The Round Ball Game - II

[jayne lee wilson]

In case you missed it

Liverpool 3 Toon 1

And Howe says we were robbed …… !!!!!!!

That TAA strike for No.3 was quite something wasn't it? Even by his own exceptional standards - the sheer weight of shot.. Utterly unique player, always seems to be everywhere, always wants the ball... that natural authority. Liverpool born and bred, Captain across youth teams, A leader on the pitch and for the future...

But.... it wasn't 5 or 6. Newcastle did fight on, showed some grit.... kept their pride. I guess that comes from Howe, but its early days yet...

Still wondering if Salah and Mané will be off to the the Africa Nations soon, how we'd set up or..... if it will even happen at all now...? The Shadow of Covid looms across the Planet once again....
I'll be seeking out Serie A in hope..... Milan v Napoli tomorrow ....

****
Salute to a great, modest and humble man......imagine losing the thing you love the most at 33 years old, have lived your whole life for...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/59672244

He could have had that late-career coda, a fine wine, like Ronaldo or Ibrahimovic (though his style was more in the Gerd Muller mode, with added spectacle)..... and who will ever forget the conclusion to the 2012 Premiership.....

"Aguerooooooo!"
I still laugh all over my face when I think about it, listening live on Radio Commentary... perhaps only the 1989 season ending comes close, but of course I can hardly bear to even think about that one......

[Edgy 2]

FA Trophy

Stockport County 4 Grimsby Town 0

We'll take the win obvs but visitors are ravaged by Covid and brought an under strength team.
Some clubs withdrew from the comp for the same reason,not sure football should be on at all really

[antongould]

FA Trophy

Stockport County 4 Grimsby Town 0

We'll take the win obvs but visitors are ravaged by Covid and brought an under strength team.
Some clubs withdrew from the comp for the same reason,not sure football should be on at all really

Agree Rob ……

[cloughie]

Agree Rob ……

I think FA and EFL need to address the problem - clubs and managers need to take a stand here - currently it seems a decision has to be taken on the basis of fielding a weakened side vs facing end of season fixture congestion which eg contributed greatly towards Rotherham being relegated last season through having to play the last week of their season with matches at two day intervals! It is however of some concern if the reports are true that so many players are not vaccinated!

[gurnemanz]

Match of the the Day last night was very precisely true to its title with only one match surviving Covid. Not a good watch for Leeds fans.

[antongould]

Toon 0 Man C 4

Tis the season to be jolly …….

[johncorrigan]

Tis the season to be jolly …….

Nowt else for it, anton.

[cloughie]

Toon 0 Man C 4

Tis the season to be jolly …….

At least you may have some ‘comfort and joy’ in that with the Window shopping dosh EH will have the opportunity to prove he’s right on Toon!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Toon 0 Man C 4

Tis the season to be jolly …….

Mixed feelings on this. I wanted Manchester City to win, to keep Liverpool and Chelsea at bay, but I'll be gutted if Newcastle are relegated.

[jayne lee wilson]

Some terrible decisions at Newcastle, and even worse in the thunderous Spurs-Liverpool battle.
We were weakened in midfield by Covid/injuries, and gifted Spurs two terrible goals, but....

VAR, once railed against (correctly) for giving too much, penalties for the least contact etc etc, now encourages such Refereeing leniency as to produce a regular old-fashioned sense of unfairness.

So "clear and obvious errors" are no longer being corrected... the penalty denied to us was well into the outrageous category - if that wasn't a clear and obvious error, such a term has lost all meaning...

The solution is simple: VAR should continuously monitor the action as usual, but always tell the Ref. when he or she has got it wrong, calling them to the pitchside monitor if necessary.
When "discretion" does this much damage, to Toon and Liverpool, it needs to be minimised.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/59726422

[johncorrigan]

If you want a laugh, have a listen back to the interview with the legendary Dick Campbell, Arbroath manager, on Radio 5 this evening. Part-time Arbroath went top of the Scottish Championship on Saturday so they gave him a call. His story of getting a call from Sir Alex is great. He was on after the 8pm news this evening - he's a great local character is Dick - 35 years as a manager, he's been boss of most of the teams in Tayside.

[teamsaint]

If you want a laugh, have a listen back to the interview with the legendary Dick Campbell, Arbroath manager, on Radio 5 this evening. Part-time Arbroath went top of the Scottish Championship on Saturday so they gave him a call. His story of getting a call from Sir Alex is great. He was on after the 8pm news this evening - he's a great local character is Dick - 35 years as a manager, he's been boss of most of the teams in Tayside.

Not heard the interview, but saw ( just , through the fog) the highlights.
Tremendous for Arbroath to go top of the league. And very gentlemanly of you not to mention who their victims were on Satdee, JC !!

[jayne lee wilson]

Perfectly (and devastatingly) put....

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2021/dec/21/covid-britain-football-clubs-decisions-public-health-premier-league

[johncorrigan]

Not heard the interview, but saw ( just , through the fog) the highlights.
Tremendous for Arbroath to go top of the league. And very gentlemanly of you not to mention who their victims were on Satdee, JC !!

Perfectly (and devastatingly) put....
https://www.theguardian.com/football...premier-league

Crowds now limited for all games in Scotland. 500, I think I heard Nicola say today. Celtic were due to play Rangers at Celtic Park at New Year before the winter break - strangely, it being the biggest earner of the year for them, they have asked that the break be brought forward and the games before the break postponed and re-scheduled. Be interested to see what the football authorities say - sounds sensible, though we've got Rangers and Celtic next two games, so I would say that.

[jayne lee wilson]

We already have 4 senior first team players in isolation, and several other illness/injury absences, and here we are facing three games in six days. Foxes have similar problems so God Only Knows who will take the field tomorrow....