The Football Thread.

guitars4you

Barnezy said:

scrumhalf said:

Son was targeted by Liverpool (Fabinho tried to decapitate him) and now Woolwich have had a go. If Romero had been playing he might have looked to get a bit of retribution but we'll just settle for the three points.

And Arteta's infantile display in interviews just heaps more sweetness into the mix. 

I don’t understand when I watch Liverpool, why Fabinho isn’t booked more often. He is constantly fouling, in very cynical and obvious ways. I can only think the refs are worried about impacting the top teams, as at the level currently being played, one red card could change a whole season. 

Another thing I’ve notice that Liverpool players tend to do, which I’m starting to wonder if it’s a tactic, is push players instead of tackling. Again the refs never seem to deem it a yellow card offence when someone is pushed, but it breaks up the play in the same way a cynical tackle would.  

I first noticed that a few years ago with Barcelona, with Messi and co - Pep certainly uses it - Part of the modern game for high pressing teams when you loose the ball and want to stop a counter attack - When you first loose the ball in the attacking area, before the opposition can fully break and take into account it is generally your attackers now having to defend, then just commit a small foul - No last minute desperate tackle required - Just a nudge to break it up - You watch the  MCFC front 3-6 - They have mastered it 

CMW335

TeleMaster said:

Went to the West Ham game tonight. I feel our conceded goals were soft. Things didn't go our way and we hit the woodwork a few times. Not the result we wanted but if we play as we normally do we can definitely score against them in Germany. COYI!

Rangers fan here buzzing but also very nervous for the Europa League Final wonder what you think of Frankfurt having played them over 2 legs? I was hoping for an all British final, would have been some occasion!

TTony

scrumhalf said:

The Cup Final used to be the last game of the domestic season, followed by the Home Internationals, but now it seems like just another game. The Cup Final is no longer the Cup Final. 

And it should kick off at 3pm.  Everyone knows that.

It's just another small way in which the history and tradition of the game has been overtaken by cash - there's far more ££ riding on who finishes where in the PL than on who wins the premier cup competition - so the final PL games become the climax of the season.

Barnezy

guitars4you said:

Barnezy said:

scrumhalf said:

Son was targeted by Liverpool (Fabinho tried to decapitate him) and now Woolwich have had a go. If Romero had been playing he might have looked to get a bit of retribution but we'll just settle for the three points.

And Arteta's infantile display in interviews just heaps more sweetness into the mix. 

I don’t understand when I watch Liverpool, why Fabinho isn’t booked more often. He is constantly fouling, in very cynical and obvious ways. I can only think the refs are worried about impacting the top teams, as at the level currently being played, one red card could change a whole season. 

Another thing I’ve notice that Liverpool players tend to do, which I’m starting to wonder if it’s a tactic, is push players instead of tackling. Again the refs never seem to deem it a yellow card offence when someone is pushed, but it breaks up the play in the same way a cynical tackle would.  

I first noticed that a few years ago with Barcelona, with Messi and co - Pep certainly uses it - Part of the modern game for high pressing teams when you loose the ball and want to stop a counter attack - When you first loose the ball in the attacking area, before the opposition can fully break and take into account it is generally your attackers now having to defend, then just commit a small foul - No last minute desperate tackle required - Just a nudge to break it up - You watch the  MCFC front 3-6 - They have mastered it 

I get breaking up the play, that’s what teams that play so high need to do, otherwise they are open to a counter. 

I’m talking about players using pushing, instead of a tackle. 

When they played Everton for example and would just push Gordon over, if he went past them, instead of going to ground and tackling him. Often they wouldn’t even give a foul and no one got a yellow, however in that situation a tackle would definitely risk both. 

I think the PL either don’t class pushing as a foul or confuse it with muscling a player off the ball. 

Watch them today and note how much they push instead of tackle. I’m sure it’s a tactic that they use to give away less fouls. 

bertie

why are chelsea in yellow ? 


also - did anyone watch the re-run/hilights of the 1970 replay ?   fuck me, how the hell did big Jack get away with that............and 90% of the other players TBH  -   Vikings was less violent

EricTheWeary

Yellow is a superstition thing that I didn’t quite catch. Not sure why they get to choose. 

usedtobe

I had t realised it was cup final day. Only seen it from 20 minutes in, when the wife turned the telly on.. They used to make a really big thing of it - was an all day thing.. the big build up - loved it all..
Dont they toss for who wears their home strip? Maybe blue and red look too similar in black and white, or some nonsense..? Hence yellow..
Should be the last game of the season like it used to be..

EricTheWeary

Third FA cup final ever to go to penalties apparently. That’s going to be the only memorable thing about this one. 

MagicPigDetective

I’m so glad. That Jurgen is a red. That was stressful to watch but total elation at the end with the Greek Scouser clinching it. 

scrumhalf

Bloody hell, that was a dull game.

If it's still 0-0 after 120 minutes the two finalists should be told to bugger off and the beaten semi-finalists should take penalties to decide which of them will win the cup.

That might make for a game less mind-numbingly dull than the one I just saw. 

Barnezy

Strange game. The finishing was terrible from both. 

I used to love the FA Cup when I was a kid. I wonder why it fell out of favour with the big clubs in recent years? Is it just too many games, for too little return? 

Good to see some decent clubs taking it seriously again and hopefully it’ll become a proper competition again. 

CHRISB50

I’m glad I watched 3 Men and a Little Lady instead

dano

Bit of a nail biter that one ! Kopp has done great things for us since 2015 

duotone

Barnezy said:

Strange game. The finishing was terrible from both. 

I used to love the FA Cup when I was a kid. I wonder why it fell out of favour with the big clubs in recent years? Is it just too many games, for too little return? 

Good to see some decent clubs taking it seriously again and hopefully it’ll become a proper competition again. 

I always watch FA Cup Finals, but today I actually didn’t realise it was the Final, until I saw a YouTuber I watch, have a watch-along listed on his timeline. 

Perhaps it is less advertised/promoted in recent years?

TTony

Barnezy said:

I used to love the FA Cup when I was a kid. I wonder why it fell out of favour with the big clubs in recent years? Is it just too many games, for too little return? . 

Call me a cynic, but prize money for winning the FA Cup is about 1% of the money for winning the Premier League.

Or 2% of the prize money for finishing bottom of the Premier League ...

axisus

CHRISB50 said:

I’m glad I watched 3 Men and a Little Lady instead

I've never considered before how much that title sounds like a porn film

TeleMaster

dano said:

Bit of a nail biter that one ! Kopp has done great things for us since 2015 

I my opinion he's the best manager in the world. What he got out of some average players, and how he turned them into world beaters, leaders and winners is almost unrivalled. Their transfer market activity has been amazing too. When did they last have a flop? And I also think their football is frightengly good. 

They weren't on their game when they came to West Ham and we beat you. What a win that was for us. The whole stadium was rocking. 

TeleMaster

West Ham are all but nailed on for at least the conference league now. A few weeks ago I was like, nah I'd rather not have it. But then my brother reminded me that we were fighting relegation two years ago, and he's right. Who am I to turn my nose up at European football of any type?

If Man UTD lose or draw to Palace tomorrow we need 3 or 4 points from our final two games to get into the Europa League, and we want it again. I can see Man UTD not beating Palace, and I can see us drawing with City. And, I can see us beating them. We've already beaten them this season and we beat Liverpool, Chelsea, Sevilla, Lyon. We can do it. 

Barnezy

TeleMaster said:

West Ham are all but nailed on for at least the conference league now. A few weeks ago I was like, nah I'd rather not have it. But then my brother reminded me that we were fighting relegation two years ago, and he's right. Who am I to turn my nose up at European football of any type?

If Man UTD lose or draw to Palace tomorrow we need 3 or 4 points from our final two games to get into the Europa League, and we want it again. I can see Man UTD not beating Palace, and I can see us drawing with City. And, I can see us beating them. We've already beaten them this season and we beat Liverpool, Chelsea, Sevilla, Lyon. We can do it. 

Think you’ll be lucky to beat City at the moment, their football is on an entirely different level at the moment and they are playing for the PL remember. If they win against you, it is as good as done. The one think that might swing it, is they have a lot of injuries in central defence at the moment. 

West Ham have done really well. Just hope you can keep it going when Rice and Bowen leave. 

boogieman

bertie said:

why are chelsea in yellow ? 

And why was it shown on the Beeb and ITV at the same time? 

Terrible game whatever. At least the blue/yellow scum lost.