The Round Ball Game - II

[Lat-Literal]

Ooh look - sort of proves my assumption.

I have only just discovered this, not that it could in any way return :

How the Inflatable Banana Almost Saved Football:

(Some references here to the fish, crocodiles etc too)

""The staging by Manchester City fans of a mock ‘fight’ between a giant Godzilla and a blow-up Frankenstein at West Brom is perhaps seen as the highlight of the 88-89 ‘inflatables season'...…"numerous reports on BBC News throughout the season commenting on the fad, praising it for “putting the fun back into football""....an antidote to hooliganism, no less.

http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal...-football.html

[Alison]

At least Liverpool are out too!

Very annoying though for supporters of Leicester. Once again Puel has squandered a chance to win over fans who in spite of victories against Everton, Chelsea and Man City don’t really believe in the guy.

Fair play Wolves, gave it a right go and have been duly rewarded.

[LMcD]

At least Liverpool are out too!

Very annoying though for supporters of Leicester. Once again Puel has squandered a chance to win over fans who in spite of victories against Everton, Chelsea and Man City don’t really believe in the guy.

Fair play Wolves, gave it a right go and have been duly rewarded.

I see that Liverpool made 9 changes to their starting line-up and included 3 teenage debutantes - good luck to them, but this scarcely betokens much in the way of commitment to the competition.

[cheersoldman]

What about the Neves goal then?
All the attention on Liverpool ..
If I had cycled up on Mr Phoebus I would of been really fed up with all the one sided ness.

[DracoM]

I see that Liverpool made 9 changes to their starting line-up and included 3 teenage debutantes - good luck to them, but this scarcely betokens much in the way of commitment to the competition.

Exactly. I'd looked forward to this game all day....and then I saw the team sheet. Hmm. Bit of a giveaway?

[french frank]

What about the Neves goal then?
All the attention on Liverpool ..
If I had cycled up on Mr Phoebus I would of been really fed up with all the one sided ness.

Cheers, cheersoldman! What about it!!!

[eighthobstruction]

What about the Neves goal then?
All the attention on Liverpool ..
If I had cycled up on Mr Phoebus I would of been really fed up with all the one sided ness.

....yes WALLOP....cheers

[Lat-Literal]

Possibly the most upsetting announcement of the footballing week came from Denise Barrett-Baxendale. It was not in the way that the Everton chief was ordering - her word - the club to win the Premier League within a decade, which is fair enough if rather hopeful, but in her confirmation that there should be a new ground in three years. In this early farewell to Goodison, another nail was put into the coffin of the architecture of Archibald Leitch. By rights, the majority of what he designed should have become unimpeachably listed buildings.

As for Arsenal news, I have heard at the more obscure end of the grapevine that Eduardo César Daude Gaspar - Edu to his friends - might just be lured back after a gap of many years to take on a senior role such as Director of Football. If he agrees - and it is an if - this is fantastic stuff. Still only 40, he's intelligent, cultured, able and loves both London and the club.

[cloughie]

The big little match today, edge! Don’t think the away end will be full!

[Alison]

Genuinely cannot see Foxes beating the steadily improving Saints today.

Good luck everyone.

Hope you’re well Johnny C (Buddies).

[LMcD]

Genuinely cannot see Foxes beating the steadily improving Saints today.

Good luck everyone.

Hope you’re well Johnny C (Buddies).

I wonder how many of the Saints' starting 11 will be picked for the midweek FA Cup replay?

[Alison]

I wonder how many of the Saints' starting 11 will be picked for the midweek FA Cup replay?

4

[DracoM]

Well, if he follows Klopp's midweek example - pitifully few.

[Lat-Literal]

Bielsa 2 Lampard 0

Spygate. This is a curious one because I am no lover of Leeds. While a return to the top flight would not be without its pluses - it is a big club with history and after all these years it would seem almost miraculous - to have ever eagerly supported such a thing seemed totally unlikely. Only in exceptional unforeseen circumstances could that ever have occurred. Also, historically, I never minded Derby. And it is always a big "yes" to sportsmanship, not that it often occurs. But I have found this incident amusing and worrying in equal measure.

First, there has been something exceptional happening at Leeds. It is in Marcelo Bielsa who, long before the season started, Tim Vickery advised us was, quote, "mad" as in eccentric with the hint of wonderfully so. The game has too few of these. Simultaneously the arrival of Frank Lampard as manager at Derby - Harry Redknapp has said that he put in a word for him - was not to my liking. I hear a thinness in the voice. I do not take to the character one jot. And I have never seen - although I do not question it - one of the highest levels of IQ ever in football as some have claimed. Somehow, when a Leeds "spy" was spotted near to a training ground, it just had to be at Derby. Only here could Lampard again be assessed.

But quickly back to Bielsa. That it would happen anywhere was a fabulous testament to the Leeds manager's eccentricity. So too was, when questioned, his immediate and very decent admission of it which if it were intended to have been seen would underpin his tactical nous. But whether the police would have been called so readily to any place other than Lampard's Derby is more doubtful. To date, it is not alleged that the spy wasn't purely on public ground or what he was doing was a contravention of any rule. The amusing part is in the farce and the manner in which it illustrates these two individuals so well. The worrying part is in the way Leeds may be penalised. I hope they won't be and would now like to see them promoted.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jan/12/leeds-apologise-after-derby-spy-row-and-remind-marcelo-bielsa-of-integrity

[Edgy 2]

The big little match today, edge! Don’t think the away end will be full!

FA Trophy 2nd round

Stockport County 5 Truro City 0 Forum derby,sorry cloughie tough time to be playing us tbh,we’re on fire.
Respect to the 33 hardy souls who made the trip from Cornwall to our away end