Midweek football (3rd - 5th)

[-james-]

Tuesday:
19:45
Sevilla - Bayern Munchen
Juventus - Real Madrid

Aston Villa - Reading
Fulham - Leeds United
Wolves - Hull
Bolton Wanderers - Birmingham City


Wednesday:
17:30
Milan - Inter (? ? ?)

19:45
Liverpool - Man City
Barcelona Roma


Thursday:
20:05
RB Leipzig - Marseille
Arsenal - CSKA Moskva
Atlético - Sporting Club
Lazio - Salzburg

[Magic]

Hmm Juve v Real or watching us get dismantled 5-0 by Fulham.

Obviously the latter but ffs.

[Magic]

Stuck money on that result. Come @ me.

[Baz]

Wednesday night. :drool:

[SincereTheRebel]

Two more wins is all wolves need from the final seven games to officially get promoted (I think). After hull, they go to Cardiff. Easy work.

[Mike]

Very excited for Wednesday

[Bob Sacamano]

Having heard the MK Dons manager Dan Micciche speak, I'm convinced that anybody could become a manager at a football league club.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEo7b_T4meo

[mo]

Fingers crossed he takes them down.

[Lewis]

The Italians are seething at this referee getting decisions right. Ronaldo though. :cool:

[Magic]

Stuck money on that result. Come @ me.

Could have been 5 already. Only 1 at the moment.

[Kikó]

Ronaldo 1-0.

[Max Power]

He is absolutely ridiculous

[Boydy]

That was amazing.

[Kikó]

What a great of the game. Just an unbelievable forward.

[Lewis]

That was mental.

[Boydy]

I saw him starting his jump for it and thought 'nah, that's not happening' and then it fucking did. Fair play to the Juve fans for giving him the standing ovation. Well deserved

[Magic]

Not as good as Messi.

[Gray Fox]

Honestly believe he is in the top 2 to ever play the game.

Peak of physical dominance and footballing ability. The man is insane.

[Giggles]

Must have been some goal. You lot normally spend your time calling him a cunt.

[Boydy]

Must have been some goal. You lot normally spend your time calling him a cunt.

981261916294275072

[Giggles]

Bit good alright. I'm watching the end now the bakeoff is over.

[Bernanke]

Still prefer Mandzukic from last years game because of the the team effort.

[SincereTheRebel]

Ive seen zlatan and petr crouch score better overhead kicks.

[Giggles]

He's shit.

[Pepe]

Hugo Sanchez was scoring them for fun while Ronaldo was still a wet dream.

[Gray Fox]

Ronaldo has scored more goals in Champions League quarter finals than Juventus the football club.

[Waffdon]

Greatest player to ever play in the CL and it’s not close at this point.

[Mike]

Not a bad goal by Ronaldo that.

[Baz]

Bobby’ll score one of them later.

[niko_cee]

It was a good goal, but having seen all the hype about it I was a bit underwhelmed when I saw it first (not knowing which one was Ronaldo/where to look at first didn't necessarily help).

[Max Power]

Had it been at home to Las Palmas it wouldn’t be getting through hype. As always with Ronaldo, it’s the context. His side are under the cosh away to Juventus in a European cup quarter final and he pulls that out? Amazing.

[Jimmy Floyd]

For me it was less about what he did than the fact it was Buffon watching it go in.

[niko_cee]

I saw nothing of the game, but weren't they winning at the time? Hardly a massive under the cosh situation, considering the state of the tie.

You need Rivaldo levels of 'context' to make something like that truly great (although it was a better technical goal/finish than that one probably).

[Giggles]

The scummers went ahead with the plans to smash up the City bus anyway.

[Gray Fox]

Fully prepared for the incoming revenge fisting, for ruining their perfect season.

[niko_cee]

Dour nil-nil to scupper all the neutrals' 'game of the season' hopes.

Being a 2-leg thing it looks like City (with their selection) are happy to try and keep a lid on things in the first leg. Have they really not sold their away allocation?

[Gray Fox]

Both teams know only how to attack. There's no way in hell there's no goals.

[Mike]

2-0 :cool2:

[Gray Fox]

3-2 to someone. Just not sure who.

[Lewis]

We didn't expect that (the bus being attacked), I didn't expect that. I know that is not Liverpool, the history of the club is much bigger than this four or five or 10 guys.

Some football genius him.

[Gray Fox]

He must be new.

[Lewis]

They only chucked about five bottles at it. Great #scenes all round.

[Gray Fox]

Assuming Kompany completes the game, we should find it tougher.

[Giggles]

And they wonder about karma.

[SvN]

Offisde, but lol at that defending.

[Magic]

This could be 4-4.

[SvN]

Liverpool are tragic at the back. City will score at least 3.

[Lewis]

Football365 had Kyle Walker as one of their signings of the season the other day. I could play full-back for them most weeks.

[Mike]

Oh my!

[Mike]

Gerrard esc goal that.

[Gray Fox]

Well well well. This looks familiar.

[Magic]

Lol.

[Boydy]

The work Milner puts in is so good. I remember hating him at first but I fucking love him now.

He's what Jordan Henderson should be.

[John]

Kompany is still comfortably the best defender City have, and they must have spent about four hundred million trying to get another one at this point.

[Magic]

Hahaha.

[Mike]

This is wonderful.

[Gray Fox]

Fucking Scenes.

[phonics]

Kompany is still comfortably the best defender City have,

In absolute no mans land for that one.

[Lewis]

Mourinho lolling his head off in his travel tavern.

[Gray Fox]

Has Pep been MIND GAMES'D by Mourinho?

[Lewis]

Him and everyone else in the world.

[Magic]

Has Pep been MIND GAMES'D by Mourinho?

Fuck off Poois.

[SincereTheRebel]

It was like watching arsenal and salah was doing his best messi impression.

[Mike]

Not a bad first half that.

[phonics]

De Rossi has scored an absolute pearler from the edge of the box. For Barcelona.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I decided to find a stream for once, found one, saw the scoreline and had to restart my computer to get rid of the stain. Now watching Orioles-Astros, sweet sweet boredom.

[Gray Fox]

We just need to not do the collapsing after the break bit this time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Anyway, lol at the semi-finalists still being Barcelona, Bayern, Real Madrid and whoever gets out of this slugfest. If Heynckes shits out another one I think it would be King Lol.

[phonics]

I love the idea of a video doorbell deterring burglars.

[Jimmy Floyd]

A United fan on my twitter feed (who used the six minutes of Sevilla's lead last night to do four tweets about how the joke was on all United's critics because Sevilla are actually brilliant) is doing all this Mourinho spin shite now as well. Can United fans not accept that sometimes it ain't about them?

[Kikó]

This is the lesser of two evils.

[Lewis]

Football Twitter is a constant battle for supremacy. lol at x making a mistake having cost y when we only spent...

[phonics]

Chris Kamara looks like a white bloke dressed up as him for Halloween in that Ladbrokes advert.

[John Arne]

Oh shit. I set my alarm 1 hr too late! Missed the first half

[Gray Fox]

You didn't miss much.

[Magic]

My work have blocked betting on my new sim FFS. Stuck a tenner on 3-3 thanks wifi.

[John]

I'm still recovering from McManaman saying it had been a 'tight game' towards the end of that first half.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Football Twitter is a constant battle for supremacy. lol at x making a mistake having cost y when we only spent...

These are the sort of arguments I used to have with Tottenham fans in my class in year 9. We'd grown out of it by about 16, but obviously twitter does this to people.

[Magic]

Just called GNev a cunt.

[phonics]

Roma have scored a second own goal. This time an attempted clearance has bounced off the post back off the Roma defender and in.

[Gray Fox]

City will get 3 themselves if the game continues this way. Not the right way to start the half at all.

[phonics]

Barca have finally scored a goal of their own to kill that tie. If City don't get a goal or two within half an hour there's not much point in tuning in to any of them next week.

[phonics]

Sane has been the real letdown of this game. City's entire game has gone through him and he's been poor every time.

[Lewis]

These are the sort of arguments I used to have with Tottenham fans in my class in year 9. We'd grown out of it by about 16, but obviously twitter does this to people.

Did you ever debate the relative merits of Ken Bates and Alan Sugar like you would be doing now?

[John]

I'd forgotten Jesus was on the park. He's been utterly absent.

[Ian]

As much as it's like choosing which of your kneecaps to be prised off ultimately Pep getting turned over will always win.

[SvN]

City have been a carbon copy of LvG's United. All sideways passing while creating fuck all chances.

[Boydy]

Don't bring on fucking Moreno for fuck's sake. He's guaranteed to throw away a goal.

[Magic]

City have been a carbon copy of LvG's United. All sideways passing while creating fuck all chances.

:cab:

[John]

David Silva has had an absolutely stinking night, and I don't think Sane has had possession without giving it away one time all night.

'Pep' got it wrong tactically, but when half your team has individual nightmares the way they have tonight you'll always struggle. I reckon they'll blow Liverpool away next week.

[Gray Fox]

Citys entire game was to go down the left and expect Trent to have a bad game.

He just so happened to have his best game in a Liverpool shirt.

[Baz]

I reckon they'll blow Liverpool away next week.:harold:

[niko_cee]

MotM performance from Alexander-Arnold.

City were absolute bilge.

[Mike]

Easy that. Early goal next week and we’re golden.

[Lewis]

MASSIVE that. Unless Liverpool have an absolute MELTDOWN they should be alright.

[niko_cee]

Just get the horse placentas on Firmino and Salah for the next 5 days and everything will be fine.

[Gray Fox]

We score next week and City need 5. Just have to hope Salah and Firmino are fit.

[niko_cee]

Ben and Mike on the BBC live text have made my night.


Ben:I think we should be mindful about what happened to Man City on the way into the ground. No wonder they aren’t in their grove. It’s disgusting what’s happened

Mike: Wonder how much the events before the game affected City's first half performance? You could stop this by calling the game off and playing it at a neutral venue.

Like the Etihad?

:harold:

[Kikó]

Acceptable result.

[Spoonsky]

That was brilliant. Feels like a completely different defence since van Dijk arrived, never imagined we’d get a clean sheet here.

[Dark Soldier]

Jammy Scouse cunts.

[Boydy]

That was brilliant. Feels like a completely different defence since van Dijk arrived, never imagined we’d get a clean sheet here.

Given how the second half started, I'm still amazed they kept the clean sheet.

[Gray Fox]

At half time I'd have put money on any other score than 3-0.

[Magic]

:moop:

[Guybrush]

At half time I'd have put money on any other score than 3-0.

Yep. And that's the kind of thing people say is beyond Klopp.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Did you ever debate the relative merits of Ken Bates and Alan Sugar like you would be doing now?

True, back then it was more innocent debates like Taricco v Melchiot.

Anything off the field would have been filed under 'finances' and never spoken of again.

[Magic]

True, back then it was more innocent debates like Taricco v Melchiot.

Anything off the field would have been filed under 'finances' and never spoken of again.

Unless you're a Leeds fan then since 2003 it's all you ever speak of.

[Spoonsky]

Liverpool aside, it's almost a shame in the fact that I'd have liked to see City up against a Madrid or Barcelona. I think they'd do better than against Liverpool, at least at Anfield.

[-james-]

Liverpool were definitely the worst side City could've drawn. Likewise Liverpool need to draw Bayern in the semis, who they will absolutely do over.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Speaking of football twitter, the power dynamics involved in Neil Custis calling James Richardson arrogant, and James Richardson then retweeting it, are absolutely sensational. I get very annoyed by both of them for different reasons but it feels like a watershed moment in the battle for cultural turf between the match going, working class old timers and the sofa-bound, middle class intelligentsia.

[Lewis]

My thinking was that anybody who doesn't defend like total mongs could (and hopefully will) see Liverpool off in a semi-final, but those same teams might end up playing to City's strengths in a crabbing it about contest.

[Lewis]

By the way Spoon, is that yodelling Walmart kid you?

[Boydy]

:D

ahhh

[Max Power]

CSKA Moscow still fielding Ignasevich and the Berezutsky twins in defence is oddly comforting. Imagine they’ll be there for decades to come.

[phonics]

The CSKA defence have a total age of 108. We've put Cech in. I've gone hard on CSKA 2-1.

[phonics]

Don't worry about it lads. Ramsey has >18 months on his contract and refuses to sign another under Wenger. You won't have to worry about Arsenal having much about them for long.

[Bob Sacamano]

Holy shit, CSKA still have the berezutski twins and ignashevic at back

[Magic]

:harold:

[phonics]

Told you.

[Waffdon]

CSKA Moscow still fielding Ignasevich and the Berezutsky twins in defence is oddly comforting. Imagine they’ll be there for decades to come.

Them and Akinfeev all started in the same game 12 years ago :D

[phonics]

Them and Akinfeev all started in the same game 12 years ago :D

For context, Arsenal played Jens Lehmann, Gilberto Silva, Alexandr Hleb and Justin Hoyte that night.

Not in defence I should add.

[Magic]

The CSKA defence have a total age of 108. We've put Cech in. I've gone hard on CSKA 2-1.

:harold:

Is it easy to keep making such a fool of yourself?

[phonics]

:harold:

Is it easy to keep making such a fool of yourself?

Am I that far off outside of overrating our incompetence in front of goal?

[Magic]

Shockingfayev is a garbage keeper. How was he so hought rated on FM? Woeful.

[phonics]

FUCK ME. THAT IS A FUCKING BEAUT.

lol

[-james-]

There was five goals in that first half, but the referee has blown for half time on 45:00.

How is that anything other than gross incompetence? What else is the fourth official doing?

[Weaver]

Shockingfayev is a garbage keeper. How was he so hought rated on FM? Woeful.

I don’t think I’d ever seen him play until the 2014 World Cup, so I was looking forward to a MONSTER performance from him...

And it was the game against Korea when he let the ball through his hands, basically knocking Russia out in the process.

So much of my teens wasted :(

[SvN]

There was five goals in that first half, but the referee has blown for half time on 45:00.

How is that anything other than gross incompetence? What else is the fourth official doing?

Over 5.5?

[phonics]

I don’t think I’d ever seen him play until the 2014 World Cup, so I was looking forward to a MONSTER performance from him...

And it was the game against Korea when he let the ball through his hands, basically knocking Russia out in the process.

So much of my teens wasted :(

Wasn't it something like a decade without a clean sheet in Europe even prior to this?

[Ian]

That Ramsay goal was pretty tidy.

[Lewis]

Arsene Wenger. :cool:

[phonics]

Arsene Wenger. :cool:

If this all ends up in a final with Diego Costa getting MINDGAMED like the FA Cup and Wilshere scoring a winner he can have the job till he dies and then we can knock down Kikos flat and replace it with a Mausoleum for the big man.

[Lewis]

Winning this should actually save his job. He doesn't need another contract, but it gives them a year to actually recruit properly rather than just taking whoever is available.

[phonics]

Winning this should actually save his job. He doesn't need another contract, but it gives them a year to actually recruit properly rather than just taking whoever is available.

Hard disagree. What he's gained in tactical adaptiveness in the last few years he's fallen apart on buying players. I was 100% behind him right up until the year we bought Cech and no-one else. We've been close so many times but those times we had excuses whether it was injury/ego/lack of squad, the one time I felt we weren't financially limited he bottled it.

[Lewis]

I meant recruiting his replacement. The league is off limits for the foreseeable, so just finish fifth and bank the Champions' League money for the next manager.

[phonics]

I meant recruiting his replacement. The league is off limits for the foreseeable, so just finish fifth and bank the Champions' League money for the next manager.

What are the great managers that are going to be available next year? For all of the hipster journalists moaning about Pardew, Allardyce, Pulis and Moyes getting a job the only one's available that they rate are Tuchel, Conte, Sari and Enrique.

A list that involves 2 managers involved in the second division until recently and a Barcelona binman.

edit: Would take Conte. Just for the lols and his absolute pettiness at making sure we never lost to Chelsea ever again.

[Lewis]

Somebody out of work this summer (Unai Emery, hair transplant, whoever) might want a trendy sabbatical.

[John]

What does being involved in the second division have to do with it? If they're good they're good. Wenger himself came from Japan.

[Magic]

Lazio will win it.

[phonics]

What does being involved in the second division have to do with it? If they're good they're good. Wenger himself came from Japan.

Name a change of a manager that'd been there for >10 years that has resulted in an upturn in fortunes for the team. I'm 99% sure it'll go completely tits up, I'd rather it went tits up on someone I trusted. None of the current options, I do.

Allegri's the closest I can think of but he was considered a joke at Milan which we're far more comparable to then a Juventus.

[John]

Name a change of a manager that'd been there for >10 years that has resulted in an upturn in fortunes for the team. I'm 99% sure it'll go completely tits up, I'd rather it went tits up on someone I trusted. None of the current options, I do.

Allegri's the closest I can think of but he was considered a joke at Milan which we're far more comparable to then a Juventus.

Give me a list of recent managers who've stayed with a team for ten years and we'll see.

What's the solution then? Just keep Wenger forever?

[phonics]

He should have gone after the 2nd FA Cup. You had a squad set for real things then. Now you just have a mish mash of random shit and anyone taking over from him can't impose a philosophy on them because of that and can't set them up tactically because they're not good enough from midfield back to do that either.

Frankly I don't have a clue what you do outside of hope Wilshere, Ramsey and Reiss Nelson sign long term contracts and boot a good third of the squad to fit a way whoever you hire wants to play.

[Baz]

I hope Klopp’s still at Liverpool in ten years.

[-james-]

Over 5.5?

Surprisingly not, but it's definitely such situations that has made me aware of the phenomenon.

[Boydy]

What are the great managers that are going to be available next year? For all of the hipster journalists moaning about Pardew, Allardyce, Pulis and Moyes getting a job the only one's available that they rate are Tuchel, Conte, Sari and Enrique.

A list that involves 2 managers involved in the second division until recently and a Barcelona binman.

edit: Would take Conte. Just for the lols and his absolute pettiness at making sure we never lost to Chelsea ever again.

Rodgers.

[SvN]

Surprisingly not, but it's definitely such situations that has made me aware of the phenomenon.

Not sure if it's still the case, but referees in Germany used to be ridiculously stingy with injury time. There was usually easy money to be made by lumping on at something like 1.05 when it was 89 minutes because a lot of the time, the ref would blow bang on 90.

[Adramelch]

It is worth mentioning that goals are not explicitly included in the FIFA rules regarding injury time:


An allowance is made in either period for the time lost through:

substitutions
the assessment of players' injuries
the removal of injured players from the field of play for treatment
time-wasting
when the play is stopped for different reasons (e.g. critical weather conditions, goalpost broken, floodlights failure)

[SvN]

Interesting. I remember when we beat City with Owen's 97th minute goal, the media seemed to all agree that it was meant to be 30 seconds extra per goal.

[-james-]

I was wondering if that was the case. 30 seconds per goal is all I've ever heard cited as well, is that just nonsense?

[phonics]

https://i.imgur.com/mw94oSF.gif

:drool:

[Adramelch]

Interesting. I remember when we beat City with Owen's 97th minute goal, the media seemed to all agree that it was meant to be 30 seconds extra per goal.


I was wondering if that was the case. 30 seconds per goal is all I've ever heard cited as well, is that just nonsense?

The only similar thing I've heard is 30 seconds per substitution.

[SincereTheRebel]

Some one touch giroudesque finish. Whats with Liverpool and Arsenal, both taking their foot off their opponents necks in the second half of European games.

[SvN]

Hate to link to the Daily Mail, but it's the first article I found.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1215132/GRAHAM-POLL-Well-ref-timed-Manchester-derby-just-right--United-showed-City-play-whistle.html


Referees tend to follow guidelines, which are that for every goal or substitution you should allow 30 seconds

Graham Poll reckons 30 seconds per goal is right.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I was wondering if that was the case. 30 seconds per goal is all I've ever heard cited as well, is that just nonsense?

30 seconds per sub. I don't think there's ever been time off for goals.

EDIT: above contradicts that but in 20 years watching football I've always thought no time off for goals (which is why refs hurry the celebrators back to their own half).

[Bob Sacamano]

https://streamable.com/qu7iq

Glorious.

[Giggles]

The shapes the ref pulled giving the second penalty. What a wanker.

[Lewis]

I was going to post the same. The highlight of the clip.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Wolves manager is a legend, I've thought so all season. Got a proper mood swing up his sleeve.

[Kikó]

The new mourinho including all the throwbacks to Mendes.

[SincereTheRebel]

Cavaleiro needs to be fined for that second penalty challenge. No idea what he was thinking. Ive never lost my voice during a game ive watched on TV before until last night