Football 2013-2014

[LondonTom]

France will play in the Euro 2016 qualifiers but their games won't matter at all, no one will get points from those France games.

What an absolutely stupid idea. (Also makes some good points about how much more meaningless the qualifiers are now with the expanded tournament.)

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jan/25/michel-platini-euro-2016-qualification

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Edited January 28, 2014 by LondonTom

[pink_triangle]

15 fit players and buying nobody. What a disappointment. Blown it unless something special happens in next 72 hours.

[Bobs]

Lucky for you lot Everton have got their own injury problems as well. I always assume Everton will choke against liverpool in the really big games. Providing you can field some kind of midfield, I think you will come out on top.

[strummer77]

We have a 2nd choice defence out entirely I would say. Plus I reckon we are 2 in midfield by default with Lucas & Allen out. Gonna be tough as Everton seem to have lost their choking attitude away from home.

[pink_triangle]

We have a 2nd choice defence out entirely I would say. Plus I reckon we are 2 in midfield by default with Lucas & Allen out. Gonna be tough as Everton seem to have lost their choking attitude away from home.

[eFestivals]

Lucky for you lot Everton have got their own injury problems as well. I always assume Everton will choke against liverpool in the really big games. Providing you can field some kind of midfield, I think you will come out on top.

I think strummer is seeing the glass as half-empty rather than half-full.

I don't think tonight will say too much about how well Liverpool will cope with some key players out injured, as derby's tend to work on a different basis to the norm.

Then again, if Liverpool get whipped they'll spunk £30M+ before the week is out.

[eFestivals]

We have a 2nd choice defence out entirely I would say. Plus I reckon we are 2 in midfield by default with Lucas & Allen out. Gonna be tough as Everton seem to have lost their choking attitude away from home.

I don't think Allen is defo out, is he? Last I read suggested he was borderline but might be fit.

[thetime]

I don't think Allen is defo out, is he? Last I read suggested he was borderline but might be fit.

[eFestivals]

Just reading the beeb's preview of tonight's biggie, and this caught my eye...

Luis Suarez needs one goal to match his 2012-13 tally of 23.

23 for a season is pretty impressive, so to stand the chance of beating that before the end of January is fantastic.

[DomDom1984]

In those France games, do you get the same amount of ranking points for a win as you do for a qualifier? If so, it's a very good idea and it actually might mean something for the sides taking part.

[kaosmark2]

Just reading the beeb's preview of tonight's biggie, and this caught my eye...

23 for a season is pretty impressive, so to stand the chance of beating that before the end of January is fantastic.

[eFestivals]

After missing a fair chunk at the beginning as well.

yep - and 23 last season when he missed a fair chunk at the end.

Remember 2 seasons ago, when he couldn't hit the target and Liverpool had the worse shot to goals ratio in Europe?

[kaosmark2]

yep - and 23 last season when he missed a fair chunk at the end.

Remember 2 seasons ago, when he couldn't hit the target and Liverpool had the worse shot to goals ratio in Europe?

[eFestivals]

I think even then he had a 1 in 3 goals:games ratio? Last season it went to 1 in 2, this season 1 in 1.... how many does that suggest it'll be next

he did about 1 in 1 in Holland, and when he first came to the UK there were plenty of comments (including on here) about how it just wasn't possible to score at anything like that rate in England.

Now both him and Agerio are at it.

[eFestivals]

There is a worry now though. Just because of the number who are already injured.

yeah, but that's not really a worry about specifically Suarez, more just the fact that it's bad for any team when a big chunk of their more important players are out.

In normal circumstances, from the examples within the last year (since Liverpool have become a properly decent team; 73 points in the last year, etc), you take Suarez out of the mix and they keep on firing. That's not what happens with the sort of one-man team that some are saying they are.

[kaosmark2]

Gerrard/Henderson as the CM pairing in the derby.

Liverpool are boned.

[Jackmypie]

Gerrard/Henderson as the CM pairing in the derby.

Liverpool are boned.

[WS_Jack_III]

Newcastle are all over Norwich. Ben Arfa playing really well but he still missed a sitter. They have hit the post twice.

Edited January 28, 2014 by III

[kaosmark2]

You were saying?

[pink_triangle]

Everton always look like they are beaten the second they walk out at anfield. A professional performance from Liverpool so far, Henderson and gerrard may not be for every game, but maybe a combative derby isn't the worst game for them.

[kaosmark2]

Remy's a fucking idiot, if the ref had seen precisely what had happened he wouldn't have been sent off but he was stupid to square up. Johnson is a fucking lying twat though, feigning getting headbutted like a slimy little c**t.

If we fail to win this it's not the ref's fault though, there's been a few minor bad decisions, but we should have finished better given our dominance.

[WS_Jack_III]

Remy's a fucking idiot, if the ref had seen precisely what had happened he wouldn't have been sent off but he was stupid to square up. Johnson is a fucking lying twat though, feigning getting headbutted like a slimy little c**t.

If we fail to win this it's not the ref's fault though, there's been a few minor bad decisions, but we should have finished better given our dominance.

Edited January 28, 2014 by III

[kaosmark2]

it was unbelievable, should have been bookings and no more, maybe two for Johnson for that pathetic drop to the floor. Great, we only have Shola up top for my first Derby.

Should be 4 up here too.

[zahidf]

Man Utd won a game!!!!!!!!

At 40 points, they are now safe from relegation

Edited January 28, 2014 by zahidf

[kaosmark2]

What a picture: