Fitba' 19

[Zoë Sumra]

Precisely. :)

[Black Wizard]

That's how Millwall got the chance to get thrashed by Fenerbace in the UEFA Cup qualifying round a few years back, and the same logic means Ross County are going to be in the Europa League next season, whether or not they win the Scottish Cup (at least I think Dundee United can't finish lower than fourth in the SPL so are guaranteed a spot on league form). :)

Dundee United will need to finish second for Ross County to be gauranteed a UEFA Cup place. If County win the cup then they're in Europe, but if Dundee United finish third and win the cup the 5th placed team in the SPL gets the UEFA Cup spot. It's not entirely implausible that Dundee United could finish second: they are the form team in Scotland and have Rangers at home twice and and a woeful Celtic still have to come to Tannadice as well.

As for Portsmouth not being allowed to play in Europe next season, I think it will benefit them. The cost of having to travel across the continent and pay any win bonuses that may arise will hurt them badly again, and I don't think the UEFA Cup TV money is particularly good. Matches on a Thursday night matches would only serve to further stretch what will probably be a small squad next season in the already hectic Weekend-Midweek-Weekend Championship schedule.

[Iskaral Pust]

Very poor fare from Liverpool at the weekend. It just exposes our lack of talent. Without Torres we have very little to offer. Ngog did decently well considering his experience but the gap between him and Torres is enormous. Benitez does not have a tactical plan B. When the early flurry did not produce a goal, he was only able to swap people within the same formation without really shaking things up.

Glen Johnson was a good threat for us in the first half, but very well countered by Duff in the second half. Greening should have been sent off for a second bookable foul on Johnson in the first half (the ref clearly ignored the rules to avoid a sending off), but I'm pretty sure Fulham could have played the same game even with ten men.

Well done to Fulham. It's easy to moan that they only come to park the bus in front of the goal, but it's a valid game plan in their situation.

It was funny that both Liverpool and ManUtd suffered the same experience this weekend. I think Utd are just as much a one-player team at the moment. Blackburn were shockingly bad at retaining possession in that game. How do they ever manage to score?

Well done to City who are scoring for fun at the moment. They use their pacy attackers very well on the counter, almost like Villa did earlier in the season. But when are the opposition going to wise-up to it like they did with Villa? City look certain to take 4th spot (deservedly so on current form), but they need a better central midfield and defence if they want to go far in the CL. Liverpool will struggle to hang onto 6th spot at this rate.

I've been bothered for a long time by the structural inequity in football. It's much easier to defend than to score. A well organized team of decent but not great talent can resist the attacks of a more talented team that is just as well organized. It's a function of the design of the game and the rules.

It's kind of like basketball is asymmetrical in favor of attack now that the players are so tall. Or baseball would be similarly biased toward defense if the bases were ten yards further apart. This is why I don't object when FIFA introduce the world cup balls that make shots harder to save -- it only partially redresses the existing inequity. I would like the game of football to be a little more balanced in this regard, but not to the point where we get so many goals that the tension is destroyed. I mocked the US world cup committee in 1994 when they asked for larger goal-frames to enable more goal-scoring (and more breaks for commercials), but there is a valid point in there.

[Maltaran]

Portsmouth are apparently appealing regarding the Uefa licence.

[Renasko]

Not looking forward to Celtic's game against Motherwell tonight at all. :worried:

I've absolutely no idea who we'll be playing in central defence. Apparently O'Dea has a thigh injury, but is included in the squad. Probably because, aside from him, we only have one other central defender, Thompson. I wonder who fucked up the McManus loan deal and didn't include a 'return' option. We sorely need some leadership, as Neil Lennon has been talking about since our last result, which we'll not talk anymore about...

I guess we could go with a back four of Wilson/Hinkel/Thompson/Naylor. I don't know, has Hinkel ever played in central defence before? What about Braafhied? I can't imagine that would go well...

[mormont]

I don't know if Hinkel has played centre-back before, but I'm fairly sure Wilson has.

[Black Wizard]

Samaras would be a good centre-back. He finishes like one.

[Renasko]

I hope he scores tonight.

[Black Wizard]

He's not even on the bench. :lol:

[Derfel Cadarn]

Didn't see the Celtic-Motherwell game, Celtic won 2-1. From what I read, Motherwell scored first and it wasn't exactly an inspired Celtic performance.

[Alcibiades]

Could the Wembly pitch situation have an effect on England's World Cup bid? I should think that it's where they anticipate having the final. Since they will announce the decision in December, any pitch controversy surrounding next year's Champion's League final won't come in time to affect things. Everything in the news seems to suggest that the bad pitch stems from a fundamental design decision with Wembly stadium, one that is impossible to address without jeopardizing the FA's ability to host non-football events there.

Perhaps they can reconstruct the pitch just for the World Cup, and put the removable pitch back once the competition is over.

It's my understanding that we Americans are promising natural grass in the American Football stadiums, in place of the artificial stuff there now. I have no idea what kind of quality we're talking about, however.

[Lord of Oop North]

It's my understanding that we Americans are promising natural grass in the American Football stadiums, in place of the artificial stuff there now. I have no idea what kind of quality we're talking about, however.

BMO Field in Toronto put in a new pitch this year. First match on it will be this Thursday for the Toronto FC's home opener.

I managed to get some great Mid-Field seats from a friend for the game. Very excited :)

[Iskaral Pust]

Chelsea triumph thanks to some ManU-esque favoritism from the referee in missing two nailed-on penalties. I'm not complaining though so long as ManUtd don't win the league (Liverpudlian partisanship there). I wonder if Ferguson will have more convenient amnesia when he goes ballistic about this.

[Renasko]

He's not even on the bench. :lol:

Yeah, whatshisface who was commenting said that he'd be surprised to see him or Hinkel anywhere near the full team, again, while Lennon is in charge. I'm not surprised to hear this, as far as Samaras is concerned, as the man is maddening, but I've found few faults in the German defender.

Anyway, we won. Woo. I was nervous, especially after we went behind. Not the most inspiring of performances, to say the least, but then less than half of our crowd deigned to show, so whatever.

[Padraig]

I mocked the US world cup committee in 1994 when they asked for larger goal-frames to enable more goal-scoring (and more breaks for commercials), but there is a valid point in there.

I mocked them too. But thinking about it now, logically, they should increase the size of the goals. Goalies are obviously a lot better than they were 100, 150 years ago, whenever they agreed the size of the goals.

[Hereward]

Goalies are obviously a lot better than they were 100, 150 years ago, whenever they agreed the size of the goals.

You've seen David James play, right?

[Black Wizard]

Yeah, whatshisface who was commenting said that he'd be surprised to see him or Hinkel anywhere near the full team, again, while Lennon is in charge. I'm not surprised to hear this, as far as Samaras is concerned, as the man is maddening, but I've found few faults in the German defender..

is whatshisface the Sky Sports commentator? Because I think that'll be Ian Crocker.

[Horza]

Goalpost widening? For shiz?

Do you guys know what happens when you do that? It's called Australian Rules Football and it's fucking boring.

Goal inflation is if anything a greater threat to Western Civilisation than the other kind.

[Iskaral Pust]

Goalpost widening? For shiz?

Do you guys know what happens when you do that? It's called Australian Rules Football and it's fucking boring.

Goal inflation is if anything a greater threat to Western Civilisation than the other kind.

Do you really want to watch World Cups where a large number of teams try to emulate Greece's Euro Championship success?

Just to head in the opposite direction for a moment, I think the offside rule needs to change. In its current format it is unfair to defenders. An attacker is only offside if interfering with play, but a defender keeps an attacker onside even if the defender is not interfering with play (e.g. 40 yards away asleep in the left back position, or possibly even prone on the ground with an injury).

[BigFatCoward]

Arsenal v Spurs tonight could kick off, i'd suggest if Arsenal dont win they are screwed for the title and if spurs dont win they are screwed for 4th. a draw does neither team any good.

i suppose i'd prefer an Arsenal Win, just to keep the title race open a bit longer.