Tackles, balls and Seaman - The footie thread

[MadmanDan]

Crap! Oh well...6 points in front ain't bad...

[Shoco]

Crap! Oh well...6 points in front ain't bad...

were in abeeter positin now than the start of the weekend

still 6 points clear, goal difference has improved by one over chelsea, and one game less to play 

[Judge Dredd]

^ Still got trips to Anfield, Stamford Bridge and worst part of north London though.

What am I saying, that should be at least 9 points.

[Danny Top Hat]

I was there.  I can honestly say i've never been happier at a football match - I was delirious after Henry's goal, hugging strangers, etc..  What a result!  VP's goal was quality (especially after that flick from Henry).  Man U got what they deserved for shamelessly trying to waste time after their goal, they were pretty poor today to be honest.

Unfortunately Liverpool won as well this weekend but the top 4 looks very interesting at the moment.  We've now done the treble over Liverpool and the double over Man U this season.

[Shoco]

We've now done the treble over Liverpool and the double over Man U this season.

and yest you still trail both teams

[Danny Top Hat]

Yes, yes, that was too easy.

Arsenal and Liverpool both had terrible starts to the season because we weren't quite ready.? I don't see any reason why we can't challenge Man U and Chelsea for the league next season (though those who say we can do it this season are wishful thinkers).? Arsenal at full strength are just as good as the top 2 imo, if not better.? We're still in 3 competitions, including the big one, so i'm feeling pretty optimistic at the moment.? Another strong Champions League could well be on the cards.

[Shoco]

Yes, yes, that was too easy.

Arsenal and Liverpool both had terrible starts to the season because we weren't quite ready.  I don't see any reason why we can't challenge Man U and Chelsea for the league next season (though those who say we can do it this season are wishful thinkers).  Arsenal at full strength are just as good as the top 2 imo, if not better.  We're still in 3 competitions, including the big one, so i'm feeling pretty optimistic at the moment.  Another strong Champions League could well be on the cards.

wasnt that the feeling at the start of this season, that arsenal would compete this season, and liverpool were second favourites behind chelsea

[Danny Top Hat]

No, everyone thought Chelsea would walk it again.

[Judge Dredd]

No, everyone thought Chelsea would walk it again.

Exactement, as The Professor would say.

Losing the influence and experience of Bergkamp, Pires and Campbell was always going to hurt us this season, added to the fact we had more players than any other in the Premiership in the World Cup.

It always takes players time to recover from that, unless of course you are English.

[Izzy]

from www.bbc.co.uk
Baros, who signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at the Stade Gerland, admitted talking to Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho after the goalless Premiership game at Villa Park on 2 January.

"We just spoke about the match. Just after the game in the tunnel he told me that he wanted me to join the team and asked me if I was interested. I told him so. But it did not happen in the end."

Surely thats tapping up a player?

[Danny Top Hat]

Yeah it is, but...Baros?

[Judge Dredd]

Spurs 2 Arsenal's Kids 2

To quote one particular part of Shite Hart Lane tonight:- "2-0 and you f**ked it up!"

Martin Jol should be England manager, full of negativity.

Paul Robinson? England's Number 1?

[Jim]

Cor, you must be an embarrasement to your neutral friends, if you have any.

Neutrals, I mean, sincerely.

Good match, and while it's not ideal I won't be bothered about going into the Emirates leg with a score draw. Had we won then you would put out your first team.

Get a clue, realize that you clearly have a superior squad to us, and start bragging about things worth bragging about. 

[Danny Top Hat]

A couple of brilliant substitutions saved us a lot of embarassment today.  Eboue was immense when he came on - if he and Hleb hadn't both got injured we might have stolen a win in the last few minutes.  I'm so glad Baptista is starting to score goals because he can look very iffy at times, luckily he managed to redeem himself today.  Fabregas was superb throughout but Walcott looked poor again (don't forget he's still just a kid).

As for Tottenham - they simply ran out of steam in the second half and maybe assumed that the win was already in the bag.  It was a blow for them to lose Berbatov early on because Robbie Keane never looked threatening to me.  Lennon clearly has a lot of skill but needs to grow a brain if he is ever going to live up to his obvious potential and, although I have always liked Robinson, i'm starting to think more and more that he's a pretty poor first choice for England as his errors are becoming more and more frequent.  I think Almunia is elegable to play for England so maybe he's the answer - what do you think Jimbo?

[Jim]

Oh behave yourself. I'm a huge Robinson fan, and while he's made a few rash decisions in his time (... because Lemon never has.............................................................), he's still a great keeper and is yet to actually embarrass himself.

I was thinking last night though, Fabregas and Lennon are good examples of youngsters with potential from our country and youngsters with potential from the continent, eh? Lennon keeps his head down and gets on with it, while every time the referee blows the whistle, for whatever reason, the expression on Fabregas' face makes him almost as smackable as Robbie Savage. As good as he is, he's still a little shit.

As for Lennon growing a brain...

... Behave yourself. Come on, it's not like he's orchestrating play from the middle of the park, he isn't supposed to be the brains behind the opperation. What his problems ar,e though he has vastly improved since last season, is his final ball at times isn't always the greatest and that he tends to disappear towards the end of the game.

[Izzy]

Oh behave yourself. I'm a huge Robinson fan, and while he's made a few rash decisions in his time (... because Lemon never has.............................................................), he's still a great keeper and is yet to actually embarrass himself.

yet to embarrass himself???

[Judge Dredd]

Oh behave yourself. I'm a huge Robinson fan, and while he's made a few rash decisions in his time (... because Lemon never has.............................................................), he's still a great keeper and is yet to actually embarrass himself.

Peter Shilton and Gordon Banks were great keepers.

Paul Robinson is little more than mediocre. Yet to embarass himself? Did you not see the England game in Croatia? And as for his positioning last night for Arsenal's equaliser, Martin Jol ought to have had him shot on the spot.

[Jim]

Did you not see the England game in Croatia?

Embarrasing? As I said, if it's embarrasement that you're after then look no further than yourself when you're around neutral friends. Seriously. Croatia, ha! I just don't get it. Point a) you should never pass directly towards the goal unless you can avoid it, Gary Neville, and point b) it's not like he sliced the ball. He went to kick it and the dodgy pitch meant that it jumped over his foot. Unavoidable! What should he have done you goalkeeping expert you, pick it up ( ) or control it, thereby taking the power away from the kick ( )?

This country. 

[Izzy]

You dont consider the sad reality Robinson conceeds more goals from outside the box than any other Premiership keeper 'embarrasing'?

[Shoco]

^^ i dont think anyone who supports liverpool can call anyones elses goalkeeper embarrasing