leffe186

Can someone explain to me the reasoning behind having the Championship play-off first, as opposed to League 2, then League 1, then Championship?

I'd say it was more the reaction that followed that made him an arsehole in that situation. Still, the World Cup will be worse off without him. Yeah the reaction of leaving the pitch basically in tears until Gyan missed the penalty. I'm sorry, but had it been Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Alan Shearer everyone on here would be applauding it. Hypocritical as f***. (not aimed at you btw) Flip, you're missing the point. There truly is more of a culture of that sort of gamesmanship/cheating in Uruguay and, say, Argentina, than there is in the UK. Not to say it doesn't happen here, but you're calling us hypocrites by transferring your own beliefs onto us. I don't know how I'd react to an England player doing what Suarez did in that situation because, well, an England player hasn't done what he did, but I know for a fact that most fans on here don't share your opinion on cheating in football because we've had this argument before. There was a nice piece at the time of the handball which considered one argument - that Suarez should not be condemned because it was instinctive. The counterpoint was sure, his instinct was to cheat. Much as he instinctively pirouettes and screams under contact. I think you need to come to terms with the fact that a lot of English fans truly think that stuff is wrong. We really do.

We don't need/want many really, we just need a proper coach. Of course, a new coach will probably want to make an impact by bringing one or two in, but the only position we really have an issue with is left back. Actually, that puts us in direct conflict with (Pard)you. Scratch what I said.

FWIW Flip, I don't think he actually goes looking for the foul, or specifically thinks "I'm going to get this guy a red", but he is clearly programmed to leap in the air and twist in agony when there's contact. It's what he does, it really is. Sure, we should look at each incident in isolation, but this "reputation" he has didn't develop in a vacuum.

Wouldn't say no here, tbh.

On a bike, with an apple.

http://i.imgur.com/7xcour4.png So De Boer then?

God I wish t'Internet was around when I was doing this stuff.

Soooo...I realize you guys don't give a fuck, but one or two of you might want to give an opinion. Who do you think would be the better to hire out of Pochettino and De Boer?

Yeah, not going anywhere near that .

it'll hinge entirely on whether he gets a striker of the remy/ba calibre who can nab goals on scraps, if we don't manage to get him another one of them then i think we'll really struggle aye At this rate it will hinge more on how good the promoted clubs are. If they're decent it could be a real scrap.

The whole thread's unravelling.

how on earth are they managing that? By selling their star striker for €40m in a few weeks and probably spending half of that on his replacement, plus using the CL money in the same manner. Their debt repayments are reportedly around €40m a season or so. For many years they have easily been one of the worst run clubs in Spain. no i meant how are they managing to build up such a debt Without actually checking, i'd presume; trying to compete with the other two (on transfers too) while earning a fraction of their TV money.

Yes. It's Arsenal.

More incredible than Orient? It's been less than a decade since Rotherham were in the second tier, but more than thirty years since Orient were.

Do you like anything? Himself and his predictions that always (rarely) come true. Oh yeah, I forgot: Can I un-brace now? No, not quite yet. Stay braced. I must confess, I never even considered bracing .

As one of the rubbishes?

Speaking as on outsider, I have absolutely no idea what your off-season transfers are going to be like. You could conceivably end up selling/releasing a dozen players, and getting another dozen in. Keeping Pardew will be an insane decision.

Strong Pochettino-to-Spurs rumours tonight.

http://talksport.com/football/pitch-meet-footballs-greatest-ever-pitch-invaders-14051491188 The audio is hard work at times, despite them sounding like my grandma and (late) grandad, but the pic is ace. Even more gutted I missed this now.

Bloody hell, completely forgot that was tonight. Come on the O's. Would fucking love them to get to Wembley, just would be a pisser that I'd be missing both Ledley's testimonial and the mighty O's at Wembley.

Nope. I think he's divisive and wildly inexperienced. It does emphasize Pardew's Teflon coating though.

So he's sacked for only getting 15 points from 17 games. Points we managed in our last 17 games? 16. Pardew is also likely to outlast Sherwood. We have played 22 league games under him - and got 42 points .

The main trouble Sunderland have is that their squad really isn't very good, and will no doubt change dramatically in the post-season (contracts up, loanees leaving etc). Villa's squad isn't very good, but it's better, and for the most part it's theirs. If they don't get a new manager in then they have problems, but if they do get one in then there will be bedding-in issues. I don't see either of them doing well this coming season.