The British & Irish Football Thread

[Pizzamorg]

The sad thing about me and the Premier League is I never get to watch any of the games live lol as I work every Saturday.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

I'm only getting 2 matches this opening weekend ....I think due to preference to the Olympics by my local channel. Are there any Bournemouth supporters here? I like their comeback story.

I'm more concerned about the Palace story, we've never gone beyond four seasons in the top flight (yes kids, football did exist before the EPL) so this could truly be an historic season for us.

Looks like we're on the verge of selling Bolasie to Everton and as much as I like the lad he just doesn't have the end product to justify all the hype (same goes for Zaha). If we get £25M for him then that should help to pay for Benteke and we've already got a replacement for Bolasie on the wing in Andros Townsend.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I'm more concerned about the Palace story

which includes, not to forget

Crystals "Glad All Over" featuring the ROAR of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team - YouTube

[Geoff D]

Ugh. Palace get Pulis'ed. Same shit, different season.

[tob]

The surprise result today was Hull beating Leicester.

[Geoff D]

Indeed, but I didn't envision anything else for Palace today that's for sure. No ideas against a 11-man defence, it's just going to be the same old story under Pardew. Oh, and only Aston Villa have lost more EPL games this calendar year than Palace, but while they won't be adding to that tally Palace sure will.

Gonna be a tough old grind of a season, so please accept my apologies in advance for the 9 months of relentless doom and gloom which will come from my direction.

[Pizzamorg]

Only just got to actually watch Leicester on MOTD. I know MOTD isn't always a true reflection of the game but they made it look like very typical Leicester, dreamy football in the middle of the park but sloppy defence one side and an attack on the other who fail to convert chances to goals.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Indeed, but I didn't envision anything else for Palace today that's for sure. No ideas against a 11-man defence, it's just going to be the same old story under Pardew. Oh, and only Aston Villa have lost more EPL games this calendar year than Palace, but while they won't be adding to that tally Palace sure will.

Gonna be a tough old grind of a season, so please accept my apologies in advance for the 9 months of relentless doom and gloom which will come from my direction.

Don't know if you seen Alan Pardew's interview after the match today Geoff he did say that he is looking to bring two strikers to the club.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by tob

Don't know if you seen Alan Pardew's interview after the match today Geoff he did say that he is looking to bring two strikers to the club.

Sure, we've been after Benteke and/or Berahino for the last few weeks, but even having a decent striker won't make a huge difference because the dunderheaded style of play is still there. We're so easy to work out and Pards, as I keep saying, has no plan B. I laughed out loud when I read on teletext that he's looking for us to keep the ball like Barcelona! You have to get the players to stop treating the ball like an unexploded bomb first, Pards. ("Get rid of it!")

I won't be sad when Bolasie leaves though, he's got the skills but not the consistency so if we can get £25M+ for him then that'll be a right result. People keep saying "oh, when he got injured is when Palace's form dipped last season" but even when he came back we were still shit.

[Geoff D]

[Show spoiler]Liverpool stroke in an absolute beauty of a third goal. Some turnaround here!

[tob]

Same problems different season keep saying it but nothing will change until Wenger goes.

[Pizzamorg]

Just watched MOTD 2. When on form, Liverpool look exquisite under Klopp. Some real Rocky Balboa football from Arsenal but this isn't a Hollywood movie and Liverpool outplayed them.

I know the results are starting to come United's way right now but they still aren't looking like the club of old. I don't know why they cling onto Rooney. Was Martial really having that bad of a game or was it just the MOTD edit? I remember not long ago he seemed like the golden child. He didn't have a good Euros either.

Bournemouth and Leicester both looking at relegation this season? Ha... ha...

None of the new managers really blew my socks off this weekend, but a lot of the new signings across the board are looking great.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by tob

Same problems different season keep saying it but nothing will change until Wenger goes.

Tob, will things really change even after Arsene’s last year as manager?
4 min and a half timestamp....

Arsenal vs Liverpool 3-4 Post Match Analysis Pundit Henry On Arsenal Can't Attract Big Players 2016 - YouTube

Thee only good thing about the match is that I can use it as yet another case study for the value of HDR (as opposed to SDR) when stadium shadows cover the pitch. In this case, black crush involving ~ ½ of the pitch for nearly the whole duration of game play.

[tob]

Penton nothing will change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w322IPjOLxg

[David LFC]

Phil Coutinho nearly sends Arsene to the job center after the first game of the season.

Free kick was stunning.

[Geoff D]

Nah, as long as the season finishes with Arsenal in the CL spots then the board won't do anything

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by tob

Penton nothing will change.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w322IPjOLxg

Can’t the season ticket holders organize something like a boycott of a future match or do a protest march in front of the stadium, etc. in order to bring more media exposure to the cause and pressure the Board?

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Nah, as long as the season finishes with Arsenal in the CL spots then the board won't do anything

This Arsenal is not the same club that attracted me as a supporter years ago.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Can’t the season ticket holders organize something like a boycott of a future match or do a protest march in front of the stadium, etc. in order to bring more media exposure to the cause and pressure the Board?

The man wearing the cap held protest with others and banners for Wenger to leave last season at the away games and he tried at the home games but the stewards at Arsenal stopped him.
The fans at the home games are split over Wenger you have the fans who want him out and the ones who want him to stay and this has been going on for awhile even with both fans fighting over it.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by tob

....the ones who want him to stay

That mindset is unbelievable. given what’s been going on for the past 10 or 12? years with management of the AFC….unless they believe that the true culprit is the Board and ownership and that Arsene is simply their tool or man servant employed to implement *the top 4 finish is good enough philosophy*, so they have feelings for him.

Is the new stadium pretty much paid off by now? Has anyone done a bar graph or such comparing ticket prices to Arsenal home games with that of the other Prem League football venues?

P.S.
Now that the season has started and I don't see Steed contributing I am getting a little concerned. Have you or anyone else heard from him?