Football season 2018/19

Posted by: Kevin-W on 15 July 2018

Now the World Cup's over, it's time to turn our attention to the domestic leagues in the UK, Europe, South America and elsewhere...

So here's a thread for all matters pertaining to the 2018/19 season - whether you follow one of the giants like Barca, Real, Juve, Man City or Corinthians; or a non-league side.

All are welcome - and let's hear from followers of smaller clubs, like Harrogate Railway, Sutton United or Tottenham Hotspur.

Posted on: 22 September 2018 by Mike Hughes

Emery is going to do a Klopp. Build slowly over a few seasons. 

Posted on: 22 September 2018 by Bob the Builder
Mike Hughes posted:

Emery is going to do a Klopp. Build slowly over a few seasons. 

I really hope because so this is a young manager with excellent credentials who because of his record breaking 3 year reign as Europa League champions with Sevilla was given the job at PSG specifically to win the Champions League and although he won the treble in France last year and won two trophies in his first year there he was let go because of his failure in the CL.

I'm beginning to hope that we may be at a turning point I was at the Emirates in March when we went 3 down to Man City after about twenty minutes four days after doing the same thing to the same team in a cup final and again like spoiled children they just capitulated. it was -8 degrees and because of the weather the normal 90 minute journey to North London had taken over three hours and I'd drunk a bit too much and along with maybe a thousand others walked out in disgust very, very angry we had to cue to be let out and I spoke to an old guy in his seventies who I had to take under my wing because he was just telling a steward to f*** off who was telling him to put his roll up out and he said to me

"I've been coming here since I was a small boy with my old man and I'll never set foot in this ground until that French c*** has gone"

I've taken stick for walking out even on this forum but It was a very, very, very low point we've been through some low points before lots of times but never had it felt like that.

  I met my partner through this football club and bonded with her late father and her brother over this football club and have taken our nephew with me to watch this football club since he was nine he is now 25 and unless you really, really love football and really, really follow one team your whole life investing lots of money and time into that one team  you cannot imagine how that feels and also I've earned the right to walk out.

Arsene Wenger was a victim of his own success and he stayed too long but history will show that along with the Manchester United treble winning side he built one of the two best teams the premier league will ever know and they will be known as the best because those two teams were built not bought.

Anyway we now have some small hope and that we are moving forward no matter how slowly feels great. 

 

Posted on: 22 September 2018 by MDS

Bob - I completely get it.  Non-footie fans and those that regard it as just another form of entertainment just don't understand what emotions football can drive in those of us who are. The roller-coaster of heady highs and very deep lows are hard for others to fathom because we are otherwise quite normal with other things in life.  But even when we feel very low and fed-up with our club we always go back. And it doesn't take a great deal to re-ignite our (in some cases, hopeless) optimism: a new manager, a new signing, even a decent result.  So I empathise, though would respectively suggest that as a Gooner you've had it pretty good over the 25 years you've been following them, as compared to some of us.

As you saying goes, you can change your partner, your job, your house, your religion, even your gender but you never, ever change your football club!   

Posted on: 22 September 2018 by Tabby cat

Loving the City result - with Cardiff. Back to the best of last season.Needed that after the Champions leauge with Lyon.Mahrez getting 2 was the icing on the cake.   Aguero's  300th appearance for City ...what better than a goal

https://e0.365dm.com/18/09/768x432/skysports-riyad-mahrez-manchester-city_4429921.jpg?20180922163519

https://e0.365dm.com/18/09/768x432/skysports-sergio-aguero-manchester-city_4429850.jpg?20180922154808

Posted on: 23 September 2018 by Christopher_M

I've just seen some pics from their Chelsea game and West Ham's light blue sleeves are no more. Instead there are little edges around the short sleeves, and flashes on the shorts. Not right!

Posted on: 23 September 2018 by Tabby cat

Kev,

Nice point but Andriy Yarmolenka should have got the three.Watched it and thought West Ham looked great.

Pellagrini was very encouraged about the performance.

Did you go ?

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/624/cpsprodpb/01E4/production/_103548400_yarmolenko_getty.jpg

Posted on: 23 September 2018 by Kevin-W

Yes Ian, Yarmy missed the sitter to end all sitters. If Arnie had been fit we'd have gone away with three points. Still, if you'd have told any Hammers fan two weeks ago that we'd get four points from Oligarchs XI and the Toffees (our bogey team), they'd had bitten your hand off!

Bring on Moaning Maureen's Mingining Mancs!

Posted on: 23 September 2018 by Kevin-W

Also, I should add, there was a decent atmosphere - for once - at the Dildodome.

Posted on: 23 September 2018 by Wugged Woy
Kevin-W posted:
Wugged Woy posted:

It's soooo frustrating being a Spud. 

Don't look to me for sympathy!

Well done for holding those rather unpleasant types to a draw 

I will withhold any bitchy comments about your owners and your stolen sahara desert ground……...

Well, maybe for a few days.

  

P.S. Yes, I can hear you now…… Kevin :  "At least we've got a bl@@&y stadium!". 

And you'd be right !!

Posted on: 26 September 2018 by Kevin-W

8-nil! That's our biggest victory in 32 years!

I know it was against the EFL's bottom team (74 places below us, by my calculations), but normally we make very hard work of this sort of encounter. Good to see Pellers giving the kids a runout too, and for them to repay him so handsomely.

Bring on Moaning Maureen's Minging Mancs on Saturday!

Posted on: 29 September 2018 by MDS

Big win for the Hammers at lunchtime today.  From what I saw on the TV it was merited. Also sounded like a bit of an atmosphere at the Bradydome for a change. Pleased for the manager.   For Man U, Poga and Lukaku, both highly rated, looked anonymous.   Still, at least the Man U fans won't have far to travel home 

Posted on: 29 September 2018 by Tabby cat

Kev,

Loving your result against those odious Rags and more misery for Jose....ha ha ! - Listened to bits of it on the radio and they said West Ham where really hungry and Pablo Zabeleta was brilliant in defence.Lovely result and back to back prem wins.Adored Pellagrini at City and pleased hes at my 2nd favourite prem team.

Did you go ? - Man of the Match Mark Noble

https://e2.365dm.com/18/09/768x432/skysports-andriy-yarmolenko_4437273.jpg?20180929132907

 

https://e0.365dm.com/18/09/768x432/skysports-noble-snodgrass-west-ham_4437449.jpg?20180929150612

 

Posted on: 29 September 2018 by rodwsmith

Wolves are 8th. In the Premiership! Yay!

Posted on: 29 September 2018 by Tabby cat

Liverpool - City next Sunday is going to be massive for both clubs.Nice win today against Brighton 2-0  with 80 % City possession !!  and 8 shots on target.......nice.It will be interesting how Chelski do with Liverpool.....where top of the leauge for now.Congrats to Wolves and Pompey  

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/624/cpsprodpb/14304/production/_103629628_sergioagueroscoresformancity.jpg

Posted on: 29 September 2018 by Kevin-W
Tabby cat posted:

Kev,

Loving your result against those odious Rags and more misery for Jose....ha ha ! - Listened to bits of it on the radio and they said West Ham where really hungry and Pablo Zabeleta was brilliant in defence.Lovely result and back to back prem wins.Adored Pellagrini at City and pleased hes at my 2nd favourite prem team.

Did you go ? - Man of the Match Mark Noble

https://e2.365dm.com/18/09/768x432/skysports-andriy-yarmolenko_4437273.jpg?20180929132907

 

https://e0.365dm.com/18/09/768x432/skysports-noble-snodgrass-west-ham_4437449.jpg?20180929150612

 

Hi Ian

 

Yes I went. Just got back, a bit worse for wear. The media will probably focus on Manure's failings but honestly we were superb today, with every player stepping up. Nobes, Balbuena, Diop and Zab were all magnificent and it was a well-deserved victory. Really good atmosphere at the Dildodrome too.

Moaning Maureen's minging Mancs. Mashed. Bring on the Seagulls and Spuds.

Posted on: 30 September 2018 by Mike Hughes

Salford hit the top after 14 games but have only played one team in the current top 10 and it’ll be interesting to see if they fail to cope like many footballing teams in this division once the mud, rain and frost hit. Orient lose their unbeaten run but will be up there come season end. My lot are ticking along nicely in 4th.

Posted on: 30 September 2018 by Bob the Builder

I'm really pleased with the way the Arsenal are progressing after a very shakey start we have had quite a kind run of fixtures and have been able to build momentum and get within 2 points of second place. 

Posted on: 01 October 2018 by beginner

thats the best team proformance by  West Ham in years, as for man of the match, you could say the whole team... Declan Rice, West Ham should just pay him the £30, 000 he wants and tie him down to a long contract before the likes of city come a sniffing.... see Arsenal get there usual easy pass in which ever cup they play in 

Posted on: 01 October 2018 by hungryhalibut

Well, Pompey are doing really well so far. 24 points and undefeated after 10 games. As ever with Pompey things can easily go horribly wrong, but it looks so much more positive than it has for ages. It’s good to see Brett Pitman back in the starting lineup too. 

Posted on: 01 October 2018 by MDS

Yes, HH. Pompey have made an excellent start to the season.  Pitman now has four in four so hopefully has regained his goal-touch. Lowe and Curtis both look very threatening on the flanks. Most encouragingly, we look more solid at the back and robust through the centre of midfield than I can recall for a few years.  While not error-free at the back, we seem to be making fewer errors than in recent seasons.  There is a capacity in the team to get results without playing at our best.  As you say, there's always the worry of things falling apart. Pompey have a long-held ability to raise expectations and then disappoint.  I'm still expecting Sunderland and Barnsley, with the resources they bring with them from the Championship, to come on strong in the season and I'd still be happy with the play-offs. Anyway, PUP. 

Posted on: 01 October 2018 by Bob the Builder

I wouldn't get too excited over beating that Man Utd team & especially at this time it was the strangest tactics, Pogba has gone into full sulk mode and I will be very surprised if Jose is still there at Christmas.

I'm not one to piss on anyones parade but let's be honest it was a decent performance but the first goal was off side and the second took a huge deflection so the match should really have been a draw.  Are  you capable of beating a full strength Man U side minus the off field problems?  Very doubtful.

Posted on: 01 October 2018 by Paper Plane

Have I missed a memo somewhere about media coverage of football? Is there only one team in the Premier about which they are allowed to write? Does the Premier League only exist so one specific team with red shirts and an absentee owner can be talked about?

Well played Hammers for your win ob Saturday...just in case you missed the fact that there was another team on the park.

steve (a Spurs supporter)

Posted on: 01 October 2018 by Kevin-W
Bob the Builder posted:

 so the match should really have been a draw.  Are  you capable of beating a full strength Man U side minus the off field problems?  Very doubtful.

I don't think you're a Manc fan but would you like some sour grapes and hard cheese with your whine? I was at the game and Man U were played off the park. End of. Had we played a 'full strength Man U side minus the off the field problems' I'd have fancied our chances.

But the thing is, we played Man U as they are. And let's face it, they have been in slow decline ever since Fergie stepped down, and perhaps before. Worst start in 29 years has to mean something.

Posted on: 01 October 2018 by Tabby cat
Kevin-W posted

But the thing is, we played Man U as they are. And let's face it, they have been in slow decline ever since Fergie stepped down, and perhaps before. Worst start in 29 years has to mean something.

Kev - This is beautiful  -  just beat them 2-1 at The Theater Of Dreams and they had all fuc#ed off - Leaving us to revel in a manager who plays football the opposite of what Pep has installed in the squad,At Brighton last Saturday they where singing  "Jose ,Jose,We want you to stay,We want you to stay,Oh Jose,We ,want you to,stay...

Posted on: 01 October 2018 by Bob the Builder
Kevin-W posted:
Bob the Builder posted:

 so the match should really have been a draw.  Are  you capable of beating a full strength Man U side minus the off field problems?  Very doubtful.

I don't think you're a Manc fan but would you like some sour grapes and hard cheese with your whine? I was at the game and Man U were played off the park. End of. Had we played a 'full strength Man U side minus the off the field problems' I'd have fancied our chances.

But the thing is, we played Man U as they are. And let's face it, they have been in slow decline ever since Fergie stepped down, and perhaps before. Worst start in 29 years has to mean something.

No not a Man U fan in fact as an Arsenal fan nothing gives me greater pleasure than seeing them and Jose in the mess they are in and as a Arsenal fan I know the danger in getting over excited about one fantastic performance we have one or two a year and the rest of the time we are average.