On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[????]

He's good at getting teams into the Premiership, where they then fail. So excellently suited for Celtic's aspirations and fate ;-)

[Mick Mac]

Don't you wink at me.

[Annasfield]

Arsenal sign Messi

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/5783/afcsignmm2.jpg

Oh dear :-$

[Mick Mac]

I like that. :)

[matthew123]

Yet again Liverpool start with an away fixture, with a very healthy win predicted by ???? :)

It is 6 years since Liverpool last played at Anfield on opening day

[Sandperson]

It must be a conspiracy. ;-)

[kpc]

Old Trafford away on opening day - party on!

[matthew123]

Well as Rafa said let Mr Ferguson sort out the fixtures... and it seems he has stitched up Arsenal with them having to play Liverpool, United and Chelsea in space of 10 days during the African Nations Cup (when they usually have a few players missing)

[kpc]

Do object to opening and closing fixtures both being away - especially as the season ends on a poxy retail estate near Horwich.

Seem to remember a couple of years back having consecutive league games against the big 4, only punctuated by our annual failure in the FA cup.

[Jah Lush]

Opening fixture - Spurs v Liverpool. A banker home win if ever I saw one.

[Keef]

So SP, other than dropping in to niggle with Matthew, can you PLEASE tell up your thoughts on Ronaldo. Happy or not?

[Michael Palaeologus]

Hammers at the Molyneux. Exciting.

My first ever sensible post to this thread.

[Annasfield]

I thought you were lost for a minute then MP.

Not too impressed with away at the start and finish to the season. Hopefully ant trip to Hull will be better than the last one.

[Ladygooner]

Welcome Mr Palaeologus!

[Sandperson]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> So SP, other than dropping in to niggle with

> Matthew, can you PLEASE tell up your thoughts on

> Ronaldo. Happy or not?

Come on, that doesn't count as a niggle, surely!?

Ronaldo? Hmmm. ?80M? Not bad business I think. Good luck to him but I can't see him being in with a chance of winning any more European trophies with them than us. Now all we need to do is find another hate figure for you lot to lambast us about like we picked him personally and have him round for tea at our mum's house every sunday.

[matthew123]

I have a funny feeling that over in Spain, Ronaldo won't be the same snarling, egotistical bastard he was at United. Madrid's new manager seems a nice guy and I think that will rub off on Ronaldo. I don't think he has gone to Madrid purely to win trophies, my guess is he'd also have happily signed for any club on the Med who'd pay his wages.

The question is will the White Pele now step up to the plate and deliver?

[Sandperson]

Of course. Ronaldo was the way he was because he was playing at United and anyone there is a wanker and that rubbed off. Here we go again. I think I might go back on holiday. I might as well add that Rooney is shite and will never be as good as Torres before you say it yourself.

[Annasfield]

I am starting to notice a pattern. You're right Mr Moss, maybe I am actually an actuary. ;-)

[Sandperson]

Me too Anna. Boring isn't it.

[matthew123]

I'm not going to argue with you SP - as on this occasion you are quite correct!

Pattern? Well SP apparently wanted a 'niggle' but it seems he bit off more than he can stomach! ;-)

[jimmy two times]

One thing is for sure with regards Ronaldo. He has got huge pressure on him now with that price tag. It will be interesting to see if he can handle that kind of expectation.

[Sandperson]

Keef mentioned a niggle, not me. I want to talk about football in a sensible and adult fashion.

[Keef]

Matthew undoubtedly enjoys winding you up SP, but I can't blame him, because you always bite, hence the niggle remark. As for Rooney and Torres, I don't think they are comparable, very different players IMO. Off season sucks doesn't it.

[matthew123]

United play both Chelsea and Liverpool away after Champions League matches. Arsenal play the Big 3 in space of 10 days. Chelsea play 5 home matches after CL matches and the 1 they have away is in London. We say that over a season the best team wins.. but surely from the fixture list some teams already have an advantage?

The only thing I like about the fixture list is that there is a Big 4 clash at least once a month - whereas I always felt having a Grand Slam Sunday meant Sky were missing a trick as inevitably one of the block buster fixtures would be on the undercard so to speak.

Liverpool's fixtures are pretty even - as you never want big 4 clashes back to back, so I feel it's unfair on Arsenal that 10 day triple whammy after Xmas. Surely they can program the fixture list that no team should ever play Big 4 teams back to back.

The other change I would like is that Referees are picked randomly for games (big or small).. there is always going to be a bias when you have the same Ref becoming familiar with one or two teams by continually taking charge of their games. Steve Bennett referee'd one Liverpool PL game last season out of 38, Alan Wiley did only 2 for United. They say that Referee's do not like to upset the big boys because they'll complain and not get anymore of the big boy games - hence why we often get Referee's favouring the big teams. Let us put an end to Ref's being hand picked for individual games - if a Ref is good enough for the PL Ref list then he is good enough to be drawn randomly from a hat to take charge of whatever game is being played in the PL.

[Sandperson]

COME ON Keef. If I came on here and used EVERY SINGLE post as a dig at Liverpool I'd be scolded, chastised and told that I wasn't welcome, because it's United it's fair game. I have tried to ignore Matt and AG and they just keep baiting and baiting. I've tried entering into conversations with them and they still don't want to act like adults.

I just want to have a balanced discussion about football and not be told how ugly/nasty/lucky/cheating/rich/drunk etc etc my team and manager are. I really, truely, give up. I hope you all have a great season, except Liverpool, who I hope get relegated. The thread is yours Matt, you can spout your drivel as much as you want. Adios Amigos!