Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Well my hunch is that the end is nigh for Arsene.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Oh dear the top 4 is looking less and less likely for Mourinho's red devils.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

People are still forgetting about their game in hand that should they win only sets them two points behind Liverpool.

Sunderland are 8 points off safety.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Anyone see the goal that got chalked off for offside, opposite end of ground from my seat but one or two from that end thought it was onside?

Still misfiring in front of goal though.��

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Yeah he's off, just the top half of him :D

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Glad to see Luke Shaw back in action, looked good for the short time he had, really hope he gets his mojo back, a class act at his best.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Indeed a class act at his best but l just wonder whether he sits on his laurels too much?.

---------- Post added at 05:34 ---------- Previous post was at 05:32 ----------

Better to have the points on the board IMO as you have to win the game in hand.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

You mean his nose ;)

I wouldn't have thought his mojo will be returning judging by the special ones comments about him post match

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39499154

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Oh deary deary me....:(:td:

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Diabolical penalty situation at Newcastle. Ritchie's penalty is disallowed but rather than a retake as set in the laws by both FIFA and the FA, the ref instead awards a free kick to Burton.. amid mad scenes from players and staff. Safely say someone's spending the weekend reffing a league one fixture. :erm:

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

No matter what way one squares it the referee has made a massive balls-up.:td:

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

I've been harsh on premier league officials. It's not just this game or Newcastle's fixtures, the standard of refereeing is horrible in the championship.

The general explanation here is Dwight Gayle committed a foul by encroachment. That's a retake by the games rules but somehow the ref has got it horribly wrong and given a free kick. From the famous ghost goals to making the rules up as you go along.

Ritchie's scored now, find out whether the first batch of justice is served at 90 minutes.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Liverpool given a deserved smack.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39508491

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

No excuses in my book but one suspects its a widespread practice Jim..

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Definitely widespread. Just a matter of who gets nabbed.

---------- Post added at 21:38 ---------- Previous post was at 21:26 ----------

Stunning from spurs, a 7 minute turnover from 1 down to 3-1.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Guess who's refereeing a league one game next week :erm:

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

http://www.skysports.com/football/ne...enalty-mistake

Keith Stroud and his other three officials removed from weekend duty whilst the penalty blunder is looked into.

Newcastle won, re-educate the bloke on the laws, get on with it. It shouldn't have happened, it did, luckily it had no effect in the end but it's a rare event, just move on from it. Like I said above humorously, have him do a league one game at the weekend. He's apologized and you have to draw a line under it at some point. They're hardly going to sack him surely.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Iirc there were 90 new rules or rule changes alone this season, football shouldn't be that complicated, I'm surprised this hasn't happened before if they change the rules so often each season

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

It's honestly a rare event, I've personally never seen it happen that I can recall before now. It's simply a fluke event in which you re-educate and move on. We won the game, the damage is absolutely minimal at this point.

Stuff like this is just completely unnecessary: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...lty-gaffe.html

The reaction from some of our supporters has been embarrassing and very yob like. I think I had a little moan during the game, evident in the earlier post but besides that it hasn't bothered me in the slightest, the standard of officiating down here is pretty dire but it'd be misleading to blame Keith Stroud for every other ref in the league too. I moved onto cracking the dire league one joke and that's that. I don't know why some of these idiots are finding any excuse to make threats to another human being over a game of football they won...

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Look he held his hands up and admitted his mistake so as you say let him get on with his profession as we all make mistakes in our lives but the key is learning from it and l am sure he will do that.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Great showing by Spurs.

Son Heung-min is in amazing form. great finisher.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Chelsea and Spurs as we can see are clearly well ahead of the other big teams.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Great goal from Zlatan, don't think that was a red card tackle though. :(

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

More incompetent refereeing again sadly.:(

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

I think it was, he's over the ball, mere seconds after nearly catching Pogba on the ankle with his studs, he's lucky neither get clean contact, if we're playing by the rules, you have to send him off, Ross Barkley should've been off for his last week. Obviously people think it's harsh but you don't have to break someones leg to be sent off. The rules evidently need more defined and applied consistently as seen with Ross Barkley.

https://imgur.com/l2GhSzz there's the still borrowed from reddit.

Another couple of inches to the left and he's snapping someones leg. Yeah though, on another day I'd sympathise, given how many people generally get away with these tackles down to lack of consistency but the fact he's gone through Pogba with the same challenge less than a second earlier and barely managed to pull out only led to a completely deserved sending off, far too aggressive.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

As Steve Harper said on BBC online it was probably an Orange.

Yellow cards like confetti now. :(

That one against Martial was ridiculous, the keeper kicked him.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

I think two of the bottom three are securing their fate, Middlesbrough would be the great escape this year, Sunderland will be down before the final day though.

It's completely possible for Sunderland to turn it around though and they do have the benefit of playing both Boro and Swansea.. so that same benefit also works in reverse. Sunderland have to beat both Swansea and Boro and pick up points elsewhere if you write the final day off at Chelsea. We seen it last year with ourselves, a draw with fellow drop side Villa sealed it when it was essential to pick up three points, had we won the game, we'd have stayed up going on the results that followed.

Arsenal have to match United now, this is what I alluded to in previous posts, the top four is far from secure, if both Arsenal and United collect maximum points from games in hand, they'll draw level with Liverpool.

United have to play, Chelsea, City, Arsenal and Spurs. If they were to win all four, however unlikely that is, they'd be finishing in the top four, as a neutral that scheduling is a dream, there's literally a mini playoff for the two spots. Arsenal have the easier run in up until they play United and Spurs back to back. If Everton win today they'll be level with Arsenal but that'll be irrelevant given the they're games ahead and Arsenal suddenly lose that advantage by losing 3 in a row.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

So who does our resident expert predict for 3rd and 4th then?.:)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

I honestly don't see which way it goes, 4 teams, 2 spots, games in hand, tough run ins, and like above, we've almost got them all running into each other.

Does the winner of the champions league still occupy a place if they win? :erm:

Chelsea won in 2012 whilst Spurs finished fourth, I remember this because we ourselves were fighting for that fourth spot and in the end it would ultimately have been pointless. So obviously in the unlikely scenario Leicester City actually won it, fourth spot would then be theirs.

That's not really what I was getting at there though, United could win the Europa League which has a prize of Champions League football bundled with it, which IIRC does not effect league standing qualification in any way.

So winning the harder and more prestigious champions league allows you to defend it at the expense of your fellow teams league position. Winning the Europa allows 5 English teams in the Champions League :confused:

Why can't they just allow 5 teams in either scenario? assuming the CL winner hasn't finished in a qualifying spot.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Its slipping away Arsene....

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

This would be a devastating result.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Where are the leaders in their side? as they might have plenty of nicey nice players but alas not much spine to go with it.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Oh what a finish by Kebab. Absolutely sublime. There's no leaders, you'd expect Ozil to really get that midfield solid, much like we benefit from Shelvey being key to our entire season this year. Ozil is just... meh?

They're also wiping goal difference off, Arsenal couldn't afford to lose this, never mind pray for a point..

It's also a devastating result for Sunderland, that could get even worse should Hull also pull away when they play and Sunderland fail to win.

Edit: Arsenal are falling apart.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Oh dear Arsenal totally imploding here..

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Arsenal are being buried. Odds of even salvaging a point.

Arsene Wenger's Arsenal career is crashing down.

---------- Post added at 21:30 ---------- Previous post was at 21:27 ----------

Wow, just no luck for Arsenal. Having re-watched the penalty, Townsend dives. Two wins from Seven at this stage is bad though. Who's the next Arsenal manager? David Moyes? Arsenal fans are now abusing their own players.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

I guess Arsenal are cancelling St Totteringham day then https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2017/04/17.png COYS

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

The players have been letting Wenger take all the blame for too long. So many treated today's game like a training session, leaving balls to ping across our box, being surprised they don't have time to pick a pass, not pressing any opposition players and so on.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

That is the thing though Damien as its always the manager who sadly carries the can while the players hide behind their gold plated petticoats unperturbed by it all around them.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Loving this Juve performance, wonder how the officials in the second leg are going to get Barca through this time?

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

You can escape once but they certainly won't be escaping this time.:)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Would have taken 1-1 before kick off but still wasting countless chances to put teams to bed, hope it doesn't come back to bite them in the second leg.:(

A nice bit of 'after you' from Fellaini to allow the Anderlecht player a free header, took it well though all the same.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

I have two points to make on this matter.
1) Being an ex referee, the whole situation is a joke. The governing body of referees in the PL and EFL should quit in disgrace. This why Clattenburg, and other young refs are quitting. The standard of refs is appalling. Week in and week out officials are making cockups.
The whole system has to be changed. The FA are a farce.

The whole system has to change.

2) Being a Spurs fan, Arsenal are the evil of North London. BUT, Arsenal must sack Wenger. The club is falling so far behind. They wont qualify for Europe unless they win the FA Cup which wont happen. They will not finish above Spurs. which is something arsenal fans dread.

Arsenal used to be a major club. But they are no more. Wenger thinks that's its HIS OWN money they spend on players.

Get rid of him

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Yes l was pretty happy until they equalised but MU cannot keep looking gift horses in the mouth as it will backfire sooner rather then later.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

1-1 draw you'd have took it before the game...........how expectations have dropped.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

So being the man of all wise knowledge where would you say MU go from here as you seem pretty unhappy with how it currently stands.;)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Another ref who looks like he fancies dropping a division next week, missed a blatant foul by Kompany in first ten minutes then makes a bigger mess by missing a clear penalty for City. :(

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

And yet if anybody criticises the officials the FA will soon level a charge against anybody who questions the officials so the poor refereeing goes on and on unabated..:(

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

What a weekend though, the whole complexion of the top half can change instantly. United need to beat Chelsea to keep pushing against Liverpool for the CL spot, Arsenal need to beat Boro for the same reason as United but will end up 3 points behind Liverpool so are desperate for Liverpool to drop points. United beating Chelsea will give Spurs massive hope of playing catch up. For a neutral, this is quite a fight this year. You could have three massive teams vying for one European spot come the last two games and a title fight that may go down to the very last day if someone overturns Chelsea on the way.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

And add to this my two family hometowns are both on the verge of going up.:hyper::cleader::D

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Stunning performance, totally outplayed Chelski. Did they manage a shot on target?

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

So why has it took until now to give such a great performance Jim?.;)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Erm let me think , unbeaten in how many, only conceded one goal or less per game for months, still in Europe, outplayed several teams without any luck.

Today it clicked and credit must go to Jose who really had then 'at it' from the off. They also got the little bit of luck needed that makes all the difference in tight games.

Tactically perfect, playing on the lack of pace in the Chelsea back line with Herrera snuffing out Hazard.

Easter Sunday and I now believe, I have seen the resurrection. :D

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

If you are lucky you might even get a quick glimpse of the holy grail but it will only be a quick glimpse mind.;)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Brutal weekend results for Arsenal, desperately need all three against a Middlesbrough that desperately need all three themselves.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

More chance of seeing it than your lot, that is for certain.

Thinking about today in more detail I think that the main reason for todays result is that Chelsea are the first team in many months to actually come and try to win the match.

Almost every other team have set out to take a point right from the off with nine or ten men behind the ball for most of the game.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Why should other teams play openly at OT as its up to MU to break teams down at home as generally a draw is a decent result for most teams at the theatre of dreams.

---------- Post added at 20:07 ---------- Previous post was at 20:06 ----------

Now now don't get so touchy.;):D

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

No reason at all, I was merely answering your question with a possible reason for today's result. ;)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Well one must celebrate these rare rainbows on your horizon Jim as one never knows when the next rainbow will actually arrive.;)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

It will go down to the wire. Possibly go to goal difference at the end and remember that Spurs goal difference is better than Chelsea

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Chelsea have the much easier run in with four games at home.

---------- Post added at 21:21 ---------- Previous post was at 21:18 ----------

Hmm, FA Cup last season, League Cup and Community shield with power to add this season, all I can see are dark clouds on your horizon Den. :)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

There is certain rule that l always say 'never count your chickens'

All l can say is that Chelsea have the Oscar winning cheat is Costa, who you only have to blow, and he goes over.

Spurs play with passion, and have a will to win the League. I will say one thing - so far, we are second and we are averaging FOUR goals per game.

Forget Arsenal, get rid of Wenger, there fns are fighting each other.

I would love Spurs to win the PL. But l will settle for two things. Finish second, and above **** called Arsenal

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

:rofl: how the mighty have fallen, the community shield

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Indeed one suspects Jim is sipping cheap Prosecco now instead of usually ordering a bottle of the best champagne.;)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

I did put it second in the list, give us yours if you will. :p: :)

I make it over 5 years since Liverpool won anything of note and over 35 since the Hammers did. ;)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Try lining up with the greatest and some of the greatest strikers in Premier League history and still winning nothing :erm:

God I love being a Newcastle fan :D We couldn't capture a title with Alan Shearer or Andy Cole, I doubt we'll get any closer with Dwight Gayle. I'd like to see Spurs capture the title but they'll probably lose 5-1 to a 10 man Hull that've been relegated on the final day.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Hope to see Newcastle back in the PL next year though. A team that shouldn't be down there. I remember when Newcastle were a decent time in the top half of the table (like 10/15 years ago, before Pardew did it for a season).

Would also like to finally see Leeds back as well.

Glad Sunderland are seemingly going down, kind of bored of their nonsense each season. Maybe relegation will wake them up and push on but this constant escaping of the drop only to invest nothing in the team yet somehow just escape the drop again is getting stale. It's quite clear their board don't respect or care about the Premier League so they might as well vacate their spot for someone who really wants it.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

That must be the most frustrating thing for the fans and I'd fear relegation more as a Sunderland fan than any other club because the current ambition from above suggests we won't see them back up for some time.

I'd like to see the Arsenal of Highbury that were amazing to watch whomever you supported, Thierry Henry was sensational. That was an amazing era of the league.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Congratulations to Brighton on their promotion to the Prem.

Another team from the South :D

Well done to your home team Den on getting promoted to league one.

In other news a team from Hampshire can look forward to a season in the third division. ;) :D

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Well me too. :D

I think that was a moment in time we won't see again. For one that Arsenal team were so far ahead of others in terms of fitness and strength, which is bizarre to think of now. When Wenger first came in he did come into a culture which had become rather slacking.

I want the FIFA series of games to bring back classic era teams, with classic stadiums and kits. Would be fun to play a game of the Arsenal '02 team vs the United '99 team and so on.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

:tu::waving::D

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Actually to be mathematically correct Brighton aren't GUARANTEED promotion but I wouldn't bet against them. :)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Nice to see Brighton nearly back in the big time personally.:)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Now they are. :)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Actually we've won the richest game in football, I'd say that's of note, certainly more noteworthy than a pre season friendly

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Its been a very nice day one could say.:D:D

---------- Post added at 19:19 ---------- Previous post was at 19:16 ----------

Well if my old scrambled poor memory serves me right l think it was about 40 years before your great saviour came along and it could be another 40 if they don't watch it this time.;)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Your memory is about as bad as your team. :D

FA Cup 1983 and 1985, Fergies first trophy 1990 FA Cup Now by my maths I make that 15 years, how long is since the scousers won the league, 27 years and counting. ;)

Since Fergie left, an FA Cup and a League Cup whilst Liverpool once again won nothing. :p:

---------- Post added at 19:45 ---------- Previous post was at 19:40 ----------

But you have to be such a poor team that you get relegated every five or six years to win that. ;)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Yes some of us can only dream about being a good enough team to win the charity shield, is that the competition the hammers took so seriously we put Bobby Moore in goal for or was that the league cup final. You'd have thought other utd fans would be equally chipper about winning it but they all seem to have deserted the forum like rats leaving a sinking ship, your the only one left, which is credit to you actually.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Ah, dear old Bobby Moore, I remember seeing him score a stunning headed goal at Boundary Park. I think he was playing for Fulham at the time, such a pity it was in his own net. :)

As a United fan since the late 1950's who actually goes to Old Trafford, I have seen enough ups and downs not to get upset by recent events. :cool:

I also enjoy the banter and gentle ribbing, as long as it stays civilised and doesn't descend into rudeness and personal insults.:angel:

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Absolutely.:)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

It seems dodgy del boy is back in the managerial game this morning.:rolleyes:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39628280

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Of course that may not include, scouse **** loving southern retards. :LOL: :cool:

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

What a shocking dive from Marhez.:(

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Another solid CL year for England. :erm:

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Good grief, Ronaldo was miles offside.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Ronaldo treble sinks Bayern then.

---------- Post added at 22:04 ---------- Previous post was at 22:03 ----------

Brutal, Bayern destroyed in Extra Time.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Rank poor yet again.:(

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

The RM v Bayern game was crying out for VAR, two offside goals, an incorrect sending off.:(

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Something all of us including you have been saying for some time on here but alas they don't listen to the wise sages on here ;) me not included of course as wiseness has never been my greatest strength..

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Ordinarily I would be upset that an English side went out.

In the case of leicester and that dirty ******* vardy i'll make an exception.

Just a shame they have all but escaped relegation.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Late night tram for me , Anderlecht a much better side than given credit for. Looks like bad injuries to Zlatan & Rojo . :(

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Typical arrogance of some of the English football media yet again.:rolleyes:

---------- Post added at 05:25 ---------- Previous post was at 05:23 ----------

l hope you got home safely Jim as yes those injuries if serious are at a bad time of the season.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Rojo may be a bigger miss than Zlatan given that we already have two centre backs out injured.:(

When a certain person commented on my 'taking the away draw' as a sign of just how expectations had been lowered he must have forgotten that a team lower down the Belgian league had already dumped Spurs out of the competition.;)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

So saddened to hear of this terrible news this morning.:(

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39664839

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Blatant dive from Moses, Son was stupid for going to ground but Moses was already diving before any contact.:(

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Yes l quite agree as it was never a penalty IMO.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

We are talking about divers Chelsea. And they will always be the same. The ref was allowing to much back tackling and should have shown a lot of yellows. But failed to do so. And Chelsea players feigning injuries

Spurs should have had a penalty, but this was disallowed. I blame this defeat on Poch. He played Son at left back, when his best it going forward all the time.

I think Kane was poor today, he scored a goal and that was it. Poch should have played Janssen.

Instead of replacing players at the hour mark, he decides within the last 15 minutes - no good again.

I THINK Daniel Levy has got to decide on future players at Spurs. What's the point of playing with ONE striker up front.

Kane reminds me of Chivers, a lazy striker. Who comes alive, then hides.

We have got to build a squad that is powerful enough to take on the likes of City, Chelsea etc.

And sadly Levy wont spend the money.

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Not been here for a while, but just knew it would be worthwhile having a look today. And I still can't find any of Arthurs comments on Bale tumbling over in the past whilst wearing a Spuds shirt? :PP:

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Its what you call convenient memory loss Mr P.;)

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

Europa league here we come.....:(

Re: Football Season 2016/2017
 

If United finish in the top four and win the Europa League does that mean fifth place gets into Champions League? :D

You have to take your hat of to Jurgens fantastic judgement of players. The best forward on the pitch and scorer of two goals is a player he rejected, the best central defender in the ground today had to sit out the game as he has also been rejected by Klopp and is on loan at Palace.:LOL:

---------- Post added at 19:03 ---------- Previous post was at 18:27 ----------

And the messiah, Pep is going to win sweet FA this season. :)