Official Football Thread

Eddies Wingman said:
Albie, you mention the tradition the semi-finalists have in the CL. That made me think of one thing: Which year has seen the most "glorious" semi-finals in terms of how many times the semi-finalists had won the title up to then?
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You will have to give me that. I don't know. :D

Eddies Wingman said:
Albie: I can't see Southend giving away their spot in the playoff now. But do you think they can beat Leeds who seemingly are on their way back into form?
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Southend now need just one point from the remaining three games to secure a play off place - even if Leeds do get their 15 points back. I don't think it really matters who they meet in the play off (as it look likely to be Leeds, Forest and Donny), I feel relativity confident that little old Southend can do the business. But I will need to see how they get on this weekend - away to Carlisle - if they get a result here, then who knows what the play offs will yield.
 
Eddies Wingman said:
Tonight I'll post a link to a nice little picture: http://www.manutdzone.com/legends/BRUCEY.JPG

A BIG "thank you" to Steve Bruce and Wigan. Looks good now  B)
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Hopefully we'll get a little more help this evening from Everton. Whether we do or don't the title is in our hands. We can afford to lose to Chelsea, win our remaining three and still win the League.

The race for the Championship has never been so keenly contested. The chop and changing at the top has been exciting but i fear for whoever comes up. There has been no outstanding team in the Championship as the closeness of the top five or six suggests. I think it'll be a swift return to the championship for possibly all of the teams that are promoted this season.
 
Chelsea keeping the pressure on with a ground out 1-0 at Everton.

However if Man Utd win against Blackburn and then Chelsea we have won the league.

I think we'll draw against Chelsea and winthe league against West Ham (sorry 'Arry!!!!  :wub:)
 
No matter what happens, I'll watch the remaining games of the league in Trondheim's very own "Manc pub". There are several British-inspired pubs here, but one of them is run by a fellow who comes from Manchester and is red to the bone. I usually go there when I want to watch football when it's not on the common Norwegian TV channels (meaning all Premiership matches and some other matches  B) ). I guess, when (or should I say if) United secure the title, the roof will fly across the fjord. Usually full of United fans on match days.

Your tips seem reasonable, BITV - Blackburn are tough, but a United in good form are capable of bringing home three points. And a draw against Chelsea wouldn't give high odds. So I think I agree with you, the league will be won at Old Trafford when the 'Ammers come for a visit. I guess you'll be there?

(One thing is very bitter; I was actually planning to apply for a ticket to the West Ham game through the Norwegian MUFC Supporters Club, but didn't do it in time. And now it seems like this game might be the one where the title is secured ... crap!)
 
The Dutch competition is again heading towards a thriller, with only one round to go, tomorrow!

Current standing:
                    pl      w   dr    l   points   goalsaldo
1. PSV            33    20   9    4    69       64-24
2. Ajax            33    19   9    5    66       89-44
3. NAC Breda    33    19   6    8    63       47-37
4. FC Twente   33    16  11    6    59       50-32
5. Heerenveen  33    17   6    10   57       83-48
6. Feyenoord    33    17   6    10   57       61-41


Ajax will play at home, vs Heracles Almelo who are at the 14th position and wish to escape the promotion/relegation playoffs. A tough match, but Ajax is very strong lately and I expect they win.

If Ajax wins, PSV is not allowed to loose. PSV needs only one point and they are the champions.
They play away vs Vitesse. Vitesse is doing pretty bad, they are at the 11th place. Still, Vitesse might be pretty motivated, since there's a small possibility that they can reach the 9th position, which still gives hope to qualify for UEFA-cup football.
 
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Who's been talking about Nigerian football??

One Nigerian footballer I'd like to see is Danny Shittu returning to QPR in the summer. Apparantly there's a good chance of us signing him if Watford don't get promoted. Also linked with Lee Cook, who left last summer, although I don't think he really wanted to go. He's playing for Charlton today against us, should be a good game, it's going to be a packed house, so Come on you R's!!!
 
Actually, with today's draw at Ewood Park, I don't think the title race will be completely decided until the last game is finished. I think a draw is the most likely result at Stamford Bridge and if that happens, United will of course be in the driving seat - but they will still need 4 points in the two last games. If Chelsea should win, United have to win the final two because I can't see Chelsea giving away points in the two last. But if United win at Stamford Bridge, let the celebrations begin. The goal difference is so good they'll have to lose 5-0 to both West Ham and Wigan while Chelsea win by the same margin against Newcastle and Bolton.

I think Tevez's goal today might very well be the one that secures the title. However I'll give credit to Brad Friedel. Just like last time United were at Ewood Park, he was great and had he had a worse day, Blackburn would've got hammered in the second half.
 
Albie said:
I can, away to the inform Newcastle - Chelsea's boggie side.
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True, that's the biggest chance for any of the two to give away points. And Newcastle away are a bit to Chelsea what Boro away are to United. I really hope the result between Chelsea and Liverpool tomorrow is of such a nature that Chelsea still feel they have the chance to beat the scousers, so they don't end up focusing all their effort on United. A draw at Anfield would be suitable. (And it's very likely, too. I won't be very surprised if the semis between Chelsea and Liverpool go to extra time and penalties).

By the way, the playoff spot is secure for Southend now, but you're perhaps starting to hope for direct promotion? They seem in very good form and it's only 4 points up to Carlisle in second. I say good luck :)
 
For Southend to get automatic promotion, they are reliant on Carlisle loosing both of their games and Doncaster and Forest to drop points as well - but still, it could happen. However, the momentum is with Southend at the moment and they won't fear anyone in the play-offs.

What is really peeing me off at the moment is this court case with Leeds, fighting to get their 15 point reduction re-instated. What an utter crap time of the season to make the judgement - if it needed sorting out, it should have been sorted out months ago, not now. Swansea are already crowned champions, but Leeds fans are still saying it's not official yet. Should Leeds get their points back now, they would be second and within one point of Swansea with two to play. And when should the judgement be made? 1st of May - the week of the last game of the season. Another what if is the likelihood of Leeds loosing their next two games, Brighton winning both and leap frogging them into the play-offs - then the points are reinstated and Brighton drop out.

Whatever the scenario, if Leeds get their points back, there will be a massive outcry - unless the reinstation only puts Leeds further up into the play-offs. Don't give them the points back, I say, if they take a club into administration, they should be punished. And it just opens the flood gates for other clubs to try and get their points back and make a complete mockery of it all.

Though, the only effect this has on Southend is who they get to play in the play-offs.
 
Agree on each and every point, Albie. When it first was decided to punish Leeds through a 15 point deduction, the case should be dead and buried by Christmas. Having this decision to worry about in the final weeks of the season is unfair to the teams competing for promotion. I would be furious if I were a Carlisle fan and they were snubbed of the promotion after a court decision.

Then something completely different: Norwegian media love to over-emphasize the influence our players abroad have in their clubs. But yesterday, one of them surely made an impact. Nice, John Arne! A cracking header just in front of the Kop and now it's not them who are singing "Jooooohn Arne Riise, ooh, aah, I wanna kno-oooow how you scored that goal" any more. I guess this will be a fairly popular chant at Stamford Bridge, Goodison and Old Trafford, though.

Not only do I think it's funny that Liverpool give away their lead in injury time due to a classic own goal, but I think it's a nice "in Thy face" to the Norwegian papers and TV who think that just because Liverpool have a Norwegian player, all Norwegian fans of English football should wish success for both Riise and Liverpool. They don't seem to be aware of the fact that in football, there's something called rivalry. Meaning, of course, that rather than feeling sorry for Liverpool, many Norwegians following other English clubs will rub it in the face of LFC fans. Cruel? Hell yes, but isn't civilized cruelty part of being a football fan? (Civilized meaning that we're not hooligans, we just enjoy that rivals do badly).

Enough ranting. The game was even but Liverpool were the better side and if any of the teams should've won, it would have to be the red one. Now I think Chelsea will go for a dull 0-0 at the Bridge, and since Liverpool don't seem to be able to score down there (they haven't done so once under Benitez) I think they'll do so. Which is probably bad news for the manufacturers of medical nitroglycerine in Merseyside, Lancashire and Greater Manchester, but good news for those responsible for safety in Moscow. If Manchester United win the semis against Barcelona and Liverpool beat Chelsea, there will be mayhem in Moscow. No, not the BM band.

Also worth noticing is that there was actually a fair share of fake tickets inside Anfield yesterday ... I've read on a couple of English forums that some condemn it and others find it completely acceptable. I find it scary that LFC fans, and especially a week after the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, don't react stricter to this. Overcrowding is dangerous even when the stand is an all-seater. If this happens in Moscow, we might see ugly scenes that anyone who loves football would hate to see ...

P.S: I just checked the website of VG (Norway's biggest tabloid newspaper) and can you believe it? They have made a page where you can write a consolation message to John Arne Riise. I'm speechless.The headline is "Comfort John Arne". Where's my paper bag? I need to puke.

P.P.S: A question to Forostar: Are the Dutch papers equally obsessed with Dutch players in the English, Spanish, Italian leagues? I know the Dutch league is better than the Norwegian, but still ...? I know the Swedish papers have some sort of Zlatan-syndrome, so it's not unique for Norway.
 
I have to say, Chelsea deserved that equaliser and 1-1 was a fair reflection on the game. Just a shame it was an own goal. Still, in the 7 games (along with the three semi final meetings, they also met in the group states a few years back) that Liverpool and Chelsea have played each other in the Champions league, no one Chelsea player has ever scored.
 
Eddies Wingman said:
P.P.S: A question to Forostar: Are the Dutch papers equally obsessed with Dutch players in the English, Spanish, Italian leagues? I know the Dutch league is better than the Norwegian, but still ...? I know the Swedish papers have some sort of Zlatan-syndrome, so it's not unique for Norway.
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Obsessed maybe not (or a bit), though every famous Dutchman is in the media, and surely when one is in a CL semi-final.

I saw headlines which showed pity for Kuyt rather for Riise, since it could have been Kuyt's match if the own goal didn't happen. Still I hope Van Basten wakes up and feels he needs Kuyt for Euro08!

I hope Barcelona wins tonight's game, sorry guys ;)

I did a little gambling. I also did a bet on Liverpool-Chelsea and predicted the equal result. If tonight's game is a win for Barcelona and if Bayern will loose tomorrow's game, I'll win around 100 euro.

edit: well, seems I lost a few euro  (3 to be precise)  -_-
I expected a bit more of this match...

Paul Scholes has become the latest member of the "club of hundred" in Champions League:
Right now there are 9 players with 100 or more CL-duels:
     
Raúl                      116               
Roberto Carlos        114               
Paolo Maldini          109               
Oliver Kahn            103               
David Beckham      103               
Ryan Giggs            102
Clarence Seedorf    101               
Luis Figo              100               
Paul Scholes          100 
 
Unlucky Foro. I was desperately going for Barca too.

And lucky Chelski and ManUre. ::)
Didier Drogba reminded me on Tuesday why I hate watching games with him in so much. For someone who looks like they're built like the proverbial brick shithouse, he goes down like he's been shot when you blow in his ear. I saw the opposite last night: Eto'o was clean through on goal, Rio Ferdinand lunges at the striker, catching him and missing the ball in the penalty area. Eto'o stumbled but stayed on his feet, took a shot off-balance and missed the goal. No justice eh?
Christiano Ronaldo is another one who goes down far too easily, the slightest nudge and he's falling like a sack of potatoes. The stupid thing is that he's so good that there's no need for him to do it.
 
Well, there's hope for tomorrow's game...although admittedly I'm a tad worried, I mean, its home for ManU.
 
Hopefully Rooney and Vidic will miss the game, but be fit for the Premier League run-in ;)

Barca's game plan has to be keep the ball, pass it around as much as possible, just to limit Manure's chances, and try to nick an odd goal.
 
Offense, offense, offense is what I say. Quick goal (or two) at the beginning and then the safe play with passing ball. Or just play dazzling football as we've seen them do before. :P
 
The attacking line-up has to be Messi-Bojan-Eto'o. Leave Henry on the bench along with Iniesta, as Deco must play - he had a real corker of a game last week. Also, having Puyol back will help.
 
Haven't been following their game in a while, but I'd say switch in Gudjohnsen at some point if all else fails.
 
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