The 2022-2023 Football Thread

[Scepticalscribe]

Grande Sporting, grande jogo. Nervos de aço.

Bye Sporting fans hate to be called Sporting Lisbon as Lisbon is nowhere in the club name. It's called Sporting Club de Portugal.

Ah, I hadn't realised that; this is the name that I had always known them by.

Thank you.

I stand corrected.

Re-reading the Guardian feed, I note that they have also also received texts and tweets - some quite terse - "Are they playing Arsenal London?" asked one, grumpily - drawing attention to this matter, which they (the Guardian) have since accepted, amended, and corrected.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Not upset about the defeat but more worried about the injuries to Saliba and Tomiyasu to be honest.

Likewise, to be candid.

 

[timber]

Ah, I hadn't realised that.

Thank you.

I stand corrected.

Re-reading the Guardian feed, I note that they have also also received texts and tweets - some quite terse - "Do you call Arsenal, Arsenal London?" asked one, grumpily - drawing attention to this matter, which they have since amended, and corrected.

I would guess that another reason is that Benfica does have Lisboa in this name and nobody calls it that

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I would guess that another reason is that Benfica does have Lisboa in this name and nobody calls it that

The Guardian noted that of the London clubs, the only club that features London in its name is West Ham (I hadn't known that, either).

In an earlier era, - until 1914 - Arsenal were known as Woolwich Arsenal (because Woolwich was where the state's arsenal was based - and had been there since Tudor times - and was also home to the Woolwich Military Academy for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, - the Royal Artillery - where artillery officers and NCOs were trained, an establishment that predated the founding of Sandhurst by more than half a century).

 

[timber]

Arsenal history is somewhat known among football fans in Portugal.
It's a well liked club for its positive football.
In fact there is a club (Sporting Braga, no relation ) that uses exactly the same kit as Arsenal.
The English words in several clubs names are there for historical reasons. Even FC Porto which name is today only in Portuguese was originally founded as "Foot-Ball Club do Porto".

 

[Sal09]

Patrick Vieira sacked.

 

[daneoni]

Not sure why considering they didn't buy him a number 10 and a striker after Gallagher left

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Patrick Vieira sacked.

I'm sorry to read this, but not surprised; a piece in the Guardian yesterday suggested that this was about to happen.

I've always liked Viera, a decent and intelligent man, and a fantastic footballer when he graced the pitch in our colours.

Not sure why considering they didn't buy him a number 10 and a striker after Gallagher left

Indeed.

It is exceptionally easy to blame the manager and then, proceed to fire the manager - a convenient and easy scapegoat - when things go wrong, or are not going well.

It can be far harder to give them the actual resources they may have needed to try to improve the team.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Patrick Vieira sacked.

I think he’s been doing a good job with the resources available. What do they expect? Top six?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I think he’s been doing a good job with the resources available. What do they expect? Top six?

Agreed.

He is the easiest, most convenient, most readily available target for blame, or scapegoat for their recent run of poor form, never mind that he has been denied the resources to do better.

And firing Patrick Viera distracts attention from more fundamental problems at the club.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Agreed.

He is the easiest, most convenient, most readily available target for blame, or scapegoat for their recent run of poor form, never mind that he has been denied the resources to do better.

And firing Patrick Viera distracts attention from more fundamental problems at the club.

Too true. Waiting to hear who we have in the semi’s of the Europa League cup. I’d rather have some of those goals in the league though!

 

[Silencio]

They did Vieira dirty. It's not his fault that Palace has no attacking talent, but he did at least make them very hard to beat. Not sure what other manager out there would get more out of that squad. There must have been some back-end disagreement that factored in to this decision, but I expect Vieira will land on his feet in a better situation somewhere else.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Very sorry to see Newcastle (a penalty, for an unfortunate handball - in the 93rd minute) defeat Nottingham Forest by two goals to one; I would have liked to have seen Forest hold on to secure - salvage? - a point with a drawn result.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Very intense and stressful and tight, and - for the neutral - compelling at the bottom of the table.

At present - and I cannot remember such a situation - there are only four points separating Crystal Palace, with 27 points in twelfth place, from the bottom team, Southampton, who are 20th in the table with 23 points.

Normally, at this stage of the season - over two thirds of the way through - one, or two clubs have come adrift at the very bottom; and usually, too, there are a clump of two or three teams hovering around 17th position, - separated by a few points form the teams in the middle of the table, teams who are not competing for any prizes, but are not threatened by relegation.

However, that is not the case this year, where the "centre" of the table has become extremely compressed, while the cluster of teams at the bottom has expanded to include the bottom eight teams, for only four points separate the bottom eight teams.

Today, Leeds defeated Wolves by four goals to two, and sprang themselves free of immediate danger, escaping the drop zone with their victory.

Southampton - lying 20th, at the very bottom of the table - held Spurs to a three all draw, scoring at the 90th minute to claim a draw and a point. They are still in 20th place, but lie only a point behind Bournemouth (19th place on 24 points) who were defeated today by three goals to one by Aston Villa; Leicester drew one all with Brentford.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Very intense and stressful and tight, and - for the neutral - compelling at the bottom of the table.

At present - and I cannot remember such a situation - there are only four points separating Crystal Palace, with 27 points in twelfth place, from the bottom team, Southampton, who are 20th in the table with 23 points.

Normally, at this stage of the season - over two thirds of the way through - one, or two clubs have come adrift at the very bottom; and usually, too, there are a clump of two or three teams hovering around 17th position, - separated by a few points form the teams in the middle of the table, teams who are not competing for any prizes, but are not threatened by relegation.

However, that is not the case this year, where the "centre" of the table has become extremely compressed, while the cluster of teams at the bottom has expanded to include the bottom eight teams, for only four points separate the bottom eight teams.

Today, Leeds defeated Wolves by four goals to two, and sprang themselves free of immediate danger, escaping the drop zone with their victory.

Southampton - lying 20th, at the very bottom of the table - held Spurs to a three all draw, scoring at the 90th minute to claim a draw and a point. They are still in 20th place, but lie only a point behind Bournemouth (19th place on 24 points) who were defeated today by three goals to one by Aston Villa; Leicester drew one all with Brentford.

Very true. However the games played makes things interesting too. A couple of back to back wins (as hard as that would be) and anyone can get themselves out of trouble.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Studying that table, it would appear that West Ham have a couple of games in hand at the moment.

Now, points on the board are obviously better, but, at this time of the season, games in hand do allow some grounds for optimism, or hope.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Very true. However the games played makes things interesting too. A couple of back to back wins (as hard as that would be) and anyone can get themselves out of trouble. View attachment 2175530

Yes, the bottom eight teams are so closely clumped and tightly clustered together that a decent win (or two)- or better, still, a few back to back wins - should be enough to give a team a bit of a breather, or allow a team to leap free of the relegation zone and have the slight comfort of a cushion - comprising a few points - between the threat of immediate danger and some semblance of safety.

 

[daneoni]

Conte really pouring fuel to existing fire that is burning his ties with spurs in his latest post-match interview.

I bet Kane can't wait to leave

 

[Sal09]

Conte really pouring fuel to existing fire that is burning his ties with spurs in his latest post-match interview.

I bet Kane can't wait to leave

I dont think he will survive this international break.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Conte really pouring fuel to existing fire that is burning his ties with spurs in his latest post-match interview.

I bet Kane can't wait to leave

I dont think he will survive this international break.

Yes, that is my impression, also.

In fact, I would go so far as to argue that he is almost inviting them to terminate his contract.

 

[Sal09]

8 points clear.

Still holding on to that Premier Inn booking for 28th & 29th May.

 

[Sal09]

3-1

Squeaky bum time.

Come on Arsenal.

 

[daneoni]

Business as usual. Brighton end Grimsby's run, and Arsenal return to winning ways despite injury woes.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

8 points clear.

Still holding on to that Premier Inn booking for 28th & 29th May.

Fingers, toes and other digits crossed.

3-1

Squeaky bum time.

Come on Arsenal.

Yes, that was my feeling - that awful squeaky bum feeling - when Arsenal lead by two goals, the score now three goals to one, as Palace had just pulled one back.

One can never relax, even with the cushion of a two goal lead, and when one is at the top of the table.

Business as usual. Brighton end Grimsby's run, and Arsenal return to winning ways despite injury woes.

Arsenal defeat Crystal Palace by four goals to win, a comfortable victory.

Brighton end - not just end, but absolutely terminate in a powerful and dominant performance during the second half - Grimsby's FA Cup run, defeating them by five goals - four scored in that second half - to nil.

Earlier, Sheffield United defeated Blackburn Rovers by three goals to two in what looked ot have been a thrilling game.

 

[daneoni]

Spectacular self-sabotage from Fulham against Utd.