The Football Thread

[pierrelm]

Originally Posted by jokerman

It's about time that the Spurs fans should finally accept the fact that their team are not good enough to win anything.

Maybe it's more than about time our media stopped over-hyping the quality of our domestic football. It sells papers and sky subscriptions...oh, well, there you are then.

Meanwhile, out in the real world, a bunch of PL rejects and kids were untroubled by Spurs even in their wonderful new stadium, while Liverpool were put firmly in their place by Messi & co. who look red hot favourites for the trophy.

[Meini Again]

Stronger Ref needed.... but he can't be changed for the Return match.

I worship Messi, like Linekar......but I dislike his team's ethic.

Many were on a par with- "neymar's-histrionics"

Liverpool are not a brutal team. ... but to see SO many Barca players diving and clutching their legs, WHEN Replays showed " NO CONACT"

What's going on REF ?

[victor meldrew]

Originally Posted by pierrelm

Maybe it's more than about time our media stopped over-hyping the quality of our domestic football. It sells papers and sky subscriptions...oh, well, there you are then.

Meanwhile, out in the real world, a bunch of PL rejects and kids were untroubled by Spurs even in their wonderful new stadium, while Liverpool were put firmly in their place by Messi & co. who look red hot favourites for the trophy.

I can only believe the standard of the two Euro comps cannot be that good given we have FOUR of the semi - finalist.

Arsenal & Chelsea have both been really poor at times this season but its possible they could contest the final, for me does not say much for the standard of that comp, or is the Prem actually better than we think?

Originally Posted by Meini Again

Stronger Ref needed.... but he can't be changed for the Return match.

I worship Messi, like Linekar......but I dislike his team's ethic.

Many were on a par with- "neymar's-histrionics"

Liverpool are not a brutal team. ... but to see SO many Barca players diving and clutching their legs, WHEN Replays showed " NO CONACT"

What's going on REF ?

The nature of the beast, almost every league and major competition see's it week in week out, players going to ground and rolling in agony on minimal or no contact, fisticuffs and some go down as though they had walked into a Henry Cooper left hook, official are not that good and are easily conned, its the sad state of the modern game.

[pierrelm]

Originally Posted by victor meldrew

I can only believe the standard of the two Euro comps cannot be that good given we have FOUR of the semi - finalist...
Arsenal & Chelsea have both been really poor at times this season but its possible they could contest the final, for me does not say much for the standard of that comp, or is the Prem actually better than we think?
The nature of the beast, almost every league and major competition see's it week in week out, players going to ground and rolling in agony on minimal or no contact, fisticuffs and some go down as though they had walked into a Henry Cooper left hook, official are not that good and are easily conned, its the sad state of the modern game.

Firstly, I think that the standard of club football right across Europe is as poor as I can remember it since El Tel took his Barca team to the EC final to be beaten on penalties. There's really not one team out there, even Barca, who can compare with some of the great club sides of the last 20 years or so. Everyone is rebuilding or watching players come and go while agents get richer and ticket prices take the micky out of the poor sods who actually want to go to a game.

As for gamesmanship - apart from the horrors of Estudiantes 'playing' Man Utd and whoever kicked Celtic around South America (River Plate?) all those years ago in the late 60's, I'm struggling to recall an era where cheating was so widespread and officiating so utterly useless and hieously inconsistent.

Many of you will have seen the "wha'appen?!" goal Leeds gifted to Villa last weekend. There's previous to this...when Dean Smith was manager of Brentford, their visit to Elland rd produced some of the most blatant cheating, ref blagging and diving you could ever wish never to see.
I thought it couldn't be 'bettered'. I take it all back - now he's at Villa, with the delightful John Terry, they have turned into an 11 of ref-baiting, constant complaining, diving, cheating gamesmanship practioners as you clapped eyes on.
The risible part was that the so-called 'injured' player who went down when Leeds scored their goal immediately lept up to join in the after goal bundle. Villa are now a side of bullying manipulative cheats. And whilst the disgraceful feigning of Patrick Bamford has rightly seen him banned, Villa have got off scot free. Absolutely bonkers - they were trying to ref the match mob-handed because they knew they had an appalling official. It's preposterous and Bielsa fell for it.
Villa? Vile beyond compare.

[buttsie]

Originally Posted by pierrelm

Maybe it's more than about time our media stopped over-hyping the quality of our domestic football. It sells papers and sky subscriptions...oh, well, there you are then.

Meanwhile, out in the real world, a bunch of PL rejects and kids were untroubled by Spurs even in their wonderful new stadium, while Liverpool were put firmly in their place by Messi & co. who look red hot favourites for the trophy.

The whole aim is more ad-revenue - the more over the top the article - good or bad
The more the fans and haters will click on the bait - if its a globally supported club
Bingo - thats never going to change ever

The amount of worthwhile factual sporting articles written would be less than 5%
The rest are just speculative click bait going over the same old tired ground because they have to fill the space 24/7 all year round.

The ones who need to wakeup are the readers / viewers

Its like the womans magazines with made-up celebrity stories because Celebs mostly wont ever sue or call it out but plenty of fans will buy the magazines so they dont miss out


Ajax beat Real Madrid 5-3 & Juventus 3-2 - winning both away games
- kids and rejects but fearless & ruthless are a good combination

Spurs without their 2 strikers look a bit toothless in front of goal

As for Liverpool - not ruthless enough in front of goal but not dominated 52/48
We'll wait and see how the return leg turns out

[Meini Again]

^ ^ ^

Two Posts above...

^ ^ ^

@ pierrelm




Trying to be objective is hard on that match...... Leeds' fans burnt down our snackbar, got mounted police on our pitch ,,, one Leeds child died....
St Andrews could've been closed FOREVER... had it not been the day the Bradford Fire took the headlines.

OOOOps... I may have mentioned that before

Bamford did a looney-bit...yes....Deserved his ban imo

Grealish (viler).... jeez where do you start?

He has the most obnoxious and violent father - a guy who threatened their manager with violence when he wasn't recalled from his loan to Crewe.... after he scored one or two goals.,,, his dad wanted him starting at viler, 2 Leagues above at that time.

Jack G is a good player, but also ~ imo
~ the EFL's BIGGEST DIVER

Fan Forums on Villa claimed that Steve Bruce's version of training, was basically "set pieces" from various places on the pitch.

Grealish's job was to create the set piece., by allegedly being fouled at that spot.

Which is why I think he is brave. He invites the foul, match-after-match
~ sometimes, when heavy he retaliates.... camera caught by a kick in the below deck... BANNED by the EFL

The rumour was that Spurs wanted this set-piece diva.

WHY ?

Being fouled and getting a "set-piece" is Grealish's M.O.,,,why would Poch want that ?
He's a decent player..... imo .... but a 'bencher' at any Prem club

His label is £50 million...... JEEZ....the world has gone mad

And... don't get me started on Dennis 'Charismaless' Smith...

I'll say it again... the two richest people in footie, took over at Villa

Villa, within a few months broke their record of WINNING matches EVER...after LOSING their most in a run.

Same Players
Same Manager

NEW OWNERS.....

Their owners are beyond the power or inclination of investigation by the EFL
- they belong in the protection of the Prem.



Why I Want LEEDS to destroy them in the PLAY-OFF FINAL

The Baggies won't.....

Snackbars forgiven......

[countjimmoriarty]

Originally Posted by Meini Again

Why I Want LEEDS to destroy them in the PLAY-OFF FINAL

The Baggies won't.....

Snackbars forgiven......

I get the distinct impression you're not a Villa fan...

[Red Imp]

Couldn't help smiliing when I saw this on Bolton Wanderers web site.

[pierrelm]

So, the Championship season finishes and the play-offs will see in-form Derby face currently clueless Leeds, while WBA will be up against the Vile, who were on a fabulous run of form until this afternoon's home defeat by Norwich which saw the latter confirmed as champions.

I suspect neither Norwich nor Sheff Utd have squads currently strong enough to survive; the Norwich Chairman, who seems admirably sensible, is determined not to 'do a Fulham' and try to buy survival, but to give the current squad their well-deserved chance to prove themselves in the top division.

As for the play-offs: well sadly, my worst fears about Leeds are proving horribly true. They are pushing the incompetence boat out into previously unchartered waters. Conceding three goals to an already relegated, bottom of the table, down to 10 man Ipswich, after the home side had conceded a penalty which Leeds obligingly missed.
This comes just a couple of weeks after losing at home to 10-man Wigan. Bielsa has probably run out of straws to clutch at and has already realised that this is as far as the current squad are capable of being taken.
Despite being soundly beaten in both the league encounters, Derby (sorry 'Frank Lampard's...') must be firm favourites to progress to Wembley, (especially if they are really cunning and go down to ten men )

Elsewhere, WBA will take on Villa, which could be a right old dong-dong. Both sides could be down to ten men in any of the games...and an all midlands final looks on the cards. If you look at 'momentum', Derby-Villa seems most likely. Expect to hear the words 'free kick, Grealish, foul, dive...' quite a lot in the near future.

[footstep]

Another legend page for Anfield.