2010/2011 UK Football Season Thread

[ScottyRedXIII]

I think Nani was looking for an Oscar rather then the golden boot.

And now i'm sitting here watching Spurs lose to wolves. As a westham fan.............. that is rather anoying

[Loony BoB]

Hate all the current wank football punditry and journalism at the moment. SEND HIM OFF THAT'S EASILY A RED! for both the Carra and Rafael challenges. smurf off. Just smurf off. Football is a contact sport, it's better played 11 vs 11, stop being such god damn babies because challenges like that are what make it great. The refs are doing a good job at the moment.

Carra's was a red. Perhaps you're just a little too defensive on that one. Yes, Nani is definitely a case of boy who cried wolf, but that story is nothing without the eventual wolf coming, and in thise case it was a red card that was deserved. That could have ended up with a snapped leg on another player in the same position. Also, I rewound it and interestingly Carra had his leg going above the ball all along and was not even watching the ball, he was watching Nani. I don't know how many players put their studs out two feet high in the air when they slide into a tackle for a ball on the ground, but hey, I don't know how many people who need to put an elbow to someone's head when they're thirty yards from the ball at all, either. Still, should have been red all day long for Carra.

Rafael was a bit iffy for me, he had pulled his legs back and made no contact. Should have been yellow and told to calm down.

Those incidents aside, we deserved to lose because our midfield couldn't regain possession nor could they find the right pass for our strikers. Our defence may have been weakened, but we still would have lost 1-0 if their two (costly) mistakes didn't happen.

[Psychotic]

My rant about pundits was kind of irrelevant to the foul, I have wanted to rip into them for that bull recently, and that was my catalyst.

It was a nasty challenge, sure, although I disagree with what you saw. I watched Carragher in the replay and saw his eyes on the ball. Still think yellow was fair and still found the whole thing funny to be honest

Also I don't know why Ferguson didn't play Fletcher in that game. Don't think it would've been so easy if he had been on the pitch from the start. A midfield three of Gerrard, Mereiles and Lucas is going to have a field day against Scholes and Carrick. Gerrard didn't even have an especially good game.

[charliepanayi]

Carragher's tackle was awful, fully deserved a red card.

Too many missed opportunities this season

Remaining fixtures:

(SPOILER)
Man Utd:
Bolton (H)
West Ham (A)
Fulham (H)
Newcastle (A)
Everton (H)
Arsenal (A)
Chelsea (H)
Blackburn (A)
Blackpool (H)

Arsenal:
West Brom (A)
Blackburn (H)
Blackpool (A)
Liverpool (H)
Tottenham (A)
Bolton (A)
Man Utd (H)
Stoke (H)
Aston Villa (H)
Fulham (A)

Man City:
Chelsea (A)
Sunderland (H)
Liverpool (A)
Tottenham (H)
Blackburn (A)
West Ham (H)
Everton (A)
Stoke (H)
Bolton (A)

Chelsea:
Blackpool (A)
Man City (H)
Stoke (A)
Wigan (H)
West Brom (A)
Birmingham (H)
West Ham (H)
Tottenham (H)
Man Utd (A)
Newcastle (H)
Everton (A)

[Heath]

No posts in 20 days in the football thread? Blasphemy.

Wasn't a bad performance by England today. I thought Wales were pretty poor, though Bale being out might have had something to do with that. Still, I have a soft spot for Wales given that I grew up/live there and hope they improve in future qualifying matches. They shouldn't be bottom of that group.

Also, I agree entirely with what Manus said in his rant earlier on. When you look at the table now, you've got 5 times fighting it out for CL places, about 11 teams who could possibly go down and the other 4 teams are just somewhere in limbo between the two.

One of my biggest dislikes about supporting Everton these days (and I imagine if you check every football thread for about the past 3 seasons I've said this) is our lack of money and how we're now just going backwards in the PL. The fact that we were considered relegation candidates a month or two ago (and frankly, with Saha and our best midfield players out injured we might be again) is a testament to that. It's kind of pathetic that the only money we can spend on players are profits from selling players.

Until we are able to spend money, we're never going to be able to compete with big clubs like Brentford or Reading.

(SPOILER)(Those cup exits still hurt, I don't care if we beat Chelsea, it's pointless if you get knocked out by lower division opponents in the next round)

Edit:

I have mixed feelings on this. I get that in this day and age, most footballers are mercenaries but I thought Torres would be more loyal than this. He didn't ask to go to Man Utd, he didn't ask to go to Everton, but CHELSEA? Come on, really?

Our strikers are so good I don't think Torres would make it into our starting 11 unless we had some serious injuries.

[Psychotic]

Gareth Bale being there wouldn't have affected anything, as Gareth Bale is an overrated sack of piss. As is Jack Wilshere. And nobody would give a smurf about either of them if they played for Stoke.

Scott Parker for president.

[Heath]

I don't think Bale is the next Pele or anything, but I think he might've given Wales a bit more of a spark. My main view on Wilshere is that whenever I want to write his name I always go to write 'Wiltshire.'

[Psychotic]

Wales already had their best players on the pitch in Craig Bellamy (by a long way), James Collins and Aaron Ramsey. I've sneezed better footballers than Gareth Bale

[DK]

Neckless Craig is such a hero, such a shame he has to play for Wales.

also omg Thom, pls stay forever <3

[Loony BoB]

I can understand saying Bale is overrated, but to say he's poor is a bit much. The guy is very good.

[Psychotic]

Oh, so I suppose you think it's just coincidence that since Gareth Bale rose to prominence that there have been numerous deadly earthquakes around the globe, and violent unrest in the middle east?

[Loony BoB]

I hear he's so fast that he actually single-handedly evacuated the entire British population from Libya. By carrying them out one by one. Dodging bullets with stepovers and going through enemy lines by kicking the evacuating Brits past them.

[Heath]

I heard that his set pieces are so good that the no fly zone is being enforced purely by Gareth Bale taking free kicks over Libyan air space.

Would also explain why he missed the match yesterday...

[Psychotic]

I heard Gareth Bale tricked Fernando Torres into swapping identities and faces, Cage/Travolta style, and that's why Fernando has suddeny become pap and signed for Chelsea, while Gareth Bale has become a Milan-wrecking machine.

...I want to believe.

[charliepanayi]

Wales are abysmal, and apart from a brief spark in the mid-90s and mid-00s, have been for years. England's group is pretty awful in general, so hopefully Montenegro can seal that playoff spot.

Anyway, football? Pah, who needs it!