The Football Thread - Season 2011/2012

Status
Not open for further replies.
gibbsy said:
So prediction for Liv v's Man City tonite?
Balotelli I would think wont start as they will probably accept his FA charge and begin the ban now rather than risk an extended ban.
Going on Liverpools form the last few games and this game and the one at the weekend against the red side of Manchester I'm not holding much hope that they will progress tonight.
Click to expand...

I'm going with a very dull and boring 0-0 with 10 liverpool players behind the ball for the majority of the game and maybe a few counter attacks. I envision it being much like the spain england game where we won 1-0
 
Every team has an off day, and Liverpool at Bolton was more than likely a 1 off. It is Liverpools best chance of a trophy and with an easy final against Cardiff they will be up for it. I can see it being 1-1.
 
Liverpool play well against the better teams so they've a good chance tonight.

If I was a betting man though I'd go for a 3:1 win for City on the night. Overall 3:2

Anybody want to try and guess how many times Andy Carroll falls over ?

I'm going for 12 times.
 
cambsno said:
Every team has an off day, and Liverpool at Bolton was more than likely a 1 off. It is Liverpools best chance of a trophy and with an easy final against Cardiff they will be up for it. I can see it being 1-1.
Click to expand...

It is Liverpool's best chance of a trophy this season. But I wouldn't call it an easy final against Cardiff. I said that in 88, the Crazy Gang had other ideas!
 
Well it's not the game I was expecting, it's a lot more open and creative. The pen I have gone back and forth with, on the face of it, it's not a pen, but I can only assume dowd gave it for the intent, Richards had both arms flailing and so could well have been going to block it. But it came off his leg.

The city pen claim early on should have been a pen.
 
Last edited:
The ref gave it so it's a penalty.

Like someone said on the Beeb site, if you're accidentally offside you're still offside, if you accidentally score a goal it's still a goal.
 
Its been a good game but I'm watching el Classico. Real should be 3 up by now.
 
fabs said:
Am I right in thinking that, if City score and it gets to the end of extra time as 3-3 on aggregate, away goals come into it? Or has it changed?
Click to expand...

Yup, you are correct. But it's irrelevant now as Liverpool are on their way to wembley.

Sweet
 
I quite enjoyed that as a neutral.

Thought the pen was harsh as it wasn't deliberate and City could have had one too.

Joe - PM me and I'll send you directions to Wembley.
 
BBC Radio 5 live football commentator Jacqui Oatley on Twitter: "I've just spoken to ex-top ref Alan Wiley. Says it should NOT have been a pen as Micah Richards couldn't have known the ball would pop up and hit his arm. But Wiley thinks Dowd gave it because he didn't see the ball hit Richards' leg as it happened so quickly."
 
dinners said:
I quite enjoyed that as a neutral.

Thought the pen was harsh as it wasn't deliberate and City could have had one too.

Joe - PM me and I'll send you directions to Wembley.
Click to expand...

:)

Actually I've been many times to see England!
 
The Barcelona v Real Madrid game is turning out to be a belter.....
 
It's hardly surprising that Phil Dowd is at the centre of refereeing controversy again. He's such a terrible ref I don't know how he's still in the job.

The highlights I saw didn't show the Man City claim for a penalty so I can't comment on that but certainly the one that was awarded was astonishingly harsh on city. Refereeing decisions really are shaping their season at the moment for all the wrong reasons, I can't help but feel really sorry for them!

Full credit to Liverpool for coming out and playing for goals and not resorting to the horrible stoke-esqu tactics they have done in the past, just a shame the win had to come about for them in the way it did.

Now to watch the barca v madrid highlights..I've heard good things so I can't wait!
 
TriggerHappy said:
Now to watch the barca v madrid highlights..I've heard good things so I can't wait!
Click to expand...

I'll not spoil it for you if you don't know the result Jamie but I get so annoyed watching Barcelona. :bang:

There 'antics' are cringe worthy at best and they really don't need to do it.

As for the Ref. You think ours are bad !
 
Last edited:
dinners said:
I'll not spoil it for you if you don't know the result Jamie but I get so annoyed watching Barcelona. :bang:

There 'antics' are cringe worthy at best and they really don't need to do it.

As for the Ref. You think ours are bad !
Click to expand...

What a game! Plenty of pansies on the pitch falling and rolling around but that's what I expect from el classico. A great exhibition of technical ability though and what a strike from alves!
 
pooley said:
Stratman - accidental handball doesn't count, it has to be a deliberate act. No doubting Liverpool were the better side but yet another game decided by a poor ref.
Click to expand...

I don't agree that the game was decided by the ref, if any one person decided the outcome of the match it was Joe Hart, without his excellent goalkeeping , Liverpool would have won by big margin.
 
Well done Liverpool, might see if I can get a ticket for the final, so what is the date of the final?
 
26th feb

and unless you have points from carling cup games you have been to I wouldn't fancy your chances of getting a ticket under £300 with 29,000 season ticket holders all going to be buying a ticket (if not for themselves, it will be for family/friends) they probably won't even all be able to get one due to X number being given to sponsors etc
 
Last edited:
joescrivens said:
26th feb

and unless you have points from carling cup games you have been to I wouldn't fancy your chances of getting a ticket under £300 with 29,000 season ticket holders all going to be buying a ticket (if not for themselves, it will be for family/friends) they probably won't even all be able to get one due to X number being given to sponsors etc
Click to expand...

Telly it is then Joe.. :D
 
Gerrard said:
Telly it is then Joe.. :D
Click to expand...

:)

It's the way it should be really, the fans who regularly go to the games should be the ones who are at the final, people who don't go and see the team but then all of a sudden want final tickets are not well received from the supporters :)
 
May be I should support another team then if thats the attitude, its not my fault if I live in another country lots of other teams wouldnt mind..
 
Gerrard said:
May be I should support another team then if thats the attitude, its not my fault if I live in another country lots of other teams wouldnt mind..
Click to expand...

it would make no difference what team you supported, its the same system and same thought with all teams that have a large fan base where ticket sales are hard to come by.

It's just something you have to accept. I'd love to go to the final too, but since I haven't been to a single CC game, I don't deserve to get a ticket.
 
I'm not saying that Liverpool didn't deserve the win, they were the better side, but how often does the better side not get what they deserve?
The fact is city were denied a stonewall pen early on then Liverpool dropped lucky with theirs. That's most likely a 2 goal swing! Or doesn't that make sense in stretford?
 
pooley said:
I'm not saying that Liverpool didn't deserve the win, they were the better side, but how often does the better side not get what they deserve?
The fact is city were denied a stonewall pen early on then Liverpool dropped lucky with theirs. That's most likely a 2 goal swing! Or doesn't that make sense in stretford?
Click to expand...

don't worry mate, at least you can concentrate on the PL now and stop manure from winning it! (y)
 
joescrivens said:
it would make no difference what team you supported, its the same system and same thought with all teams that have a large fan base where ticket sales are hard to come by.

It's just something you have to accept. I'd love to go to the final too, but since I haven't been to a single CC game, I don't deserve to get a ticket.
Click to expand...

You might not deserve a ticket but I do.. :D
 
pooley said:
I'm not saying that Liverpool didn't deserve the win, they were the better side, but how often does the better side not get what they deserve?
The fact is city were denied a stonewall pen early on then Liverpool dropped lucky with theirs. That's most likely a 2 goal swing! Or doesn't that make sense in stretford?
Click to expand...

Blah! Blah! Blah!....... heard it all before.....Man U get bad decisions too but what you seem to forget is that Man U have been the best team for 20 years and the others not so good, that makes a big difference when winning a match.

I am old enough to remember the Leeds & Liverpool sides of the 70's, both dominated and both were hated because other fans were jealous of their success. This continued in the 80's with Liverpool and Arsenal (late 80's) because they were the best teams and winning.

If city do win the PL then they will have been the best team.....not the team who has had the most luck, luck is swings and roundabouts in football.

The way some pundits and media say things like 'The game that changed the season' or 'the decision that changed the game' is all poppy cock. Most of it is to sensationalise something to get a reaction from their readers or viewers.

United getting beat 6-1 by city could in effect be their 'season changing game' if they go on to win the PL as it could be argued that it made Man U stronger and City a little to cocksure....see how you can alter things to suit an argument.

There is a study by some prof about this matter of 'game changing decisions' and he/she proved that the only things that effect the outcome of the match were the half time whistle and the full time whistle because everything else is governed by the rub of the green or bounce of the ball so to speak.
 
What a load of rubbish! Granted the best team will win the league and the worst get relegated, but the sheer inconsistency at the moment is frightening. Are you seriously suggesting the recent set of decisions over the last few weeks have been correct? Kompanys tackle follwed by the Glenn Johnson one? Howard Webb not seeing balotellis stamp (which I agree was deliberate) even though he's shown on telly looking at it from 5 yards? Lampards yellow card, saved because it's not in his nature (??) bartons red for a no contact head butt?

The reason united were hated in past years was due in large to the attitude of their armchair support who didn't even know how to get to the ground, much the same as the amount of rubbish spouted by new 'life long' Chelsea fans now. I'm 100% sure that if we get successful we'll suffer the same type of followers.

2 things need to happen soon - managers need to clamp down in their own players antics, ie diving, play acting etc (never going to happen is it?) and the refs need further support either in the way if a 2nd ref to keep up with play or video assistance.

As for a professors research, not worth the paper it's written on. How can you possibly predict an outcome on what could gave been? That's like saying if Lampards goal against Germany in the world cup. Only mystic meg can predict the future that accurately...
 
Managers always blame the ref for some perceived error when they lose.

They never seem to mention their £25M, £200k per week striker hoofing it over the bar from two yards as a factor.
 
Pooley, if you concentrate on Howard Webb's movement regarding the Balotelli incident, you will see that he was following the ball and turned his head a fraction of a second later towards the crumbling striker and pointed out that he was aware that there was a collision but did not see the actual event. Remember that Gary Neville is paid to sensationalise events so that they seem more interesting.

Also regarding the professors paper, he/she said exactly that....nothing can predict what is a game changing event...only the whistles for the end of each half....you just need to able to grasp the interpretation of it.

Managers won't tell their players to stop play acting because it is professional sport and they get paid to win. Video evidence is sometimes inconclusive....where do we go then....lie detectors?

Many rules/laws are at the discretion of the refs interpretation of such laws. What you call a foul some other ref may not.
 
Agreed. I think Webb was following the line of the ball when the stamp actually happened.

balotelli-stamp-parker.jpg


Then glanced back

2akmjrb.jpg
 
So FA cup then

By all accounts Watford were a tad unfortunate tonight against Spurs although I'm only going by what I've read.

Pleased to see that Everton (I've a lot of time for David Moyes) came from behind against Fulham.
 
Last edited:
Tomorrow - Liverpool V United I'm not that confident if I'm honest although Ref Mark Halsey is replacing the injured Martin Atkinson which can't be a bad thing LOL

Liverpool are becoming akin to the United "Game-Raiser" sides of the 80's at the moment in that they can put in a performance against the top sides then flop back down to mediocrity against the sides they would be expected to beat.

No Vidic obviously but perhaps no Ferdinand, Jones, Nani, Young, Rooney, Anderson and Carrick too. Not sure about Park but we may need him if we're down to the old legs of Giggs and Scholes.

Amos, Fryers, Cole and Diouf named in the squad but I'd like to see Pogba get a game. Regardelss of who we can play I'll take a draw but don't really need another fixture.

Looking forward to it regardless and lets hope the normal level of bile (whether Evra plays or not) isn't increased following the Suarez case.
 
Last edited:
You'd think that this was the perfect game for Carroll to play and destroy a dodgy United back line, but you wouldn't really bet on him even playing, would you?
 
Peter B said:
You'd think that this was the perfect game for Carroll to play and destroy a dodgy United back line, but you wouldn't really bet on him even playing, would you?
Click to expand...

This game is tailor made for Carroll and (all things considered) having sat out the City game it would be the final admission of failure if he doesn't 'thrive' yet alone feature.

Based on who is available and the way the teams are placed - I either expect 70 yard 'Holdwood' Adam passes to Carroll (which I can see us struggling with) or just a silly mad hustle and bustle game where we're over run in midfield.

As far as the big picture is concerened - If the League Cup and a good result tomorrow keeps KKKenny at the helm I'm happy.

To be honest It's been a while since I've expected less from an Anfield fixture but I'll be in hospital tomorrow so wont be down there. I'll miss out on Evra chants and being pelted with excrement which is no loss but I'll be at OT for the league game !
 
Last edited:
It's the usual united pre match mind games, I expect Rooney and jones to both start, miraculously.

Really hoping to stuff a load past united, but inconsistent form with Liverpool is so rife. Who knows what will happen.
 
Joe, are we having a virtual real ale pint bet on the match?

Maybe we could do this every Saturday and pick a random fixture when it is not Utd v Li'pool and play for that pint, winner is the most pints by the end of the FA cup final.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top