Re: Season 2018/2019
 

There's a certain element of player power at Chelsea but it's definitely not the main issue. Impatient owner combined with a poor playing team. Sarri needs time he won't get and Chelsea's squad is outdated bar Hazard and a literally a couple of others. Players like David Luiz are way past their top form and combined with truly awful signings like Higuain and Morata hasn't helped. Chelsea are in dire need of an overhaul that they now can't start.

Chelsea are always going to be impatient. However, there's basically no winning for Sarri in this situation.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Granted the owner is rather impatient but yes Chelsea have clearly failed to replace key top players who retired like Terry , Drogba . Cech , Lampard and Ivanovic in the transfer market whist also completely failing to give talented youngsters a chance either.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

They have some promising young talent but don't have the experienced lads playing at a top level to integrate. Just an outdated first 11. Hazard rightly wants out. He's stayed out and gave his all but he's deserving of a chance at the champions league trophy and guaranteed league titles.

As for the rest. Truly awful attacking transfers made instead of solid replacements. Giroud, Morata, Higuain. Who's really in charge behind these poor decisions? Defensively they're just as awful. Then there's players like Barkley and Drinkwater. Exceptional players for average teams that can't compete at the highest level. Now Chelsea have landed a transfer ban and on top of that as above they're probably the most impatient of the big teams. Same conclusion. Sarri has no way of winning.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Also worth noting both Sean Longstaff and Miguel Almiron put in sublime performances for Newcastle yesterday. Jonjo Shelvey is as good as finished.

The front three of Rondon, Perez and Almiron look at home already and Longstaff is so solid in the middle. His passing is incredible for a youngster and he's got suhh a promising future. Could well see his first England call up in the next round of friendlies.

The next issue is Leicester have sacked Puel and we're understanding they did so because they have the utmost confidence they can sign Benitez. Something is about to give at at Newcastle. Mike Ashley may finally relent in order for Benitez to stay or we'll get the final nail in the coffin to indicate there's no real plan for this club other than to survive relegation and produce profit.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Well it looks like Brenda will be the new manager of Leicester City.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Told you Newcastle wouldn't get relegated :p:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Old Adzii is such a pessimist.;):D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Wonder what the odds on Arsenal and United finishing above Spurs are now?

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Champions league qualification possibly which seemed but a dream a while back.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Claudio Ranieri sacked as manager of Fulham.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47401305

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

News flash: Manchester Police stopped 100 Liverpool fans with flares outside Old Trafford on Sunday.

Turned out they were the same flares they were wearing the last time they won the league.:D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Flares?? What a fashion disaster. They should be locked up and the offending trousers confiscated !

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Quite a natty joke from you Jim this time of the morning.;):D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Well that was fun, great game to watch, very open with quite a few mistakes. Can't understand how Saints are near the bottom, played very well but the fact they didn't shut up shop gave United the chance to get back. :cool:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Champions league qualification at this rate Jim then.;)

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

And the big fella scores four in two.:p:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

You need to sit down as it might be too much for you Jim.:p:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Well the wheel nuts are starting to come loose. :D

Just reading the Have Your Say forum on the BBC website, general standard of poster is verging on Neanderthal to say the least. commenting on the Liverpool v Everton game one Spurs supporter was saying what a rubbish team Everton are. 'they don't even have any English players’. Which is of course correct if you discount, Pickford, Keane, Calvert-Lewin, Walcott etc. Hope it wasn't Arthur moonlighting.:D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Surely not. It isn't like Arthur to ignore facts to have a rant.... oh wait.:D;)

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Unbelievable, what goes around comes around........

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

l stated several times unlike some delusional Liverpool fans that it was going to end in disappointment and my sentiments have not changed as City have always been overwhelming favourites for the title despite the pain you must be feeling :p: as their squad is far more stronger in depth then ours and over a long arduous season that usually wins out..

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Herr Klopp says it was too windy for Salah to score.:rolleyes::D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Well managers sometimes comment before they think sometimes.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Get in there Tottenham..:D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

What about Ajax.:shocked:

With the likes of Dusan Tadic and Daly Blind in their ranks, both going further than their last club will be, Tadic had a blinder.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Life without their most famous son is not easy it seems at Real Madrid.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Shame isn’t it. :rolleyes::D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Don't be surprised if that serial cheater who once played for Barca ends up there..

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Think you are right there Den but I wouldn't want to be in his shoes if and when he plays Barca in that case...


there isn't any loyalty in football anymore towards the fans moving to your biggest rivals

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Given the enmity between the two clubs Neymar joining Real Madrid will light the fire even more.

---------- Post added at 17:57 ---------- Previous post was at 17:55 ----------

Sadly loyalty went when the the big money came into the game as those times of yesteryear will never come back now.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

That's an atrocious penalty decision. VAR decisions from the world cup creeping back in.

What's the purpose of it if the referee's are still hopeless.

EDIT: Almost forgot, rule changes next year were written in to prevent penalty decisions like those. You couldn't make it up.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

That is one of the worst decisions I have seen. Made all the worse for the fact the ref actually did get to see it properly! Shocking decision and that ref is going to have some explaining to do.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

:cool: Thought the pen was very iffy but given that United had half the under 23 team on the pitch when the penalty went in it was a good performance to stick in there and make history.:D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

A great win whatever way one cuts :tu: it and as to whether it was a penalty or not the rules as they stand according to Peter Walton are that a penalty award was the right decision.;)

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

When 17 year old Greenwood came on he was the 231st youth/academy player to turn our for the first team. In fact just over 50% of all Uniteds first team players since 1939 have come there. Got to be better for the soul of the club than buying a complete squad every couple of years. They have never fielded a team without at least one graduate in all of that time.;)

Just need City and Liverpool to join them and Spurs for a great full set in the quarterfinals.:cool:

I was also surprised to learn that that was Rashfords first ever competitive penalty.:shocked:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Liverpool will have the hardest task of the two to get through IMO.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

An away goal is crucial after 0-0 at home but that is stating the obvious. They have had a few draws away recently after all, just not managed to score in them.;)

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Yes as you say Jim get a early away goal and all the pressure immediately falls on Bayern.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Just noticed the news about the young Toon player Longstaff, very bad luck indeed as he was playing well. I hope he makes a full recovery.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Heals the headache of getting Shelvey back on the pitch to form up with Almiron. Longstaff will get back in once we get shot of Shelvey in the summer.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Referees and rules can be wrong.

Farcical penalty - all defenders need to wear handcuffs if those are the rules. Slow motion (and probably VAR) shouldn't be used, it gives a false impression. Works in cricket and tennis , but not for football.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Whilst I have already said it was an iffy or perhaps I should have said harsh penalty, I wouldn't agree that it was farcical.

It wasn't accidental for a start, the player deliberately jumped up with the sole intention of blocking the shot, Unluckily for him it hit his arm. An arm which in the rather ambiguous ruling from the official body was not in his natural silhouette.

Head of Uefa referees Robert Rossetti told the Times in January that - when VAR was introduced into this season's Champions League - officials would penalise any unnatural arm movement that makes contact with the ball.
"The big challenge is the position of the arm. When the arm is totally out of the body above the shoulder it should be penalised. If the defender is making the body bigger in order to block the ball it is not fair.
"It is different if the defender is challenging or playing the ball and it rebounds. But if he is looking to block a cross or a shot on goal and the player is trying to spread his body then it is a handball."

At the weekend, Ifab - football's law-makers - said handball will be given against a player if their arms extend "beyond a natural silhouette" - even if it is accidental.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

mmm silhouettes..... they never looked at those back in the 1970's ! Did he deliberately handle the ball or not ? I'd suggest not.

However, good to have an English club through even if it is call Man Utd and they wear pink shirts !

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

What is wrong with pink shirts as l wear one myself in the summer.;)

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

He deliberately jumped up to block the ball, is was no accident he was in the path of the ball, he was just unlucky that it hit his hand, even if it was accidental it was still hand ball.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Another cracking decision in regards to Sokratis. Rennes player should get a game ban for every roll he made on the floor. Horrible sending off. :rolleyes:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Nice to see Glenn Hoddle back on TV this evening after his very close brush with death.:tu:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Absolutely disgraceful scenes at St Andrews as a Birmingham fan has ran onto the pitch and attacked Jack Grealish from behind.:(:td:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47515993

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/47379513

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Well it was an amazing run while it lasted, United not quite at it today. They did have some good chances but it looked like the Wednesday night efforts had taken more out of some individuals than Arsenals on Thursday. A bit of falling over for the penalty, again a bit harsh but just about right. A careless challenge from Fred TBH.
I think Pogba and Matic in particular slowed things down to often for my liking.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Just got back from the game. FANTASTIC! Great atmosphere, great result, great performance from Leno.

We were lucky a bit. The penalty was soft and if it were not at the Emirates I don't think it would have been given. The ref had a terrible game and had already given a few incorrect offsides against us and the crowd was against him, I think that pressure gave in the penalty decision. Also our defence was terrible and a combination of luck, poor finishing and a fantastic performance from Leno somehow kept United out.

The 2nd half wasn't so bad thankfully and United didn't seriously threaten after the 2nd goal. This was probably the effort in Paris taking it's toll as iadom says.

I now this top 4 is possible.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Despicable attack on Grealish. The lad has been identified and he's made attempts at adding humour via his mates to the situation he now finds himself in. Literally no remorse at all. Until of course his solicitor reads out a pre written statement about how much of a top lad he is and wouldn't hurt a fly bundled with excuses for his actions as the judge hands down a suspended sentence.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

You can call me Jim if you like Damien.:cool:

Arsenal made five changes from the Europa Cup match, United only two from the Champions League game and it showed. In fact watching the Arsenal game on Thursday it looked as though they didn't really care that much and their sole intent was focused on yesterday's game.

TBH I thought Ole's team got their selections wrong in midfield, a midfielder who likes to try and hold onto the ball and beat opponents is fine and you have to accept that sometimes they will get caught in possession and turned over but Matic, Pogba and Fred are all this type of player so having three like this is a luxury you can't afford in high pressure matches, the number of times they lost the ball was far too many. A fit Herrera or McTominay who was on the bench would have been a much better option. Matic for one is now a little slow for my liking.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Zinedine Zidane to be confirmed later today as manager of Real Madrid again..

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

He wasn't good enough to be approached by Luton :D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Sentence has been passed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...ngham-47523268

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Fan also charged with Smalling incident
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47523801

Rather surprised that Smalling didn’t grab him round the waist.:rolleyes:

Wonder Arsenal get a partial ground closure they will still post a 60,000 attendance figure?

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Hopefully we don't get partial ground closure. I am not sure what realistically clubs can be expected to do other than stadium ban for life the offenders. Unless we go back to fences then there is always the risk some idiot runs onto a pitch. I remember only a couple of Emirates pitch invasions and the fans were calling him a 'word I cannot say here' when he has carted off (unlike Birmingham who cheered the idiot).

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Some proper punishment instead of a slap on the wrist might help, The problem is that once one barmpot has done this there are plenty of other like minded idiots that will try and follow suit and as you say, virtually impossible to stop without fences.:rolleyes:

---------- Post added at 23:22 ---------- Previous post was at 22:23 ----------

From the BBC Web site.

For the third consecutive year, more Birmingham City fans were arrested last season (95) than any other club in England's top five leagues.
Sheffield United (62) and Sunderland (60) were second and third on the list respectively in 2017-18.

Wonder if that's why Dave hasn't posted in a while.:)

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Fences are commonplace in most of the European grounds and they don't have the same problems as us with some running onto the pitch.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Well we have a emotional resistance to fences at grounds here, I don't think people want to see them brought back.

Also we don't really have much of a football violence problem here. There isn't the ultra-culture in the UK. We typically have few instances of people throwing stuff at players or pitch-invading. Let's not ruin the experience for everyone because of a minority of idiots.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

l know what you mean Damien but they need to come down like a hammer on the people who do this and if necessary on the clubs themselves because if they don't act and we get a even more serious incident on the pitch in future then the clubs will need to answer for this.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Punishing the club isn't the way to go . . otherwise you'll end up with the 'ken bates' electric fencing debate all over again.

Just slap the idiots who do stuff like attacking players/stewards with a minimum 2 year jail sentence and a ban from all sporting events

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

The other thing you might have with punishing the clubs is also people pretending to be fans of the club to cause chaos.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Sadly the sentence of 14 weeks handed down yesterday which will be reduced to half that is not 2 years is it..:td:

---------- Post added at 09:14 ---------- Previous post was at 09:13 ----------

But where does it all end as do the clubs want blood on their hands because thus so far they have been very slow to act..

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

I think it's difficult for clubs to do much more than they currently are to be honest. Stewards and Police can only do so much and have to be in the right place at the right time, and the idiots intent on mayhem will avoid that time to act of course.

Clubs close to their financial limit will struggle to provide extra crowd safety control, and CCTV is only useful after the event.

The FA could demand clubs take responsibility . . and put a lot out of business :rolleyes:

edit: Many of the big Premiership clubs could play with no spectators at all and still make money though . . what a farce

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

He also got a 10 year banning order. Those are not fun. For the next 10 years he has to surrender his passport for 6 weeks when an International tournament is on and report at a police station x miles away from Birmingham's ground whenever they're playing at home to make sure they're not at the game or in pubs near the stadium.

For what he did he to going to prison for 14 weeks and has significant disruption to his life for 10 years as well as criminal record if he didn't have one already. On top of that he is banned for life by the club itself.

This seems like a decent deterrent to me. No way is anyone looking at that and thinking 'meh, i'll do the time to run on the pitch!'. The problem is, and always will be, that people are idiots are do inexplicably stupid things at times. This guy had a season ticket for 20 years it seems. Went to the game every week with his friends no doubt and in one stupid moment he has lost that for life.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Some good news for a change.:cool:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-eng...ead-to-wembley

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

What a match, surely no one wasted their time watching City?

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

There is another way Jim as my eyes were on both matches.;)

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Get in, :cool:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Early days yet Jim but its a start.:D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Getting Henderson off early could be a master stroke, Matip gives them a helping hand though.:(

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

l said it was too early in the match.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

That should be enough.:cool::D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Get in there...………..:cleader::cleader::cleader:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Well Scholesy lasted all of 31 days at Oldham Athletic. Reading between the lines it appears the owner didn’t fulfill his promise to keep his nose out of day to day team affairs. :rolleyes:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Well he is never one who never likes to be made a fool.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

How sad was that, Aubameyang scores a really well worked goal then makes an absolute arse of himself by picking up a mask that must have been pre positioned behind the hoardings. :rolleyes:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Nice to see your favourite team doing so well currently.;):D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

We may even get Russ honouring the thread with a rare visit if it stays like this till the end.;):D

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Come on you Swans, the only top flight team I half care about ! ;)

---------- Post added at 18:56 ---------- Previous post was at 18:29 ----------

Bugger ...

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

How unlucky was that OG.:(

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Typical Man City luck you could say.;)

Damn its 3-2 to City now.:td:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Clear offside.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Yet another supporter coming onto the pitch.:td::(

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Your day seems to be getting worse Jim.;)

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Very poor all round apart from the keeper.:)

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Do you still believe they should give the job to Ole?.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Have never jumped on the ‘give him the job’ bandwagon. Plenty of time till season end yet.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Yes Manchester United payed poorly but just to balance things up - what a great performance by Wolves, didn't allow ManU to play, sucked them in and then hit them on the break - typical Wolves performance.
https://www.cableforum.uk/board/data...AAAElFTkSuQmCC

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Agreed, far less possession but 7 shots on target to Uniteds 1 or 2, by far the better chances. For my money Romero was Uniteds best player which says it all.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

At least if De Gea leaves they have a decent already made replacement.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

True but as the BBC Player Ratings show he got less than the lowest marked Wolves player - what does that say about the rest of the team?!?

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

The rest of the team were distinctly average yesterday and that is me being fair and unbiased in my analysis of them.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Good news for Women's football.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47605807

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Scotland might be looking for a new manager soon.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47564455

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Greedy Spanish barstewards.:rolleyes:

Copied from an email I have just received from United.

Following confirmation that tickets for our UEFA Champions League quarter final away game against FC Barcelona will be priced at £102, we believe that our travelling supporters are again being subjected to increased/excessive ticket prices from the host club.

Similarly to Valencia in the group stages and Sevilla FC away last season, we have again taken the difficult decision to charge FC Barcelona fans for the home leg at Old Trafford the same amount that FC Barcelona are charging for the away fixture (£102). We will use the additional revenue gained from this to subsidise our travelling support by paying the £27 price difference for each of our travelling supporters.

To ensure that the club adhere to competition rules, we have had to implement the same pricing structure for our non-members that wish to attend the home leg. Therefore a ticket for a non-member in your area of the stadium will be priced at £102.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Absolutely disgusting.:td:

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Not sure that was a penalty to England.

Re: Season 2018/2019
 

Whilst that is a disgusting price for non members to pay, good on United for charging the Barcelona fans the same so they can subsidise fans going to Spain. Can't think of many clubs that would do the same. Just how do clubs get away with justifying their ticket prices though????