Football

[CC 72100]

Thing is though, would you rather get promoted playing boring football, or miss out because there was too much focus on attacking and pretty play.

Results have always got to come first IMO, you can only earn praise for appealing-to-the-eye play

 

[Ivo]

Because they scored the most goals in the game. They also finished the League in third, ten points clear of fourth, and had fewer defeats than any other team in the division.
Your bitterness does you no credit.

It's not secret that I dislike West Ham. But, in truth, they probably did deserve to go up. I am most certainly bitter about it though

Birmingham, Blackpool, Blackburn, Bolton, Brighton, Burnley, Barnsley, Bristol...

Gonna be a confusing season!

Barnsley, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers, Brighton & Hove Albion, Bristol City, Burnley

It's exhausting just trying to put them into alphabetical order!

For those wanting Chelsea to win because they're the English team consider the following:
English players in Chelsea's XI: 3
German players in Munich's XI: 5 (at least, I'm not 100% on some nationalities)

I'm surprised they've got that many!

----------------

Can anyone watching the game confirm that it has been as one-sided as the stats on the BBC website (here) suggest?

 

[EM2]

Thing is though, would you rather get promoted playing boring football, or miss out because there was too much focus on attacking and pretty play.

Results have always got to come first IMO, you can only earn praise for appealing-to-the-eye play

Personally? The latter.
You can only earn praise? Really? Swansea, Norwich and QPR earned promotion. So did Southampton and Reading. Barcelona earned trophies galore.
In an ideal world, I would rather we'd got a young, hungry, tactically brave manager, like Rodgers, McDermott or Eddie Howe, given him the benefit of not pressuring him for three years or so that promotion is the be-all-and-end-all, and let him build an ethos, with young gifted players and coaching them to play the right way.
Gold & Sullivan however are of the mind that West Ham need to be in the Premier League and need to be in the Olympic Stadium, hence the choices they have made.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Ah, Chelsea, what a soft goal to concede.

1-0 Bayern, 8 minutes plus injury time left.

 

[Ivo]

Oh dear, what a pity, never mind.



Bayern will be joining the Fivers Club tonight then? As everyone knew they should do?

 

[SS4]

Oh dear, what a pity, never mind.

That's what I was thinking!

I've not been watching the game but I have been listening and yes it real is that biased. Not even 5 Live's bias has managed to hide it

 

[Ivo]

The same stats suggest it's 16-0 to Bayern on corners! One every 5½ minutes against none whatsoever

 

[SS4]

Can anyone watching the game confirm that it has been as one-sided as the stats on the BBC website (here) suggest?

Yes. Neuer has had the ball boy throw him a ball a couple of times to remind him what it feels like

The Holy Diver [apologies to Dio] has just scored to equalise :cry:

 

[sonic2009]

Cometh the hour, cometh the man Didier Drogba!

Maybe playing for a new contract?

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[SS4]

Cometh the hour, cometh the man Didier Drogba!

Maybe playing for a new contract?

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Surprised he managed to stay on his feet long enough :roll:

"Come on Chelsea, is it too much to ask to get a winner?" - BBC Neutrality at its finest :roll:

 

[Ivo]

You have got to be kidding me So much for my 16-0 statistic; Chelsea get one and they score from it!

Here's hoping Robben () scores a last-gasp winner!

 

[SS4]

You have got to be kidding me So much for my 16-0 statistic; Chelsea get one and they score from it!

Here's hoping Robben () scores a last-gasp winner!

I'd take that but much rather Drogba scored an own goal

 

[sonic2009]

Extra time anyone?

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[sonic2009]

Drogba to put this free kick in the back of the net?

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[SS4]

Yup. Extra time

edit: how did your doublepost not get merged

 

[sonic2009]

It would be okay in a Rugby match

So the 2012 Champions league final goes to extra-time.

Predictions?




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[CC 72100]

Personally? The latter.
You can only earn praise? Really? Swansea, Norwich and QPR earned promotion. So did Southampton and Reading. Barcelona earned trophies galore.
In an ideal world, I would rather we'd got a young, hungry, tactically brave manager, like Rodgers, McDermott or Eddie Howe, given him the benefit of not pressuring him for three years or so that promotion is the be-all-and-end-all, and let him build an ethos, with young gifted players and coaching them to play the right way.
Gold & Sullivan however are of the mind that West Ham need to be in the Premier League and need to be in the Olympic Stadium, hence the choices they have made.

Fair points. However, as good as attractive football is, and it deserves credit, in my view it is results that are get judged, that get managers hired + fired etc. I'd much rather my club to stay up, even if it meant some football that wasn't too attractive on the eye than go down, no matter how appealing it was.

Personally, I don't understand all the hatred towards Big Sam. Ok, so his style is somewhat focussed on lumping it up there, but he's a man who knows how to keep sides in the league, which may be key for West Ham next season. Again, I'm not a West Ham fan, so maybe my view coming for the 'outside' may be different to what Hammers fans say, who watch their team week in week out.

 

[Ivo]

So the 2012 Champions league final goes to extra-time.

Predictions?

Having one of West Ham and Chelsea win is torture - having both win, and I might just lose the will to live

OK, so I'm exaggerating, but that's how much I want Chelsea to lose.

 

[SS4]

Having one of West Ham and Chelsea win is torture - having both win, and I might just lose the will to live

OK, so I'm exaggerating, but that's how much I want Chelsea to lose.

Bayern have a penalty. And Golden Boy gave it away - just gotta hope Bayern capitalise

 

[sonic2009]

Drogba goes from hero to giving away a Penalty...

What a save!


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[SS4]

Luiz had his foot in the box

 

[sonic2009]

Luiz had his foot in the box

Although Drogba has taken Ribery out of the game, maybe he will taken Robben out next

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[Ivo]

What odds can I get on Drogba repeating his 2008 antics and receiving a red card for something massively immature?

 

[sonic2009]

What odds can I get on Drogba repeating his 2008 antics and receiving a red card for something massively immature?

I'll give you 1000000000000-1

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[EM2]

Fair points. However, as good as attractive football is, and it deserves credit, in my view it is results that are get judged, that get managers hired + fired etc. I'd much rather my club to stay up, even if it meant some football that wasn't too attractive on the eye than go down, no matter how appealing it was.

Personally, I don't understand all the hatred towards Big Sam. Ok, so his style is somewhat focussed on lumping it up there, but he's a man who knows how to keep sides in the league, which may be key for West Ham next season. Again, I'm not a West Ham fan, so maybe my view coming for the 'outside' may be different to what Hammers fans say, who watch their team week in week out.

That's the problem with modern football. John Lyall's team were relegated in 1977, but the board stuck by him, believed in him, even let him pay a world record fee for a goalkeeper, and they won an FA Cup and took Liverpool to a replay in the League Cup before getting back to the old Division 1. He then led them to their best-ever finish in that league, finishing third.
But that doesn't happen these days

 

[Ivo]

I'll give you 1000000000000-1

One TRILLION to one?!

Lemme get my phone out

 

[EM2]

I'll have a pound on that!

 

[Ivo]

It's only taken until 8 minutes from the end of Extra Time, but I'm finally able to watch it at about 6fps

 

[sonic2009]

It's only taken until 8 minutes from the end of Extra Time, but I'm finally able to watch it at about 6fps

You've missed it all

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[Ivo]

Is it me, or is the ambience "quiet" enough to sound like a League Two game? You can hear almost every cry from the crowd (which never happens at OT)...

Oh, and Chelsea:

Stop playing for penalties