The Football.....

[Smokin Joe]

Norwich are my second team (my university city) but I suspect they will go down as they aren't getting any better. A few wins early on and now they're just trying not to concede - no way to win a match: you have to score!

But even Swansea are in free fall now and the competition for Championship football next season is heating up.

Swansea fans have had it with Monk, I can't see him lasting. Yet last year ha was a future England manager in waiting.

I do notice on the comments section of the newspapers Chelsea fans are starting to turn on Mourinho, that would have been unthinkable at the start of the season.

 

[MarkF]

Swansea fans have had it with Monk, I can't see him lasting. Yet last year ha was a future England manager in waiting.

He has a really annoying face, be good for it to leave TV.

Hasselbaink is the new flavour of the month, not long after failing at Antwerp and then taking over a stable & successful Burton.........

I am watching the MLS Cup final, it's been a good & comical start with Portland already 2 up in Columbus's back yard.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Swansea fans have had it with Monk, I can't see him lasting. Yet last year ha was a future England manager in waiting.

I do notice on the comments section of the newspapers Chelsea fans are starting to turn on Mourinho, that would have been unthinkable at the start of the season.

It's been very divided on the various Chelsea forums for weeks now - most want him to say. Top manager, albeit with some curious wrinkles in his personality.

I'd like him to stay and think he will. Many possible reasons for our mighty slump this season too long for here. I think we'll get our act together sooner rather than later but the season is gone as far as the Prem' is concerned.

We'll almost certainly sit out the CL next season which is a huge loss of income although some of our recent sponsorship deals are eye watering so maybe no big deal.

Notwithstanding my downer on our bad performance so far this year, for the neutral this season has to be way more interesting the usual 2-3 horse race and this has to be a good thing.

Next years huge new TV rights deal will provide even more opportunity for levelling the playing field which will be interesting in itself!

 

[swee'pea99]

What a topsy turvy season. In a lifetime following the game I can never remember anything so unpredictable.

Just heard them point out on MoTD2 that at this stage of last season, Leicester were bottom.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I am watching the MLS Cup final, it's been a good & comical start with Portland already 2 up in Columbus's back yard.

A quick and comical first goal, that gets better with every watching.

 

[AndyRM]

The way the EPL is reported on becomes ever more ridiculous...

There are two surprises - Leicester and Chelsea.

Everything else is business as usual.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

This is quite a good read re is this an unusual season or not:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35021767

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Was undecided as to which match to watch tonight - City or United.

Have gone with United as they are not safe yet whereas City are through.

Might be a tough night for United - away to Wolfsburg and some tricky result outcomes (involving PSG) if they fail to get anything other than a win.

Despite being Chelsea fans in our house we support all the English clubs unless they are playing us of course.

So good luck to The Red Devils tonight.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Was undecided as to which match to watch tonight - City or United.

Have gone with United as they are not safe yet whereas City are through.

Might be a tough night for United - away to Wolfsburg and some tricky result outcomes (involving PSG) if they fail to get anything other than a win.

Despite being Chelsea fans in our house we support all the English clubs unless they are playing us of course.

So good luck to The Red Devils tonight.

York and Peterborough don't play until Saturday.

 

[AndyRM]

This is quite a good read re is this an unusual season or not:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35021767

That's a very good article, and I'm glad it pretty much proves my point! The focus of pundits absolutely does my head in. I suppose it's not really their fault, Sky have pulled a marketing blinder in convincing football fans that life outside 4 or 5 teams is non-existent.

I'd level similar criticisms at the way the Old Firm are covered in Scotland too. In fact, it's probably worse! One week, Sportscene (which is a joke of a programme in any case (if you think Manish in a basement is ridiculous, you've seen nothing)) decided to show a game featuring Rangers before they'd finished covering the sides in the top flight...

 

[SpokeyDokey]

What an entertaining match! LVG under some pressure now.

 

[AndyRM]

There was a ten minute period where all the games went a bit mad, breathless stuff!

A lot is being made of the financial impact, but there won't be one on a side like Man Utd who will strike a sponsorship deal for their socks or something.

Not sure how much pressure will be on LVG to be honest, now he's got the excuse of the terrible burden of the Europa League to rely on.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

There was a ten minute period where all the games went a bit mad, breathless stuff!

A lot is being made of the financial impact, but there won't be one on a side like Man Utd who will strike a sponsorship deal for their socks or something.

Not sure how much pressure will be on LVG to be honest, now he's got the excuse of the terrible burden of the Europa League to rely on.

Sponsership becomes ever more convoluted: we (Chelsea) have just signed a sponsorship deal for our traning kit!

It's for a health drink called Carabao and it's big in Thailand.

 

[Haitch]

...convincing football fans that life outside 4 or 5 teams is non-existent.

The late sports minister Tony Banks, a Chelsea supporter, once said: people think about sport and they think football, people think about football and they think premier league, people think about the premier league and they think Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. So that's what our policy concentrates on [not a direct quote].

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I see the SPFL have introduced a 2 week winter break after New Years Day starting 2017.

Maybe a good idea as by then injuries and fitness starts to take it's toll and the players could do with a rest.

However, the thought of no footiie to watch during a couple of winter weekends is not good.