Sport Football Thread 2011/2012

[SMD]

Seeing as the fixture lists are out, the 'new' season is officially upon us. And in two weeks, the transfer window opens worldwide and preseason is a kickabout away!

Fun times.

Opening weekend fixtures in the Prem!

Saturday, 13 August 2011

Blackburn v Wolverhampton, 15:00

Fulham v Aston Villa, 15:00

Liverpool v Sunderland, 15:00

Man City v Swansea, 15:00

Newcastle v Arsenal, 15:00

QPR v Bolton, 15:00

Stoke v Chelsea, 15:00

Tottenham v Everton, 15:00

West Brom v Man Utd, 15:00

Wigan v Norwich, 15:00

Rest:

And for the Championship:

Saturday, 6 August 2011

Brighton v Doncaster, 15:00

Bristol City v Ipswich, 15:00

Burnley v Watford, 15:00

Coventry v Leicester, 15:00

Derby v Birmingham, 15:00

Hull v Blackpool, 15:00

Middlesbrough v Portsmouth, 15:00

Nott'm Forest v Barnsley, 15:00

Peterborough v Crystal Palace, 15:00

Reading v Millwall, 15:00

Southampton v Leeds, 15:00

West Ham v Cardiff, 15:00

Rest:

League One!

Saturday, 6 August 2011

Brentford v Yeovil, 15:00

Carlisle v Notts County, 15:00

Charlton v B'mouth, 15:00

Huddersfield v Bury, 15:00

MK Dons v Hartlepool, 15:00

Oldham v Sheffield Utd, 15:00

Preston v Colchester, 15:00

Sheff Wed v Rochdale, 15:00

Stevenage v Exeter, 15:00

Tranmere v Chesterfield, 15:00

Walsall v Leyton Orient, 15:00

Wycombe v Scunthorpe, 15:00

Rest:

League Two!

Saturday, 6 August 2011

AFC Wimbledon v Bristol Rovers, 15:00

Bradford v Aldershot, 15:00

Gillingham v Cheltenham, 15:00

Macclesfield v Dag & Red, 15:00

Morecambe v Barnet, 15:00

Northampton v Accrington, 15:00

Port Vale v Crawley Town, 15:00

Rotherham v Oxford Utd, 15:00

Shrewsbury v Plymouth, 15:00

Southend v Hereford, 15:00

Swindon v Crewe, 15:00

Torquay v Burton Albion, 15:00

Rest:

Personal opening weekend highlights for me are West Ham v Cardiff, should be a cracking opener, AFC Wimbledon with their very first league match at home to Bristol Rovers (winnable) and of course Liverpool at home first game of the season.

Special mentions go to Spurs and Arsenal for having absolutely cunt starts to the season.

[Graham]

COuldn't have asked for a kinder start to life in the premier league for QPR. Eight games before playing one of the big four. Now, Ecclestone/Briatori either dig deep, or sell up and allow the Mittals to dig deep, so we can see some transfer activity that might help us stay in the premier league into season 2012/13.

[SMD]

I'd start with a new manager, personally

And Newcastle and Villa aside, you've got some notoriously slow starters in the opening weeks of the season.

[Graham]

Warnock's a pussy cat. I tend to liken him to Mourinho in that he takes the flak off his team onto his own shoulders (note that I'm not saying he's the managerial talent that Mourinho is). He's done well for us, he deserves his shot at the premier league with us.

[DC Lemon]

When you take out the top four (and maybe Spurs but not Liverpool) I can barely tell the difference between the Premier League and Championship these days. Wigan v Norwich or Southampton v Leeds? I know which I'd prefer to watch.

[Guest]

Ohh I'd love Swansea to nick a win vs Man City

Fulham v Aston Villa, 15:00

Perhaps the most interesting tie - two new managers. Bound to be a boring 0-0.

Newcastle vs Arsenal is clearly on for a high scoring draw.

[dizogg]

When you take out the top four (and maybe Spurs but not Liverpool) I can barely tell the difference between the Premier League and Championship these days. Wigan v Norwich or Southampton v Leeds? I know which I'd prefer to watch.

What does this even mean? Just that you don't follow football? Different teams go up and down the leagues. Everytime earns the right to be promoted or go down based on their results.

I'm not surprised you don't like watching Liverpool, we keep beating you.

[Charliemouse]

Ohh I'd love Swansea to nick a win vs Man City

Perhaps the most interesting tie - two new managers. Bound to be a boring 0-0.

Newcastle vs Arsenal is clearly on for a high scoring draw.

I dont think Martin Jol does 0-0 draws.

He sure didnt when he was in charge of Spurs thats for sure.

[DC Lemon]

What does this even mean? Just that you don't follow football? Different teams go up and down the leagues. Everytime earns the right to be promoted or go down based on their results.

I'm not surprised you don't like watching Liverpool, we keep beating you.

If by Liverpool 'keep beating' Man U you mean you won once and lost twice last season, I'm not gonna need to take your dig that I don't follow football to heart.

All that I really meant was that out of the 20 Premier League clubs this season, I could make cases for any three of about fourteen of them to go down. Even the top four were poor for large chunks of last season. And then the champions came up against Barcelona...

[Stig]

Bolton deffinatly have the toughest start, their first 7 fixtures are;

QPR (a)

Man City (h)

Liverpool (a)

Man U (h)

Norwich (h)

Arsenal (a)

Chelsea (h)

So thats all but 1 of the top 6 and both newly promoted clubs who will be out to impress and do well.

[Naysonymous]

I can see them being bottom of the table after that lot. Being the first visitors to a newly promoted side's first home game is never easy.

[Herbalizer]

Hello. I'm sure my stay in this thread will only be one season, but I'm going to enjoy it. So far we've only bought Danny Graham but I know we are in contact talks with Marcos Senna and David Vaughan.

I hope we show the Premiership the football we can play, the playoff final at Wembley was not a good example of our true potential, I think we got a bit carried away with the occasion.

Watch out for Ferrie Bodde, if his knee is ok then he will be a hell of a player next season.

[Timmo]

I think Swansea will be the top finishers of the three, personally. Especially if Taraabt leaves QPR, which there's rumblings about.

[Ork1927]

Man City away for the first game, but our first home game is against Wigan! I don't think there'll be too many boos for Roberto, but for him he wouldn't have started playing the kind of football that we're now famous for. However, those last two games of the season ... Man Utd away, then Liverpool at home.

And your next 2 aways are Arsenal and Chelsea. That'll cost travelling fans a fortune in the first month.

Good to get them out the way though? Likelyhood is 0 points, but if you pick something up from the 3 and get some home points then you'd be flying with most of the wors aways out the way.

[SMD]

I hope Swansea stay up and some of the unambitious dross go down.

[Guest]

I hope Warnock goes down, furiously. What a horrible man he is.

I'd also like all to neg this post now; get the negs out of the way early. Ta.

[OneDvBmbr]

So far we've only bought Danny Graham but I know we are in contact talks with Marcos Senna and David Vaughan.

Vaughan's a great little player, but think you've got a fair bit of competition for him. I've heard Sunderland and WBA are favourites.

I wish you the best of luck this season - it can be an unforgiving league at times, but you'll have some great days out and take some good memories if you fall short. If you can carry your momentum over, and add the extra quality in depth, you'll have a good chance of staying up. After the top six, there's no teams in there that you should be too scared of.

[Guest]

Here's the "Ballack retires" story done right.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13816271.stm

[exwhyzed]

Why can't the U21s play like this in real matches?

[aidey6]

Modric "wants to leave Spurs" but wants to stay in London....

[Stig]

He'll go to Chelski for £26m I reckon.

[Charliemouse]

He will cost more than that. If Henderson is worth £20 mill then Modric is worth at least £40 mill.

[emjay2kay]

When has it ever worked like that?

[Shevchenko]

Levy statement

"I wish to make it absolutely clear, as I have said previously, that none of our key players will be sold this summer. We are building a team for the future to consistently play at the highest level and retaining quality players is crucial to that.

"In respect of Luka Modric, we are not prepared to sell, at any price, to Chelsea Football Club or any other club.

"We made our stance on this issue abundantly clear in writing to Chelsea. They chose to ignore it and then subsequently made the offer public.

"For the avoidance of any doubt, let me reiterate that we shall not enter into any negotiations whatsoever, with any Club, regarding Luka.

"We now consider this matter closed."

[Art Vandelay]

Yeah, good luck with that.

[Timmo]

Modric to Chelsea for £323m.

[Naysonymous]

Why can't the U21s play like this in real matches?

They do.

Oh, wait, you meant play like the side who were attacking didnt you?

[Guest]

Can't Spurs understand they're never going to be nothing more than an almost side? It's clear why Modric wants to leave, really quite silly of them to keep an unhappy player.

Surely Mr JumpShip himself Redknapp would understand what it's like when you want to move on.

[SuperCat]

England are so fucking useless at every level.

[SMD]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. You have to change it all from the top, the coaching philosophy in this country is a bit shit and the same cycle will repeat itself unless it changes.