Dog's Football Thread Part Seven.

[Vam]

Just a quickie to say good luck today, Vic, if you're reading

Hope Rangers do right by you

[Trapper John]

Another dismal, halfhearted performance from Arsenal at Newcastle today, why put out a team of players who've hardly had a game this season and some kids and rest your best players? jeez just because Wenger and his players think there is nothing to play for in the league anymore, doesn't mean the fans don't want the club to win.

I am sick of this attitude and sick of the mentality that has permated the club now for the last few seasons whereby they seem to think that possession earns them points, it doesn't and particularly when 70% of that possession is in your own half and gained by continual square and back passing, it's fucking criminal that the club expect supporters to pay for this shite.

A nice start and a nice goal early on and we were walking, exactly the situatuion I've dreaded countless time this season. It's the signal for slow movement, back passing, lazy passing, lazy chasing, lazy challenging, lazy every fucking thing.

One of the ways you can judge a game for intensity and passion is the amount of yellow cards it produces - when like today, you don't get one at all until the opposition wins one for time wasting 2 minutes into added time at the end, shows how much passion and effort this bunch of cunts had.

Why is he resting players for fuck sake? we haven't got another game for a week. Our bench consisted of four kids, an aging midfield defender who retires at the end of the season, a keeper who was supposed to have been injured on Thursday and left sided defender. Oh and Danny Welbeck who came on with half hour left and did fuck all like the rest of them.

There was no Ramsey, Wilshere, Ozil, Koscielny, Bellerin, they didn't even travel and Mkhitaryan is injured so no wonder no-one thought the game worth competing for, coz the boss obviously didn't.

I'll be honest, I'd rather Burnely take 6th spot and let them have some European football for a change, the Europa league is fine but it goes on forever. Perhaps if all we have to play for is the league and domestic cups, Wenger wouldn't feel the need to rest players every fucking week and we might for once make a real challenge for the title.

Oh I almost forgot, it was 2-1 to Newcastle and basically seals their place in the Premier league now, Benitez said they needed 40 points to be safe, they've got 41. Pretty glad at that, you need big clubs with passionate supporters in our league.

[Trapper John]

If possession meant points Arsenal and City would be running away with it. City have because they actually do something with theirs, Arsenal think just having it is enough and they'll be rewarded somehow?

Here's the shocking proof of our dismal away record this season, loads of possession fuck all to show for it.

Newcastle v Arsenal 28% - 72% Arsenal lose 2-1
Brighton v Arsenal 32% - 68% Arsenal lose 2-1
Swansea v Arsenal 26% - 74% Arsenal lose 3-1
Bournemouth v Arsenal 40% - 60% Arsenal lose 2-1
West Brom v Arsenal 35% - 65% Draw 1-1
West Ham v Arsenal 30% - 70% Draw 0-0
Southampton v Arsenal 33% - 67% Draw 1-1
Stoke v Arsenal 23% - 77% - Arsenal lose 1-0

That averages out at almost 70% possession in every game. There were 24 points in those games we should reasonably have expected to get - instead we got 3 points.

That is fucking appalling by anyone's standards.

[Trapper John]

Manchester City are confirmed Premier League champiopns today after beating Spurs yesterday and as what I described earlier would be a catastrophic failure if Mancheater United failed to beat bottom club West Brom, turned into reality with them losing 1-0 at old trafford.

I must also congratulate an old stalwart of top divison English football Wolverhampton Wanderers who after years of being in the lower league wilderness beat Birningham City today 2-0 to become the first team to reach promotion into the Premier League next season.

With three games left to play, Wolves have amassed 95 points so far to go up as champions with second placed Cardiff City 12 points behind making it impossible for them to be usurped from the top spot because of their superior goal difference. The Welsh club still look favourites to join them automatically, with a game in hand over their rivals.

Millwall still cling precariously to their 6th place play off position by virtue of a 1-1 away draw at Sheffield United and were boosted by their nearest rival Derby County losing 3-1 at second to bottom club Burton Albion, though Derby still have a game in hand.

Come on you Lions stick with it.

[Trapper John]

Arsene Wenger is still defending his characterless and gutless team to the last, this time by calling on VAR to be introduced into the Premier League at the earliest opportunity.

The reason for this was that in today's game Arsenal were denied a clear penalty when a Newcastle player moved his hand into the air to deflect a cross out of play in his box. The contact was obviously noted because we won a corner from it but why did referee Anthony Taylor refuse to call it? - There was considerable distance between the kick and his hand palming the ball away and his arm was well above his head not in a natural position - this was at 1-0 to Arsenal and the correct decision given could have meant another goal and changed the whole complexion of the game.

Anthony Taylor isn't one to shy away from handball, later in the game a ball inside Newcastle's box bounced on the ground and up onto Iwobi's hand whilst the Geordies were under considerable pressure. Iwobi's hand was by his side in a perfectly natural place and he never made a move toward the ball, yet Taylor blew for handball, giving Newcastle instant respite.

I didn't know but Premier league have voted on VAR and decided not to use it at least for next season.

[Trapper John]

A bad day for Rangers today as Celtic beat them 4-0 in the Scottish cup semi final.

Rangers still have some major rebuilding to do before they can match Celtic again. Coming runners up in the league will be the priority and a sure sign things are on the mend slowly but surely.

[Dean]

Rangers were shit
Arsenal were shit
Man U were shit

Quick roundup...

[VelvetCat]

I'm so, so happy at the moment, such a unexpected victory!

The team played well which makes me wonder what has gone so drastically wrong this season, JRods goal was excellent, though we were lucky not to concede a penalty. I know we are going down, but performances like that give me hope for next season.

@Canary, yes I have Cyrille Regis in my signature, a hero of mine and I was very lucky to meet him as a teenager, a true gentleman, a hero and a inspiration. A true great of football from a different time. As was of course Ray Wilkins another great gone long before he should have.

Vicks, if you are reading, bad luck today, nothing worse than losing in a semi final as I know from 1978, 1982 and 2008.

Also today marks the 29th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. May the 96 people who lost their lives that day never be forgotten. Nobody should not come home from football. RIP all of you.

[VelvetCat]

Rangers were shit
Arsenal were shit
Man U were shit

Quick roundup...

The Baggies was good though!

[Dean]

Rangers were shit
Arsenal were shit
Man U were shit

Quick roundup...

The Baggies was good though!

Yes, fantastic. A little bit too late though...

[VelvetCat]

Rangers were shit
Arsenal were shit
Man U were shit

Quick roundup...

The Baggies was good though!

Yes, fantastic. A little bit too late though...

Sadly yes, but we'll be back!

[Trapper John]

On the subject of the Premier league voting not to go with VAR I would agree, it certainly hasn't covered itself in glory during it's trials here.

There is a far simpler, easier and quicker method of ensuring more correct decisions are made during the game, something I've advocated should have been done long ago.

With the rewards of success and costs of failure being so big in the game now and the tempo of matches increasing to a level of Olympic athletes, our ref and two linesmen are no longer sufficient.

We should have four assistants running the line, two on either side responsible for their 'quarter' of the pitch, more eyes means more accurate and correct decisions. To take it a step further, it wouldn't hurt for two more to run the line behind the goals, with more punch than the current FIFA/UEFA ones do at present. Goaline technology has been an absolute boon but it doesn't see in the box infringements and penalty shouts, this is an area which is a huge problem and extra eyes would help immeasurably.

Yes it's extra cost but the league can afford it. Some will be offset anyway from negating the need for VAR and it's resultant costs and hassle, it would also need more officials to be trained but thats a good thing. There is no substitute for 'boots on the ground' in my opinion.

[Kat]

Is too 4 gonna be the same as it is now end of season ? I hope man u don't f it up but look at the weekend

[Sunny]

Serious question for any Spurs fan who might breeze by:

If Spurs get knocked out the FA Cup next weekend by Man Utd and take 4th spot only on goal difference from Chelsea, would you consider this season a good one?

Hello TJ....we lost one match at home since August, now we same points as Liverpool, if we win tonight our game in hand, Man United as you know lost too, so still a chamce to finish second but am more hoping to win on Saturday than finish 2nd. Who would you like to win on Saturday, Spurs or Man U?

And as for Chelsea, they wont catch us... 7 points ahead we are.... we wont fok it up, as we are not a team that falls apart, we just dust our selves off and carry on for wins.

I noticed on your summary of the match, you didn't mention a penalty we should of been given when Alli went down in the penalty box, it was so clear a penalty, but that dick of a ref which I don't like didn't give...but happily gives them one which wasn't even in the box. When I saw that ref I knew it was going to go bad.

So to answer your question whether spurs fans would be happy with finishing 4th and not winning FA cup, I would say, its not a bad season, as it shows consistency when it comes to finishing top 4.

[Sunny]

Is too 4 gonna be the same as it is now end of season ? I hope man u don't f it up but look at the weekend

Hiya Kat, pls don't wear your lucky PJ's on Saturday!!....