All things Football (soccer) related

[terje439]

PFA PL Team of the Year

David de Gea (Manchester United) – Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), David Luiz (Chelsea), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur) – Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), N'Golo Kanté (Chelsea), Sadio Mane (Liverpool) – Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Romelu Lukaku (Everton)

[TulliusDetritus]

And Bayern were robbened and hummeliated [:D] On the wrong end of dodgy decisions, oh well.

Terje, did the Chelsea assassins manage to find Øvrebø? In what fjord he's been hiding?

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

And Bayern were robbened and hummeliated [:D] On the wrong end of dodgy decisions, oh well.

Terje, did the Chelsea assassins manage to find Øvrebø? In what fjord he's been hiding?

[:D]
Think he has learned that just looking like Collina does not make you as good as him [:D]

[Zorch]

This is for those of you who follow the game known as American Football.

There are 4, count'em, 4 games in London this season:

-- Sept. 24, Ravens vs. Jaguars at Wembley Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET)
-- Oct. 1, Saints vs. Dolphins at Wembley Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET)
-- Oct. 22, Cardinals vs. Rams at Twickenham Stadium (1 p.m. ET)
-- Oct. 29, Vikings vs. Browns at Twickenham Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET)

Times are USA Eastern time.

Hopefully the turf won't be too badly torn up by the uncouth colonial savages. [;)]

We now return you to your regular thread.

[warspite1]

Pure.Frontier.Gibberish.


[:D]

The games (or some of them) will hopefully be at the new White Hart Lane in a couple of years.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ga ... n-pictures

[VPaulus]

[:D]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sD_8prYOxo

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: VPaulus

[:D]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sD_8prYOxo

[:D][:D]

[shunwick]

Must win...
Must win...
Must win...
Must win...
Must win...
Must win...
Must win...
Must win...

Best wishes but only if you support Braintree Town FC,
Steve

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: shunwick

Must win...
Must win...
Must win...
Must win...
Must win...
Must win...
Must win...
Must win...

Best wishes but only if you support Braintree Town FC,
Steve

warspite1

I know that feeling..... If Torquay can't stay up I hope Braintree do.

How about Norwich last night? No shots on target and won 2-0. Never seen that before [X(]

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: Zorch

This is for those of you who follow the game known as American Football.

There are 4, count'em, 4 games in London this season:

-- Sept. 24, Ravens vs. Jaguars at Wembley Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET)
-- Oct. 1, Saints vs. Dolphins at Wembley Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET)
-- Oct. 22, Cardinals vs. Rams at Twickenham Stadium (1 p.m. ET)
-- Oct. 29, Vikings vs. Browns at Twickenham Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET)

Times are USA Eastern time.

Hopefully the turf won't be too badly torn up by the uncouth colonial savages. [;)]

We now return you to your regular thread.

Too bad I do not have vacation then, would have gone to the UK for that.
I am good at picking teams that will make you suffer as a fan though [:D]

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: terje439

ORIGINAL: Zorch

This is for those of you who follow the game known as American Football.

There are 4, count'em, 4 games in London this season:

-- Sept. 24, Ravens vs. Jaguars at Wembley Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET)
-- Oct. 1, Saints vs. Dolphins at Wembley Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET)
-- Oct. 22, Cardinals vs. Rams at Twickenham Stadium (1 p.m. ET)
-- Oct. 29, Vikings vs. Browns at Twickenham Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET)

Times are USA Eastern time.

Hopefully the turf won't be too badly torn up by the uncouth colonial savages. [;)]

We now return you to your regular thread.

Too bad I do not have vacation then, would have gone to the UK for that.
I am good at picking teams that will make you suffer as a fan though [:D]

It is unfortunate that the NFL keeps sending bad/average teams to London; while Mexico City gets the Patriots vs Raiders marquee match up. [&:]

[TulliusDetritus]

Zorch, what are exactly doing these four American football teams in London? They play, I assume, but what competition? Or is this just some sort of exhibition?

I never watched a full game of this sport.

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

Zorch, what are exactly doing these four American football teams in London? They play, I assume, but what competition? Or is this just some sort of exhibition?

I never watched a full game of this sport.

It is a regular season game for these teams. The NFL season consists of 16 games in a 17 week period. At the end of which, 12 of the 32 teams qualify for the playoffs that lead to the Super Bowl in February. Games are mostly on Sunday.

The teams that play in London get their bye week after playing in London, so that the travel doesn't disadvantage them.

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: Zorch

It is a regular season game for these teams. The NFL season consists of 16 games in a 17 week period.

I see. This nomadism sounds really weird but I guess they are trying to sell the sport abroad.

In football (soccer that is), your "home" or stadium is really important. In football mythology, supporters like to think they are sacred fortresses that the enemy horde or tribe should never storm [:D] It's your soul, your HQ.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Well good luck to Partick Thistle - but with regard to Tottenham, I think it is quite simple. We have to play Arsenal and Manchester United + a recovering Crystal Palace and not least, that perenial bogey team for us West Ham United.

So I think that even in the spectacularly unlikely event that Chelsea collapse (have you seen the dross they play in 5 of their last 6 games?) then we still wouldn't be able to bridge the gap.

I think a Europa League spot for us is secure though.......and maybe even scrape a Champions League place....possibly.

I can't actually get used to the idea that (a) it will take a momumental collapse for Spurs not to make the CL and (b) even then we will finish above Arsenal ... these things seem wrong.

warspite1

LOL. I understand. As humans we need our anchor points, our certainties, our rocks on which we can rely as life throws up its myriad variables on a daily basis. Arsenal finishing above us and in the top 4, while Spurs are well.... Spursy, are two of those anchors.

Mind you, as much as I may wish for a Chelsea collapse, I didn't want Chelsea to lose yesterday. Now all of a sudden we are favourites for the FA Cup semi-final! Harry Kane is apparently giving it the large about us beating them in the Semi-Final and this will lead to Chelsea mucking up their run-in....[:@]

Can we all just calm down please? Chelsea will beat us next week - and quite comfortably - as the Spursy team that took to the field in October and November will turn up at Wembley, and then Crystal Palace will take a point off us, Manchester United will beat us - as will West Ham and Arsenal - and we then have the usual nervy, will they-won't they get a Champions League spot end to the season.

#predictableandspursy

warspite1

....and so it starts.... [:(]

To be fair, I think Mauricio Pochettino needs to take this one on the chin. Tactically he played a stinker and that is not said with hindsight.

We have a successful team, a successful set-up, but in our biggest game for years, the manager decides to play Son as a wing back.....

No one in the papers or on TV seems to be pointing out that at 2-2 we had a definite penalty either or that, once again, the referee (remember 2012?) seems to be - shall we say - not exactly Spurs friendly. How many fouls did Alonso get away with before he was finally booked? But these gripes about the referee are nothing compared to the self-inflicted wound of team selection....

So Chelsea will beat Southampton on Tuesday - gap back to 7 - and then at best we will draw with Palace (although after that, I revise my prediction to a probable Tottenham defeat instead).

Europa League here we come and player exodus begins in the early summer.

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

ORIGINAL: Zorch

It is a regular season game for these teams. The NFL season consists of 16 games in a 17 week period.

I see. This nomadism sounds really weird but I guess they are trying to sell the sport abroad.

In football (soccer that is), your "home" or stadium is really important. In football mythology, supporters like to think they are sacred fortresses that the enemy horde or tribe should never storm [:D] It's your soul, your HQ.

Not so in America, where home advantage seems less important. American teams move from city to city in search of better $$$.

The NFL would like to have a franchise in London. That would mean 8 home games, plus pre-season and possible playoffs.
Are there any good nicknames not already taken? 'The London Bridges' of the NFL?

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: warspite1


...

....and so it starts.... [:(]

To be fair, I think Mauricio Pochettino needs to take this one on the chin. Tactically he played a stinker and that is not said with hindsight.

We have a successful team, a successful set-up, but in our biggest game for years, the manager decides to play Son as a wing back.....

No one in the papers or on TV seems to be pointing out that at 2-2 we had a definite penalty either or that, once again, the referee (remember 2012?) seems to be - shall we say - not exactly Spurs friendly. How many fouls did Alonso get away with before he was finally booked? But these gripes about the referee are nothing compared to the self-inflicted wound of team selection....

So Chelsea will beat Southampton on Tuesday - gap back to 7 - and then at best we will draw with Palace (although after that, I revise my prediction to a probable Tottenham defeat instead).

Europa League here we come and player exodus begins in the early summer.

Think you are being a bit depressed (ok these things are easier to cope with living in Glasgow where it was 'just a match'). You are right about Son, bad decision, even if Walker needed a break that was not the game to do it in. Lloris was unusually poor - for three of their goals you could fault him and that is unusual when you think of the number of times he has saved Spurs. The ref was far too accepting of Chelsea's model of tackling just short of a booking - and rotating this aroud the team. One of them could have easily walked for persistent fouling with a different referee. For me, not sure that Dele was actually fouled in the penalty area - it looked like a very well timed interception.

In favour - well 2 Spurs goals that speak volumes as to the ability to create and innovate on the pitch. The sort of thing that can unlock almost any defense. Also that the mid-hour of the game Spurs controlled and put them under the sort of pressure that very few teams will be able to cope with. Unfortunately yesterday Chelsea did.


The thing I'd take from yesterday is our normal 12-14 players are very good, especially as a team but below that there are gaps - some of it maybe down to potential but Spurs can't afford the sort of wages to attract notionally top players to act as a reserve. So we need to manage it and mostly this season have done so. One other good thing yesterday was there was no repeat of the loss of discipline that happened last season when a key game slipped away?

As to the rest of the season, Palace and West Ham away are horrible games to face. One needs the pts, the other really do not like Spurs. But neither could cope with the intensity of football that Spurs produced yesterday. As to the home games, well Mourinho I guess will come for a 0-0 with no subtlety - so can Spurs poke that open? The Arsenal game, god knows. They maybe demoralised or so fired up that we don't cope - I'd have that one down as a clear win (just no idea who gets the win).

So out of the six games, I can't see Spurs getting less than 8 pts - in other words at least 3rd given our goal difference. Its not impossible they win them all or 4 wins and 2 draws - in either case probably not enough. But I can't manage despondency to be honest.

[warspite1]

Hope truly is a killer. Yes I am a little down to say the least. In the semi-final of 1993 it was one of those games where one goal would settle it - sadly it fell to Arsenal. In 1995 we were pathetic and absolutely steam rollered by an Everton centre forward that we couldn't live with (although everyone else could it seems).

In 1999 we were just desperately unlucky. Very strange in a football match to have two identical incidents either end of the pitch - and I mean identical. Our penalty was refused but Newcastle's was given for exactly the same handball. In 2001 we were totally outclassed by an Arsenal side that had totally left us behind in football terms.

In 2010 we managed to lose to Portsmouth. Yes. Portsmouth. I cannot even begin to explain that nonsense. In 2012 we were probably going to lose anyway but Martin Atkinson (sound familiar) decided that yes, he could see through people and gave a goal that never was. In refereeing its simple - you cannot give what you don't see i.e. you can't guess. Well either Atkinson guessed or he has super powers to see through matter. Great.

Then came yesterday and a game that really we could have won (should have won on possession) but managed as is the Spursey way, to lose it.

As shown in the six previous losses, football is a funny game and you don't have to be the best to win always. But the thing that really worries me in all this was Pochettino's tactical incompetence. If he was really thinking of this option then why not try it out beforehand?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/201 ... ope-kills/

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

ORIGINAL: Orm
Mourinho 2 - 0 Conte

More like

Mourinho 5th place - Top of the league Conte

He better wins the UEFA Europa League (= Champions League via a service door).

warspite1

So Mourinho's first season in England saw two trophies, including Chelsea's first League Championship for 50 years.

Guardiola takes over at Manchester City and ........

This football lark is not as easy as some would believe. Guardiola failed at Bayern and his start at Manchester City has not exactly been stellar.

Interestingly, despite you saying that he needs to win the Europa League for a Champions League spot, Mourinho's United are now just one point behind City...

Interesting battle for the three remaining Champions League spots:

2. Spursey 32 - 71 [8|]
3. Liverpool 34* - 66
4. Man City 32 - 64
5. Man Utd 32 - 63
7. Arsenal 31 - 57

We'll ignore Everton in 6th as they have played 34 games for their 58 points. * If Liverpool don't beat Palace at home today - their 34th game - they could be overhauled by City, United and Arsenal.

EDIT: My word - Liverpool not only didn't beat Palace, they lost to them. Shocker!

[TulliusDetritus]

Warspite
Guardiola failed at Bayern and his start at Manchester City has not exactly been stellar.

But you never mentioned that Mourinho also failed because he did not win the Champions League with a football giant: Real Madrid. He missed the 3 chances he had. And he REALLY was supposed to win it...

Weird omission.

Besides, let's not resurrect this argument... again. Well, if others want to add something... [:D]