On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[Annasfield]

All right there RD?

[Mick Mac]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Jeez - girls and football - whatever next.

Another late night post. Must ask Mrs M to hide the computer the next time I go out. Was meant in jest of course. But I'm sure you knew that.

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

It's the most wonderful time of the year

Aston Villa 2 Wigan 0

Blackburn 1 Man City 1

Bolton 1 Sunderland 1

Chelsea 4 Hull 0

Everton 2 Arsenal 2

Portsmouth 1 Fulham 2

Stoke 2 Burnley 3

Wolverhampton 0 West Ham 2

Sunday, 16 August 2009

Man Utd 3 Birmingham 0

Tottenham 0 Liverpool 2

[Atila Reincarnate]

Aston Villa 2 Wigan 0

Blackburn 1 Man City 2

Bolton 1 Sunderland 1

Chelsea 4 Hull 0

Everton 1 Arsenal 1

Portsmouth 1 Fulham 2

Stoke 2 Burnley 0

Wolverhampton 0 West Ham 2

Sunday, 16 August 2009

Man Utd 3 Birmingham 0

Tottenham 0 Liverpool 2

[matthew123]

Absolutely spot on Cowboy

Evening of the new season, everyone level top, confidence yet to be dented, ahhh...

It's the first set of August midweek fixtures that have always been my favourite though - the balmy summer evening under the floodlights is usually the real indication for me of the season ahead

[Annasfield]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Mick Mac Wrote:

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

> -----

> > Jeez - girls and football - whatever next.

>

>

> Another late night post. Must ask Mrs M to hide

> the computer the next time I go out. Was meant in

> jest of course. But I'm sure you knew that.

I think that may be the reason that it was simply ignored.

[Keef]

Aw, just walked past Upton Park, isn't it just the cutest little place, I just wanted to squeeze it's little cheek.

[Ladygooner]

Aston Villa 1 Wigan 0

Blackburn 1 Man City 3

Bolton 1 Sunderland 2

Chelsea 1 Hull 2

Everton 1 Arsenal 2

Portsmouth 2 Fulham 2

Stoke 2 Burnley 1

Wolverhampton 0 West Ham 3

Man Utd 3 Birmingham 1

Tottenham 4 Liverpool 4

[red devil]

Annasfield Wrote:

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> All right there RD?

:) Ta very much our kid, v.busy with work though, gotta go...

[Jah Lush]

Aston Villa 2 Wigan 0

Blackburn 1 Man City 2

Bolton 1 Sunderland 1

Chelsea 3 Hull 0

Everton 2 Arsenal 1

Portsmouth 0 Fulham 2

Stoke 1 Burnley 2

Wolverhampton 0 West Ham 1

Man Utd 3 Birmingham 0

Tottenham 2 Liverpool 0

[Atila Reincarnate]

Blackburn midfielder David Dunn has warned big-spending Manchester City that Rovers will "kick lumps" out of their star players on Saturday.

City, who have spent almost ?100m on players this summer, begin their Premier League campaign at Ewood Park.

"It's important we do our best and kick lumps out of them - fairly of course," Dunn said.

"We must be strong and organised. The main thing is we will have to be really aggressive and knock them about a bit."

He added: "That's what the manager will be asking from our lads. We have to make Ewood Park a place no-one wants to come to again.

And who is the manager of this odious Prem Team, why none other than the odious Allarddyce, this just about sums the twat up and reinforces everything I ever felt about him and his "management" style.

[Keef]

Whilst I normally defend the right of any team to do whatever it takes to win, I too hate "Big Sam", so I'm with you on this one!

I still say though, if I was in the ring with a great boxer, I'd not give a toss about making him look good, I'd be holding on, and fighting dirty!

[mockney piers]

Aston Villa 2 Wigan 0

Blackburn 2 Man City 0

Bolton 1 Sunderland 1

Chelsea 3 Hull 0

Everton 2 Arsenal 2

Portsmouth 1 Fulham 21

Stoke 1 Burnley 0

Wolverhampton 0 West Ham 1

Man Utd 0 Birmingham 0

Tottenham 2 Liverpool 1

and oi keef, no! West stand is bigger than anything at Anfield, awight!!!

[mockney piers]

Can we make that Fulham 1 by the way, even on a forum where 8-0 is uncannily comonplace that's a tad OTT!!

[Keef]

Aston Villa 2 Wigan 0

Blackburn 2 Man City 1

Bolton 1 Sunderland 2

Chelsea 3 Hull 0

Everton 2 Arsenal 2

Portsmouth 0 Fulham 2

Stoke 1 Burnley 0

Wolverhampton 0 West Ham 2

Man Utd 3 Birmingham 0

Tottenham 2 Liverpool 2

[kpc]

Mockney - thanks for the suggestion that Birmingham can bore the whole of Old Trafford into a coma. I am as biased as they come in these matters and can't even dream of it happening. Rio will gift us a goal though....

Aston Villa 3 Wigan 0

Blackburn 1 Man City 1

Bolton 1 Sunderland 0

Chelsea 3 Hull 0

Everton 1 Arsenal 1

Portsmouth 0 Fulham 1

Stoke 2 Burnley 0

Wolverhampton 1 West Ham 2

Man Utd 4 Birmingham 1

Tottenham 1 Liverpool 2

[Atila Reincarnate]

Keef Wrote:

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> Whilst I normally defend the right of any team to

> do whatever it takes to win, I too hate "Big Sam",

> so I'm with you on this one!

>

> I still say though, if I was in the ring with a

> great boxer, I'd not give a toss about making him

> look good, I'd be holding on, and fighting dirty!

I think you know where I stand on this issue. I've long advocated that the beautiful game be played with artistry, skill and technique. Physicality over ability and skill to me is anathema, and is the root cause of why there are so few good English players in the Prem and why our International standing has slipped. My son who is now nearly 19 remembers vividly being coached by a guy when he first started playing at the age of 6, whose idea of playing the game well was to lump the ball up to the biggest kid on the pitch who was made Centre Forward purely on the basis of his physique. The excuse trotted out by pundits and so called expeerts that the dearth of good English players should be attributed purley to the influx of foreign players is hooey in my opinion, and is exactly that, a poor excuse.

[Annasfield]

I wish Quids was here this week for his usual prediction.

[mockney piers]

No probs, more noticing that Man U have recently faltered very early on, say losing two games in the first month, people write them out of the championship and then they go and win it.

I predicted them regardless over the last three seasons. I've a feeling Chelsea will do it this time, but it's just a hunch as we've yet to really see how they operate under ancelotti, if they'd kept Guus I reckon they'd have been a shoe in. But I wouldn't be the first to underestimate united in recent years would I.

[kpc]

Have that same feeling about Chelsea. Guus got Malouda and Anelka to play consistently well in support of Drogba. And they actually looked like a team. Man U have resilience and I think it'll come down to these two.

[lard]

If anyone needs a lift to or from Liv-Stoke I'll be doing a thereback same day/night just give us a shout.

[ratty]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> Can we make that Fulham 1 by the way, even on a

> forum where 8-0 is uncannily comonplace that's a

> tad OTT!!

You was nearly in trouble there!

[SimonM]

Aston Villa 2 Wigan 0

Blackburn 0 Man City 1

Bolton 2 Sunderland 1

Chelsea 3 Hull 0

Everton 1 Arsenal 0

Portsmouth 0 Fulham 0

Stoke 1 Burnley 0

Wolverhampton 1 West Ham 1

Man Utd 2 Birmingham 0

Tottenham 2 Liverpool 1

[matthew123]

Just had a cold call from Sky... and so there we have it I've now signed up to ESPN..

MY prediction is that Man City will deliver the goods and break into top 4. Sooner or later they'll click into gear as they do have a strong team - the forward play of Robinho, Tevez, Adebayor and SWP will be hard to stop. As for Champions it'll be between Liverpool and Chelsea.

[Keef]

Atila, I basically agree with you about the way the game is played, but what is the answer? Teams will do what they need to to survive, which is understandable. I see no way to change it.