Sunny and TJ's Football Thread Part 20.

[Vicky]

No club has suffered as much as Rangers.

For a long time, it was just one thing after another.

I don't know how, we managed to get through it!!

Still only nineteen games to go and they'll be back in the SPL.

[Vicky]

Not only are Leicester top of the table and have Jamie Vardy the EPL's top goal-scorer at the club..they're also leading the way with the best conversation rate in the league as well.

I cannae say, i'm that impressed wae Arsenal.

[Trapper John]

Hey it could be a omen Victoria I think that man u was on top one Xmas and city got the title .oh I maybe wrong ??? We have been posting this morning about managers etc and just looked at news BBC and arsene Wenger has made a comment about it being disrespectful .he's right in that fact to a point also wonder if he has heard something regarding his future or worried cos its not like him to get involved hence my post this morning

You're right, Wenger doesn't get involved normally - it's just that the press are obsessed with managers getting sacked, so they ask questions all the time about everything other than what they should be asking, the coming game for the club they are covering - that's why they call them 'pre match conferences' - that seems to have slipped their minds.

He did say it was disrespectful to LVG and he also said he wasn't impressed by Pep Guardiola's announcement, he said managers shouldn't announce they are leaving until the season ends, as it puts undue pressure on other managers - meaning Mourinho and Pellegrini.

The press will really be after LVG's head now he's upset them - 'storming' out of the press conference - he did nothing of the sort, he put his point across calmly, wished them a happy Christmas and walked out.

I make him 100% right - the press say they have a right to ask him questions when there is 'speculation' about his future at Man Utd ....... that's bollocks, the only speculation is that which they have created themselves .... they are the ones speculating, no-one else.....wankers.

[Trapper John]

Not only are Leicester top of the table and have Jamie Vardy the EPL's top goal-scorer at the club..they're also leading the way with the best conversation rate in the league as well.

I cannae say, i'm that impressed wae Arsenal.

Not sure how important that 'stat' is? .......... it could read positive but also very negative, meaning as is actually the case with Leicester, they've converted their chances into goals but have really had very few chances - their goals come from attacks on the break. In itself that isn't bad, only sooner or later your defence could stop soaking up the opponents pressure and stop your counter attacks, then you've had it.......as was the case when Arsenal beat them 2-5.

The most important stat is the one that says, Leicester have scored 37 goals but conceded 24 - whereas Arsenal have scored 31 but only conceded 14......in fact Arsenal have had the most chances to score than any other team in the league - that's important.

[Trapper John]

Just a little personal epitaph for the passing yesterday of one of the great footballing coaches who many said, was well ahead of his time.

Don Howe died yesterday at the age of 80. Don was a player for WBA until he joined Arsenal back in the 60's where he became club captain and an England international, until a broken leg finished his playing career.

He managed the youth team and then the first team under manager Bertie Mee and was instrumental in the Gunners double winning side of 1971. He went back to WBA at the end of that season to manage the club and went on to manage Galatasaray, a 3 year spell back at Arsenal in the 80's, then QPR and finishing his career at Coventry.

Howe was also an important coach for the England team, being in the back room staff under the great managers Ron Greenwood, Bobby Robson and Terry Venables.

Something which is rarely mentioned or noted was his season long stint as coach at Wimbledon FC in the 'Crazy Gang' era where he went at the request of old friend and then manager, Bobby Gould. In one season he turned them from a bunch of chancers and no hopers into a team that battled out the season in the top half of the First Division and achieved the famous FA Cup final victory over a Liverpool side who were sweeping all before them.

Howe was never a manager but his coaching ability was never in question, many ex players have said he was not only the best coach they had ever worked with, he was also the nicest and funniest man you could ever meet.

Don Howe was one of the first names I remember being mentioned by my dad and older brothers when I first became an Arsenal supporter as a kid.

If his club management skills had been as good as his coaching skills, he would be up there with the all time greats like Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Matt Busby and Brian Clough.

RIP Don.

[Vicky]

Christmas Eve or not!!

I meant what i said about not discussing Arsenal again, you've made two posts out of 3750 in the Scottish Football threads this year.

I ain't putting up with you blanking me most of the time and never discussing my team!!

Just because Rangers are Scottish!!

Doesn't make them any less important than any of the other teams, who are discussed in this thread.

[Trapper John]

Hope you and your family (and dog) have a great Christmas Vicks and thanks for keeping the footy thread going with me......oh and please take that 'SOCCER' out of the title.

Have a great time and all the best, probably be back at the weekend sometime.

Sunny, Kat, Creamy, Canary ..... guests and anyone else looking in, hope you and yours have a great day.

[Trapper John]

Christmas Eve or not!!

I meant what i said about not discussing Arsenal again, you've made two posts out of 3750 in the Scottish Football threads this year.

I ain't putting up with you blanking me most of the time and never discussing my team!!

Just because Rangers are Scottish!!

Doesn't make them any less important than any of the other teams, who are discussed in this thread.

Take a chill pill - tis the season of joy and happiness ....... Merry Christmas.

[Vicky]

Hope you and your family (and dog) have a great Christmas Vicks and thanks for keeping the footy thread going with me......oh and please take that 'SOCCER' out of the title.

Have a great time and all the best, probably be back at the weekend sometime.

Sunny, Kat, Creamy, Canary ..... guests and anyone else looking in, hope you and yours have a great day.

Thank You TJ.

I hope you and your daughters and the wee yins, have a great day tomorrow.

[Vicky]

Christmas Eve or not!!

I meant what i said about not discussing Arsenal again, you've made two posts out of 3750 in the Scottish Football threads this year.

I ain't putting up with you blanking me most of the time and never discussing my team!!

Just because Rangers are Scottish!!

Doesn't make them any less important than any of the other teams, who are discussed in this thread.

Take a chill pill - tis the season of joy and happiness ....... Merry Christmas.

Okay!!

Happy Christmas.

[Vicky]

That wee Santa was supposed to annoy TJ, instead he's got quite fond of him.

[Trapper John]

Last post before I'm off ....... Southampton v Arsenal 7:45pm on Saturday night - what the fuck is that all about? ............. BT Sport I suppose.

Talking of Southampton, Arsene Wenger is thinking about letting Calum Chambers return to the south coast side in January, on loan until the end of the season. He might also allow him to stay there for next season too.

Chambers, 20, joined Arsenal from Southampton for £16million the season before last, as Wenger saw his future potential. Unfortunately for Chambers, Hector Bellerin came to the fore at the same time and with Debuchy also above Chambers in the pecking order, Wenger is worried his chances of first team football will be slim in the short to medium term.

So not wanting to hamper the young player's development, he is agreeable to a loan until the end of the season, with a view for another season if things remain the same.

Chambers is happy to return to the club where he came through the academy and Southampton will be delighted to bolster their flagging defence with a young player who has grown from his time at Arsenal.

A good move as far as I'm concerned, we don't want to lose Chambers, he's definitely one for the future.

[Vicky]

Last post before I'm off ....... Southampton v Arsenal 7:45pm on Saturday night - what the fuck is that all about? ............. BT Sport I suppose.

Talking of Southampton, Arsene Wenger is thinking about letting Calum Chambers return to the south coast side in January, on loan until the end of the season. He might also allow him to stay there for next season too.

Chambers, 20, joined Arsenal from Southampton for £16million the season before last, as Wenger saw his future potential. Unfortunately for Chambers, Hector Bellerin came to the fore at the same time and with Debuchy also above Chambers in the pecking order, Wenger is worried his chances of first team football will be slim in the short to medium term.

So not wanting to hamper the young player's development, he is agreeable to a loan until the end of the season, with a view for another season if things remain the same.

Chambers is happy to return to the club where he came through the academy and Southampton will be delighted to bolster their flagging defence with a young player who has grown from his time at Arsenal.

A good move as far as I'm concerned, we don't want to lose Chambers, he's definitely one for the future.

That's what happens, when you sign a television deal worth £2000 million.

They call the shots.

[Vicky]

Oh and your lad Gedion is back in the squad for the game against Hibs, after being injured in training.

We missed him at the weekend against Falkirk.

[Vicky]

I need to get a move on, I have lots to do today.