Football (Soccer to those across the pond)

[pyan]

Originally Posted by mosaix

Liverpool and Hodgson have parted company.

"Mutual agreement." Heh!

[chopper]

2-2 at doncaster: not quite the result i wanted to see (given the fact it was brass-monkey-freezing there), but a thrilling game nonetheless. still think Big George was unfairly sent off - we coulda won it with 11 men....

[Tillane]

Could be worse, chopper. Today, Stevenage finished the job they started 13 years ago and rightly beat a lousy Toon side. I'm just wondering if this is another indication of our inconsistency, a blip, or proof (if such were needed) that West Ham really are shockingly bad.

I mean, come on. From a 5-0 win over a "Premier League side" (*cough cough*) to a 3-1 loss to a Division Two side? Puh-lease.

[The Ace]

I'm beginning to think we'll never get to play Falkirk.

[Ursa major]

Originally Posted by Tillane

I'm just wondering if this is another indication of our inconsistency, a blip, or proof (if such were needed) that West Ham really are shockingly bad.

Did you have your reserve team on the pitch? (I'm assuming your squad won't have the quality in depth of the really well-funded** Premiership teams.)



** - If only through huge loans from banks.

[Tillane]

Wish I could say we did, Ursa, but while there were five changes we still had Nolan, Barton, Lovenkrands, Coloccini, Williamson... We just weren't all that good today, and Stevenage fully deserved the win.

As for our squad, I think the sad fact is that beyond our first eleven we aren't very strong at all - even our first eleven isn't the strongest. That we're currently eighth in the Premier League says a lot about the league and less about us, methinks.

[Ursa major]

Well as someone who thought West Ham should have gone down in 2007, I'd rather you beat them than Stevenage (although this loss is bound to impact your income for the season).

[Tillane]

Ah, we'd only have gone out to some piddling little club like Man U in the next round anyway.

Ironically, of course, last time we played (and, technically at least, beat) Stevenage, we went on to reach the final. Wonder if Stevenage will follow suit?

[chopper]

Originally Posted by Tillane

Wish I could say we did, Ursa, but while there were five changes we still had Nolan, Barton, Lovenkrands, Coloccini, Williamson... We just weren't all that good today, and Stevenage fully deserved the win.

As for our squad, I think the sad fact is that beyond our first eleven we aren't very strong at all - even our first eleven isn't the strongest. That we're currently eighth in the Premier League says a lot about the league and less about us, methinks.

agreed: the league this season is just poor in general (and i count us in with that, of course....)

[Tillane]

Yeah, I was chatting with my Dad about it the other day (he's a West Ham fan, but we love him anyway) and we both agreed that Man U will win the league by default this year. They're by no means a great team, rather they're the least worst - and they have that annoying knack of not losing despite playing like muppets on occasion.

[pyan]

Originally Posted by Tillane

Ah, we'd only have gone out to some piddling little club like Man U in the next round anyway.

s'orlright, Till - we'll take them on instead...


Kudos to Hartlepool, BTW - they're the only one of the four NE teams to lose to someone in the same division, instead of a lower one...

[The Ace]

I notice Liverpool've brought back the King.

[chopper]

who, elvis?

[The Ace]

No, Dalgleish, you may've heard of him.

Boyhood Rangers fan, but they thought he was a Catholic, so he signed for Celtic instead, scored their consolation goal in the '71 League Cup final when my beloved Jags smashed them 4-1, later went to Liverpool.

Played for Scotland on 100 occasions, (appearing in the World Cup Finals of '74, 78 and 82) and scored 30 international goals, making him joint-top scorer with Denis Law.

Long time stalwart of Liverpool's finest squad.

[Tillane]

Originally Posted by pyan

s'orlright, Till - we'll take them on instead...

And I sincerely hope you stuff 'em. One of my happiest non-Toon footballing memories is of the "grey shirt" game in 96. Still the funniest excuse of all time...

As for Hartlepool...well, at least the mackems and the smoggies won't be up to much gloating at work tomorrow.