[Football] Weekend Fixtures ft. FA Cup Semi-Finals - 21-24 April

[Offshore Toon]

I'm with Pleb on this.

[Smiffy]

Are you saying that without having looked at the table? Liverpool have played two games more than all the teams around them and are only two points clear of Man City and three clear of Man United. And for Man United to finish sixth either Arsenal have to go on a run or Everton have to somehow pull back six points with two fewer games to play.

The most likely scenario from here is that Liverpool bottle it, as always, and finish fifth ahead of Arsenal and both Manchester clubs make the top four.

Nope, I saw the table. Following fixtures =

Arsenal beat Leicester - 3 behind United.
City beat United. Arsenal have game in hand.

Arsenal lose Tottenham.
United beat Swansea. 6 behind. Game in hand.

Arsenal beat United. 3 behind. Game in hand.

Arsenal beat Southampton. Level but ahead on GD.

Arsenal draw Stoke.
Spurs beat United. Arsenal one ahead.

Arsenal beat Sunderland.
Man United beat Southamton. Arsenal one ahead.

Arsenal beat Everton.
United beat Palace. Arsenal one ahead.

Meanwhile Spurs claim the title as Chelsea fuck it up. :nodd:

Believe.

[Kikó]

You have way too much time on your hands.

[Adamski]

As far as I can see it playing out, City and Arsenal will get CL, United will finish 5th and win the Europa and Liverpool will finish 6th.

Oh and Smiffy, all four of those Utd players you mention are better than any Liverpool player in those positions so I don't see how your argument can have any foundation of sense.

Klopps had a helluva lot more time too.

[John Arne]

As far as I can see it playing out, City and Arsenal will get CL, United will finish 5th and win the Europa and Liverpool will finish 6th.

Oh and Smiffy, all four of those Utd players you mention are better than any Liverpool player in those positions so I don't see how your argument can have any foundation of sense.

Klopps had a helluva lot more time too.

Henderson is better than Herrera. The rest, I'll give you.

[Shindig]

Part of me wishes I was at the game tonight. Just in case it happens.

[Kikó]

Henderson is better than Herrera. The rest, I'll give you.

Not sure about that. But Henderson has come on this season despite his gait.

[Adamski]

Henderson is better than Herrera. The rest, I'll give you.

In no way is this the case, that's probably the most obvious one of the four. Herrera is one of the best midfielders in the league for me.

[John Arne]

In no way is this the case, that's probably the most obvious one of the four. Herrera is one of the best midfielders in the league for me.

Nah.

http://i3.thejournal.co.uk/incoming/article4355822.ece/BINARY/Jordan_Henderson__593936477.jpg

[Adamski]

Ah, you've posted his picture.

OK, you win, I have no comeback.

[Giggles]

Is that Henderson?

[John Arne]

Ah, you've posted his picture.

OK, you win, I have no comeback.

Well, I'm clearly not going to persuade you to agree with me, am I? So, it's either argue back and forth like a bunch of boring cunts, or I post a picture of a young, handsome Jordan Henderson for all to enjoy.

[Adamski]

I don't think you could persuade anyone who's not a Liverpool fan to agree with you.

Thanks for the snap though.

[John Arne]

Where's the always impartial @Smiffy when I need him...

[Kikó]

I'd say Herrera is better by a village kilometer.

[John Arne]

They are both better at heading than Jaap Stam.

[CJay]

They are both better at heading than Jaap Stam.

You mean Nemanja Vidic.

[John Arne]

You mean Nemanja Vidic.

Oh shit, yeah.

[Smiffy]

Where's the always impartial @Smiffy when I need him...

Apologies, I was trying to find more things to do with this excessive amount of time I have.

Henderson is better than Herrera. If he hadn't got sent off against City then we'd have won the Premier League. The form he was in prior to that and the fact we dropped points to Chelsea and Palace thereafter was more owing to that than Gerrard slipping or going for broke against Palace.

Herrera is just a little rottweiler but the sort you'd want in your team when facing the shit as he just gets stuck in.

[John Arne]

...and Smiffy tucks into the bottom corner. 1-0.

[Offshore Toon]

Let's hope we're actually up for this tonight.

[Shindig]

Up for it!

[Offshore Toon]

We're on our way, we're on our way...

[John Arne]

I saw that Spanish lad who used to play for you lot... he's ripping up the Thai Premier League....

EDIT: Xisco!

[Shindig]

That's been coming.

[Offshore Toon]

I'm not surprised Xisco ended up in Thailand. His sexuality was always in question.

Yeah, we're gonna lose this if we keep pouring forward and letting them counter.

[Lewis]

We're on our way, we're on our way...

You going to give it to Wedge (http://w11.zetaboards.com/The_Refuge_Redux/topic/7141001/1) passing them on the way down?

[Shindig]

I am terrified by our shape on the counter.

[Foe]

This seasons Newcastle have shown just how good a manager Chris hughton is. He's effectively won the division with a lesser Brighton squad and when he managed Newcastle at this level they absolutely walked the division.

The Newcastle defence is hopeless. I'm still not sure what vernon Anita does to convince people he's a professional footballer.

[Foe]

What a save.

[Smiffy]

Welcome back lads. :cool:

Rafa. :hail:

[Smiffy]

This seasons Newcastle have shown just how good a manager Chris hughton is. He's effectively won the division with a lesser Brighton squad and when he managed Newcastle at this level they absolutely walked the division.

The Newcastle defence is hopeless. I'm still not sure what vernon Anita does to convince people he's a professional footballer.

When he managed Newcastle they had the likes of Coloccini, Duff, Nolan, Carroll, Barton (to an extent at least) etc. He should have walked that division and quite rightly they did too. It was a better squad than the current one, I reckon.

As for this supposed lesser Brighton squad, they've threatened to go up for the last couple of years bar Sami's stint. He's a likable guy but let's not pretend he's better than he is because to do so you'd have to include his stints at Birmingham and Norwich.

[Offshore Toon]

Great game so far. Perez been practising his shooting, I see.

You going to give it to Wedge (http://w11.zetaboards.com/The_Refuge_Redux/topic/7141001/1) passing them on the way down?
Forgot he was a mackem. Couldn't care less about their relegation. Kinda wanted Moyes to do well, but they'd take 6 points off us next season which we don't need.

This seasons Newcastle have shown just how good a manager Chris hughton is. He's effectively won the division with a lesser Brighton squad and when he managed Newcastle at this level they absolutely walked the division.

The Newcastle defence is hopeless. I'm still not sure what vernon Anita does to convince people he's a professional footballer.
They've been more consistent and solid defensively, but we've got the better team for next season. We beat them twice in the league with a surprising amount of ease.

[GS]

The Lord Benitez's return to the BPLSBB is most welcome.

Rafa. :cool:

[phonics]

4 out of 5 of the teams in the running for the playoffs would be an excellent addition to the league so you know it's going to be Reading coming up.

[Smiffy]

It's enough to adopt the Toon as a second team and I ain't even joking. :D

<3

[Smiffy]

4 out of 5 of the teams in the running for the playoffs would be an excellent addition to the league so you know it's going to be Reading coming up.

I thought that last night too but I want Leeds to go up.

[phonics]

If we could get Boro, Sunderland, Hull, Burnley and Watford out and replace them with Brighton, Newcastle, Fulham, Leeds and Huddersfield.

:drool:

[Magic]

Reading or Huddersfield. :sick:

[Shindig]

The result flatters us but who doesn't love flattery?

[GS]

I want Sheffield Wednesday up. Nostalgia. :cool:

[Giggles]

Shame to see them straight back, but at least Villa stayed put. Fulham from the playoffs please.

[Offshore Toon]

Job done. The shaky end to the season should hopefully bring a bit more money for the summer.

Why do people want Fulham up? Such a shit club, especially the stadium.

[Smiffy]

I want Sheffield Wednesday up. Nostalgia. :cool:

Benito Carbone, Wim Jonk, Des Walker, Gilles De Bilde led by the man of the moment and future England manager Danny Wilson. :D

Oh bring back the 90's.

[Max Power]

Entertaining side and a decent away day. Would rather Leeds or Wednesday though.

[Magic]

Yeah everyone says Fulham is a great away day. Always huge allocations.

[Smiffy]

Shame to see them straight back, but at least Villa stayed put. Fulham from the playoffs please.

I don't anticipate seeing Villa for a long time but then I'm still bitter over the whole Gaz Baz bollocks. Rafa..what were you thinking?!


Job done. The shaky end to the season should hopefully bring a bit more money for the summer.

Why do people want Fulham up? Such a shit club, especially the stadium.

Agreed. Fulham were only good when they were rattling through the divisions. Perhaps that stint in Europe under he who shall not be named but ultimately a pointless club.

Leeds and Nottingham Forest are the two I'm looking forward to. Or 2018/2019 when Sheffield United make there return to the Premier League, probably at Sheffield Wednesday's expense if they do the playoffs.

[Reg]

When he managed Newcastle they had the likes of Coloccini, Duff, Nolan, Carroll, Barton (to an extent at least) etc. He should have walked that division and quite rightly they did too. It was a better squad than the current one, I reckon.

As for this supposed lesser Brighton squad, they've threatened to go up for the last couple of years bar Sami's stint. He's a likable guy but let's not pretend he's better than he is because to do so you'd have to include his stints at Birmingham and Norwich.
Huh? You say that as if he did badly at Birmingham and Norwich.

He's an excellent manager. He's got everything spot on since he joined us. When he took the job we were battling relegation with a much weakened squad.

[GS]

I don't think anybody can dispute that Hughton is a top class Championship manager. I'd say there's still a question over his ability in the BPLSBB. Some managers (e.g. Ian Holloway, Neil Warnock) routinely struggle in the higher league.

That said, it would be good to see him do well.

[Smiffy]

For some reason I could have swore he got Norwich relegated. Ignore me.

[SvN]

Hughton getting the sack from Newcastle is still one of the most baffling sackings of the last few years. He did great at Birmingham and pretty good at Norwich. He probably deserves a job at a mid-table Premier League side soon.

[Smiffy]

Big Sams sacking was worse IMO.

[SvN]

It was equally bad, if only because they replaced him with Kevin fucking Keegan.

[Ian]

I'm also of the mind that I don't get why you'd pine for Fulham's return. They seemed to forever be in 14th, at no risk of doing anything interesting at either end of the table.

[Reg]

Hughton getting the sack from Newcastle is still one of the most baffling sackings of the last few years. He did great at Birmingham and pretty good at Norwich. He probably deserves a job at a mid-table Premier League side soon.
He's got one. :eyemouth:

[Shindig]

Hughton wouldn't have taken us to Europe. Not even sure he would've given us stability, given how easy the heads drop in black and white.

[Smiffy]

It was equally bad, if only because they replaced him with Kevin fucking Keegan.

I seem to remember after X amount of games Keegan, the messiah, had pretty much the exact same record as Allardyce when they sacked him or something.

A Google told me that was nearly a decade ago. :cab: Fuck my life, where have the years gone.

[SvN]

Keegen was useless. He didn't win a game for months if I recall.

[Shindig]

To be fair, the whole situation was a mess. He hadn't managed in years, Wise and the other two came in and the whole club was rotten. We needed a season like that.

[Samadini]

His 4-3-3 with Owen dropping a bit deeper was brilliant :cool:

Obviously didn't last long.

[Lewis]

I would rather not listen to a season of BACK WHERE THEY BELONG if Sheffield Wednesday came up, but then they are a Yorkshire club. Does their manager have any Alex Ferguson connections for a guaranteed six points? That would swing it.

[Shindig]

"Sheffield Wednesday: The one without Ched Evans."

[Smiffy]

I would rather not listen to a season of BACK WHERE THEY BELONG if Sheffield Wednesday came up, but then they are a Yorkshire club. Does their manager have any Alex Ferguson connections for a guaranteed six points? That would swing it.

Well Ferguson was on the LMA performance committee that awarded Carvalhal the Performance of the Week award back in 2016 after a 3-0 win secured a play off birth....

[Adamski]

What a shock that must have been for the mother.

[Smiffy]

Carvalhal managed three digits as he and his merry men in striped suits fucked the Welsh harder than Bah Bah Black Sheep had ever known. Assessing the performance of such an outrageous screwing was former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson who said the last time he saw a Welshy fucked so hard was when Giggs and a few other first team regulars took turns on Rhodri's wife.

[Dark Soldier]

It's the taking part that counts lads, kudos.

[Offshore Toon]

Big Sam was so shit. Yeah, his record was alright, but the football was terrible. Is it really worth finishing in 8th if you can't watch the games because they're so boring? Keegan coming back was weird, and didn't start off great but there was promise at one stage. Then everything went to shit. Fucking Mike Ashley is such a cunt.

[Smiffy]

Sam
W7 - D5 - L9. F27 A31

Keegan
W4 D5 L8. F18 A32

Not that it matters but aye. If he had been given time I reckon he would have done alright in the long term.

[Shindig]

I dunno. He was buying trash like Geremi for the sole reason of taking set pieces.

[Offshore Toon]

Big Sam made Geremi captain even though be couldn't run. The stats don't tell the whole story here. He is a very good manager, but only when you need results and don't care about performance.