Football 16-17

[TheGayTent]

1 minute ago, big__phil said:

Where is it, your place?

No.

[big__phil]

4 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

No.

Fair enough. Still, I think you've got a really good chance.

Just going back to Oxford; what's the fan's view on him? It strikes me that even though he's still very young, he's missing out on a lot a football by playing hardball with his contract. Probably not getting the best advice, when he should just be focusing on his game. Does he make many match day squads?

[TheGayTent]

8 minutes ago, big__phil said:

In that case you've probably got a really good chance, with Utd sure to rest a few.

Not sure about that. 

But 6 years ago to the day, this happened:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/9233755.stm

It was bloody cold that night too so I'm taking that as a good omen. 

In all likelihood the scoreline will be the same with the home side winning again...

[TheGayTent]

6 minutes ago, big__phil said:

Fair enough. Still, I think you've got a really good chance.

Just going back to Oxford; what's the fan's view on him? It strikes me that even though he's still very young, he's missing out on a lot a football by playing hardball with his contract. Probably not getting the best advice, when he should just be focusing on his game. Does he make many match day squads?

Frustration mainly. He's made 7 of 13 league squads without coming on in one. In reality he's been chosen only when there's a complete lack of defensive replacements due to either injuries or suspensions. 

Difficult one for me - if he is as good as the glimpses he's shown, he's good enough for bigger clubs than WHU. However, given how little game time he has had, how many bigger clubs will give him the game time he wants straight away?

Plenty will pay good money for his potential, can't really see who plays him regularly? 

Shame, as by all accounts he's quite happy at the club barring the not playing. 

[eFestivals]

10 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

It was bloody cold that night too so I'm taking that as a good omen. 

are you saying that Man Utd can't do it on a cold winter's night at Old Trafford?

They can't do it on a mild Saturday either at the moment.

 

[ThomThomDrum]

Is Bristows supposed contrition not borne out of his punishment, rather than a realisation of self? Suppose its hard to be 100%, but his apology does read very like "I notice Im wrong because you all say I am, but....." which does smack slightly of insincerity.

He probably should have just said sorry without trying to explain himself and let it lie. If he does do further interviews it could get akward as he fights internally with what he thinks and what he is told to say.

Edited November 30, 2016 by ThomThomDrum

[TheGayTent]

7 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

are you saying that Man Utd can't do it on a cold winter's night at Old Trafford?

 

No. I'm just clutching at straws. 

I'm also wearing my lucky pants (don't tell the wife). 

[TheGayTent]

Also just been reminded today's date is also 28 years to the day since WHU beat Liverpool 4-1 in the League Cup. It was the game that brought a certain Judas to the attention of the football masses outside of East London. 

Though of course, at the time he hadn't yet become a Judas c**t ! 

Anyway, I'm taking it as another good omen. 

Edited November 30, 2016 by TheGayTent
Because I can't count.

[TheGayTent]

In lesser news, I see Southgate has been officially announced as permanent England manager 

[Hugh Jass]

1 minute ago, TheGayTent said:

In lesser news, I see Southgate has been officially announced as permanent England manager

An uninspiring choice for uninspiring times.

That said we as a nation (fans, press, players, FA) have made that job so poisonous no sane coach would go anywhere near it. Southgate's probably the best we can do.

[eFestivals]

23 minutes ago, ThomThomDrum said:

 

Is Bristows supposed contrition not borne out of his punishment, rather than a realisation of self? Suppose its hard to be 100%, but his apology does read very like "I notice Im wrong because you all say I am, but....." which does smack slightly of insincerity.

 

I think, as far as it goes, it doesn't much matter whether he is or isn't sincere, but a new can of worms opens once people start dismissing shows of contrition as worthless because it suits their prejudices.

Whatever Bristow personally might be, that's what he is. Meanwhile his public persona has admitted it was wrong to have said what he did, and for anyone who might take on what Bristow might say, the bad that he said has been reversed. That's all that can be done now - so we might as well accept it and move on. String him up if he does it again.

Hopefully he's learned a lesson, and even if that lesson is only "I can't say that publicly" then that's still something better than existed previously.  It's not like all people with 'the wrong views' are going to suddenly have perfect views just because they've had their wrists slapped.

[eFestivals]

6 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

An uninspiring choice for uninspiring times.

That said we as a nation (fans, press, players, FA) have made that job so poisonous no sane coach would go anywhere near it. Southgate's probably the best we can do.

he can't ever be as bad as don't care woy.

[Hugh Jass]

3 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

he can't ever be as bad as don't care woy.

Roy was no worse than those who came before him (not just speaking as a biased West Brom fan), he maintained the status quo of qualifying easily for tournaments before falling apart when we got there.

Edited November 30, 2016 by Hugh Jass

[eFestivals]

Just now, Hugh Jass said:

Roy was no worse than those who came before him (not just speaking as a biased West Brom fan), he maintained the status quo of qualifying easily for tournaments before falling apart when we got there.

yep, the results were not hugely different to the norm, and even god couldn't polish the turd that is england into world cup winners.

I'm not really bothered by that. I thought his attitude at the end of the Euros stunk. It changed what I think of him.

[ThomThomDrum]

Does Southgate get stupid, crazy money now just like Woy did? 

[Hugh Jass]

8 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

yep, the results were not hugely different to the norm, and even god couldn't polish the turd that is england into world cup winners.

I'm not really bothered by that. I thought his attitude at the end of the Euros stunk. It changed what I think of him.

Yeah, he'd mentally checked out by the end. Think all the shiteness of that job had finally beaten him.

[eFestivals]

7 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Yeah, he'd mentally checked out by the end. Think all the shiteness of that job had finally beaten him.

Yet he got an easy ride of it compared to other managers. It was his own shitness against a not very good Iceland (no offence meant to Iceland) that had beaten him.

Southgate will at least care about the job, so he's already in front of Roy even if everything else is as inept.

[pink_triangle]

26 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Roy was no worse than those who came before him (not just speaking as a biased West Brom fan), he maintained the status quo of qualifying easily for tournaments before falling apart when we got there.

Im not sure I agree with the bit about falling apart in international tournaments in the past. With Roy England were eliminated in the euros by a team (Iceland) they should have easily beaten. In the past England have generally been knocked out by teams of equal or better standards.

[ThomThomDrum]

Yeah getting done by Iceland I thought was a new low for England at recent tournaments......... 

[eFestivals]

3 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Im not sure I agree with the bit about falling apart in international tournaments in the past. With Roy England were eliminated in the euros by a team (Iceland) they should have easily beaten. In the past England have generally been knocked out by teams of equal or better standards.

England's tournament history in a nutshell:-

1. if we do well in the qualifiers, we perform poorly in the tournament.

2. if we struggle in the qualifiers but just about qualify, it'll be one of the better tournaments.

So Roy was about to the standard, tho perhaps a little worse in full context as there's no glorious failure in losing to Iceland.

[Hugh Jass]

Capello's England couldn't beat the US or Algeria in the group stage which directly lead to us being whacked by Germany.

McLaren didn't even qualify.

[pink_triangle]

3 hours ago, eFestivals said:

England's tournament history in a nutshell:-

1. if we do well in the qualifiers, we perform poorly in the tournament.

2. if we struggle in the qualifiers but just about qualify, it'll be one of the better tournaments.

From my memory England's general pattern has been to be knocked out by the first decent side they play regardless of how they qualified. People may talk about performances, but you don't need to perform great to succeed in international tournaments.

[kaosmark2]

46 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

People may talk about performances, but you don't need to perform great to succeed in international tournaments.

Just look at the latest winners!

[Hugh Jass]

1 hour ago, pink_triangle said:

From my memory England's general pattern has been to be knocked out by the first decent side they play regardless of how they qualified. People may talk about performances, but you don't need to perform great to succeed in international tournaments.

You either win a major tournament by being technically better than everyone else (Spain and Germany recently) or by being organised, determined and resilient (Greece and Portugal). England are not capable of either.

[Comfy Bean]

11 hours ago, LJS said:

Hey #comfortablynumb, I see the spiders are visiting the honest men in the next round of the Scottish Cup. Thinking I'll make a wee trip doon the watter. Maybe catch you for a pre-match beer?

Yeah saw that mate. Pre Scottish cup pints is always a good plan :-)

I'll message you when we get the date confirmed. Almost certain to be 3pm on the Saturday as not sure we're likely to attract the cameras.