The British & Irish Football Thread

[Pizzamorg]

While neither are particularly proficient strikers, I love watching defences crumble at the onslaught of Vardy, Mahrez and Okazaki's combined pace, imagination and determination. Liverpool had us beat at our own game last time, this time we're leaving them in the dust. If we had more consistent scorers, we'd be four, five, up already it's that much of a riot. I can't wait for the second half, considering Leicester usually come back stronger as other teams start to flag, then the real fun begins. Then again this atrocious refereeing could be our undoing.

[Pizzamorg]

Did you see that?! Jamie vardy! My goooood.

[Lucian1]

Originally Posted by Pizzamorg

Did you see that?! Jamie vardy! My goooood.

That was awesome!

I don't know if they can hold on, but I am soooooooo hoping Leicester can win the league.

[Pizzamorg]

Originally Posted by Lucian1

That was awesome!

I don't know if they can hold on, but I am soooooooo hoping Leicester can win the league.

Leicester went a bit weird after Christmas, but now Ranieri has gone back to playing the football that got us in the position we are in now I haven't got any doubts at all. Arsenal are dropping points like flies, United remain ten points behind, Spurs, City, West Ham all run hot and cold.

[Steedeel]

Congrats Mate. Top of the league!

Just got back from match, City didn't deserve that, we played very well. Kone looks like he could become a cult hero on wearside He is a solid unit!

We look like we are gone but if we can hang on to Johnson, Kone, Pickford and Defoe, we should bounce back.

[Geoff D]

Yes! Leicester's win put me in such a good mood that being turned over by Bournemouth isn't enough to dent my evening! Well done Pizza!!

As for Palace, the wheels have truly come off (2 points from the last 7 games and Bournemouth are only 3 points behind us now!) but it's exactly as I said a page or two ago: our home form is abysmal. Got Swansea away on Saturday and our record at the Liberty is pretty woeful, if they win and other results don't go our way then we're gonna be drawn into the relegation battle but good.

Ah well, they don't call it the Palace rollercoaster for nothing! That'd be a turn up if Leicester win the league and Palace go down. Talk about contrasting fortunes...

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Yes! Leicester's win put me in such a good mood that being turned over by Bournemouth isn't enough to dent my evening! Well done Pizza!!

As for Palace, the wheels have truly come off (2 points from the last 7 games and Bournemouth are only 3 points behind us now!) but it's exactly as I said a page or two ago: our home form is abysmal. Got Swansea away on Saturday and our record at the Liberty is pretty woeful, if they win and other results don't go our way then we're gonna be drawn into the relegation battle but good.

Ah well, they don't call it the Palace rollercoaster for nothing! That'd be a turn up if Leicester win the league and Palace go down. Talk about contrasting fortunes...

Palace will not go down mate. Not a chance. You can bookmark that if you like.

[Pizzamorg]

https://twitter.com/worldsoccershop/...rc=twsrc%5Etfw

If they question whether Leicester can win the league, I will send them this link.

Goal of the season? I'd be hard pressed to find one better. Both Mahrez's incredible ball and then Vardy's instinctive venom, literally from one end of the pitch and into the goal the other end and neither player moved or took control of the ball, it was ridiculous, suddenly twenty other players were no longer on the pitch anymore.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Pizzamorg

https://twitter.com/worldsoccershop/...rc=twsrc%5Etfw

If they question whether Leicester can win the league, I will send them this link.

Goal of the season? I'd be hard pressed to find one better. Both Mahrez's incredible ball and then Vardy's instinctive venom, literally from one end of the pitch and into the goal the other end and neither player moved or took control of the ball, it was ridiculous, suddenly twenty other players were no longer on the pitch anymore.

The only worry I would have is if Leicester will match the good fortune Man City have? They were very very lucky tonight.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

The only worry I would have is if Leicester will match the good fortune Man City have? They were very very lucky tonight.

With all the class that the top teams have, sometimes they make their own luck. Palace do the same, only at the other end of the spectrum. Bournemouth apparently played like dirty ***** tonight and kicked Zaha and Lee off the park, but hey, whatever gets you results, right? I've been saying for ages that Pards has no plan B, he won't get anywhere near his dream England appointment if he can't pull Palace out of this horrible slump which was preceded by another terrible run just before a successful Xmas period, typical bloody Pardew (and not just at Palace).

Still, that might be what the FA will bank on if they ever hire him: that going into a tournament proper his England side will be steaming hot for 7 (or however many) games rather than stone cold. You never get a middling run of form with a Pards team, it's either feast or famine.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Palace will not go down mate. Not a chance. You can bookmark that if you like.

Give it time Steed, give it time. Newcastle, Norwich etc have spent big in the transfer window, Swansea seem like they're finally getting it together, Bournemouth are doing a Leicester (circa last season) and have turned it around after looking utterly doomed and your lot have even got rid of Fletcher! (for the time being anyway )

I don't care what you say Steed, if Palace lose another two or three on the bounce then we will be in SERIOUS doodoo. Pards needs to stop obsessing over the cup and play the ****ing odds just like everyone else does. Villa and Bournemouth both rested the majority of their first team in the cup games before they played us and we got done both times after having fielded a stronger cup side, it's just not good enough.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Give it time Steed, give it time. Newcastle, Norwich etc have spent big in the transfer window, Swansea seem like they're finally getting it together, Bournemouth are doing a Leicester (circa last season) and have turned it around after looking utterly doomed and your lot have even got rid of Fletcher! (for the time being anyway )

I don't care what you say Steed, if Palace lose another two or three on the bounce then we will be in SERIOUS doodoo. Pards needs to stop obsessing over the cup and play the ****ing odds just like everyone else does. Villa and Bournemouth both rested the majority of their first team in the cup games before they played us and we got done both times after having fielded a stronger cup side, it's just not good enough.

Norwich are muck Geoff. Villa are gone, we are virtually gone. You only need two wins and a draw. We have to win six out of fourteen to have a chance! Norwich won't overtake Palace either , they just won't. You might have a nervy couple of weeks/games but you won't go down.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

With all the class that the top teams have, sometimes they make their own luck. Palace do the same, only at the other end of the spectrum. Bournemouth apparently played like dirty ***** tonight and kicked Zaha and Lee off the park, but hey, whatever gets you results, right? I've been saying for ages that Pards has no plan B, he won't get anywhere near his dream England appointment if he can't pull Palace out of this horrible slump which was preceded by another terrible run just before a successful Xmas period, typical bloody Pardew (and not just at Palace).

Still, that might be what the FA will bank on if they ever hire him: that going into a tournament proper his England side will be steaming hot for 7 (or however many) games rather than stone cold. You never get a middling run of form with a Pards team, it's either feast or famine.

They didn't make their own luck tonight. We outplayed them.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Norwich are muck Geoff. Villa are gone, we are virtually gone. You only need two wins and a draw. We have to win six out of fourteen to have a chance! Norwich won't overtake Palace either , they just won't. You might have a nervy couple of weeks/games but you won't go down.

Yeah, but pressure does funny things to people's minds. Palace have too many players in key areas who swan about doing sod all and the team in general is running out of puff thanks to the counter-attacking style (this being only our first full season with Pardew) and the glut of key injuries we're going through. When it comes to actually pulling together to make a do-or-die result happen I've got serious concerns about this squad in its current state, so I just hope it doesn't come to that.

Sure, with 31 points in the bank the outlook is positively rosy compared to some but when you start wondering where the next point - never mind win - is coming from then you know your team is badly on the slide, and this ain't the best time of the season to be doing it. Like I said, two or three more losses on the bounce to go with the five in a row so far and we'll be up to our necks in it.

As for the six from fourteen, one of them is against Palace so that's three points sewn up for you.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Pizzamorg

https://twitter.com/worldsoccershop/...rc=twsrc%5Etfw

If they question whether Leicester can win the league, I will send them this link.

Great strike!
You guys can really do it, if your players don't tire out. They've got the heart , they've got the pace the only question in my mind is whether their bodies physically can handle what they're doing for the entire season.

I like the way BIG money might not win a Prem title this year.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

They didn't make their own luck tonight. We outplayed them.

Best I've seen Sunderland play all year. Congrats on the performance.

[Pizzamorg]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Great strike!
You guys can really do it, if your players don't tire out. They've got the heart , they've got the pace the only question in my mind is whether their bodies physically can handle what they're doing for the entire season.

I like the way BIG money might not win a Prem title this year.

Our slump is already behind is, that happened around Christmas and early January which is perhaps no surprise with all the back to back league and cup games. We'll be going full throttle now unless someone key gets injured.

[Geoff D]

Just seen the goal. That's pretty much the dictionary definition of a worldie.

Come on you Foxes, I don't think there's a team in the land that will begrudge you winning the league.

[gvortex7]

We finally got our first home win in league play since November. Since NOVEMBER. Just wow. That's pathetic.

I wish we could play Newcastle more often, we've been dominating them the past few years.

[gvortex7]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Is it true that he has Tourette's Gvortex?

I wasn't aware of that bud. I'll look into it.