Football Focus

[Otta]

As someone who thinks the 100s game hasn't been interesting since it was Quids' "thing" several years ago, you're very welcome.

[Alan Medic]

Otta Wrote:

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> AM I think you are enjoying winding Quids and

> Maxxi up over West Ham, but the facts are there to

> see. They play one formation, they do well. They

> play his preferred formation, they get beat.

>

> I was obviously pleased with yesterday, but I

> quite like West Ham, and it is a shame to see them

> being held back, which in my opinion (for what

> it's worth) they are by BFS's backwards thinking.

Well which bit of what I wrote do you disagree with? BFS is on record as saying they want the FA Cup as they are safe in the league. Who in their right mind would want to qualify for the Europa league given the number of games involved? It usually adversely affects teams in the league and I doubt WH have the squad to cope on that front as well as staying safe in the PL without a problem. Finally, no matter how well they can play in the diamond formation they are not quite good enough to get a top 4 position. Also some people think his changing of tactics is a good thing as in this article:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/dec/07/west-ham-aerial-bombardment-sam-allardyce-tactical-savvy-swansea-city

I doubt Quids or Maxxi would be wound up by my post.

PS the hundreds game isn't interesting........it's just there.

[Otta]

The thought of a team not wanting to push for the highest position they can possibly acheive kind of flies in the face of "sport".

[Otta]

But you may be right. Charlton used to do pretty well in the PL some years back, and would always fall away towards the end of a season. Friends of mine who support them were convinced that they had an "avoid europe" agenda.

[Mick Mac]

Game on PGC. Premiership v championship.

[Alan Medic]

Otta Wrote:

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> The thought of a team not wanting to push for the

> highest position they can possibly acheive kind of

> flies in the face of "sport".

I agree and if only UEFA would change the format of the Europa League. If it was a knock out from the word go it would be much more interesting. Like Europe used to be. Even if it's a money maker now I can't see that lasting. There are already too many games on TV and those qualifying games are really the bottom of the barrell. I don't know what makes it profitable for UEFA but I'm sure it's the only reason for its current format. The carrot of CL football by winning it is a good idea but why should CL dropouts be able to join another competition? They already had their chance in Europe.

JL mentioned how many games Spurs had already played this season and though they seem to be coping quite well currently I wonder if it will catch up with them. I suspect it will as that carrot and a top four place may be dangling.Going for both may prove to be their downfall.

Back on the subject of WH. I'm surprised how unpopular Nolan is with the WH fans on here. He dug them out of a hole on quite a few occasions (without knowing specifics, just relying on memory which may not be accurate). As for Noble leaving, I don't believe it. He's an East End boy and not a bad player. However given us football fans (of a sort) are allowed to dislike/hate/love/not sure about/ people we have never met (including managers), I don't like him. That's based on how he treated an ordinary nice kid employee of WH.

We all judge and are judged, usually by unfair means. It's like we have a right to. Now who is going to have a go at LVG?

[Jah Lush]

Spurs may be "coping quite well at the moment" but we have played 39 games so far this season and we played nine times in January and that's without the Europa League which will resume again soon. That's when our problems will arise again. Playing in the Europa League is tough, tougher than the Champions League. There are too many games and having the clubs drop in from the Champions League is unfair in my opinion and just adds to the amount of games teams have to play.

[Otta]

Agree that it's unfair clubs drop down from CL, totally devalues the competition too.

Would rather Liverpool not have to play in it, but we're in it so hope they give a good account of themselves.

[Alan Medic]

As some managers have tried to say about the Christmas/New Year schedule here, the quality of football is bound to diminish if you ask players to play too much. Boring football is boring whenever it is and for whatever the reason. I would be happy to watch 12 great games a year and nothing else if only I knew which games they were going to be.

[????]

Looks like our deal with Fletcher is off, can't say I mind, and the rumours are the it was the owners who told BFS he wasn't going to sign an injury prone 30 something on a 3 year deal for mega bucks.......still hopefully we'll have a new manager next year

[Alan Medic]

Who would you like Quid's who might be interested/available? (Written without any sarcasm just curiosity)

[Alan Medic]

Stuart Pearse sacked. Manager's have a very short lifespan though this one doesn't surprise me.

[Otta]

No, Pearse just isn't a particularly good manager. Bless him.

[spaul88]

cuadrado officaily a chelsea playe I think he is going to do excelent in the premier leaugue good buy from chelsea they do such good business. I have seen this guy play top class player.

[Otta]

Annoyingly Chelsea for seem to do really good business. They were talking on the radio yesterday about the fees they've managed to get for players that either they've had the best out of, or who just didn't do well there.

Bastards

[jackwelts]

Yeah and for only 26 mil. A mate of mine who watches all the colombia national team matches he tells me cuadrado is a better player than james rodrigues so for that price its a steal compared to the 80 real madrid payed for james who is also a great player.

[Alan Medic]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31103752

Interesting problem posed for WH given what happened to that Polish club in the CL league this season. I suppose it's one way of going out of the cup.

[Otta]

That would be exceptionally harsh.

If he'd gone home injured and played 2 or 3 days later that would be one thing, but we're talking 2 and a half weeks later.

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

Harry Redknapp tenders his resignation as QPR manager and it has been accepted by the board of the club.

[Otta]

Well that's a lot of use after the window closes so new person has no chance of signing anyone.

[Alan Medic]

Because of knee surgery.........that's a new one. Something required like that doesn't happen overnight.

[Mick Mac]

Otta Wrote:

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> Well that's a lot of use after the window closes

> so new person has no chance of signing anyone.

I suspect the window closing and resignation were linked.

[Parkdrive]

Rhinestone Cowboy Wrote:

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> Harry Redknapp tenders his resignation as QPR

> manager and it has been accepted by the board of

> the club.

I bet Portsmouth fans wish him well. And to think the media wanted the saggy jowled twat as the national manager. He'll probably nick a living in Qatar or some other location that has pretty low expectations.

[Otta]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Otta Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Well that's a lot of use after the window

> closes

> > so new person has no chance of signing anyone.

>

> I suspect the window closing and resignation were

> linked.

Yeah I expect so too. But not an easy task for the new man. Hopefully for them they'll step up to try and impress the new boss.

[aquarius moon]

Juan Cuadrado was an amazing player for Columbia during the World Cup and great to watch.

I've just seen that Chelsea have bought him & will be interested to know what position & when he'll figure in their games.