Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:11 pm  

Liverpool have the momentum, City have the overall class, chelsea have the points in the bag. Arsenal, although mathmatically are still in there, you just think nah, not gonna happen.

All teams have tough games. Not just playing title rivals away/home, but games against teams near the bottom that will scrap and take points off these teams when you least expect it.

All things considered, with the points in the bag and an experienced manager at the helm with experienced players in the team, my money would still be on chelsea to see this through and take the title.

Mourinho's played a blinder so far this season.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:14 pm  

Roddy B wrote:

Let's be honest, LGJM, you were fortunate you played us a couple of days after playing City away (who we gave a very good game and probably could have beat). Also, we had a transparent penalty not given against your lot after Eto'o's trip, so that result could have been completely different too.

Arsenal in the cup, again, we played pretty well but never seemed 100% committed to winning that tie. We tried towards the end but it's clear where our focus has been this year and the results are showing.

As for us always producing a shocker every time we've looked like a possible title bid, the irony isn't lost on me after your game yesterday. Yes, you're on top of the league, but it's highly likely that City will surpass you once they play their games in hand, and you'll be only one point ahead of us if we win ours. Considering we've produced so many shockers, how are you not light years ahead of us?

For the record. I don't think we'll win the league, the fact we're amongst it all speaks volumes about how much we've come on this year, but titles are won with strength in depth and, despite us looking near enough fully fit now, I don't think ours is deep/strong enough. Would love to be proven wrong. Love it.

I don't think it's a given once city have played their games in hand they will go above chelsea. People seem to assume the game sin hand automatically = points in the bag. But city have shown a propensity for silly results this season, and with kompany suspended and that pony tail guy at the back and i think they will likely drop points. But I guess with GD they would need 6 points from the 9.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:32 pm  

FlexWheeler wrote:

I don't think it's a given once city have played their games in hand they will go above chelsea. People seem to assume the game sin hand automatically = points in the bag. But city have shown a propensity for silly results this season, and with kompany suspended and that pony tail guy at the back and i think they will likely drop points. But I guess with GD they would need 6 points from the 9.

I wasn't saying it's guaranteed, but City are more than likely to win a game than lose/draw, their results in the league have shown that this season so it's safe to assume they'll win. If they drop points it will be considered a shock, and I'm not saying City will win every game from now and the end of the season, just that they're likely to have more points than Chelsea after games in hand are played.

You are right about them without Kompany, and my City supporting mate says they're crying out for Aguero back fit, so we'll see. If City drop points I don't mind as any of the top sides improves our chances, but I'm not buying this only Chelsea/City have shown this year they can win the league, when neither have broke away comfortably like so many other champions have done.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:52 pm  

Dita's Slot Meter wrote:

You would hate it??... Why?? - Because two clubs with far more tradition and history than you, would finally have caught up with buy-the-title types like Chelsea and City?

That's the claim that scousers and gooners would say. But the fact I don't have similar resentment to Man United shows this isn't the case.

They have far more tradition and history mainly because they had significantly richer owners than everyone else at earlier points in their history, but because of the passage of time these facts have been practically ignored and replaced by the myth that they have great histories because they are truly great.

If you're ever unfortunate to read some deluded scouser they'll insist that Mourinho is a terrible manager who is just lucky to be at clubs with billions to spend. He's nothing compared to a great like Bill Shankly. But if you actually look at Bill Shankly's career that accusation looks a lot more suitable for him than it does Mourinho.

The reason I'd hate it is that I hate Liverpool and Arsenal fans more than I hate any others. I know that virtually every supporter around the world that has latched on to us is a glory supporter and I admit that. But half the Liverpool and Arsenal fans are just the same. Everyone knows that, but those lovers won't admit it.

Personally, I think it will be great for the game if Arsenal or Liverpool do it (though I don't think they will), simply because it will prove that you can't just buy a league with a rich, sugar-daddy owner in tow, and that steady investment over a few years can eventually reap dividends.

It won't prove that anyway. It will prove that anyone can win the league when all the top sides drops significantly and have new managers.

I think Arsenal or Liverpool winning the league would prove to be as meaningful as Leeds United's First Division title win under Howard Wilkinson.

And personally I know that having a rich owner who wants to spend money at a club is a lot better than having a billionaire owner at a club who's sole interest in the club is how much richer the club can make him.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:17 am  

Roddy B wrote:

Let's be honest, LGJM, you were fortunate you played us a couple of days after playing City away (who we gave a very good game and probably could have beat). Also, we had a transparent penalty not given against your lot after Eto'o's trip, so that result could have been completely different too.

I agree that the scheduling helped our league victory, along with the absence of Aguero. But I would point out that virtually every journo, and most "neutral", thought that we were going to Manchester to get an absolute hiding. We were supposedly going to go there and "park the bus" and we were going to fail and get smacked like every other club had before.

Eto'o's trip was utterly stupid and unbelievable. But cry me a ****ing river. Your vampire bit our player and got away with it. He then scored an equaliser in the 7th minute of injury time, which was given mainly because of all of YOUR time wasting nonsense. So forgive me for not caring that we got away with Eto'o's stupidity and the fact that Suarez was launched 6ft foot in the air and almost killed by a coming together.

Arsenal in the cup, again, we played pretty well but never seemed 100% committed to winning that tie. We tried towards the end but it's clear where our focus has been this year and the results are showing.

Agreed. And you also had an even more blatant penalty denied. And Suarez managed to milk that even more than he'd tried to milk the collision at Chelsea.

But the fact is still that you murdered them in the league and then went out in the cup. And you had lost against every big side every time you'd gone away (apart from Tottenham, who had even bigger issues than you).

As for us always producing a shocker every time we've looked like a possible title bid, the irony isn't lost on me after your game yesterday.

We didn't play that well yesterday, but we were in control of the game and would have probably won had Foy not desperately wanted to send off Willian. If Foy had been in charge at Old Trafford today and thrown cards around like Foy then your game today would have been abandoned. And that's a FACHT, as a fat **** once said.

Yes, you're on top of the league, but it's highly likely that City will surpass you once they play their games in hand,

Which is what Mourinho has been saying every effing week since we managed to get to the top of the table. And every week there has been whining and bitching from Liverpool and Arsenal fans saying that Jose was lying and ridiculing him over it.

No one knows when Man City are even going to be able to play their games in hand. They've got two games in hand with no re-arranged dates yet.

and you'll be only one point ahead of us if we win ours. Considering we've produced so many shockers, how are you not light years ahead of us?

Because we have that 50m shower of ***** and an OAP leading the line for us. And because the times when you've actually really been regarded as proper title candidates have actually been very rare.

For the record. I don't think we'll win the league, the fact we're amongst it all speaks volumes about how much we've come on this year, but titles are won with strength in depth and, despite us looking near enough fully fit now, I don't think ours is deep/strong enough. Would love to be proven wrong. Love it.

I don't think you've come on anywhere near as much as Liverpool fans and the media claim. You've benefited from even more improvement from Suarez. You've benefited from Sturridge linking up and forming a great strike partnership with him(I told you he was good at the beginning of the season, when you were wanting someone else brought in above him if Suarez did go). You've benefited from having no commitments in Europe, and going out of the cups pretty quickly.

But personally I think this is a false dawn for you similar to Benitez's title challenge. I think Brenton's getting massively overhyped and I think he'll end up crashing and burning.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:25 am  

FlexWheeler wrote:

Liverpool have the momentum, City have the overall class, chelsea have the points in the bag. Arsenal, although mathmatically are still in there, you just think nah, not gonna happen.

All teams have tough games. Not just playing title rivals away/home, but games against teams near the bottom that will scrap and take points off these teams when you least expect it.

All things considered, with the points in the bag and an experienced manager at the helm with experienced players in the team, my money would still be on chelsea to see this through and take the title.

Mourinho's played a blinder so far this season.

I think we can win it. I think it's between us and Man City, but the pessimist in me thinks of us carrying Torres and Eto'o and I don't think we can.

I do think there will still be a fair amount of points dropped by all sides. I think way too many people look at a fixture list, predict 12 victories in a row and forget just how rarely things like that happen.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Mon Mar 17, 2014 6:31 am  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

No one knows when Man City are even going to be able to play their games in hand. They've got two games in hand with no re-arranged dates yet.

United next week
Sunderland 16th April
Villa 7th May

Our away fixtures are Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Palace, Everton. Palace will be scrapping for survival, we have a shocking record at Goodison.

IF City do win the league it will almost certainly be at the death having spent just a few days in first place.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Mon Mar 17, 2014 7:32 pm  

The EU and US are targeting wealthy and influential Russian businessmen, freezing bank accounts and imposing travel bans - I understand Chelsea's owner is a good friend of Mr Putin and he's certainly wealthy, so maybe the money flow down at Stamford Bridge might have to go on hold, if they carry out their threats?....

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Mon Mar 17, 2014 10:41 pm  

Dita's Slot Meter wrote:

The EU and US are targeting wealthy and influential Russian businessmen, freezing bank accounts and imposing travel bans - I understand Chelsea's owner is a good friend of Mr Putin and he's certainly wealthy, so maybe the money flow down at Stamford Bridge might have to go on hold, if they carry out their threats?....

No doubt Uli Hoeness would be getting his buddy Michel Platini to lobby the Yanks to include Abramovich on the hit list, if only the tax evader wasn't getting ready to go to jail.

So that's Bayern Munich and Barcelona who have been busted for cheating governments out of taxes. But obviously they'll be far more trustworthy over their FFP accounts, won't they?

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:25 pm  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

No doubt Uli Hoeness would be getting his buddy Michel Platini to lobby the Yanks to include Abramovich on the hit list, if only the tax evader wasn't getting ready to go to jail.

So that's Bayern Munich and Barcelona who have been busted for cheating governments out of taxes. But obviously they'll be far more trustworthy over their FFP accounts, won't they?

I think we all know the game is corrupt to the core, especially at the very top - It will be interesting to see how far the Western governments go with their sanctions.

Putting high profile individuals like Abramovich on any list seems quite a possibility, seeing as modern day leaders like Obama, Cameron, etc seem to love the tactic of gesture politics - Targeting the Chelsea owner would certainly ruffle feathers.

I know its all conjecture, but it would be interesting to see how a business like Chelsea would run with its owner under some sort of asset freeze.