red devil

maxxi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Given a choice between Allardyce and his > 'no-nonsense' approach for a few more years just > in order to maintain Premier League status and > relegation now and a rebuild under someone new I'd > take the latter even if it took a few seasons to > get it right. Is that the choice you've been given? The Board could just as well be thinking, let's stay up first, then get a new manager bedded in before moving into the OS. What sort of manager/players are you going to attract languishing in the Championship? Besides, there's no guarantee you'd 'get it right'. Careful what you wish for...Coventry anyone? > But our board are only after the cash from moving > to the Olympic site so if Allardyce succeeds in > keeping WH up he probably will stay - and his > misery-inducing, spirit-sapping, joyless brand of > thugball will persist as 'maintaining' will be the > object and no more - so sacking him in the summer > isn't an option unless we're relegated and if > that's to happen why not get rid now. As above, who's to say they won't sack him in the summer if you stay up. I reckon the owners are having the fright of their lives at the moment, and it might not be forgotten. At the start of the season you were predicting a top 10 finish, hardly a league position of 'maintaining', so you must have thought he was doing something right then...

It would be a waste of time sacking Allardyce now, the ?5m compo can be spent on a new beanpole. Besides, how long would it take to get a new manager in, probably wouldn't be much transfer window time left (3 weeks after sacking Clarke, WBA are still managerless). Forget romanticised ideals of playing Academy football, the main priority now is to stay up, and with BFS you have a better chance. Sack him in the summer if you must...

June 14*... Any pubs showing the England v Italy match tonight? *Brucie Bonus points for specific dates

Moyes has got to be given time. Ultimately it's the same players that are crossing the white line. The one's that haven't performed will go, simple as that...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03mpphw/Top_of_the_Pops_The_Story_of_1979/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03mpphy/Top_of_the_Pops_1979_Big_Hits/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b014vzy3/Old_Grey_Whistle_Test_70s_Gold/

Agree with Ots. An undercurrent of sexual tension works better. But if LadyD has been getting knobbed left, right, and centre, then I guess she has to be true to her story... :)

I was. Great to see the early Two Tone stuff again. Quite an eclectic time musically...Punk/New Wave, Disco, Ska, Reggae/Lover's Rock...and the Nolans! Loved the Jam's Eton Rifles with the 4 fans pulled off the street...

Bale did all his diving outside the box?...

Tommy1000 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > In the 11/12 season Arsenal didn't get a single penalty > given at home, yet posted the highest possession > stats in the league - what am I missing in terms > of context there? Quite a lot actually. It's what you do with all that possession that counts, for example which part of the field of play it's in. For all you know, 90% of that possession could've been in your own half. You can't deny that Arsenal prior to this season had a reputation of trying to walk the ball into the net, often over elaborating leading to possession breaking down at the crucial moment. I'll add some more spin on that...you were so good at keeping the ball, no one could get near your players to foul them, hence no penalties. See, stats aren't an exact science, they're open to interpretation, and quite often that interpretation is prejudiced. Re. 'Context' paragraph...the officiating hasn't changed, we're simply playing poorly, and thus not getting into as many ''penalty!'' situations. Agree about Webb, except to say he is no friend of Man Utd...but I would say that wouldn't I ;-)

EP, you need to amend your Stoke score... :)

Tommy1000 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > This is a decent article on the subject: > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9379989.s > tm > > Not about United specifically, but you can see the > penalty data there plain and simple. No you can't. You see what you want to see. You're reading them in isolation, not in the context of the matches, e.g. possessional play. > And especially Webb's record at OT. Quite striking the > difference in Webb's performance the other day now > that SAF has gone, which is undoubtedly the > difference. Everyone is aware of SAF's influence > over referees and journalists and, now that he's > gone, the difference is manifest. Do ABU's get induction training in this conspiracy bollox? Take a look at Webb's performance in the Chelsea v Liverpool game a few days earlier... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2531046/Howard-Webb-shirked-big-calls-Chelsea-v-Liverpool-says-Graham-Poll.html

Blackburn 1 Man City 3 Aston Villa 1 Sheff Utd 0 Bolton 2 Blackpool 2 Everton 2 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1 Hull 1 Stoke 1 Leicester 2 West Brom 2 Crystal Palace 1 Arsenal 1 Tottenham 1 Sunday 5th January 2014 Nottm Forest 2 West Ham 1 Derby 1 Chelsea 3

This. ???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > or hold on do a split 1/3 off mortgage: 1/3 in > some kind of investment vehicle(s) - 1/3 in cash. Most experts will say to spread your risk and not put all your financial eggs in one basket...

Up for the Cup! The 2014 EDF Footy Predictor Cup is up and running in the Predictor thread...

The EDF Footy Predictor Cup 2014 - 3rd Round... Saturday 4th January 2014 Blackburn V Man City Aston Villa V Sheff Utd Bolton V Blackpool Everton V QPR Middlesbrough V Hull Stoke V Leicester West Brom V Crystal Palace Arsenal V Tottenham Sunday 5th January 2014 Nottm Forest V West Ham Derby V Chelsea

Moist! *sniggers...*

Right, looking back at the old Football Focus thread there was a league for the early FA Cup rounds (the 10 'most interesting' matches chosen for rounds 3rd to 5th). Then the top 8 teams in that league went into the QF's on a head-to- head knock-out basis. I doubt there is an online version of this so I'll have to do it manually again. I'll choose the matches and post them up here...

Only one or two pens given to away sides in a decade? Get real! :) Someone once did a survey on this conspiracy theory, and the results poo poo'd it. This perceived bias is more to do wth the fact that away teams didn't attack much at OT, hence penalty chances were few and far between. On the flip side, Utd got more penalties because we were camped in opposing teams penalty boxes. It's quite logical when you open your eyes...

Week 17 points... Week 17 table...

I'm wondering if something happened to my predictions this week too, or maybe I was just crap. I need to look back at what we did for the FA cup last year, from memory I think we waited until the last 16 before starting the EDF FA Cup...stay tuned

Your opinion is certainly biased Jah. You forgot to mention that a certain former Spurs player who now plys his trade in Madrid, tops the list of all-time yellows for simulation, and Spurs top the table for clubs. We're 3rd behind Chelsea with Arsenal just behind. And as for this unholy North London alliance. Well it's a bit like kissing cousins, it's not illegal but it's just wrong...

Just for you EP...lots of love :)

It's time for EVERYBODY to get up and dance, yes that includes you Grandad...

Help-Ma-Boab Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Have we met RD?...just dinnae want tae shoot ma > bolt till 23.49... > > > > Im having a wee peeve with these choons. No, but it's uncanny that you chose a Dundee band's song, as I went to Uni there...

Spot the DJ with a hangover, this one's for you H-M-B until you get your second wind... I'm off to the soundproofed VIP room to look for Charlie...