The Round Ball Game

[Alison]

I can't remember a team ever getting so much criticism for a return to form !!

great result for Leicester, complete contast to their abject effort when I saw them recently.

It was a real joy to see them playing like that again. Not sure I want Roy Hodgson as manager though

[teamsaint]

It was a real joy to see them playing like that again. Not sure I want Roy Hodgson as manager though

er, no, possibly not the best idea.

Nige Adkins would be great.

( but he needs somebody to select transfer targets)

[zola]

I can't remember a team ever getting so much criticism for a return to form !!

December 2015, Chelsea 3 Sunderland 1

In fact Leicester performed in a very similar vein under Ranieri a couple of months ago with the comprehensive 4-2 win over Man City but then they slumped again. So not out of the woods yet.

[Alison]

December 2015, Chelsea 3 Sunderland 1

In fact Leicester performed in a very similar vein under Ranieri a couple of months ago with the comprehensive 4-2 win over Man City but then they slumped again. So not out of the woods yet.

Very true. Somehow I fancy Hull won't be a walkover at the weekend. I also want to see a decent showing, and even a win, away from home!

[EdgeleyRob]

Roy Hodgson ? surely not Alison

Tuesday results

Brighton 1 Newcastle United 2 Big top 2 Forum derby,I suppose BBM wanted a draw,Seagulls took an early lead with a pen,Toon scored twice in the last 10 mins to go top
Bury 2 Coventry City 1 Were 2-0 down at the break,scored on 65 mins,back to back defeats,bottom,11 points from safety
Scunthorpe United 1 Wimbledon 2 Super away win v the team in 2nd place,went 2-0 up with goals on 60 and 69 mins and held on despite conceding on 74 mins,13th
Bolton Wanderers 1 Bristol Rovers 1 Good away point v the play off contenders,went behind in the 7th min,equalised on 75 mins,11th
Hartlepool United 4 Crewe Alexandra 0 Took the lead right on half time then scored 3 in the last 19 mins,1st win in 7 league games,6 points above the relegation zone
Lincoln City 1 York City 1 Another terrific away Forum result this time v the league leaders,led at the break but conceded on 76 mins,bottom of the table
Margate 0 Chelmsford City 2 The goals came on 41 and 75 mins,4 wins from last 5 league games,remain in the last play off spot

[Lat-Literal]

Roy Hodgson ? surely not Alison

Tuesday results

Brighton 1 Newcastle United 2 Big top 2 Forum derby,I suppose BBM wanted a draw,Seagulls took an early lead with a pen,Toon scored twice in the last 10 mins to go top
Bury 2 Coventry City 1 Were 2-0 down at the break,scored on 65 mins,back to back defeats,bottom,11 points from safety
Scunthorpe United 1 Wimbledon 2 Super away win v the team in 2nd place,went 2-0 up with goals on 60 and 69 mins and held on despite conceding on 74 mins,13th
Bolton Wanderers 1 Bristol Rovers 1 Good away point v the play off contenders,went behind in the 7th min,equalised on 75 mins,11th
Hartlepool United 4 Crewe Alexandra 0 Took the lead right on half time then scored 3 in the last 19 mins,1st win in 7 league games,6 points above the relegation zone
Lincoln City 1 York City 1 Another terrific away Forum result this time v the league leaders,led at the break but conceded on 76 mins,bottom of the table
Margate 0 Chelmsford City 2 The goals came on 41 and 75 mins,4 wins from last 5 league games,remain in the last play off spot

Yes - an extraordinary number of draws this season but this was the best and it was an interesting result in view of the forthcoming semi-final you mentioned. Otherwise, the situation is still dire in a period when teams perform differently according to the competition. See Sutton at 16th and Leicester. I am pleased for Alison and most of their fans. Perhaps I was quick to talk of relegation but the team is now in a position where they can't win with neutrals. If they play well it will just look like a re-run of Chelsea last year with certain players too big. Mahrez would be the can-I-be-bothered Hazard. As for the Vardys I confuse them these days with the Bercows but that is the celebrity circuit for you.

I'm not sure it is clear to me how much some players wanted to leave and were upset because Kante left or indeed the extent to which Kante's leaving was the key to Ranieri's downfall. He was a major part of Leicester's "defence". But it is the modern player in general. Ibrahimovic is the only player in the entire Premier League who hasn't under-performed throughout this season. Incidentally, if push came to shove re Wenger at Arsenal and Keown wasn't available, I could just about find Hodgson or Ranieri acceptable.

[antongould]

Roy Hodgson ? surely not Alison

Tuesday results

Brighton 1 Newcastle United 2 Big top 2 Forum derby,I suppose BBM wanted a draw,Seagulls took an early lead with a pen,Toon scored twice in the last 10 mins to go top
Bury 2 Coventry City 1 Were 2-0 down at the break,scored on 65 mins,back to back defeats,bottom,11 points from safety
Scunthorpe United 1 Wimbledon 2 Super away win v the team in 2nd place,went 2-0 up with goals on 60 and 69 mins and held on despite conceding on 74 mins,13th
Bolton Wanderers 1 Bristol Rovers 1 Good away point v the play off contenders,went behind in the 7th min,equalised on 75 mins,11th
Hartlepool United 4 Crewe Alexandra 0 Took the lead right on half time then scored 3 in the last 19 mins,1st win in 7 league games,6 points above the relegation zone
Lincoln City 1 York City 1 Another terrific away Forum result this time v the league leaders,led at the break but conceded on 76 mins,bottom of the table
Margate 0 Chelmsford City 2 The goals came on 41 and 75 mins,4 wins from last 5 league games,remain in the last play off spot

Perhaps wonders don't cease after all .....

[cloughie]

Perhaps wonders don't cease after all .....

...and perhaps Jones is turning things around. Who's his No2 anton, always key to his achievements such as they were with the Owls.

[johncorrigan]

Yippee! Another 3 points tonight after a 2-0 against the league leaders - still 5 points adrift but with a game in hand. Let's hope we don't get a hiding against Celtic at Parkhead in the Cup on Saturday. They stuffed Inverness CT 0-4 tonight.

[Alison]

Tell us more about Demetriou, John!

[EdgeleyRob]

Yippee! Another 3 points tonight after a 2-0 against the league leaders - still 5 points adrift but with a game in hand. Let's hope we don't get a hiding against Celtic at Parkhead in the Cup on Saturday. They stuffed Inverness CT 0-4 tonight.

Beat me to it Jc

Dundee 0 Partick Thistle 1 OG in the 1st half secured a 3rd straight win and moved the Jags into the top 6
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0 Celtic 4 Conceded the goals in a 23 mins spell either side of the break,2 points adrift at the bottom
St Mirren 2 Hibernian 0 Yes,goals either side of half time secured a stunning win v the leaders,back to back league wins

[johncorrigan]

Beat me to it Jc

Dundee 0 Partick Thistle 1 OG in the 1st half secured a 3rd straight win and moved the Jags into the top 6
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0 Celtic 4 Conceded the goals in a 23 mins spell either side of the break,2 points adrift at the bottom
St Mirren 2 Hibernian 0 Yes,goals either side of half time secured a stunning win v the leaders,back to back league wins

Yeah Rob, got a bit overexcited there...four wins in a row in all competitions. I assume you welcome the knowledge that Huddersfield are not a forum team this evening.

[antongould]

...and perhaps Jones is turning things around. Who's his No2 anton, always key to his achievements such as they were with the Owls.

Sam Collins, cloughers ex hatchet man centre half been there centuries in Hartlepool terms .....

[eighthobstruction]

....an interesting , enlightening article with a touch of the ugly surrounding youth football these days (perhaps always ref 1990-2017) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/...ester_cold_war

[johncorrigan]

Tommy Gemmell RIP

Tommy Gemmell, left back with Celtic's Lisbon Lions, has passed on just two months away from the 50th anniversary of his greatest triumph. Gemmell was one of Celtic's two scorers when Jock Stein's team beat the million pound team of Inter Milan in 1967, 2-1. Gemmell who was a fiery individual, was also known as a real joker. It's a sad week for Scottish football after the announcement this week that his Captain on that momentous day, Billy McNeill, has dementia, the inference being made that his prowess as a great header of the ball may have caused his downfall. I imagine that there will be armbands at Parkhead on Saturday when the Buddies arrive for their Cup visit.
Fiery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9TTvvICNHA
Brilliant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNdnellWWDI