Dog's Football Thread Part Six.

[Vicky]

Ollie Giroud equaled Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's premier league substitute scoring record yesterday.

Both have scored seventeen goals after coming off the bench.

[Trapper John]

73% of people asked in a poll, think the EPL is over.

People are like sheep, they listen to the pundits and media who come out with this mantra and just repeat it.

It is highly likely Manchester City will be eventual champions, jeez they get enough outside help but anyone saying now that it's over already knows nothing about Premier league football, or football in general.

When you've watched football for as long as I have you know just about anything can happen and often does, you also know 'when it's time to call time' and the 10th of December certainly ain't it.

It might interest the sheep to know that pretty much half of all clubs topping the Premier league table on Christmas day, failed to go on and win the title.

Most importantly though there are precedence already set in the Premier league era:

In 1996/97 season Newcastle were 12 points clear of Manchester United on 21st JANUARY not early December. They ended 3pts behind them at the end of the season.

Likewise, Manchester United were 11 points clear of Arsenal in the 1997/98 season on 17th JANUARY not early December . Arsenal ended up pipping them to the title by 1 pt.

So you see nothing is certain and anyone who says it is, knows nothing. It doesn't matter how good a squad of players you have, some poor results, a bad spell of injuries, poor decisions going against you, the relentless amount of games and a myriad other reasons can all affect a squads confidence, and a lack of confidence has a habit of building into a crisis very quickly.

[Trapper John]

Sky Sports are coming under fire for inviting former Oasis founder and songsmith, Noel Gallagher into the studio to do punditry for the Manchester derby game on Sunday, with much of the written media complaining Sky viewers deserved better.

Well I can't say I watched the game live or his performance in the studio but I'm at a loss to understand why anyone would think that the viewers would be short changed by his inclusion?

I was never a huge fan of Oasis, liked a lot of their stuff but not everything and probably out of the two, Noel was marginally the more likeable and intelligent than his brother Liam. At the same time, many Mancs who you would assume would be a large slice of the Sky audience for that game, liked Oasis not least because they are Manchester boys, regardless of the colour of their scarves.

When I worked nights regularly, I always listened to Andy Goldstein's Sports bar on TalkSport and Noel would be a regular guest when music commitmnets permitted and I always found his views on Man City, of who he is a life long and avid supporter, to be educated and informed, basically he knew what he was talking about where they were concerned but also had a wider general football knowledge too.

So I reckon his opinion was at least as valid as some of the guests the TV sports companies drag out of the woodwork from time to time.

[Vicky]

73% of people asked in a poll, think the EPL is over.

People are like sheep, they listen to the pundits and media who come out with this mantra and just repeat it.

It is highly likely Manchester City will be eventual champions, jeez they get enough outside help but anyone saying now that it's over already knows nothing about Premier league football, or football in general.

When you've watched football for as long as I have you know just about anything can happen and often does, you also know 'when it's time to call time' and the 10th of December certainly ain't it.

It might interest the sheep to know that pretty much half of all clubs topping the Premier league table on Christmas day, failed to go on and win the title.

Most importantly though there are precedence already set in the Premier league era:

In 1996/97 season Newcastle were 12 points clear of Manchester United on 21st JANUARY not early December. They ended 3pts behind them at the end of the season.

Likewise, Manchester United were 11 points clear of Arsenal in the 1997/98 season on 17th JANUARY not early December . Arsenal ended up pipping them to the title by 1 pt.

So you see nothing is certain and anyone who says it is, knows nothing. It doesn't matter how good a squad of players you have, some poor results, a bad spell of injuries, poor decisions going against you, the relentless amount of games and a myriad other reasons can all affect a squads confidence, and a lack of confidence has a habit of building into a crisis very quickly.

Trapper John!!

You seem to think i started supporting Rangers last week or that i'm some airhead, who's only interest in football is saying "He's Cute"

I have supported Rangers for more than thirty years and i am well aware the league isn't over in December.

Rangers have twice won the title on the last day of the season, one of those times was on goal difference.

There's still plenty of drama to go before the title is decided and although Man City are clear favourites, until is mathematical impossible it's still game on!!

[Vicky]

The draw for the last sixteen in the Champions League has been made and thetie of the draw must be...

Barcelona v Chelsea

[Vicky]

Arsenal will play Ostersunds in the last thirty-two of the Europa League.

The Scumbags will play Zenit.

[Vicky]

The was a rammy after the Manchester derby yesterday and it left one of my former lads injured (Mikel Arteta)

He's also one of TJ's former lads.

[Vicky]

[Trapper John]

The was a rammy after the Manchester derby yesterday and it left one of my former lads injured (Mikel Arteta)

He's also one of TJ's former lads.

Yeah, apparently Mourinho started it off by going to the City dressing room and asking them to keep the noise of their celebration down. A shouting match ensued in Portuguese and then a proper 'bundle' started. It was broken up by the copper who stands guard outside the dressing rooms and stewards, it's unclear how Arteta got the injury or his part in the fracas. It's been likened to Pizzagate in it's ferocity.

[Vicky]

The was a rammy after the Manchester derby yesterday and it left one of my former lads injured (Mikel Arteta)

He's also one of TJ's former lads.

Yeah, apparently Mourinho started it off by going to the City dressing room and asking them to keep the noise of their celebration down. A shouting match ensued in Portuguese and then a proper 'bundle' started. It was broken up by the copper who stands guard outside the dressing rooms and stewards, it's unclear how Arteta got the injury or his part in the fracas. It's been likened to Pizzagate in it's ferocity.

I haven't heard of Pizzagate before, i know all about Teapotgate though.

It involved Graeme Souness and a tealady called Aggie.

[Sunny]

So, Man city get Basel....no surprise there really, it all seems to be going there way in all competitions. At least Chelsea got Barca....as for us we got Juventus.....they say always better to play away first, which will be the case with Spurs...so all I can really say is....
Lets do this!

[Trapper John]

I underestimated the reach of petro dollar waving arms as Manchester City get one of the two prize picks in the Champions league draw.

Along with Besiktas, Basel is the nearest thing you can get to a bye into the quarter finals. Unsurprisingly, the ageing Bayern Munich were given the Turks to keep German interest going for as long as possible.

Liverpool were treated kindly with a barely more difficult tie in the shape of Porto, likewise Manchester United with their draw against a very poor Seville.

Spurs will thank their lucky stars that Juventus aren't the all conquering Italian giants they were last season, sweeping all before them in Serie A and reaching the CL final. Since those heady days, they've struggled domestically, currently 3rd behind Inter and Napoli and made a meal of finishing second in their group.

Chelsea drew the short straw with Barcelona, probably one of the two ties of this round, with Real Madrid v PSG the other.

I have to say though, one of the English clubs has a better chance of collecting the trophy this season than they have for a very long while, the European clubs on show now are not a patch on the sides they were, even a year ago let alone the last 5 years when they were at their peaks.

[Sunny]

I underestimated the reach of petro dollar waving arms as Manchester City get one of the two prize picks in the Champions league draw.

Along with Besiktas, Basel is the nearest thing you can get to a bye into the quarter finals. Unsurprisingly, the ageing Bayern Munich were given the Turks to keep German interest going for as long as possible.

Liverpool were treated kindly with a barely more difficult tie in the shape of Porto, likewise Manchester United with their draw against a very poor Seville.

Spurs will thank their lucky stars that Juventus aren't the all conquering Italian giants they were last season, sweeping all before them in Serie A and reaching the CL final. Since those heady days, they've struggled domestically, currently 3rd behind Inter and Napoli and made a meal of finishing second in their group.

Chelsea drew the short straw with Barcelona, probably one of the two ties of this round, with Real Madrid v PSG the other.

I have to say though, one of the English clubs has a better chance of collecting the trophy this season than they have for a very long while, the European clubs on show now are not a patch on the sides they were, even a year ago let alone the last 5 years when they were at their peaks.

LOL we both posted about CL at the same time...

[Trapper John]

In the Mickey Mouse Cup, Arsenal drew Ostersunds (who?) in the round of 32. This is because an extra tie has to be played owing to the ridiculous format where clubs drop down into it after failed Champions league campaigns, it gets more like America every day.

Actually I fibbed about Ostersunds who? ..... I have seen the name before and heard a bit more about them, mainly from the occasional mentions they've had on BT Sport. That is due to the fact that this Swedish Club has been managed by an Englishman since 2011 and they've been punching above their weight ever since.

The Englishman concerned is one Graham Potter, his name doesn't immediately spring to mind to me but he was apparently a journeyman defender, mostly in the lower leagues but had spell with Southampton in the Premier league. Other notable clubs include Birmingham, WBA, Stoke, ending his playing career at Macclesfield in 2005.

This guy has done wonders for the Swedish minnows and has almost hero status there. Funnily enough, the last time I heard his and the club's name mentioned was on the round up after the final ties. Apparently Ostersunds pulled off a massive coup by drawing with Hertha Berlin away from home, narrowly missing the win after a missed penalty.

The woman in the BT studio said something like, fantastic news for Graham Potter and his side, imagine if they got drawn against Arsenal? what a dream tie that would be for him and them .... proves dreams can come true.

This draw will be amazing for Ostersunds. Arsenal already has a traditionally huge fan base in Scandinavia as a whole and having a club with the status of Arsenal turn up on their doorsteps will be like another Christmas for their fans at the same time as giving huge publicity to Graham, Billy Reid his no.2 and the club and town in general.

[Vicky]

Excuse Me!!

Ostersund have won two trophies in their history and are clearly a team to be feared!!