Hurray for Boxing Day!
Hiya, chaps - I hope that you're enjoying the festive period and are looking forward to the Boxing Day schedule today. The day starts with Spurs v. Southampton at Wembley. Join me for all the fun and games, won't you?
posted by The Blue Devil @ 7:17 AM
447 Comments:
Morning, lads! Most teams have two games still to play in 2017 but for Tottenham there is only today, so if Harry Kane is to better Alan Shearer’s 22-year-old record of 36 Premier League goals in a single calendar year he has only one chance: he must score today. One will do.
So here are today’s teams:
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Rose, Dier, Dembele, Eriksen, Alli, Son, Kane. Subs: Trippier, Lamela, Vorm, Sissoko, Llorente, Winks, Davies.
Southampton: Forster, Stephens, Yoshida, Hoedt, Targett, Romeu, Lemina, Boufal, Hojbjerg, Redmond, Long. Subs: Davis, Tadic, McCarthy, Ward-Prowse, Gabbiadini, Pied, McQueen.
Referee: Graham Scott.
Soton are about to get us started at Wembley wearing their naff change strip of dark and light blue stripes.
Saints pressure from the off wins them a free kick early doors.
Danny Rose is wearing a massive bandage on his forehead that makes it look as if he's got a blonde fringe.
Erickson tries a pop from distance and earns a corner out of it.
Oh - the Soton goal was gaping there but Rose couldn't find the net.
Oh - HK was inches away from notching his record goal there. Stabbed at a shot at the near post.
The ball's in the net from Erickson but he's ruled offside.
All Spurs pressure now.
Oh - a good chance for Dele now but instead of either passing or shooting, he tamely volleys over the bar. His form is alarmingly poor right now.
Dele Alli gets his obligatory could-have-been-red-carded moment in early, smacking Targett in the chops with a wavy elbow.
Great run by Danny Rose there produces a free kick and the game's first yellow card for Holberg.
GOAL! That's it - Harry Kane breaks the record with his 37th goal of 2017. Marvelous stuff!
Vicious whipped in cross from Erickson there and HK could scarcely have not scored from about a yard out. Nodded home easily.
Spurs 1-0 up!
Oh - Danny Rose nearly nods over Lloris into his own net. A really scrambly moment for the keeper there to amuse the Boxing Day punters.
Alan Shearer on Twitter: "You’ve had a magnificent 2017 @HKane. You deserve to hold the record of most @premierleague goals in a calendar year. Well done and keep up the good work."
Very sporting from Shearer.
Oh - great stuff from Erickson wriggling his way into a shooting position in the box. Just dragged it wide.
Now it's Vertonghen with an arm across the face of Shane Long. Should be a card. Nothing.
Kane with a free kick chance now. Get ready for a blast!
Cleared out easily.
GOAL! It's that man Kane again! His 38th now! 17 for the season.
Nicely worked goal involving all of the front players. Son squared it to Kane who obligingly tapped home.
Spurs cruising it 2-0 now.
Aurier takes the ball from Redmond, who finds the Spurs man’s ankle where he thought the ball would be and treads on it. It looks painful, but is accidental and unpunished.
Oh - that could so easily have been a penalty for Spurs. Son goes to ground under pressure from a push. Nothing doing from the referee though. Only HK is allowed to score today.
Soton have occasionally looked dangerous on the break. Good ball whipped in there and Rose looked to have impeded Holberg as he went for it.
We're into the minute of stoppage time allotted for this half.
That's that, then. Spurs fans thoroughly pleased with that half of football. Kane has set about a new calendar year record.
We're back on for the second half and Shane Long is nearly in for a come-back goal.
Oh - now it's Lemina with a blast off the bar!
Good morning, mate. AS I turned on the telly, I heard the bar crash then saw Delle Alli score with a great finish
GOAL! Dele Alli gets back on the scoresheet with a lovely curling effort that deceived Forster.
3-0 Spurs!
GOAL !!!! NUMBER ONE SON MAKES IT FOUR NIL MAKE THE SAINTS LOOKING LIKE ANYTHING BUT.
That will have reassured Gareth Southgate, who must have been worried about Alli's poor form this season.
GOAL! Oh my - it's 4-0!
Son runs on to a Dele pass and bangs home into the corner.
I missed the first half because I was getting a wee bit of extra kip. The saints should follow suit,
Morning, MUR - how are you this Boxing Day morning?
Delle is down with an injured hammy. THat in a nutshell , sounds like the Saints performance. Sissy replaces him. That also sounds like the Saints players.
Great. Thanks for asking. How are you?
Morning Boys
Happy Boxing Day
I have seen the second half. I thought Southampton were getting back into it and the bang bang
I was reading your comments.. why don't Spurs play at the weekend?
I guess they call it Boxing Day because Alli delivered the knockout punch Is that right, mate?
Harry Kane volleys a superb diagonal pass just wide,.
Good morning, UWS. How are you this Boxing Day?
I am doing well
Yourself ?
The Evil Lions are surprisingly one up vs Wolves a few minutes before half time.
Bob will be pleased that Leeds visit to Richard Burton will be on ESPN 3 today unless he prefers to watch the Brummies vs the Canaries.
Target clears for a corner . He sure has watched the opposition ht the Target more often than he would have wanted
The Saints are playing so poorly that Target must fell like he's at Wal-Mart.
AN attacking move for the Saints as Gabbiadini is on for Lamina.
way hey.... the Mighty Leeds get a mention
I remember that game. One of their goals was on 101 Greatest goals.... just passed it all around the pitch and then scored
Goal for the Saints
GOAL !!! BOUFFAL SCORES WITH A NICE FINISH, BUT LLORIS SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER AT THE NEAR POST.
Morning, UWS - loved that Leeds reference. I watch that clip from time to time.
A long goal kick from Fraser was headed back then on by Shane Long to Bouffal , who beat Lloris at the near post
GOAL !!!!! HARRY KANE AND ABLE AS ALLI PUT THROUGH KANE , WHO BEAT FRASER WITH A DELIGHTFUL CHIP.
GOAL! Kane gets his hat-trick! Wow!
It must be Boxing Day because Alli beat Fraser as he did in 1964 for the World title. If this was really Boxing Day , the ref would call a ten count for a knockout
WAY Diogo Jota ties it up for Wolves at the Evil New Den on the stroke of halftime. Bob will be pleased.
I hope he's not just saving it all up for Spurs. I want loads of goals from HK next summer in Russia. Perfect hat-trick there.
18 goals on the season - 39 for 2017.
Lloris does well to turn around a shot from Stephens.
I am pleased with that Wolves goal.
His scoring record is dependent upon the service he receives. He could very well be a sensation this Summer.
Bloody Norah. Tony Pulis is the new manager at the Riverside. I wasn't aware that Monk had been sacked..
Celtic two up at Crocodile Dundee.
Back to back hat-tricks for Kane.... I hope he does this next summer!
That should have been a second for Southampton...what a sitter
A nice run by Gabbiadini down the left, beating the offside trap, but Dier did well to cut out the cross and clear it over the bar for a corner.
I guess that Gary Monk move to Boro didn't quite work out, did it? LOL!
Southend on Sea two up vs Charlton at the half.
Pulis took over at the Riverside this morning
Oh - Long should have scored there from the Gabbiadini cross.
No it did not . Time to reflect at the monastery.
Both managers in the Wednesday Boro match lost their jobs within a day
Mr. Grimsby on top of Jayne Mansfield at the halftime interval , being one up. What's up after the interval? Plenty in the first half.
Lamela on for Number One Son
Thanks for the update, Dave I guess it's not a festive period for Monk and Carlos Carvajal. I am less surprised that Carvajal was sacked.
In a battle of Argie managers , Mo Po is definitely the victor , but Pelligrino may be joining Messrs. Monk and Carvajal.
Gary Monk got coal in his stocking. LOL!
LOL! So did Carvajal, but he deserved it for taking up such a silly job.
Llloris makes a superb save as a long range effort from Hoijberg was headed for the upper 90.
Goal number SEVEN for this Boxing Day Cracker
GOAL !!!! LLORUS PUNCHED OUT THE CORNER THEN TADIC SHOT AND LLORIS PUSHED IT IN . NOW 5-2.
United's line up for today
De Gea
Young
Jones
Rojo
Shaw
Mata
Pogba
Matic
Rashford
Lukaku
Ibra
Fraser Forster does well to tip over a shot from Lamela.
I really hope they play two up top!
Oh - great save from Lloris from Holberg.
And then Saints do score.
5-2!
Harry Winks on for Delle Alli , who beat Fraser for the first time since 1964
Does Lloris know it's Boxing Day. He sure didn't show it with those two punches or am I imaging things?
Oh - Lamela has a chance for #6. Fizzes it over the bar. Dele Alli comes off and Winks comes on. Dele was better today.
The Orient Express takes the lead vs Daggenham early in the second half of a local derby.
Ricardinho gives Oxford the lead at the Gils early in the second half.
I guess my Boxing Day jokes have not been a real hit !
Tadic wins a corner after the first his poor free kick failed to take flight
Sorry, mate - I missed them. Boom boom!
A trio of stoppage time minutes.
It's over as the Spuds thrash the Saints in a contest between two Argie managers
Game is stretched out now - could provide for a stoppage time goal for either side.
The Orient Express goes two up vs Daggenham
Off to the shower ahead of the Leeds match.
We will be able to watch both of our Uniteds simultaneously. Man Yoo on NBCSN and Leeds on ESPN 3.
Romain Saiss gave Wolves a 1-2 lead then Jake Cooper scored to make it Desmond for the Evil Lions vs Wolves.
Back for the United festival. You do know what happens when our two sides play at the same time on telly, don't you?
Might be the first points dropped by Wolves in a dog's age - they've been on a right tear.
Go my link for the Burton Leeds match already tuned in... "your event is about to begin. Please stand by"
The teams gathering in the tunnel at Old Trafford right now:
Manchester United: De Gea, Young, Jones, Rojo, Shaw, Mata, Pogba, Matic, Rashford, Lukaku, Ibrahimovic.
Subs: Lindelof, Lingard, Blind, Romero, Ander Herrera, Mkhitaryan, Tuanzebe.
Burnley: Pope, Bardsley, Long, Mee, Taylor, Cork, Gudmundsson, Hendrick, Barnes, Arfield, Defour.
Subs: Lowton, Marney, Vokes, Westwood, Walters, Wells, Lindegaard.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
What happens Bob?
The Guardian has just noticed that the Boro programme today features managers notes from Gary Monk! LOL!
Teams in the tunnel and the link opens up on the computer
Wahay! The ESPN coverage of Burton v. Leeds has started.
That's funny!!
Zlatan better not push Lukaku out wide like he normally does when he comes on late
Burton stadium very small... out comes the team
Great away support for us today - MOT!
They're off from OT!
COME ON MAN UNITED!
We are off at Old Trafford!!!
The Leeds starting XI - Wiewald, Aylling, Jansson, Cooper, Berardi, O'Kane, Vieira, Alioski, Hernandez, Cibicki, Roofe.
Come on, you Red Devils!
United stretched.. Rojo fouls and gets a card
My link... the match finally starts
Rojo receives yellow, not red, for pulling down Hendrick about a foot outside the box.
Leeds kick off wearing all-white. Come on, you Whites!
BLOODY HELL ! ASHLEY BARNES GIVES BURNLEY THE LEAD
Only our second visit to Burton Albion over the years - we've only played four times - wow!
BLOODY HELL
SUCH BAD DEFENDING... STUNNYING
Sorry, lads. early doors there.
Kemar Roofe pulled up there after a tackle. Not good.
What are United doing... the defending is atrocious
In the words of our infamous leader, joke defending as the free kick from Gumunsson was headed down , then Ashley Barnes smashed in from six yards out
Is Lukaku playing out wide
Then Barnes booked for a horrific tackle on Pogba
Leeds playing at Richard Burton's Brewers. Richard sure had a drink or two.
Burnley counter after Luke was not too Shaw about a pass.
Kemar Roofe appeared to be tripped, but the ref waved play on.
Roofe was looking for a foul there - he's gotten a rough ride so far.
Leeds splaying at the Pirelli where the car park is in plain sight. Are there Pirelli tires in the car park?
So United conceded two goals in the three minutes of play
The Terriers take the lead vs the Potters , who are playing a lot like Harry.
Moyes gets off to a flyer on the south coast! Goal for Ginge! He gets there first from a Creswell corner and nods the Hammers ahead.
Struth... almost two nil
JOSE OUT
The Jose is correct when he says joke defending
Make that almost three in a dozen minutes as Scott Arfield volleys a cross from Gudmunsson that skims the top of the bar.
Mata with a chance... weak effort
Great block by Ben Mee from Mata.
Quiet opening quarter of an hour at the Pirelli - neither keeper has been called into question.
Shaw takes the space.... decent shot... well done Luke
Nick Pope looked very Shaw in the Burnley goal as he did well to push away a long range effort.
Oh - Alioski should have put that volleyed effort on target! Put it despairingly wide. Shame.
Alioski with a left footed volley that is not too far off the mark.,
Scott Arfield fouls Yash
Not a good free kick from Mata...United are clueless
Oh - great ball over by Cibicki but Pablo couldn't wrap his foot around that shot. We're starting to create some chances, though.
Come on Man U
Come on Man U
Come on Man U
A free kick from Mata is punched away by Nic Pope. Nasty by BArdsley on Zlatan on his return to OT. A free kick near the corner flag and again punched away by Nick Pope. The Ben Mee clears for a United corner.
Pogba goes close with a header
Another corner...cleared
Then Pope turns around a header from, Pogba off the corner,.
Jose has to see that Shaw is dangerous!!!
SHOOT... TOO FANCY!!!
Defour desperately clears for another United corner.,
Good pressure from United... keep it up
Ah - Roofe goes just wide of the mark. We've had loads of chances!
Dreadful corner... professional!!
Roofe shoots just wide. That would have been controversial if he scored because he was offside.
Great play by Lukaku... comes to nothing
Huddersfield lead Stoke
Superb footwork from the Chunk as gets past Mee and Arfield, but Zlatan and Mata look clueless in the box.
I think I posted that score a while ago with a Harry Potter pun.
Sorry... missed it
If Leeds get promoted then Eunan O'Kane can mark Harry Kane so Bob can say Kane O'Kane!
oh dear.... another free kick to defend... get it away unconvincingly
No probs, mate. It must have been the pun. It was pure wizardry though.
Lots of pressure from us - Roofe handles the ball going for a header, alas.
Giggs and Carrick sittin alone
I'll look forward to that O'Kane on Kane action next season.
Jose figures that United have a better chance of winning if they concede a goal early rather than late. What is the success rate with that logic?
Big Non League game today
FC United of Manchester vs Salford City
Salford top of the table despite losing at home 0-3 on Saturday have a one nil lead
Oh dear
Sorry Bob
United starting to fizzle out
BUGGER! Tom Naylor has given Burton the lead while we were looking for the offside flag.
BUGGER!!! TOM NAYLOR GIVES RICHARD BURTON THE LEAD. LEEDS FAILED TO DEAL WITH THE LONG THROW AND THE BALL PLAYED ON BY LLOYED DYER WAS DIVERTED IN BY NAYLOR, WHO LOOKED LEVEL, IMHO.
Come on Mata... do better than that!!!
I sure hope Salford thrashes the Evil Fake Man United. Do Bob and Dave concur?
Bournemouth tie it up
Our Uniteds both need goals back before half time now.
Well, the Fake United were real United fans that hated Glazer
The Cherries tie it up vs the Hammers in that relegation six pointer.
COME ON SALFORD!
Free kick chance for Burnley
Tom and Matt have quite a few Salford City shirts
A vital match at the Vitality?
BLOODY HELL ! DEFOUR PUTS BURNLEY TWO UP WITH A SUPERB CURLING FREE KICK
OH!!! Ben Mee clears off the line from Rash
That free kick resulted from a stupid foul by Yash on Scott Arfield. Two goals gifted to Burnley
Sorry, lads - this is not going to plan.
Roofe tries an ambitious effort from distance. Referee ain't buying it.
Nice solo run by Zlatan, then he loses his footing as he was about to shoot. That's United in a nutshell.
Likewise. Sorry about the score at the Pirelli. A few flat tires?
Damn it... Ibra with a chance!
OH!!!! Zlatan has a shot blocked for a corner by Kevin Long off pass from Mata
Jose will try somehow to blame Shaw for this
Useless corner by Rashford
OH!!! Pogba goes just wide with a long range effort.
Just wide by Pogba...great effort
Foxes take the lead at the Hornets
What has happened to Watford?
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