Inevitable really. At least last season we had a decent start for the first 5 games or so. I know there's a long way to go yet, but things don't really look great. Still, at least we're not morons
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
The 2011-2012 Football Thread
- Thread starter Jaffa Cake
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
- Status
Inevitable really. At least last season we had a decent start for the first 5 games or so. I know there's a long way to go yet, but things don't really look great. Still, at least we're not morons
Heh. I'm saying nowt.
Meanwhile, some fantastic news has come out of City this afternoon — namely that the club are moving to terminate Jimmy Bullard's contract. The foppish wastrel can appeal, but one would think that our case against him must be watertight if we're taking this step.
He has talent, that's for sure — but he's never showed willingness to use it for us. There have been a succession of incidents during his time here and he's been given chance after chance and clean slates aplenty, all of which have been thrown back in our faces.
There's rumour that once this is all sorted and he's a free agent he'll be signing for QPR. Just think about that for a moment. Bullard, Taarabt and Colin all together. At QPR. It's like an Axis of Twunt.
Good riddance, eh?
Some press wags seem to think QPR could end up doing a Leeds after this season. I can't see that happening, though there could be a big ownership power struggle on the horizon and one wonders just how much money Fernandes is willing to pump into the club.
It seems that the best thing a promoted team can do is go back down. Keep costs under control, and play the role of a "Yo-Yo" team until you've got the money and squad to stay up without panic-buying your way into administration.
...Unless you're Stoke, in which case the recipe for success is to become the acid test for any footballer's mettle, with bad weather, huge defenders and tough tackling.
Last edited:
Barton is a jackass. He deserved a red card. The 'slap' was nothing worse than the pull up and he deserved a lot more than he received. IMO. If someone grabbed you like that on the street and you punched them...let alone a slap....self defense would be no issue. Furthermore, for someone who's supposed to be hard, he sure goes down like a prepubescent girl.
One thing others have brought up since is that regardless of how you characterize Barton's hauling Gervinho up off the ground (violent vs unsportsmanlike conduct)- wasn't it in any case some sort of foul by Barton in the box and therefore a penalty for Arsenal? Not sure about it but interesting nonetheless.
I thought the whole incident was tremendously entertaining. The call was entirely up to the ref - a yellow for each would have been within the letter of the law (now that I've gone back and looked at my laws of the game book) as would two reds.
The ball was still in play so strictly speaking the referee could have blown for a foul – it's the location of the offence and not the ball which decides whether it's a free kick or penalty.
I seem to remember quite a few years back a player booting an opponent in the penalty area (not a euphemism
) after the ball had been cleared into the other half – and a penalty was duly awarded. It must have been a good 15 years or so ago, and I can't remember which teams were involved other than it was lower league. So it's not much use really.As you were.
Last edited:
True. Obviously the ref thought Gervinho initially went down under a fair challenge, otherwise he'd have either awarded a penalty to Arsenal or booked Gervinho for diving. Perhaps that is why he did not award Arsenal a penalty for Barton's shenanigans, as he considered it all part of the same incident, even though the ball remained in play for half the scuffle.
The only thing for certain is that Gervinho has to take a red for slapping Barton upside the head. I just cant see him getting away with that under any circumstance, even though Barton started the scuffle and probably got off quite cheaply.
MLS reached a notable milestone last night by defeating Pumas UNAM 1-0 in Mexico City in a first leg Champions League match. The Mexican defending champions fielded a youthful side, but pride was very much on the line to protect Mexico's perfect record against us Yanks...
You see, this marks the first time any American side (including the national team) has ever won a match in Mexico. Let's hope it is the first of many to come. MLS clubs are beginning to take the Champions League more seriously, and I hope it grows into a competition with a real cachet.
I love the madness - hurrah to the Bartons, Balotellis and Mourinhos of the football world! It would be a dull place without their insane antics.
That Newcastle-Arsenal match was incredibly dull before Barton popped up and brought it to life. In the absence of watchable football I'll take a bit of comedy relief any day.
You see, this marks the first time any American side (including the national team) has ever won a match in Mexico. Let's hope it is the first of many to come. MLS clubs are beginning to take the Champions League more seriously, and I hope it grows into a competition with a real cachet.
I love the madness - hurrah to the Bartons, Balotellis and Mourinhos of the football world! It would be a dull place without their insane antics.
That Newcastle-Arsenal match was incredibly dull before Barton popped up and brought it to life. In the absence of watchable football I'll take a bit of comedy relief any day.
Rather embarrassing last night for Scottish football... Rangers beat away, Celtic held to a draw at home and Hearts thumped 5-0 by Spurs. If ever you need a demonstration of the gap in standards between the two countries, there it is.
I hadn't heard of those chaps before, and I still don't know how to pronounce them! From what I'm hearing, Bocanegra seems a shrewd move and I'm sure Bedoya will appear to be spectacular up against SPL opposition.
I hadn't heard of those chaps before, and I still don't know how to pronounce them! From what I'm hearing, Bocanegra seems a shrewd move and I'm sure Bedoya will appear to be spectacular up against SPL opposition.
*&#$!*!#$% time difference. ESPN2 is broadcasting the Liverpool-Arsenal match live tomorrow at 3:30am local time here in Alaska. And there is no rebroadcast. I'm very much missing my old DVR.
Bocanegra is a solid defender, easily the USA's most experienced player in defense. He's not the fastest defender on the pitch, but his positioning and athleticism are still excellent, and he is dangerous on set pieces. He should do well in the SPL.
Unfortunately, on reading the match reports, I see that he was a bit rusty in his first start for Rangers, giving the ball away in dangerous positions a couple times. Hopefully that only happened because he played a full 90 minutes for Gers less than 24 hours after moving from St. Etienne. He'll need at least a few more training sessions to settle in. Bedoya is more of a fringe player than Bocanegra but he's looked decent for us in midfield at times. He has potential, and he's only 24.
I would love to hear "Carlos Bocanegra" and Alejandro Bedoya" pronounced with a Scottish accent...definitely more of a tongue twister than "Nacho Novo"
EDIT: Much talk has been doing the rounds on the internet over this hilarious image of Mourinho poking Tito Vilanova in the eye while the "man with the moustache" looks on stone-faced. I hope it becomes the subject of a Guardian gallery or something, because it's rapidly becoming a meme.
And there is no rebroadcast. I'm very much missing my old DVR.Bocanegra is a solid defender, easily the USA's most experienced player in defense. He's not the fastest defender on the pitch, but his positioning and athleticism are still excellent, and he is dangerous on set pieces. He should do well in the SPL.
Unfortunately, on reading the match reports, I see that he was a bit rusty in his first start for Rangers, giving the ball away in dangerous positions a couple times.
Hopefully that only happened because he played a full 90 minutes for Gers less than 24 hours after moving from St. Etienne. He'll need at least a few more training sessions to settle in. Bedoya is more of a fringe player than Bocanegra but he's looked decent for us in midfield at times. He has potential, and he's only 24.I would love to hear "Carlos Bocanegra" and Alejandro Bedoya" pronounced with a Scottish accent...definitely more of a tongue twister than "Nacho Novo"
EDIT: Much talk has been doing the rounds on the internet over this hilarious image of Mourinho poking Tito Vilanova in the eye while the "man with the moustache" looks on stone-faced. I hope it becomes the subject of a Guardian gallery or something, because it's rapidly becoming a meme.
Last edited:
I would love to hear "Carlos Bocanegra" and Alejandro Bedoya" pronounced with a Scottish accent...definitely more of a tongue twister than "Nacho Novo"
The more famous one was when Enrico Annoni came on as a substitute for Celtic;
[Glaswegian accent] Aw naw, no Annoni on an aw noo! [/Glaswegian accent]
(Translation: Oh no, not Annoni on as well now!)
EDIT: Much talk has been doing the rounds on the internet over this hilarious image of Mourinho poking Tito Vilanova in the eye while the "man with the moustache" looks on stone-faced. I hope it becomes the subject of a Guardian gallery or something, because it's rapidly becoming a meme.
Image
I love the internet when they do stuff like this.
Managers these days surround themselves with a bewildering number of specialist staff as well as their assistant and coaches it's not uncommon for clubs to employ specialists like sports psychologists, performance analysts, nutritionists and so forth. Notts County's gaffer Martin Allen has gone a step further though with his latest staff search he's seeking a whistling teacher to help him communicate better with his players from the touchline.
"This is not for my dog, this is for me to whistle from my technical area."
"This is not for my dog, this is for me to whistle from my technical area."
Fuzzy14 said:
I usually have no trouble with any of the various English accents out there, but I have to confess that a heavy Scottish accent occasionally defeats me - especially when the speaker is off his face on whiskey [a chance meeting last summer, loooong story
] Hehe, classic.
I feel his pain though, I can't perform that loud whistle with my two pinkies that works so well to gain peoples' attention in a crowded place. Maybe he should simply hire a professional whistler to do it for him?
A clean sheet at the Emirates is always a good result, though I'm not yet convinced with Carroll as a lone striker.
From this evidence, Arsenal and Liverpool are simply not on the same level as the top three of Chelsea and the Manchester clubs.
I doubt you'll find anyone who'd disagree with that...
EDIT: Emile Heskey scored today. That is not a typo. Cynics will also gleefully note that Heskey fell down while taking the shot.
From this evidence, Arsenal and Liverpool are simply not on the same level as the top three of Chelsea and the Manchester clubs.
tristangage said:
I doubt you'll find anyone who'd disagree with that...
EDIT: Emile Heskey scored today. That is not a typo. Cynics will also gleefully note that Heskey fell down while taking the shot.
Last edited:
Hear hear.
Don't think I've been active enough in the football threads to have noticed you say that, but i'm glad everybody seems to agree. I wouldn't mind giving that guy a sidekick to the face.
Lets pause in the Terry hate-party to acknowledge Columbus 2-1 Philadelphia.
A big home win for the Crew puts us on top of the Eastern conference by 3 points over Philadelphia. It was a chippy match, and the winning goal came off a penalty. Our form continues to be pretty good, but this was a tough match, our defense had to be sharp tonight. The return fixture will be a big test. A draw in Philly would really provide a nice cushion in the table.
Despite having totally rebuilt the squad in the off-season, the Crew look set for a credible playoff run if we can avoid injuries.
Alright, back to England's Brave John Terry...
A big home win for the Crew puts us on top of the Eastern conference by 3 points over Philadelphia. It was a chippy match, and the winning goal came off a penalty. Our form continues to be pretty good, but this was a tough match, our defense had to be sharp tonight. The return fixture will be a big test. A draw in Philly would really provide a nice cushion in the table.
Despite having totally rebuilt the squad in the off-season, the Crew look set for a credible playoff run if we can avoid injuries.
Alright, back to England's Brave John Terry...
I thought I should post this because it's never happened before and there's a good chance it will never happen again...
Blimey!
Blimey!
- Status