Official Football Thread

Here's some more, and if there is anything to jinxing, then this tops the lot (and guarantees that Stoke will win the FA Cup Final tomorrow):

Citytat.jpg
 
Why do people do this? He's not the first and won't be the last to have a tattoo proclaiming something that may never happen.

And well done to Man U today - won the title with the worst away record since 1977. But their home record is a different story - should they beat Blackpool next week (and I have no doubt they will) they will have matched Chelsea’s record in 2006 of only dropping two point at home all season.
 
Bloody brilliant. United chants were going through the pub all the way through the cup final as well  :D  Fair play to City, of course, but how cool is this:

Last time City won the league (1968), United won the European Cup shortly after.

Now City win the FA Cup, their first trophy since 1976 - and United win the league on the same day!
 
Forostar said:
Let's see next week how the competition will be decided.. Then the same two clubs meet, but Ajax plays in their home stadium.
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Aaaaand Ajax won. Are you satisfied with the result? I wanted Twente to win, but Ajax is also good.
 
After today's matches, there is only one week remaining in the Turkish Super League. Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor both have 79 points, Fenerbahçe defeated Ankaragücü 6-0 (5 goals from Alex de Souza also three penalties) and Trabzonspor defeated Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor 3-1. Let's see who will be the champion.
 
The Flash said:
After today's matches, there is only one week remaining in the Turkish Super League. Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor both have 79 points, Fenerbahçe defeated Ankaragücü 6-0 (5 goals from Alex de Souza also three penalties) and Trabzonspor defeated Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor 3-1. Let's see who will be the champion.
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Fenerbahçe is the champion ! I don't like this by the way because I'm the rival club's fan :D (Galatasaray) They won their last game 4-3 but it was a shady game really. Two terrible calls from the referee effected the scoreline and the opponent team's goalkeeper just give two goals as a gift. Trabzonspor won 4-0 but that wasn't enough.

It's my 300th post and belongs to the championship of Fenerbahçe. :mad: :D
 
Since the Norwegian top division has been off this weekend (due to a strike, which is over tonight), I have been able to focus only on English football today. Since Man United were already champions before this final round, many fans of Blackpool's bottom rivals feared United would take today's match lightly. The didn't, and Blackpool follow West Ham and Birmingham down. Birmingham were only two goals away from staying up - ten minutes before the matches were over, they looked like staying up and Wolves like going down - on goal difference! After Wolves got one back against Blackburn to make it 2-3, Birmingham were down on fewer scored goals - Tottenham's goal in injury time sealed their fate and at Molineux, both sets of fans could celebrate.

However, the most shocking newsline from the Premiership today is that Chelsea have decided to fire Carlo Ancelotti. The man who led the club to their first league and cup double ever - just one year ago. Abramovich is a moron - fortunately.
 
Night Prowler said:
Aaaaand Ajax won. Are you satisfied with the result? I wanted Twente to win, but Ajax is also good.
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I also hoped that Twente would win, so I'm not that happy about it.
I am curious how they'll do in the CL. Frank de Boer did really well as a coach, looking forward to it.
 
Eddies Wingman said:
However, the most shocking newsline from the Premiership today is that Chelsea have decided to fire Carlo Ancelotti. The man who led the club to their first league and cup double ever - just one year ago. Abramovich is a moron - fortunately.
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That was a stupid decision, granted, but the favourite for replacing him is Guus Hiddink. Which would be quite good for them, but if they start badly and fail to win anything next season...

And with the fact that Arsenal fans actually booed off their team when they were getting whipped by Villa last week, suggests that the faithful Gooners are loosing patience with Wenger - and he could follow. How many more times can they be fed this "the team needs to develop" nonsense is beyond me! Wenger's philosophy of sticking to this "pretty football only" crap wore thin with me more than a decade ago. Arsenal have absolutely no fight at all.
 
Arsenal of today is a team of boys - the champions of 1998, 2002 and 2004 were teams of men. I think it can be put this simply.

There is no Vieira, no Bergkamp, no Adams, no leader. The team has plenty of quality, but they hardly ever have a plan B. When United (or Chelsea) fail to play free-flowing attacking football, they can grind out results with determination and patience. Arsenal lack that and have done so for some years now.

By the way, the English representatives in Europe next season might include no less than two relegated teams ... Birmingham already qualified for the Europa League through winning the League Cup, and it is possible that the fair-play spot goes to ... Blackpool. It looked certain to be Fulham, but a red card on the last day of the season may be enough to ruin Fulham's chances.
 
I miss the 2004 Arsenal. Thierry Henry is and always will be my favourite football player of all time, because he was the reason why I love this game. Speed, technique, finishing and leadership. Vieira, Pirés, Ljungberg, Campbell and the others.

I love young squads, but not exclusively. You need to mix the experienced ones with the youngsters.
 
Just got confirmed from the hotel I'm staying at in Greece that I'll be able to watch the CL final there. Phew ... It's going to be odd to watch it with Greek commentators, but I don't mind as the guy who normally comments CL matches for Viasat4 (who show it in Norway) is awful.
 
Eddies Wingman said:
Arsenal of today is a team of boys - the champions of 1998, 2002 and 2004 were teams of men. I think it can be put this simply.
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Next season, Man U will have one man less as well. The beginning of the end.

In 2005 Arsenal became 2nd
In 2006 4th
In 2007 4th,
In 2008 3rd,
In 2009 4th,
In 2010 3rd,
In 2011 4th.

Damn good when I compare to the budgets of their concurrents.

@That was quite a party Zare!  :)
 
Forostar said:
Next season, Man U will have one man less as well. The beginning of the end.
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Hardly anything to do with my point, has it? I just hope van der Sar's replacement is more of a hit than the lot that tried to replace Schmeichel in the years following 1999. My point was related to what Albie said about Arsenal having only their "pretty football" to rely on.

As for their league positions since 2004: Considering they had the best team of all in 2004, they really shouldn''t need to spend much on staying top 3 anyway. It's not as if they haven't spent money at all. Which clubs should have overtaken them, based on money spent, you think? Tottenham? Everton? Aston Villa? Newcastle?

Ask any Arsenal fan if he's happy with how things have developed there since their "invincible" season.
 
I am more of a neutral spectator and I find it pretty good what they did, looking at which players left over the years.

Eddies Wingman said:
As for their league positions since 2004: Considering they had the best team of all in 2004, they really shouldn''t need to spend much on staying top 3 anyway.
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When other giants spend way more it's not an easy contest.
 
Forostar said:
When other giants spend way more it's not an easy contest.
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Arsenal have an amazing amount of money but they are as tight as a gnats arse. They choose not to spend in the same way as others. Granted, Man U has a fortune coming in and can afford top splash out - and they do. Arsenal are trying to balance the books after purchasing their new stadium.

That said, if Platini's rule that states "only clubs that spend no more than they have coming in can compete in Europe" comes into play, it will seriously hamper only Chelsea and Man City from the Premiership’s top four from entering into Europe. Man U and Arsenal both have a good model for the way they conduct their finances. If Abramovich walks away from Chelsea, what would happen to them? Same with City and their Sheikh's.
 
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