The Football Thread - Season 2011/2012 - Part 2

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TriggerHappy said:
Haha my teams performance against stoke has very little to do with it. Even shawcross' challenge that broke Ramsey's leg I accept was an unfortunate, unintentional accident.

I dislike stoke so much because week in week out they *******ise the game of football with tactics that amount to no more than who can boot the ball highest, who can push their opponent off the ball hardest and who can consistently get the run of luck with refereeing decisions going their way.

Not to mention the extent to which I hate the place itself, the pillock Tony Pulis and the farce of an excuse that got him off a driving ban.
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You'd be surprised at how lanky and scrawny shawcross is in real life actually.
 
TriggerHappy said:
England squad for me would have to be:

GK - Hart
RB - Richards
CB - Cahill
CB - Terry (just)
LB - Cole
RM - Walcott
CM - Parker
CM - Barry or Wilshere if fit
LM - Young
ST - Rooney
ST - Crouch (astonishingly!)

Reserves:
GK - Ruddy
GK - Foster
RB - Walker
CB - Lescott
CB - Smalling
LB - Baines
RM - Johnson
CM - Lampard
CM - Carrick
LM - Oxlade-Chamberlain
ST - Defoe
ST - Sturridge

and Phil Jones as a flexible 25th man (though not 25th choice!).

Holt is probably more deserving than any other English striker this season given what he's achieved with Norwich (and that he's a fellow Salopian :D ) but a call up would be astonishing because of his age and lack of experience at international level. If Carroll gets a place before Holt I'd be pretty miffed though. He's everything Carroll tries to be, he just does it a damn-site better!
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i think you will find Grant Holt is from Carlisle,he went to the same school as me and his parents live nearby.
 
steunited said:
i think you will find Grant Holt is from Carlisle,he went to the same school as me and his parents live nearby.
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Oh really? I stand corrected :) I was misinformed by a friend who's a shrewsbury town fan in that case...I'll be having words!

Slightly less concerned with fighting his corner for an international role now :D:lol:
 
Yep, definitely a cumbrian, he played for both Workington Reds and Barrow before moving his way up through the divisions!
 
redddraggon said:
Perhaps I shouldn't be supporting Ryan Shawcross' place in the England team then!

I reckon he's Welsh!
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Oh is he? I really don't get all this nationality business where if you haven't yet played for one country but spent long enough living in another country then you're eligible to play for them. It's ridiculous. You're born in a country, that's your nationality and that should be the only national side you can play for. I can't see any justification for why it should be more flexible other than to enable some countries to snaffle good players from elsewhere. Can anyone explain the logic behind it for me?
 
TriggerHappy said:
Oh is he? I really don't get all this nationality business where if you haven't yet played for one country but spent long enough living in another country then you're eligible to play for them. It's ridiculous. You're born in a country, that's your nationality and that should be the only national side you can play for. I can't see any justification for why it should be more flexible other than to enable some countries to snaffle good players from elsewhere. Can anyone explain the logic behind it for me?
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Being born in a country doesn't make you that nationality. One of my friends was born in Saudia Arabia as his parents were both working there at the time - Saudia Arabia would never grant him or his sister citizenship.

So if you are from Flintshire lets say, you have three hospitals nearby, Rhyl, Wrexham or Chester, none in Flintshire, and Chester happens to be the closest, you nip over the border and your kid is born, doesn't make your kid English, just like working in Saudia Arabia for 12 months and having a kid there would make your kid a Saudia Arabian.
 
redddraggon said:
Being born in a country doesn't make you that nationality. One of my friends was born in Saudia Arabia as his parents were both working there at the time - Saudia Arabia would never grant him or his sister citizenship.

So if you are from Flintshire lets say, you have three hospitals nearby, Rhyl, Wrexham or Chester, none in Flintshire, and Chester happens to be the closest, you nip over the border and your kid is born, doesn't make your kid English, just like working in Saudia Arabia for 12 months and having a kid there would make your kid a Saudia Arabian.
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I understand that aspect, even though I was keeping my description very simple :)

I was referring more to examples like podolski who is Polish in birth and nationality but plays internationally for Germany because of grandparents ties to germany (feel free to correct me on that because i'm not certain). Or Almunia who's Spanish born, but before Hart broke through there was (slightly far-fetched) speculation he could play as an English goalkeeper.
 
TriggerHappy said:
I was referring more to examples like podolski who is Polish in birth and nationality but plays internationally for Germany because of grandparents ties to germany (feel free to correct me on that because i'm not certain).
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His grandparents were born in Germany, but when the border changed after WW2 that place become Poland.

There's a whole page on FIFA Eligibility, and it's quite complicated

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_eligibility_rules

Aluminia could play for England because he's never played for any of the Spanish national teams, and he has British citizenship. However Arteta couldn't play for England even though he could have British Citizenship because he has played for the Junior Spanish teams before he could potentially gain British citizenship .

Now Shawcross being British, born England, at least one grandparent born in Wales could play for both.
 
So still all to play for in the Premier League with 2 games left.

Will Man City do it? Will Newcastle, Spurs or Chelsea get in the top 4? Who will join Wolves in the Championship - QPR, Bolton, Blackburn or Villa?

I'd like Man City to win the tile so will got for them - they've had plenty of ups and downs over recent times.

I'd love Newcastle to clinch that 4th place but would mean beating Man City - I'm going for Spurs to clinch it.

Blackburn are virtually down, I think QPR will join them (sadly) and Bolton will escape by a point with a draw at Stoke. Wigan and Villa are pretty much safe. But you never know, could QPR spoil the Man City party?!

Anyone else want to put in their predictions before the games get under way.

And we've got the playoffs to look forward to now as well!
 
I think Blackburn are down, hard to choose between QPR and Bolton - would prefer Villa, but I think QPR will go as they have no chance v Man City.

Hope Man U win, and do think that whoever is top after the next game will win and Newcastle could take points off City.

Hope Arsenal are 3rd, but we could easily mess up, so would not be suprised if Spurs pipped us to 3rd - but think we should just do enough.

Hoping Hammers go up as I do like Big Sam!
 
I'm expecting Arsenal to bottle it, lose out on 3rd place to Spurs, and then have Chelsea snatch away our CL spot by beating Bayern in the final. Sceptical, me? Never!

My dream top 4 would be:
1 Man City
2 Man U
3 Arsenal
4 Newcastle

but I'm expecting none of those to be in those spots come a week on Sunday.

Does anyone know the date for the Champions League final? I'm hoping Arsenal will be safe if 3rd so I can support Chelsea on the day!
 
Just caught the Cisse goals from the Chelsea v Newcastle game. They were a bit special.

Goes without saying I hope Newcastle can take something from their game against City but it's more out of hope than expectation. I just feel City have so much of an incentive and Newcastle might be a bit spent after the last game.

Lovely to see the statue of Sir Bobby Robson will be unveiled before the game. I've still not got over that semi final penalty defeat to Germany and to this day maintain we'd have won the World Cup Final.
 
redddraggon said:
Aluminia could play for England because he's never played for any of the Spanish national teams, and he has British citizenship.
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AND... because he's the son of Tommy Steele :lol:
 
Been flying around all over Scotland for the last 48 hrs so only realised tonight that tomorrow is FA Cup Final day. I honestly thought it was next weekend.

Anybody else miffed about this ?

It's Newcastle v City tomorrow for goodness sake not to mention other games that mean so much.

I couldn't give a hoot who wins the FA Cup but I wish it would be the last game of the season so it can get the recognition it deserves. Chelsea have bigger fish to fry than the FA cup but it's just getting overlooked. Nice to see Fergie and Noel Noel Gallagher both being outspoken about the FA Cup Final needing to be held aloft. So it's a tea time kick off - I'll miss that.
Why is the FA Cup so downtrodden ?
 
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I think there's only arsenal v norwich at lunchtime and all the other prem games are sunday

i think the fa cup suffered after the 4 teams were alowed in champs league
 
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Same was true last year. Fa cup totally overshadowed.

I don't expect much from today, Chelsea have been really on form lately apart from a blip mid week. So I expect the better team will win.
 
Someone on a QPR forum asked whether people would be supporting Chelsea or Liverpool. Apart from someone threatening lie bans if anyone who said Chelsea :D this was my reply.

No brainer for me - Liverpool

I grew up watching a great Liverpool side win leagues FA Cups & European cups and doing it with a lot more grace and a lot less whinging than some do today
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The above is despite Joe's attempts to put me off! :p
 
That's a reflection of a different age, not Liverpool being 'special' back then fabs; don't encourage their fans to bleat on about their history ;)

I'm not into the FA Cup at all this year as it's between 2 sides I genuinely despise; didn't they play a game without a single Englishman on the pitch a couple of years ago, or was that chelsea V arsenal?
The final being played with 2 league fixture remaining is poor :( and at teatime too? All Man UTDs fault of course :lol:
 
Arsenal doing exactly what I expected of them today. No hunger, no fight!

Hello 5th place finish.
 
RVP's magic left boot does it again. I can only imagine what a player he'd be if he was as consistent with his right!
 
What was I saying about his right foot? *humble pie*

I don't even care that I'm basically talking to myself right now :lol:
 
For the neutral at least - you have to say the whole Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle, Chelsea situation is fantastic.

I've no preference from Arsenal, Tottenham or Chelsea but I would like to see Newcastle finish as high as possible.
 
dinners said:
For the neutral at least - you have to say the whole Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle, Chelsea situation is fantastic.

I've no preference from Arsenal, Tottenham or Chelsea but I would like to see Newcastle finish as high as possible.
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Yeah, for the neutral it's fantastic. Arsenal have thrown away their 3rd spot I'm sure now. Just have to hope either spurs or newcastle stumble. If I placed bets on Arsenal games I'd put money on west brom to beat us next sunday to be honest. Perhaps a saver bet on a draw.

Ruddy has proved he should be Englands number 2 yet again for me today. Foster, Carson and Green all haven't been as good as him this season!
 
Apparently Arsenal have conceded the most goals ever whilst under Wenger this season. If that doesn't signal our defensive frailties to Wenger then I don't know what does. We need cover for Sagna on the right and an additional centre back at the least to sure up our back 4.
 
Arsenal vs Norwich. Cracking game for the neutral :thumbs:
 
And we still haven't won a league game without Arteta. I think I said here a while back that his injury would be a huge blow. Ramsey has had a really shocking season. In front of goal he's been utterly abysmal and he doesn't do any tracking back to help the team. Rosicky and benayoun have stepped up a little but it's not been enough to replace the loss of Arteta.

- an utterly dejected Arsenal fan
 
Just read that Sagna has broken his leg in today's game against norwich. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery; he'll be missed yet again! It also really does mean I expect 5th place now!
 
TriggerHappy said:
Just read that Sagna has broken his leg in today's game against norwich. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery; he'll be missed yet again! It also really does mean I expect 5th place now!
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TBH, its what we deserve.
 
TriggerHappy said:
Apparently Arsenal have conceded the most goals ever whilst under Wenger this season. If that doesn't signal our defensive frailties to Wenger then I don't know what does. We need cover for Sagna on the right and an additional centre back at the least to sure up our back 4.
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Wenger is blind. He thinks that we have a good enough squad. I actually hope that we finish 5th as that would be the wake up call he needs.
 
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