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The General Football Thread

Discussion in 'Southampton' started by Beef, Aug 2, 2016.

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  1. The Ides of March

    The Ides of March Well-Known Member

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    TV footage showed Athletic Bilbao's ultras were dressed up in exactly the same manner to "greet" the Apoel supporters as they approached the stadium. The Bilbao fans tried to entice the Cypriot supporters to react to their insults and objects thrown. Had the Apoel fans done so, the riot police would have waded into them, as the Basque fans disappeared when chased half heartedly by the police. As it was they didn't. Two of the levelled-headed fans were raised on to shoulders and appealed for everybody to be calm. Fans taking responsibility!!!
     
    #1101
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2017
  2. The Ides of March

    The Ides of March Well-Known Member

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    Anything Barcelona can achieve, Villareal matched in equal measure, hammered 4-0 at home. I know Roma are a good side but not that good. The composition of the last 16 will be interesting and I fully expect an absence of La Liga sides along with the loveliest team in North London. If Apoel do manage the win, and good luck to them, it would be wonderful for Cypriot football for them to go even further and get to a final. I doubt it as the strong teams this year appear to be Shaktar, Schalke, Manchester United, FC Rostov, Roma, Fiorentina, Besiktas, Ajax, Gent and Genk.
     
    #1102
  3. fatletiss

    fatletiss Well-Known Member

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    Are Barnet in the EL?
     
    #1103
  4. The Ides of March

    The Ides of March Well-Known Member

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    <laugh><laugh><laugh>
     
    #1104
  5. The Ides of March

    The Ides of March Well-Known Member

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    You do not like the"T" word, n'est-ce pas?
     
    #1105
  6. fran-MLs little camera

    fran-MLs little camera Well-Known Member

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    Cardiff fans at the Valentine Day's game sang; 'We're only here 'cos we're single.' <laugh>
     
    #1106
  7. fatletiss

    fatletiss Well-Known Member

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    non!
     
    #1107
  8. Qwerty

    Qwerty Well-Known Member

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    When I was in Southampton the barber up the road from me said he used to play for Barnet. I'm still not sure if he was winding me up.
     
    #1108
  9. The Ides of March

    The Ides of March Well-Known Member

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    I was never a keen fan of her, either!!
     
    #1109
  10. The Ides of March

    The Ides of March Well-Known Member

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    Great!! Their fans have often hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Was this chant widely reported in the papers or other media? It shows their fans in another light.
     
    #1110

  11. Ian Thumwood

    Ian Thumwood Well-Known Member

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    Something that I have enjoyed reading about in the news this week is the speculation about Arsene Wenger's future with even the BBC being quite brazen in suggesting that his career at Arsenal is reaching some sort of end game. It is very funny as a neutral and , as someone suggested yesterday, an example of turkeys voting for Christmas as there is no certainty that any incoming manager will improve their fortunes. I recall that there was a similar issue when Bruce Rioch briefly took charge after the departure of George Graham and there were signs that the wheels were coming off.

    Wenger's increasingly low stock has been a source of delight for me whenever I read about other clubs. The constant run ins with Ferguson ultimately became tedious and the Frenchman's lack of grace when losing has seen a lot of the sympathy he had evaporate. It is a strange situation because he revolutionised football with his coaching and introduction of strict dietary regimes so that, as an outside, you get the impression that he has contributed a lot to the modern game and much more than many of his British counterparts.

    I think his initial achievements were colossal and there is now a whole generation of Arsenal supporters who would bemused to learn that their club was once famous for dull football and 1-0 wins. There has been a trade off and I feel Arsenal have lost their identity . They are no longer a club full of Irish and Scottish players as was the case when I first started following football and , if you go to France, you start appreciating that Arsenal are very much a global brand with the London club being very well supported. For me the biggest pitfall of Wenger is his inability to progress the careers of British players with none of the Southampton imports really hitting the height most Saints supporters would have expected when they were sold.

    The biggest problem with Wenger is his frequent blaming of referees and failure to accept defeat in a sporting manner. Any slight against his players on the field because a cause for complaint and the recent victories against Arsenal become increasingly sweet because you know Wenger is going to complain. Wenger is almost a figure of fun, a pantomime villain who adds enjoyment to the opposition's victory.

    It is a shame that Arsene Wenger's success was through revolutionising football but that he is now being undone (despite actually doing well in the circumstances) by another revolution in football where teams like Man City and Chelsea can open the cheque book and buy the world's best players on whim.
     
    #1111
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  12. fran-MLs little camera

    fran-MLs little camera Well-Known Member

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    I have been an admirer of Wenger in the past, but was astonished to hear Nigel Winterburn say recently that he always did things the right way. All those dramatics and tantrums! Perhaps understandable in a young manager, but ridiculous in someone of his experience.
     
    #1112
  13. TheSecondStain

    TheSecondStain Needs an early night

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    Indeed. All those fortunate occasions where controversial decisions went for him, yet he didn't see things happen, so couldn't comment. Yet he saw them plainly when decisions went against him. Wenger has been as bent as any other manager, but has always put on the appearance of the straight man, the innocent or wronged.
     
    #1113
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  14. Beef

    Beef Well-Known Member

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    #1114
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  15. Beef

    Beef Well-Known Member

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  16. fatletiss

    fatletiss Well-Known Member

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    Don't let Laces see this. He lurves Tielemans
     
    #1116
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  17. TheSecondStain

    TheSecondStain Needs an early night

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    I'm not exactly neutral myself. You can tell when someone has had a vague punt from distance and scored and when someone has meant it. He meant it, with both feet.
     
    #1117
  18. The Ides of March

    The Ides of March Well-Known Member

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    Will there be any EPL teams left in the Champions League? City trailing 1-0 and we know how good Monaco are at prising out narrow wins. Atletico 2-0 up in a game being played at a blistering pace but littered with lots of mistakes.
     
    #1118
  19. Beef

    Beef Well-Known Member

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    Monaco are so fast
     
    #1119
  20. Le Tissier's Laces

    Le Tissier's Laces Well-Known Member

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    TOO LATE
     
    #1120
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