The English Football Thread

[GravitySlips]

Originally Posted by TheCunningStunt

They're the best out of a bad bunch, I'll give you that.

Well ... you're not wrong about that, sir!

There have been some very good Rangers team in the past, especially considering the league here is so dreadful. Sadly we're in a very precarious financial position now, and this is about the worst Rangers team I've ever seen in my 21 years alive. Which is why the product on the park tonight was hardly the most entertaining, and also why I'm so pleased at the result.

I am not (really) trying to be spiteful myself or anything, so sorry if I sounded so. In fact I wish Man Utd all the best against Liverpool, who are my most hated football team except for Celtic, of course.

[right-track]

Originally Posted by TheCunningStunt

I have a feeling it will be completely quiet, though - there won't be anyone there on Saturday.

Sunday however... it will be a different story.

Force of habit.

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

That point is just as valuable to Utd as it is to Rangers.

Inexperienced defence, pedestrian midfield still relying on people who are almost 40 to create a spark of invention, misfiring / woefully out of form / untried strikers.

Man Utd will be lucky if they get past the first knockout round.

They'll get there, unlike Rangers.

United's fans always rise to the occasion Gravity. Pity Rangers didn't provide one.
To describe Rangers performance as "great" is stretching the truth mate.
Great result, yes.
If your happy with the way your team plays then it's a sad state of affairs.
Even during United's darkest days, they always played attacking football.

[GravitySlips]

Originally Posted by right-track

United's fans always rise to the occasion Gravity. Pity Rangers didn't provide one.
To describe Rangers performance as "great" is stretching the truth mate.
Great result, yes.
If your happy with the way your team plays then it's a sad state of affairs.
Even during United's darkest days, they always played attacking football.

I'm not saying I'm delighted with that style of play, but that's all that's available to us at the present moment, at Champions League level anyway. I realize how frustrating it must be to Utd fans watching that game tonight, but considering the players that Rangers have now there was no chance of anything better from us. I support my team, we're not great and when you're playing Man Utd, you have to be realistic. I'm not saying I'm over the moon with the nature of the performance, but we did all we were going to be able to do in order to get a positive result, and we did it well. The reality is that it IS a sad state of affairs at Rangers at the moment, hopefully we'll be playing much better football again once we're clear of this debt and restrictions imposed by banks. Unfortunately, that may be far in the future.

I thought it would be a heavy defeat for Rangers tonight. It may not be the most entertaining, but I'll take that result and performance given the circumstances (to give one example - losing your top scorer, among other players, to f'ucking Middlesborough this summer).

[Mojo]

That was Rangers most difficult fixture out of the way though and they got a point from it. They'll be happy with that. I had hoped to see them go for it, especially when Fergie was happy to make ten changes and put out a much weaker team than he could have but they got what they wanted from choosing to play that way.

Anyway, hoping Arsenal do well tonight. Hopefully no more horrific injuries in this one.

[Bulldog]

So, there I was browsing BBC Sport's front pages when I came across this;

BBC Sport - Football - Top job would suit me - Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce

I mean, since when did avoiding relegation every season and not winning a single trophy make you a viable Real Madrid or Inter Milan manager as he claims he could one day be? It's like Jabbadyce wants to look like more of a deluded moron with every interview after that outburst at Wenger the other day.

If this joke of a man becomes the next England manager after Capello steps down I'm going to emigrate.

[TheCunningStunt]

Funnily enough, I just text my friend who's on a train telling him. Surely Sam's on a wind up, either that or he's extremely deluded.

I'd rather him be England boss than the next United boss. *shudder*

[Bulldog]

The man's a mug of the highest order and no mistake. He had one top job at Newcastle and got sacked after six months - says everything you need to know about him. If the next England manager's definitely gonna be English, I'd rather see Spurs' own media spotlight-loving, tax dodging Harry Redknapp get the job than anyone else. At least there's a feasible chance he'll actually win something over the next two years.

[Mojo]

Big fat Sam can be a god-send if you're staring relegation in the face but to set his sights that high? Erm, no. Even the Geordies are laughing at this!

BBC Sport - Football - Sunderland 1-1 Arsenal

Wor Daz leaves it til the last kick of the game to get a point against Arsenal. We deserved it, if not all three. We put them under pressure for the majority of the 90 mins. The better of the chances fell to Arsenal, even if they were few and far between and of course putting a penalty over the bar doesnt hurt at all! But basically, i felt we deserved a point even if the superior team should have had things wrapped up long before Bent had the chance to equalise.

[Urban Hat€monger ?]

Originally Posted by mojopinuk

Wor Daz leaves it til the last kick of the game to get a point against Arsenal.

I knew it was a good idea to have him in my fantasy team

[Mojo]

I have him in mine too. Why wouldnt you when the only two players in the Premiership to have scored more than him over the last few years are either 11-12m or not playing in England anymore?