Weekend Football 8/9 - Return of the V-League!!

[John Arne]

https://gyazo.com/07fe3546b4b1a20d649e15be4b5c5748.png

https://gyazo.com/33f0419539d0f83caf727b111ae6f31d.png

https://gyazo.com/09db20a1271100a5f1fa79001b78af8d.png

https://gyazo.com/a2c015d545b6df8788606bc03f637d10.png

Also, a prediction that Renato Sanches is going to be complete piss and wind at Swansea.

Up the HCMCFC.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Hoang Anh Gia Lai is my favourite Vietnamese team, as they used to have improbable runs in the (whatever their CL is called) back in the early 2000s which were featured on the Sky magazine programme 'Football Asia'.

Improbably, I'm going to Peterborough v Bradford tomorrow. Better be good.

[John Arne]

Hoang Anh Gia Lai is my favourite Vietnamese team, as they used to have improbable runs in the (whatever their CL is called) back in the early 2000s which were featured on the Sky magazine programme 'Football Asia'.

Improbably, I'm going to Peterborough v Bradford tomorrow. Better be good.

Coincidentally, I am currently sat in my apartment in the Hoang Anh Gai Lai 3 building. They also have a decent academy, considering they are in the middle of fucking nowhere.

[igor_balis]

After a solid transfer window, a couple of decent results and actually getting to the Hawthorns I'm somewhat excited about watching Brighton vs WBA tomorrow. Probz spend a frustrated, hungover 2 hours failing to find a reliable stream as we lose 1-0.

[mugbull]

are u not coming down to craven cottage then

[-james-]

Watching Celtic and PSG's away trips to Hamilton and Metz side-by-side. One set of champions elect are cruising at 3-0 up, and the other passed the ball around a lot, scored one, before conceding an equaliser following some exemplary ball watching.

Next week at Parkhead should be good, Celtic might not win 3-0 but Scott Brown will be kicking lumps out of Neymar again.

[Weaver]

Emmanuel Rivière scoring the equaliser against PSG, following a spell with us where he couldn't do anything correctly, is amazing.

Derby smashing Hull 4-0 at HT as well.

[niko_cee]

If Mbappe's leg falls off do PSG still have to pay for him?

[Spoonsky]

That kickoff time for Liverpool-City. :X

[Lewis]

Sky have got Real Madrid playing at the same time as well. Since when did they have early kick-offs, let alone ones featuring somebody important?

[niko_cee]

Presumably Asia mixed with Champions League commitment shifting.

I'd love to get the respective viewing figures on the two and send them to that Tebas fellow.

[niko_cee]

Emmanuel Rivière scoring the equaliser against PSG, following a spell with us where he couldn't do anything correctly, is amazing.


Normal service resumed.

[-james-]

Switched to Leipzig game at half time, Obscure Midfielder Naby Keita has just spanked one in from 40 yards.

[mugbull]

Assou Ekotto getting a red for a really good tackle. Shitfest.

[Mellberg]

Hull, welcome back to the Championship.

[John]

Livescore has alerted me to the existence of a side in Germany named 'Wormatia Worms', a new clear favourite for the best team name in football.

[mugbull]

The ecclesiastical Diet of Worms is also one for the ages

[Jimmy Floyd]

My favourite was Roving Rovers in Ghana but the bastards changed their name.

[-james-]

I've always liked Techno Aryan FC of Kolkata, India.

[Pen]

No one can touch the Kakamega Homeboyz for the best team name.

[Pleb]

Clearly the TV schedulers from Sky were off their fucking heads when they picked West Ham versus Huddersfield as their MNF game.

[Kikó]

Benfica got pretty lucky tonight against one of the newly promoted clubs. Have a check of the goals for the Portimonense- little step over and curler into the bottom corner and then then winner was a fluke outside of the boot top corner job from an angle.

We also got introduced to video refereeing which resulted in an equaliser being disallowed after Portimonense celebrated, headed to the centre circle and then finally it got called back. About 3 minutes later it was ruled out for offside. Bit shit for them and not sure the tech really works when it's that much of a gap between issue and solution.

[niko_cee]

Clearly the TV schedulers from Sky were off their fucking heads when they picked West Ham versus Huddersfield as their MNF game.

We're into the early season dross period where they churn out as many wank games as they can so they can show wall to wall Top 4 teams from Christmas onwards.

[Shindig]

But if that call wasn't made, you'd never hear the end of it.

[niko_cee]

I had a sneaky suspicion that Lovren might be left out today, but I did not anticipate Klavan would be his replacement.

[John Arne]

Manchester City: Ederson, Danilo, Stones, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Walker, De Bruyne, Silva, Mendy, Aguero, Gabriel Jesus.
Subs: Bravo, Gundogan, Mangala, Delph, Sane, Bernardo Silva, Foden.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Klavan, Moreno, Can, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Subs: Karius, Lovren, Milner, Gomez, Sturridge, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Solanke.

[randomlegend]

I don't understand that Man City formation. They've got 3 full backs and their midfield seems to consist solely of 2 attacking midfielders.

[Waffdon]

I assumed it's Danilo as the third centre half with Fernandinho sitting in front of De Bruyne/Silva.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I can see a 3-2 win for Liverpool.

[Lewis]

The best result is Liverpool battering them and getting all excited.

[John]

Otamendi is a red card waiting to happen against anyone with a bit of pace. He's just Mangala but somehow even clumsier and with crap hair.

[John]

Why are Sky cutting away from the game so that Thierry Henry can drone over one of Red Nev's computer screens?

Whoever came up with that idea needs a boot in the head.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That pass looks so simple but it's perfect.

[Waffdon]

That's a lovely pass. Should hopefully be a few goals here. Both defences are a joke.

[randomlegend]

That defending, holy shit :D

[Lewis]

Mohamed Salah looks like peak Antonio Valencia crossed with trough Antonio Valencia.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I can't wait until the scousers work out that Salah is a one dimensional pace merchant with zero composure.

[Reg]

He is also nullified anytime he has to use his right foot.

Class from De Bruyne for the goal, he sees a pass like that probably as well as anyone.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ref has fucked that right up.

[Jimmy Floyd]

And so ends Liverpool's season.

[John]

That's Liverpool's season over.

[Waffdon]

lol at that.

[Lewis]

How is that 'harsh'? He's kicked him in the face.

[Baz]

The least red card I've seen in a long time.

[John]

Odd that Sky are getting Ederson involved with production decisions but I'll take it.

[Reg]

Why would that not be a red card?

[Davgooner]

They need a few more paramedics on the pitch here.

[randomlegend]

That's an absolutely stonewall red card, what the fuck are you lot on about.

[Pleb]

He went for the ball.

[ScousePig]

How is that 'harsh'? He's kicked him in the face.

That's what I thought.

It doesn't matter whether he meant to do it, he's still booted him across the chops.

[Gray Fox]

So Mane is expected to just allow the keeper to collect that?

A yellow would do there.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's gone in to a 50/50 with a foot up and leathered the bloke in the face, not sure how that isn't a red.

[Baz]

Why would that not be a red card?Because he plays for Liverpool. :(

It was a 50/50 though, with no intent to get anything other than the ball.

[John]

Gary Neville is making a proper clown shoe of himself here. As if you wouldn't get sent off for booting an outfield player in the head.

[randomlegend]

Doesn't matter if it's a "50/50", what he did is dangerous as fuck.

[Jimmy Floyd]

'If it was an outfield player...' then he wouldn't have gone in like a goalkeeper would he. Jesus Christ. If you boot someone in the face it's a red card.

[John Arne]

Yeah, red seemed harsh - but given the contact and high foot - no complaints, really.

[Boydy]

Mane's a fucking idiot.

[Gray Fox]

It's odd. Neither player could have done anything other than what they did.

Hope the keeper is alright. They've not shown another replay so it might be a bad landing.

[SvN]

I can't believe some people are defending that.

[SvN]

It's odd. Neither player could have done anything other than what they did.

Hope the keeper is alright. They've not shown another replay so it might be a bad landing.

How about Mane goes in with his head?

[Lewis]

It might have been harsh if he caught him in the chest, because you are entitled to go for it, but he didn't.

[Foe]

Have you ever played football? In what planet would you try and control that ball with your head if you were mane? You'd be shipped back to Africa as a retard if you attempted that.

[Gray Fox]

So when do we roll out the ban on bicycle kicks? Because foot often hits head in those occasions.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

This could be a fisting now.

[Foe]

It might have been harsh if he caught him in the chest, because you are entitled to go for it, but he didn't.

So the reason it's a red is the keepers height?

[Waffdon]

De Bruyne's crossing is incredible.

[Trancemeister]

Fucking De Bruyne with 2 assists as soon as I transfer him out in the fantasy.

[SvN]

When you try and control the ball with your foot at that height, you risk getting it wrong. In this case, he got it wrong and was rightly sent off.

[CJay]

Red seems a reasonable decision in that instance. Clearly dangerous and reckless.

[igor_balis]

Carragher talking sense.

[John]

Kolo Toure, the most honest man in Britain.

[igor_balis]

Kolo can barely speak English.

[John]

Bit harsh, to be honest.

[-james-]

It's genuinely astonishing that there are people claiming that's not a red.

[ScousePig]

So when do we roll out the ban on bicycle kicks? Because foot often hits head in those occasions.

You don't ban it, you just send someone off if they kick someone in the face rather than the ball.

Pretty standard stuff.

[Baz]

Kolo can barely speak English.Wearing a tie pin without a tie excuses him from any criticism.

[SvN]

This could end up being 5 or 6 if they keep going.

[John Arne]

Not sure why Salah is off. Quick, playing pretty well and stretching the defence - seems like you're just asking for more pressure by taking him off.

[igor_balis]

liverpool haven't exactly rallied since they went down to 10. fun side to watch, but they seem mentally weak. salah is a pretty on-brand signing when you think about it - exciting, quick and attacking but supposedly started fucking crying after getting the Mourinho hairdryer treatment after one game.

[Mike]

At least with a Mane suspension we can get Phil back in without any fuss about who he replaces.

[Adramelch]

Even calling that red card harsh is silly.

[SvN]

Having not really watched him before today, Mendy looks like a fantastic signing.

[CJay]

Real drew 1-1 with Levante. Not a great start to the season for them. Why was Ronaldo not playing?

[Gray Fox]

Real drew 1-1 with Levante. Not a great start to the season for them. Why was Ronaldo not playing?

He's banned for pushing a ref for daring to not give him a penalty.

[SvN]

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

[Pen]

Even that Ronaldo red would be easier to defend than Mane's.

[Baz]

Gary Neville on The Ox: He keeps getting beat 4-0. :D

[Giggles]

Top top top start to the weekend that.

[Spammer]

Watching THE MIGHTY BLADES vs Sunderland away. The Sunderland have a massive parachute sheet thing going across their mains stand:

"There's only one Bradley Lowery'

:D

[John Arne]

Arsenal to win 6-0 and Wenger claim some sort of vindication.

[Waffdon]

Morata suits this Chelsea team so much. They've still got Hazard to come back as well. It's going to be some season between them and Man Utd.

[igor_balis]

Absolutely appalling first half. Krychowiak looks decent, but him, Barry and Livermore is such a shit, unbalanced midfield. They keep getting bypassed with aimless hoofs anyway so I'm not sure why I give a shit.

[Trancemeister]

Everton are getting seriously raped.

[Magic]

#runningriot

[niko_cee]

Seagulls!

Southampton have been quietly making a mess of their piss easy start to the season I see.

[Lewis]

Watching THE MIGHTY BLADES vs Sunderland away. The Sunderland have a massive parachute sheet thing going across their mains stand:

"There's only one Bradley Lowery'

:D

#fakenews

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:uhoh:

[John]

We're still playing turgid, ponderous football, and Kranjcar on the left of a four in midfield is about as big a misjudgement as you could make, but I reckon we have a couple of proper players in Morelos and Candeias. The latter's final ball is near perfect eight or nine times out of ten.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Good to see us get level so quickly.

[John]

I didn't know Stoke's ground was in the middle of an industrial estate but with the context of the last ten or so years it couldn't really be anywhere else.

[Lewis]

Save.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Nice of us to mark no one at that corner.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Phil Jones showing his true self.

Is Lindelof really that shit?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I enjoyed my League One action this afternoon. Throughout the game there were heavy showers that came across and the Posh manager kept having to retreat into the dugout to preserve his cardigan. No such problems for hardy Stuart McCall, who was quite happy to have his refreshingly 80s barnet soaked on a regular basis. That also summed up the game which featured four goals from terrible set piece defending, two utterly brainless red cards, and one fight, during which the Bradford lot kept going YAWKSHUR YAWKSHUR as if people from other counties don't have fists.

A black man called Jermaine Anderson came on for Peterborough at half time, and a woman near us kept shouting 'nice one Leroy!' whenever he did anything semi-useful. I suppose it's a Brexit area.

The one player I knew was ex-Geordie Steven Taylor, who I'm afraid has gone from bombscare to full Helmand province and probably isn't good enough to be playing professionally anymore. Sad to see.

[John]

Not only does Stuart McCall have an eighties haircut, it's the same one he himself had in the eighties. He's basically been aging from the fringe down since about 1982.

[Lewis]

Watching Romelu Lukaku score half as many goals as he should is already getting boring.

[phonics]

Mourinho not shaking Mark Hughes' hand. Mark will be absolutely raging.

[Boydy]

has gone from bombscare to full Helmand province

:D

[Shindig]

Aye, I dunno what happened to Wor Steve. He got injured and then got shit... ter.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The tannoy man called him 'our rock at the back'. Geology clearly not his strong point.

[Foe]

I hate it when players you've seen at the top basically slum it when they're clearly cooked. Edgar Davids struggling at Barnet and Roy Keane looking limp at Celtic was quite harrowing to see.

Unfortunately for 'our rock at the back' his plight at the top was that block on the line.

[Foe]

Does anyone else have someone on their Facebook you keep to basically make yourself feel better about yourself as a person?

There's a Celtic fan who's a bit of a gimp who comments on everything discussing how Celtic are the best team in the world and the English premier league is shit. I don't think he understands irony or hypocrisy either because he basically contradicts himself every few days. It's glorious.

Also, that coquelin fall is incredible. RIP.

[Shindig]

I hate it when players you've seen at the top basically slum it when they're clearly cooked. Edgar Davids struggling at Barnet and Roy Keane looking limp at Celtic was quite harrowing to see.

Unfortunately for 'our rock at the back' his plight at the top was that block on the line.

Ian bloody Rush.

[Danny]

https://i.imgur.com/4XAxP5f.jpg

WARNING: Massive image

Clickable link: https://i.imgur.com/4XAxP5f.jpg

[Danny]

Mourinho not shaking Mark Hughes' hand. Mark will be absolutely raging.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11028491/mark-hughes-disagrees-with-jose-mourinho-over-handshake-snub-after-man-utd-draw-at-stoke

[Jimmy Floyd]

Maybe Clatters has read a part of the rules no one else has where it matters what a player's eyes are doing.

[Yevrah]

Just watching the highlights of the City game and Neville had an absolute shocker. He's kicked him in the face for fuck's sake.

[Giggles]

Do other countries go on with as much faux outrage about fucking handshakes?

[phonics]

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11028491/mark-hughes-disagrees-with-jose-mourinho-over-handshake-snub-after-man-utd-draw-at-stoke

So predictable. He's such a baby.

[CJay]

So predictable. He's such a baby.

Hughes or Mourinho, or both? Mourinho being annoyed by defensive tactics is hilarious.

[phonics]

Hughes or Mourinho, or both? Mourinho being annoyed by defensive tactics is hilarious.

Hughes. He's absolutely obsessed with handshakes.

[Ian]

Just watching the highlights of the City game and Neville had an absolute shocker. He's kicked him in the face for fuck's sake.

Not just Neville, lots of pundits seemed to be doing the same thing. "His eyes were on the ball!" Who cares?

[Giggles]

None more so than Henry's "he was reaching for the yellow first!" bullshit.

[phonics]

Can I say I've thoroughly enjoyed all the 'Liverpool losing 5-0 should be put into context' pieces whereas us losing 4-0 to them was a sign that we'd be in League 2 by 2020.

[Waffdon]

24,500 at the Hearts/Aberdeen game is some effort for a league game.

[randomlegend]

Can I say I've thoroughly enjoyed all the 'Liverpool losing 5-0 should be put into context' pieces whereas us losing 4-0 to them was a sign that we'd be in League 2 by 2020.

As was to be expected, their defence just got massively exposed once they came up against a competent attack. It's so, so risky and against a good team that translates to just straight up comedy.

People were praising that pass by De Bruyne for the first goal, but the defending was awful.

I reckon they'll get another few bummings this season whilst looking very good most of the time.

[Waffdon]

Perisic :drool:

[niko_cee]

I've not seen the Mané thing, but it sounds to me a lot like that one where Nani got shafted against Madrid (albeit perhaps worse due to head involvement) for doing Di Maria whilst not really looking at him. It's understandable to give it, and I've heard differing opinions from non-partisan sources in real life and in the punditry world. Sounds like it fucked what was potentially a good game. I would say that I don't think "kicking someone in the head" is necessarily always a red card offence (I give you the infamous Lambert/Albertz old firm penalty incident in that game for the ages), and that, in the alternative, the 'dangerousness' (or seriousness) of something shouldn't be judged on consequences (ie if there is contact) seeing as that had been largely done away with in the other dangerous play areas - so a foot raised near a head shoud always be a red if it is apparently dangerous to do so (which would be a bullshit rule - for example should Bellerin have been sent off for raising his foot near Salah's head a few weeks ago? Obviously not).

[randomlegend]

I got called retarded for making that sort of argument at the time. You either have to say something is always dangerous and thus always a red, or it's not and never is. It shouldn't depend whether you get unlucky and someone happens to be in the way.

Having said that, I think the difference between yesterday and the Nani one is that (from what I remember) Nani really couldn't have known there was someone he was going to hit, whereas Mane would have to be completely and utterly blind not to have seen Ederson was there. Makes what Mane did a lot more irresponsible in my mind. As in, you can't always account for the fact someone might be near you but you don't know whilst you should account for someone who is in your direct eye line. I understand that's a difficult thing to police though.

I don't think I've explained what I mean very well but oh well.

[Ian]

Nani's one was a bit different because the ball was coming over Nani and toward whoever it was he booted in the chest while Mane was chasing a ball and had both it and the goalie in front of him. Mane's was a red. Not that he should be looking at increased suspensions or anything because he was clearly just after the ball but ultimately he's still kicked somebody in the head and can't have been far away from his eyes.

I didn't think Nani's was a red at the time but obviously I'm not impartial. If a high boot is automatically a red card for dangerous play then so be it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He didn't get sent off for a high boot. He got sent for kicking the keeper in the face with a late, high boot. If there was nobody there then obviously it wouldn't have been dangerous, but, since there was, it was.

I really don't get all the wailing.

[Adramelch]

http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/67/590x/Sadio-Mane-red-card-tackle-851996.jpg

Do intentions really matter when that happens? As Ian said it's not that should get a further suspension or anything, but if that's not a red card then not many are.

[CJay]

As was to be expected, their defence just got massively exposed once they came up against a competent attack. It's so, so risky and against a good team that translates to just straight up comedy.

People were praising that pass by De Bruyne for the first goal, but the defending was awful.

I reckon they'll get another few bummings this season whilst looking very good most of the time.

Klopp's being managing us for two seasons now and that's the first and only bumming we've received so far. In fact generally we've been better against the big teams with their 'competent attacks'. Your comments seem based solely on yesterday's match, which we played the majority of with 10 men.

Not disagreeing that we're poor defensively, but it generally hasn't been an issue for us so far against the better teams. It has cost us hugely against lesser teams, though.

[Giggles]

I've not seen the Mané thing, but it sounds to me a lot like that one where Nani got shafted against Madrid (albeit perhaps worse due to head involvement) for doing Di Maria whilst not really looking at him. It's understandable to give it, and I've heard differing opinions from non-partisan sources in real life and in the punditry world. Sounds like it fucked what was potentially a good game. I would say that I don't think "kicking someone in the head" is necessarily always a red card offence (I give you the infamous Lambert/Albertz old firm penalty incident in that game for the ages), and that, in the alternative, the 'dangerousness' (or seriousness) of something shouldn't be judged on consequences (ie if there is contact) seeing as that had been largely done away with in the other dangerous play areas - so a foot raised near a head shoud always be a red if it is apparently dangerous to do so (which would be a bullshit rule - for example should Bellerin have been sent off for raising his foot near Salah's head a few weeks ago? Obviously not).

Fucked a potentially good game? One player down doesn't mean you should be losing by 5 goals. The defending would most likely have been atrocious even if Mane stayed on the pitch.

[randomlegend]

Your comments seem based solely on yesterday's match, which we played the majority of with 10 men.


Well I made a post a few weeks ago predicting that something like this was going to happen, so it's not.

Edit: one you responded to in fact.

[niko_cee]

Fucked a potentially good game? One player down doesn't mean you should be losing by 5 goals. The defending would most likely have been atrocious even if Mane stayed on the pitch.

By all reports it was fairly even up until the red card.

lol it woz 1-0 mate! I don't call that even etc.

[Giggles]

By all reports it was fairly even up until the red card.

lol it woz 1-0 mate! I don't call that even etc.

So they only forgot how to defend and shipped another four solely because Mane was sent off?

[niko_cee]

No, they can't defend, so going down to 10 whilst behind is a bit of a serious issue, but I suppose the argument would run that with Mané (or 11 players) they might have been able to attack and City wouldn't been as at liberty to completely dominate the game. Getting fisted isn't ideal, but it's still only a loss. As for 'competent attacks' finding Liverpool out, I doubt that (if anything they are much more susceptible to not being attacked and set pieced to death), although put any top 4/5 team in City's position yesterday (1-0 up with opponent down to 10) and most will piss it to some extent. Of the various title contenders taking a big loss to City is by far the most preferable option, if you have to take one.

[GS]

With hindsight, it's probably a red in the context of current directives. I'd be surprised, however, if there wasn't a number of similar instances where a red card wasn't produced over the course of the season. There was certainly no intent (that you can see from the video), so presumably you wouldn't be looking at any extended ban.

[Boydy]

Can I say I've thoroughly enjoyed all the 'Liverpool losing 5-0 should be put into context' pieces whereas us losing 4-0 to them was a sign that we'd be in League 2 by 2020.

You had 11 men on the pitch for the whole game.

[Reg]

I've not seen the Mané thing, but it sounds to me a lot like that one where Nani got shafted against Madrid (albeit perhaps worse due to head involvement) for doing Di Maria whilst not really looking at him. It's understandable to give it, and I've heard differing opinions from non-partisan sources in real life and in the punditry world. Sounds like it fucked what was potentially a good game. I would say that I don't think "kicking someone in the head" is necessarily always a red card offence (I give you the infamous Lambert/Albertz old firm penalty incident in that game for the ages), and that, in the alternative, the 'dangerousness' (or seriousness) of something shouldn't be judged on consequences (ie if there is contact) seeing as that had been largely done away with in the other dangerous play areas - so a foot raised near a head shoud always be a red if it is apparently dangerous to do so (which would be a bullshit rule - for example should Bellerin have been sent off for raising his foot near Salah's head a few weeks ago? Obviously not).
http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-12---fouls-and-misconduct


SERIOUS FOUL PLAY

A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.

Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.


Mane was correctly sent off for endangering an opponent. Unless kicking someone in the face is not endangering an opponent.

The Nani red card was correct, too.

[Boydy]

Anyway, even before Mane was sent off yesterday, I thought City seemed like they had sussed how to play against Liverpool. Which is the thing that worries me most about them. There doesn't seem to be much of a plan B.

[niko_cee]

.

The Nani red card was correct, too.

That decision was total bullshit, imo.

[-james-]

Renato Sanches has had about three visible strops at a team mate not passing to him/making an awful decision with the ball. Some of them are definitely on a light dose of ketamine.

[-james-]

Sky really dropped the ball losing champions league rights. Every other "super sunday" is going to be piss because all the good teams play on Friday nights now.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Number 2 shirt for Bony :sick:

[Max Power]

Bony wearing number 2 is wholly unacceptable.

[phonics]

You had 11 men on the pitch for the whole game.

I spotted about 5 in that game but having reflected on it longer, having a striker sent off does explain conceding 4 in 45 minutes you're right.

[Shindig]

Six points clear of the drop, lads. Stoke at home sounds alright, providing Ritchie doesn't get a respective ban or some bullshit.

[niko_cee]

I spotted about 5 in that game but having reflected on it longer, having a striker sent off does explain conceding 4 in 45 minutes you're right.

Wasn't the wider issue that you've been pitching up against 'rivals' for a long time (and in particular against Liverpool) and just getting rolled with alarming ease?

Compared to what? Liverpool losing for the first time against the same type of opposition for a couple of years, having gone down to 10 men in the first half?

You're right, entirely analogous.

[Weaver]

Good team performance from Newcastle today - Swansea's midfield four looked like they didn't understand how to play diamond, and Merino looks superb. Manquillo at RB played well today too.

Much better feeling than after that performance at Huddersfield the other week.

[John]

An Italian video ref took nearly six minutes earlier to back up the referee's original decision.

They really need to speed things up if it's going to become a standard thing.

[Kikó]

Similar in the inter game. 4 minutes to reverse the penalty non decision. Ps Perisic scored a lovely volley as well.

[Danny]

https://streamable.com/mafgg

Only a yellow for that one.

[John]

Chris Sutton on MOTD now reckons Mane should have his red rescinded because 'it was an accident'.

Chappers now explaining the nature of sport to him.

[GS]

It genuinely baffles me why these organisations have people like Sutton on as pundits.

[Ian]

He's probably just not that sort of player.

Being NTSOP means you've got immunity from bookings, IIRC.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://streamable.com/mafgg

Only a yellow for that one.

Doesn't kick him in the face.

[Adramelch]

EVen so I wouldn't be surprised if a red was shown. A tad harsh maybe, but still.

[John]

Scott Brown has got away with deliberately kicking someone in the head.

[Adamski]

I suppose there's no way to be sure he actually kicked him...

https://twitter.com/Football__Tweet/status/907277343235899393

[Disco]

I was firmly in the 'of course it's a red, did you not see him kick a man right in the face' camp until I saw that tattoo.

[Weaver]

Hart; Collins, Reid, Fonte; Zabaleta, Obiang, Kouyate, Cresswell; Antonio; Hernandez, Carroll.

Lössl; Smith, Zanka, Schindler, Löwe; Billing, Mooy; van la Parra, Ince, Kachunga; Mounie.

I reckon West Ham will cruise it but Zabaleta at RM could be disastrous.

[Lewis]

I couldn't actually tell you who West Ham are playing based off those line-ups.

[Giggles]

I'm presuming that other team is Huddersfield as I don't recall seeing them over the weekend, but I wouldn't have a clue.

[John]

Mounie looks quality.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Rajiv van la Parra is one of the silliest names in football.

I'm on Huddersfield for this, the Dildo brothers (and they will be SEETHING at being known as that) will be getting the axe out soon.

[Byron]

A large portion of our support are hoping that Huddersfield do us over, simply because if they win Bilic is almost certainly gone and we can get Benitez in.

As it stands we'll probably win, Bilic will get up until Christmas and then we'll hire Lee fucking Clark.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why do you want Sir Rafa Benitez in? You'll spend 18 months being vaguely solid, getting the odd impressive win and drawing 0-0 at home to relegation teams, and then he'll fall out with everyone and get sacked and then you'll be relegated again.

[CJay]

Both teams awful so far tonight.

[CJay]

Carroll Hernandez is a partnership that might have worked 15 years ago. Neither of them can get on the ball so West Ham just keep hitting early crosses from deep to nobody.

[Jimmy Floyd]

lol at West Ham fans moaning when Ayew replaced Hernandez.

[John Arne]

I've just read that we actually appealed the length of the ban for Mane :D

Who is making these decisions? It was rejected, and the FA really should have added another one for wasting everyone's time.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, mad. Even if they'd got a game off it would have been the league cup he was back for, which he wouldn't have played in anyway.

[John Arne]

Celtic have just scored a cracking team goal against PSG in the UEFA Youth League.

[Lewis]

World Clashley Young is BACK. :cool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

We've put half a side out. I can't wait for Rahid Amirquliyev to stick one across Courtois in the 87th minute to make it 2-2.

[John]

Celtic have put a debutant up against Neymar. Bold.

[John]

Anderlecht down to ten men already. They'll get fisted. Niklas Sule looks like a Bond henchman, he's about fourteen feet tall.

[Lewis]

Whoever beIN have paired on this stream with Robot Wars is the worst co-commentator ever.

[randomlegend]

Well Pogba getting injured is shit.

[Reg]

Hargreaves on Pogba getting injured: "He's the one player they don't have a replacement for."

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/704/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2017/8/9/fb3487a5-fb1d-4431-8c5f-ffc57d4965ce.jpg

[Lewis]

More of an upgrade than a direct replacement.

[John]

Lol at Zappacosta celebrating that like he'd just done something great.

[randomlegend]

Fucking Fellaini :D

[bruhnaldo]

World Clashley Young to Fellainimania tears in my fucking eyes it's glorious

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lewis knows.

[Lewis]

The most fitting way possible to return to this competition.

[mugbull]

Messi's had a pretty shit first half.

[Lewis]

Robot Wars is really rubbish with unfamiliar things. He seems to have just written down every fact about Basel and their players he could find, and he is desperate to get as many out there as possible.

'Only one goal this season for the twenty-five year old, against *strains his eyes at the sheet* Serr... Surr... It's a Swiss team. From where they do the chocolate.'

[randomlegend]

He's told us Lindelof was signed from Benfica for 31 millyun pounds about three times, as well.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BfQqmRWCAAATBos.jpg

PSG could set a new record.

[randomlegend]

Fan aims kick at Mbappe
Celtic 0-3 Paris St-Germain
A fan comes on to the park and aims a kick at PSG's Kylian Mbappe.

The man is dragged away before he can do any damage, but Celtic, who have already had a series of fines from Uefa, could find themselves in big trouble.

What? :D

[Samadini]

Whoever beIN have paired on this stream with Robot Wars is the worst co-commentator ever.

I've been thinking the same. Not worked out who it is yet, (possibly Paul Parker) seems like he's probably a nice chap, but he shouldn't be a commentator. Like that timid bloke at the pub who will talk to you during the game out of loneliness, but just bores you to death every time he pipes up with what he thinks is quite insightful, but is actually just a basic understanding of how the game is played.

[mugbull]

Messi's had a pretty shit first half.

Aaaand he's got one

[Jimmy Floyd]

Robot Wars is really rubbish with unfamiliar things. He seems to have just written down every fact about Basel and their players he could find, and he is desperate to get as many out there as possible.

'Only one goal this season for the twenty-five year old, against *strains his eyes at the sheet* Serr... Surr... It's a Swiss team. From where they do the chocolate.'

He did the West Ham and Huddersfield game on Five Live the other night (last night, in fact) and kept dropping in similar facts about Huddersfield players complete with 'Only I'm sad enough to know that!', and its variants, which Jermaine Jenas would follow up with 'Not at all, mate, it's your job'.

[Ian]

Fucking Fellaini :D

I think you mean "Fellainimania. :cool:"

Show some respect.

[Jimmy Floyd]

JFH instantly donning it in his new job. A worrying trend in his career though of being a genius with very small League One midlands outfits and not great elsewhere.

[bruhnaldo]

World Clashley Young is BACK. :cool:


Hargreaves on Pogba getting injured: "He's the one player they don't have a replacement for."

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/704/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2017/8/9/fb3487a5-fb1d-4431-8c5f-ffc57d4965ce.jpg


More of an upgrade than a direct replacement.

:drool:

[Adramelch]

In more important news, not only were Olympiacos drawn against Juventus, Barca and Sporting, but they're also losing 3-0 at home to Sporting, in what is the only winnable game they'll have.

[Waffdon]

Celtic fans :drool:

They're going to get fucked. Up the Ra.

[Lewis]

Jesus their pundits are even worse. Andrew 'Andy' Cole and John Barnes have almost just come to blows over whose side-projects give them the strongest claim to being the 'original Pogba'.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Anderlecht just missed a SITTER.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He's going to win us everything.

[Spoonsky]

Oh shit, Messi just got rekt by this ref. :D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Rightfully so.

[John]

Juventus look mince without Bonucci.

I'd missed recent FM hero Bentancur signing for them, he actually looks like a decent player.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's shocking from Buffon.

The whole defence is nervy as hell.

[SvN]

Fellaini has been fantastic tonight.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Rashford :cool:

Really nice first time finish.

[Giggles]

Preston :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Qarabag's title hopes taking a hit here.

[Magic]

Preston :drool:

:drool:

Top of the league.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That was such a satisfying header from Cavani.

[John]

Some serious, impressive fuckwittery there from Pardo in the Olympiakos game. He's scored both goals to bring them from 3-0 to 3-2 down then spent the rest of the time available celebrating while everyone else was trying to get on with it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Five 3+ goal margins in the CL tonight. Group stage is a total two stream waste of time except for the 1-2 balanced groups that come out every year due to floaters in pot 4.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Some serious, impressive fuckwittery there from Pardo in the Olympiakos game. He's scored both goals to bring them from 3-0 to 3-2 down then spent the rest of the time available celebrating while everyone else was trying to get on with it.

He was incredibly passionate though.

[Yevrah]

Five 3+ goal margins in the CL tonight. Group stage is a total two stream waste of time except for the 1-2 balanced groups that come out every year due to floaters in pot 4.

I was just thinking exactly this.

[niko_cee]

Does it really stop at the group stage?

[Boydy]

Should just make it all knock-out.

[Giggles]

:drool:

Top of the league.

Ah no, nobody wants to see those scumbags back up.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Back in the real world (and because I have them in my otherwise quite promising league winners acca for the year), Aston Villa seem to have a problem dating back several years and several managers whereby they simply do not score goals ever. It must be some kind of record how few they've scored, especially at home, over a prolonged period of time.

[Foe]

Particularly as they seem to have spent their entire budget every year on players who, before joining, were successful at scoring goals.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've just looked it up, they've scored 283 goals in their last 281 league games. That goes back seven complete seasons and the start of this one.

The season before that run started (09/10) was also the last time they scored 50 league goals in a season.

[ScousePig]

Four defeats in a row, to Leeds, Barnsley, Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest. Three at home, and only one late consolation goal scored by none other than Jack Roswell.

The Championship :drool:

[-james-]

Was at Parkhead tonight. PSG have some quite good footballers. I don't mean to sound like a hipster considering who else was on the pitch but Rabiot, fucking hell.

Some monstrous bellend ran onto on the pitch and tried to kick Mbappe, only to get sidestepped and land on his face. Kieran Tierney didn't have a great deal more luck than that over ninety minutes.

Olivier Ntcham and Patrick Roberts were Celtic's best by a large margin. Funny, that. Generally I think tonight's performance represented pretty much the peak of what you could possibly get from those 11 players.

[John Arne]

Five 3+ goal margins in the CL tonight. Group stage is a total two stream waste of time except for the 1-2 balanced groups that come out every year due to floaters in pot 4.


I was just thinking exactly this.

24-4 to the favourites over the 8 games, which included 3 away favourites.

[phonics]

Five 3+ goal margins in the CL tonight. Group stage is a total two stream waste of time except for the 1-2 balanced groups that come out every year due to floaters in pot 4.

While I understand the sentiment, you can't exactly just have an 8 team competition. Look at the budgets between these groups.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJhfJGTXoAAfxoR.jpg:large

[SvN]

What do the percentages mean?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Percentage of their opponent from this matchday's budget, by the looks of it.

I would have knockouts on the way to a smaller, post-Christmas group stage personally.

[Lewis]

I saw a tweet claiming that PSG's budget/wage bill is to Celtic what Celtic are to the average Scottish team, which is pretty lol. Of course, if there was a British league...

[mugbull]

Going to be at Wembley for Spurs tonight. I bought a ticket last minute from Stubhub, which cost me 80 instead of 40 and I've just checked and I don't think it's physically possible for me to be further from the pitch than I am. Still, I hope I can see some white specks score a goal or two. Fuck no alcohol in the stands / no prolonged standing though, English stadium culture is the worst in the world from what I've seen.

[Ian]

Sounds like you're in similar seats to the first NFL Wembley game I went to, where we were right at the top and right at the back. The only upside (other than the fact that it was pissing down with rain and we were well out of that) is there was a little concrete shelf between us and the wall so we could buy beers six at a time and perch them on that rather than keep traipsing up and down the near-vertical steps.

[mugbull]

They let you bring beers in then? Didn't at Craven Cottage

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's banned at all football grounds (but not other sports). Football fans can't be trusted.

[phonics]

I think at Champions League you can as the whole 'Drinking within view of the pitch' rule is a Premier League regulation? And the CL is sponsored by a beer company.

Not sure though, I've never been.

[Lewis]

When I went to Wembley in 2013 to watch some rugby I was literally on the front row, and it was the shittest view imaginable. I must have watched most of it on the big screen.

[Jimmy Floyd]

At Champions League you can't even buy alcohol at all anywhere in the stadium, as far as I remember from my last few visits to Chelsea.

Wembley is an awful venue. You'll get a good tactical insight from up there but that's about it.

[mugbull]

At Champions League you can't even buy alcohol at all anywhere in the stadium, as far as I remember from my last few visits to Chelsea.

Wembley is an awful venue. You'll get a good tactical insight from up there but that's about it.

Online it says you're only allowed to drink it inside the "restaurants"? Are the little pie stands classified as restaurants? Do I have to force myself inside one to have a drink?

[Jimmy Floyd]

On each level there's a massive concourse that runs all the way round and from memory the space is divided among the various food/drink outlets that are there, with some seating areas behind, so you basically need to be on the concourse and/or surrounds.

I have a feeling though that UEFA has a no alcohol regulation at all its matches so you might be out of luck. Or it might be Heineken only which for a Tottenham game might mean no beer, as their official beer is Carlsberg.

[-james-]

This is quite good:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BY-1tkfj1vK/

[Jimmy Floyd]

Would they sing that about a white player etc.

[-james-]

Of course not. Please don't ban me.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Where are your seats, Mokkers?

I'm going to be in block 501 row 5 for the NFL game next week.

[Lewis]

How many white players have that big a cock?

[mugbull]

Where are your seats, Mokkers?

I'm going to be in block 501 row 5 for the NFL game next week.

533 row 9. 501 looks pretty good, at least you won't be watching half the field through binoculars

[John Arne]

Tottenham U18 are giving Dortmund a good hammering. 4-0 after 60 minutes.

[Pen]

I can confirm that there will be no alcohol served at the stadium during European games. It's the same everywhere though. Only exception might be if you're sponsored by Carlsberg.

[mugbull]

Fuck. Gonna down a bottle of wine on the tube and then get blackout at some pubs outside in that case.