I'm fingers and toes crossed for Pompey to shock the manks tomorrow.
Kath-H wrote:
And watch those guys charging single-mindedly straight through each other with no face guards and no fat suits, never pausing for a meeting about what to do next - and tell me American football is a tough guy's game
When they pause for their meetings in American football, they aren't discussing what to do next. They are discussing where to eat after the game. They rarely agree, so they go to 4-5 places to keep the peace.
Dire stuff. See what happens when the REAL teams don't get to the semi-final? Goal drought.
And how's this for the height of arrogance, when they haven't even reached the final?
And they wonder why people can't stand them? Makes yer wanna puke.
My money's on an Arsenal v Barcelona final, like 2006.
Iechyd da! John
00:40 30/04/2009
I turned the telly on 15 minutes after kick-off and couldn't believe it. Then I see replays. A defender trips over - goal. And free kick awarded that shouldn't have been and it's 0-2. As the commentator said "The referee is very generous - to MankU"
There was no disputing the third goal was good play.
The ref did send Fletcher off (my only cheer of the match) for what was an OK tackle and he'll miss the final, but the damage had been done. Arsenal put up a fair show, given it was all over in the first 11 minutes.
They play each other again the Prem League on the 16th - Come on, yous Gunners!
I was at Anfield on Sunday where Newcastle didn't put up much resistence to Liverpool, who won comfortably 3-0. Liverpool had 26 shots at goal to Newcastle's 3 - which says something about Liverpool's poor strike rate and Newcastle's goalie.
Joey Barton was red-carded for a nasty tackle on Xabi Alonso, who was stretchered off, and I'm not yet found out how badly he's injured.
Alonso hit the cross twice and Gerrard once. So this season, Gerrard, Alonso and Torres have hit the workwork 17 times between them…
Iechyd da! John
00:32 06/05/2009
Hiddinck came well unstuck. He failed in Barcelona with his defensiveness.
It was great goal by Essien and with Barca down to 10 men, it was there for the taking.
Goals in the dying moments are always cruel, but they all count. Chelsea thought they had it - fatal.
BARCA FOR THE CUP!!!
[Edit]
Chelsea are angry, and there's a near riot at Stamford Bridge.
"Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo is being surrounded by stewards and Didier Drogba comes on to wave an angry finger in his face, he's absolutely livid. His team-mates try to pull him away, but he's a big unit and they can't move him. He's waving his arms, flapping, having a go at everyone, and he's booked."
Oh dear - "Chelsea - you ain't got no history - 18 League titles and 5 European Cups - that's what we call history!"
Iechyd da! John
21:54 06/05/2009
I have no qualms about pretenders to the Mighty Liverpool's successes, but you do need to understand the finer points.
I was in Germany on business when Bayern Munich were playing ManU. So we all piled into a pub to watch the match. All the Brits were supporting Bayern; all the Germans were supporting MankU.
That's how much those two teams are hated in their own country - for their arrogance, their unbelievable luck, false sense of superiority and lack of grace and dignity.
Chelsea are heading that way, though for tonight's match, Hiddinck got his tactics completely wrong at the highest level.
[Edit] Ballack goes mental: http://www.noelshack.com/voir/130309/ballack087425.gif
Disgraceful. Why the ref took no action beats me.
[2nd Edit]Drogba's in big trouble now. Idiot.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8037118.stm
Iechyd da! John
22:12 06/05/2009
johnk3 wrote:
Hey John, no sense of Nationalism for your fellow Brits? Bar over Man...???
Shameful.
This'll cheer you (and me) up. Lots of goals!
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=5 4051790
Watch LFC thrash the Manks in their own back yard, and Vidic pull Gerrard down for another red card.
Iechyd da! John
02:02 07/05/2009
Drogba loses the plot.
Ballack goes ballistic.
Sad gits.
They'll get hefty bans from UEFA for their disgraceful conduct and verbal assaults from the ref.
If their case is poor refereeing, then they should follow the example of the Manks Fletcher who was sent off on Tuesday in the other semi-final for a terrific tackle which ref mis-read. He's going to miss the final, but he walked off extremely disappointed, without abusing the ref. So full marks there, Mank.
Iechyd da! John
This is serious…
"The Guardian" 7th May 2009 wrote
The Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo was understood to have been smuggled out of the country by police today after receiving a number of death threats. Ovrebo has become the target of a hate campaign after failing to award Chelsea a series of penalty appeals during their Champions League semi-final defeat against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge last night. After the game, Ovrebo was barracked by the Chelsea players, including Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack, and he was escorted to the tunnel by Chelsea stewards.
Police were said to be so concerned about his safety that they changed his hotel before organising his secret exit from Britain. Police in Ovrebo's home city of Oslo said they were investigating threats made on the internet. An Oslo police spokesman said: "We are watching closely what is being posted on the internet. Anything we believe would threaten his personal safety will be taken seriously."
Former international referee Graham Poll said today: "This morning he's being smuggled out of our country under police escort – this is a referee of a football match. That is a disgrace. When he booked into a hotel they had to change the hotel he was staying at because of the fear that maybe fans would find him."
Uefa will wait for reports from the referee and match delegate before deciding whether to charge any of the Chelsea players. A Uefa spokesman said: "We will see the report from the referee and match delegate before deciding whether to take any action or not ... we never comment on the performance of the referee."
After Chelsea's fourth appeal for a penalty was turned down, Ballack chased Ovrebo for 40 yards, shouting in his face and at one point appearing to touch him on the shoulder before being booked. Drogba, who had been substituted in the second half, came out from the tunnel after the final whistle to angrily confront the ref as he left the field
Chelsea are in trouble. ![]()
Iechyd da! John
16:31 07/05/2009
Perhaps the Chelsea fans are upset that Barca had a player shown off for doing nothing. ![]()
Ballack's behavior seemed every bit as poor as Drogba's. And Drogba probably misses getting calls because he dives, dives, dives! When you point a finger, Didier, three of them are pointing back at you!
Here you are - straight from the horse's mouth.
RULE 7: Away Goals and Extra Time
For matches played under the cup (knock-out) system, if the two teams involved in a tie score the same number of goals over the two legs, the team which scores more away goals qualifies for the next stage. If this procedure does not produce a result, i.e. if the two teams score the same number of goals at home and away, extra time of two periods of 15 minutes shall be played at the end of the second leg. If, during extra time, both teams score the same number of goals, away goals count double (i.e. the visiting club qualifies). If no goals are scored during extra time, kicks from the penalty mark (Article 16) determine which club qualifies for the next stage.
Iechyd da! John
22:18 07/05/2009
This is a HUGE weekend!!
Go you Mighty Reds!!!
Come on City!!!
Plus The Gunners host Chelsea!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/fixtures/default.stm
Part one accomplished comfortably.
Over to you, City. Just repeat last year's result!
And I just love this post match quote from Rafa:
"The pressure is on United now. Come on City," said Benítez, who had a permanent smile for the press corps after the finish. "We have done our job, now its down to United. I won't be going to the ground to watch, but I will see it on TV and wear a blue scarf maybe – I will be supporting City.
"They are always tough to beat in those derbies and City also know a victory could put them in a place for Europe." Now came a twinkle, as he added a touch more of what he hopes will be telling pressure on the champions. "I always tell my side to finish as high as possible. I'm sure Mark Hughes will say the same to them."
Iechyd da! John
21:02 09/05/2009
I'm enjoying a "Criminally Bad Elf" Barleywine Style Ale from Peter Scholey Brewer, Ridgeway Brewing in Oxfordshire UK, and I like it! 10.5%!
After a bite I'm going to watch the last 88 minutes of today's match at Upton Park, knowing the result before hand so I can relax and enjoy. I saw the first two minutes, which was excellent! What a ball by Torres!
The first goal was a classic.
West Ham played without much conviction, and Liverpool did just enough. As usual this week, there were some bizarre refereeing decisions, and Liverpool should have scored more.
MankU v Manchester City kicks off at 1:30 pm BST or in less than 4 hours from now. It's at the Theatre of Queens.
Come on you Blues!!
Iechyd da! John
09:54 10/05/2009
At least the journos know what's what.
Nice one, Stevie!
Iechyd da! John
22:59 13/05/2009 BST
Looks to me like the bad guys are GOOD.
Manchester United have enjoyed ground-breaking success over the years, becoming the first English team to win the European Cup in 1968 and the first to clinch the Treble in 1999.
Now the extraordinary success of Sir Alex Ferguson's current champions raises the question of whether they are the greatest team ever assembled at Old Trafford.
JOE BERNSTEIN asked the people who know best - the great names from United's glory years, starting with the greatest of them all, Sir Bobby Charlton.
With his voice nearly hoarse from shouting and his eyes burning with pride and excitement, Sir Bobby Charlton abandoned his customary restraint to hail Manchester United's new champions as the greatest team in the club's illustrious history - and the completion of a second hat-trick of Premier League titles as Sir Alex Ferguson's most remarkable achievement.
'Being part of Manchester United is the greatest ride in the world,' said Charlton, as Ferguson's team sealed the club's 11th Premier League title in 16 years with a draw against Arsenal yesterday at Old Trafford.
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