Aside from the fact, DARLO WON A GAME! the big story from outside the Premier League is Gareth Southgate has got the chop from 'Boro despite 'Boro winning 2-0 against Derby. Southgate has been under pressure for a while, but when you're one point off the top of the league and won a home game, you don't expect to lose your job. Probably the right decision in the long run, but Southgate should feel hard done to.
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European Football Thread - 2009-10
- Thread starter Dave
- Start date
I think its very Harsh. Why didnt they do this after they got relegated or after they got hammered 5-0 by West Brom? It makes no sense. Granted they got relegated but in his time there he didnt really do a bad job. Maybe he had a falling out with the chairman.
I know it's the Carling Cup, but I watched tonight's game between Barnsley and Man United and I have a point to make. Did you see Michael Owen's goal? I don't care if it was against Barnsley or Barcelona, he nutmegged a defender, and then expertly curled the ball in the far corner past a helpless Luke Steele.
It was a finish of the highest quality. The game also showcased his other side, he fluffed an easy chance. However, his movement throughout was bright, and his passing pretty good. He split the defence open for Gabriel Obertan in the first half.
My point is, if Owen can maintain the form which saw him score that brilliant goal, he goes to the World Cup and there are no questions about it. A fully fit Owen is the best natural finisher in the country. He is NEEDED at the World Cup. Rooney and Heskey is Plan A, Owen Plan B, and Crouch plan C.
It was a finish of the highest quality. The game also showcased his other side, he fluffed an easy chance. However, his movement throughout was bright, and his passing pretty good. He split the defence open for Gabriel Obertan in the first half.
My point is, if Owen can maintain the form which saw him score that brilliant goal, he goes to the World Cup and there are no questions about it. A fully fit Owen is the best natural finisher in the country. He is NEEDED at the World Cup. Rooney and Heskey is Plan A, Owen Plan B, and Crouch plan C.
Lee
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's Supermod!
So expect me to do a full blown rant on Newcastle tomorrow night after the match but I want to comment on something and that's the Championship league. Have a look at it. All have played 15 games aside from QPR, Palace Sheffield Utd and the Toon. Top of the league is on 27 points (could be 30 tomorrow if Newcastle win) and to qualify for the playoffs you have to finish 6th. Currently Boro occupy that spot and are on 24 points as are the three teams below them, in fact it's when we finally get to 13th when we get a team with less than 20 points and that's QPR who have a game in hand.
The usually say it's after 15 games you can tell the league but when it's this close between the league it's quite amazing to see that just one little slip up could cost promotion.
The usually say it's after 15 games you can tell the league but when it's this close between the league it's quite amazing to see that just one little slip up could cost promotion.
The Championship is always the most fun league to follow all season, but the absolute worst for accumulators on a weekend (thanks a lot, fuckin' 'Boro). Last season Preston crept into the play-offs by a single goal scored (even goal difference was tied).
No need to worry about Cardiff, though. They always start on fire and tail away around February. Newcastle are still one of the favourites to go up. Let's just hope when they do go back up, they get to play their games at St.James Park, and not The Greggs Stadium, or something like that.
No need to worry about Cardiff, though. They always start on fire and tail away around February. Newcastle are still one of the favourites to go up. Let's just hope when they do go back up, they get to play their games at St.James Park, and not The Greggs Stadium, or something like that.
Lee
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's Supermod!
See my thread I post after the game tomorrow to see what I think of that.
I'll be honest and say I've never really followed the Championship until this season and it's been pretty interesting. Though Cardiff City are an odd team, I was watching their game with Forest today. It seemed for the first half both were pretty boring and they came out on fire scoring the first goal, then shot after shot after shot. It's obvious why their goal difference is so high. Then they seemed to forget about injury time and kind of gave up on 90 minutes which lead to a Forest equaliser in the 91st. The problem is they rely on Chopra far too much and he's suspended for next week v Swansea so it should make for another interesting game.
I'll look forward to it. The Gerodies I have spoke to are pretty pissed on the situation.
Yeah they are strange side. My girfriend's Dad is a season-ticket holder there (yeah, I'm petrified of him) so I follow there results. On their day they're a brilliant side, as they proved with their F.A. Cup run the other year, but they, as you said, rely on Chopra too much and are too inconsistent.
Not that Cardiff/Swansea needs it. There will be riots with this, and plenty of them. Cardiff fans have a reputation about them, and they hate Swansea. Stay well clear of Swansea city centre next Saturday if you value your limbs.
Chopra is the ultimate Championship player. Shame he's so shit in the Premier League.
It's a great League to follow, there's West Brom and Newcastle whose squads are too good for the League, then there's 'Boro with probably the best manager in the division, QPR with the money, Cardiff, Leicester, Preston, Bristol City, the Sheffield lot, Derby and Forest, who underachieve so much and of course Ipswich, who are supposed to be near the top. There are a lot of very good teams, but the only one who are equipped to survive in the Premier League are Newcastle.
I'm sure the game everyone is going to talk about is Hull/Stoke, so I'll start with that. I only caught the last 15 minutes, but it was a very good end. Jimmy Bullard inspired Hull to victory to save Phil Brown's job. They need Bullard in that form each week if they're going to survive this year. Stoke will be fine, their home form is too good for them to be in a relegation scrap this year.
Now on to the big game, no offence to Hull/Stoke fans. Chelsea pulled five points clear at the top of the League by beating United 1-0. Before the game I thought Chelsea would walk it, but nothing could have been further from the truth. United were the better team, and definitely deserved at least a point. Darren Fletcher, again, was United's star player in a big game. They needed someone who could score, though, and they lack it this year.
The goal was a sham. Not a free-kick in the first place and Drogba fouled Brown. Without the transfer-ban in place anymore, it is Chelsea's to lose. Arsenal and United will battle it out for second, and Liverpool will sit in fourth.
Now on to the big game, no offence to Hull/Stoke fans. Chelsea pulled five points clear at the top of the League by beating United 1-0. Before the game I thought Chelsea would walk it, but nothing could have been further from the truth. United were the better team, and definitely deserved at least a point. Darren Fletcher, again, was United's star player in a big game. They needed someone who could score, though, and they lack it this year.
The goal was a sham. Not a free-kick in the first place and Drogba fouled Brown. Without the transfer-ban in place anymore, it is Chelsea's to lose. Arsenal and United will battle it out for second, and Liverpool will sit in fourth.
I thought the last 30 minutes of regular time in the Stoke/Hull match was piss poor, just like a regular Stoke match. It got better just before injury time and the first half was ok, but overall it wasn't anything special. Ab Faye deserved to be sent off, no complaints there. Watching the match back after I got home we should've had a penalty in the first 30 seconds or so. I'm more annoyed about drawing last week than losing this week.
Well, I must say, I have no interest in the world of football at this precise moment. However, I thought that I would make a concerted effort to try and get back to this thread and would also make an effort to go back and watch Celtic play. As I said in a thread yesterday, I have never been more ashamed to be called a Celtic fan after the recent string of results but I will always love my team. I am going to be honest with you and say that I never even knew that Celtic were playing on Saturday and it completely caught me off guard when I spotted the scores from across my work cafeteria.
Anyway, I was relatively pleased that Celtic found their scoring boots again. With a 3-1 win against St Mirren, Celtic go back to the top of the league after Rangers slipped up against Aberdeen... Again! For some reason, I knew that Rangers would slip up again and I also thought that it would be against Aberdeen who always manage to give them a good game for some reason. However, the big story is Hibs, who are in joint second place in the SPL. I have no idea how they managed it but they are doing a great job of staying there and at the expense of the Old Firm, whose seasons have been poor to say the least. John Hughes seems to have moulded a good team there and hopefully they can keep it going. As much as I would like to see Celtic winning the league, I would much prefer to see someone else winning it. It would get rid of the "two team" tag and I think it would do wonders for everyone.
Anyway, I was relatively pleased that Celtic found their scoring boots again. With a 3-1 win against St Mirren, Celtic go back to the top of the league after Rangers slipped up against Aberdeen... Again! For some reason, I knew that Rangers would slip up again and I also thought that it would be against Aberdeen who always manage to give them a good game for some reason. However, the big story is Hibs, who are in joint second place in the SPL. I have no idea how they managed it but they are doing a great job of staying there and at the expense of the Old Firm, whose seasons have been poor to say the least. John Hughes seems to have moulded a good team there and hopefully they can keep it going. As much as I would like to see Celtic winning the league, I would much prefer to see someone else winning it. It would get rid of the "two team" tag and I think it would do wonders for everyone.
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