Balls to Fiend (The Football Thread) (Read 1358250 times)

nai · August 14, 2009, 08:15:20 pm

That's shocking afer only one match

From the PL it'll be:

Hughes after City have been beaten by Blackburn tomorrow.

or Paul Hart who doesn't seem to have much going for him.

McLeish might just have been saved by the takeover talk, don't suppose the current board will be up for paying compensation if they're away soon

Quite fancy Blackburn at 5/2 tomorrow though, City weren't very good away from home last season were they.

Falling Down · August 14, 2009, 08:19:10 pm

It'll be a draw at Blackburn tomorrow. Cue headlines questioning the City strategy on Sunday...

butters · August 14, 2009, 08:34:43 pm

1. Man U
2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. A. Villa
5. Aresenal
6. Man. City

18. Wolves
19. Burnley
20. Portsmouth

Top Scorer: Anelka

Dr T · August 14, 2009, 08:47:31 pm

Quote from: Falling Down on August 14, 2009, 08:19:10 pm

It'll be a draw at Blackburn tomorrow. Cue headlines questioning the City strategy on Sunday...

well they will be playing 1, 1, 8
i.e.
Given
Toure
Barry
the rest

at a push it'll be
2,1,7
Given
Toure, Dunn
Barry
the rest (with bridge and Richards plying up as wingers...)

moose · August 14, 2009, 09:16:36 pm

I notice that there's a lot of support for Chelsea to win the league. Okay, they're the only big team not to have been weakened during the transfer window, but have you noticed that it's the Africa Cup of Nations next winter?

Chelsea stand to lose Essien, Obi Mikel, Drogba and Kalou for four games (against Birmingham, Burnley, Arsenal and Everton). And that's without injuries / illness sustained in Angloa - Toure got malaria last time. Man Utd and Liverpool won't lose anyone of note. Worth making a mental note of, for your Fantasy League teams if for no other reason.

Right... now I'll get back to completing my antepost betting portfolio. League-long matchbets are my current study (I had a good one last year on Portsmouth to finish higher than NUFC at 4/6). My current thinking is that Sunderland's chances are underrated, Villa are going to be weaker, MCFC may do well but are still overrated oddswise - making Everton and Spurs better value, Hull are buggered and so are Portsmouth.....

Dr T · August 14, 2009, 09:25:14 pm

Quote from: moose on August 14, 2009, 09:16:36 pm

I notice that there's a lot of support for Chelsea to win the league. Okay, they're the only big team not to have been weakened during the transfer window, but have you noticed that it's the Africa Cup of Nations next winter?

point...
Last time Arsenal were a battered by the cup but now we've sold barndoor and toure we're only losing Song and Eboue (and the latter won't be a loss...)

SA Chris · August 15, 2009, 11:56:03 pm

Hmm, not the most auspicious of starts to the fantasy league

butters · August 16, 2009, 11:37:45 am

More worried about the indifferent start Ipswich have made to their Championship campaign than your standing in the Fantasy League Chris!

It probably doesn't help that we sold Jordan Rhodes to Huddersfield for "a good price for an unproven youngster" where he has banged in 5 goals in three games and looking distinctly proven at that level.

tomtom · August 17, 2009, 10:18:00 am

Quote from: moose on August 14, 2009, 09:16:36 pm

Right... now I'll get back to completing my antepost betting portfolio. League-long matchbets are my current study (I had a good one last year on Portsmouth to finish higher than NUFC at 4/6). My current thinking is that Sunderland's chances are underrated, Villa are going to be weaker, MCFC may do well but are still overrated oddswise - making Everton and Spurs better value, Hull are buggered and so are Portsmouth.....

Where do you find these bets Moose? I'm interested in having a long term punt...

Jaspersharpe · August 17, 2009, 11:31:38 am

Could be considered unsportsmanlike but really, the keeper should have been slightly more aware!

Jaspersharpe · August 17, 2009, 11:34:54 am

Speaking off odds, Notts County to win League 2 at 7/4 looks rather good. The only problem with bets like that is they tie your money up for the whole season.

tomtom · August 17, 2009, 11:37:11 am

Quote from: Jaspersharpe on August 17, 2009, 11:31:38 am

Could be considered unsportsmanlike but really, the keeper should have been slightly more aware!

What more would you expect from an Australian team

(just getting my banter warmed up for later on this week!!!)

Jaspersharpe · August 17, 2009, 11:43:09 am

Highlight of the weekend for me:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8194875.stm

We hate Palace and we hate Palace etc

nai · August 17, 2009, 11:49:05 am

Love the way the keeper applauds the player for throwing him the ball back.

Jaspersharpe · August 17, 2009, 03:44:40 pm

Oh dear.

butters · August 17, 2009, 04:17:09 pm

What a cock.

Reminds me of a guy back home in Suffolk who was a huge Gary Glitter fan - used to go to tall the tours and everything. Anyway he saved up the money to have a large tattoo done and had it completed about 3 weeks before GG was exposed as a paedo. Oh how we laughed till our sides hurt and then we laughed a bit more.

tomtom · August 17, 2009, 05:32:13 pm

Quote from: bluebrad on August 17, 2009, 04:17:09 pm

What a cock.

Reminds me of a guy back home in Suffolk who was a huge Gary Glitter fan - used to go to tall the tours and everything. Anyway he saved up the money to have a large tattoo done and had it completed about 3 weeks before GG was exposed as a paedo. Oh how we laughed till our sides hurt and then we laughed a bit more.

Not quite the same, but the NUFC fan (apparently one Robert Nesbit) who had andy cole in full flight (which was a sight in its day) on his leg/chest in full Geordie black and white stripedom the day before he left for ScumU

Full tale here..

THEN when looking for a picture I came across this!

I rarely use this phrase.,. but laugh? I nearly shat myself...

GraemeA · August 18, 2009, 01:41:07 pm

Good to see Damien Duff has stuck by the Skunks and not high tailed it to Fulham. Oh, hold on a minute.

Jaspersharpe · August 18, 2009, 01:57:18 pm

I think they'll just be glad to get another £3m p.a. off the wage bill.

GraemeA · August 18, 2009, 02:03:44 pm

I am sure you are correct. I just remember Duff being one of the ones to proclaim he'd stick with them

Jaspersharpe · August 18, 2009, 02:11:25 pm

You're right, he did but he didn't say anything about taking a pay cut. It's easy enough for a player to say he's going to be loyal to a club that he has by the balls with his £60k a week contract. He can say what he likes knowing that they have to sell him anyway.

If the Newcastle players who performed so poorly last season that their team was relegated really wanted to show loyalty to the club then they'd all reduce their wages for a season to Championship levels and THEN stay for a season to try to repair the damage.

Back in the real world Owen swans off to The Scum on a free and Duff is sold for an undisclosed fee.

Jaspersharpe · August 18, 2009, 03:38:30 pm

Bollocks just realised that only 5 of my FF players are actually playing in week 2. Watch me plummet down the table!

nai · August 18, 2009, 04:38:57 pm

Time to make a substitution

Jaspersharpe · August 18, 2009, 04:54:23 pm

Already did or it would have been four players. I can't be arsed calculating whether or not it's worth spending points on more transfers and then swapping back (pretty sure it isn't anyway unless you're really lucky) my philosophy being that most people will do the same and things will even themselves out over the season.

Jaspersharpe · August 18, 2009, 04:59:56 pm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/david-conn-inside-sport-blog/2009/aug/18/european-league-premier-league-arsenal