16 Switzerland
17 Bulgaria
18 Norway
19 Denmark
20 Austria
21 Serbia
22 Israel
23 Sweden
24 Slovakia
25 Poland
26 Hungary
27 Croatia
28 Cyprus
29 Slovenia
30 Finland
31 Latvia
32 Bosnia-Herzegovina
33 Lithuania
34 Moldova
35 Ireland
36 Macedonia
37 Israel
38 Georgia
39 Liechtenstein
40 Belarus
41 Estonia
42 Azerbaijan
43 Albania
44 Armenia
45 Kazakhstan
46 Northern Ireland
47 Wales
48 Faroe Islands
49 Luxembourg
50 Malta
51 Montenegro
52 Andorra
53 San Marino

 

[Jaffa Cake]

I reckon we really ought to push for automatic qualification, we don't want any qualification slip ups in our inaugural Champions League campaign.

What a convoluted system though. Just have it as champions and the cup holders, drawn off in pairs to play home and away. Winners go through. Simple.

I'm well old fashioned, me.

 

[swiftaw]

I reckon we really ought to push for automatic qualification, we don't want any qualification slip ups in our inaugural Champions League campaign.

What a convoluted system though. Just have it as champions and the cup holders, drawn off in pairs to play home and away. Winners go through. Simple.

I'm well old fashioned, me.

It seems from the new system that the reigning champions will be given entry, so you could see 5 teams from one country. Also, if the reigning champions qualify by other means, what happens to the extra place, who gets it?

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Also, if the reigning champions qualify by other means, what happens to the extra place, who gets it?

I would guess that the qualification placings for that particular country slide down a place, if you follow, and they get an extra entrant.

After all, the winners are more than likely to come from England, Spain and Italy and these are the countries whose teams UEFA likes to keep in as long as possible, as they're teams people like to watch and more viewers means more sponsorship and advertising revenue.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I don't like it. I understand that UEFA wants to include more teams and set up potential upsets with teams like Cluj and Anorthosis, but it's gotten out of hand.

The Champions League should be a single elimination tournament with the champions of each of the leagues. That's the point isn't it?

 

[Jaffa Cake]

I don't like it. I understand that UEFA wants to include more teams and set up potential upsets with teams like Cluj and Anorthosis, but it's gotten out of hand.

I'd suggest otherwise – by having more lower ranked teams in, it keeps the big teams apart from each other (and in the competition) for longer.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Bring back The European Cup. Knockout over two legs, champions only. Proper drama instead of this dull grind for TV coffers that favours the biggest clubs.

Old-fashioned, me.

 

[mouchoir]

Yeah - 23-20 is about right for the away fans. As you can see block 5 and 6 where there is some atmosphere is handily located as far away from the away fans as possible..

Eduardo back is good news.

Unfortunately I didn't have much choice for the Wigan game as I got my ticket using Arsenal's 'Ticket Exchange'.

I was standing (yes, standing!) in section 8 for the Spurs game, and the atmos was awesome! Nobody in that area sat down all game and we never stopped singing.

Great news about Eduardo, really hope he doesn't take long to find his form. It'll be like having a new signing –*same if we ever get Rosicky back

 

[Fuzzy14]

How the hell are we 10th??? Won't be next year after Rangers and Celtics poor European performances.

Champions League = European League by another name, the domestic competitions are just means of promotion into it. CL gradually taking over, what's the chances they'll soon switch the games to the weekend and have domestic midweek?