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[Shinobi]

:lol Thank God the bottle (and it's contents) didn't hit anyone...

 

[Mama Smurf]

No. No no no no no no no. No.

Hughes can't go to Chelsea! He's not a big enough name, no one but Man Utd were supposed to notice him and that's not for years yet.

Man, I actually hope Chelsea win the CL now, I think that's all there is to save Mourinho's job, I don't even think the FA Cup would be enough.

 

[Cornballer]

...and the search for a sane German keeper continues. :lol

 

[Lakitu]

"I was pleased also with Peter Crouch. He have been talking to him, before and after his nose operation, to show more confidence with his heading.

"Now it seems to have worked. Lets say that if he has a few games without scoring again, maybe we should arrange to break his nose again."

-Rafa Benitez

 

[Cornballer]

:lol at Rafa. Funny quote.

Wenger - Put Reserve team in the Football League

By Richard Clarke

Arsène Wenger loves the idea of Arsenal’s Reserves playing in the Football League.

The Club’s second-string enjoyed a successful run in the Carling Cup this season, beating full-strength sides from Tottenham, Everton and West Brom en route to the Final. In addition, Arsenal’s Under-18s are closing in on their divisional title and reached the Semi-Finals of the FA Youth Cup. Unusually, Arsenal have fared less well in the Premier Reserve League this year but the likes of Nicklas Bendtner, Kerrea Gilbert, Arturo Lupoli, Alex Song, Fabrice Muamba and Matthew Connolly have spent all or part of the campaign on loan.

It is the very need for consistent, highly quality competition that has fuelled Wenger’s interest in mirroring the system in Spain, where the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona have B teams in the Segunda Division*.

“I would love it,” he said when asked if he favoured Arsenal Reserves playing in the Football League. “What used to happen is that you had a Reserve League and an Under-18s League that was very important. What has happened now is the Under-18s League has transferred to the Reserve League while the Under-18s has lost a little.

“When you look at it these days, 90 per cent of the Reserve games are played with Under-18s players so one may have to be cut off. We have many players who play on Saturday [for the Under-18s] and on Monday for the Reserves. That means they play too many games and cannot practice.”

* Real Madrid Castilla and Barcelona have B teams in their country’s Segunda Division. They are not allowed to play in the same division as their mother club and therefore are ineligible for promotion. They are no longer allowed to have distinctive names or play in the Copa del Rey.

Thoughts? Wouldn't this cause all sorts of problems with fixture congestion, etc... ?

 

[Mama Smurf]

It's never going to be allowed to happen. The football league is one of the best supported leagues in the world, it's insulting to put the reserves from the top teams against them, like they're just there to facilitate the Premiership.

 

[Cornballer]

It's never going to be allowed to happen. The football league is one of the best supported leagues in the world, it's insulting to put the reserves from the top teams against them, like they're just there to facilitate the Premiership.

I don't think they could/would ever do it - it'd be nice for the big Premiership sides, but it's a slap in the face of the Football League.

 

[Mama Smurf]

If I was running the football league I'd say "Sure, you can play your reserves in our league...if we can play our reserves in the Premiership."

 

[shpankey]

:lol :lol :lol Posts like this is making me start to root for Bayern. And they've got a team of destiny quality in this year's Champions League...getting two incredibly late goals on the road in back to back rounds is no joke.

agreed.. after watching yesterday's match they won a place in my heart. i love how this team just will not give up.. will NOT accept defeat. you get them down, they fight harder, you screw them on a call, they man up... refusing to accept they are destined to lose.

might be too poetic a way to look at it, but i love teams like this. teams with hearts of a champion. so many teams would've given up, on the road, crowd going wild against them, after being robbed on a call, with just seconds to go in the game.

one things for sure... if you get this team down.. they got you right where they want you! :lol

that last second goal must've been heartbreaking for AC Milan fans.

 

[Blablurn]

agreed.. after watching yesterday's match they won a place in my heart. i love how this team just will not give up.. will NOT accept defeat. you get them down, they fight harder, you screw them on a call, they man up... refusing to accept they are destined to lose.

might be too poetic a way to look at it, but i love teams like this. teams with hearts of a champion. so many teams would've given up, on the road, crowd going wild against them, after being robbed on a call, with just seconds to go in the game.

one things for sure... if you get this team down.. they got you right where they want you! :lol

FCB!!!! >_<V

Great Post!

 

[Cornballer]

No chatter before these matches kick off? I'm looking forward to a nice, clean match between Chelsea and Valencia...

 

[Mama Smurf]

Teams:

Chelsea: Cech; Diarra, Carvalho, Terry, Cole; Obi Mikel, Ballack, Lampard, Kalou; Drogba, Shevchenko

Valencia: Canizares; Miguel, Ayala, Moretti, Del Horno; Joaquin, Albelda, Albiol, Vicente; Silva, Villa

----

Roma: Doni; Cassetti, Mexes, Chivu, Panucci; De Rossi; Wilhelmsson, Taddei, Perrotta, Mancini; Totti

Man Utd: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, O'Shea, Heinze; Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs; Rooney, Solskjaer

The United line up is as I predicted, it remains to be seen whether Solskjaer is up front or Giggs.

 

[Blablurn]

Go Chelsea!

Go Totti!

This will be an interesting evening. :]

 

[Mama Smurf]

It seems there's not too much to say about tonight before kick off, except I'll support the Premiership teams as usual.

I'd be really surprised if the ties swing massively one way or the other tonight, I can't imagine any of the 4 being able to turn over the other like Liverpool did yesterday.

 

[Wes]

Valencia up at Chelsea and Scholes been sent off in Rome?

3 English team semi-final dream is being crushed!

 

[Mama Smurf]

Scholes has played an incredibly stupid game and has now put his team in real trouble by getting sent off. I don't know what he was thinking tonight.

 

[Cornballer]

29 min: OH MY WORD WHAT A GOAL: Chelsea 0 - 1 Valencia. Silva missed a sitter a few minutes back, but who cares now? He gets the break of the ball down the left. With Carvalho in a good position ahead of him, and Cech in the centre of his goal, he takes a preposterous swipe from about 25 yards out - and sends the ball whipping high and hard over the Chelsea keeper and sailing into the top right-hand corner of the net. Dearie me. You'll want to see this alright. You could hear a pin drop in Stamford Bridge (unless the volume on my telly's playing up, of course).

 

[WARCOCK]

MEH I NEED A LIVE TICKER , RADIO OR VIDEO FEED OF THE MANCHESTER ROMA GAME SOMEBODY HELP ME ASAP.

 

[ElyrionX]

Scholes has played an incredibly stupid game and has now put his team in real trouble by getting sent off. I don't know what he was thinking tonight.

I just turned on the TV and heard the commentator say we're down to 10 men. WTF happened?

 

[Cornballer]

I just turned on the TV and heard the commentator say we're down to 10 men. WTF happened?

34 mins SCHOLES SENT OFF After Doni punched clear Giggs's corner, Scholes tripped Totti on the halfway line as the Roman attacked the makeshift United defence. It was a deserved yellow card, it was his second of the game, and he can't really have any complaint. Rooney has immediately dropped into left-wing with Giggs joining Carrick in the middle.

 

[Wes]

MEH I NEED A LIVE TICKER , RADIO OR VIDEO FEED OF THE MANCHESTER ROMA GAME SOMEBODY HELP ME ASAP.

All Champions League action: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6526285.stm

Guardian: http://football.guardian.co.uk/news/matchreport/0,,2049794,00.html

BBC live text updates for Man U v Roma: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/live_text/default.stm

And :lol :lol Roma scored.

 

[Wes]

Trouble starting in the crowd in Rome. Things being thrown. This is going to get ugly.

Edit: Police now going into the Man U supporters. Fighting ensuing (what I'm hearing on FiveLive).

 

[psycho_snake]

****, we just let in a goal at the edn of the first half. I knew it was going to happen. We've been playing so badly. Its been such a frustrating game to watch. Scholes dcould have been given a warning instead of a second yellow, but he doesnt have much to complain about, he's made a few ****ing stupid challenges during the game. He has been a complete idiot tonight.

 

[Cornballer]

Trouble starting in the crowd in Rome. Things being thrown. This is going to get ugly.

Edit: Police now going into the Man U supporters. Fighting ensuing.

Not good.

GOAL! Roma 1 - 0 Man Utd (Taddei 44) After a brilliant save from Van der Sar from Perotta's long-range effort, Roma take the corner quickly. Totti feeds Mancini, who drops his shoulder and glides past Solskjaer before pulling the ball back to Taddei. His left-foot shot from 12 yards deflected off Heinze, leaving the helpless Van der Sar to watch the ball dribble past him.

 

[Lakitu]

Trouble starting in the crowd in Rome. Things being thrown. This is going to get ugly.

Edit: Police now going into the Man U supporters. Fighting ensuing (what I'm hearing on FiveLive).

Oh just unbelievable, they need to stop this getting out of hand coz it could get ugly.

 

[Wes]

****, we just let in a goal at the edn of the first half. I knew it was going to happen. We've been playing so badly. Its been such a frustrating game to watch. Scholes didnt deserve to be sent off; the ref could have just given a warning to him. Scholes isnt completely, he's made a fgew ****ing stupid challenges during the game.

From what I heard Scholes had made about 3 silly tackles before the challenge that gave him the initial yellow, and the 2nd yellow was bad too.

If only Graham Poll was ref :lol :lol

 

[WARCOCK]

THE STUPID AUDIO FEED DOSENT WORK WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

 

[bud]

how the hell did silva score that goal:lol i was watching him shoot and all of sudden it was in goal lol. Great game so far.

 

[Wes]

Man U supporters charged the police, the police responded batons raised. People were seperated from the crowd. Things have calmed down now.

 

[Mama Smurf]

I actually think Scholes did deserve to get sent off. I don't know if the first one was for persistent fouling or a straight yellow, I could see both, but the second was definitely a straight yellow.

Why are United playing so many long balls? Even before Scholes went they only really had one up front in Rooney and what's he supposed to do with long balls?

In a way the goal was unlucky because the shot was going straight towards Van der Sar before the deflection, looked like it would have been a comfotable save as it wasn't a great shot, but at the same time United had been warned time and time again that Roma take corners/throw ins immediately. Absolutely no excuse for getting caught on it again after so many other times.

If they can hold on to 1-0 down for the next leg, it would be quite a good result given the circumstances.

 

[psycho_snake]

From what I heard Scholes had made about 3 silly tackles before the challenge that gave him the initial yellow, and the 2nd yellow was bad too.

If only Graham Poll was ref :lol :lol

:lol

Some refs would have given him a warnign before sending him off, but he cant really complain. He's been playing as if the aim of the game is to get sent off before anyone else. All of his tackles have been pointless, especially the foul for the first yellow card he got. the roma player was going nowhere.

 

[Wes]

OMG THEY'RE PLAYING JOURNEY - DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' IN ROMA!!!

I love the Italians! :lol :lol

 

[WARCOCK]

OMG THEY'RE PLAYING JOURNEY - DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' IN ROMA!!!

I love the Italians! :lol :lol

I want Totti to score, he exploded after ferguson didnt mention him. The prince of italian football must vindicate his name and ROME.

 

[psycho_snake]

In a way the goal was unlucky because the shot was going straight towards Van der Sar before the deflection, looked like it would have been a comfotable save as it wasn't a great shot, but at the same time United had been warned time and time again that Roma take corners/throw ins immediately. Absolutely no excuse for getting caught on it again after so many other times.

Its a smart tactic by roma, but our players havent reacted to it. Its a lack of concentration. They've doint it more than enough times to make them realise that they've got to get organised instantly to prevent roma from letting theri tactic work, but the United players have done nothing about it. The goal was unfortunate, but thats what you get for leaving a man with so much space in the box. If you cant mark properly, then you're going to get punished for it.

Was it just me or did anyone else notice Heinze moving his arms as if he's swimming when he was next to totti on the right wing?

 

[Ryck]

What a terrible first half If we could hold them to 1 goal it will be a miracle and actually a good result considering... Scholesy what the hell is up with you lately...a straight red at Anfield three match suspension, then he comes back and scores an amazing goal against Blackburn, and now he comes out looking like he wanted to get sent off and does. I guess we'll be seeing a hatrick on saturday from him..wtf.

 

[Wes]

Radio is reporting that United supporters are changing and throwing things at the police and the police are responding.

They're speaking to someone in the United fan area. He's saying the Roma fans charged the perplex screen seperating the two sets when Scholes got sent off, then the united fans started charging the police. Number of Utd fans taken away by medical staff.

2037: We're seeing pictures of the crowd scenes and it does not make for pleasant television. One fan has blood streaming down his face and is being dragged to his feet by police. The police are wading in with batons.



"United fans appeared to charge the police and the police went in. It got pretty vicious. We're about 80 yards away but it seems to have quietened down now. We've just heard a loud crash and there is smoke over there. It is very, very nasty inside this ground now. I don't know if the Roma fans started this but they are happy now as it is between the police and the United fans."
BBC Five Live commentator Alan Green

 

[Mama Smurf]

I genuinely think Ferguson just forgot him, I forget really obvious things sometimes, I don't think anyone would really claim Totti isn't one of Roma's danger men.

Just seen the Chelsea highlights, looks like they should have had a penalty. Amazing shot from Silva though, he probably wouldn't have even played if Morientes had been available.

 

[Cornballer]

The Guardian says....

Half-time brawling As if things weren't bad enough on the pitch, in the terraces a few of the United fans have been taking a bit of a battering from the Roman police. The Sky cameras didn't show much, just a couple of supporters with split heads and blood flowing on their faces.

 

[psycho_snake]

i just remembered something. I know why mama is watching the roma-united game. Its because of his mancrush on totti.

 

[WARCOCK]

Hey when is the AC milan Bayern rematch suppose to take place?

 

[Mama Smurf]

The rumour seems to be the Roma fans somehow provoked the United fans, got exactly the reaction they wanted 'cos football crowds are dumb and they've sat back to watch the United fans battle with the police.

It's pretty bad whatever caused it. It doesn't look good after the Lille crowd incident away as well, even if it isn't the United fans fault in either case (which we'll wait and see about), twice in two games...

I can't rememebr any trouble with United away fans in the Premiership, makes me question how games are policed in Europe. Or maybe they just want to mirror their team and act compeltely differently away from home in the CL.

 

[celestial body]

The Italian police aren't quite as PC as the english. They will windmill in at the slightest provocation.

 

[WARCOCK]

i just remembered something. I know why mama is watching the roma-united game. Its because of his mancrush on totti.

I have a man crush on totti as well, you got something against that? MY ROMAN GLADIATOR SHALL PREVAIL. Italian semi final plz Roma VS AC Milan. Promises to be a dirty game with plenty of prima donna diving.

 

[Mama Smurf]

What's this about two balls on the pitch when the Roma corner was taken?

 

[WARCOCK]

What's this about two balls on the pitch when the Roma corner was taken?

 

[Mama Smurf]

Oh Ronaldo. What a glorious chance to get an away goal and change everything.

I have a hard time believing this game won't have more goals.

 

[Wes]

Chelsea level through Drogba.

 

[WARCOCK]

Oh Ronaldo. What a glorious chance to get an away goal and change everything.

I have a hard time believing this game won't have more goals.

My heart almost stopped after i read that

"48:21
Shot by Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd) volleyed left-footed from left channel (18 yards), save (caught) by Alexander Doni (Roma)."

 

[Mama Smurf]

Heinze is not doing well, we shouldn't forget United are without 3 of their 4 starting defence. Still, they're being cut open a bit too easily.

 

[Cornballer]

My heart almost stopped after i read that

"48:21
Shot by Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd) volleyed left-footed from left channel (18 yards), save (caught) by Alexander Doni (Roma)."

Keep track of The Guardian commentary as well. It's a bit behind, but more descriptive and entertaining.