Football Season 2012/2013

[MadDog]

Loved it when Carra nearly scored that beauty, it would have been crazy if it had went in. Great goal by Coutinho, he was impressive yet again. Ibe had a really good game aswell, exciting talent at only 17 years old.

 

One word to describe the season? Progress.

[dan-likes-trees]

Urrrggghhhhhhhhhh. Might sotp watching football. Not sure I can handle this another year in a row.

[Mr-Paul]

The transfer window. That time of year when an Arsenal player decides to leave because he wants to win trophies elsewhere. I reckon this year might be Vermaelen. :p

 

Who knows!

 

Wouldn't really be too bothered if he did. Of course, I'd prefer him to stay, but Koscielny and Mertesacker is by far our best centre back pairing.

 

It's up front we need to strengthen. Second best defensive record in the league after Man City.

[dwarf]

Bale is sensational. How anyone can strike a ball from that range so consistently is beyond me. United are laughing if they snap him up.

[Ellmeister]

I'm waiting to hear Dazzy's reply. Make it a good'n.

 

P.S I stole Mr Paul's "Thursdays are Spursdays" for facebook - it was too funny :p

[pratty]

Loved it when Carra nearly scored that beauty, it would have been crazy if it had went in.

 

Looked like it was in to me :wink:, I'm giving it to him, great 2-0 win today against QPR.

 

One word to describe the season? Progress.

 

I think so. We still lack the consistant ruthlessness of the tems above us but I think the squad is starting to shape up (if we can keep our key players), we look younger and hungrier.

 

You can see the progess in some of the players, Downing and Henderson are probably now playing the best they ever have for us. Even Coutinho seems to be playing beyond his Inter form, and Suarez has becomes a prolific scorer despite missing chances to spare.

 

Can't wait for next season, with the mangerial changes in Manchestrer and at Chelsea, it should be a more open title scrap, and while a title challenge is probably still beyond us but, a top 4 finish could be a genuine possibility next season.

 

I fear for Spurs if they lose Bale, they would obviously replace him with the funds they'd get for him, but it would still mean altering a winning formula. As with us and Suarez if they're truly ambitious they should try to avoid selling, but ultimately I suppose it's up to the player.

[ipaul]

Can't wait for next season, with the mangerial changes in Manchestrer and at Chelsea, it should be a more open title scrap, and while a title challenge is probably still beyond us but, a top 4 finish could be a genuine possibility next season.

 

 

I actually agree with you on this, Liverpool have been excellent in the latter stage of the season..particularly with the 6-0 at Newcastle :'(

 

I think the fight for the top 4 could be more fierce than ever next year (along with the title race). Been thinking in the past couple of weeks that Liverpool might make a good outside bet to finish in the top 4, sure the odds would be fairly favourable!

[Charlie]

 

Bale received his 5th yellow card of the season for diving yesterday. To be fair to him, I think it was quite harsh to get a yellow and there were arms all over the place and at the pace he was running it doesn't take much to knock you over.

[Ramar]

Looks to me like his foot makes contact with the defender then goes down. Not a foul. The way he throws himself down does him absolutely no favours.

[bob]

I would say that it was both a foul and a dive.

 

Give them both a yellow card, and a penalty for Spurs.

[Charlie]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22597023

 

Extremely retro look to England's new kit.

[bob]

Reports are coming in that Bale has signed a new contract to stay at Tottenham...not sure how true they are, they're from the Evening Standard.

[Ramar]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22597023

 

Extremely retro look to England's new kit.

 

It's shit.

 

I'll probably end up buying it from Mike Ashley when it's £10.

[MoogleViper]

Bale received his 5th yellow card of the season for diving yesterday. To be fair to him, I think it was quite harsh to get a yellow and there were arms all over the place and at the pace he was running it doesn't take much to knock you over.

 

He went down way too easily, and was obviously looking for the penalty, but the guy had hold of him with both hands, so it was a foul.

[Wii]

Mourinho, Real Madrid have confirmed this evening that he's to leave at the end of the season. I hope they're not paying him compensation. They should have waited for Chelsea to make an approach and they'd be compensated instead. Not that I should really care as all parties involved are dirt in my eyes.

[Ellmeister]

Mourinho, Real Madrid have confirmed this evening that he's to leave at the end of the season. I hope they're not paying him compensation. They should have waited for Chelsea to make an approach and they'd be compensated instead. Not that I should really care as all parties involved are dirt in my eyes.

 

Where were you the night Chelsea won the Europa league? I would have bet money that you'd be in here spouting some rubbish about us.

[Wii]

Where were you the night Chelsea won the Europa league? I would have bet money that you'd be in here spouting some rubbish about us.

 

Europa League? What's that? Is that what Bonnie Tyler entered?

[ipaul]

 

Nice little moment there.

[Murr]

Well the Barca game was pretty great. Also very wet. A very under strength Barca team played, but still awesome. Had to make do watching Iniesta & Xavi as Messi was out injured.

 

After the match they did a trophy presentation, and that was just immense, the Stadium was in party mood. Chanting "Championies, Championies, Ole, Ole, Ole..." They had the most spectacular fireworks display, honestly it was like they were celebrating New Years eve.

 

The match itself there wasn't really alot to play for, but at least both teams tried to win the game. 2nd half in particular was good as Barca were attacking down the end I was sat. Unfortunately no Barca goals in 2nd half, The penalty that was scored was a beaut.

 

[dan-likes-trees]

Looks to me like his foot makes contact with the defender then goes down. Not a foul. The way he throws himself down does him absolutely no favours.

 

Really though? The side / back views look like a rugby tackle, nowhere near the ball! It's a joke that it's the same ref who came to Spurs training ground and had a word with Bale about diving earlier this year. Can't be giving a yellow for that when you're halfway down the pitch. And don't get me started on the blatant handball by in the box by Cuellar in the second half.

 

Could easily have panned out differently at Newcastle if we'd been given the penalty, pile on the pressure etc. Of course equally Arsenal could have won anyway but, you know.

 

#notoverit

 

Word on the grapevine / bbc sport is that Bale's signing a new contract with a 50m release clause that activates next summer. Given the reason a lot of Spurs fans wanted champs league was to stop Bale leaving this summer, I'm happy enough with that.

[Jon]

That's stop all this bollocks about Spurs having had 14 pens making a difference, It wouldn't have. It may have made the Arsenal fans nervous, it wouldn't have affected the players, they'd have been none the wiser. Arsenal didn't care about the Spurs game, it was always in the players hands, nothing happening hundreds of miles away would have changed that.

[Clownferret]

did anybody see the Copa Del Rey?

 

Bizarre game of football, hopefuly this means Mourinho used up all his bad luck for the next couple of seasons.

[Wii]

Really though? The side / back views look like a rugby tackle, nowhere near the ball! It's a joke that it's the same ref who came to Spurs training ground and had a word with Bale about diving earlier this year. Can't be giving a yellow for that when you're halfway down the pitch. And don't get me started on the blatant handball by in the box by Cuellar in the second half.

 

Could easily have panned out differently at Newcastle if we'd been given the penalty, pile on the pressure etc. Of course equally Arsenal could have won anyway but, you know.

 

#notoverit

 

Word on the grapevine / bbc sport is that Bale's signing a new contract with a 50m release clause that activates next summer. Given the reason a lot of Spurs fans wanted champs league was to stop Bale leaving this summer, I'm happy enough with that.

 

Here's some interesting stats. 2 teams were awarded 0 penalties all season. Swansea were the first team, guess who was the second team?

 

Chelsea were awarded the most penalties, 11 for and 1 against. Manchester United were the only team to have 0 penalties given against them. And people complain that referees favour the top clubs. I wonder why?

[Murr]

did anybody see the Copa Del Rey?

 

Bizarre game of football, hopefuly this means Mourinho used up all his bad luck for the next couple of seasons.

 

In a bar in Barcelona when it was on, Rather amusing how much the Barca fans enjoyed Real losing.

[dan-likes-trees]

That's stop all this bollocks about Spurs having had 14 pens making a difference, It wouldn't have. It may have made the Arsenal fans nervous, it wouldn't have affected the players, they'd have been none the wiser. Arsenal didn't care about the Spurs game, it was always in the players hands, nothing happening hundreds of miles away would have changed that.

 

I mean lets just for the moment ignore that the first penalty that wasn't given was in the first half, and that shockingly the players probably would have heard from someone at half time that Spurs were one nil up. Clearly they wouldn't have been 'none the wiser', as I'm sure you realise. And of course the mentality would have been affected - there's suddenly twice as much pressure to get a goal in a then-relatively-short space of time. (As I said Arsenal still could have won)

 

So lets take the second half one - I mean we are in 2013 not the 80s - the entire crowd would have known, as every other person has access to a smartphone with the BBC news feed. Reckon the players might notice a weird shift in atmosphere? Or any of the coaching staff making it clear that they now definitely needed a goal? They're not a bunch of oblivious idiots. Please.

 

Here's some interesting stats. 2 teams were awarded 0 penalties all season. Swansea were the first team, guess who was the second team?

 

Chelsea were awarded the most penalties, 11 for and 1 against. Manchester United were the only team to have 0 penalties given against them. And people complain that referees favour the top clubs. I wonder why?

 

Yeah, heard that one. Really bizarre. But there we go.