Wkend fixtures..

[Insomnia]

Arsenal v Sunderland
Man Utd v Wigan
A. Villa v West Ham
Reading v Derby
Blackburn v Birmingham
Bolton v Chelsea
Liverpool v Tottenham
Man City v Middlesbrough
Newcastle v Everton
Fulham v Portsmouth

[Insomnia]

Well we take on Sunderland at home and this is a must for 3pts, quite confident we'll win this, not easy to get past Gordon though, he's class no doubt about that..

Looking at other games i'd expect Man utd to keep the chase on along with Man City..

Will the mid-week game for Chelsea be a turning point for them....

Liverpool game will be a craker also along with the Newcastle game...

[Numeric]

aye some tasty fixtures this weekend...

reckon United will be alright against Wigan at Old Trafford, bit on an issue in the midfield though, Carrick is injured along with Hargreaves and Fletcher, Sir Alex could go with the 4-3-3 or he could maintain 4-4-2 and throw Anderson in which would be a really good opportunity to see where his game is at, United go top if we win :) at least until Arsenal play on Sunday

Gordon is my sub keeper on the fantasy league and with Edwin being out i considered throwing him in, but thought better of it, Arsenal look very likely to over-come Sunderland but we live in hope that the Makems came come up with somin...

be an interesting game at Anfield, and Everton travel to Newcastle, Chelsea at the Reebok is interesting also...

[Esox Lucius]

hope we do big scams boys.

[Esox Lucius]

aye some tasty fixtures this weekend...

reckon United will be alright against Wigan at Old Trafford, bit on an issue in the midfield though, Carrick is injured along with Hargreaves and Fletcher, Sir Alex could go with the 4-3-3 or he could maintain 4-4-2 and throw Anderson in which would be a really good opportunity to see where his game is at, United go top if we win :) at least until Arsenal play on Sunday

Gordon is my sub keeper on the fantasy league and with Edwin being out i considered throwing him in, but thought better of it, Arsenal look very likely to over-come Sunderland but we live in hope that the Makems came come up with somin...

be an interesting game at Anfield, and Everton travel to Newcastle, Chelsea at the Reebok is interesting also...

nice 3 points for united i reckon.

[Microdot]

my predictions

Arsenal 3:0 Sunderland
Man Utd 2:1 Wigan
A. Villa 2:0 West Ham
Reading 3:1 Derby
Blackburn 1:1 Birmingham
Bolton 0:2 Chelsea
Liverpool 2:1 Tottenham
Man City 1:1 Middlesbrough
Newcastle 1:2 Everton
Fulham 0:1 Portsmouth

[Numeric]

United are back!! :laughing:

well pleased with the second half performance today against Wigan, was difficult with losing so many players early on, but the youngsters gave a good account of themselves, was really good to see Anderson playing well in the centre of midfield, and Tevez was awesome and deserved his goal...

the best football United have played this season :) and who care if it's only Wigan, we've struggled against a lot of teams this season, whether it be Sunderland, Birmingham or Roma, was just the tonic to score a few today :cheese:

United top, even if it's only for 24 hours...

[Numeric]

and that's six clean sheets in a row for United in the Prem, incredible defensive form :)

[Insomnia]

Was out watching this game earlier...

Whatever Fergie said at half time, it seemed to do the job....

Man utd were by far the better team and looked threatening at every given attack...

Man utd now holding a good record defensivley and look hard to break down at the moment...

Kuszczak pulled of a wonder save in the second half but apart from that he didn't have to deal with much...

[Numeric]

just heard that Arsenal managed to over-come Sunderland 3-2

Keano's boyz came back from 2-0 down to level but Van Persie scored late to save the Gunners...

[xes]

f*cking Liverpool,the equalising bastards!

[Numeric]

aye, gutted they equalised late on...

[Frank Dogshit]

blackburn win again....happy days

[french_og]

I watched some of the Liverpool Spurs game on spanish channel.. Spurs really should of held on for the 3 points. Liverpool looked terrible at times.

[nick_anarchy]

ah liverpool slip up once more o dear

quality result for utd tho about time someone got a few put past them !!

[Numeric]

blackburn win again....happy days

aye, gutted that you couldn't keep a clean sheet today for sake of Emerton in the Fantasy League, Gamst Pederson isn't exactly rakin in the points for me at the mo either...

[Frank Dogshit]

aye, gutted that you couldn't keep a clean sheet today for sake of Emerton in the Fantasy League, Gamst Pederson isn't exactly rakin in the points for me at the mo either...

probably because theyve both been woeful over the last 3 weeks....samba and bentley are the only consistenly on form players this season

[Microdot]

aye, gutted they equalised late on...

makes no odds. it's still 2 points dropped on Utd and Arsenal. pretty soon the scouser's title hopes will be over. they may catch up with one of these two, but not both, no way.
makes me laugh actually how the media prtry them as title contenders every season when it's clearly not the case.
must admit though, this year they looked alot better on paper than in previous seasons.
if only football were played on paper ay...

[Insomnia]

I'd be kicking myself if we hadn't of beat Sunderland the day, had plenty chances to finnish them of..

Fair play to them though they took there chances and a fine display from Gordon in goal once again...

V. Persie first goal was unstoppable and a nice bit of feet work for his second late on made sure the job was done...

[Numeric]

makes no odds. it's still 2 points dropped on Utd and Arsenal. pretty soon the scouser's title hopes will be over. they may catch up with one of these two, but not both, no way.
makes me laugh actually how the media prtry them as title contenders every season when it's clearly not the case.
must admit though, this year they looked alot better on paper than in previous seasons.
if only football were played on paper ay...

yeah mate, must confess i was a little worried that Liverpool may mount a serious title challenge this season, seems as though Benitez has f**ked it up again :)

still early days though...

[phantomdj]

still early days though...

exactly. microdot is getting overly cocky after a few games...

what was it before about a man utd crisis? then they score 4 goals against wigan and all of a sudden they are clear cut premiership runners? makes me laugh. liverpool go through a similar problem with a lack of scoring goals, (yet unbeaten) and they are suddenly write offs?

Liverpool have a game in hand over man utd and should they get the 3 points they are 1 point adrift. so ON PAPER, I think it's obvious that both have played equally as well or poor whichever way you look at it. All that talk of 'man utd will click soon' and the same are too naive to apply that to liverpool who will also start firing sooner or later.

i'm the first to admit that liverpool have been terrible. they should have won every single game they played this year (on paper) and/or keeping in line with tradition of teams they normally beat, but instead they played crap and essentially showed no respect to the opposing teams. the home form is absolutely dismal, yet the away form is very good. the irony is clear, i know.

yet after all this, they can be 1 point behind united after their game in hand. nothing is takjen for granted in the premiership. it's quite feasilble now for all the top 4 to drop points all over the place.it only takes man united to lose another two and you lot will be back on here slagging them off!

it's better to keep quiet until the last few games of the season about who will drop off or who will lose this match or that match. if liverpool don't win it, then i totally hope arsenal get it.

[french_og]

Liverpool have got the players but have a tinckering manager who's sides play boring un attractive football. Its accepted when they win but when they are not winning rightly questions should be asked.

[Microdot]

exactly. microdot is getting overly cocky after a few games...

what was it before about a man utd crisis? then they score 4 goals against wigan and all of a sudden they are clear cut premiership runners?

I never said Utd were in crisis. far as I'm concerned Utd have been "clear cut premiership runners" from the start and still are nailed on title contenders now, as they have been for the past 16 seasons (count em).
Anyone who thought otherwise was obviously way off the mark.

don't see how stating the obvious (that anyone with title aspirations needs to finish above Utd and Arsenal) is being cocky.

if you're that convinced about Liverpool's chances, put yer money where your mouth is.
£20 says Liverpool won't win the league this season. (cash only please, I've already got all the hubcaps I need, thanks).

[phantomdj]

first of all you are using hindsight to put arsenal up there with yourself. at the beginning of the season it was all chelsea talk and now they dropped off for a moment people discount them. no one predicted how amazing arsenal have been thus far. so it is being cocky to 'state the obvious' about finishing above either man utd or arsenal because it is too early to make a prediction...

as for gambling, i don't do it anymore. i would rather put that money towards some good organic food than waste it on sport. plenty of players can get injured. plenty of bad refereeing decisions and sop forth can ruin a team, so i will not gamble money on that.


i am not implying liverpool are going to win the title at all, my argument was the fact that too many discounted them already with such ease when the problems were similar to man utd... unattractive football for various reasons... after one game man utd are suddenly deemed to be the class act. it is likely they will go on a good run now, but nothing in football can be taken for granted.

@ french OG... i agree. and plenty of questions should be put to benitez because his formula is not working. he has the players and can pick an excellent team sheet, but is the tinker of tinkers and at the moment it does not look rosey for liverpool. He either swallows his pride and picks the best 11 or ruins liverpool's best chance in years of landing the title with the players available.

[Microdot]

first of all you are using hindsight to put arsenal up there with yourself. at the beginning of the season it was all chelsea talk and now they dropped off for a moment people discount them. no one predicted how amazing arsenal have been thus far. so it is being cocky to 'state the obvious' about finishing above either man utd or arsenal because it is too early to make a prediction...

as for gambling, i don't do it anymore. i would rather put that money towards some good organic food than waste it on sport. plenty of players can get injured. plenty of bad refereeing decisions and sop forth can ruin a team, so i will not gamble money on that.


i am not implying liverpool are going to win the title at all, my argument was the fact that too many discounted them already with such ease when the problems were similar to man utd... unattractive football for various reasons... after one game man utd are suddenly deemed to be the class act. it is likely they will go on a good run now, but nothing in football can be taken for granted.

@ french OG... i agree. and plenty of questions should be put to benitez because his formula is not working. he has the players and can pick an excellent team sheet, but is the tinker of tinkers and at the moment it does not look rosey for liverpool. He either swallows his pride and picks the best 11 or ruins liverpool's best chance in years of landing the title with the players available.

arsenal aint really the issue here are they?
first up, you've confused what the brittish media have been writing with what I think. I believe Utd have been a class act all season and at no point have I ever thought that Utd wouldn't be title contenders, just like at no point have I ever thought Liverpool would be. Something you seem to agree with as you refer to backing their chances of winning as "wasting money". So, at least we agree on something.

[phantomdj]

There was one thing you could gamble on and almost guarantee the result...

That was Michael Schumacher winning races.... a flutter then was feasible because in the long run you would always come out on top when using diligence

In football for a season long gamble, the odds are not worth it at all. i would not bet money on anyone. If someone allowed me to put their money on someone then i would probably put it on Arsenal, but that's because I am not tied to it and even though they look rosey at the moment anything can change.

only a fool would put money on man utd and feel guaranteed to win when there are so many things that can go wrong in a season.

the fact i refuse to bet is not a lack of faith, but a measure of prudence with my capital.

give it anothet 10 games, then things will be more clear

[nick_anarchy]

u r the only kopite who seems to oipen his mouth these days even the kopites in work dont speak haha

[phantomdj]

yeah i know, it's ironic because i am not really bothered about football at all now anyway. like i said last season i'm into the rugby league, but even then i don't watch every game that is on. just the friday games. i like to see liverpool won the game, but that's about it. i don't feel down for the day like i used to. i think it's easier to be objective now although slightly difficult when i am relying on media reports to make a judgement considering i am not paying much attention to the coverage itself.

[Numeric]

your views and opinions were always crazy anyway mate :;

Liverpool dominated every game they played according to you :laughing:

'tis a shame the other kopites that used to post in here don't bother anymore, funny their posts became more scarce as Liverpool's form declined...

[Esox Lucius]

yeah i know, it's ironic because i am not really bothered about football at all now anyway.

did you know liverpool have the biggest turn over of fans in england, read it in four four two magazine. end of the day only a few of you are real kopites. like all the sikh lads you see at anfield, they will proably be at old trafford in a season or two. thee who sniff the glory.

[phantomdj]

blame the footballing authorities for it..

i just do not have the desire to make time to watch it. this is because of all the pathetic refereeing decisions and the divers and the stupid prices amongst other things.

why watch that crap when you can see a real man's game in rugby league. when the ball is out of touch the clock is stopped. when someone is injured the clock is stopped. video technology is used to great effect and the players stand up and never jump on the floor like a set of pussies. the buzzer goes at the end of the match and there is no room for cheating and adding on bullshit minutes to help the favoured team score a winner or equaliser.

i lost interest in football for these reasons. pathetic players who care about money alone. very few are in the game for the love of it. oh and by the way, man utd is full of sikhs and so forth. haha, i saw the roma game and the stand was covered in them, so don't try playing that card against liverpool.

@ numeric, they did dominate games. and you too seem to have simmered down in your scumited goggles this year and seem slightly more objective, although a few manc wins will prob change that haha

[Will]

That's a good point about some of the refereeing etc, but you've got to love football!

On a side note, I was reading the letters page on teletext and someone said something along the lines of "Liverpool to win the league - Arsenal are a joke". I mean how even someone who knows nothing about football can say Arsenal are a joke is beyond me!

[Esox Lucius]

far from a joke but it doesnt mean you have to like them :;

[Microdot]

I dont think the standard of reffing is any worse than it ever has been.
I can remember Clive Thomas blowing for full time in a World Cup match in 1978 just as Brazil were putting the ball in the net and not letting the goal stand.
or what about when Schumacher in the german goal tried to kill Patrick Battiston in 1982, resulting in a goal kick.
these two incidents are both over 25 years old and rank alongside anything you see these days (including the goal that never was for Spurs against Utd a couple of years ago).

I think the things that make football less atractive these days are the post prem numpties with little understanding of the game or the culture behind it.
folk who sing "who are ya" or "easy easy" at matches (ashamed to have heard it at Old Trafford recently). jesters hats, face paints and whole stands full of men in their thirties wearing replikits (not just at Newcastle).

[Eddowion]

I dont think the standard of reffing is any worse than it ever has been.
I can remember Clive Thomas blowing for full time in a World Cup match in 1978 just as Brazil were putting the ball in the net and not letting the goal stand.

Showing your age now mate.........nearly as old as me:laughing:

[phantomdj]

The standard of referees is much worse. you might be able to pick out the odd thing back then, but today it is continual. just remember all the tackles they used to do and players used to stay up on their feet far more often. today it is a joke.

[Microdot]

The standard of referees is much worse. you might be able to pick out the odd thing back then, but today it is continual. just remember all the tackles they used to do and players used to stay up on their feet far more often. today it is a joke.

players staying on their feet more has nothing to do with the quality of reffing.

in any case, reffing has always been to roughly the same standard since I started watching the game.

The game itself is alot better than when I was a kid. there are more passing, attacking teams in our league and alot more flair players who can entertain the crowd (thats their job when all said and done). the standard of play is far in excess of the 70s and 80s, and to a lesser extent the 90s.
some of the tackles players like Souness, Robson, Moses etc were allowed to get away with in the 80s were shocking and would (quite rightly) not be tolerated these days.

it's true there is too much diving and play acting in the game right now, but what's worse, diving or reckless tackling.
diving can cost a team trophies and at worst, a place in the top division.
reckless tackling can cost players their career.

it's not the quality of the game that's gone downhill in my eyes but the people that follow it. as I mentioned before, post prem numpties in jester's hats have invaded our game and are ruining the match day experience for the hardcore fans.

[Richierush]

i have always been against video refs because it always balances its self out somewhere along the line,its always a good talking point after a game,if there was a video ref we would have nothin to talk about,reffing isnt bad there human like everyone else they make mistakes :whoops:

[Eddowion]

If you want to see footie like the "good old days" go to a league 1 or 2 match and watch it from the terraces.

[Microdot]

If you want to see footie like the "good old days" go to a league 1 or 2 match and watch it from the terraces.

word. went to see Huddersfield home to Oldham last season with a mate of mine. Very painful.

[phantomdj]

i have always been against video refs because it always balances its self out somewhere along the line,its always a good talking point after a game,if there was a video ref we would have nothin to talk about,reffing isnt bad there human like everyone else they make mistakes :whoops:

they are always making mistakes... far too many fat refs, too old and command no respect because they never played the game and are too easily influenced by the so called stars...

nothing to talk about??? well if you take a leaf out of rugby league we normally talk about the brilliance of the match and the performers... is that not teh reason you watch a game?

if you want to talk about the injustice, then you might as well watch some coverage of what the israeli army does to the palastinian women and children if that is what gets you going