Football Focus

[highpeak]

In the 78th minute of a decent O-40 match I cautioned a player on a largely Portuguese team for blatant handling that stopped an attacking move. He knew why he was being cautioned and we had a bit of a laugh about it, then he very cordially shook my hand and we got play started again.

Afterwards, the home team keeper told me I'd done a good job, and asked if I knew anything about the player I'd booked. He went on to tell me he'd played for Portugal.

So when I got home and wrote up the report, I checked the roster and googled him. Sure enough, Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, 13 caps for Portugal. Still a good player at 59, and a gentleman.

[Horsetan]

There seems to be some sort of early thing going on for scoring six goals at a time. Maybe it's becoming fashionable.

[oggy1953]

Spurs 4 Young Boys 0.. Yes i'm very happy, BUT not stupid. I feel avoiding bottom place in the group stage will be an achievement first time in this competition. We're 10 years behind Man Utd, Chelsea and arsenal in experience, so i wont expect too much.

[gordon s]

Spurs 4 Young Boys 0.. Yes i'm very happy, BUT not stupid. I feel avoiding bottom place in the group stage will be an achievement first time in this competition. We're 10 years behind Man Utd, Chelsea and arsenal in experience, so i wont expect too much.

 

 

Look on the bright side, you never really know what you are going to get with Spurs. In any case if we get on a run, next year end in a 1, so who knows?

 

.......from an old fella who was at the Gornik, Feyenoord, Dukla, Benfica games in '61. Those were the days!

[oggy1953]

Look on the bright side, you never really know what you are going to get with Spurs. In any case if we get on a run, next year end in a 1, so who knows?

 

.......from an old fella who was at the Gornik, Feyenoord, Dukla, Benfica games in '61. Those were the days!

 

 

I remember those days too, although i was only 7 or 8. A great team then, but i feel the current team isn't quite good enough. still we are about to find out. Theres the easy way, and theres the Tottenham way

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Still awaiting Pompey's first league win of the season...getting sadly familiar looking up at the rest of the table...

 

That said, I thought we had cornered the market in shooting ourselves in the foot, then along come Southampton to steal our thunder yet again... Concern must be brewing that they have not won a single match - in fact not even scored a goal - since Pardew was dismissed. There must have been some disquiet behind the scenes, you don't sack your manager three games into the season with four points on the board surely?

 

At the rate things are going, yes we will see you next season... In league One.

[Calnefoxile]

Still awaiting Pompey's first league win of the season...getting sadly familiar looking up at the rest of the table

 

Nick,

 

I can't see why you're not happy, surely Pompey weren't expected to be anywhere but mid to low table obscurity this season??

 

Spare a thought for us being only above you because L comes before P in the alphabet and we have been tipped for a play-off place again this season.

 

But there again we are only 4 games into the season, and we did have one of the brightest young English managers leave with his entire back-room staff just before the season started, which meant a new manager with new ideas, new ways of playing, training etc. so ask me again at Xmas if I'm worried.

 

Regards

 

Neal.

 

P.S. Maybe I should have kept these comments to myself until after I'd received payment for the Loco

[oggy1953]

Gonna have to bang the drum for Spurs tonight. Great first half display, but as usual cant hang on to a lead, hope none of the players own dogs. Still i'll take a point away from home in our debut Champions League group stage game

[Calnefoxile]

Waaahheeeyyyyy

 

We got our first win of the season last night, and against Cardiff as well. So thats the revenge out of the window.

 

Lets hope that this is now the start of our season and Paulo Sousa's system now gels for the team, because I'm getting a bit fed up with us dominating games and not winning them. I looked at the stats against Coventry on Saturday, 11 attempts on goal for a 1 goal return, against Coventry's 1 attempt on goal 1 goal scored

 

EIEIEIO UP THE TABLE WE GO - well hopefully anyway

 

Damn just realised we got QPR at home on Saturday as well, lets hope we can do them as well.

 

Regards

 

Neal.

[S.A.C Martin]

I'm scratching my head trying to work out how Charlton, my team, who looked odds-on to lose saturday's match, after the referee awarded a penalty, managed to snatch a 1-0 win instead. Boring, Boring Charlton, it seems, with two 1-0 wins, and a 1-0 loss in our last three matches!

 

Not that I'm complaining, I'm enjoying the campaign immensely and hope we can keep picking up this points as we have done so far!

[luton town]

have to say last night was the first time i had been to see luton in ages and what a game it was winning 3-0 at home to top of the table afc wimbledon,but my heart still will be with dunstable town fc who have a cup game at home to cranfield united so im going to go watch with passion whilst taking photos

[muddys-blues]

My Team Bury FC "The Mighty Shakers" at home to The Bulls "Hereford United", going on our form which is consistent Away has been W D L, Home has been L D W, so that makes today a loss "probably" aah well you never know.

 

Good win last night for the Hatters "Mr Luton Town" against an in form "The Real Dons Club" Wimbledon, also Happy Birthday.

[luton town]

cheers muddys-blues,i remember going to watch luton at bury,i think it was 2-1 or 3-1 to us,you guys have a nice ground and i think us hatters could do with a new one soon,going back to football how did we draw with darlington we really should have won there.

[Horsetan]

As a long-time Liverpool fan, the question I'm asking is why we're fifth from bottom of the Premiership. It never used to be like this!

[Calnefoxile]

As a long-time Liverpool fan, the question I'm asking is why we're fifth from bottom of the Premiership. It never used to be like this!

 

I was going to make a joke about the Table being upside down but then I thought about Wednesdays result and realised that Liverpool are just not the force they used to be

 

If I was a Liverpool fan, and to be honest they are the Premier team that I follow (but I'm still a big Leicester fan at heart), then I would be laying the blame squarely at Rafa Benitez's door and possible the Yanks door as well.

 

The sooner Liverpool get rid of septics the better.

 

But there again, look at the Championship table, we're 3rd from bottom, but there's still a long way to go yet, I won't be panicking just yet not until Christmas.

 

Things can only get better, to quote D:Ream.

 

Regards

 

Neal.

[oggy1953]

As a long-time Liverpool fan, the question I'm asking is why we're fifth from bottom of the Premiership. It never used to be like this!

 

 

No Team has a divine right to be up the top all of the time, that takes hard work. I am afraid the Liverpool today, In my opinion, just ain't good enough.

[0O00]

So why am I happy then boys and girls? :D B)

 

Not the best Baggies performance in the Premier League but certainly the best result for us in the top flight since the days of Regis et al. Arsenal gave us a bit of a hand but you've still got to get it in the back of the net...

[HerbertHopkins]

So why am I happy then boys and girls? :D B)

 

Not the best Baggies performance in the Premier League but certainly the best result for us in the top flight since the days of Regis et al. Arsenal gave us a bit of a hand but you've still got to get it in the back of the net...

As an Arsenal supporter of over forty years standing I'm obviously not a happy bunny at the moment. However, it would be churlish not to congratulate the Baggies on their win - well done.

 

Every season throws up at least one result like this for most of the 'big' teams. Hopefully, we've got ours out of the way early and can now concentrate on actually winning something this year.

[0O00]

As an Arsenal supporter of over forty years standing I'm obviously not a happy bunny at the moment. However, it would be churlish not to congratulate the Baggies on their win - well done.

 

Every season throws up at least one result like this for most of the 'big' teams. Hopefully, we've got ours out of the way early and can now concentrate on actually winning something this year.

 

Cheers fella. Arsenal will bounce back from that no doubt whatsoever especially when key players return.

 

Bolton next for us. They're on reasonable form so will be another tough test for us.

[bingley hall]

Adelaide Blue Eagles snatched the Junior Premier League U16 title by one point from West Torrens Birkalla last Tuesday without kicking a ball. ABE had played all their games, but Birkalla had a catch up Game against Adelaide Comets which ended as a 0-0 draw. The ABE boys were in the middle of a club carnival game with the Seniors when the text came through and much rejoicing followed

 

Even the Team Manager gets a winners' medal

[PNEYorkshire]

Was at the Leeds-Preston 6-4 the other night and can probably say i will never see a game quite like it

 

It wasnt even an end to end game, just a matter of two poor defences on the night. PNE had the first ten minutes, Leeds the next 30 then PNE the majority of the remaining 50. Saw loads leave at 4-1 and at that point i honestly feared for our safety this season. Would never in a billion years have thought we could come up with such a turnaround and delirious doesnt do justice to how most of us were feeling

 

 

[Calnefoxile]

I see our 'new' owners have finally woken up and smelled the coffee and sacked Paulo Sousa http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/9051656.stm

 

I feel sorry for him, but we had one of the best managers in the Championship and Mr. Mandaric just let him go to bring in Sousa to try and bring in new investment (alledgedly).

 

There is talk that the Messiah (Martin O'Neill) is coming back, now I love O'Neill for what he did for us 10 years ago, but there is an adage in Football "Never go back", and I would be doing cartwheels if he did, but I think this is pie in the sky stuff.

 

The speculation is now going to start as to who will become our new manager, Sven's name has also been mentioned (Please God no!!!!!!).

 

So who's it going to be?????

 

Regards

 

Neal.

[cary hill]

I see our 'new' owners have finally woken up and smelled the coffee and sacked Paulo Sousa http://news.bbc.co.u...ity/9051656.stm

 

I feel sorry for him, but we had one of the best managers in the Championship and Mr. Mandaric just let him go to bring in Sousa to try and bring in new investment (alledgedly).

 

There is talk that the Messiah (Martin O'Neill) is coming back, now I love O'Neill for what he did for us 10 years ago, but there is an adage in Football "Never go back", and I would be doing cartwheels if he did, but I think this is pie in the sky stuff.

 

The speculation is now going to start as to who will become our new manager, Sven's name has also been mentioned (Please God no!!!!!!).

 

So who's it going to be?????

 

Regards

 

Neal.

 

Probably have to be Alan Pardew or some other manager used to working for owners with a liking for erratic knee-jerk hiring and firing decisions.

 

I can't say I am surprised Sousa has gone as Mandaric appears to have no talent when selecting managers and I suspect both Rednapp(at Portsmouth) and Pearson owe more to luck than judgement. I can't even guess what his thought processes were when appointing Sousa to follow Pearson.

 

I think Pearson recognised the limitations of the players in the squad i.e. half of them treated the ball as a unexploded bomb to be disposed asap and he used mainly a 4-4-2 system playing the channels and percentages plus a bit of physicality and astute loan signings to address squad shortcomings with great success. This resulted in massive overachievement last season.

 

How can you then expect this same squad (some of whom couldn't even pass the Port) to start playing Portugese-style pretty passing football in the Championship which must be one of the most physical leagues in the world? It does not make any sense unless you are a team like WBA last season with a pool of skilful passing players - they beat Leicester with ease twice last season.

 

As a season ticket holder I have already had enough of this ineffective" pretty passing football" 4-3-3 system which seems to have isolated the strikers, exposed the chronic limitations of the midfield and exposed the defence as there is no reliable cover in front of them. The squad is not fit - this is presumably because they had to spend too long in pre-season unsuccessfully trying to learn how to "pass" the ball. The constant rotation of the squad is daft as well as this seems to result in the best squad players being regularly left on the bench or not even in the squad.

 

I prefer winning football to pretty losing football anyday as there is no chance of Leicester City becoming the second Arsenal anytime soon.

 

I hope they start tomorrow although they have had trouble deailing with the mighty Scunthorpe in the recent past.

[oggy1953]

Was at the Leeds-Preston 6-4 the other night and can probably say i will never see a game quite like it

 

It wasnt even an end to end game, just a matter of two poor defences on the night. PNE had the first ten minutes, Leeds the next 30 then PNE the majority of the remaining 50. Saw loads leave at 4-1 and at that point i honestly feared for our safety this season. Would never in a billion years have thought we could come up with such a turnaround and delirious doesnt do justice to how most of us were feeling

 

 

 

I seem to recollect going to a League 1 game, or what ever it was called in 1993, between Birmingham and Swindon. I only went to watch as Glenn Hoddle was player manager of Swindon. If my memory serves me well Brum went 4 - 1 up and Swindon came back to win 6 - 4. Quite a coincidence, as Radio 5 were reporting that night that it hadn't happened before. I'm sure some Brummy or Swindon fan out there will correct me if i'm wrong.

[Calnefoxile]

Well thats it Sven-Goran Eriksson is now our new manager and has signed a 2 year deal. I'm listening to Sky Radio and he seems to want to be here for the long haul and take us to the promised land!!!!

 

Me, I'm not to sure, I kow he has a pretty good record as a manager, and must be a good manager to have been picked to manage National Teams, and he didn't do too badly at Man City. But, and its a big BUT, he's got baggage like his reputation with the Ladies

and his reputation with Clubs Money.

 

But he could take us to the Promised Land, he certainly has the right contacts in the game to get some top players to come to Leicester, but will they come for him or money???

 

Ah well, we'll see after the 2 week break when we play Nigel Pearsons Hull, Pearson will get a fantastic reception when he comes back to the Walkers, he should never have been allowed to leave, I think this says more about Mandaric than it does about anyone else, "anything to get the deal done".

 

Make your own mind up about the Pearson debacle http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/9055151.stm

 

Not sure whether to be happy about this or not.

 

Regards

 

Neal.