[FOOTBALL] Weekend Fixtures inc. Juventus v Roma & Man City v Arsenal

[Reg]

Real Madrid beat América 2-0 in the Club World Cup on Thursday, and Huddersfield won 2-1 away to Norwich on Friday.

SATURDAY

Crystal Palace v Chelsea - 12:30 Sky (in progress)
Middlesbrough v Swansea City
Stoke City v Leicester City
Sunderland v Watford
West Ham United v Hull City
West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United - 17:30 BT

Blackburn Rovers v Reading
Bristol City v Preston North End
Burton Albion v Newcastle United
Cardiff City v Barnsley
Fulham v Derby County
Leeds United v Brentford
Nottingham Forest v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sheffield Wednesday v Rotherham United
Wigan Athletic v Ipswich Town
Birmingham City v Brighton & Hove Albion - 17:30 Sky

Juventus v Roma - 19:45 BT
Sevilla v Malaga - 19:45 Sky

SUNDAY

Bournemouth v Southampton - 13:30 Sky
Manchester City v Arsenal - 16:00 Sky
Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley - 16:00 Sky

Queens Park Rangers v Aston Villa - 12:00 Sky

Club World Cup
América v Atlético Nacional - 07:00
Real Madrid v Kashima Antlers - 10:30

Napoli v Torino- 14:00 BT
Ajax v PSV Eindhoven - 15:45 Sky
Monaco v Lyon - 19:45 BT
Lazio v Fiorentina - 19:45 BT
Barcelona v Espanyol - 19:45 Sky
Sporting CP v SC Braga - 20:15 BT

MONDAY

Everton v Liverpool - 20:00 Sky

Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo - 19:45 Sky

---
For a full list of TV fixtures, click here. (http://www.live-footballontv.com)

[Lewis]

David Luiz could never lose a game again, and he's still a clown who holds the record for the worst individual performance of all time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's being a bit of a boss in this particular stint. Him and Dave have been immense.

This Jon Moss - I don't know if it's actually him, but his face screams Jon Moss - is such a bad referee. I don't think he's had a howling decision here for either team, but you can tell his decision making process is just bollocks.

[Magic]

God this is fucking boring.

[Disco]

Moses has been looking for that yellow the whole second half, he must fancy himself a bit of turkey.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Moses has been looking for that yellow the whole second half, he must fancy himself a bit of turkey.

People have been saying for weeks that Costa would finally get his 5th yellow in this game because it's Bournemouth at home in the midst of a congested fixture list. Sure enough he just randomly took some bloke out from behind on 20 minutes.

[Disco]

People have been saying for weeks that Costa would finally get his 5th yellow in this game because it's Bournemouth at home in the midst of a congested fixture list. Sure enough he just randomly took some bloke out from behind on 20 minutes.

It was a really odd tackle too, could not have been less likely to get anywhere near the ball. Ballsy to do it at 0-0.

[Jimmy Floyd]

11 wins in a row is a bit daft when you consider 4 of our back 5 have no idea what they're doing.

[Max Power]

This Craig Pawson is a bit of a character isn't he? Fresh off an absolute mare in the week he sends off Vardy for a tackle not half as bad as Rojo's in the week.

[John]

Surprised he's been given another game after that shambles the other night. Get him back doing Sunday league games.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Craig Pawson is absolutely awful. Get Kevin Friend or Lee Mason involved. Or Dharmasena.

[Max Power]

Him, Jon Moss and Mike Jones are nowhere near good enough. Moss is fourth official as well ffs. He is Daryl Harper levels of shit.

We'd actually played ok for the first away game in years until the red. OH WELL.

[Magic]

Had a choice between Negredo or Llorente for my FF team today. I picked Llorente.

[Lewis]

David Moyes' Sunderland up to eighteenth if it stays like this. :cool:

[Manc]

This must be the end for Captain America.

[Magic]

Fucking hell Leeds been dreadful today. Horrible, horrible game. Both teams could have played for 300 million hours and not scored.

[Magic]

1-0 Leeds. :D

[Max Power]

Mega comeback from the champions. Genuinely played better with ten that we have in any away half this season.

[Boydy]

Fuck off Leicester. You just fucked over my bet with that late equaliser. Twats.

[Shindig]

Scruffy win against Burton. These halcyon days. :)

[bruhnaldo]

I'm going to be devastated when Rooney ties/breaks Sir Bobby's record. So depressing.

[Lewis]

That's the best goal United have scored in about three years.

[bruhnaldo]

Zlatan why lol

[Lewis]

Sir Wayne Rooney looks like a natural fit for our famously problematic left-wing at the next World Cup (and the one after that, and the one after that).

[Reg]

This is the dullest match I've seen us play in years. I'm England friendly levels of bored.

[Giggles]

This is the dullest match I've seen us play in years. I'm England friendly levels of bored.

It's horrendous. I was looking forward to it too.

[Reg]

Birmingham scored about two minutes after I posted that, just to rub it in.

I blame the low attendance for making it seem strangely low key.

[Giggles]

Birmingham scored about two minutes after I posted that, just to rub it in.

I blame the low attendance for making it seem strangely low key.

I presume the Birmingham fans are protesting.

I see Richie T on the bench too. Have the squad been hit with a vomiting bug or something?

[Reg]

We have a couple who would always be part of the squad if fit - Murphy and Kayal - but they're injured. LuaLua got banned while playing for the youth team.

[-james-]

Lovely goal. March. :drool:

[Max Power]

Brighton definitely going up. Pull a win like that out the bag and its written.

[Reg]

March is class. We must have the best collection of wingers in the division.

[Kikó]

Pleasing win that. Finding that knack of winning again.

[Reg]

Juventus having goal music is a little unnerving.

[7om]

Laughed when Brighton scored their second. Solly March was unstoppable when he came on and changed the game. Don't actually care anyway, fucking club is a circus.

[niko_cee]

Murray.

:cool:

Was starting to fear Brighton were about to lapse into their run of inexplicable 1-0 defeats just in time for me to go and see them. Harsh on wee Gianfranco but that's what you need to go up. Roll on Olly's 'Rs.

[niko_cee]

On another subject, who is Klopp's doppelganger in the Liverpool dugout? I noticed him the other night. Do all German managers have to have some weird clone on their backroom staff? He'd better not start with the finger sniffing. I also can't work out my view of his use of the term 'lfc' to describe the team. It seems intuitively wrong, but then it also breaks the tyranny of 'the football club' as a mantra so I'm a bit torn.

[phonics]

810171254414118912

Baller :cool:

[Kikó]

2-2 in the Madrid Antlers game. Merry Christmas.

[Giggles]

This journo on Sunday Supplement is about ten seconds away from pulling on a black armband.

[John Arne]

2-2 in the Madrid Antlers game. Merry Christmas.

I'm really not a fan of inviting a team from the host country. A 32 team, 4 week World Cup...fair enough.... but not a 1 week, 5 team knock out tournament.

[John Arne]

Er... the referee just completely bottled sending off Ramos. Already on a yellow, makes a stupid tackle, ref goes to his top pocket - realises Ramos has already been booked, so decides to change his mind.

[Lewis]

'Pep' teams 'don't normally concede goals', says a mystified Thierry Henry. Doesn't he earn five million quid a year?

[phonics]

Just saw a picture of Martin Samuel on Sunday Supplement for the first time in years. He seems to have lost half a Martin Samuel in weight.

http://i.imgur.com/iXS0ay9.png

[Lewis]

'Listen. Believe me... I could press if I had to.'
*loses seven stone*

[phonics]

Maybe he's only lost a few lbs but is wearing his fat clothes to make people think he's trying.

[Disco]

How much would they need to be paid to work out that he's only managed huge clubs with almost no competition? I'll do it for half of what they're on.

[Smiffy]

Now now, before you know it you'll be calling him Pep whilst being bewildered that he's rated despite achieving 'par' for the past X amount of yours.

[Disco]

What the hell are you on about?

[Lewis]

I never got round to offering to undercut Richard Scudamore, so that might be a New Year goal.

9:00: Google 'do people like football'
9:05: Go home

[Smiffy]

Why wai....

I fancy three home wins today but I reckon Spurs will drop points.

[Giggles]

Southampton are pretty impressive looking here.

[Giggles]

Rodriguez :cool:

[Lewis]

That was good.

[Lewis]

Was Jordon Ibe actually hyped, or was it just Taz? You would think it was just that pleb, but if they spent fifteen million on him then somebody else must have been kidding themselves.

[John Arne]

In all seriousness, what is the point of the top teams in England now keeping their youth academies. Just fuck them all off, save the cash and buy decent players when they are 20 (like they are anyway).

[John]

Ibe benefited from being a nippy black bloke on the wing coming through after Sterling. Like how Giovanni Dos Santos was the next Messi for a while because he was tiny and could dribble a bit.

[Giggles]

Townsend scoring a couple after Bale left.

[Shindig]

I mean, we wouldn't have Paul Dummet without one.

[Disco]

This Arsenal warmup looks like it's going to break into some kind of street dance routine.

[Lewis]

MASSIVE lol at those City shirts. He's injured, not dead.

[Yevrah]

What the fuck are those shirts all about?

[Disco]

That is terrible.

[Yevrah]

They're not actually going to play in them are they? That can't be allowed, surely?

[Disco]

Dickhead tribute shirts and no recognised forwards, not hard to pick a side to root for in this one.

[Yevrah]

For Guardiola to out-wank Wenger and Arsenal is some going.

[Disco]

Quite.

[Yevrah]

BY the way Lewis, your Guardiola thesis might just be(come) your biggest e-victory yet, more so than all those awards combined.

[Giggles]

What are the shirts? I'd switched off.

[Yevrah]

That defending. :eyemouth:/:drool:

[Disco]

What are the shirts? I'd switched off.

They had Gundogans name and number on the front and they all wore them on the way out the tunnel.

[Giggles]

Christ. I'd thought Kompany and that was even stupid enough.

[Lewis]

I think United might have invented these mawkish t-shirts when they lifted the league cup in Alan Smith tops, but they at least won something (and I suppose it was a particularly horrendous leg break). I'm sure Arsenal did something for Robert Pires when they won the title as well, but I can't find a picture of it.


BY the way Lewis, your Guardiola thesis might just be(come) your biggest e-victory yet, more so than all those awards combined.

Did you see your mate Henry Winter saying to lay off him because English football needs him to teach us his secrets? I think we need eight world beaters first.

[Max Power]

Tbf to FRAUDiola he doesn't have much to work with defensively. City have blown some serious money signing terrible defenders.

However, if you swapped Conte and Guardiola at the start of the season, I reckon Conte would have City above Pep's Chelsea.

[Lewis]

Mate, he spent fifty million quid on John Stones.

[Lewis]

John Stones.

[Giggles]

Is Stones still getting the 'he's learning and it's Peps fault' because he's English or is he finally getting torn apart like a foreigner would be?

[Max Power]

Does Pep sign players? I thought it was his Barca mates who also signed Otamendi/Mangala etc

[phonics]

I think United might have invented these mawkish t-shirts when they lifted the league cup in Alan Smith tops, but they at least won something (and I suppose it was a particularly horrendous leg break). I'm sure Arsenal did something for Robert Pires when they won the title as well, but I can't find a picture of it.


http://www.arsenal.com/assets/_files/scaled/510x250/apr_09/gun__1239098336_pires_bow.jpg

[Lewis]

Does Pep sign players? I thought it was his Barca mates who also signed Otamendi/Mangala etc

His ('his') business at Barcelona was largely bollocks beyond no-brainer transfers like David Villa and Dani Alves, so I suppose it comes down to who ultimately controls it (pointless looking at Bayern, since they just hoover up whoever scored against them that year); but I doubt they spent fifty million quid on pissing John Stones without him giving it his seal of approval.


pires_bow.jpg

I thought they had t-shirts as well.

[Max Power]

His ('his') business at Barcelona was largely bollocks beyond no-brainer transfers like David Villa and Dani Alves, so I suppose it comes down to who ultimately controls it (pointless looking at Bayern, since they just hoover up whoever scored against them that year); but I doubt they spent fifty million quid on pissing John Stones without him giving it his seal of approval.



I thought they had t-shirts as well.

Txiki whatshisname has benefitted more that Guardiola from that Barca team of Messi/Xavi/Iniesta. He is an absolute fraud. Bar some absolute no brainer signings that you mention he's spent huge money on dross at Barcelona and Man City.

[Lewis]

He has, but he was at Barcelona from 2003 when they cleared most of the absolute pish out and pretty much saved the club.

[phonics]

Was certain that was offside.

[Lewis]

I don't normally go in for WEAK AT HIS NEAR POST (most of which is stupid), but why not go for those with your feet/legs, which are already where you want your hand to be?

[Yevrah]

Arsenal have been so bad in the second half, so so bad.

[Lewis]

Have Arsenal even had the ball since they scored? I haven't really been concentrating.

[Max Power]

Fairly pathetic from Arsenal. As shit as we are atm we saw City were on the rack last week and cashed in. Passive and pointless.

[Dark Soldier]

Classic Arsenal performance.

[Lewis]

'Roberto Martinez - Belgium Manager' is still funny. He was bealing in the Mail this morning about how Everton made him a 'scapegoat'. Well, yeah. Obviously.

[Yevrah]

'Roberto Martinez - Belgium Manager' is still funny. He was bealing in the Mail this morning about how Everton made him a 'scapegoat'. Well, yeah. Obviously.

Now there's an example of a complete, 100%, copper-bottomed fraud.

[John]

What the fuck was Xhaka up to there? Every time I've seen him this season he's been abysmal. 'Pep' must have threatened to kneecap a couple of those City players at half time if they didn't up their game.

[Lewis]

'Ilkay didn't die for this.'
'True.'

[Dquincy]

Arsenal look terrible. Constantly making silly challenges and giving away fouls.

[-james-]

Ozil was particularly offensive. Double-took when I realised he was on the pitch.

[John]

It baffles me that Sky still bother interviewing Yaya Toure after games. There must be about fifty blokes in north London who understand what he's saying.

[Smiffy]

I fell asleep but it doesn't sound like a great deal was missed except Arsenal failing against a rival once more. Mentally weak, still.

[Lewis]

This discussion about Arsenal 'needing to find a way to win these games' is as interesting as it is fresh.

[Yevrah]

I've switched over now, but was one of the ways suggested "getting rid of Wenger"?

[Yevrah]

Sunday Supplement was interesting today. Was basically Gary Neville vs. Martin Samuel, Henry Winter and Oliver Holt.

[Jeet]

Ozil can do one, luxury player. Shame Cesc is now in Chelsea's plans.

[Lewis]

Crap teams have 'luxury players'. Title challengers have systems that negate the fact that your best player in ten years isn't particularly good at closing people down.


I've switched over now, but was one of the ways suggested "getting rid of Wenger"?

How would that solve anything?

[Dquincy]

John Hart let in 5 goals. Lol.

[Boydy]

This match is fucking awful so far.

[Baz]

January without Mane is gonna be unbearable. :cry:

[Reg]

I was out for the first half, but are Merseyside derbies always crap? Apart from the drama.

That's horrible from Barkley by the way.

[Serj]

Yeah, that should have been a straight red for Barkley.

[niko_cee]

I've a feeling this recent spate of gross incompetence will see a change to the 'but the ref saw it' rule on no retrospective action.

[Disco]

I've already forgotten what this years refereeing crackdown was supposed to be.

[mugbull]

Joel Robles, name and shame

[Baz]

Just found this list of possible Africa Cup aid Nations Premier League absences:

Arsenal - Mohamed Elneny (Egypt)

Bournemouth - Benik Afobe (DR Congo), Max Gradel (Ivory Coast)

Burnley - None

Chelsea - None

Crystal Palace - Bakary Sako (Mali)

Everton - Yannick Bolasie (DR Congo), Idrissa Gueye (Senegal), Oumar Niasse (Senegal)

Hull City - Dieumerci Mbokani (DR Congo), Ahmed Elmohamady (Egypt)

Leicester City - Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), Islam Slimani (Algeria), Jeffrey Schlupp (Ghana), Daniel Amartey (Ghana)

Liverpool - Sadio Mane (Senegal)

Manchester City - Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)

Manchester United - Eric Bailly (Ivory Coast)

Middlesbrough - Adama Traore (Mali)

Southampton - Sofiane Boufal (Morocco)

Stoke City - Wilfried Bony (Ivory Coast), Mame Biram Diouf (Senegal), Ramadan Sobhi (Egypt)

Sunderland - Didier Ndong (Gabon), Lamine Kone (Ivory Coast), Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia), Papy Djilobodji (Senegal)

Swansea City - None

Tottenham Hotspur - None

Watford - Nordin Amrabat (Morocco), Adlene Guedioura (Algeria), Bruce Dja Djedje (Ivory Coast)

West Bromwich Albion - Allan Nyom (Cameroon)

West Ham United - Diafra Sakho (Senegal), Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal), Sofiane Feghouli (Algeria), Andre Ayew (Ghana)



Leicester are doomed. :uhoh:

[John Arne]

Nice win, that.

[Dquincy]

Missed it all, but lovely stuff.

[Luke Emia]

The Goodison seethe at the end there was potentially as great as that day with Gary Mac.

[Giggles]

That was horrible.

[Boydy]

Liverpool - Sadio Mane (Senegal)


Is Matip not likely to be away with Cameroon as well?

[Reg]

Looks like West Ham might suffer as much, Baz.

Anyone still watching the post-match stuff? It looks to me like what Neville was talking about (the keeper's jump) was intended as a split step (as tennis players do on every opposition shot). Neville's right that he did it too late (and that's what screwed him). I don't know if keepers are generally coached to do it(?), but de Gea seems to do it.

[niko_cee]

Is Matip not likely to be away with Cameroon as well?

He's German.

I take it back. Could have sworn he was though (and is).

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's taken a break from the national team.

Nigeria did the decent thing and failed to qualify, so VicMo stays.

[Manc]

Mane was due a goal.

Shit wins. :cool:

[Lewis]

In the event that Ronald Koeman finishes in the bottom half, thereby exposing himself as a complete FRAUD (and ruining my prediction that they would finish above Tottenham), then the next time somebody nicks a manager off Southampton they should just coast to eighth with a cardboard cut-out of Mick Channon in charge.