Weekly football thread.

[Solomon Grundy]

I just want to say "god damn you Luton Town"...Hull City are a far better team and much more popular than you! We will go up, in spite of your meddling.

Anyway...what was Beattie thinking? That was one of the most stupid things I ever saw!

But don't Chelsea look ordinary without Robben and Drogba!

 

[vonhosen]

Anyway...what was Beattie thinking? That was one of the most stupid things I ever saw!

Madness

But don't Chelsea look ordinary without Robben and Drogba!

But they win again & another clean sheet

 

[Ian J]

I just want to say "god damn you Luton Town"...Hull City are a far better team and much more popular than you! We will go up, in spite of your meddling.

It's good to know that there are people who support clubs other than Manchester United, Arsenal and the other so called big clubs but when you read some of the footie threads here it does make you wonder at times.

 

[HMHB]

It looks like Forest are going to lose to Spurs in the next round of the cup. I'm not looking forward to that long walk back to the tube station after the game.

 

[Ian J]

It looks like Forest are going to lose to Spurs in the next round of the cup.

They've already lost half of their team to Spurs

 

[HMHB]

At least they are cup-tied so can't play against us next Saturday. I think we'll be treating is as a good day in London with lots of beer, ruined by 90 minutes of poor football from Forest

 

[overkill]

It looks like Forest are going to lose to Spurs in the next round of the cup

Come on you Forest!!

But they win again & another clean sheet

As long as they stay ahead of fergies lot who cares?

Funny, I thought JohnG would have started a thread after the England farce? Or was he too appalled even to complain!! Sven mate, go back to Sweden - Please!! Sorry, but I can remember the days when friendlys were, *gasp*, exciting!! Wasn't that long ago either. Roughly about the time a certain swede took over.....................

 

[HMHB]

I was going to start a thread to be honest, but I'm trying not to get so wound up these days I didn't go the friendly on Wednesday and it's very rare I miss an England game. I remember when it first started going downhill - it was at Pride Park Derby, England v Mexico. In the first half England put on the best performance I've seen since we thrashed Holland and were 4-0 up I think and I was so excited about our future. At half time he changed the whole team and the rest is history. I've lost all confidence in Sven now.

 

[Ian J]

I was torn between watching the England game (as AJ was in the squad) or the Hungary - Wales game (two Palace players in the Hungary team) but in the end decided to watch England - South Africa instead as it looked like it may go to the wire. From the reports that I read afterwards it seems that I made the right choice.

 

[smelly]

I was torn between watching the England game (as AJ was in the squad) or the Hungary - Wales game (two Palace players in the Hungary team) but in the end decided to watch England - South Africa instead as it looked like it may go to the wire. From the reports that I read afterwards it seems that I made the right choice.

We flicked between the two footie matches and the cricket and probably ended up missing the higlights of all of them

 

[Bristol Pete]

Re - Leroy Lita. Bristol City and Englands under 21 striker.

What are the forum opinions on Leroy Lita, our striker. I have a pair of his boots under my bed as I caught them when he threw them into the crowd when I saw them away at Blackpool just before Xmas 2004.

Could he make the big time?

He is knocking them in in Div 2 and caught Peter Taylors eye and scored for England U21's this week. Local media state its not a question of if but when.

However, I was talking to Bradford striker Dean Windass about him. He thinks he is average at best with a bad first touch though he admits he can score goals. Surely that is a bonus.

Anyway will his boots fetch me a few quid on ebay when the time is right???

Here is a picture I took away at Blackpool. Here you can see our lovely red and white boots in action. I can smell the grass now

Cap.

 

[captaindobie]

Sven mate, go back to Sweden - Please!!

Players played out of position?
2 new additions to the squad only given 10 minutes to shine?
No real explanation from the manager regarding tactics & formation?

And the cry from Scotland came...

Sven...

Are you Berti in disguise?

 

[John]

I just want to say "god damn you Luton Town"...Hull City are a far better team and much more popular than you! We will go up,as runners up .In spite of your meddling.

JS

 

[overkill]

Utd win again, and continue their unbeaten run, proving, as did Arsenal last year, and Chelsea this (only 1 defeat) just how desperately poor the prem is. With the FA cup down "downgraded" by the FA, the leauge cup being played out by 'B' teams, and as a result the double being won every other year, thus providing further proof of the lack of competitiveness, is there anyone still dumb enough to believe that tired premiership line that "football is a business"? If so, then how can such inflated wages vs such poor product be sustainable? Or can it?

Going on the falling gates and tumbling viewing figures (some games being watched by less than one third of last years figures according to Sky) hard times could be only just around the corner................ Yet, they continue to behave like spoiled children as the edifice crumbles around them.

Question is, who will bail them out if it does come crashing?

Concerned rant over.

 

[Phil Hinton]

Good points Overkill and i have been predicting the same for sometime now, you just have to look at the Scottish football leagues, in particular the premier to see the affects that losing TV money and lack of competition has on the financial stability of the game. If it wasn't for certain clubs like Hibs, Aberdeen, Dundee Utd and some others tightening their belts and selling their expensive players when they saw it coming, far more would have fallen into administration over the last year or so.
I can see the same happening in the premiership with two or three clubs winning everything and controlling the money (like Rangers and Celtic in scotland) and the rest fighting over the scraps, possibilly a few going into administration.
The frightening thing is that many clubs have done away with their youth academies and are not spending the money on bringing talent through the ranks like they once did. If you look at a club like Hibs or Motherwell in scotland they have little money but have been hugely successful at bringing the youngsters through and as such made their investments worthwhile. Just look at Hibs huge turn around in the league they are now third place with a team that averages 22yrs and only two players from outside Scotland. This boads well for the game. If English clubs continue to ignore the facts that they need to bring the kids through and rely on just buying in staff they are on the slippery slope.

 

[overkill]

If English clubs continue to ignore the facts that they need to bring the kids through and rely on just buying in staff they are on the slippery slope.

Couldn't agree more Phil. It just shows how Ostrich like even the tops clubs have become when David (the crook) Dein, starts berating UEFA for their unusually sensible proposal of limiting the number of non-national players thus allowing the development of local talent. Arsenal in particular deserve heavy critisicm over this as some pretty good players (better than the foreign contingent) have been first neglected, then allowed to go. Matthew Upson being case in point.

The biggest problem is though, and FIFA must share a large portion of blame for this, is the lack of quality in the way the game is played. The steady removal of the ability of defenders to tackle, has made the game too fast, less reliant on skill (who needs skill to evade tackles when they're not coming in!?), encouraged cheating, and meant that it's come down to a simple case of who's the fittest?

When the game recovered from the doldrums in the late 80's it was down to a steady improvement in quality, new faces creating interest, some real shocks (wimbledon, Luton, Coventry) sparking interest, less interference in the game from above - and gate prices still attracted a good cross section of support. None of these look liable to save the game this time.

An excellent recent article showed that in Germany, despite the economic problems there, that low gate prices have re-invigorated the game and are helping to bring in huge gates. No prizes for guessing the twits at the sweet FA and premiership "club" will ignore that as well as every other warning.................

On the Scotland thing, I heard Aberdeen are doing the same as Hibs and recruiting local talent, but doing so (unlike the English) on sensible contracts, with a view that if they want more dough, well tough! If they go, they go. As long as the coachings good, then maybe the scots can redevelop their football over the next decade - without being held to ransom.

 

[mrv]

Going on the falling gates and tumbling viewing figures .... hard times could be only just around the corner................

Question is, who will bail them out if it does come crashing?

Concerned rant over.

If Glazer gets his greedy mits on United then everybody best watch out. He's going to need to extract so much money to service the debts that supporters will really feel the pinch. He is also likely to want (and need) a far bigger share of the TV cake. In a time when footballs total income from TV revenues has peaked this can only mean the possibility of less money for those further down the feeding chain. The likes of Glazer won't care what happens to the larger football community. Him and his ilk will be quite happy to see a top cadre of clubs competing for worthless prizes and divvying up all the cash between themselves.

 

[smelly]

If Glazer gets his greedy mits on United then everybody best watch out. He's going to need to extract so much money to service the debts that supporters will really feel the pinch. He is also likely to want (and need) a far bigger share of the TV cake. In a time when footballs total income from TV revenues has peaked this can only mean the possibility of less money for those further down the feeding chain. The likes of Glazer won't care what happens to the larger football community. Him and his ilk will be quite happy to see a top cadre of clubs competing for worthless prizes and divvying up all the cash between themselves.

This sort of thing really worries me, I know that football is a business nowadays but there still has to be the love of the sport and I - like most people - don't think that Glazer is in it for the right reasons.

An excellent recent article showed that in Germany, despite the economic problems there, that low gate prices have re-invigorated the game and are helping to bring in huge gates. No prizes for guessing the twits at the sweet FA and premiership "club" will ignore that as well as every other warning.................

I heard a piece on 5live recently, that was talking about gate prices across Europe. Germany was the lowest at about 10 euros I think. But even in La Liga prices were only about 18 - 20 Euros. Compared to Premiership prices here - even Norwich (no offence to Norwich fans!) tickets are £33

 

[HMHB]

Aaaagggghhhh they've moved our game at Spurs to Sunday - that's ruined our day out then

 

[overkill]

If Glazer gets his greedy mits on United then everybody best watch out.

As you know MRV I agree totally. If you want to put me down on a petition, PM me, and to make it count double you can put down my team! An Arsenal fan backing Utd fans against Glazer! It must be serious!

It is.

I know that football is a business nowadays

That's the problem Smelly it isn't. If it was run strictly on business lines then even the top clubs would be in trouble. No true 'business' offers such poor quality 'goods', and pays it's staff so well. No other business offers so little to it's consumers, and yet charges them so much. The clubs rely on emotion keeping people coming back year on year, decade on decade, regardless of poor quality stadia in the pre prem days, and now souless, cramped, all seater stadia in the modern era. They sell crap expensive food, then expect you to turn up rain or shine, and shell out for their overpriced merchandise, that changes every bloody year! It couldn't happen elsewhere in the business world.

Even Disney, the ultimate commercial monster, has found out twice, that it couldn't rely on emotion and had to get it's arse in gear, and provide quality again. Disney responded each time. Does Football? Not likely! Just look at the 80's shambles!

Football needs to stop hiding behind that BS and get entertaining again - or else!

 

[smelly]

That's the problem Smelly it isn't. If it was run strictly on business lines then even the top clubs would be in trouble. No true 'business' offers such poor quality 'goods', and pays it's staff so well. No other business offers so little to it's consumers, and yet charges them so much. The clubs rely on emotion keeping people coming back year on year, decade on decade, regardless of poor quality stadia in the pre prem days, and now souless, cramped, all seater stadia in the modern era. They sell crap expensive food, then expect you to turn up rain or shine, and shell out for their overpriced merchandise, that changes every bloody year! It couldn't happen elsewhere in the business world.

Even Disney, the ultimate commercial monster, has found out twice, that it couldn't rely on emotion and had to get it's arse in gear, and provide quality again. Disney responded each time. Does Football? Not likely! Just look at the 80's shambles!

Football needs to stop hiding behind that BS and get entertaining again - or else!

Good point - although the bigger clubs rely on overseas/remote support for their income so burgers and cramped seating doesn't really bother them. As long as the little japanese kids buy Beckham shirts then the money will keep rolling in

But you're right, they have to start getting back to the basics - God I sound like a politician

 

[overkill]

But you're right, they have to start getting back to the basics - God I sound like a politician

Now that IS scarey!

 

[mrv]

As you know MRV I agree totally. If you want to put me down on a petition, PM me, and to make it count double you can put down my team! An Arsenal fan backing Utd fans against Glazer! It must be serious!

It is.

Overkill,

Thanks for the support. Our petition is really the collective gathering in Shareholders United. So, besides joining Shareholders United (£10, you get a share in the club - if you did I think your share would entitle you to own both of Roy Keanes bootlaces - or Giggs tights that he wore in todays derby ) the next best thing would be to get your MP to sign the Early Day Motion - EDM 719 http://edm.ais.co.uk/weblink/html/motion.html/ref=719

Details of MP's e-mail addresses are here

My thanks to anybody inclined to do this. My MP is a Chelsea supporter and even he is signing it (I stopped short of wishing his team luck in the league)

 

[Adrenochrome]

Aaaagggghhhh they've moved our game at Spurs to Sunday - that's ruined our day out then

Not if you beat them it won't

 

[Solomon Grundy]

can't believe Beattie is saying his two headbutts were an accident and more importantly that Moyes is defending him saying it was a disgrace to send him off...???