Actual (Association) Football Talk.

[sdkelso]

Yep, keep putting words in my mouth. Clueless.

Edit: Just because you don't understand me doesn't mean you're free to make what I say mean whatever the fuck you want.

[Rodion Raskolnikov]

Aaaaaaand foe'd.

sdkelso, you seem to be hell bent on becoming the Sourmilk of this thread (in terms of making every conversation about you rather than football). Thing is, Sourmilk occasionally says interesting things, or at least gives the impression he's not desperately trolling.
Your contributions seem to consist almost entirely of anger, swearing and insults, aimed at no-one and everyone. It's getting dull.

[charliepanayi]

Interesting Serie A facts:

There's been 19 managerial changes in Serie A this season.
With two games to go Juventus are unbeaten but might still not win the league (they're one point ahead of Milan).

[ElWanderer]

I did laugh when I saw the following on the BBC this morning:
Italian Serie A - Fiorentina boss sacked for attacking own player

That's 19 changes across 20 clubs isn't it?

[Dream]

When I was reading about the Genoa Ultras shirt controversy, there was much mention of pending investigations into match fixing in Serie A. It will be interesting to see how that turns out. The Italian game is seemingly riddled with corruption.

[Amie]

Gutted about Newcastle but thank heavens for this!

[the penman]

Ah, Newcastle - bringing joy to my EPL Fantasy Football team since September 2011.

[TheGrammarBolshevik]

That's 19 changes across 20 clubs isn't it?

How would that be possible?

[ElWanderer]

That's 19 changes across 20 clubs isn't it?

How would that be possible?

I don't follow. Or to answer the question with another question: why wouldn't it be possible?

[Negated]

I guess the number includes the changes before season began. Inter alone changed from Leonardo to Gasperini to Ranieri and finally to Stramasomething within the last year.

[TheGrammarBolshevik]

That's 19 changes across 20 clubs isn't it?

How would that be possible?

I don't follow. Or to answer the question with another question: why wouldn't it be possible?

Oh, you just mean there are 20 clubs in the league? I thought you were saying that 20 clubs were somehow all involved in only 19 changes.

[sdkelso]

Aaaaaaand foe'd.

sdkelso, you seem to be hell bent on becoming the Sourmilk of this thread (in terms of making every conversation about you rather than football). Thing is, Sourmilk occasionally says interesting things, or at least gives the impression he's not desperately trolling.
Your contributions seem to consist almost entirely of anger, swearing and insults, aimed at no-one and everyone. It's getting dull.

Have you actually read any of my posts, or are you just mindlessly siding with the majority? I assume the latter, as your post is simply wrong. Every time I enter this thread it is to talk about football. However, because some people for whatever reason are not okay with that, they have to twist the conversation to be about me. Look at the page before this one as a prime example. In response to Garm, I posted about how possession doesn't mean anything if you don't have quality in the final third. Within minutes two users felt the need to attack me personally (one of the even saying something like, "no one's even talking about that anymore," deliberately ignoring the post I was responding to that was, in fact, precisely about "that"). When I defend myself I'm met with self-righteousness and straw-man fallacies. This is a perfect snapshot of my involvement in this thread. It seems to have all started when I responded to Dream saying that he hated to see a great team brought down by a team what were worse than them. I thought that that was a ridiculous statement (is it okay for me to have an opinion?), so I argued against it. Unfortunately, like the altercation on the last page, people felt the need to ignore the vast majority of my posts and attack me and other Chelsea supporters personally (like when Dream unequivocally insulted Amie for thinking that there was no contact for Fabregas's penalty when plenty of pundits and commentators agreed with her). Somehow this is okay and my defense of myself and my team is not.

I have contributed plenty to this thread, as anybody who actually reads my posts (I have a feeling that Garm is the only one) would tell you. For instance, I provided a detailed analysis of why the Chelsea-Barcelona match was analogous to the Battle of Helm's Deep. Now, you may have missed this because two users continually felt the need to blunt and reduce my arguments into straw-men and knock them down. Their arguments, on the other hand, consisted of "they're not comparable!!" with no reasons attached. The closest either of them came to engaging in the argument was disagreeing with a small, inconsequential part of my post and writing off the rest of it as a consequence of this (and ignoring my response). In fact, I have only used strong language in this thread in two instances: (1) in defending myself from blatant self-righteousness and unnecessary personal attacks and (2) when having fun with rivalries.

It's frankly incredible how this thread has turned out. Some people cannot argue intelligently, thereby ignoring others reasons,committing straw-man fallacies, and writing off others points while providing reasons of their own--just about anybody on the wrong end of this would find it annoying. I've been not only effectively silenced during my entire participation in this thread, I've been accused of starting conflict when I had no such intention--conflict began and begins when people don't treat my arguments with the same respect that I treat theirs. I engage with them and defend my position, while they write me off. But I'd bet my life that this is another post which will go largely ignored--in fact, I'd bet my life that the well will be poisoned and that this post will be used as evidence that I make this thread "about myself." I won't know, because I'm wasting my time here if I expect certain users to acknowledge their hypocrisy and treat me with fairness and respect. Don't bother responding because I won't be here to read it.

In conclusion, Chelsea for the cup.

[ElWanderer]

That's 19 changes across 20 clubs isn't it?

How would that be possible?

I don't follow. Or to answer the question with another question: why wouldn't it be possible?

Oh, you just mean there are 20 clubs in the league? I thought you were saying that 20 clubs were somehow all involved in only 19 changes.

Ah I see. Yes, I meant 20 clubs in the league, so 19 is a lot of changes of manager; almost one each.

In the English Premier League there are also 20 clubs, but I can't think of many changes: 1 or 2 at Chelsea, Wolves, Sunderland... one coming at West Brom. Anyone else? There usually seem to be more.

[charliepanayi]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serie_A_20 ... al_changes
(though this takes into account any changes in between seasons)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011%E2%80 ... al_changes

[Amie]

And the FA Cup is ours! What a show by Drogba. And what a win for JT. Cech was brilliant.

I am le pleased!

[Dream]

Can we just all agree on this right now: It wasn't a goal.

[raike]

Can we just all agree on this right now: It wasn't a goal.

That was a damn good save by Cech.

[Dream]

OK, City beat Newcastle, that's one result we need. And Spurs are drawing with 10 men, so let's hope that stays that way. Then we're back to needing our win, but it's back in our hands...

[charliepanayi]

I think Arsenal gave forgotten how to win, I'm not filled with confidence ahead of next weekend

[charliepanayi]

And that's two teams down.

[raike]

And that's two teams down.

And now, will it be QPR or Bolton? Personally, I've no preference on the matter.

[Dream]

I'm delighted for Wigan, they've played some great football, and they deserve to stay up. As for Bolton/QPR, it has to be Bolton. I can't wait for QPR to be thrashed at City, and relegated. It's just a pity it took until the last day.

Speaking of the last day, I'll be spending it on a bus for 10 hours. I'll just have to listen to the goals come in on the radio or something

[Dream]

Another favour to Arsenal from Liverpool! And a richly deserved win for the Merseysiders too. It's a pity there was a foul just before Suarez put the ball in the net a fifth time, that would have been one of the goals of the season.

[raike]

I do hope that Arsenal return to their winning-ways next weekend... I rather enjoy seeing them in the Champions League.

And it seems that Chelsea have no option but to win against Bayern...

[Amie]

That was a dismal performance. Eugh.

[lynx]

I'm so pleased Wigan stayed up last weekend. Good win by Liverpool as well, Suarez is an excellent player.

I'm glad the end of this season is so exciting at the top of the football pyramid; Bournemouth are following a great season in the upper reaches of the table that resulted in a gutting playoff loss, with a boring mid-table finish with very few stand-out players. Ah well, such is football!

[charliepanayi]

We haven't won a league game without Arteta this season. One last chance to rectify that!

[Dream]

I'm going to be on a bus from London to Glasgow for the entire of Sunday, and am going to miss the last round. Grr. I'll have to find a radio or hope someone has a smartphone with coverage.

[Chuff]

We haven't won a league game without Arteta this season. One last chance to rectify that!

That's a horrifying stat. Arteta really oughtn't be that important.

[iamspen]

Though as an American I'm not a fan of association football by default, I feel compelled to root for Bayern-Munchen in the UEFA championship because my girlfriend lived in Munich for a summer. Because of that, I'll probably even watch the match.

Go Bayern-Munchen!

Edit: I know the match will be played in Allianz Arena, but, as an uneducated and unitiated American, I'm compelled to ask: does home field advantage play a significant role in futbal as it does in traditional American sports? Or do the nature of the sport and the typically low scoring numbers moot that?

[Dream]

I know the match will be played in Allianz Arena, but, as an uneducated and unitiated American, I'm compelled to ask: does home field advantage play a significant role in futbal as it does in traditional American sports? Or do the nature of the sport and the typically low scoring numbers moot that?

I'd very confidently say that a hostile football stadium is by some distance the worst place a team in any sport can be expected to play. Home advantage is huge in football.

[charliepanayi]

But it should be stressed that only one team has previously played a European Cup final on their home ground, and they lost (Roma in 1984 to Liverpool). On the other hand countries hosting a tournament usually win a World Cup or European Championship final if they get there (1950 and 2004 being the exceptions). So I'm not sure how Bayern will react to playing the final in Munich.

West Ham v Blackpool in the playoff final. That's the game I wanted really.

[Dream]

And Blackpool to win! Come oooon Blackpool!

[Bill Door]

I'd very confidently say that a hostile football stadium is by some distance the worst place a team in any sport can be expected to play. Home advantage is huge in football.

It's the Champions League final, Bayern won't get the same ticket allocation as they would for a normal home game. Each team will get an equal allocation, with a lot going to sponsors. Of course Bayern will still probably have more support, it just won't be as much as a normal home game. It will be a similar situation to last year when Man United had an (almost) home game in Wembley.

[raike]

There're already too many London-based football clubs in the premiership ( I jest, I jest)-I'm for Blackpool on this one!

[ElWanderer]

It was rather unusual to hear Ian Holloway claiming he was lost for words... suspect I probably won't in the minority as a neutral rooting for Blackpool in the final.

Our new manager is a tabloid headline writer's dream: Wolves appoint Norwegian Stale Solbakken as new manager
Lots of mileage to be had with stale/fresh puns. One of my friends has suggested in response that we should be sponsored by Greggs.

[lynx]

Never heard of that Norwegian, let's see what he does in the Championship!

[raike]

Yay! City won it! (And Arsenal are in the Champions League for sure!)
Take that United fans!

[Amie]

I love football. City was a bag a surprises tonight. I'm actually kind of happy for them. My brother is the saddest boy in the world today and I feel bad for him. He's a United fan.

Five more days to the UEFA finals. Bayern will definitely be pumped after their loss to Dortmund. It won't be easy for Chelsea. Today's game was fun and I hope we'll have enough to see us through, near-impossible as that may be. Whatever happens, I'm proud of my club.

[charliepanayi]

Joey Barton should probably steer clear of Old Trafford for a while.

Phew! Just about limped over the line but glad to have finished third after such a chaotic season.