Football Thread

I wanted to Wigan to go down ever since they surrendered 8-0 to Chelsea last season but they seemed to have the most impetus and were the form team amongst the other relegation rivals.

Disappointed to see Blackpool go if only they had better defenders they could have stayed up but the lack of wins in the second half of the season cost them. I hope they bounce back up but with players like Adam and Campbell leaving it looks unlikely.

Great to see Wimbledon back in the Football League a great achievement and now I just hope they can have a match with MK Dons next season in a cup competition to give them a proper "closure" so to speak.

Most people want Wigan to go down on the basis of being largely a rugby town and therefore a half empty stadium. Though they did loose 9-1 to Spurs and 4-0 to Portsmouth. Amongst others.

Spent the evening watching the Republic Of Ireland destroying Northern Ireland, 5-0 in the 'Carling Nations Cup' - Robbie Keane is an absolute God!

Sad to see the Aviva stadium so empty because of the recession over there.

Next up was Scotland vs Wales, the match finishing 3-1 to the Scots. Watched it primarily to see a few Norwich players in action - Owain Tudor-Jones (who isn't really up to international standard really), Sam Vokes, who enjoyed a brief loan-spell with the Canaries, and Russell Martin, who made his deserved debut for Scotland (he's been outstanding this season), even if he doesn't feel entirely Scottish according to one press interview.

Still no luck for Gary Speed in charge of the Welsh, in what was a good comeback for Scotland with well-taken goals.

What a majestic performance by Barcelona. There passing was of the highest quality and their commitment was outstanding. Messi, Pedro and Villa were formidable with great finishes. It's certainly the best team I've seen.

United were petrified and throughly outclassed but there is no shame in losing to a great side.

Thought United handled defeat very well, fairplay to them. Did well to get themselves back into the game at 1-1.

Villa's goal was, well...

Monaco is relegated :(

And Nice escaped by the skin of their teeth. Talk about dicey.

should say good luck to Swansea in the PL next season. Not too bad for a team so close to going bust around the same time as Wimbledon came into existence.

Quick question for Lazenby, regarding James Vaughan. Norwich have recently signed him and I remember there was quite a hoo-ha about him a few years ago when he was playing for Everton. I don't recall seeing him play. Is he any good? I know a few Palace fans praised him but is he Premier League worthy? Will he do the business at Carrow Road?

Cheers.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6968733,00.html

Blatter has officially lost it. What do Kissinger and Domingo know about Football?

G section wrote:

Quick question for Lazenby, regarding James Vaughan. Norwich have recently signed him and I remember there was quite a hoo-ha about him a few years ago when he was playing for Everton. I don't recall seeing him play. Is he any good? I know a few Palace fans praised him but is he Premier League worthy? Will he do the business at Carrow Road?

Cheers.

TBH, he was never enough of a regular in our side for me to be able to answer that question fully. I always thought of him as "one for the future" who would probably have improved and settled with more Prem games under his belt, but alas it wasn't to be. It could go either way with him for Norwich. Maybe against some weaker sides in the Prem he could do a job but, if money allows, I could possibly see Norwich (now that they're in the Prem) snapping up a more tried, trusted and more experienced Prem goalscorer before the season starts, which could maybe see Vaughan often used more as a potential impact substitute. I hope he does well there though.

Thanks, Laz. We've just completed the signing of Steve Morison from Millwall (who was playing non-league football only a few years ago) and Paul Lambert has said that our strike force is now strong enough, thus ruling out the possibility of signing anymore forwards. So I would imagine our starting two will now be Holt and Vaughan.

As for FIFA, well, the sooner we pull out the better, however irrational that may be.

Must say it's good to see Martin Jol back in management over here. Reckon it can do Fulham some good and hopefully last a bit longer than Hiughes.

Hughes should try managing Pompey, he'd last a month.

Yeah, I've always liked Jol. Speaking of Dutch managers, looks like Hiddink is on his way back to Chelski.

Hiddink should do Chelsea some good. Seemed to last time round.

Having been taken over by the Russkies we seem to have Halford back at Fratton for the new season. Good stuff, as long as he doesn't get himself sent off as often as he did last season he'd do nicely. And we're after Brian Howard.

Ha, Diarra, Defoe and Crouch one year...Well, we know the rest

And so Steve McClaren is back in English Football as Forest manager. Can't understand why Billy Davies was sacked, in true Premier League fashion, as they were playing some excellent stuff last season and would have probably been promoted with him at the helm next year. Also, Nathan Tyson has buggered off to rivals Derby. Something strange is afoot at the City ground, methinks.

Fixtures for the FL are out and as usual I'm not too fussed as until they happen it don't matter. We have the old enemy before Christmas and then in April, two dates the Hampshire Fuzz have likely circled.

Something to see Wimbledon's name amongst the League Two, indeed at the head of the new table (and all that altered league pages and whatnot).

Time soon to mourn the passing of another club as it looks like Rushden & Diamonds have imploded.

A friend invited me to a Fantasy League they created and it reminded me about the one we had last season. If it's like previous seasons I will automatically join the league (as in...being a member or some such) but I don't know if there'll be much interest or whatnot this time round.

Word to the wise they've changed the layout and God help you if you support a team that isn't in the PL :)

I'll give it a miss this season now that the Canaries are in the Prem. I don't wan't to jinx anything. I think I'm partially responsible for Blackpool's relegation.

G section wrote:

I'll give it a miss this season now that the Canaries are in the Prem. I don't wan't to jinx anything. I think I'm partially responsible for Blackpool's relegation.

Good point. Wished I'd done that with Pompey. Condemned to a slow death methinks.

I've renewed our league on the Barclays Fantasy Football site.

I've set up a separate thread for it to try and recruit people:

https://bondandbeyond.forumotion.com/t583-our-barclays-premiership-fantasy-football-league-enter-now#15546

So let's be having a team entered from as many people here as possible. 8)

through a Pompey SNAFU came a dream match for Havant & Waterlooville

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-14352962

Pompey's failing apart this was a good story

Saw on a live scores site that Alfreton Town had beaten Sheffield Wednesday by fourteen goals to nil. Had to look it up and it turns out that the Owls XI was made up of mainly youth players, but still.

And according to the BBC, Arsenal's Grade A match adult ticket is priced at £100 this season. Disgraceful. :x