The Football Thread

[Devius]

Bravo, Arsene Wenger.
If you're going to leave - go out on a high and with your dignity intact...

[mitchspur]

In answer to your question Gordon,
New Wembley doesn't hold a candle to the old one!
Olympic stadium does not hold a candle to Upton park!
The Emirates does not hold a candle to Highbury.

I don't suppose New White Hart Lane will compare to the old one.

Am I beginning to make myself clear???

I enjoy going to places like Dagenham and Lincoln more nowadays!!!!

History is disappearing into havens for the Prawn sandwich brigade.

As usual did you see the seats in front of the Royal Box at the start of the second half in the Cup Final today???

All the fat cats Lording it up!!!!

[gordian_knot]

It seemed to play a bit better today than it has in the past, but nothing beat the old Wembley pitch, bathed in sunshine at 3.00pm on a Saturday.

Why they had to kick off so late I don't know, but even if they had kicked off at the more traditional time I suspect you still wouldn't have seen much sun on the pitch, the stadium is so badly designed.

Arsenal were worthy winners, but it seems that Sanchez is off, which probably means Ozil will be on his way as well.

[victor meldrew]

No televised games between 02.45 & 05.15 on a Saturday, with the FA Cup final being the exception. I don't remember when the 5pm KO started but I can only believe its to fall in line.
Bob Lord the Burnley chairman at the time convinced clubs & the powers that be after ITV showed Blackpool v Bolton, I think at 07.30 on Sat night (1960 or 61). The ground was at least half empty and the other live games were cancelled and ITV cancelled the contract when the FL wanted loads more money so clubs could be compensated if attendances dropped.

[buttsie]

Originally Posted by Devius

Bravo, Arsene Wenger.
If you're going to leave - go out on a high and with your dignity intact...

He wont go till they win the Champions League

Beating Chelsea in a one off will only re-inforce that hes on the right path




Victor Moses should hang his head in shame after his awful dive at Wembley

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...wful-dive.html

[footstep]

Cup winners yesterday : Arsenal, Paris, Dortmund, Barca.
Rumour here: Jorge Jesus to Paris.

[george anson]

Originally Posted by ginny76

Harry Kewell is the new Crawley manager. When he's injured Darren Anderton will help out. Theo Walcott and Andy Carroll watch with interest.

Given his track record with our u23's God help Crawley Town.....

Marco Silva has joined us. An appointment that has been warmly welcomed by the Hornets faithful as a positive step forward and one that should heal the rift created by the former manager. If he does well I can only assume he will go onto bigger and better things or if he doesn't no harm done.

I expect people will see us as relegation favourites but he has been promised a decent budget (then again most other clubs in the division will be doing so) and he has a good track record.

The model we have here is that the manager and his staff just manage the team. Everything else is taken care of by other people so if a manager does depart there is no significant upheaval. Although Gino Pozzo has been more relaxed over the last couple of seasons in allowing his managers to bring in their own targets.

Hopefully Pereyra and Zarate come back fully fit from their serious injuries to provide flair and creativity. Capoue will hopefully leave. A player who could have been much more but for his indolent attitude.

Interesting to see Messi once again disprove his doubters (it's hard to understand why) that he is over the hill. A nice goal last week against Eibar and a lovely assist for Alcacer against Alaves in the Copa del Rey final.

If he stays fit and hungry I can see him playing well into his thirties. Bargain of the summer if the reported fee is true is £6.5M for Santiago Asascibar of Estudiantes.

Part of the Basque diaspora that settled in Argentina due to troubles in France and Spain this pint sized dynamo surely is the successor to Mascherano. Tenacious, combative, reads the game well for a youngster and is a good passer when he gets the ball.

The sole bright spot in the shambles of the Olympic football tournament for Argentina he would be an astute signing for a major club. Sooner rather than later he will surely be called up by Sampaoli who has left Sevilla after the AFA somehow scraped together the release fee.

One other thing. It always irritates me that for major finals large numbers of tickets are given to the corporate 'fans'. Genuine fans many of whom are season ticket holders cannot even get a sniff of watching their team on what might be a once in a lifetime occasion. Or have to pay extortionate prices from touts.

[jehuty34]

How that first arsenal goal stood is beyond me! Clear hand ball like a rugby charge down!

[Motorboater]

Arsenal beating Everton was a nasty surprise to me. How the hell did they knock off Chelsea?

How do you guys in Europe manage with all these cup finals​ happening on the same day?

[victor meldrew]

Originally Posted by Motorboater

Arsenal beating Everton was a nasty surprise to me. How the hell did they knock off Chelsea?

How do you guys in Europe manage with all these cup finals​ happening on the same day?

The FA cup is a mickey mouse tournament played in front of half empty stadiums watching kids and benchwarmers, for the big boys, like the league cup, its a cheap trophy. The only final I have watched in the last twenty years was Gerrard v WHU.

Rumours abound that Whinger will sign a new two year contract, depending on the source Sanchez is 50-50 stay or leave, while phone home is going home to Germany.

WHU is signing half the players in the world if all the rumours are true, but as we were shite it is no surprise. Hopefully Bilic will stay rather than appointing someone else and starting again, however if the three wise ones control who stays and who goes another year of pants footie is in the reckoning. Playing at the blot is probably a godsend for the top six rather than the in your face Upton Park.

Are Watford going to become another team appointing umpteen managers, 9 in the last six years, although might not be alone.

More later.