The Soccer thread

[Scoop Junior 3,132]

Bloody Arsenal!

[Diablo 1]

Seriously, I am about *this* close to spitting the dummy over Liverpool. Yet again I stay up to watch them and yet again I get another uninspired performance with about 5 good chances squandered. At least I got to see a pretty exciting game between Man U and Arsenal in the process.

Nobody realises just how important Daniel Agger is to this team. He is the only defender we have whose prerogative is not to launch the ball into Row Z everytime it comes near him. His top-notch passing is a vital link between the defence and the midfield, and it is the only thing that stops us from playing that horrible long-ball game. Without Torres we don't have a forward capable of beating a defender, but I feel Agger's absence is a bigger hole in the side.

[Guest]

Gotta love it...just when Moan utd think they've got the 3 points.....up pops the unlikely William Gallas to score the equaliser..

Cop that Scum!

And suprise suprise...Sir Alex having a whinge about the crowd behind the Utd bench....\

No wonder Man Utd is the most hated team in England......

[Guest]

Sat up last night and watched a damn good game...the North east derby between Sunderland and Newcastle Utd...good to see Viduka back for Newcastle.....pity he plays for a team in black and white stripes and are called the Magpies...

Still....Newcastle are a lot like Collingwood....huge support.....promise heaps....deliver little

[demonfanjezza 1]

What a goal by Cahill in the Everton, Chelsea game.

[redman 28]

Seriously, I am about *this* close to spitting the dummy over Liverpool. Yet again I stay up to watch them and yet again I get another uninspired performance with about 5 good chances squandered. At least I got to see a pretty exciting game between Man U and Arsenal in the process.

Nobody realises just how important Daniel Agger is to this team. He is the only defender we have whose prerogative is not to launch the ball into Row Z everytime it comes near him. His top-notch passing is a vital link between the defence and the midfield, and it is the only thing that stops us from playing that horrible long-ball game. Without Torres we don't have a forward capable of beating a defender, but I feel Agger's absence is a bigger hole in the side.

I definately realise Diablo, having Hyypia as our only decent cover for Agger has hurt us.

Hyypia is just about gone imo, I agree we have missed Agger's timing and delivery is vital to the teams setup, not to mention the odd long range cracking goal!

Rafa needs to purchase some backup in January or else it could be a tough end of the campaign.

A big 8-0 midweek plus a 2-0 win thanks to some torre's brilliance and hopefully we can build on that.

How good was Cahill's goals overnight? absolute belter!

[45HG 1,539]

cahill, nutter!!!! couldn't happen to a nicer team at a better stage...well it could have been the winner, but you can't get everything you want ey

[leucopogon 1,494]

And the Villa go marching on!!! 3 away wins in a row, bring on the Arse!

[Demon2 58]

Confirmed. Welcome Juan Ramos.. Fergie, Wenger and Jose rolled into one.

your funny.....

Diablo.....still dissappointed inthe reds??

21 goals in 5 games...

torres is a SuperStar

Harry is back BABY

Gerrard is dominating now that he doesn't ahve to worry about the shizen national team

Lucas is gonna be a super midfielder

Babel scores for fun

and we have our cover at CB...did u see that pass that hobbs did stright onto torres' head..he nods it down to the feet of crouch...who stuffed it up...but still Hobbs is the man

[Diablo 1]

Diablo.....still dissappointed inthe reds??

21 goals in 5 games...

torres is a SuperStar

Harry is back BABY

Gerrard is dominating now that he doesn't ahve to worry about the shizen national team

Lucas is gonna be a super midfielder

Babel scores for fun

and we have our cover at CB...did u see that pass that hobbs did stright onto torres' head..he nods it down to the feet of crouch...who stuffed it up...but still Hobbs is the man

Haha. I HATE (F***ING HATE!!) how fickle soccer fans are, but I'm going to be fickle now. Can't argue with results. I still think against sides with a little more guts in midfield we need Agger to break it open from defence, but I've got to agree that Hobbs looked good, even if he wasn't tested defensively.

Torres, what can you say. This guy is a godsend. When we are forced to play route one football, he makes it viable with his pace and strength. The only thing about him is his left foot, or lack thereof. He is very one-footed (I know he has scored left-foot goals, but you can clearly see he favours his right more than he should). Thats nitpicking, though. I love him to bits and I have to resist the urge to break things when he's not in the starting line-up.

Lucas was sensational against Bolton. I said when we signed him that he could be a genuine box-to-box midfielder in the style of Stevie. He hasn't had a real opportunity but he can certainly shoot. His passing is creative and precise, and he never shirks the defensive aspect. Could be anything at this stage, but he'll be very good at the very least. I fancy that with the hefty price tag attached to Mascherano, Lucas' form could spell the end of his time in Liverpool.

I like Babel alot. Alot of Liverpool supporters rip into him because he has good touches, and then he has woeful touches. I reckon if you can do something like he did against Sunderland once every few games you justify your place. He's not a winger though. That much is clear. He loves to come inside far too often to be a genuine winger.

If I was Rafa I'd still be looking for another striker, but we need defensive (centre-half) cover as well. Kuyt works his jacksie off, but he is simply too slow in the EPL. Voronin is similar, but is less inventive. Crouch is an enigma. I'd get rid of the other two before him, but only because he scares the bejesus out of European defences.

[Yencks 8]

reading is the future of this league...just to randomly put it out there

[45HG 1,539]

good call on reading!!

finally spurs have a bit of luck......travesty of a goal though/

what in the world is going on with liverpool

[paddo 0]

GO THE MIGHTY WEST HAM!!

Great goal by Ashton

[demonfanjezza 1]

reading is the future of this league...just to randomly put it out there

Good call

[Diablo 1]

At the risk of sounding bitter, Liverpool should have had a penalty before Reading went ahead. Absolutely clear-cut trip on Torres. And Liverpool were clearly already thinking about Marseille. If we had to lose to a dud, which is never fun, I'm glad it was Reading, however. Steve Coppell is a genius. I love his dour, give-nothing-away demeanour.

Still don't think Reading are showing enough to suggest they are a long-term prospect in the top flight, however. At least with Sunderland, Wigan and Derby (how in the name of all that is holy did they get promoted??) they needn't worry about relegation. They've got a LONG way to go, and it's hard to really see which players could really take them up the table. Letting Sidwell go was a mistake, for both club and player, although Reading had their hands tied.

[45HG 1,539]

torres....wow

[45HG 1,539]

it never ends!!!!!

but still, torres...wow

[Guest]

damn good team is Luton!!!

[Guest]

bit quiet in here of late.....

Adebayor.....what a great player.....2 more goals against Man City at Man City........

Now I'll stay up watch Spurs V Man Utd.....and hope like hell that Spurs do the right thing by their North London neighbours...not often I want Spurs to win...but tonight is different

The highlight will be new signing Woodgate hacking down Ronaldo!!

[45HG 1,539]

$%^ing tevez

ha, watched the spurs thrashing of the gunners in a sports bar in cairo that didnt sell alcohol, that had a 25 pound minimum. ordered lasagne that was 24.90 and asked to pay 25 for it. the food didnt come till the 86th minute and it was spicy. all as odd as 5-1.

come on you spurs!

[Real Demon 232]

Any of you playing the Fantasy Premier League on the official EPL site, and if so, how are you doing?

I've had a team in since game week 1, and find it a hell of a lot easier (mainly due to smaller squads) than the AFL Dream Team.

[45HG 1,539]

torres, sorry to mention this again, but is anyone else just marvelling at his skills/awareness/everything!?

spurs great victory of chelsea! same goes for barnsley!

[mikeod 21]

Spurs great win overnight with Berbatov scoring almost identical headers in the space of about two minutes.

I'm really enjoying the way the Spurs are playing with Juande at the helm.

Hopefully exciting times ahead.

[45HG 1,539]

so it comes down to the last 9/10 games, who is going to finish top?

will arsenal hold on? or will man u finish all over the young gunners?

or, and hate it as you will, will chelsea find a way to scrap back into the fight? they have two games in hand compared to arsenal, and should they come up as wins, they will be only 2 points behind them comparatively. Also holding home games against man u and arsenal in the run home, chelsea may not be the spent force this year that everyone believes they are.

FWIW, i reckon man u will finish on top...bah!! but i think it's far from over

[Ausyid 0]

Spurs great win overnight with Berbatov scoring almost identical headers in the space of about two minutes.

I'm really enjoying the way the Spurs are playing with Juande at the helm.

Hopefully exciting times ahead.

You know it.

Disappointing penalty shoot-out defeat in the Uefa and our league form has been poor this year.

But the CC victory gives us European football again next year and we will be a force to be reckoned with. Top four watch out, the Spurs are marching on. COYS.