Ultimate Football (Soccer) Thread 2014-15

[Armeia]

Another ugly, unconvincing win, but it is a win and we're still top 4. If we somehow keep it through the next two months, I will be remarkably surprised.

Yeah at this point I'm hoping for a late season string of losses so there's a good reason to fire Van Gaal.

[Liventia]

Villa through to the semis at Wembley but embarrassing scenes as fans invaded the pitch three times (twice before full-time) which must surely draw punishment from the FA. Fans have also been seen throwing plastic chairs. Awful, shameful.

[Osarius]

Villa through to the semis at Wembley but embarrassing scenes as fans invaded the pitch three times (twice before full-time) which must surely draw punishment from the FA. Fans have also been seen throwing plastic chairs. Awful, shameful.

Ruined the day, IMO. I feel it necessary to revisit this image.

Invading the pitch after the final whistle is generally accepted, if a bit cringeworthy after winning a quarter final. I can't see any jimmies being rustled if that was all it was... It was the other stuff (I've heard vague reports of a steward assaulting an Albion fan, too) that was out-of-order and frankly just embarassing.

[DesAnges]

Villa through to the semis at Wembley but embarrassing scenes as fans invaded the pitch three times (twice before full-time) which must surely draw punishment from the FA. Fans have also been seen throwing plastic chairs. Awful, shameful.

Ruined the day, IMO. I feel it necessary to revisit this image.

Invading the pitch after the final whistle is generally accepted, if a bit cringeworthy after winning a quarter final. I can't see any jimmies being rustled if that was all it was... It was the other stuff (I've heard vague reports of a steward assaulting an Albion fan, too) that was out-of-order and frankly just embarassing.

I'm still baffled by the guy with a dildo on his head.

[Evil Lord Sauron]

I feel like if we win this one, and if Barnet lose, it'll be a huge psychological and morale boost, and the end'll be in sight

Bad day for both of you at the top. But Barnet have that game in hand. Grimsby might just sneak in too. We managed to beat Chester. Not sure if there was too much damage done to the ground. 3 arrests were reported, one for possession of drugs while the other two were public order offences so hopefully nothing more. But some of my Chester supporting fans posted on FB they enjoyed 'destroying' our ground despite the result. Hoping it's not like a couple of seasons ago when they caused part of the stadium to close as they ripped out several rows of seating. With the scenes at Aston Villa does make me think it was a bad day for football if true.


In other leagues, the NS fantasy league is extremely close for 2nd. I had 96 points which is impressive, but dropped to 3rd as AVB Soundsystems got 97. Not sure we will catch first.

[Eastfield Lodge]

I feel like if we win this one, and if Barnet lose, it'll be a huge psychological and morale boost, and the end'll be in sight

In other leagues, the NS fantasy league is extremely close for 2nd. I had 96 points which is impressive, but dropped to 3rd as AVB Soundsystems got 97. Not sure we will catch first.

I didn't really play until the very end of December. Taking into account the third quarter (January onwards) you're first, and I'm sixth which I'm actually quite happy. Also, in the 8 gameweeks prior to this one I'd managed to claw away 85 points between me and my brother. The gap is now down to 28, and that's become my target for this season, to beat him. But still, going up 6 places this week also feels really good.

[DesAnges]

Is it just me or - Bradford aside - has the FA Cup been just that more dull than normal this year?

[Evil Lord Sauron]

Is it just me or - Bradford aside - has the FA Cup been just that more dull than normal this year?

The latter rounds usually are a bit dull. But the earlier rounds there have been a couple of upsets and excitement. Chelsea and City going out early, was pretty exciting. For me from the QF's onwards it's a bit dull as it is usually the same premiership sides which you watch week in week out.



Anyway I saw an article in the Non-League Paper which Greg Dyke is reporting he wants to cut the prize money for the FA Trophy and FA Vase by 15% to help fund grassroots football. Utter ridiculous. For Wrexham unless we get to the Semi Finals of the FA Trophy we actually lose money on any cup run. I'm sure that is the same for most clubs at this level. The price money for winning the whole thing is £92K (accumulated after all rounds) so not quite sure 15% would really fund an awful lot and that's before you even look at how close to grassroots our level actually is. For example North Ferriby United with a population of 4 thousand is in the final. Yet £5 billion for a Premiership TV deal can't even spare a couple 100 grand which would go a lot further.

[Apox]

Is it just me or - Bradford aside - has the FA Cup been just that more dull than normal this year?

Reading are still in it! (though he's a fun fact for you, if we beat Bradford in the replay, we'll have made it to the semi-finals of the cup without facing a premier league side!)

[DesAnges]

Is it just me or - Bradford aside - has the FA Cup been just that more dull than normal this year?

The latter rounds usually are a bit dull. But the earlier rounds there have been a couple of upsets and excitement. Chelsea and City going out early, was pretty exciting. For me from the QF's onwards it's a bit dull as it is usually the same premiership sides which you watch week in week out.

Well it's not been the most entertaining from what I can see (that one weekend of the third round aside), but I may have missed some bits. Standard of football in the quarter finals has all been rubbish as well.

[DesAnges]

It would appear that Orlando are at least in love with the sport for now. That was a great celebration of a goal.

MLS have got a shit in-game graphic, mind.

[Yellow Yellow Red]

It would appear that Orlando are at least in love with the sport for now. That was a great celebration of a goal.

MLS have got a shit in-game graphic, mind.

Orlando has seen a bit of a demographic change in the last 10-12 years, which bodes well for Orlando City. 13,000 season tickets sold is no mean feat.

I still don't like them - a five year old club with supporters mocking NYCFC for having no history or culture seems, well, stupid to me. Also, Aurelien Collin.

But those purple kits are glorious.

Although I do have to say, Adrian Heath has done really well with them.

[Uitbregen]

Obviously I'm biased as an Arsenal fan, but I think Michael Oliver's refereeing tonight has been top-notch. Yellow cards for Simulation, plus the second yellow and thus red for Di Maria for grabbing Oliver's shirt.

[DesAnges]

It would appear that Orlando are at least in love with the sport for now. That was a great celebration of a goal.

MLS have got a shit in-game graphic, mind.

Orlando has seen a bit of a demographic change in the last 10-12 years, which bodes well for Orlando City. 13,000 season tickets sold is no mean feat.

I still don't like them - a five year old club with supporters mocking NYCFC for having no history or culture seems, well, stupid to me. Also, Aurelien Collin.

But those purple kits are glorious.

Although I do have to say, Adrian Heath has done really well with them.

A 5th of the stadium sold as season tickets is definitely very good for their first time in the big league.

And nothing has satisfied me more than that Januzaj dive and booking all season.

[Yellow Yellow Red]

Obviously I'm biased as an Arsenal fan, but I think Michael Oliver's refereeing tonight has been top-notch. Yellow cards for Simulation, plus the second yellow and thus red for Di Maria for grabbing Oliver's shirt.

You'd have loved the ref in the Orlando City v NYCFC match. Three good yellows for simulation, giving out an appropriate red which will likely end up in a 3-5 match suspension.

It was Alan Kelly, originally from the League of Ireland, who has reffed Champions League and World Cup Qualifiers. It's a huge gain for the MLS. He came over originally as a behind-the-scenes adviser but with the labor dispute between MLS and the Referees last year he started properly reffing and has been absolutely superb.

[Yellow Yellow Red]

Well, I used to rate Kuipers as a ref. Based on this showing... not so much.

[DesAnges]

Well, I used to rate Kuipers as a ref. Based on this showing... not so much.

Everyone has bad games sometimes. Depends on how he recovers from this.

[Yellow Yellow Red]

Well, I used to rate Kuipers as a ref. Based on this showing... not so much.

Everyone has bad games sometimes. Depends on how he recovers from this.

Yeah, I know it's just a knee jerk reaction and he's still one of the best around.

But he just seemed, I don't know, over-awed, like he never got a grip on the tempo and tenseness of this one.

[DesAnges]

Everyone has bad games sometimes. Depends on how he recovers from this.

Yeah, I know it's just a knee jerk reaction and he's still one of the best around.

But he just seemed, I don't know, over-awed, like he never got a grip on the tempo and tenseness of this one.

You know I've noticed this frequently happens to referees in Europe against one of the English qualifiers. I wonder if it's because we as the English put a lot of pressure on bad decisions through the media in a way that maybe isn't as widespread on the continent?

[The Blaatschapen]

Yeah, I know it's just a knee jerk reaction and he's still one of the best around.

But he just seemed, I don't know, over-awed, like he never got a grip on the tempo and tenseness of this one.

You know I've noticed this frequently happens to referees in Europe against one of the English qualifiers. I wonder if it's because we as the English put a lot of pressure on bad decisions through the media in a way that maybe isn't as widespread on the continent?

Nah, we have that too, it's just that the refs don't understand Italian/French/German/Spanish (unless native), but they do understand English. So foreign media is largely ignored except your tabloids (and Bild).

[Yellow Yellow Red]

Yeah, I know it's just a knee jerk reaction and he's still one of the best around.

But he just seemed, I don't know, over-awed, like he never got a grip on the tempo and tenseness of this one.

You know I've noticed this frequently happens to referees in Europe against one of the English qualifiers. I wonder if it's because we as the English put a lot of pressure on bad decisions through the media in a way that maybe isn't as widespread on the continent?

Could be. Could also be the strange atmosphere for the first ten-fifteen minutes. Like a chess match, but one where either player might stand up and punch the other one without a moment's notice. It would be hard to gauge just how to manage a game when it starts with that sort of tension rather than builds up to it.

[Liventia]

Kuipers was the ref who sent Lazar Markovic off against Basel for seemingly nothing too.

[DesAnges]

Come on PSG. Do the pricks.

[DesAnges]

Fucking right. All I need to round the night off is for Costa to get a 4 month ban for something.

[Teemant]

That game was intense. Very happy that PSG won and hopefully they'll make it into the finals. Their next game is gonna be tough to because they have lot of good players missing out (because of cards).

Ibra red was so bs that I can't even explain how frustrated I was with this decision. Ibra barely touched Oscar.