Tiswas Day
Another day of footie! The big one is tomorrow but there is still plenty to keep an eye on today. Iceland's new favorite team needs a win at home against The Blades. The Arse could struggle at The Reebok without TH14. Can Leeds win way down south? I will be here. Hope to have some company.
posted by United We Stand @ 9:29 AM
134 Comments:
Charlton and Everton are drawing at the moment. Charlton need more than a point.
I did finally give an answer to the latest trivia question. Take a look.
Has anyone kept an eye on the cricket? England won a very exciting Ashes series 18 months ago and everyone was excited about this year's edition.
Well, Australia scored 602 for 9 declared. England followed that up with 157 all out. So, did Australia enforce the follow on? NO, they batted again and are 180 for 1. SIX HUNDRED RUNS AHEAD. They are just rubbing the Pommies nose in it.
Back to the football
Morning, Dave! Looking forward to another weekend of footie - especially the big one tomorrow. Any early predictions?
My dad was complaining about the England cricket effort yesterday. I haven't been keeping up with it, but the Aussies have been making monkeys out of England for years, haven't they? Is Shane Warne still playing? He's a monster!
Shane is still there. The summer of 2005 was so exciting with England beating the Aussies. I have been keeping up with it and England were supposed to give them a fight. The good news is that England lost the first test in England before winning the Ashes.
Good to hear from you Robert
I love having the Premiership preview show on at 9:30 this season. FSC have really got the Saturday schedule right finally. Sure, I'd prefer the Soccer Saturday lads but we're still getting more live footie action back here than they even get in Blighty!
Bit formal, David. Only me mum gets away with calling me Robert!
Leeds have a tricky away fixture way down south in Plymouth. I don't fancy it.
Gareth Southgate was just talking about the personal responsibility he felt after missing the pen. in Euro '96. I hope he does have nightmares about that miss, the big twat. Gooner and I were at that match. What a crusher. We just trudged home along Wembley Way feeling gutted.
I am looking for Arsenal to struggle without TH14.
What are your thoughts about tomorrow's match?
I may go to a friend's house to watch it with a group. I don't know if I want to or not.
I would like to see the Pool struggle against Citeh
You were at the Semi Final of the Euro 96?
Yeah, we saw six games that season. My dad really knocked himself out for that one. We planned really far in advance. We saw all the matches at Wembley including the Final and we saw Russia vs. Italy at Anfield and Germany vs. Russia at Old Trafford. The highlight was the 4-1 thrashing of Holland at Wembley in the group stage. Magic night! Everyone walking home singing "It's coming home, it's coming home..."
It's a really tricky question about whether to watch a big match that counts with a group. I tend to lean toward isolation in a darkened room as I'm not good company unless Leeds or England is winning by five or six goals.
I expect you lot to have the edge tomorrow, what with being at home and Chelski missing several players or having a few not 100%. It'll be a nasty, ill-tempered 1-0 win for you or perhaps an ugly 0-0. It won't be free-flowing football, that's for sure.
Almost kick-off time. Let's spare a thought for the Hammers. I'd really like to see them...well, hammer the Blades today.
Fulham and Reading coming up on FSC, followed by the Arse at noon.
Wow, I am so jealous. My brothers and brother-in-law had the choice of semi finals before the tournament started. They couldn't see England beating Holland so they thought England would finish in second spot and play at OT. BOY, were they wrong. They went to a half empty OT to watch a crappy semi final. As you can imagine, they were very bummed.
Mr. Dahlgren, why wasn't I invited????
I am leaning to watch it alone, well with the family
Uh, dunno. I'm not sure we were in touch with each other at that point, were we?
Don't care... I could have been invited anyway!!!!
Eddie Johnson's on trial with Reading?! I can't imagine him getting a look-in. He's just not that good.
Burnley 1 Brum 0
Forest are losing to Millwall
I just looked at your guess on the trivia. I'll bet you have it right.
LEEDS ARE ONE UP
Robbie Blake
It really scares me to see well-established clubs like Forest and Millwall in what amounts to the Third Division. It reminds me that relegation can happen, even to big clubs.
....But not today! Well in, Robbie. He's been our best player recently.
Question on Talksport.
What shirts are being worn about Leeds?
Still Leeds or is it United or Chelski?
Keep you informed
Good question. I've been listening to the "Leeds United Worldwide" podcast recently. Really amateur hour stuff, but fun. The interesting thing is that none of them sound like Yorkshiremen.
They sang a hilarious song last time to the tune of "Que Sera." It went like this:
"When I was just a little boy
I asked my mother, what should I do?
Should I be Chelsea, should I be Leeds?
Here's what my mother said.
Wash your mouth out son
And go get your father's gun
And shoot all the Chelsea scum
Shoot the Chelsea scum."
Feel free to adjust it for tomorrow's match.
Very good. I had a nice little sing there
Way hay - we're out of the drop zone again. Fourth bottom. Go on you Whites!
shhhh, that is what you said last week and then things went pear shaped
No goals in the Prem.
Come on boys
The East Anglia boys could really help us out today against Hull and Barnsley.
Sotton are beating Luton.
Luton are dropping like a stone since they walloped your lot
Brum have equalized
Lovely. Luton are within our sights. Palace too.
Deserved penalty? I think so. It was a good move
Stone cold penalty there. And Pierce is off! I don't like those decisions. Either a pen. or the red card, but not both.
Sent off? I don't like that rule.
If it is a pen than that is punnishment enough
Cool penalty - Reading are 1-0 up!!
I am rooting for Reading this season. I still have a soft spot for Stevie Coppell. I can still see him running down the wing in the #7 Red Shirt. A great crosser of the ball.
Fulham are now dropping into the position that I expected them to be in at the beginning of the season. They have an admirable away record, but I don't get it. They're just not a good side.
Gary Birtles speaking in favor of the red card...what a prat!
Couldn't agree more.
I was talking to an English friend(Spurs fan) and we were talking about it. He agreed with us about a pen being enough. He said that some people suggested that you see if they score before sending him off but then if it is at the beginning of the game the player may miss on purpose to send him off.
Uh oh, Cambridge are losing to Southport and would replace them in the relegation zone of the Conference.
Yeah, I agree. If it's outside the box and denies a scoring opportunity - red card. Inside the box and given as a pen - yellow card. Should be that simple.
Reading are up to sixth!
What's below the Conference? Oblivion?
I like this Skysports Live Score Centre.
It automatically updates the tables.
Yeah, 365 does that too. And it's got a ticker that describes the goals as they go in.
Blimey, look how small Craven Cottage is!
They would play Cambridge City. It is a North and South league.
I remember playing at Cambridge City's ground while playing for Safepac. We got to go into the stand and to the dressing rooms. We were all excited about running out of the tunnel to play the match. As we ran out and about to go on the pitch someone stopped us and told us that our game was on the field behind one of the goals. It was a rinky dinky field. The side line was 6 inches wider than penalty box!!!
Very upsetting
THE HAMMERS HAVE SCORED
Sotton two up
Stoke are beating WBA
A pen is sufficient in most cases. What about sin-bins? I'm kinda for it. This sort of thing:
A couple of years ago, that really lanky Brazilian sod at Deportivo was just having it on. Every time he was on the ball he'd wait for a challenge and then really give it large about how hurt he was. He'd stay down and the ball would go out of play. He'd still be rolling in agony and the trainer would come on and he'd stay down. Finally he'd hobble off or be carried off and within seconds be hopping and waving to come back on. This happened half a dozen times, before the final time, he was on the side-line for at least two minutes. We had a couple of shots on goal and restarts before the player was finally let back on. He got a card too for running towards the ref when he was allowed on.
That 2 minutes amounted to a sin-bin of sorts and I always admired the ref for that. Get to printing a blue card for back-chatting the ref, cynical fouling or simulation, squirting the oppo with your water bottle, and you're off for 10 minutes.
Answer to the trivia is posted. You were both very close.
Well done, the Hammers! Remember that weird sort of amphitheatre in Lakenheath Village? That's the nicest pitch I ever played on - it was like a billiards table. Perfect.
Am I commenting too much.
Will I be disabled soon?
I don't remember Lakenheath village. Was it near the cricket ground?
I'm crossing my fingers that you'll stay on. Soton have scored a second!! And Stoke are now one-nil up.
Yeah, I think it was built in an old abandoned quarry or something. It had real stands around it and professional groundskeeping staff. I think some semi-pro team must have played there usually.
Mildenhall have a "ground" now with a stand. It is just past the swimming pool
Plymouth have equalized
That Kevin Doyle kid is a good little player. A bit like Stevie Coppell, don't you think.
Hull are dominating Norwich
Bugger! We're down in the drop zone again.
Villa are losing to Boro
How is that possible? Boro are rubbish.
We don't start until 5.15 today. As if it could be any darker than it already is in Bolton.
Hey Gooner, did I get the Trivia question correct?
Bore-o must be psyched up by Southgate's penalty story.
Very close. The answer is posted now.
Heyo, Gooner? How are things in NC?
Is that true?
Villa have a penalty
Quite sunny and warm, but FSC-less. Been doing a lot of reading and catching up with my Le Show podcasts.
What kind of dog was Pickles anyway? I have the picture of a scrappy little terrier.
They scored from it
You're not missing much with this first match.
Let's hope Bolton can make up for it this afternoon.
Gareth Barry puts Villa level from the penalty spot. That won't sit well with Gooner. It puts Villa on top of the Arse again.
Yeah, apparently so. I read it first in the Ramsey bio some years ago, but Jon Rawlings on Fighting Talk brought it up again and I thought it would make a good trivia question for the blog.
Half times going on around the country. This game has been well and truly killed off by the red card incident.
What about Barry for England?
Border Collie or somesorts by the look of him.
http://www.spreadshirt.net/shops/252000/251855/motives/251855_1772029_big.gif
link didn't work for me
From the Beeb
Good news for Reading and West Ham. When they have been ahead at the break before this season they have gone on to win on each occasion.
It's not Christmas yet and you're worried about the placings when you should be looking at form. You make the same mistake every year Davey. Villa, Pompey, Bolton, etc, they all fall away in the final going.
It's only important in a season like last when Chelsea romped away with it and were nearly out of touch by Christmas. That's not what's happening.
I'm more interested in how we're playing a 4-5-1 with Henry stranded and how we might be better finding a partner for him. It will be interesting today as the boards are predicting Theo and RVP in a 4-4-2 against Piltdown's boys.
drop Pickles+World Cup into google's image search and there's the cup sniffer right there.
I have said nothing about positioning. That was your bruv mentioning Villa being above the Arse. I am not saying anything about anything until MAY
I don't like the talk of tomorrow being a championship decider.
If United win, that is a six point gap but Chelski could easily make up. If Chelsea &*(, United would still be top.
Nothing would be decided.
QPR are losing to Coventry
I have to put my hand up on that. With my boys in the drop zone, positioning is all important every Saturday afternoon.
Pickles was a cute little dickens, wasn't he?
Yes, Gareth Barry for England - definitely.
I agree - it's too early in the season for it to be a decider. It would be different around Easter or something. This season will be much tighter in the end - and much more exciting.
I don't think posistioning is that important. It looks like there are four of you and it only matters who is fourth from bottom in May
I reckon that Luton, Palace and perhaps QPR will also be dragged into the relegation battle.
Shef. Wed?
Derby are up.
No, I think they and Sunderland are reasonably safe. The key is that they've got better managers in now. The jury's still out on Wisey, but I'm hoping he can drag us up into mid-table safety eventually.
Should I get one of these for my room?
http://www.wallbangers.com/catalog/
Interesting - Leicester are probably too good to get into trouble, but I like the slide.
Way hay - Southend have had a player sent off.
Cambridge have equalized against Southport
Well in, referee!! Southend have had another man sent off - they're down to nine. Still 0-0 though.
Eddie! Eddie Lewis! We're back in front - 2-1!
Colchester have now put three past Southend. And three have been sent off - what an old ding dong of a match.
Liverpool have seen off Citeh with a goal from Stevie G.
Shame. Hull have scored a late, late equalizer against Norwich. They've moved up to sixteen points.
Crikey, those wall posters aren't cheap.
My Leeds boys have won an excellent away win at Plymouth. The come back is on.
Here are the teams for today's match:
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Ben Haim, Meite, Fortune, Nolan, Faye, Speed, Davies, Anelka, Diouf
Subs: Al Habsi, Giannakopoulos, Campo, Vaz Te, Tal
Arsenal: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Silva, Flamini, Ljungberg, Adebayor
Subs: Almunia, Julio Baptista, Hleb, Djourou, Hoyte
Referee: M Dean (Wirral)
It's a second Premiership start for Theo Walcott today, alongside Adebayor.
And he's on his bike in the opening minutes, laying the ball off to Ade. Straight into the keeper.
Good open match in the early stages. The Arse may actually benefit from shuffling the deck, even if it's imposed on them.
Good to see my old mate Freddie Ljungberg back in the Arsenal starting line-up.
What did you lot think of Diouff's comments about diving this week? He admitted that he's dives to get advantage and claimed that Rooney does the same.
And Bolton have taken an early lead. The Arse defense - particularly Toure - fell asleep and Faye has stuck in a free header. Lehmann is livid and giving an earful of German to his defenders.
Arsenal will need a quick response to that goal. The frustration may creep in if they don't score quickly.
And Diouff goes down in a heap and gets nothing. I suppose the referee's been reading his comments in the press this week too. Should get a yellow for that nonsense.
Shame - Walcott had one teed up for him but he didn't connect well enough.
A nice breakaway through Clichy leads to a deflected header from Ade. Nice work from theo from the short corner. But it comes to nothing. Bolton's keeper having a blinder so far.
The game's spilling over now, with Kevin Davies picking up a booking after pushing Eboue. The Arse are screaming for a red.
Now Ljungberg's been booked after complaining to the ref about a heavy challenge. They can't get into the whinging mode.
Bolton playing a very attacking line-up with Davies and Anelka up front, Diouff wide right and Gary Speed bombing in.
The Arse are giving it away too cheaply in midfield. Players like Nolan and Faye look as if they want it more.
Now Lehmann's gone into the book. Arsene's going to have to get their heads back on the match at half-time. Fifteen minutes left of the half.
Bolton are really torturing Arsenal with all of these corners.
The ref's really got to get a hold of this match. Theo went over to pick up the ball and was clattered by Fortune. Yellow card for Quinton.
Quinton Fortune's done his hamstring and is being replaced by Ivan Campo.
Another chance for Theo goes begging. The kid is just too easily brushed off the ball at this level.
Serves me right for not playing to the referee's whistle. I went off for an early half time shower and missed two goals. Bolton are two-one up now, thanks to a goal from that ex-Gunner Nicolas Anelka. That won't make Arsene happy.
Arsenal are all over Bolton now. Freddie's just hit the bar with a cracking header from Theo's cross.
Lots of yellow's in this contest. Four for the Arse and too many to count for Bolton. We could well see a red in this one. Both Big Sam and Arsene screaming out instructions from the touchline. Could we see a repeat of the shoving contest with Pardew?
Incredible sequence. A free kick drifts over everyone, is saved well by Lehmann and saved again onto the post from Anelka's rebound.
Freddie Ljungberg has come off for Hleb and seems to be having a less than friendly chat with Piltdown Sam.
And Nicolas Anelka finishes clinically to seemingly kill off Arsenal today. Wonderful slide rule ball from Campo to set him up.
Arsenal have hit the crossbar again! Incredible stuff - now it's Adebayor that's frustrated.
And Fabregas hits the woodwork for the third time! Amazing.
Full-time: 3-1 Bolton - not a good day for the Arse.
Post a Comment
<< Home