Football season 2016/17

Just to add,

ill have a go at the managers job.When the FA realise I'm as shit as the other recently appointed mangers they can then give me a 5 million pay off.

You couldn't make it up.

Scooot posted:

Mega bucks = Mega corruption.Is been a multi millionaire not enough nowadays without trying to syphon off more.

Scooot posted:

Just to add,

ill have a go at the managers job.When the FA realise I'm as shit as the other recently appointed mangers they can then give me a 5 million pay off.

You couldn't make it up.

Totally agree with you Scooot

Just watched News Night.They had Sky Andrew the agent worth over 25 million then you have got Alan Sherear giving it " There's to much money in the game"...Sunday Times rich list worth 45 million what a load of bollocks 

As you say you couldn't make it up.Big Sam was on 3 million but still open to make a bit more.Sherear was right on 1 point we are a laughing stock both on the pitch and off

I thought Spurs thoroughly deserved their victory over previously unbeaten Man City this afternoon. Very impressed at their high-tempo game plan, pressing City everywhere on the pitch and not letting City develop possession into dangerous chances. I thought Spurs might run out of puff but no.   

MDS posted:

Christopher_M posted:

Wasn't at the London Stadium for Saints' 3-0 win. Can't comment on what I didn't see but did enjoy hearing Chris Sutton on R5 Live say. ' [Saints' keeper] Fraser Forster has had so little to do, he can get straight on the coach without a shower'.

C.

Yes, Chris. I watched most of the game on Sky and then listened to the last 20 mins on R5 while walking the dog. The Hammers looked a pale imitation of the force they presented last season and the Saints thoroughly deserved their victory.

As well as the comment by the R5 team about the unemployed Forster, I was also struck by their views on the new stadium.  They were complaining that they couldn't see the fifth official's board because they were so far back from the cation. They also said they thought the crowd in the third tier were silent, bemoaning the lack of atmosphere.

I guess Kevin-W would have been at the game and I'd be interested in his views.  

Mike

 

Actually, Mike, the artmosphere at the Bradydome is pretty good, the roof helps keep the noise in. I can't comment what the view/atmosphere is like up in the gods, I've never been up there.

We are in the Bobby Moore Lower, 20 rows directly behind the goal, and have fantastic views. Everyone stands, too, which helps to keep things lively. Most of the people who were around us in the old BML at Upton Park moved there too, so we have lots of continuity.

There are a number of problems with the new stadium, the principal two being that it isn't the Boleyn, and that we are on a terrible streak at the moment. I have heard some members of the media complaining that they have a rotten view from the press boxes though (apparently the food and drink up there is brilliant however ).

The other big problem is of course the stewarding, which is hopeless, and the lack of segregation between home and away fans.

Also the landlords at Westfield, in Stratford and hipster Hackney have all made it very clear that football fans (particularly West Ham ones) are NOT welcome. Thank goodness for the German deli in Hackney Wick, which sells cheap German beer, delicious bratwurst and which puts on death metal gigs on saturday evenings!

Thanks for the fan's view, Kevin.  I guess a new ground will always have it's problems: nostalgia for the old ground and the inevitable operational teething problems.   Must say I haven't got used to the TV pundits talking about "...the London Stadium". I shall now immediately think of 'Bradydome' when it's mentioned

On the standing-up bit, I'm in two minds. On the one hand the habit can be a real pain for the frail and kids. One of my grandsons (7yr) got taken to White Hart Lane a couple of weeks ago. I thought he'd be impressed, being his first Premiership game, but all I got out of him was he couldn't see anything of the game because everyone kept standing up.  He much prefers Fratton Park where we get seats very close to the pitch, which he loves (so selfishly, I'm pleased his loyalties are still pointing towards my lot) .  On the other hand, I still recall with fondness standing up at games and think it's about time HMG and the FA sorted out that piece of 'Thatcher-legacy' and allowed clubs to designate standing sections in their grounds.

Mike 

Saints more than respectable at the magnificent Etihad yesterday. Nathan Redmond's goal well taken. A draw was probably the right result but Saints could have nicked it the second half with some better finishing. I thought Sofiane Boufal looked good, causing the City's defence a few problems with his pace.

I'm not normally one to get misty eyed about the past but I do miss Maine Road. Apart from the "Tenner to look after your car Mister" from the local yoof, that is.

Sources tell me the red half of Manchester also played yesterday....

Roll on Moyes' Sunderland (can it be long?) in the League Cup at St Mary's on Wednesday, then Chelsea at the same venue in the Prem on Sunday. Can't wait.

C.

Agree about Saints' performance at Man City, Chris.  Yes, towards the end they settled for a point and engaged in a bit of time-wasting but one the whole they looked a well-drilled top-half of the table team. 

Saints have drawn Arsenal as a result of an unremarkable 1-0 win, save for Boufal's strike, over Sunderland in the League Cup. Could have been worse, I really didn't fancy Anfield or Elland Road.

Will be interested to hear what Kevin has to say about the crowd trouble at the London Stadium during (after?) his game with Chelsea.

C.

Chris, the trouble was right at the end of the game. It was all pretty peaceable up until then. The atmosphere in the Bradydome after Kouyate's brilliant goal was electric - and it was a great game of football. Chelsea were on top for the first 15-20 mins but after Cheikhou's goal it was pretty much all WHU. A superb team performance - everyone in claret and blue was magnificent.

To be honest in the BML I didn't see much trouble, it was at the other end of the stadium. My walk back to Hackney Wick was incident-free. The Bradybowl is very difficult to steward and police, and trouble was inevitable, but to pretend this was a return to the dark days of the 70s and 80s, as I expect the papers will tomorrow, is a bit wide of the mark.

Glad you weren't affected. Saw some grim looking pics on the BBC site which made me wonder what you made of it.

 C.

The stadium is so vast Chris, you can be (almost literally) miles from any trouble. That said, I think it is an entirely unsuitable venue for football, and unless something is done, there will be a serious incident, especially when the likes of Spuds, ManUre or Stoke come to visit.

It looks like some 'fans' have just identified it as a suitable venue for trouble and are taking advantage of it.

To my mind, a good piece by Kevin Garside in today's i about the 'fan' problem at the London Stadium and what WHU might do about it, and why.

C.

SWMBO quite pleased as Brentford beat QPR 2-0  at QPR for the first time in 52 years.

Southampton 0-2 at home to Chelsea. Woeful lack of penetration from Saints.

I didn't particularly enjoy seeing Claude Puel being matey with David Luiz and Eden Hazard at full-time either. Guess it's 'the great big family of football' but it has me gagging. He could at least have waited for them in the tunnel.

C.

I thought Chelsea looked back to their old selves this afternoon: very solid defensively, very organised,  and with enough flair and striking talent to make chances and take them.  Hazard looks to have regained his mojo.  I didn't think Southampton played at all poorly. They were just beaten but an even better team.  On today's showing Conte's Chelsea should compete for this season's Premiership title.   

Yup.

What of Pompey, Mike? A fan was quoted in yesterday's i, I paraphrase, Cook rotates the squad but opposition teams have worked out their system.

C.

Christopher_M posted:

Yup.

What of Pompey, Mike? A fan was quoted in yesterday's i, I paraphrase, Cook rotates the squad but opposition teams have worked out their system.

C.

I that fan is right, Chris.  We have talented squad, probably the most talented in the division, but too many opposition teams seem to know that if they defend deep we will get frustrated and also give away chances. And for the past few seasons we look vulnerable at set pieces.  Can't say I'm impressed with the manager Cook's technical nous. To get promoted a team has to have a good measure of consistency and that has eluded us for a while now. So while I like to think we will still be there or there abouts at the end of the season, I fear the journey is going to be a frustrating one. 

Mike

Wow! What a game at the Bridge today. Terrific  play from Chelsea, Everton were just shell shocked for 90% of the game, even the visiting fans applauded the Chelsea players at the end. Amazing stuff.

They looked pretty awesome from the highlights on MoTD. And Everton are a good side. 

Everton were lucky to get nil.

I watched the first half on BT sport, I'm not saying they didn't deserve to win, they did. But as far as I can remember they only had 4 shots on goal and scored from three of them. (the first 2, I could have stopped).

It's a funny old game, football. I can guarantee Chelsea will play a game in the near future, have a dozen or more attempts and score none.

JamieWednesday posted:

Everton were lucky to get nil.

Genuinely made me lol

Is Paul Cook still there, Mike? The way they talked about him on Radio Solent after today's home defeat suggested he might not be. OTOH it could just be 'paper talk'.

C.

fatcat posted:

I watched the first half on BT sport, I'm not saying they didn't deserve to win, they did. But as far as I can remember they only had 4 shots on goal and scored from three of them. (the first 2, I could have stopped).

It's a funny old game, football. I can guarantee Chelsea will play a game in the near future, have a dozen or more attempts and score none.

We had a lot of shots through the game. I think Everton had one. But yes I've seen lots of games where one team bosses it and don't get the result, many Chelsea games like that.

But there's clearly something key that's changed in the team that isn't just down to science. The confidence, the fun is back, like Ancellottis 1st season and it feels like there's some big momentum goingp on here.