The 2013-2014 Football Thread

[Tilpots]

Its always someone else's fault from ref to weather. Hazard has apparently diagnosed the real problem. That and as mentioned above, the specialist blinked first.

Meanwhile, i present to you Arsenal's rumoured 2014/2015 Puma kit.

(click for larger)

Reminded me of this kit reveal just days prior.

 

[pachyderm]

Its always someone else's fault from ref to weather. Hazard has apparently diagnosed the real problem. That and as mentioned above, the specialist blinked first.

Meanwhile, i present to you Arsenal's rumoured 2014/2015 Puma kit.

(click for larger)

not bad.

THE MASSIVE WEDNESDAY have signed on with Sondico… true story.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Tim Sherwood is a pretty crap manager, as it turns out. Was AVB really going to do worse than this?

I wonder, if Bayern really expected that, when they took him or if they just thought "popular+successfull+expensive coach+expensive squad= even more success"

Perhaps they took a page out of Brian Clough's book. To quote the legendary manager:

"I wanted to win the league, but I wanted to win it better."

You could argue they've done that.

 

[Kariya]

No he wasn't. Levy is just a nightmare to work with. Trying to emulate Chelsea and City.

Meanwhile manic final day of the championship. Thought Birmingham were gone but scrape it by the skin of their teeth. Poor Doncaster.

Nigel Adkins also missing out on the playoffs thanks to Brighton's late winner.

 

[cambookpro]

Nigel Adkins also missing out on the playoffs thanks to Brighton's late winner.

It was a good game though, lots of chances and thought we could've nicked it - we had a one on one saved and one cleared off the line.

It was chaos at the end though, the whole stadium (including Mr Madejski himself) celebrated as everyone thought Forest had scored an equaliser.

Cue a pitch invasion from the stupidest of our fans, only to realise Brighton had won 2-1...
Pretty much ruined the 'lap of appreciation' the players were going to do, and it has to go down as one of the worst pitch invasions in history. Even if we had won, who invades for sixth?!

Oh well, onwards and upwards (but perhaps more likely downwards...)

 

[oscillatewildly]

The end of season 90+ minutes, killer if it goes against you.

Manchester United today:

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. Takes off creativity in the middle, Mata, and Young stays on the pitch; sell the latter to Spurs - perfect cover for Lennon. Not only, but also; throwing on forwards. Carrick on drugs and de Gea's kicking going to pot.

Cheers,
OW

 

[Kariya]

No help from Everton then.

So Fulham and Cardiff gone.
Wenger cements top 4 without kicking a ball.
City on course bar voodoo.
Hull in Europe.

And United prove Moyes wasn't wholly to blame.

 

[oscillatewildly]

And United prove Moyes wasn't wholly to blame.

All today proved was making the wrong selection and substitutions is asking for trouble.

U21s beat Liverpool to reach the league final; Joyce for manager

Cheers,
OW

 

[Kariya]

The starting XI should be good enough to get something from Sunderland at home on paper. Januzaj good going forward but can be caught out when tracking back which is why I'm guessing he went for Young.

RVP not fit. Valencia and Wellbeck might've made a difference i suppose, Valencia definitely a better option to Nani (wth happened to Nani). But there have been plenty of times where they haven't been the answer either.

*shrug* i dunno. Its LVG's problem now. Will class of 92 be allowed to work in the background i wonder...probably not.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Anyone seen my passport?

 

[mojolicious]

Anyone seen my passport?

Congratulations!

Hull Tigers Ltd on tour!



Only... erm... seventeen matches from Euro glory.

 

[DAC47]

Well Cardiff City's season went exactly as expected.

They are currently in the process of extending the seating capacity of the Cardiff City stadium.
more money well spend...

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Congrats Jaffa!!!

Are you and Mrs Cake planning on some glamorous European travel to follow the adventures of Mssrs Bruce & Co.?

Well Cardiff City's season went exactly as expected.

They are currently in the process of extending the seating capacity of the Cardiff City stadium.
more money well spend...

They are also currently preparing to fight relegation in the courts because of Sunderland's lenient punishment over fielding an ineligible player. If history is any guide they may be in for some monetary compensation but it won't save them from the drop. Assuming Sunderland stay up, of course.

 

[pachyderm]

Well Cardiff City's season went exactly as expected.

They are currently in the process of extending the seating capacity of the Cardiff City stadium.
more money well spend...

just be glad you didn't have to fight a name change…

 

[swiftaw]

Congrats Jaffa!!!

Are you and Mrs Cake planning on some glamorous European travel to follow the adventures of Mssrs Bruce & Co.?



They are also currently preparing to fight relegation in the courts because of Sunderland's lenient punishment over fielding an ineligible player. If history is any guide they may be in for some monetary compensation but it won't save them from the drop. Assuming Sunderland stay up, of course.

The premier league should just dock Sunderland 3 points (which is the penalty in the majority of these cases), chances are the same 3 teams would still be relegated.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

The premier league should just dock Sunderland 3 points (which is the penalty in the majority of these cases), chances are the same 3 teams would still be relegated.

Sunderland lost all the league matches the ineligible player played in, and the three teams below them are definitely worse. They are 3 points ahead of Norwich with a vastly superior goal difference, 4 points ahead of Fulham and 5 ahead of Cardiff, having played a match less than those two.

So you're probably right. Sunderland have been terrible for most of the season, but the three teams at the bottom right now have been worse.

 

[Kariya]

Loic Remy in the stands at the Emirates today. Possibly getting a tour of the place before a move in the summer?

Cheap, EPL hardened, offers Arsenal something different, and more importantly...he's French.

Who knows.

In other news, it seems Hazard is getting the Mata treatment from Mou. Will Chelsea's new player of the season find the exit door in similar fashion to his predecessor i wonder. PSG hovering like vultures and players wife reportedly wants to return to France.

EDIT: Eden comes on in the 2nd half but Mou still draws a blank. 2 horse race now.

EDIT2: Meanwhile Athleti have lost to Levante thus blowing the title race back open. Any of the top 3 can still win it.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

In other news, it seems Hazard is getting the Mata treatment from Mou. Will Chelsea's new player of the season find the exit door in similar fashion to his predecessor i wonder. PSG hovering like vultures and players wife reportedly wants to return to France.

EDIT: Eden comes on in the 2nd half but Mou still draws a blank. 2 horse race now.

Call the engraver, Man City have been champs since last week. Mou's season ends with a damp squib, as does Liverpool's. Mourinho's plans seems to be to alienate every creative player in the squad.

That Atleti result is certainly big news. I hope they come out of this campaign with at least one trophy.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Congrats Jaffa!!!

Are you and Mrs Cake planning on some glamorous European travel to follow the adventures of Mssrs Bruce & Co.?

We're trying to work out where would give us the greatest chance of being water cannoned. We can almost smell the tear gas.

 

[Happybunny]

Call the engraver, Man City have been champs since last week. Mou's season ends with a damp squib, as does Liverpool's. Mourinho's plans seems to be to alienate every creative player in the squad.

Liverpool might not win anything this season, but to finish in top four of the ELP, was to be honest an unbelievable dream at the start of the season.

Luis Suarez has been a big part of the turn around by Liverpool. He might even become Player of the Year in the UK.

Both Liverpool’s standing and the rehabilitation of Suarez would have been seen as wishful thinking before this season.

Of course later this summer he will while playing for Uruguary, in a tie against England, stop a ball on the goal line with his hand, then sprint with the ball through the English defense, (a la Maradona) score a goal with his hand, that the referee doesn't see, while biting the head of a kitten.

We're trying to work out where would give us the greatest chance of being water cannoned. We can almost smell the tear gas.

I would recommend away ties with either Choromorets or Zorya both from Ukraine.

 

[mojolicious]

We're trying to work out where would give us the greatest chance of being water cannoned. We can almost smell the tear gas.

This season's qualifiers from the big leagues are looking disappointingly benign, although Lazio and Marseille can still get in amongst them. Even Turkey doesn't look great unless Galatasaray drop down to third.

Your best bet is going to be some former Eastern Bloc tractor factory works team. Bonus points for a Ukrainian side. Mentalist Kharkiv would be the dream draw.

*****

EDIT

I would recommend away ties with either Choromorets or Zorya both from Ukraine.

Damn, this is what happens when you wander off in mid-post to do some housework...

 

[takao]

This season's qualifiers from the big leagues are looking disappointingly benign, although Lazio and Marseille can still get in amongst them. Even Turkey doesn't look great unless Galatasaray drop down to third.

Your best bet is going to be some former Eastern Bloc tractor factory works team. Bonus points for a Ukrainian side. Mentalist Kharkiv would be the dream draw.

or one of my favorite teams in name only:

Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk

 

[Kariya]

That was fun to watch as a neutral but absolutely cringe-worthy if you're associated with LFC.

And so it became a 1-horse race.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Your best bet is going to be some former Eastern Bloc tractor factory works team. Bonus points for a Ukrainian side. Mentalist Kharkiv would be the dream draw.

Drawing a former works team from some backwards country with unpronounceable place names would be brilliant.

Fingers crossed for Airbus UK of Wales, then.

Meanwhile, there seems to have been quite the implosion in south east London this evening...

 

[mojolicious]

Fingers crossed for Airbus UK of Wales, then.

Bravo!

I miss Total Network Solutions FC. Have you seen their present name in full? The 'New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club'. Catchy.

Meanwhile, there seems to have been quite the implosion in south east London this evening...

After a long day's toil in the garden I went for a lie-down and listened to the commentary until it got to 0-3. At that stage I was thinking that with a couple more goals Liverpool might give themselves a chance of beating the goal difference, given how porous Newcastle can be. I obviously didn't find the prospect gripping enough to stay awake for the comeback, though...