I've a horrible feeling that Arsenal will get overhauled - again. They seemed very tired at the end against Wolves.
Surely all we’re now missing is Arteta doing this just prior to the Citeh match?
Yep, or a Benitez type ‘facts’ rant! I remember a few snide comments from Arteta last season about Liverpool’s points tally, looks like Arsenal will do well to get near it on current form.
That said I think Arsenal are still favourites. City are good but haven’t got the same aura now, like when they used to win 12 on the bounce.
City are good but haven’t got the same aura now, like when they used to win 12 on the bounce.
They have the best goalkeeper and the best striker in the league, and importantly not a striker that seems particularly fragile (I know has had injuries but is not injury prone)
They've just signed the best centre back in the league in Guehi, Semenyo is a great buy as well, Cherki and Silva, Foden..... Individually they may not all have 'done it' before but collectively City have won so much, they don't get the same fear. They're where they are without being great and I suspect will get stronger from here. Arsenal are treading water, if not starting to sink.
City have a problem playing well for 90 minutes. Sometimes it looks like a totally different team is playing in the second half such is the loss of control and inability to make simple passes. Some have said that the drop off in goalkeeper playing out skill between Ederson and Donnaruma is a big factor and I can see that but I reckon that Donna have saved 10+ goals in all comps so it is a trade off that I can accept.
I do expect City to gel better as the Summer and january signings bed in but fear that too many games may result in a league challenge petering out.
Football is brilliant, Scottish Championship gold here.
Watch: Comedy miss as leaders St Johnstone held by Raith Rovers - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/videos/cvg89k1g18no
Football is brilliant, NZ gold here
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1rahuo3/great_own_goal_in_the_new_zealand_derby/
Superb, you won't see a more commited hoof up the park. If only the keeper has taken half a step back it would've smashed him in the coupon and prevented the goal!
Why the disdain for Brighton by MOTD? Brighton ended their run of 12 games without a win (and 3 games without scoring!) against a team near the top of the league, they played pretty well - but none of this was worthy of a single comment - their entire commentary was about Milner, not about the actual game. Dire! I don’t get it 🤷♂️🤦🏻♂️
Football is brilliant, NZ gold here
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1rahuo3/great_own_goal_in_the_new_zealand_derby/
It gets b̶e̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ worse:
Squeaky bum time in north London then?
Would it the Spursiest thing ever to beat Arsenal to scupper their title challenge (then go on to lose every game for the rest of the season)?
They certainly need the points because Forest could go level with them on points if this scoreline stays like this, and Forest look more like scoring than Liverpool.
Definitely squeaky bum time in Glasgow now. Or more accurately ya boo time as the entitled old ladies fans girn every time another team has the temerity to take points of them.
Yeah, great day for Hearts, especially as they play each other next week. It’s great the fear factor in playing them is dissipating, but maybe just because they’re pretty poor. Might Motherwell muscle in to race as well?
I think Motherwell are too far out of it but they'll definitely have an impact, especially post split. And it's not impossible that they could finish a bit higher.
This Celtic team has definitely lost their air of invincibility, players are underperforming or past their peak. They've lost two finals in a row which is unheard of in this era. Hearts biggest problem now might be suspensions and injuries but you'd rather be in their position.
Why the disdain for Brighton by MOTD? Brighton ended their run of 12 games without a win (and 3 games without scoring!) against a team near the top of the league, they played pretty well - but none of this was worthy of a single comment - their entire commentary was about Milner, not about the actual game. Dire! I don’t get it 🤷♂️🤦🏻♂️
MOTD is no longer relevant. You want highlights - get on Youtube an hour after the match to watch the Sky/TNT ones. MOTD was dying anyway - I know one person who watches it on iplayer and thats it. The new personnel on it have made it even worse. We've gone from the dream team of Micah Richards, Alan Shearer, even Ashley Williams and Linekar to Dalglish's daughter, Danny Murphy and Roonpig.
Sky/TNT highlights = Deliveroo/Just Eat
MOTD = calling your local takeaway, explaining to someone with little English what you want to order for 20 minutes, your food arrives and its the wrong thing and your card has been charged twice so you need to call them back and kick off.
Situation at Celtic is dire and deeply rooted in poor management of the club at levels above manager of the first team.. Having botched transfer dealings over a number of years the board should have anticipated that Rogers would leave. They didn't. They then tried to publicly humiliate him. They brought in Wilfrid Nancy who may have had good sound management skills and tactical ideas but clearly had no idea of the kind of environment he was coming in to . So Nancy gets the sack O'Neil comes back in and the same board that botched transfer deals over a number of years botches another transfer window. No surprise given the previous history and the fact that it's now obvious Celtic is a club in turmoil and not an attractive place for any players or managers looking to build their careers It's a shit show which is likely to get worse unless Dermot Desmond the major shareholder sells up or has a complete change of style
Why the disdain for Brighton by MOTD? Brighton ended their run of 12 games without a win (and 3 games without scoring!) against a team near the top of the league, they played pretty well - but none of this was worthy of a single comment - their entire commentary was about Milner, not about the actual game. Dire! I don’t get it 🤷♂️🤦🏻♂️
Saw the same with Leeds earlier in the season when we lost at Arsenal. I'm pretty sure there was no mention of our team during the whole discussion, just Arsenal. I'm not one for sticking the boot in but it was very noticeable.
We've gone from the dream team of Micah Richards, Alan Shearer, even Ashley Williams and Linekar to Dalglish's daughter, Danny Murphy and Roonpig.
Her name is Kelly Cates. Gabby Logan (Terry Yorath’s daughter, for you, btw) also helps out.
The BBC highlights on their app are much longer than the Sky/TNT you tube ones. I think they’ve put them on the app too early, I find I’m watching them there rather than on MOTD. I like a bit of punditry and the female presenters are decent.
Monday night tedium.
, Alan Shearer, even Ashley Williams and Linekar to Dalglish's daughter, Danny Murphy and Roonpig.
Sky/TNT highlights = Deliveroo/Just Eat
MOTD = calling your local takeaway, explaining to someone with little English what you want to order for 20 minutes, your food arrives and its the wrong thing and your card has been charged twice so you need to call them back and kick
Did you give your little lady the night off?
Monday night tedium.
Hardly a classic, was it? Three points though and the unbeaten run continues.
I’m deeply suspicious and waiting for the inevitable foot-shooting that tends to occur when we’re on a roll
Having skilfully avoided Europe by failing to beat Spurs - Spurs!!! - and going out the domestic cups at the earliest possible stage, it’s really hard to see them not getting one of the five CL spots, especially with Chelsea and Liverpool’s inconsistency and cup games. Much more time to rest and prepare and Amorim’s signings are looking decent now!
Deary me, this team punchbag should not be playing in the Champions League.
Indeed. Norway have a cracking international team at the moment.
Deary me, this team punchbag should not be playing in the Champions League.
Most of the teams shouldn't be in the "Champions" league.
The corporate conglomerates league doesn't have the same ring to it though.
Deary me, this team punchbag should not be playing in the Champions League.
Qarabag, champions of Azerbaijan? Or Newcastle, champions of the Carabao Cup?
Bodo! What a story.
Daughter visited Bodo for a gymnastics event a couple of years ago and loved it there*, so been interesting seeing what the team has achieved.
* was midsummer rather than midwinter, to be fair.
An unexpectedly spicy ending to the Celtic v the other Glasgow team.
Missed all the carry on after the final whistle as I had to go to work. I would have taken the draw had you offered me it before kick off. At half time I would have bitten your hand off , second half transformation means Hearts are the real winners today
Will it be the same again next week, with I think 3 x as many Celtic fans in the stadium because of Scottish Cup rules for away fans?
We’re up to 3rd, above Villa. 😳
I definitely didn’t see that coming when Carrick took over. I doubt anyone else did either.
And just for added comedy points, Spurs lost again. Are they officially in a relegation scrap now?
Classic handbags stuff at the end of the Glasgow derby. Great weekend for Hearts.
And Motherwell! Odds on the Old Firm finishing 3rd and 4th? Unthinkable a few months ago, a distinct possibility now.
Good to see this in the Stretford End today. Apt in a week where Manchester told Reform to **** right off!
Arne Slot doing his best for 80 minutes to make a league he finds boring even duller. Lively last 15 minutes though, and an unwanted record for the most injury time defeats!
Another interesting couple of days then. Man Utd's unbeaten run had to come to an end at some point. But I didn't imagine it would be to a Will Osula wonder goal, those are words that don't get said very often.
Liverpool managed to blow it again, and the sides in and around Wolves must be looking around nervously. I don't think they're out of it completely.
They're starting to get results at just the right time, although 40 points is usually said as the safe number 36 is actually more like it. They'd need 6 wins from 8, put another way to double their current points tally but when you look at who they have to play...Burnley, Leeds, West Ham, Spurs, Fulham, Sunderland, Brighton and Brentford...unlikely but not impossible.
And in the race at the top to be marginally less rubbish than the other team, Woolwich Setpieces open up a gap again thanks to City's firm belief that points should be awarded at half time.
As a Gooner I am becoming ever more interested in the position of our near neighbours, especially when you look at their remaining fixtures. They’ll never fill that stadium in the Championship.
As a Gooner I am becoming ever more interested in the position of our near neighbours, especially when you look at their remaining fixtures. They’ll never fill that stadium in the Championship.
I know. I don't want to gloat as we've still got every chance of screwing it up at the other end of the table. But it is absolutely glorious.
The icing on the cake for me, is that them lot have taken 5 points off Man City this season. So there's the possibility that they will end up enabling us to win the league 🤣
Work with a Wolves supporter who is adamant that it's the hope that kills you.
West Ham will be scaring the teams above them though. Interesting who could be dragged into a scrap to avoid relegation
Are people familiar with the yoot use of the phrase 'gooning' and hence a 'gooner'? Daughter was giggling at my BiL who considers himself a gooner and she told me I had to look it up for myself.
Although not exactly the same, the practice of gooning has crossovers with the sexual practice of edging, where you go almost all the way to the point of fulfillment, only to then stop and return to the start over and over again.
Anyway, back to the league, are the gooners going to finally get over the line this year?
(edited because original had the N word in the middle of a synonym for giggling!! the S****horpe conundrum strikes again!)
Arsenal will probably go on and win the league and if I was a supporter I wouldn't really care how.
Watching them last night it felt more like we were playing Dyche's Burnley or Everton. Nick an early goal and then just sit back and defend. I genuinely couldn't believe how toothless they were.
I'm sure the proper football men will be saying "they're the games that win leagues when you're not at your best but you grind out a win" but it does feel like Arsenal have been doing that more often than not though.
Although not exactly the same, the practice of gooning has crossovers with the sexual practice of edging, where you go almost all the way to the point of fulfillment, only to then stop and return to the start over and over again.
Aresenal fans all too familiar....
I think Spurs will be going down, I think Burnley will finish bottom & Wolves will finish 2nd bottom.
I would love Spurs to win in Europe again to secure participation in next season's Champoons League while playing in the Championship.
As a Gooner I’m not going to defend our style of play this season; it’s been a tough watch and it is hard to think of a goal which would make it onto a goal of the month long list. But the stats show that we’ve been better than anyone else this season. So far. I know it’s meant to be the hope that kills you but the average Arsenal fan has developed the higher order of this syndrome, namely it’s not "the hope that kills you" but that "knowing that it is the hope that kills you that kills you”, we really aren’t getting ahead of ourselves. Those in possession of crystal balls are pointing to our trip to the Etihad as a decider but the outcome of Carabao Cup final in a couple of weeks time will determine a lot about how we handle the run in.
Work with a Wolves supporter who is adamant that it's the hope that kills you
We're gone...dreadful season and hamstrung from the start.
Only objective these last few weeks (for me) was to beat Derby's record, maybe now try and finish above Burnley and avoid finishing bottom.
Still in the cup though.
I thought we'd lose last night as we'd been riding our luck since drawing with West aaaaaaarm. I'll take sitting in third every day, though it's going to be tough staying there. Top four looked impossible under Amorim at the start of the season. I can't believe the run we've been on, given how utterly hopeless we looked in the first part of the season.
We can't really criticise Arsenal for set piece goals as we've been pretty dependent on them too (all hail Slabheads forehead!). Everyone's at it to a certain degree though, but the wrestling matches in the box that corners have become is now getting daft.
That third relegation spot is going to get interesting, assuming Wolves and Burnley are gone already. If Spurs lose to Palace tonight (which is highly likely) then they're definitely right in the mix.
Last night was a rollercoaster of emotions as a Forest fan, after the first 90seconds of the first half, City should have buried us, but we limped to half time only a goal down, the second half was nuts, some proper frantic moments and the first two goals for Forest in the prem that I've seen at the Eitihad. Son and partner less happy at the end being City fans...
I can see West Ham overhauling us now though, fair play to Nuno, so I'm hoping Spurs keep on being Spurs and we escape the drop.
Those in possession of crystal balls are pointing to our trip to the Etihad as a decider but the outcome of Carabao Cup final in a couple of weeks time will determine a lot about how we handle the run in
My money is still on City for the title. I think when we really come up against it, we will get hurt.
Our style of play is not great to watch, but it does get the job done, mostly. But I think it will run out before the season is over.
All very close for that final relegation spot, would think Spurs have enough to avoid it with Forest and West Ham fighting it out.
Fear for Forest a little as West Ham seem to have recovered.
Having said that, Spurs are bottom of the form table currently...
Spurs do seem pretty determined to snatch that last relegation spot.
Yet more ill-disciplined, headless chicken defending and yet another red card. Maybe they should cut out the middle man and just start every match with ten men. They’re going to have so many players suspended that they might have to.
They were interviewing a clearly very weary and pissed off Spurs fan on Five Live prior to the game. She predicted them losing, then said that they’re not actually a team, they’re a rabble.
Maybe they’ll get ‘Big Six’ next season. In the Championship 😂
They look a right rabble, and Igor Tudor seems a pretty leftfield pick that’s unravelling fast. West Ham apparently have the toughest fixtures but Nuno can grind out results. Lots of quality in Forest’s first team, I think Spurs are at real risk of going down!
Just when I thought Spurs couldn’t get any more Spursy they’ve out Spursied themselves. It’ll be nice seeing them in the championship death pit.
If Arsenal win the title and Spurs go down - which is now actually looking like a realistic prospect - North London should be good fun on the last day of the season 😂
If Arsenal win the title and Spurs go down - which is now actually looking like a realistic prospect - North London should be good fun on the last day of the season
As I mentioned previously, the fact that Spurs have taken five point of City this season to enable the potential Arsenal title win, is just *chef's kiss*
I've seen the current Arsenal team dubbed "The Unwatchables" and it is a pretty fair description.
It’ll be nice seeing them in the championship death pit.
On the plus side, there are six playoff places next season.
On the plus side, there are six playoff places next season.
Not sure what to make of that - some intetesting comments yesterday that if the team that finishes 8th in the Championship goes up, they coukd be absolutely mullered in the Premier League, given the usual gulf between the leagues.
Not necessarily - last years play off winners are doing pretty well.
Not necessarily - last years play off winners are doing pretty well.
But very much the exception compared to recent years. Though I may just be a cynical Ipswich fan.
Has anyone else seen that FIFA have decided that football during the world cup will now be for quarters?
Apparently there will be 6 minute hydration breaks during each half, regardless of conditions to allow the broadcasters to cut away to adverts.
FIFA has little interest in actual football. They only exist to maximize revenues for themselves. This is just the latest reason the whole thing is going to be a complete and utter farce.
Too many teams, going on for far too long. Being held in Trumps America with ICE agents terrorizing everyone, while he waves his ridiculous peace prize around, and Mexico in the middle of a full on Cartel War. Absolutely ludicrous ticket prices that will mean empty stadiums or ones stuffed with corporate hospitality packages.
So **** it, why not stop every 5 minutes and just put the final nail in the coffin. Americans really seem to object to having any kind of ‘flow’ to games, don’t they?
Maybe they could have someone in a sandwich board walk on the pitch every 5 minutes advertising coke or some Apple thing.
Ah, that was a routine championship challenge and the lad gets sent off! Good game though.
Celtic and the other one seem to have fallen again.
@Caher I think you missed out "out". Then again this has been pretty much the status quo for fan relations between the Celtic and Rangers for the last ten years. You could argue it's always been this way.
Since 1887 I’d imagine.
Surprised no mention of Port Vale's win over Sunderland - the "Magic of the Cup" is still alive.
Highlights worth watching for the amazing header by the Sunderland keeper alone.
Highlights worth watching for the amazing header by the Sunderland keeper alone.
The fact that he got up afterwards smiling...
Maybe they could have someone in a sandwich board walk on the pitch every 5 minutes advertising coke or some Apple thing.
I was in the USA over Christmas and went to a basketball game – there is only 48 minutes of gameplay, but with all the breaks (where they bombard the crowd with advertising), it took about three hours to complete the game. I hope football doesn't go the same way, but I can see it happening.
There are rumours of a 1/2 time show at the World Cup final - how f-ing long do they think 1/2 time is?
As long as they want it to be?
It's hard for me to believe but given that I have seen Scotland on TV in 4 world cups I am seriously considering giving this one a miss as this version of the world cup finals and Trump's regime become ever more grotesque
It's hard for me to believe but given that I have seen Scotland on TV in 4 world cups I am seriously considering giving this one a miss as this version of the world cup finals and Trump's regime become ever more grotesque
I feel really sorry for the Scotland fans having tbeir World Cup experience tarnished by Trump.
Though I do think there should be a boycott of the World Cup with it being part hosted by a country with a genocidal war mongering regime. Sorry Canada and Mexico
It's hard for me to believe but given that I have seen Scotland on TV in 4 world cups I am seriously considering giving this one a miss as this version of the world cup finals and Trump's regime become ever more grotesque
The huge number of teams will make the majority of matches complete bore fests.
Reading are up to 7th now, so my dream of playing Tottenham next season might come true.
Wonder if we could get the Union Bears and the Green Brigade some one way tickets to the good old USofA.