Arsenal being a bit spursy these days, even wearing white now 😂
I’ve mentioned it on the footy threads before but I have a running joke with my City supporting mate where I bet on 5-0 whenever they play lower league teams or relegation zone teams. I then text him just after half time and ask him if he can get them to stop at five
It’s paid out so many times. It paid out again today but it was only 9/1, which reflects how often they do it
Anyway… tomorrow night to look forward to, married to an ABU from Wigan. No prizes for guessing who she’s bet on. She rarely gets things wrong. It’s going to be a long 90 minutes
Well this was a bit special - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/67907056
Bamford's goal was rather special. I'll admit I've watched it about 20 times! Leeds avoiding a 3rd round slip up to a lower league side is a very un-Leeds thing to do...
Is Havertz actually allergic to hitting the ball first time?
He’s so inexplicably overrated I’m surprised we didn’t sign him 😂
Chelsea sold you Mount instead 😀
And nobody is going to want to Visit Rwanda
Correct. Its like a team being sponsored by the tourist board of Barrow on Furness... "Visit Barrow".
Not much out there in January which doesn’t involve a massive fee, although I expect United will sign a 35 year old striker well past his best.
Problem for Arteta is where does he play Jesus if they sign for example Toney, given Saka is guaranteed to play wide right?
Havertz's problem seems to be that he plays believing that that he has to look graceful on the ball and that he has read all that flowery "he passed the ball into the net" stuff, where a good old first time thump might well have better results. In fact for most of this season the Arsenal frontline appear infected by a recurrence of Wenger-itis which demands we walk the ball into the net or only score good looking goals.
Havertz was infuriating yesterday. A total waste of money and offers nothing to the team. That was the 4th game I've watched all season and we've lost all four. Exactly the reason I'm a terrible fan and hardly ever watch us live. We're now exactly where we belong in the league and will finish 4th at best, but I think 5th is more likely. We have a good chance against Porto in the CL but that's as far as we will go. Another wonderful trophyless season beckons.
I think Arsenal did a little too well last season so expectations are high, a bit like Newcastle. Man City are just so dominant that it takes an awful lot to challenge them. Just look at Liverpool, they've been pushing City close for years but still only have one Premier League trophy to show for it. I think Arsenal are doing well and are on the right track but it will still take another season or so for Arteta to get them to the next level to challenge City
Problem for Arteta is where does he play Jesus if they sign for example Toney, given Saka is guaranteed to play wide right?
Saka clearly needs to be rested, Jesus would allow that as well as giving cover for an out and out striker like Toney. I think Jesus is actually more effective on the right than he is as a striker, and he can also play on the left so I think he would get plenty of minutes, he just wouldn't be named on the team sheet when Arteta wanted to put out his strongest team.
Toney doesn't look likely in this transfer window, but I do think the gooners should put an offer in that makes Brentford think about it, they really need a striker desperately and Toney would score lots more with a team of that quality.
That's another very sad loss. He's off to man-mark Sir Bobby in the eternal match.
Another wonderful trophyless season beckons.
To be fair, the supporters of most teams have to cope with this year in, year out.
Too young to see him play but obviously a legend, in the true sense of the word. RIP.
Re Arsenal form, pre City hoovering up 90 plus points each season I think has distorted things - used to be accepted that even the top teams would have a sticky run, most seasons the league was won with five or six losses. Couple of losses now and toys are out the pram.
There are only three people who have won the WC as player and coach.
Mario Zagallo (BRA) who died on Friday
Franz Beckenbauer (GER) who died today
Didier Deschamps (FRA) who is currently shitting himself.
I don’t know if my marriage will survive tonight’s match.
Why? You seem to dislike Man U as much as any Wigan fan does
You’re confusing dislike with despair
Isn't Manchester a suburb of Wigan?
Wigan is an independent nation state
Cripes. City. In Ange we trust.
Cheer up - at least you won't be knocked out by Maidenhead....
Leeds have a home tie for the first time in 14 FA cup games 😀
Leeds have a home tie for the first time in 14 FA cup games
Sure you all find something else to moan about....
Re the League.....I think we have to give Klopp a lot of credit for the revamp of the team especially the midfield - it was overdue a renewal but he seems to have assembled and blended the replacements in short order
There’s definitely more dynamism, now Henderson and Fabinho have left. Still think they need a proper physical number 6, Endo seems a bit of a stop gap but has done well and Mac Allister is better further forward.
Cripes. City. In Ange we trust.
5 Games, 5 wins, 7 goals scored, 0 conceded against City at our new stadium. Easy!*
* if we had Son playing, which we won't!
True. We haven't done badly at Etihad either (overall). Ok .... bring it on!
Will you have Timo ‘the goal machine’ Werner by then? He’s great 😂🤣😂🤣😂🥲
Think that's just waiting on his medical so hopefully.
With luck we will have the Dragon in to bolster our CBs too, however levy has many ways to f'up a transfer window so who knows!'
Neil, I was being ironic! 😉
All sounds a bit odd, council subsidising club
Unless you’re Real Madrid or Barcelona
They’ve always been massively bankrolled by their respective city authorities
Yes Watty, but if Ange wants him, you watch, he's gonna win the golden boot!
I'm not sure what is going on with that park. I suspect it's Enfield being accommodating, recognising the club brings a lot of money to the Borough. The complete opposite of Harringey who remain less than helpful despite the huge sums the stadium, shop, and hotel generate. (Hotel at planning stage)
Unless you’re Real Madrid or Barcelona
They’ve always been massively bankrolled by their respective city authorities
Although boris at least matched their corruption in his deal for the London stadium with west ham.
Not on the same scale but the towns I've lived in most, Middlesbrough and Doncaster, both had new stadia built by the council, thought it was the way it was done outside the top 10 or so clubs.
Well done boro. Got something to hang onto.
Think as long as Chelsea sign Mbappe they still have a chance of making the final 🤣
Re West ham and the Olympic stadium, it definitely felt underhand but who bribed who I'm not sure! As I spurs fan it has all worked out very well and wet spam have a long lease on a stadium that is awful for football while spurs have a world leading multi event venue. However a decade ago it felt frustrating. Spurs were still stuck battling the council and the family run sheet metal business the other side of the Paxton road from the old ground who did not wish to sell. Prospects of developing the ground seemed unclear to poor and the previously pursued alternative fallen through years before (a move to Enfield, new stadium built in partnership with a welcoming local council and a part of the bid for...errr... World athletics championship iirc, it would also house the athletics). The Olympic stadium seemed a solution although not super appealing and definitely not as it was with the athletics track. Spurs submitted what I thought was a very clever bid. They proposed to remove the running track, dig down deeper for a lower pitch level, increasing the capacity and bringing the seats to the pitch. If you've been there you'll know the track is already below ground level, the stadium being a bowl in the ground. Spurs proposed to remove the upper tier of the stadium (built to accommodate just this as the Olympic Committee didn't want a white elephant 85k capacity stadium half used). The upper tier was designed to be reused elsewhere to make a new stadium of 15k or 20k. Spurs proposed using it at the existing home of athletics, crystal palace, to refurbish/rebuild the decaying facilities there. Seemed to me a far better idea than what we have now.... CP athletics stadium literally falling down, the national sports centre a poor facility, and West ham playing football miles from the nearest seat. I'm sure there were bribes to get the West ham bid through and it felt wrong at the time. All turned out much better for spurs a few years later.... it just took a mysterious and catastrophic fire at the sheet metal business....
MSP
Full Member
Unless you’re Real Madrid or BarcelonaThey’ve always been massively bankrolled by their respective city authorities
Although boris at least matched their corruption in his deal for the London stadium with west ham.
Appreciating it's not exactly documentary, but in Twenty Twelve the BBC show, it rather insinuated Spurs et al didn't want the London stadium, and West Ham getting it was just the only team they could persuade to take the damn thing?
Possibly. Although my feeling at the time was Levy/Enic were (rightly) focused on an improved stadium, old whl had a capacity of 36k and very little scope for further development. Enic had come in recognising the facilities did not match the club's ambition and were a restriction. Modern stadia were appearing including the Library at Drayton Park just a couple of miles away. Spurs badly needed the stadium to be improved. Although the fans were very against a move to Stratford enic put together a clever proposal that overcame the big issue of the track/ maintain a legacy for athletics/ get seats close to the pitch. I think it was a very serious bid
West ham did very well out the deal financially, getting the Olympic stadium for a steal and then permission to build housing at Upton Park, plus their council were keen to keep them local recognising the money they bring in. As I said earlier, Haringey don't seem to see spurs as an asset and do f' all to accommodate the club.
I felt Olympic Committee/gov got persuaded by brown envelopes from West ham an their council but perhaps I'm very misguided.
I am not bitter though, as its worked out so well for spurs.
