[FOOTBALL] Weekend Football 25-28 September (Samadini Special - Newcastle vs Chelsea)

[P_3]

Our game of the week is Newcastle vs Chelsea. Will Chelsea trounce the Toon Army or will the wally with the brolly mastermind a magnificent victory and put pressure on the Special One? Betting closes at 17:30 on Saturday. Betting odds taken from bet365. Good luck.

15:00 kick-off time unless stated otherwise.

Friday 25th
Championship:
Fulham v QPR - Sky Sports 1, 19:45

Spanish La Liga:
Valencia v Granada CF - Sky Sports 5, 19:30

German Bundesliga:
1. FC Köln v FC Ingolstadt 04 - BT Sport Europe, 19:30

French Ligue 1:
Reims v Lille - BT Sport 2, 19:30

Saturday 26th
Premier League:
Tottenham v Man City - BT Sport 1, 12:45
Leicester v Arsenal
Liverpool v Aston Villa
Man Utd v Sunderland
Southampton v Swansea
Stoke v Bournemouth
West Ham v Norwich
Newcastle v Chelsea - Sky Sports 1, 17:30

Championship:
MK Dons v Derby - Sky Sports 1, 12:30
Birmingham v Rotherham
Bolton v Brighton
Brentford v Sheff Wed
Burnley v Reading
Cardiff v Charlton
Hull v Blackburn
Ipswich v Bristol City
Preston v Wolves

Scottish Premiership:
Celtic v Hearts
Dundee v Ross County
Inverness CT v Aberdeen
Kilmarnock v Hamilton
Motherwell v Partick Thistle
St Johnstone v Dundee Utd

Spanish La Liga:
Barcelona v Las Palmas
Real Madrid v Málaga - Sky Sports 2, 17:15
Sevilla v Rayo Vallecano - Sky Sports Red Button, 19:30
Villarreal v Atl Madrid - Sky Sports 2, 19:30
Eibar v Celta de Vigo - Sky Sports Red Button, 21:05

German Bundesliga:
1. FSV Mainz 05 v Bayern Mun - 14:30
FC Augsburg v TSG 1899 Hoffenheim - 14:30
SV Werder Bremen v Bayer Levkn - 14:30
VfB Stuttgart v Borussia Mönchengladbach - 14:30
VfL Wolfsburg v Hannover 96 - 14:30
Hamburger SV v Schalke - BT Sport Europe, 17:30

Italian Serie A:
Roma v Carpi - BT Sport 2, 17:00
Napoli v Juventus - BT Sport Europe, 19:45

French Ligue 1:
Nantes v Paris St G - 16:30
Bastia v Toulouse - 19:00
Bordeaux v Lyon - BT Sport 2, 19:00
Caen v GFC Ajaccio - 19:00
Rennes v Troyes - 19:00

Dutch Eredivisie:
FC Utrecht v SC Cambuur Leeuwarden - 17:30
sc Heerenveen v Vitesse - 17:30
Ajax v FC Groningen - Sky Sports 5, 18:45
AZ Alkmaar v Heracles Almelo - 19:45
PSV v N.E.C. - Sky Sports Red Button, 19:45

Sunday 27th
Premier League:
Watford v Crystal Palace - Sky Sports 1, 16:00

Championship:
Middlesbrough v Leeds - Sky Sports 1, 13:15

Spanish La Liga:
Sporting de Gijón v Real Betis - Sky Sports 5, 11:00
Deportivo de La Coruña v Espanyol - Sky Sports 2
Getafe v Levante - Sky Sports 5, 17:15
Real Sociedad v Ath Bilbao - Sky Sports 1, 19:30

German Bundesliga:
Eintracht Frankfurt v Hertha BSC - BT Sport Europe, 14:30
Bor Dortmd v SV Darmstadt 98 - BT Sport Europe, 16:30

Italian Serie A:
Genoa v Milan - BT Sport Europe, 11:30
Bologna v Udinese - 14:00
Sassuolo v Chievo - 14:00
Torino v Palermo - 14:00
Verona v Lazio - BT Sport 1, 14:00
Inter Milan v Fiorentina - BT Sport Europe, 19:45

French Ligue 1:
Marseille v Angers - BT Sport Extra 2, 13:00
Guingamp v Monaco - BT Sport 1, 16:00
Montpellier v Lorient - 16:00
St Etienne v Nice - BT Sport 2, 20:00

Dutch Eredivisie:
De Graafschap v Willem II - 11:30
ADO Den Haag v Excelsior - 13:30
Feyenoord v PEC Zwolle - 13:30
FC Twente v Roda JC Kerkrade - 15:45

Monday 28th
Premier League:
West Brom v Everton - Sky Sports 1, 20:00

Italian Serie A:
Frosinone v Empoli - BT Sport Europe, 18:00
Atalanta v Sampdoria - BT Sport Europe, 20:00

[Jeet]

Now, speaking at a news conference at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground on Friday afternoon, Mourinho has once again aimed a thinly-veiled dig at his Arsenal counterpart.

Mourinho said: “I think in this country, only one manager is not under pressure. Steve [McClaren] is under pressure, I am under pressure, Brendan [Rodgers], [Manuel] Pellegrini.

“We cannot lose matches, we have to reach expectations, we have to meet our objectives, so I have sympathy for all of them and I believe they have sympathy for me.

“These is one that for some reason is outside that list, but good for him and of course I have sympathy for Steve.

“He can speak about referees before the game, can speak about referees after the game, can push people in the technical area, can cry in the morning, can cry in the afternoon when nothing happens, can be not achieving, can keep the job, still the king, it is a privilege.”

[Davgooner]

I'm not sure why this seethe is becoming so prolonged.

[Benny]

Starting to sound a bit mental.

[Josh]

I would be happy with a point at home to Palace and think that is what we will get. I'll be there with my Palace supporting brother so hoping for a few goals.

In other news 'Lawro' is still doing a fine job backing Watford.

[Benny]

Merson is particularly bad at that, the wino.

[Nick]

Our FA Cup campaign starts tomorrow with a tough home tie versus Sutton United. We know a few of their fans so it should be pretty good. Meeting in the pub at lunchtime which is always a bonus.

[Shindig]

No square pegs, Steve.

[Samadini]

Remy is going to run riot in a 3-3 draw.

[Shindig]

I bought him back on PES. He is the wind beneath Papiss' wings.

[Andy]

Newcastle are going to get turned over.

[Giggles]

Is this going to turn into a gambling forum?

[Jimmy Floyd]

'Fantasy Football' or whatever is currently on Sky and the studio guest is Dave 'Harry' Bassett. It's a fucking glorious throwback to the days before, well, before Sky really. He's naming his all time team of players he managed.

He's just said, of Andy Thorn, 'I'm not saying he was as good as Baresi, but...'

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's named a midfield pair of Dennis Wise and Vinnie Jones. Reckon they would shit on Barcelona circa 2009. Wouldn't be up for it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

On a less cheery note, is Lee Clark a known alcoholic? He looks close to death on Sky now.

[Samadini]

Being shit at what you do, for as long as he did it, and earning as much money as I'm sure he did, can only lead that way.

[Max Power]

Dougie Freedman is a nailed on alcoholic. Always looking rough in post match interviews, bloodshot eyes and that

[Pleb]

Ian Holloway looks a bit off doesn't he?

[Pleb]

So apparently QPR still can't really defend.

Nothing new there then.

[Lee]

On a less cheery note, is Lee Clark a known alcoholic? He looks close to death on Sky now.

My uncle played for Birmingham and does regular hospitality stuff there. According to him Clark's alcoholism was an open secret while he was managing there.

[Ian]

I assume this isn't the first time your uncle being an ex-Brum player has come up?

'Fantasy Football' or whatever is currently on Sky and the studio guest is Dave 'Harry' Bassett. It's a fucking glorious throwback to the days before, well, before Sky really. He's naming his all time team of players he managed.

He's just said, of Andy Thorn, 'I'm not saying he was as good as Baresi, but...'

I remember him one deadline day describing some signing or another as "a potential to be a potential." Legend.

We really ought to be dicking Sunderland so we'll probably be relying on Marsh to snatch a late equaliser in a game where we've had 96% of posession.

[phonics]

My next door neighbours Dad played for Huddersfield. Delroy Facey of lower league match fixing fame was his Nephew.

[Lee]

I doubt it, @Ian. Ask Lewis, he'll know.

[ScousePig]

No square pegs, Steve.

Seems inevitable in our given situations.

This is the kind of game we'll win, or get absolutely mullered.

[Spoonsky]

Props to P_3, that is a magnificent opening post.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I have a full Saturday available for shit football tomorrow. MK Dons v Derby seems a good one. Might even get off the golf course in time for Getafe v Levante on Sunday, which is the dream.

[P_3]

I've probably fucked up the bets. Apologies if the vast majority of you lose because there was no option for Newcastle to win by four or more goals. Sorry.

[Max Power]

Really, really fancy us to beat The Arsenal tomorrow. Have rarely been this confident in this club, it's actaully quite worrying being so content, so maybe the bubble will burst this weekend. Get brought back down to earth by Mathieu Flamini and co.

[Davgooner]

Let us have the points or we'll do in your advertising hoardings.

No Coquelin so it's looking suspect as there's no chance he'll play both Arteta and Flamini again. It's probably a day to stick pace up front and see if you fancy having a proper go.

[Max Power]

Vardy against Mertesacker has potential but I think it'll be quite cagey if we don't score very early.

[Lewis]

I'm sure Football365 put together a 'Lawro' prediction table years ago (probably 2008/09) where Liverpool won all thirty-eight of their games.

[Panda Bear]

I still don't get Mourinho's obsession with Wenger.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They're yin and yang really aren't they. The arch-pragmatist and the arch-idealist, probably as people as much as on the football pitch. They clearly annoy each other a lot.

[Lewis]

What an amazing picture that is.

[Weaver]

Caballero; Sagna, Otamendi, Demichelis, Kolarov; Fernando, Fernandinho; Sterling, Touré, de Bruyne; Aguero.
Hart, Kompany, Zabaleta, Roberts, Navas, Nasri, Barker.

Lloris; Walker, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Davies; Dier, Alli; Son, Eriksen, Lamela; Kane.
Vorm, Rose, Trippier, N'Jie, Townsend, Carroll, Chadli.

[Giggles]

Tottenham: Lloris, Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Alli, Dier, Eriksen, Son, Lamela, Kane

Subs: Vorm, Rose, Trippier, Carroll, Chadli, Townsend, Clinton

[Samadini]

Often forget Bony exists.

What a signing he's been

[phonics]

Lloris forgetting where his goal is there.

[Offshore Toon]

This is the easiest three points of the season for us so if we don't get it I'll be very upset.

[Giggles]

Kane the greedy cunt.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This is the easiest three points of the season for us so if we don't get it I'll be very upset.

Yep, what nobody in the media / outside the two clubs understands is that Newcastle are heavy favourites for this. Usually the worse they are playing, the more they beat us by up there.

[Trancemeister]

Blatant offside. How could the linesman miss that.

[Giggles]

Blatant offside. How could the linesman miss that.

As easily as the opening goal was.

[Multi]

The second one was a much bigger miss. All the city players were in a perfect line on the edge of the box and the linesman was in line with Walker who was 1 m offside. With the visual references he shouldn't be missing that.

As a neutral I'm not mad though, better for the match.

[Offshore Toon]

As someone with Sagna in his team and Dier on the bench I'm raging.

[Yevrah]

Tony Cottee looks like he's rocked up to the Sky Sports studio on the back of a seriously heavy night out.

[phonics]

As someone with Sagna in his team and Dier on the bench I'm raging.

Came in to laugh at you. Checked my fantasy team first, he's on the bench

[Giggles]

Even if (when) City come back to win this, there's enough positives to be taken from that hours performance than previously in the season. These are going to be the champions after all, so couldn't ask much more than that.

[phonics]

Flamini, Cazorla central midfield. We're going to get absolutely run over. 2-1 Leicester.

[Giggles]

Third offside goal