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2009-10 Football Thread

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swiftaw said:
Just a thought. Why don't refs get assigned to games at random. They could even televise the draw. So on Monday night, they would draw numbered balls corresponding to refs and matches for the upcoming weekend.
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That would be ace. Kind of like the FA Cup draw, but a bit less exciting. But exciting none the less.

"Number 4..."
"Mr M Riley (West Yorks)"
"Will officiate... number 7."
"Chelsea vs Hull City"

Curses!
 
Jaffa Cake said:
That would be ace. Kind of like the FA Cup draw, but a bit less exciting. But exciting none the less.

"Number 4..."
"Mr M Riley (West Yorks)"
"Will officiate... number 7."
"Chelsea vs Hull City"

Curses!
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At least then you couldn't say it was some kind of conspiracy 🙂
 
swiftaw said:
At least then you couldn't say it was some kind of conspiracy 🙂
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Nah, it would be like what they were alleged to do in rugby league – the balls carrying the numbers of the top teams would be warmed while those of the lesser teams would be chilled. That way, those making the draw could ensure none of the big boys were drawn against one another. Allegedly.

So we'd end up with Mike Riley been shut in an oven or something. Which, thinking about it, means the idea isn't without its merits. 😀
 
DiamondMac said:
Some of you all must know something I don't because I see some picking Arsenal 😕
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A number of them also seem to be picking Hull City for relegation. Fret not, I've made a list of names and they'll be brought to account at the end of the season. 🙂
 
Fizzoid said:
Or they don't know when they've had enough to drink 😉
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Yes, I can't believe those people who come on here after a few too many and drunk-post. 🙄 Anyway, I picked Liverpool.

Just as the football season is ready to kick-off (or has kick-off in most of Scotland apart from West Lothian)... it grinds to a halt for international duties. Crazy timing.

Netherlands Pld 7 21 pts
Scotland Pld 5 7 pts
Macedonia Pld 6 7 pts
Iceland Pld 7 4 pts
Norway Pld 5 3 pts
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So as long as we don't get humped by Norway on Wednesday (how are they doing Mitth?)we should be OK to qualify for the play-offs in 2nd place. We've got Macedonia and then ermm Netherlands as our last games. Then we'll get humped by somebody else in the play-offs. It is the way of the Scots.
 
Fizzoid said:
Fear not pachyderm, they're going on a cup run this season 🙂
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More a scurry for a glass of milk than a cup run. 😉

Meanwhile, the Wendies are through after a 3-0 win over Rochdale, and even just as pleasingly I'm sure your neighbours are out of the competition at the hands of Port Vale. Ho ho. 🙂

Anyone know when the draw for the Second Round is made?
 
Indeed, a good night all round for us 🙂
Funnily enough the Wednesday 606 forum on the BBC website seems to have lost it's following of blunts who seem to normally like posting on there 🙂
 
English Premier League Champions
Liverpool
The three teams to be relegated from the English Premier League
Burnley, Birmingham, Man City
Scottish Premier League Champions
Celtic
Champions League Winners
Arsenal
The first manager in the English Premier League to be sacked
Carlo Ancelotti
The first English Premier League player to be arrested
Steven Gerrard
Will Manchester City finish in the top four?
Not a hope
 
swiftaw said:
Just an FYI JC, someone at the BBC has predicted Hull to finish 20th...
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I know, it's all I'm reading at the moment. To be fair though, some pundits are being surprisingly generous and think we'll finish 19th, with Burnley being ever so slightly worse than us. Bring it on, I say – we're ready for whatever the Premier League wants to throw at us.

By the way, on the off chance that there are any journalists reading this and you're struggling to come up with anything Hull City-based for your season preview, just include the following phrases (choose the order) and you're all set...

  • Perma-tanned Phil Brown
  • Half-time team talk at Eastlands
  • Doing a Derby
  • Second season syndrome
  • Humberside
  • No one wants to sign for Hull
  • Karaoke
  • Hull only stayed up because Newcastle and Middlesbrough were worse than them
...and before you know it, the world will think you're as knowledgeable as Mark Lawrenson. Sorted. 🙂
 
DiamondMac said:
Some of you all must know something I don't because I see some picking Arsenal 😕
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Fizzoid said:
Or they don't know when they've had enough to drink 😉
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Arsenal have signed a defender who can actually defend (Shock! Horror!), have a fit again Eduardo and no more Adebayor plodding about like big sulking tit. Just you wait!

(And there's no booze in my cup of tea... I think! 😀)
 
Jaffa Cake said:
...and before you know it, the world will think you're as knowledgeable as Mark Lawrenson. Sorted. 🙂
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Clearly, I'm in the wrong career. 😀

Seriously though, are the newly promoted teams really that much better than the Tigers? Hull City looks set for a fight for survival, maybe, but at least they have played out a season and have some experience, manager included. The newly promoted clubs are untested. That makes a prediction so much harder.

I'm actually excited to see what Burnley does, after their recent impressive cup runs...can they translate that into some league form?
 
Birmingham have experience of being in the Premiership, as do Wolves, although not as much recently as Birmingham do.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
I'm actually excited to see what Burnley does, after their recent impressive cup runs...can they translate that into some league form?
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It'll be interesting to see how they adapt, that's for sure. A cup run is one thing, the grind of playing against the higher quality teams week in week out will provide a sterner test however.

Naturally, they'll be roundly predicted either 'do a Derby', 'do a Stoke', 'do a West Brom', or 'do a Hull'. I hope Owen Coyle doesn't 'do himself a mischief' in the process, though.
 
Fizzoid said:
Birmingham have experience of being in the Premiership, as do Wolves, although not as much recently as Birmingham do.
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True, but Hull City just finished a Premier League season...and I'm not sure how many players with Prem experience Birmingham and Wolves have. Anyway, time will tell. What is the timeworn phrase again? "That's why they play the matches".

EDIT: As John Terry begins discussing South Africa (what on earth happened to his hair there?), what is the mood from you locals over there about England's chances? Any excitement? I know I've been blathering on about USA endlessly, but I'm a country over club man, so the World Cup is IT for me...
 
England, hmm, SA seems so far away.
Well, we definitely seem to be doing well, although anything less than our first XI and we do seem to loose our way.
Apart from Rooney, we don't really have a reliable front man, and even he's more of a supporting striker rather than an out and out goal scorer.
Will be interesting to see what happens when Joe Cole comes back, as we've actually done rather well without him. I'd still rather see a more natural left sided player play on the left, but Downing isn't it. Hopefully we'll see Walcott improve out on the right wing
Central midfield seems to have sorted itself out after the Lampard\Gerrard debate.
Upson seems to be reliable cover for either Terry and Ferdinand and it will be interesting to see how well Lescott does this season. Hopefully Glen Johnson's move to Liverpool won't spoil his progress and he'll continue to improve his game. His previous game he played a blinder, but looked shakey the game before.
Hopefully Ben Foster will get plenty of first team games this season, as I'd prefer to see him in goal rather than James. Can't see West Ham doing too well this season, so Rob Green should get plenty of stopping practice 🙂

Edit: Let's hear Mr. Lineker's thoughts
 
In other news, I just found this so funny I had to post it:
Sunderland midfielder Grant Leadbitter appeared at Gateshead magistrates court on Monday pleading special reasons why he should not be banned for a speeding offence. After being clocked at 112mph, the 23-year-old said he thought he was being followed by a car full of angry Newcastle fans before discovering that it was actually the police.
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Full story here

😀
 
Fizzoid said:
Indeed, a good night all round for us 🙂
Funnily enough the Wednesday 606 forum on the BBC website seems to have lost it's following of blunts who seem to normally like posting on there 🙂
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I want to hear the rant from the Blackwell...

Fizzoid said:
Fear not pachyderm, they're going on a cup run this season 🙂
Accrington Stanley 2 - 1 Walsall
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😉


Jaffa Cake said:
More a scurry for a glass of milk than a cup run. 😉

Meanwhile, the Wendies are through after a 3-0 win over Rochdale, and even just as pleasingly I'm sure your neighbours are out of the competition at the hands of Port Vale. Ho ho. 🙂

Anyone know when the draw for the Second Round is made?
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Takes place tonight straight after the action at Coventry City, Macclesfield Town and Nottingham Forest.

The Seeds:

1. Birmingham City
2. Blackburn Rovers
3. Bolton Wanderers
4. Bristol City
5. Burnley
6. Cardiff City
7. Hull City
8. Ipswich Town
9. Manchester City
10. Middlesbrough
11. Newcastle United
12. Portsmouth
13. Preston North End
14. Queens Park Rangers
15. Reading
16. Sheffield Wednesday
17. Stoke City
18. Sunderland
19. Swansea City
20. Tottenham Hotspur
21. Watford
22. West Bromwich Albion
23. West Ham United
24. Wigan Athletic
25. Wolverhampton Wanderers
 
So each of the 25 seeds will be drawn against one of the 25 non-seeds. The 25 winners of the second round matches will enter the 3rd round along with the 7 clubs in europe: Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Everton, and Fulham.

Also, as well as the 13 non-european premier league teams getting a bye until the second round, so did Newcastle and Middlesboro'.

Hoping Wigan gets a home tie.

pachyderm said:
Takes place tonight straight after the action at Coventry City, Macclesfield Town and Nottingham Forest.

The Seeds:

1. Birmingham City
2. Blackburn Rovers
3. Bolton Wanderers
4. Bristol City
5. Burnley
6. Cardiff City
7. Hull City
8. Ipswich Town
9. Manchester City
10. Middlesbrough
11. Newcastle United
12. Portsmouth
13. Preston North End
14. Queens Park Rangers
15. Reading
16. Sheffield Wednesday
17. Stoke City
18. Sunderland
19. Swansea City
20. Tottenham Hotspur
21. Watford
22. West Bromwich Albion
23. West Ham United
24. Wigan Athletic
25. Wolverhampton Wanderers
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In other news, Sunderland signed Cattermole from Wigan: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/8198227.stm

This is not good news, I hope they have a replacement in mind.
 
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