The European football thread

[bababui]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

On another note Man Utd and Spurs are raising ticket prices for next season even though they have made a fortune this season and will do so next season, all I have to say is greedy $%£"!£"!.

Why would they raise prices?? And who will be able to afford season tix??

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by bababui

Why would they raise prices?? And who will be able to afford season tix??

Man Utd I'm thinking to cover their loan repayments, Spurs no idea probably just greed but no way can they justify this specially Man Utd who will get around £100 million + from the Premiership alone for this season and next.

Their not stupid though, they've raised adult prices but lowered kids prices hmmm doesn't that mean kids can afford to go but they'd need to take an adult with them. Teams and players are losing touch with the fans and reality and in years to come unless they drop prices then more and more fans will just stay at home and watch games on TV as they are doing now, or they will go to a bar to watch games that are broadcast to places like Sweden and Denmark but can be picked up on satalite here.

[ukhotstove]

Bit off topic but anybody interested in Boxing watch out for David Haye, not saying he's going to be the next Ali but he just made his debut at heavyweight after moving from cruiserweight and with it being a poor heavyweight division he could do well in a short ammount of time.

Oh he won in the 1st round

[zoraster]

And here we are then, at that bittersweet day that concludes the long league campaign. I’m praying this will be the final match we play this year; we either pull off a miracle and win the title and promotion today or we find ourselves in the playoff lottery next week.

Needless to say I’m cacking it already. The good news is the maths are very simple, and the most probable outcome is the status quo. In theory we can finish anywhere between first and fourth, but fourth would require us to lose, ‘ricay to win, and a combined 11 goal swing on GD. Unless we lose and Chelmsford are triumphant our current second place and home advantage throughout the playoffs is pretty much secured. Winning the league will require us to win and Hampton failing to beat Slough. In truth I’d expect the title to be gone by halftime.

[bababui]

Leigh RMI fights off relegation and finishes strong!!!!

[bababui]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Man Utd I'm thinking to cover their loan repayments, Spurs no idea probably just greed but no way can they justify this specially Man Utd who will get around £100 million + from the Premiership alone for this season and next.

Their not stupid though, they've raised adult prices but lowered kids prices hmmm doesn't that mean kids can afford to go but they'd need to take an adult with them. Teams and players are losing touch with the fans and reality and in years to come unless they drop prices then more and more fans will just stay at home and watch games on TV as they are doing now, or they will go to a bar to watch games that are broadcast to places like Sweden and Denmark but can be picked up on satalite here.

Absolutely agree UKHS. Hope you made it out to watch Leigh RMI win a crucial match today.

[zoraster]

What a stressful afternoon it turned out to be. At halftime we were on top of the table, with our game all but over with a very solid 2-0 lead, and Slough amazingly managing to take the lead against Hampton. However just as the interval began news reached us that Hampton had equalised, and although we were still on top you felt the momentum had changed.

Hampton took the lead at the start of the second half, but they never added to the lead. Our attention rapidly left our team toiling on the pitch and transferred solely to those with direct links to the Hampton match as the minutes ticked by. Suddenly in closing minutes we got the miracle we had been praying for... Slough pulled level and we were back on top. Sadly the elation rapidly turned to devastation as Hampton almost immediately regained the lead, and just to kill any last hopes they hit a fourth seconds later.


To say I’m gutted is an understatement. The championship and promotion to the Conference South was ours with just minutes left in the season. You can’t complain when miracles don’t happen, but having one dangled right under your nose before being snatched away at the last is cruel. Now we go into a very tough playoff match on Tuesday against AFC Wimbledon, a team who’ve convincingly outplayed us in both our fixtures this season. With the usual football rule that the highest placed team virtually never wins through playoffs I fully expect our season to come to a crashing and disappointing end on Tuesday.

[zoraster]

Originally Posted by bababui

Absolutely agree UKHS. Hope you made it out to watch Leigh RMI win a crucial match today.

I would have thought he'd have been more concerned about Wigan's relegation six pointer. With hindsight he certainly would have had a better day watching Leigh Wigan still just about have the advantage, but boy are they cutting it fine, and you have to wonder how today will hit the confidence. Now is the time for Jewell to do his thing.

Been a big day in the EPL, and on paper the title looks done. However the one thing you can say is if you could hand pick a United fixture list to keep the title down south then you'd pretty much go with the existing one. A Manchester derby is always a hard three points, and assuming that is drawn and Chelsea can do the business that leaves United with the old nemesis West Ham on the final day. If it was at Upton Park I'd be tempted to put a fair bit of money on a Chelsea title. United should get there, but it isn't quite as over as people have been suggesting.

[rudel.dietrich]

A big day in the Bundesliga as well
Schalke fall and that leaves Bremen with a good shot at winning the title
If Bayern can win over a tough Hamburg side then that should go a long way towards ensuring they are in the CL next season

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by bababui

Absolutely agree UKHS. Hope you made it out to watch Leigh RMI win a crucial match today.

Kind of an hard choice today with both Leigh and Wigan playing big games, went to the Leigh game thank God. Leigh pretty much killed the game after 45 mins going 2-0 up which meant Worksop needed to score 3 in the second half, not even Leigh could screw that up although they tried by letting Worksop score to make it 2-1 which was the final score.

Latics on the other hand by all accounts were total hmmm have to say rubbish as every word I've heard from friends say would get me banned for 99 years from this board , although to be honest yeah I'd love them to stay up but the nearer it gets to the end of the season the less I'm bothered if Wigan go down.

I know it's weird to hear for you guys who don't live over here but to be honest the Prem as a football fan of a team in that league isn't the glory land people make it out to be, the league is full of corruption on all kinds of levels the refs being the worst as unlike the other divisions some teams in the Prem are 1-0 up before the game starts as you know that and this isn't a small club mentality or a chip on my shoulder, but because of the power and media control teams and managers ie Ferguson, Muorinho and Wenger etc have you know that every 50/50 even 60/40, 70/30 decision and even some 100/0 decisions in your favour are always going to go to some teams in the Prem.

I've enjoyed watching Wigan for years upon years even seasons were we have been relegated even seasons were it's looked like we may even go out of business but have to say the two Premiership years rank way way down the seasons I've enjoyed most, even last season good finishing position and a League Cup final doesn't rank high on the seasons I've had most fun in watching. I never want Wigan to be relegated but to me personally and a few other Wigan fans it wouldn't be the worst thing that will happen to them, one things for sure the saying always be careful what you wish for as it may come true.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

A big day in the Bundesliga as well
Schalke fall and that leaves Bremen with a good shot at winning the title
If Bayern can win over a tough Hamburg side then that should go a long way towards ensuring they are in the CL next season

A few leagues that looked over with have suddenly sprung to life after looking like they were done and dusted, Bundesliga and Eredivisie to name two.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by zoraster

I would have thought he'd have been more concerned about Wigan's relegation six pointer. With hindsight he certainly would have had a better day watching Leigh Wigan still just about have the advantage, but boy are they cutting it fine, and you have to wonder how today will hit the confidence. Now is the time for Jewell to do his thing.

Been a big day in the EPL, and on paper the title looks done. However the one thing you can say is if you could hand pick a United fixture list to keep the title down south then you'd pretty much go with the existing one. A Manchester derby is always a hard three points, and assuming that is drawn and Chelsea can do the business that leaves United with the old nemesis West Ham on the final day. If it was at Upton Park I'd be tempted to put a fair bit of money on a Chelsea title. United should get there, but it isn't quite as over as people have been suggesting.

What I've heard is that they were beyond rubbish and if they play like that against Boro and Sheff Utd then it's Championship next season, imo they HAVE to win against Boro because Bolton have nothing to play for against West Ham but Boro although doubtfull could still go down so their not going to lie down for Wigan next Saturday. And even though Warnock and Sheff Utd should be safe by the last game of the season and Warnock is close friends with Jewell, Wigan wont want to be going into that game knowing they need to win to stay up, for the first time supporting Wigan I have to question the passion of the players It's almost players like De Zeeuw, Filan and a couple of others know their going to retire and players like Baines, Camara etc know that teams will come in to buy them if Wigan go down.

[ukhotstove]

Have to agree with zorastar, the title isn't over with yet. Man Utd's next game is a local derby so they could easily drop 2 points in that, even though Chelsea also play a local derby in their next game I can see Man City putting up more of a fight than Arsenal.

Then you could go into the Chelsea v Man Utd match up with Chelsea just 3 points behind so a win for Chelsea makes it goal differance, so that leaves Chelsea V hit and miss Everton which should be an home win and Man Utd v West Ham who could have everything to play for and could easily take a point away from Old Trafford, the ball is in Uniteds court but I couldn't understand the "We've won the league" reaction of the United fans and players today.

[rudel.dietrich]

Just noticed in my FM game
Its Feb 2008
Newcastle sold Michael Owen to West Ham (of all places) for 25.5m USD
Newcastle are 4th in the EPL and West Ham 11th

Im kind of hoping Newcastle do badly so I can take over the job one day

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

Just noticed in my FM game
Its Feb 2008
Newcastle sold Michael Owen to West Ham (of all places) for 25.5m USD
Newcastle are 4th in the EPL and West Ham 11th

Im kind of hoping Newcastle do badly so I can take over the job one day

Not in FM because usually I play the European leagues or lower English teams but in real life I'd love to manage Newcastle Utd, they have so much potential plus the fact if you ever won anything as a manager there you'd become a God their that crazy about football.

[ukhotstove]

PS Crap stadium though specially for away fans, you need an oxygen mask your that high up.

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Not in FM because usually I play the European leagues or lower English teams but in real life I'd love to manage Newcastle Utd, they have so much potential plus the fact if you ever won anything as a manager there you'd become a God their that crazy about football.

It is truely one of the greatest football cities on earth and if I was to live in the British Isles Newcastle of the Scottish highlands are about the only places I would want to live.

Speaking of Owen, where is he in real life injury wise?
Is he still going to try and come back this season or just get his knee back into shape before August?

[The Funk]

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

It is truely one of the greatest football cities on earth and if I was to live in the British Isles Newcastle of the Scottish highlands are about the only places I would want to live.

Speaking of Owen, where is he in real life injury wise?
Is he still going to try and come back this season or just get his knee back into shape before August?

Owen should play some part in the game vs Reading on Monday. Probably 20 minutes at the end. I think it's a year to the day now since he last played for us.

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by The Funk

Owen should play some part in the game vs Reading on Monday. Probably 20 minutes at the end. I think it's a year to the day now since he last played for us.

I dont agree with that
Newcastle have nothing to play for and Owen is not going to make much of an impact
I would give the knee an additional 3 more months to heal and build up strength

And what do you mean play for us?
Do you mean Newcastle of England?
He was injured in the WC

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

It is truely one of the greatest football cities on earth and if I was to live in the British Isles Newcastle of the Scottish highlands are about the only places I would want to live.

Speaking of Owen, where is he in real life injury wise?
Is he still going to try and come back this season or just get his knee back into shape before August?

Were rumours of him playing against Chelsea but never did, they don't want him playing for England during the summer so I'm thinking they may not play him this season so they can say he isn't fit enough for England.

Be an almighty out cry if he doesn't play for Newcastle then plays for England and gets injured, Newcastle could be a team to watch next season with Owen, Martins, Duff, Millner, Dyer as attacking options and they have a decent midfield just a poor back 4 so if they could sort that out they could easily be top 7 next season.

Although have to say don't think Roeder is the man to take them to 7th, have to say no idea why somebody doesn't buy them unless their asking too much for them as they have massive potential, more than say Aston Villa, West Ham a couple teams that have been purchased this season.