The Round Ball Game - II

[Lat-Literal]

Fake team more like. Pretty football - but no heart! Where was Mesut Özil? Gone missing as usual. Surely a new manager will embark on a wholesale clear-out.

Coasters got beaten by Boreham Wood.

I don't doubt the stretchered off one has a very long term Achilles injury which requires persistent yoga and which may have taken a turn for the worse on the day or the night. The timing, though, 10 minutes in, was unfortunate especially given his negative impact in the home fixture and Mr Neville's noting of the occasions when he has failed to produce in key matches. The press say it is now a tear or a rupture. However, that has not been clearly confirmed by his manager, ostensibly on the grounds that there hasn't yet been a full scan.

Experts have advised it will be out of the question that he plays in the World Cup if that is confirmed and are saying it is sad for him. He had, though, announced in November, which as it happens was the month of regime change at Arsenal, that he would retire from international football after this World Cup. In terms of continuing to have any playing career at 32, it may well just be a case of retiring from international football before this Cup rather than after it. Again, according to the press, there is not the tiniest of possibilities he will be at Atletico next season where he need not be for long in a playing rather than a coaching role. I predict he will be there by September, whatever the scan, the results of which I await with interest.

As for Ozil, my guess is you have been listening to the somewhat amusing Goldstein and Cundy but he was far from being absent all last night. Having said as much, I have been a consistent critic of Ozil almost from the time that he arrived and I'd support him being transferred out along with Bellerin, Xhaka, Welbeck and, here I am atypical, Jack Wilshere. I'd just like to add that I would keep Santi Cazorla on the books for another two years plus as I feel that he deserves patience as he continues to recover from his truly horrific injury.

[BBMmk2]

I do hope Liverpool win.

[gurnemanz]

Only if Real Madrid win!

Interesting that national loyalty struggles to override ingrained dislike of certain teams. I remember someone telling me that he and some other English people watched the famous 1999 Man U - Bayern Final in a bar in Hamburg. The Hamburgers were cheering for Man U and the English were supporting Bayern.

[johncorrigan]

Interesting that national loyalty struggles to override ingrained dislike of certain teams. I remember someone telling me that he and some other English people watched the famous 1999 Man U - Bayern Final in a bar in Hamburg. The Hamburgers were cheering for Man U and the English were supporting Bayern.

I love it!

Just one more thing re the Buddies. Jack Ross, our manager, beat off fierce competition to pick up the Manager of the Year Award and has promised that we are 'just a work in progress'. Well deserved, but I would say that. Another one for the cabinet, Rob? Lewis Morgan also picked up the Scottish Championship Player of the Year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/scotland/43949623

Whaur'd I put that deckchair?

[EdgeleyRob]

I love it!

Just one more thing re the Buddies. Jack Ross, our manager, beat off fierce competition to pick up the Manager of the Year Award and has promised that we are 'just a work in progress'. Well deserved, but I would say that. Another one for the cabinet, Rob? Lewis Morgan also picked up the Scottish Championship Player of the Year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/scotland/43949623

Whaur'd I put that deckchair?

We're gonna need a bigger cabinet.

[EdgeleyRob]

This evening

Brighton 1 Manchester United 0 Forum derby,Seagulls are safe Reds work to do to finish 2nd
Partick Thistle 1 Ross County 1 Took the lead,2 points clear of bottom spot

Bit busy tomorrow so the round up could be late

[BBMmk2]

This evening

Brighton 1 Manchester United 0 Forum derby,Seagulls are safe Reds work to do to finish 2nd
Partick Thistle 1 Ross County 1 Took the lead,2 points clear of bottom spot

Bit busy tomorrow so the round up could be late

Yssss! Thank God! Thank you ER and thank you Seagulls!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Please could someone explain this to me. On BBC teletext, Wimbledon is always at the top of League 1 alphabetical listings, even though the team isn't called Yimbledon. Yet on the BBC Sport website, the same club appears in its correct alphabetical position.

I can now almost hear some of you shouting "But it's AFC Wimbledon, and that begins with an A". Does that mean the web team has it wrong? Then there's the Tony matter of AFC Bournemouth, which doesn't get put of Arsenal, either on BBC teletext, or on the website.

[jayne lee wilson]

This can be a cruel, cruel game, can't it, Teamsaint...?

So now you have a desperate kind of Cup Final on Tuesday....looking at next Sunday's fixtures, you know what you have to do .....god speed and good luck....

[teamsaint]

This can be a cruel, cruel game, can't it, Teamsaint...?

So now you have a desperate kind of Cup Final on Tuesday.....god speed and good luck....

Cheers Jayne. The cat kicked me.
In the end , we would have needed to go and win at Swansea anyway, so perhaps some decent current form will see us through. We played well again tonight, and we suddenly look as though we have something about us. Our luck has indeed been cruel this season, ( most notably the awful handball injury time equaliser at Watford) but it may yet change.

Everton. We must have done something very bad to them in a previous life........

( And DONT get me started on the non existent "foul" by Redmond in their corner on 94 minutes that Moss gave as a free kick, and let them take 15 yds further forward...or the first yellow card for Yoshida......)

Right, rant over, its all in our own hands, and we would have taken tonights position like a shot at 2.59 last Saturday.

[Stanfordian]

Cheers Jayne. The cat kicked me.
In the end , we would have needed to go and win at Swansea anyway, so perhaps some decent current form will see us through. We played well again tonight, and we suddenly look as though we have something about us. Our luck has indeed been cruel this season, ( most notably the awful handball injury time equaliser at Watford) but it may yet change.

Everton. We must have done something very bad to them in a previous life........

( And DONT get me started on the non existent "foul" by Redmond in their corner on 94 minutes that Moss gave as a free kick, and let them take 15 yds further forward...or the first yellow card for Yoshida......)

Right, rant over, its all in our own hands, and we would have taken tonights position like a shot at 2.59 last Saturday.

Very cruel! A sad day for you!

[teamsaint]

Very cruel! A sad day for you!

Well it was a tough one to take, but as I said, a week ago we would have happily taken the 4 points from two games, and a defeat for Swansea today.

We are still in the fight, in decent form, so all still to play for. A win at Swansea on Tuesday was always going to be required, so in the short term at least, not too much has changed.
Before the game we'd have taken a point , I think.

[EdgeleyRob]

Stoke City 1 Crystal Palace 2 Came from behind,now safe
Bournemouth 1 Swansea City 0 Ended a run of 3 defeats,also safe
Leicester City 0 West Ham United 2 Lost 4 of last 5,dreaded vote of confidence for the manager this week
Watford 2 Newcastle United 1 3rd straight defeat but safe
West Brom 1 Tottenham 0 Conceded on 92 mins,still work to do for top 4 finish
Everton 1 Southampton 1 Conceded a 96th min equaliser,survival in their own hands
Aberdeen 0 Hibernian 0 2nd by 1 point
Motherwell 1 St Johnstone 5 3 up at the break

Last regular fixtures for the teams below

Wimbledon 2 Bury 2 Were 2-0 up,finished 18th
Southend United 0 Bristol Rovers 0 Finished 13 th
Coventry City 0 Morecambe 0 Finished 6th,play offs to come
Exeter City 1 Colchester United 0 Late winner,finished 4th so also more to come

Scottish League play off

Queen's Park 1 Stenhousemuir 2 Lost 2-3 on aggregate and are relegated to league 2

Best wishes to Sir Alex

I am off to Croatia for a week this coming Monday,I'll be back on here from 15th of May,so I'll miss the last week of the PL,SPL and some play off games
If you are able come off the bench please teamsaint and do the honours that would be appreciated

[Stanfordian]

Best wishes to Sir Alex for a speedy recovery.

[BBMmk2]

indeed, all the best Sir Alex.