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[Shinobi]

United losing, Arsenal winning. In Europe. It just seems so wrong.

...and yet it feels sooooooo right.

To Henry's credit, he reckons the scoreline flattered the Gunners a bit. I didn't see the game, so I wouldn't know. Can't say I care either...they've qualified with two games to spare, and that's all that matters.

 

[hadareud]

Good game tonight, the pers has to start more often - he's the only one being egoistic enough to shoot, that's what we need at the moment, the goals just don't keep coming as easily as they used to right now.

Atmospere in the stadium was disappointing, lots of fucking suits and facepaintwankers (without facepaint), but that's what the champions league is all about anyway.

 

[DCharlie]

"Future derbies will be sad without Vieira and Keane - oh the memories! "

err.... Aren't Derbies based on location... oh, sorry, you mean the big London derby between Man Utd and Arsenal - you are basing it on where the fanbase is! ahh....

I'm pretty sure all the glory hunters have switched to Chelsea by now anyways.

 

[Shinobi]

With all the hatred between Arsenal and Man U over the years, it's pretty much become a derby.

 

[DCharlie]

"With all the hatred between Arsenal and Man U over the years, it's pretty much become a derby."

... i understand what you are saying, but ...

 

[Mama Smurf]

Yeah you wouldn't call it a derby. I've never heard that applied to anything but location. They don't even have to be big rivalries for derbies, half the London derbies are between teams who don't care about the other side in particularly.

I haven't come up with a scoreline yet, but I'm calling a Chelsea victory this Sunday.

 

[Shinobi]

Well, ok...I'll just call it a hate on. :lol

And I would laugh out loud if Man U won this match...the reaction for both sides would be absolutely comical.

 

[gollumsluvslave]

I've never heard that applied to anything but location.

Isn't Barcelona vs Real Madrid called 'El Derby'?

I wouldn't say that Madrid and Barcelona are close locations...

 

[anthony]

I'd like Man utd to win. They're starting to look pretty pathetic now. They act like they hardly have any talent there, using a lack of a keane as an excuse. But with C.Ronaldo, Rooney, Nistelrooy, Giggs, Rio, park ji and van der sar in the squad they have a enough talent there alone to be comforably beating most sides without the need of a hard-talking irishman.

 

[Izzy]

err.... Aren't Derbies based on location... oh, sorry, you mean the big London derby between Man Utd and Arsenal - you are basing it on where the fanbase is! ahh....

I'm pretty sure all the glory hunters have switched to Chelsea by now anyways.

Yeah you wouldn't call it a derby. I've never heard that applied to anything but location. They don't even have to be big rivalries for derbies, half the London derbies are between teams who don't care about the other side in particularly.

Real romp to derby victory over Barcelona

There are two huge derby matches in europe this week-end.

'El clasico' in Spain beween Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Nou Camp, and the 'Old Firm' derby in Scotland between Glasgow Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox Park.

The Barcelona-Real Madrid match is a clash between cultures as much as a clash between two soccer teams.
Barcelona the capital of Catalonia - against Madrid the capital of Castilla.

This match virtually brings Spain to a halt - and soccer matches don't come any bigger than that.

Real travel to the Nou Camp coming off a 6-1 win over Albacete which elevated them to second place in the standings and brought them to only four points behind league leaders Barcelona - while last week, Barca lost for the first time this season, going down to Real Betis.

So as joint-pretenders to the Spanish title, this is a must-win match for both clubs.

And both clubs are packed with match-winning soccer stars.

Barca have 24 year-old Brazil star Ronaldinho who along with the Portugal international Deco are the creative playmakers of the team - and the magical African Player of the Year, Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o - who has tallied nine goals so far this season.

Real Madrid in return can boast Zinedine Zidane, Raul, Ronaldo, Beckham and Michael Owen.

Form means nothing in such super-derby games - but overall Barcelona looks the better balanced side - and it will take an inspired Madrid performance to grab the full three points from the Catalans.

Link

 

[DCharlie]

... it's still not a derby! I don't care which obscure website thinks it is. It isn't.

So there.

(okay, i concede it's a "political/cultural" 'derby', but ...)

but the Arsenal v Man U games are NOT a derby.

ps. Wikipedia (still not a great source) mentions :

"'Derby' is used to signify matches between teams in the same town or region. This means that a match such as FC Barcelona v Real Madrid, while considered a fierce rivalry, is not a derby match."

 

[Mama Smurf]

Well it ain't a derby in UK terms anyway! Now Celtic - Rangers... there's your super derby.

 

[Izzy]

... i understand what you are saying, but ...

I don think you understand at all....

Isn't Barcelona vs Real Madrid called 'El Derby'?

I wouldn't say that Madrid and Barcelona are close locations...

Indeed - straight form the mouth of a spanish fan:

Barça v Madrid is the derby of Spain, half of Spain against the other - the country always stop for watch the match.

R.Madrid v Atleti is the derby of Madrid,althought I think that you can be surprise for the lot of supporters that has Atleti.I heard that in Madrid there are more supporters of Atleti that Real Madrid,the same case that in Torino where there are more supporters for Torino than for Juve,really I dunno how the journalist can measure this,because if only for the assistance to stadiums...

Link

 

[DCharlie]

"Well it ain't a derby in UK terms anyway! Now Celtic - Rangers...there's your super derby."

location _and_ sectarian divide...
and the scottish

*stand back, highly explosive*

 

[Izzy]

Well it ain't a derby in UK terms anyway! Now Celtic - Rangers... there's your super derby.

There's no such thing as 'UK TERMS' FOR derby. I LIVED in Spain for a while - they call it derby.

 

[DCharlie]

"Indeed - straight form the mouth of a spanish fan"

It's still not a derby! They can call it what the fuck they want! it won't change a thing!

"There's no such thing as 'UK TERMS' FOR derby. I LIVED in Spain for a while - they call it derby."

Yeah... and they are wrong!

 

[Izzy]

location _and_ sectarian divide...
and the scottish

*stand back, highly explosive*

I've seen more dangerous derbies...say Red Star Belgrade vs. Partizan in Serbia...

 

[Shinobi]

Sheesh...I didn't mean to start a fight. :lol

 

[Izzy]

Sheesh...I didn't mean to start a fight. :lol

:lol Anyway,

And I would laugh out loud if Man U won this match...the reaction for both sides would be absolutely comical.

You really can't call it in these big matches, but our current form is nothing short of a pathetic - I'm not sure we could beat WBA at the moment..:lol

Chelsea might be out of it lately, too, but Man U have been horrendous. It would take a superhuman effort to turn things around, ESPECIALLY against Chelsea, and I'm not sure the team's up to it.

 

[BatiGOOOOOOL]

A game like Madrid/Barca, Boca/River, Milan/Juventus, is called clásico or classic of the respective country. But when translated to english everyone seems to use derby.

 

[Izzy]

A game like Madrid/Barca, Boca/River, Milan/Juventus, is called clásico or classic of the respective country. But when translated to english everyone seems to use derby.

Wasn't it 'El Clásico' for Barça vs Real Madrid specifically? At least that's what I recall...

 

[BatiGOOOOOOL]

In every spanish speaking country, the match between the two biggest, most popular teams is called El Clásico.

 

[Izzy]

In every spanish speaking country, the match between the two biggest, most popular teams is called El Clásico.

And in Portugal IIRC.

 

[Mama Smurf]

There's no such thing as 'UK TERMS' FOR derby. I LIVED in Spain for a while - they call it derby.

Buh? Why not? You can have words mean different things in different countries. I'm not saying that because in the UK a derby has to be about location that it has to be the same in Spain. Just that in the UK you can't call Man Utd - Arsenal a derby.

 

[Hooker]

Ajax - Feyenoord is also one of the bigger "derby's" - or as BatiGOOOOOOL put it, El Clásico, "De Klassieker" in Dutch...

 

[BatiGOOOOOOL]

Well, I just read an article in As.com where Raul refers to the Barca-Madrid match as "un derbi"(a derby).

I guess we're free to use the word we want.

 

[milanbaros]

Well, I just read an article in As.com where Raul refers to the Barca-Madrid match as "un derbi"(a derby).

I guess we're free to use the word we want.

Not really, it must be a translation thing. In english, a derby is a match between two closely located clubs such as Liverpool and Everton, not a big match. The Spansih are free to use whatever word they want.

 

[Ryck]

I thought that when Barcelona played Real it was called "El Classico" Mexican teams do the same thing See:America vs Chivas

Edit: nevermind need to read throught the whole thread before posting.......


I think Man U are going to pull it together and play well this weekend....I dunno if they'll win but I have a feeling its going to be closer than most expect.

 

[psycho_snake]

Im not going to write another huge post. I'll just sum everything up in two words.










We suck

 

[Shinobi]

You really can't call it in these big matches, but our current form is nothing short of a pathetic - I'm not sure we could beat WBA at the moment..:lol

Well that's okay, we couldn't either. :lol

And I'm not ruling Man United out...their two best games last year were against Arsenal, ending both their overall and home unbeaten streaks. Hell, they kicked our ass in the FA Cup too. Of course since we won the cup, I really don't care about that. :lol Fergie teams seem to step up well in big games, and I wouldn't be surprised if that happens here.

This is the one time I'll actually root for a United win. Give me strength Lord.

 

[Solid]

apparently robben is injured... 70% chance he'll miss the game on sunday

 

[Ghost]

Id say they should wrap him up in cotton wool whenever he's not on the pitch, but robben is so injury prone i think he needs a layer of cotton wool, followed by a complete covering of egg cartons, then another layer of cotton wool then a few layers of bubble wrap and a big plastic container, and a DO NOT TOUCH sticker.

 

[psycho_snake]

Id say they should wrap him up in cotton wool whenever he's not on the pitch, but robben is so injury prone i think he needs a layer of cotton wool, followed by a complete covering of egg cartons, then another layer of cotton wool then a few layers of bubble wrap and a big plastic container, and a DO NOT TOUCH sticker.

or they could turn him into bubble boy

 

[psycho_snake]

Well that's okay, we couldn't either. :lol

And I'm not ruling Man United out...their two best games last year were against Arsenal, ending both their overall and home unbeaten streaks. Hell, they kicked our ass in the FA Cup too. Of course since we won the cup, I really don't care about that. :lol Fergie teams seem to step up well in big games, and I wouldn't be surprised if that happens here.

This is the one time I'll actually root for a United win. Give me strength Lord.

Foer one game only, then you will go bacvk to your United hating :lol

I have a gut feeling that we can geta result. A win coould turn our season around, as long as we can follow up our victory with a win the next week, unlike what happened last year when we beat the invincible arsenal and then lost to bloody portsmouth the next week :lol

 

[Shinobi]

:lol Sports is funny that way...Chelsea made Real Betis look like a collection of lepers a few weeks ago, only to turn around and lose 1-0 in the return match. You never can tell in this game, or any other sport.

 

[psycho_snake]

Well thats true for every sport apart from tennis. As long as federer takes part in a tournament he wins!

I've got a good feeling about the game, but thats what I have said about the last two games and look at how they ended :lol

 

[Ryck]

Win or lose I really just want them to play well...

 

[Shinobi]

Nice win for Arsenal...Henry with a couple nice goals (the second one was just lovely), and Van Persie with a nice marker for himself to open up the scoring. Next week they play at Wigan, who's currently beating Portsmouth...I can't believe how well this team is playing. Amazinly I'm hoping for a point in that match, and I'm not sure how likely that is considering how bad Arsenal has been on the road in the EPL this year.

Also saw some of the Liverpool match...good result for them, though they got kind of lucky since it looked to be heading for a tie until the penalty with five minutes to go. And Villa's defense on the second goal was just awful. But hey, you take what you can get.

 

[marmaraS]

i just came back from Arsenal v Sunderland all i can say is Thierry Henry is a genius, the overhead kick was incredible but his second goal was just class!!! i was sitting along the 18 yard line of the penalty area where Henry did it, blows me away!

 

[Shinobi]

He's just amazing. I'll probably cry if he leaves Arsenal, though I have a feeling he'll stick around at least a few more years. The overhead kick was just stupid...I didn't realize how close that was to going in until I saw the replay. Hopefully I can get his burgandy jersey before Christmas.

And Wigan's just won 2-0...simply unbelievable. Even more so considering how flukey the Chelsea loss was. They've got a tough sched of games coming up though...Arsenal, Man U, Newcastle and a couple other tough spots. Even if they only get a couple points from those contests, they've got the 25 points stashed away in the bank to cushion the blow.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Wigan have Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd...and then still no rest with Charlton, Man City and West Ham right after. That's almost the entire top half of the Premiership as things stand, the only exception being Liverpool instead of Bolton (and that's worst!). Horrible run of games.

Blackburn beat Charlton 4-1 today. Plenty of teams and pundits have underestimated us this season, and long may it continue.

EDIT: Oops, Wigan against Newcastle is in the FA Cup. Shame for them actually, it's probably one main ones you'd pick where they could get a win.

 

[Shinobi]

Wigan have Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd...and then still no rest with Charlton, Man City and West Ham right after. That's almost the entire top half of the Premiership as things stand, the only exception being Liverpool instead of Bolton (and that's worst!). Horrible run of games.

:lol It's like the FA set Wigan up to fail...my God.

 

[Ghost]

Even if they lost all those games they are still only 5 wins (and maybe 2 draws) from safety and they'll still have 18 games to get'em.

 

[Mama Smurf]

For those in the UK, there's an FA Cup match about to begin on BBC1. It's Chasetown v Oldham, and if you're wondering why I'm pointing it out, there are 7 leagues between these sides. The quality will be horrible, I won't know any of the players...but god I love matches like this.

EDIT: The commentator just said Chasetown's chairman reckons the money from this one game will be the equivalent of 15 years gate receipts :lol Gotta love it.

 

[ElyrionX]

Man U vs Chelsea in two and a half hours.

Our form is pathetic now but I'm still hoping for a miracle. Last season, before the critical match against Arsenal, I thought to myself, "If there's any team that can beat Arsenal and end their unbeaten streak, it's got to be Man U."

It's hard to convince myself of the same today considering who we're facing and our recent form and injuries. But god damn, what a sweet victory this would make if we were to pull it off.

 

[Timbuktu]

For those in the UK, there's an FA Cup match about to begin on BBC1. It's Chasetown v Oldham, and if you're wondering why I'm pointing it out, there are 7 leagues between these sides. The quality will be horrible, I won't know any of the players...but god I love matches like this.

EDIT: The commentator just said Chasetown's chairman reckons the money from this one game will be the equivalent of 15 years gate receipts :lol Gotta love it.

I think he said if the Chasetown had to each pay 100 quid to play in this match they would have done it, just to appear on TV. And Chasetown scored first! Oldham equalises and it's now 1-1. This is real football, with mud and everything.

 

[Mama Smurf]

1-1. Remarkable. I honestly think a lot of people wouldn't be able to tell which side was higher in the leagues.

I don't think it was to appear on TV, that's doing them a bit of an injustice. I'm usre they were excited about that, but it's about appearing in the FA Cup against a "big" side.

 

[Shinobi]

A few days ago Man United became the first team in my Master's League to beat Chelsea 3-1 (I'd lost to the Blues 4-1 a few games prior).

Earlier this morning I dreamt that Man United beat Chelsea 3-0.

What does all this mean? Probably that I need mental help for dreaming about positive Man United news. :lol

 

[stinger009]

Come on Chelsea!

I predict a 2-1 win to Chelsea

game about to start now.

 

[ElyrionX]

WHAT THE FUCK??? Fletcher is playing and Park is on the bench?? FUCK YOU FERGUSON!!! If we don't win this match, I have officially lost all faith in Sir Alex Ferguson. Fletcher has been fucking worthless in the past few matches, why the hell is he still playing when Park is available?