Weekend Football

[Jimmy Floyd]

Fixtures not mentioned available here: http://uk.soccerway.com/?ICID=TN_01

Saturday
1200 Rangers v Celtic (Sky)
1230 West Ham v Tottenham (Sky)
1500 Burnley v Huddersfield
1500 Everton v Bournemouth
1500 Man City v Crystal Palace
1500 Southampton v Man Utd
1500 Stoke v Chelsea
1500 Swansea v Watford
1730 Leicester v Liverpool (BT)

Dirty foreign muck:
1200 Atletico Madrid v Sevilla
1515 Alavés v Real Madrid
1600 Montpellier v PSG
1730 Dortmund v Gladbach
1945 Juventus v Torino
1945 Girona v Barcelona

Sunday
1315 Sheffield Wed v Sheffield Utd (Sky)
1600 Brighton v Newcastle (Sky)

Monday
2000 Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (Sky)

[mugbull]

Yo tactics nerds - what are your thoughts on a return to the 2 striker system? 3 years from now i bet most of the good teams will be going the 3-5-2. The tedious era of the 4-2-3-1 is on the out, imo

[Giggles]

That's a seriously meh lineup of fixtures.

[CJay]

Stat on Sky Sports coverage of the early game:

“Tottenham could become the first away team to lose twice at the Olympic Stadium.”

Is that going to keep being a stat until West Ham win at home this season against someone they beat last season? They must have been seriously stuck for interesting stats.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've stuck the Glasgow match on, it really is an absolute zoo up there. Celtic are cutting Rangers to ribbons every time they go forward and should easily rack up eight or nine.

[Ian]

Some bookies were giving evens on a Celtic win yesterday too, which felt a bit generous.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This Morelos is the laziest footballer I've seen for a long time. Just spends his life standing still in an offside position.

[Lewis]

Brendan Rodgers is too big for Scottish football. Arsenal could (and probably will) do a lot worse when they start looking for their next manager.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I wouldn't mind him when Conte and his wig flounce off to to Milan.

[Kikó]

Brendon in charge of arsenal or Chelsea would be amazing.

[Giggles]

Spurs are such a ponderous and unthreatening attacking team.

[Waffdon]

Rangers are such a vile club :D

Roberts is giving that bloke a right bumming.

[Spammer]

The steel city derby tomorrow :cool:

[Reg]

Yo tactics nerds - what are your thoughts on a return to the 2 striker system? 3 years from now i bet most of the good teams will be going the 3-5-2. The tedious era of the 4-2-3-1 is on the out, imo
I don't think it will come into fashion as much as 3-4-3 has. One big strength of 3-4-3 was allowing Hazard types to have freer roles and not worry about pretending to be a winger. The way Man City are/were using 3-5-2 is interesting and I can't think of a team who have used players like De Bruyne and Silva as the two ahead of a sitter. But City have two brilliant strikers and not many clubs do. Controlling midfield is still a big deal (though maybe more in terms of pressing more than possession), so a flat 4-4-2 will still be something for underdogs, and 3-5-2 seems better for modern teams than 4-4-2 diamond because run-all-day Walker/Mendy types can get further up the pitch.

[John Arne]

How is the offside law phrased nowadays? If it's still 'gaining an advantage' Kane gains a massive advantage on that first goal.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Celtic finally score and then a flare goes onto the pitch. It's about time there started being huge points deductions for that sort of thing.

[Waffdon]

Celtic finally score and then a flare goes onto the pitch. It's about time there started being huge points deductions for that sort of thing.

You’re a great laugh.

[Lewis]

Just cower under the table in the fromagerie and let the Real Fans get on with it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

You’re a great laugh.

Fire has no place in stands full of people. If you think otherwise, you shouldn't be allowed to go.

[Waffdon]

James Tavernier is such a pathetic defender.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Rangers are a god awful team, although I get that Celtic are pretty good for the league.

[Waffdon]

Would appreciate Rangers players losing their shit for money purposes now.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Tierney should be going to a top English club. Who needs a left back?

[Samadini]

:lewis:

Soz Dummett.




You said top, not top, top.

[niko_cee]

Yo tactics nerds - what are your thoughts on a return to the 2 striker system? 3 years from now i bet most of the good teams will be going the 3-5-2. The tedious era of the 4-2-3-1 is on the out, imo

Aye, all hail the incredibly exciting 5-7 defender formations.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've only watched 10 minutes of West Ham but I can tell you now Bilic is getting fired.

[SvN]

It's all been downhill for him since the hair transplant. Like a reverse Samson.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Was only going to be a matter of time until his first red.

He's got so much talent but he's so incredibly thick.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's all been downhill for him since the hair transplant. Like a reverse Samson.

His hair very much reflects his team. You can pay for as much reinforcement as you like up top, but it's still going horribly wrong at the back.

[Mazuuurk]

They are bottling the comeback here

[Jimmy Floyd]

Cahill has been dropped for Rüdiger, Chelsea twitter will be partying.

We're now down to zero English players.

[Samadini]

Stoke's backline is pretty special.

[niko_cee]

Renato Sanches already on the bench for Swansea. He must be some talent that kid.

[Samadini]

He was trying his best to be the worst player on the pitch against Newcastle.

[Giggles]

How are Ward-Prowse, van Dijk, and Austin not starting this?

[Lewis]

These away games should switch Juan Mata and 'Micki'. Two man counter-attacks are a bit useless.

[Magic]

Amazing. This doesn't feel like a 'run' it genuinely feels like a record breaking season coming up.

*loses next 5 games*

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He's going to win us the league.

[Lewis]

World Clashley Young? Yeah.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We're going to finish about 10 points off the top and about 10 points ahead of 4th. What a season we have coming up.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

De Geallini with a great save there.

[Waffdon]

Niasse :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Hope he celebrated by nutting Koeman's smug face.

[Waffdon]

Niasse’s finishing is properly good. Proved it at Hull. What a guy.

[Raoul Duke]

Wasn't he the chancer they tried to flog for ages?

[Waffdon]

Wasn't he the chancer they tried to flog for ages?

Aye. Koeman said he’d never play for them.

[Lewis]

Corporate Mourinho getting himself sent to the stands to waste valuable time, and then wasting even more with handshakes and waving to the Southampton substitutes. :cool:

[Magic]

Fucking get in Leeds.

[GS]

The irony of Niasse scoring a brace is that Koeman is probably inwardly SEETHING about being 'wrong'.

Managers taking grudges against players who evidently want to play for the club has always struck me as odd. I've always assumed it's because they want to 'establish their authority' and other alpha male shite like that, but then you end up forcing out perfectly serviceable players like Mamadou Sakho and you're forced to let complete shit like Ragnar Klavan play instead because they can speak German and laugh at your jokes.

[Boydy]

What's the backstory with Koeman and Niasse?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Niasse sounds like a lovely man. Hopefully will smash the World Cup next year as well.

[Giggles]

What's the backstory with Koeman and Niasse?

Niasse is black and Koeman is Dutch, so he hates him.

[niko_cee]

I wonder which Leicester player is in line for the obligatory wonder strike today. Vardy, Drinkwater, Slimani, I suppose Mahrez is due but I think I'll go with Ndidi.

[Danny]

How the fuck has Salah scored that but missed the first.

[Reg]

Two fantastic goals. Nobody scores freekicks like Coutinho. Glad I tuned in for this.

[Boydy]

Liverpool crumbling in the second half is probably nailed on now.

[Giggles]

What's this Lukaku song everyone is moaning about? Newspaper articles reference it but never say what it is.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Something about him having a two foot willy.

I'm watching Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest. Pity me.

[Jimmy Floyd]

lol, some chopper just strolled straight through Air Vice Marshal Sir JT and pals to equalise. Villa will never go back up.

[Mike]

What's this Lukaku song everyone is moaning about? Newspaper articles reference it but never say what it is.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0535ESranU&

[Mike]

Hendo Magic.

[Mike]

Imagine if we could defend even a little bit.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ming :D

[Mike]

Ming :cool2:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Proper English penalty.

[niko_cee]

10 goals shipped in 3 away games so far.

I was going to say that Liverpool should get some sort of brand boost bonus for playing such daft football, but then they might spend it on a capable defence which would ruin it.

[Boydy]

They probably wouldn't.

[niko_cee]

That's why I said might. Not worth the risk.

[Reg]

Great game.

Sturridge did well for the winner (in his funny 'I'm on the beach' half-pace mode) and it was the only time he didn't solely think about shooting regardless of the circumstances.

Mahrez was quiet, they don't seem as intent on playing through him now. Albrighton is one of those '7/8 out of 10 every week' players - still no England cap.

[niko_cee]

I love that in the beeb's write up of the Liverpool game Coutinho is described as 'the former Inter Milan playmaker'.

[SincereTheRebel]

After reading wengers comments about gibbs, it confirmed my suspicions about him having sentimental feelings towards academy players like they are his biological children.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I love that in the beeb's write up of the Liverpool game Coutinho is described as 'the former Inter Milan playmaker'.

I love those. I remember once seeing Drogba referred to as 'the ex-Marseille frontman' after about 8 seasons at the Bridge.

[Ian]

Commentators do it all the time too because it sounds like knowledge and they equate that with wisdom.

"Excellent shot from the Ivory Coast man."

Fuck off.

[niko_cee]

I could get on board with "Brazilian playmaker", but references to fleetingly featured for long distant clubs (as with the Drogba example) just reek of wiki research absent any actual knowledge of football.

[Waffdon]

That Sheffield United support is proper awful.

[Shindig]

Nile Ranger will forever be a 'former Newcastle United player'.

[Giggles]

Did he not sign from Inter only a couple of years ago? It's not as if he used his youth club from when he was 15 as a reference.

[niko_cee]

About 5 and he 'played' for them for about 6 months all told.

[Giggles]

Ah. Way longer than I thought.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't know who the Sky co-commentator is for this Sheffield match but he's just said (of cherubic United forward David Brooks): 'He was player of the tournament at the Toulon tournament this year, but he didn't know it because they said it in foreign'.

[Giggles]

I hope he finished that off with a good hearty 'innit'.

[Waffdon]

I don't know who the Sky co-commentator is for this Sheffield match but he's just said (of cherubic United forward David Brooks): 'He was player of the tournament at the Toulon tournament this year, but he didn't know it because they said it in foreign'.

Danny Higginbotham I think.

[Weaver]

Not sure how much of this was pre-planned, but in tribute to the Rangers lad/manager clash yesterday:

911909660814397440

[Waffdon]

Wednesday goal there was smooth as fuck.

[Waffdon]

Hahahaha, decent game this. Stadium was rocking there too.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Brooks lad I mentioned earlier looks like a serious player. Just declared for Wales as well. It must be the done thing.

[Andy]

How are Ward-Prowse, van Dijk, and Austin not starting this?

Van Djik is coming back from an injury. He's played 10 minutes this year. Ward Prowse is not very good and Austin doesn't really suit the system.

[Andy]

The game was painful yesterday, we could have played another 90 minutes and not come close to scoring. United are so well drilled.

We are missing something, annoyed me that we kept trying to go down our left rather than through Cedric and Tadic who would have surely been more of a threat against Rashford and Young.

[Giggles]

Van Djik is coming back from an injury. He's played 10 minutes this year. Ward Prowse is not very good and Austin doesn't really suit the system.

I'd make a system that suited if the other option is Shane Long.

[Magic]

Wendies. :harold:

[Giggles]

Seeing as Hammer isn't here, one of us needs to do it for him.

MIGHTY BLADES :cool:

[Andy]

I'd make a system that suited if the other option is Shane Long.

Indeed, id rather see us play Austin and Gabbiadini together with Cedric and Bertrand supplying the width. Bin off Redmond.

[Spammer]

Seeing as Hammer isn't here, one of us needs to do it for him.

MIGHTY BLADES :cool:

:cool:

THE MIGHTY FUCKING BLADES

[Kikó]

Did you go or were you walking to somewhere like Carlisle?

[Jimmy Floyd]

They were very good, were United. That bloke Leon Clarke was an absolute donkey yet at the key moments just bullied Wednesday into submission.

[Weaver]

Indeed, id rather see us play Austin and Gabbiadini together with Cedric and Bertrand supplying the width. Bin off Redmond.

Is that a possibility once van Dijk is back then?

Forster; Van Dijk, Hoedt, Yoshida; Cedric, Davis, Lemina, Bertrand; Tadic; Austin, Gabbiadini?

[Lewis]

I just put the telly on thinking Arsenal were playing Chelsea. :cab:

[Lewis]

Did Sky show the Sheffield derby ('Steel City' is a bit out of date) as part of NISSAN SUPER SUNDAY? Millions of Asians must have been fuming.

[Reg]

I see our game brought a flood of posts in. :D Enjoyed that, and good to feel the ground so happy at full time. A portion of our fans are still obsessed about the supposed striker issue (I swear this has been the main topic of discussion since Bobby Zamora first left a decade and a half ago); even after Hemed scored again today there's people going on about it.

Still think we'll stay up. Newcastle too, they were just a little lethargic today.

[Magic]

Did Sky show the Sheffield derby ('Steel City' is a bit out of date) as part of NISSAN SUPER SUNDAY? Millions of Asians must have been fuming.

How many times was 'PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURE' said during the game? :harold:

[Jimmy Floyd]

I see our game brought a flood of posts in. :D Enjoyed that, and good to feel the ground so happy at full time. A portion of our fans are still obsessed about the supposed striker issue (I swear this has been the main topic of discussion since Bobby Zamora first left a decade and a half ago); even after Hemed scored again today there's people going on about it.

Still think we'll stay up. Newcastle too, they were just a little lethargic today.

It's not really a striker issue, it's an issue of playing pretty clogging, one dimensional football and lacking creativity - mainly the fact that Knockaert is considerably less effective at this level. You probably will stay up though for the reasons we saw today: home wins to nil. Especially if that Australian settles in.

Obviously if you had a top, top striker then life would be easier, but how many teams at that level do.

[Reg]

I'm not sure the "clogging" claim is valid, lots of our goals were counter attacks last year.

[niko_cee]

It was a fairly San Marino style effort again today towards the end.

Just about deserved the win, and it's a way to stay up (I think they will), but it can go wrong (conceding first basically fucks everything). Fair play to Ryan for not letting any of the shots at him in (and making some good ones as well) and to Hemed for his goal. Gross looks surprisingly decent, even if he is wrecking Knockaert's effectiveness from set pieces, from a fantasy perspective.

[ScousePig]

Sunderland are dreadful (surprise). Yesterday we were at home to a pretty awful, but joint top, Neil Warnock led Cardiff City. They had a lump up front who held it up but was otherwise a compete donkey, and a load of other dross. They wasted time from about 20 minutes in, but probably shaded it.

We were without loads of players, but there's no idea. We started with something akin to 3-5-2 with Brian Oviedo and Adam Matthews at wing back (easily our best two players yesterday), and when it became clear it wasn't working, and also clear Oviedo was our biggest threat going forward, Grayson shifted to 4-4-2 with Oviedo on the wing.

Any sort of confidence and a decent system and we'd be absolutely fine as the league is complete bobbins, but at the moment it's going horribly wrong.

[Adramelch]

In more important news, we were losing 0-2 at home to Olympiacos and scored 3 in the last 30 minutes. Marin (the ex-Chelsea winger some would say) scored with a lovely finish for them too.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCrigaWSnF8

(Quality is a bit shit)

With their manager all but gone, that'll make it 16 different managers (well less, but some of them had multiple spells) in the last 10 years. Years in which Olympiakos won 9 league titles. Pretty mental.

[niko_cee]

I believe the proper epithet for Marko Marin is 'The German Messi'.

[Adramelch]

Lazaros also scored a fucking beauty.

http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x61u6x2 (3 minutes 55 seconds in)

[niko_cee]

He's made the 'keeper look a bit of a twat there.

[Waffdon]

Apparently Everton bid €75m for Costa in the summer but he only wanted to go to Atletico. Sheeeesh.

[mugbull]

Lol @ Everton thinking they're big like us :bleh:

[Jimmy Floyd]

I can't think of a better option than a Vincent Tan/Neil Warnock combination leading Cardiff back to the promised land, one long ball at a time.

[Lufcdanny]

Amazing. This doesn't feel like a 'run' it genuinely feels like a record breaking season coming up.

*loses next 5 games*

When we played Burton I said the exact same thing. We play such good football. Against Millwall I just think he got it wrong playing the small skillful players instead of the big cunts like Grot. But had he changed the team and we lost he would have got stick for changing an unbeaten team so cant complain. Tomorrow nights a huge game!

[Magic]

When we played Burton I said the exact same thing. We play such good football. Against Millwall I just think he got it wrong playing the small skillful players instead of the big cunts like Grot. But had he changed the team and we lost he would have got stick for changing an unbeaten team so cant complain. Tomorrow nights a huge game!

It is, tbh I wouldn't be surprised at a shitty 1-0 defeat against those shitcunts.

[-james-]

I've just looked at the Premier League table for the first time this season. Lol Palace. Looks a decent bet that they'll be pointless and goal-less after eight games.

Only game I watched this weekend was Dortmund completely molesting Gladbach. Pulisic is already the best American player ever by a mile.

[mugbull]

Only game I watched this weekend was Dortmund completely molesting Gladbach. Pulisic is already the best American player ever by a mile.

He didn't have a great game there though, as much as an attacker on a team that scored 6 can have not had a 'great game'.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Who was America's best player before him, Claudio Reyna?

[-james-]

He didn't have a great game there though, as much as an attacker on a team that scored 6 can have not had a 'great game'.

Philipp outshone him a bit but I thought he was still very good. I just love his confidence, beats his man all the time.


Who was America's best player before him, Claudio Reyna?


Yeah exactly. DaMarcus Beasley.

[mugbull]

Dono & Demp

[Jimmy Floyd]

I forgot about Landy cakes. A true ambassador for the United States of America.

[phonics]

Meanwhile, the REAL STORY in football carries on

912266963644280833

You could find a less petulant group of under-7s.

[John Arne]

https://gdanskifyouwantto.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/alexi-lalas.jpg

[phonics]

You need to take out everything after .jpg John.

[Mazuuurk]

It really fucking makes me so happy that Neymar went to PSG to be "THE MAN" and is getting owned by fucking Cavani who, I suppose, has HAD it with never being number one at anything anywhere.

It's equally amusing how PSG's leadership, unsurprisingly, is trying to solve the problem by throwing money at it.

[Lewis]

Brian McBride mate. Best headerer in the history of soccer.

[mugbull]

Brian McBride was pretty good, probably the best center-forward we've had (at least as long as I've been alive_

[John]

Cavani who, I suppose, has HAD it with never being number one at anything anywhere.

Six years in Italy and last year at PSG aside.

Unai Emery must be a proper coward if the Qataris are having to get involved. Either tell Neymar to shut the fuck up or tell Cavani he's off penalties.

[Mazuuurk]

Six years in Italy and last year at PSG aside.

Unai Emery must be a proper coward if the Qataris are having to get involved. Either tell Neymar to shut the fuck up or tell Cavani he's off penalties.

Yeah thats the point, as soon as it looks like he's going to be the lone star, someone else comes along and steals the spotlight.

Napoli was a million years ago, noone cares about that now.

[bruhnaldo]

Either tell Neymar to shut the fuck up or tell Cavani he's off penalties.

I'm sure that would solve it.

[Reg]

Do we just believe every tweet we see now?

[Mazuuurk]

Err, yes. Duh.

[Waffdon]

West Brom team is disgusting. Five defenders and three defensive midfielders. The slowest team in history.

[Weaver]

West Brom team is disgusting. Five defenders and three defensive midfielders. The slowest team in history.

I thought that, too. Kanu isn't exactly the most mobile so I'm guessing it's going to be Jay Rodriguez who's the 'speed' in attack.

[Samadini]

It's amazing, I love it. The league needs cunts like Pulis to balance things out a bit.

[Samadini]

I'm currently watching Cack Jolback fail to 'dictate the tempo' in an U23s game against Wolves. No wonder we couldn't even flog him to the Championship.

[Mazuuurk]

Don't understand why Ramsey is being fielded in the front 3 now, when he was praised so much by Wenger for his positional play in the middle against Chelsea last week.

It seems against a solid West Brom, you might actually benefit from having a more offensive central midfielder and playing someone else up front.

Then again, not playing Ozil is probably a good idea in general, so.

[niko_cee]

Could he not be playing 'in the hole' (insert MicMac gif) behind Sanchez and Lacazette?

[Waffdon]

That’s such a horrendous decision from the referee.

[SincereTheRebel]

It's amazing, I love it. The league needs cunts like Pulis to balance things out a bit.

+1

[Kikó]

Could he not be playing 'in the hole' (insert MicMac gif) behind Sanchez and Lacazette?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OQT1psCoAc

[Samadini]

Terry Connor :(

His was the saddest managerial stint I can remember.

[Shindig]

Sadder than Sammy Lee?

[igor_balis]

I actually love this lineup. 4-5-1 at Brighton with a centre back at right back and right back at left back and 3 DMs was infuriating, but for this game the 5 defenders, 3 DMs and 2 workhorses up front is ace. Unlucky to be losing.

[igor_balis]

I wish we could keep Pulis for these games but get someone more fun for the games against shit teams.

[Pen]

That Polish loanee from PSG has looked really good here and he was great for Sevilla too. Wonder how mimuch he would cost to lure away from PSG.

[CJay]

That Polish loanee from PSG has looked really good here and he was great for Sevilla too. Wonder how mimuch he would cost to lure away from PSG.

Not much surely if he's on loan at West Brom?

[igor_balis]

I think barry and krychowiak could come close to the halcyon double-pivot days of mulumbu and yacob 2012/13.

[Pen]

Not much surely if he's on loan at West Brom?
That was what I was thinking too. Surprising that no one bigger/better went for him.

[igor_balis]

Not much surely if he's on loan at West Brom?

:( fuck off mate, we am bostin

[CJay]

That was what I was thinking too. Surprising that no one bigger/better went for him.

Yeah, I don't think he fit in very well last season at PSG, but it does seem an odd move for a 27 year old who was at the top of his game a year and a half ago.

[igor_balis]

brainless defending

[Mazuuurk]

Could he not be playing 'in the hole' (insert MicMac gif) behind Sanchez and Lacazette?

Yeah that would have made more sense. At the end of the day I'm not sure where he actually played, he runs around so much.

[niko_cee]

I see Hemed has been charged with violent conduct for standing on Yedlin.

:cab:

Looked pretty innocuous to me.

[Jimmy Floyd]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/psg-neymar-cavani-penalty-1m-bonus-offer-deny-statement-paris-saint-germain-nasser-al-khelaifi-a7966331.html

You have to lol at some of that. Maybe don't be a colossal wanker and your team mates will like you.

[Boydy]

How is that even a problem? Surely the manager just picks whoever is hitting penalties and the players shut the fuck up?

Or let them take turns if they're going to be such massive babies.

[phonics]

Unai Emery told them to sort it out between themselves. Strong management.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I like the sound of the Dani Alves team bonding day which went down like a lead balloon.

[Mazuuurk]

It's also a bit ridiculous with the whole "players having to be sold" argument when the only (?) players they have actually sold is Matuidi and Aurier for a combine 30 million or something puny like that.

[Smiffy]

I'm convinced the next two nights is going to be about off-field issues with Liverpool and Man United playing in Russia. I can't see either match going on without incident.

[John]

Sky are in brilliant form today. Their Cardiff v Leeds preview included this nugget.

'Neil Warnock is undefeated in his last nine home Championship matches played on a Tuesday.'

[Mazuuurk]

Read some similar piece of relevant info on BBC before:
"Each of the Gunners' past seven home wins have come on a different day of the week"


Important to know.

[mugbull]

Read some similar piece of relevant info on BBC before:
"Each of the Gunners' past seven home wins have come on a different day of the week"


Important to know.

This is actually pretty cool though. I'd give it a 7.5/10 on the 'coolness' scale

[Kikó]

I'm convinced the next two nights is going to be about off-field issues with Liverpool and Man United playing in Russia. I can't see either match going on without incident.

Not sure. I think any cracked skulls will be away from the stadium and not reported. It's a world cup year, Putin will have instructed best behaviour - see united at Rostov.

[Waffdon]

That Bale goal is stunning. No idea how Dortmund have only conceded once in the League. They don’t bother defending.

[SvN]

Indeed. Real could be 3 up already.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Jeff Stelling, who I like it has to be said, is NOT IMPRESSED AT ALL! with Karius.

[Mike]

As bad as we are at the back, and we stink, going forward we can look amazing.
I started typing this and Firmino misses a sitter!

[niko_cee]

Sounds like we're well set to concede another striker and labour to get anything out of this.

At some point someone is going to get an absolute shoeing.

[mugbull]

The late Ryan Babel just scored one for Besiktas. I'm sure the man could make a successful return to the Dutch team at their current level

[Spammer]

https://twitter.com/ericljunggren/status/912022509255643136

So fucking good :D

[Adramelch]

The late Ryan Babel just scored one for Besiktas. I'm sure the man could make a successful return to the Dutch team at their current level

Him only being 30 blew my mind a bit.

[Waffdon]

Sturridge needs to retire.

[John Arne]

I've no idea why teams like Spartak settle for home draws like this. They are unlikely to win in Sevilla or Liverpool, so need to win their one games to go through - yet here they are time wasting, going down injured and generally fannying about.

[Mike]

To be fair, I’d want the electric kart to take me off too.

[John Arne]

The ref just stopped the game because a Spartak player went down with a hamstring injury :/

And now he's waiting for the fucking car...

[Giggles]

Madrid could have scored 4 in the last ten minutes here.

[John Arne]

Was there an explanation for the Mane sub?? He didn't look injured, and was one of our better players....

[Magic]

Record breaking season continues.

:moop:

[Reg]

Man City made hard work of that but some of their passes were gorgeous, one from David Silva especially. They were leaving Fernandinho with lots of space to cover; I wonder if they'll switch back to 3-5-2 for the Chelsea game.

[CJay]

Sounds like we're well set to concede another striker and labour to get anything out of this.

At some point someone is going to get an absolute shoeing.

Our problems is we have a load of 15 goal a season players and no one truly clinical. We wasted three or four excellent opportunities tonight.

[niko_cee]

So did Karius chuck it in as Jeff was suggesting?

The whole concept of a Champions League 'keeper needs to get to fuck. Imagine doing that to any other position. Thanks Phil, really appreciate the effort last season what with winning all those games, but I quite fancy this spastic to play ahead of you as he won't get roughed up as much in Europe . . .

Just give Danny Ward a run, he's probably the best of the lot.

[GS]

It's properly bizarre. If you were Ming the Merciless, you'd be fucking seething as well. Karius is absolutely dreadful, so they're basically a goal down every game he plays because he will invariably do something to fuck up.

[CJay]

Seemed like he should have been able to save it.

Graeme Souness thinks Kane will go to Barcelona or Real. Can you imagine him speaking Spanish? :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

I can't see it. Imagine how much you'd need to pay Levy to get him.

If this was 1987 he'd have gone to Bari or Nantes by now.

[Giggles]

Seemed like he should have been able to save it.

Graeme Souness thinks Kane will go to Barcelona or Real. Can you imagine him speaking Spanish? :D

Says he's one of the best in the world and in the same breath said he'd have Lukaku over him :D

[Waffdon]

Kane realky os the bollocks.

[SvN]

Go to bed.

[phonics]

Just realised there's no midweek thread again. Shameful.

Anyway, here's a stat.

912780929629933568

Woof.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They lack a goalscorer, Firmino is a proper 3 good games / 10 bad games type.

[CJay]

They lack a goalscorer, Firmino is a proper 3 good games / 10 bad games type.

That's harsh. He's a good player - and definitely a fans favourite - but he's not an out and out striker by any means really.

Totally unrelated, but since when have international goals been included when saying a player has hit double digits for the season? The commentator last night said something about Kane including his goals for England, and the other night on MOTD Lukaku was being lauded for some scoring record for the season so far that probably included goals against Gibraltar.

[niko_cee]

A better stat about Liverpool would be how often the first shot on target against them has gone in this season.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Here's a random rules question for those who like that sort of thing (it happened in a game I watched recently and I thought the ref was wrong but I could be wrong).

The match is between the Blues and the Reds. The Blues have the ball in their own left back area and their player pings a direct ball over the top, hoping to beat the offside trap to where their striker, let's call him Inzaghi, is making a forward run. However, the Reds defensive line is well organised and they step up in unison, meaning that Inzaghi is miles offside when the ball is played. However, one of the Reds players, let's call him Mihajlovic, handles the ball in order to stop it from reaching Inzaghi. Because it hasn't reached Inzaghi, he has not been flagged offside. Mihajlovic is therefore shown a yellow card for deliberate handball.

I thought it seemed grossly unfair but I don't really know the ruling.

[Kikó]

The game is still live. Play to the whistle.

[GS]

Technically Inzaghi isn't offside until he goes for the ball and becomes active, ergo play is 'live' when the defender handles it. I suppose it's not inconceivable, in the context of the rules, that someone could sprint from an onside position to collect the ball - which they obviously couldn't do if he has just diverted it with his hand.

[bruhnaldo]

Harsh but i agree with the others. Not offside until the whistle is blown.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I can see that's right but in this case, because the ball had travelled absolutely miles, it seemed ridiculous (also it was a second yellow for the offending player).

[bruhnaldo]

You'd like to imagine the ref would give the guy a break if the linesman already raised his flag but even then the ref would probably be reprimanded for not following the rules exact.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Kiko is crying right now.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What a man Lukaku is.

[bruhnaldo]

Lukaku :drool:

[bruhnaldo]

tears in my fuckin eyes World Clashley Young captaining the side in the Champions League :drool: :happycry:

[Lewis]

England's leading full-back.

[Reg]

I thought Lukaku fouled for the goal and I bet the commentators would have mentioned it if this was two English sides playing each other.

[Lewis]

He's just POWERFUL mate.

[SvN]

If Young keeps this up, he should be starting for England at left back.

[Lewis]

These Russians are terrible.

[SvN]

They really are. I thought we'd grind out a 0-0 here, but we could end up battering them.

[Reg]

They do seem to be playing at half speed.

[Jimmy Floyd]

There's never been a decent Russian team except those Hulk Zenit sides.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Smashing the Russians :drool:

[SvN]

That celebration :D

[Lewis]

Maybe none of them want to mark a black player.

[Dark Soldier]

McccccccccchhhhhhManaman getting excited


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbLKmtW3-0g

[Waffdon]

Christensen and Rudiger should be starting every game alongside Azpilicueta. Chelsea looked fairly good until that.

[mugbull]

Bayern are nowhere near the team they have been for the last 5 years

[ScousePig]

Here's a random rules question for those who like that sort of thing (it happened in a game I watched recently and I thought the ref was wrong but I could be wrong).

The match is between the Blues and the Reds. The Blues have the ball in their own left back area and their player pings a direct ball over the top, hoping to beat the offside trap to where their striker, let's call him Inzaghi, is making a forward run. However, the Reds defensive line is well organised and they step up in unison, meaning that Inzaghi is miles offside when the ball is played. However, one of the Reds players, let's call him Mihajlovic, handles the ball in order to stop it from reaching Inzaghi. Because it hasn't reached Inzaghi, he has not been flagged offside. Mihajlovic is therefore shown a yellow card for deliberate handball.

I thought it seemed grossly unfair but I don't really know the ruling.

This might not be right, but the old rule was if you were offside you were offside, therefore as soon as Heinze played the ball then Inzagni was offside. Now though with the active rule, you're not offside until you actively make an attempt, so the handball would be the first infringement.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Fucking hell Benfica must be grim these days.

[Waffdon]

Mbappe selling the defender before Neymar’s goal :drool:

[SvN]

What's happened to Bayern? Getting totally bummed at PSG. It wasn't that long ago that everyone was marveling at their incredible squad depth.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What's happened to Bayern? Getting totally bummed at PSG. It wasn't that long ago that everyone was marveling at their incredible squad depth.

Ancelotti is good at managing egos but has the forward vision of a dead dog, so it tends to go bad after a while, or at least it did at Chelsea. At Milan I guess he had all those geriatric legends keeping it together.

[phonics]

In this game it's more the case of Bayern looking like the better side but keep getting bummed on the counter attack.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Benfica :harold:

[SvN]

What's De Gea playing at for that goal? Good job it doesn't matter.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Michy :drool:

The burglar does it again. Fuck off Simeone you dirty wanker.

[Waffdon]

What a fucking goal that is from Chelsea.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DKwirMCW4AIem4n.jpg

Never mind eh old chap.

[Danny]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeJHDSCSA6A

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Fuck off Diljeet.

[Boydy]

Whatever happened to Diljeet?

[Mazuuurk]

He fucked off.

[Mazuuurk]

913142202993451009

[John Arne]

Sky want to move the Arsenal-Liverpool game to the 24th December :face: Both team also play on Boxing day.

[phonics]

Sky want to move the Arsenal-Liverpool game to the 24th December :face: Both team also play on Boxing day.

Could have our schedule looking like this:

Sunday December 24th – Liverpool (H)
Tuesday December 26th – Crystal Palace (A)
Saturday December 30th – West Brom (A)
Monday January 1st – Chelsea (H)

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's a typical FM fixture list.

[Lewis]

lol Carlo Ancelotti has gone. Calling all highly thought of German managers.

[Giggles]

Klopp :drool:

[Lewis]

He would slap Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on the back after the interview and never be seen again.

[phonics]

It's the Hoffenheim manager.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Hoffenheim bloke keeps getting tipped for it. A 30 year old who looks 17 and has loads of fancy theories stepping into the hotseat at FC Bayern München, what could possibly go wrong.

He couldn't be more AVB if he squatted on the sideline and saw off a bottle of Blue Nun every night.

[Pen]

Anyone who isn't a really big name already will be lucky to last this season there. Idiotic to sack him now, even if they have someone in mind.

[Reg]

The Hoffenheim bloke keeps getting tipped for it. A 30 year old who looks 17 and has loads of fancy theories stepping into the hotseat at FC Bayern München, what could possibly go wrong.

He couldn't be more AVB if he squatted on the sideline and saw off a bottle of Blue Nun every night.
Although he did have an equal goals to games ratio as a player. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Nagelsmann

[bruhnaldo]

i know no one cares but last night Orlando City shipped 6 passed New England and I had the time of my life :drool:

[Disco]

Shipped means conceded by the way.

[Lewis]

The Hoffenheim bloke keeps getting tipped for it. A 30 year old who looks 17 and has loads of fancy theories stepping into the hotseat at FC Bayern München, what could possibly go wrong.

He couldn't be more AVB if he squatted on the sideline and saw off a bottle of Blue Nun every night.

He looks like someone whose family connections got him a cushy job assisting Reinhard Heydrich. Which I suppose would be fitting.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Did your daddy always tell you, that the armbands are the best
Then he's off to Bergen Belsen with the re-e-est
So here it is, Bayern Munich

Etc.

[bruhnaldo]

Shipped means conceded by the way.

"shipped 6 passed"

[SvN]

"passed"


:harold:

[John]

"shipped 6 passed"

It still means conceded.

[Disco]

Either they shipped six goals or you scored six past them.

[bruhnaldo]

If I take something and I send it to you I've shipped it.

We took the ball and shipped it 6 times passed the keeper.

Don't really see how that's wrong.

[bruhnaldo]

past* for fuck sake.