Anorak 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2005 Arse 2 Manchester United 4. Any thoughts anyone? Man Utd deserved it overall. Arsenal have no bottle or character when it comes to the crunch against the other top sides. They lose their quality and composure too easily and that defence (and goalkeeper) looked in trouble every time Utd went for their throat last night. All of which was a shame because I hate Man Utd. Thank god for Chelsea. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 Just past the mid-way point... well, a bit past it really, of the season, how are everyone's teams doing? Obviously, i'm happy being in the play-offs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 Here's how I think the Premiership will finish next year. 1. Arsenal(Best attack in England will make up for the lack of defensive cover) 2. Chelsea(They need a World Class Striker to ever win the league) 3. Manchester United(I think they'll be fighting Liverpool for 3rd place for the next few years) 4. Liverpool(Benitez signs Ayala and Wright-Phillips but Owen leaves in summer of 2005) 5. Newcastle(they win the Worthington Cup but the crap defense lets them down in league) 6. Birmingham(about 9 teams have a chance to finish 6th) 7. Charlton 8. Tottenham 9. Aston Villa 10. Midddlesbrough 11. Portsmouth 12. Bolton 13. Southampton 14. Blackburn 15. Norwich 16. Manchester City 17. Fulham(They rely too much on Boa Morte and Malbranque and if they don't play well then Fulham struggle) 18. Everton(Teams finishing 17th usually go down the next season) 19. West Brom(not good enough) 20. Crystal Palace(Only Routledge and Johnson are premiership quality, the rest are either past their best or are players who try hard but lack quality) ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Decemberists 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 Just past the mid-way point... well, a bit past it really, of the season, how are everyone's teams doing? Are you taking the piss or something? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 Funilly enough, I had you in mind when I said that! So..how do you feel about your teams progress..? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Decemberists 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 I'm kind of resigned to it now, not angry or anything, just a kind of dour acceptance that Platt/Hart/Kinnear and chairman Doughty have totally fucked the club up. Still, Mego'll keep us up... ....in League One. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 You hope. What would it mean to your club if you can't bounce back, should you go down? Stranger things have happened, you know. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Decemberists 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 Pretty much the whole squad we have will leave when we go down I'd imagine so if we don't bounce back it's not as if we'll have Johnno hanging out in the reserves on £8,000 a week like he is at the moment. Attendence's would drop from the current 25,000 to the Platt-era 16,000 average, I'd be surprised if they'd go any lower. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 I think Johnson's leaving, isn't he? Wolves want him on loan, and his fall out with Megson = oh well. What has happened to David Johnson? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mystery Eskimo 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 I don't think he can be bothered anymore. Megson's first signing - John Curtis. Meh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 Ex Man U and/or Blackburn defender? Meh's the word. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mystery Eskimo 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 Yeah him. Free from Portsmouth. Rotherham tomorrow...if we don't win that, I'd say it's pretty much all over. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 Away or home? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 We have Brighton away. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deancoles 0 Report post Posted February 5, 2005 Just past the mid-way point... well, a bit past it really, of the season, how are everyone's teams doing? Obviously, i'm happy being in the play-offs. Bad Things this season Our ex captain can only last 60 minutes before being knackered due to his smoking 20 a day and his love of the Nightlife in bristol(Tommy Doherty), Our best striker has scored 3 in 3 months but plays week in week out(Leroy Lita), Our Best cb is on the transfer list because he's been making no effort since the Play Off final(Danny Coles), The other one is to old(Tony Butler), Butler lost 8 of his teeth during half time against Peterborough We sign a player who plays great during his loan spell but as soon as he gets a 2 year contract he's taking it easy(Tony Dinning) We bring back a player who left in the summer but wasn't good enough for the Championship(Louis Carey) Liam Rosenior is getting 1st team football at Fulham Tinnion has his favourites like Scott Murray who was best man at his wedding. Next year Forest,Rotherham and Gillingham/Plymouth/Coventry will make promotion more difficult. and we have Steven Gillespie at Cheltenham with 4 goals in a month being brought back from his loan to be on the bench. Good Things this season Rovers are doing sod all The new right back Jamie Smith, we got him on a free from Crystal Palace and since october he's been our best player and is the new captain. Steve Brooker, When we paid 150k none rated him but he's turned into a great League 1 Targetman. Luke Wilkshire is a really good Midfielder as long as he's in the centre. The league is so crap that 4 wins in a row and we'll be 4th. Yeovil will go up, maybe it will give us the kick up the ass we need when they beat us Edit: I can remember us beating Portsmouth 1-0 away during Easter in 99 and there were banners with "save the club" visible, the half time draw was about £250 quid and ours was usually 10k, What a difference a couple of years can do, it serves us right for waving 20 pound notes at their players. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 6, 2005 Brighton 2 Derby 3 <3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deancoles 0 Report post Posted February 6, 2005 (edited) Brighton 2 Derby 3 <3 If we'd have done that in may then we'd be in the Championship, with Forest and Rotherham being so poor we'd be in direct competition with Coventry and Gillingham to stay up. Edit: Pleased to see someone's team doing well. Edited February 6, 2005 by deancoles411 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 6, 2005 That game at Millmoor was a bore, but.. It was another eventful day out on the south coast. Referee Fred Graham's ruling that Derby's home and away strips clashed with Brighton's blue and white kit resulted in the Rams turning out in their black training gear, in numbers one to 11, resulting in much hilarity from both sets of supporters as the PA announcer attempted to explain the situation - announcing both the squad and shirt numbers. To complicate matters further, the Rams players wore their squad numbers on their shorts. Keeper Lee Camp was the only player with his original match shirt (yellow) and squad number. Oh my god. That sums up this league, doens't it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deancoles 0 Report post Posted February 7, 2005 Lita just got a late call up to the England U21 squad, probably because he scored against Peter Taylor's club team on Saturday. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 7, 2005 Huddlestone and Camp are in that squad. England play on Wednesday, biggest question is will Sven give in to the popular vote and start Wright-Phillips? Also, what role, if any, will Johnson and Downing play? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2005 England vs Holland tomorrow, and i'm off down to Pride Park shortly to watch the junior version. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deancoles 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2005 Watching the match you couldn't tell which England player was in the 3rd league, Lita looked a lot better than Stead and Ashton. Edit: Tonight was the 1st time i've watched an England U21 in years, the Taylor team with Wright,Bowyer,Joe Cole,Lampard,Upson and Dyer was great until Wilko and Platt came along. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King Cucaracha 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2005 Another thoroughly pointless friendly with nothing of any note coming out of it. Surprise surprise. I don't know why they bother with friendlies anyway aside from revenue. They didn't even give AJ a proper run-out, sticking him on the right wing (WTF was that!?!) and that was after the game had died out on the hour. Complete waste of time and sadly, that could be the end of AJ's England career before it ever got going. Just like Beattie and Ricketts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deancoles 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2005 Eriksson could learn from Van Basten in giving new players a ful 90 minutes in the right posistion. Eriksson obviously wanted to include all his favourites and Downing,Wright-Phillips and Johnson. Edit: His interview on BBC is a load of bollocks, not one truth in the whole thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King Cucaracha 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2005 Agreed. ...I'd be shocked if Rooney's goal didn't win GOTM. That was an awesome strike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Decemberists 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2005 Complete waste of time. He should've just played this team - GK: Robinson RB: Neville © CB: Brown CB: Carragher LB: Cole RW: SWP CM: Jenas CM: Gerrard LW: Downing CF: Owen CF: Johnson And keep everyone untill AT LEAST 70m. At least with the above team you'd at least start to lean if JJ, SWP, Dowing and Johnson can cut it at international level. What the fuck was Johnson doing on the right wing. Just stupid management. Beckham will be first choice untill Sven drops dead, even if he gets in the way of possible team progression. Dowie for England! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deancoles 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2005 I'll point out that in 2005 the only Goalscorer in the England Senior and U21 team's is Leroy Lita who plays for some shitty little League 1 side. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 10, 2005 I'll point out that in 2005 the only Goalscorer in the England Senior and U21 team's is Leroy Lita who plays for some shitty little League 1 side. And the only goal was scored at some Championship clubs ground. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 Fulham vs Derby, replay tomorrow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deancoles 0 Report post Posted February 12, 2005 0-1 against Wallsall, at least the season will be over in April for us with the last 5 games being meaningless. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
