Football/Soccer

[Altered Statesman]

Just thought I'd start a thread to talk about football/soccer.

Other football threads I've done have seemed somewhat popular with few people so I figure it's easier if we all just post in this thread.

I think we should find a team in an obscure league that we all can follow so we can have some common ground to stand on between the arguments about the teams we really love.

I got no votes for a team at the moment but Australia are playing Bahrain tonight in the World Cup Qualifiers and I think we should win, maybe 3-0 or
3-1. We are pretty underated as a side but when we combine its a strange thing to watch.

Anyhow, kickoffis in about 40 minutes so I'm going to go and put a pie in the oven and prepare myself.

Altered "I went to the same school as Mark Viduka and I like to drop names" Statesman

[Jay Tea]

Australia have got a decent side, ranked just below Ireland at 37 - certainly in the last world cup they were only denied a QF shot by a last minute penalty. I'd have them as weighty favourites to beat Bahrain out of sight.

Are there any Premiership quality Aussie players coming through the ranks? The days of Schwatzer, Kewell and Viduka are slipping away. Neil, Emerton and Cahill are decent middling sorta players...

[Altered Statesman]

Well I support Melbourne Victory in the A-League (Aussie Prem League) and we have an awesome keeper named Michael Theoloklitos (spelling is crap) and we also have an awesome attacking mid fielder/defender Evan Berger. The A-League isn't bad, even Mark Bosnic had a 6 game stint this year.

Our under23 keeper Federici is awesome as well. There are a few players that will make their way to europe soon. Maybe Shane Smeltz or Kaz Patafta and a few others but my money would be on Evan Berger. I think Nicky Carle is hard done by not to be selected for the World Cup side. Lucas Neil, Tim Cahill, Viduka and Harry Kewell are my favourite current Australian players.

[jw]

Originally Posted by Altered Statesman

Just thought I'd start a thread to talk about football/soccer. /snip/
I got no votes for a team at the moment but Australia are playing Bahrain tonight in the World Cup Qualifiers and I think we should win, maybe 3-0 or
3-1. We are pretty underated as a side but when we combine its a strange thing to watch.

We have got a world cup 2010 - qualifying thread, but it's no harm to have a general soccer thread, either.
Oz are off to a good start in this second group stage and could do with picking up more points on their travels.

[Andrew of Ware]

Originally Posted by Altered Statesman

JAltered "I went to the same school as Mark Viduka and I like to drop names" Statesman

I went to the same school as Tim Rutter (who played for Runcorn in the early/mid 80s). [/CLAIM FOR FAME]

[jw]

Originally Posted by Andrew of Ware

I went to the same school as Tim Rutter (who played for Runcorn in the early/mid 80s). [/CLAIM FOR FAME]

Stephen Roche (Tour de France, winner 1987), went to my school and was in the same year as me.

[/jw's claim to fame, by association too.]

[Dactyl]

I saved the life of current joint-top Southern Premier League scorer Michael Charles when he was pushed off a wall at Darlington by a steward. [/really crap claim to fame]

[Altered Statesman]

I'm watching us play at the moment and when we are bad we are very very bad and when we are bad we are horrid.

Kewell, Kennedy and Cahill and we can't muster anything up?

[edit]

at around the 38th minute, we have started to play well. grrrr.

who's going to win in the EPL this week?

[jw]

I played against David O'Leary's brother Pierce, when he was a junior player(U-15) in Dublin. David was playing for the Arsenal by then, so his brother was a soft target. We kicked him and his team off the pitch, and he missed a peno as we bustled his club out of a cup game.

J-another minor claim to shame fame-w

[Dactyl]

Originally Posted by Altered Statesman

who's going to win in the EPL this week?

If I had to stick an accumulator on WIN/LOSE I'd go with the following:

Aston Villa v Man Utd AWAY WIN
Chelsea v Newcastle HOME WIN
Liverpool v Fulham HOME WIN
Man City v Arsenal AWAY WIN
Middlesbrough v Bolton HOME WIN
Portsmouth v Hull HOME WIN
Stoke v West Brom HOME WIN
Sunderland v West Ham HOME WIN
Tottenham v Blackburn HOME WIN
Wigan v Everton AWAY WIN

However, my main concern this weekend is the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy.

[Jay Tea]

Aston Villa v Man Utd AWAY WIN - Agreed. We love playing Villa.
Chelsea v Newcastle HOME WIN - Yup, Chelsea are on some roll.
Liverpool v Fulham HOME Win - I'd sway towards the draw, with a sniff of a shock away win.
Man City v Arsenal -AWAY WIN - Nope. City will heap more woe on the Gunners
Middlesbrough v Bolton HOME WIN - Score Draw
Portsmouth v Hull HOME WIN - I'm going for the Tigers here.
Stoke v West Brom HOME WIN - Agreed
Sunderland v West Ham HOME WIN - Yup, Jones and Cisse look good up front for Sunderland, the Irons just look sad.
Tottenham v Blackburn HOME WIN - Yup.
Wigan v Everton AWAY WIN - Home win for me.

However, my main concern this weekend is the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy.[/quote]

[Dactyl]

You don't put draws on accumulators (well you shouldn't if you want any chance of winning).

[Mosherette]

I went to school with Kenny Dalglish's daughter, therefore I AM FULL OF WIN.

Shame Everton aren't.

[jw]

Originally Posted by Dactyl

You don't put draws on accumulators (well you shouldn't if you want any chance of winning).

Don't roughly one third of all games end in draws?

I tend to look for value away bets, often eschewing the EPL, as the market betting on the top four is distorted. The lower leagues offer much better value in away wins, comparing like against like regarding league positions.

PS. I'd leave Stoke alone after last weeks drubbing, even if it is the Baggies up next.

[Jay Tea]

Originally Posted by Dactyl

You don't put draws on accumulators (well you shouldn't if you want any chance of winning).

Hm. I'll go with the Trotters then.

[Dactyl]

Originally Posted by jw

Don't roughly one third of all games end in draws?

Just under 30% I believe which still gives WIN/LOSS a 5% advantage. It's the reason the pools use them.

I tend to look for value away bets, often eschewing the EPL, as the market betting on the top four is distorted. The lower leagues offer much better value in away wins, comparing like against like regarding league positions.

If you know anything about lower non-league football (STEP 4 for example) you can make a killing as the bookies know very little.

PS. I'd leave Stoke alone after last weeks drubbing, even if it is the Baggies up next.

I wouldn't actually put money on the whole fixture list, I was just saying what I'd go with if I had to place a bet.

[Altered Statesman]

I'd have to go for these teams to win.

Man U
Chelski
Liverpool
City/Arsenal is a hard one. I'd like to see city win but I feel Arsenal have lost enough games now and are due for a win.
Middlesbrourgh and Bolton to draw 2-2
Portsmouth
Stoke
Westham/Sunderland draw
Tottenham
Everton

Also there is a top of the table clash in the A-League between my team, the mighty Melbourne Victory FC and Central Coast Mariners (or seman as I call them). It should be a good game if you get a chance to see it. Our keeper Theoklitos (spelt wrong i persume) is a gun and was rumoured to be moving to Everton at some stage this year. I think he will make the move (not to Everton but at least to Europe) next year as MVFC has already signed a replacment keeper for 09.

Altered "We're the north end, we're the north end, we're the north end over here" Statesman

[jw]

Originally Posted by Dactyl

Just under 30% I believe which still gives WIN/LOSS a 5% advantage. It's the reason the pools use them.

Indeed. They are so difficult to predict, I never look to back draws. If I think any game has a probability of a draw, I leave it alone.

If you know anything about lower non-league football (STEP 4 for example) you can make a killing as the bookies know very little.

Spill, mate!

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by Mosherette

I went to school with Kenny Dalglish's daughter, therefore I AM FULL OF WIN.

Shame Everton aren't.

The best I can do is spotting Mick Mills (Ipswich Captain at the time) in a branch of Boots the Chemist in the early 1980s. I can't remember where, except it wasn't actually in Ipswich.

[JessBoo]

I saw the entire 2001 Fulham team nekkid. WIN!

(I was cleaning their hotel rooms. They broke a lot of toilet seats)