(UEFA) Football Thread - Football not Soccer

Discussion in 'Sports and Fitness' started by Jax, Apr 1, 2008.

  1. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    Does Ferguson complain about the referees every time his club loses a game? I don't follow English football that closely, but it seems like every time I do check up on what's going on there's another whiny tirade by him in the news.
     
  2. HappyDayRiot

    HappyDayRiot Commodore Commodore

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    ^ The last few seasons he's been terrible about doing that, yes.

    Ryan Giggs has just been named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, getting more public votes than people such as Jenson Button, David Haye and some people associated with athletics who I know nothing about. Hurray for Ryan!
     
  3. StolenThunder

    StolenThunder Poster Premium Member

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    Yes.
     
  4. dragunzng

    dragunzng Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    At half time during the Arsenal v Liverpool match I turned off and went to bed, I'm usually "mr. positive", but I just couldn't see how we were going to win it.

    Fifteen later my Manc mate calls be and all he says is "Arshavin did it again".
     
  5. HappyDayRiot

    HappyDayRiot Commodore Commodore

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    Apparently Wenger had a good old shout at his team at half time. It sure worked - different team in the second half. Unfortunately for Gerrard and co, Liverpool remained the same team. They offered nothing at all in the second half. Arsenal did what they had to and took the best possible advantage of the previous day's results.
     
  6. Jax

    Jax Admiral Admiral

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    Wolves are under fire for fielding a weaken team but like people say "its a marathon and not a sprint" and with a busy X Mas period and his next game is Burnley I see nothing wrong with what he did...mainly because I had rooney as captain of my premier league fantasy team and got double points for him scoring and Evra got bonus for clean sheet :techman:
     
  7. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    I think what Wolverhampton did was not very sporting, but probably pragmatic considering what's at stake for them. It's just strange because it's usually the other way round and teams like Manchester play with their B-team against clubs like Wolverhampton thinking they'll win anyway...
     
  8. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    Pragmatic or downright disrespectful? Should the Wolves fans who travelled get their money back? I thought there were Premier League rules about fielding a weakened side? Made all the moer annoying by the fact that Man Utd can be beaten at Old Trafford, but to not even try...All I can say is, if I was a Wolves fan I'd be extremely annoyed if we didn't beat Burnley at the weekend.

    So not long till the potential 2018 stadiums are announced...

    Oh, and how much of a joke team are Notts county in danger of becoming now Backe's left them? More or less than QPR?
     
  9. Jax

    Jax Admiral Admiral

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    Wolves should repay the ticket prices or at left half money back etc. PL should cancel the boxing day matches we should have a break for the lst 2 weeks of December and return on New Year Day.
     
  10. HappyDayRiot

    HappyDayRiot Commodore Commodore

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    The rule (from the PL rules I assume): Section E, rule 20 says: "In every league match each participating club shall field a full strength team."

    I see why McCarthy did it, but he's hinging a lot on beating Burnley. If they don't... BBC is reporting the league have written to Wolves asking for an explanation of the team selection, so punishment may yet follow. Refunds to fans, or something along those lines, should be enforced in my opinion. Wolves to Manchester and back on a Tuesday night? That's a lot of money and dedication to see your manager give up as soon as the bus pulls up at the ground.

    The other thing I see against it is that on Saturday Wolves' usual team earned an excellent win at Spurs. Surely those players would be perfect to put against United - high on confidence, and United aren't exactly playing well are they? Sure, no one likes going to Old Trafford after United lose there, but why adopt such a completely defeatist attitude?

    The more I think of it, my judgment is coloured by my dislike of McCarthy generally. I kinda hope they do lose to Burnley now. Burnley, by the way, will play at full strength against Arsenal tonight, without a doubt.

    2. Winter break? I'm all in favour and have been for years. The Christmas period is expensive enough as it is without 3-4 games to shell out for. Only the biggest teams are fully prepared for so many games by this stage of the season. I'd happily forego matches between the middle of December and New Year's Day.

    3. Notts County are a total farce. QPR take some beating on that front - let's be fair, they make Newcastle look good. They'll need a new manager in the coming weeks as it's very unlikely Magilton will return. So no, Starkers, Notts County aren't, and will never be, that bad! I find them both hilarious though.
     
  11. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    See I could understand some tinkering, and playing Sunday then Tuesday can be sapping, but basically he changed the entire team apart from the goalkeeper! I doubt anyone would have complained if he'd dropped 2 or 3 players but like you say, a manager who's given up before a balls been kicked, in fact forget the bus getting to Old Trafford, you can argue McCarthy had given up before the players got on the bus in Wolverhampton. Shows how out of sorts United are that they only got 3!

    I'm kinda ambivilant about a winter break. I think it's a good idea if only because so many games are cancelled anyway (but then again most of the games cancelled last year were late Jan/early Feb if I recall correctly)

    QPR/Notts County? Both clubs where supposed big investment was going to catapault them to greatness yet neither seems on the cusp as yet. QPR are a joke, and I bet MAgilton wouldn't have been suspended if they were still going through a purple patch, that said, County. to sign a player of Campbell's calibre, then have him walk out after one game? To get Sven's former assistant in as manager only to have him walk after 7 weeks? Never mind the club being sold again mere months after being bought in the summer...I don't know, I see QPR and Notts County about equal.

    Lots of Derby fans complain about the lack of investment from our American owners but frankly we're on such a stable footing compared to some other teams its untrue!
     
  12. HappyDayRiot

    HappyDayRiot Commodore Commodore

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    Cancelled games? Not that many - in Scotland sure, especially from Division 1 down - that usually starts with the first brown leaves of autumn though :D But I don't even recall many games at Conference level getting called off, let alone the Football League. I do fainly remember a period where there were a few frozen pitches - Portsmouth was one of them, Cardiff and possibly Palace as well - but it's pretty rare for any games to get postponed in the Premiership or Football League.

    I'm open to correction on that obviously.
     
  13. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    Well Cardiff Vs. Derby for one was postponed!

    So, the grounds announced. I seriously cannot believe that Derby and Leicester, who have actual stadiums, have been shunted aside in place of Nottingham who A/ Don't actually have the stadium built yet and B/have a city anc county council at odds about whether the stadium can even be built!

    I'd have actually accepted Derby losing out to Leicester but losing to a ghost stadium is just terrible.

    Politricks or money, I wonder what swayed it?
     
  14. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    I like the winter break, it's usually around three months here. Obviously the climate in most parts of Britain is much milder than in Austria. But after the long autumn season, which starts in July with European Cup..., everyone's drained, emotionally and physically, not just the players but the fans too. It's nice to not have to worry about next week's game for a while.
     
  15. Iasius

    Iasius Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I like a (short) winter break.

    Hertha with more points in the EL than in the Bundesliga. :lol:
     
  16. Jax

    Jax Admiral Admiral

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    I don't see why Forest need a new Stadium because we aren't a stable PL club who we won't be able to fill a 40,000-50,000 stadium. To be honest I love the location of the City Ground because its not too far from the train station, across the river from County and being on the River is lovely especially in the summer where fans just lay outside on the bank together (both home n away).

    Derby or Leicster can have the World Cup stadium I want to keep City Ground and do up the main stand so its 35,000.
     
  17. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    I suspect the City council are thinking less about football, than about the prime real estate the City Ground is sitting on unfortunately.
     
  18. Jax

    Jax Admiral Admiral

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    Well feel free to knock down Meadow Lane then. In the away end they have awful positioning for the poles that keep the stand well standing...they can block your view for a few secs depending on where the play is on the pitch :lol:
     
  19. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    Ah the Baseball ground used to be like that. I think one game I was actually sitting behind a pillar! :lol:
     
  20. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    At least you don't have fences and nets and stuff between you and the pitch in Britain. ;)