Soccer Thread

[~-Overheat-~]

Blackburn have looked much better than Bolton this season. Steve Kean has been all over the headlines this season, but i think Bolton have been much poorer.

Whoever loses would have their manager sacked probably.

[ToeyJoey]

I really believe the fans should cut him, (Kean,) some slack, considering the team he has. The only real standout players being Yakubu, Robinson and Samba, they're doing quite well and only went down to two great goals against West Brom.

[The Benmeister]

I think the issue is not really one of bad management, just how the club is being run as a whole. The Jack Walker trust basically sold Blackburn to a bunch of people who have no idea how to run a football club, hence the appointment of Kean (and the sacking of Allardyce!?). The Venkys seem to have no concept of football at all. Or, maybe they do, but the fact is no one at the club has any idea what the owners' agenda is because they're so closeted and hidden, and they've taken a relatively comfortable club and through poor ownership and management have dragged it down to the laughing stock it is now.

Yes, the fans probably went over the top last night, but you can understand that they're passionate that their club is being ruined and they're trying to make a stand. But the weird thing is, the Venkys don't seem to notice, and Kean is too stubborn to do anything about it. IMO the decent thing for him to do is to step down, for his own sake as much as anything. But I and I assume the majority of Blackburn supporters know that even if Kean does go that isn't really going to solve anything, it's far less the manager's fault than it is the owners running the club into the ground.

TBH I watched the game last night, second half I thought Blackburn were pretty good but just couldn't finish.

[ToeyJoey]

I agree with virtually all of the above, but anyway:

Aston Villa v Arsenal 19:45
Everton v Swansea 20:00
Fulham v Man Utd 20:00
Man City v Stoke 19:45
Newcastle v West Brom 19:45
QPR v Sunderland 20:00
Wigan v Liverpool 20:00

Seven games, classic winter time football.

[~Spaceman~]

Come on stoke. You can do it

[The Benmeister]

Didn't we have a prediction league going a few years back? That was somewhat fun. I'm gonna make some festive predictions (and by festive I just mean regular).


Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
Everton 0-0 Swansea
Fulham 1-2 Man Utd
Man City 2-0 Stoke
Newcastle 2-2 West Brom
QPR 1-2 Sunderland
Wigan 1-1 Liverpool

Tottenham 0-0 Chelsea

[ToeyJoey]

I'll go too then:

Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal
Everton 1-0 Swansea
Fulham 1-1 Man Utd
Man City 4-0 Stoke
Newcastle 2-3 West Brom
QPR 0-1 Sunderland
Wigan 2-1 Liverpool

Tottenham 1-0 Chelsea

(By the way, I'm a Stoke fan.)

Arsenal lost to City, I'm sure will affect their confidence even though they put in an inspired performance but they could only just just beat Everton. Villa are having a similar issue with firepower to Everton but I smell an upset at the Park.

Again, Everton are very low scoring, Tim Cahill hasn't scored since about January and Moyes lost Yakubu and he wasn't allowed to bring in anyone new. Still, Swansea
have struggled for goals too and I'll always take Everton at goodison unless it's against a big gun.

United once had a great record against Fulham but they haven't won at the Cottage in the last three attempts and they've now lost Vidic for the season and they haven't been too clinical with their chances. Neither have Fulham but Dempsey, Johnson and Dembele look like a strong attacking force and if Zamora's back on it they could take a point.

As much as I support Stoke, we haven't got great away form and I can't see our winning form continuing against the leaders. Some throws might give them some problems and City didn't look very comfortable form the Arsenal corners but they'll run away with it, such is their quality.

Newcastle have struggled, not winning one in their last five after eleven unbeaten. Their consistent defence has been ripped apart and they've been unlucky witht heir chances. Odemwingie and Morrison both looked great against Blackburn and they could beat the Magpies on the night.

Martin O'Neill has now taken over at Sunderland and they already have one win in two. QPR have poor home form and Sunderland have terrible away form but the Black Cats are behind their team and looked impressive against Spurs in the second half.

Wigan have started taking points off the big boys and after having lost nine on the bounce are now unbeaten in three. Liverpool have been better away but the DW could get a shock tonight, their fish prophet strike force has scored one goal between them and yet they took a point of Chelsea. Roberto 'The Wizard' Martinez can take a scalp here.

Spurs have looked better than Chelsea all season and were unlucky to lose at Stoke, Chelsea on the other hand just drew at Wigan. If Spurs can get Bale and Lennon back they will beat an old, Luiz-fileld Chelsea back line.

[7 tyranitars]

Oh wow, something interesting happened here:

2 clubs here had a match in the national cup, Ajax and Az (both active in the Europa league) And a supporter of Ajax runs on the field and charges at the keeper of Az, the keeper defends himself with kicking the guy who attacked him.
The keeper gets a red card, and the coach pulls his team off the field o.O.

[ToeyJoey]

Well I got two right, sound like Villa deserved a point and Albrighton got the 20,000th goal in Premier League history. I was on the money with Everton, them and Swansea don't score many and I don't know where I got that score on Tyneside from. Extremely surprised by the result in London (QPR,) nobody could have expected a high scoring affair there and United really stepped up to get that bogey off their back. I knew Stoke would lose but at least it was only 3-0 and yet again 'The Wizard' dips into his hat for a point. They've got two points more already, than they'd have thought they'd be getting at the beginning of this fixture list.

[The Benmeister]

Don't know why fans have to ruin games like that, Ajax were winning and all.

Reminds me of when Celtic beat Milan and a Celtic fan nearly ruined the game for them by slapping the keeper.

Also no scores correct, great. With Fulham's defenders being leaky I'm going to have to take out Hangeland from my Fantasy Football team and all.

[Eranu™]

The fan was intoxicated, though that isn't an excuse.
Thanks to him the place where people with a handicap can watch the game might be closed.
Though the red card was deserved. He could've just walked away instead of kicking him on the ground.
Pulling your players off the field because they 'don't feel save' is just plain crap in my opinion. That hooligan ruined the night of 50.000 supporters.

[ToeyJoey]

Apparently Chelsea have expressed interest in Bolton, (and England,) defender Gary Cahill. His contract runs out in the Summer of 2012 and this past Summer he almost completed a move, but for talks to fall through.

[~-Overheat-~]

Awesome performance by Man United and i'm glad at our newly rediscovered form. Nani and Valencia are in great form! However, the injury list keeps on piling. We might have to play Carrick and Valencia at defense next game! Hopefully Phil Jones recovers, he has been our best player this season so far!

[~Spaceman~]

Apparently Benfica's Nicolas Gaitan is speaking to United over a possible move in January. That should relieve the injury crisis if they bring in a defender too. If i was Sir Alex I would go all out to buy Mays Hummels. He's young and is a brick wall in defence. Of course that would mean that there would be 5 centre backs at the club all competing for a spot when fit but with Vidic out for the ret of the season they need another world class competitior

[abrar14]

I think the Fa were stupid giving Suarez a 8 match ban. King Kenny should appeal.

[~Spaceman~]

The only way they could have given him an eight match ban would be if he himself admitted it. If he did then he deserves the ban

[ToeyJoey]

They seem to be making a political statement, against Blatter and FIFA, showing what they think of racism. They are giving out a message that it won't be tolerated.

[hyperion33]

As far as I can tell, the punishment is only so harsh b/c of Suarez's other offences.

[~Spaceman~]

I don't think any other offences could really apply here. He's only being charged over alleged racist remarks made to Evra. Maybe it's because he apparently said whatever he said over and over again showing that it wasn't just a slip of the tongue

[ToeyJoey]

I wonder if Terry'll get the same treatment?