Football Focus

[kpc]

???? Wrote:

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> Sorry was the 5th. Not a good day on or off the

> pitch.

Agreed - set the tone for other games in the 80s.

[????]

You must have gone out in the quarters that year then? Semis was Plymouth v Watford and Everton v?. I remmember we really fancied our chances that year as only Everton of the then big teams were left and we were doing well in the league. All the malarkey started because a West Ham bloke in the seats infront of the exec boxes wouldn't sit down....and some steward hit him, then I just think everyone was trying to get the game abandoned as we were losing.

[kpc]

Wasn't aware of the origins of the trouble that day but doesn't surprise me. Remember well the pitch invasions and the mounted charge. Lost 3-1 at home to Watford in QF in front of 42,000 - a young John Barnes scored the first curling a shot from the edge of the area past Tony Coton who was sold to Watford in the summer. Seen as many as the onset of our 80s decline, we won one more game that season against Villa and got relegated (having been comfortably mid-table). Ron Saunders split up a talented but wayward team before leaving himself.

[mockney piers]

Why've you always got to be so negative matthew?

I thought Stoke deserved, even if outplayed for large parts they were always in the game and had some nifty runs and good football

in there, with acres of space on many am occassion down the left.

Wow, as I wrote that peter Reid (not unbiased) just suggested Etheringtom for England (laughable maybe but a kernel

of reason in there).

As for the suggestion re the quality of the suuport, the camera was unfair, it was fairly well attended in a town a report today described as having been among the hardest hit by the recession in Britain!!

[matthew123]

From what I saw of the game Stoke deserved to win but that doesn't mean how they did it was acceptable football - or is winning more important than playing the game these days.. some good old fashioned values like entertaining the spectator is what I want (I'm sure Hammers fans will be jumping for joy if you make Tony Pullis your next manager).

Newsflash Matthew123 now being Positive.. read on..

Watched quite a bit of the Milan derby tonight and impressed with the high tempo of Inter - I think they will give Chelsea a run for their money in the CL especially with the return of Eto'o.

[Keef]

Thos has been debated before, and as I said then, if I'm an unskilled boxer in the ring with Ali or Mayweather, Im going to hold hi, and try to rough him up because it is my only chance, and I don't want him showing his full range of skills to the crowd and knocking me out thankyou very much. At this level, wiyh this much money involved, yes the win is most important.

[jimmy two times]

What is acceptable football? The game is made up of different styles and strategies. Stoke play a different brand of football to Arsenal and it is just as valid. Yes it is more direct and some may find that unappealing, but it is the mark of a good team if they are flexible and bright enough that they can deal with that. There are strategies that can be employed. I actually tthought Stoke's second goal was a very well worked goal which would grace any football stadium in the world and I thought Arsenal's goal was a a bit of a lucky deflection.

[mockney piers]

Absolutely JTT, I thought it a good goal too and a very entertaining cup tie, why I still love the cup even if it seems to losing it's shine (sadly).

[david_carnell]

Except that two out the three Stoke goals did not come from set-plays, throw-ins or hoof ball tactics....they were well worked, skillful, pacy, passing plays that Arsenal failed to deal with. They played with genuine width and got crosses into the box - something Arsenal have not been doing all season.

Fair play to 'em.

[Sandperson]

Arsenal have been a bit shaky on set pieces all season haven't they. I thought the game was pretty entertaining.

Piers, as far as the cup losing it's shine goes, as you know and as was pointed out ad nauseum over the weekend, the cup died when United dropped out. Please don't miss an opportunity for a dig! ;-)

[jimmy two times]

I thought Campbell was poor and looked off the pace. He should have dealt with the ball aerially for Fuller's second goal but his positioning was poor. Wenger may rue taking FA cup so lightly. I understand he is prioritising League and Champion's league but if he ends another season potless he may have questions to answer. Man Utd and Chelsea seem able to cope with fielding strong teams in all three trophies.

[matthew123]

I'd like to see both the League Cup and FA Cup returned to their former glory - but I think that can only be done by upping the financial rewards.

At the moment a PL club will get more money for a PL televised match than you do for reaching an FA Cup semi final (?480k versus ?450K).

[david_carnell]

Why not stop making the Champions League spots available for a top 4 finish and give one place each to the winners of the League Cup and FA Cup plus the top 2 finishers in the league.

Would that need UEFA consent or is it up to the FA how they distribute our allocation?

[Sandperson]

That's down to the FA then Matt. They must be getting a revenue from the games, they should be putting more of it back into the competition.

Radio 5 people were talking about giving the winner a place in the Champions League, this is piffle if you ask me. If a team like Portsmouth win the cup (and this is no disrespect to Pompey Ratty) they just don't have the strength to compete at that level and it's a bit of a waste of time. I hated losing to Leeds, but now Liverpool and Arsenal are out as well there could be a scope for a real suprise this season and the cup is quite exceiting I think.

[Sandperson]

Cross post David!

[Jah Lush]

Hmmm....to club chairman and owners/directors and shareholders it's about revenue but that's not what it's about at all. It's about the glory and the glory is in winning competitions such as the FA Cup. And with those successes should come the financial rewards.

[Mick Mac]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Hmmm....to club chairman and owners/directors and

> shareholders it's about revenue but that's not

> what it's about at all. It's about the glory and

> the glory is in winning competitions such as the

> FA Cup. And with those successes should come the

> financial rewards.

It a big one to win for all teams come May.

But for the champions league teams, in February and March the Premiership and Ch League take priority. If they happen to stumble through to the FA Cup semi final (utilising squad members) it then becomes important to them again as they can smell the cup final glory. But in Jan/Feb/Mar they have to balance priorities.

I happen to think if you are going to go out you might as well go out early. So it will probably work out ok for Arsenal and Man United in the long run.

[Jah Lush]

What price Man Utd and Arsenal win feck all this season?

[jimmy two times]

Danny Blanchflower said 'Football is about the glory'. To me that translates as trophies and honours. Alan Shearer may have made a lot of money in career but he won nothing. When he reflects on his career there must be a lot of regret about that. I've just picked him as an example. I hate this new mentality that finishing fourth and sacrificing a cup run to do it somehow quantifies as success.

[Jah Lush]

I was paraphrashing the late great Danny Blanchflower and what you've just said there is exactly what I was I was getting at Jimmy. At the end of your career it's medals that count.

[Sandperson]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> What price Man Utd and Arsenal win feck all this

> season?

It's worth a punt. Barca and Chelsea this year I fear.

[????]

Shearer won the Premiership with Blackburn

[jimmy two times]

Of course you're right Quids. I totally forgot about that and I stand corrected. Replace him with someone like Les Ferdinand then.

[matthew123]

Are you saying Les only joined Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur for the cash?

[Jah Lush]

Well, he won bugger all when he was there.