Re: The non EPL thread

**The Puke** Sun Feb 20, 2011 11:33 am

patrique wrote:Arsenal are a bit like Paul McCartney, getting excited over one leg.

Moderators, please delete this post and issue a warning/infraction against the poster

**patrique** Sun Feb 20, 2011 6:13 pm

The Puke wrote:
patrique wrote:Arsenal are a bit like Paul McCartney, getting excited over one leg.

Moderators, please delete this post and issue a warning/infraction against the poster

Touts beware.

**hipster 2** Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:49 pm

i have poured my chucky vodka down the sink after reading this

Guest Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:17 pm

FC Brugge gets rid of goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen after internet slander campaign is discovered
By Raf Casert (CP) – 6 hours ago
BRUSSELS — FC Brugge parted ways with former international goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen after his entourage acknowledged making comments on a fan website lauding his performance while criticizing his teammates and the club.
Stijnen had already been sent down to the "B'' team last week for "damaging the interests and image" of the club, but on Monday both sides decided to "end their co-operation with immediate effect."
After the story of the internet slander campaign surfaced and put the goalkeeper at the heart of the accusations over the weekend, his brother and girlfriend claimed they, not Stijnen, had written the comments.
Stijnen made 30 international appearances for Belgium from 2006-09 before falling out with then-coach Dick Advocaat, who refused to play him as the established No. 1 goalkeeper.
He quit the national team and concentrated on FC Brugge, a club with a rich history which has increasingly fallen on hard times. On top of that, Stijnen was going through a long injury spell.
The 29-year-old Stijnen was under contract with FC Brugge until 2015. The financial terms of the breakup were not disclosed.
In comments linked to his entourage on the fan website blauwzwartforum.be, the goalkeeper was described as a "hero'" or "wonderful" and "top," while fellow Brugge goalkeepers and management were denigrated.
"Very weak game of (Geert) De Vlieger," one comment said of Stijnen's replacement. "Very average goalkeeper who has committed serious blunders in the past weeks."
Of two new business managers recently brought in, comments derided their "total lack of personality" and complained "lightweights like that have to lead our club."
Stijnen's family said in a statement to VRT network that his brother Steven and girlfriend Veerle "take all responsibility and offer Stijn their apologies, who, unfairly, gets all the blame."
The two say their were driven to post the comments under pseudonyms "Frigo and Piop" because "the criticism on Stijnen for some time had been too virulent and, as brother and girlfriend, too emotional."
Stijnen is free to join a new club immediately. He may go overseas in an attempt to avoid the controversy at home.

This begs the question: Is 'Patrique' actually Bebe?

**patrique** Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:14 pm

Does Rooney do enough to earn the nickname "The White Bebe?"

**Jayo Cluxton** Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:51 am

Hey puke - the non EPL afficianado - what a great state Italian football is in - Roma, Inter, AC .....

**Grenvile** Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:56 am

Terrible game between United and Marseille tonight with the French team having the better of it. Once again it took Scholes to make an appearance before they looked comfortable. United's home form should see them through but you never know, an early exit is possible.

**Jayo Cluxton** Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:00 am

I'd say any of the other 14 teams were quaking in their boots looking at that pile of ***** tonight. How TF are United where they are this season?? A defence with O Shea - a MF with Carrick, Fletcher, Gibson affraid

and Nani - piss poor really

**Grenvile** Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:07 am

Jayo Cluxton wrote:I'd say any of the other 14 teams were quaking in their boots looking at that pile of ***** tonight. How TF are United where they are this season?? A defence with O Shea - a MF with Carrick, Fletcher, Gibson and Nani - piss poor really

United's back 4 at home is formidable enough with Rafael in for O'Shea. Carrick and Fletcher (this season) are indeed very poor and Gibson will never be in the same bracket as Scholes, not even close, but the days when Nani can be passed off as "piss poor" are gone Jayo.. He's been outstanding this year and has been United's best player and one of the best in the league.

**Jayo Cluxton** Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:13 am

2/10 for Nanny would be generous tonight. In the EPL he may look good - in the real world he is an even more one trick pony than the w*nker!

**Grenvile** Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:30 am

Jayo Cluxton wrote:2/10 for Nanny would be generous tonight. In the EPL he may look good - in the real world he is an even more one trick pony than the w*nker!

The real world where the EPL teams have won or drew their opening games against Spanish and Italian opposition. Lazy lazy assessment I expected a bit better..

**The Puke** Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:31 am

Get tyhe **** out of here with this EPL non sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Sun Mar 06, 2011 11:12 pm

I see Bayern Munich lost again at the weekend. They always seem to follow a good season up with a bad one and then a good season again.

Borussia Dortmund twelve clear now. Great to see this proud club with such a rich tradition leading the Bundesliga. Have to be the most improved team in Europe this season.

**The Puke** Sun Mar 06, 2011 11:17 pm

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:I see Bayern Munich lost again at the weekend. They always seem to follow a good season up with a bad one and then a good season again.

Borussia Dortmund twelve clear now. Great to see this proud club with such a rich tradition leading the Bundesliga. Have to be the most improved team in Europe this season.

A very young side with a very young coach, have only seen them on a couple of occasions this season but they play a lovely fluid brand of football

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Sun Mar 06, 2011 11:25 pm

The Puke wrote:
Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:I see Bayern Munich lost again at the weekend. They always seem to follow a good season up with a bad one and then a good season again.

Borussia Dortmund twelve clear now. Great to see this proud club with such a rich tradition leading the Bundesliga. Have to be the most improved team in Europe this season.

A very young side with a very young coach, have only seen them on a couple of occasions this season but they play a lovely fluid brand of football

There's a lad Dede who plays for them. A Brazilian. At his best a few years ago, he was as good as Roberto Carlos, very surprising that he never got a few games for Brazil.

**Grenvile** Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:52 pm

Can Arsenal hold Barca tonight to go through? Wenger has the look of a desperate man bringing Van Persie who just a week ago was supposedly out for a few weeks at least.. Guardiola stirring the pot too saying it's great that RVP is fit and perhaps Walcott will make a miracle recovery too. He also said that Wilshere was a great talent and Barca's reserve side is full of players like him.. A tad disrespectful given Wilshere was the best player in the first leg.

Facing a makeshift central defence I fancy Arsenal to score but they won't be able to contain Barca to 1 goal, unless there is some heroics from their goalkeeper or defence. Barca to go through 3-1.

**The Puke** Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:09 pm

Funny that 3 weeks ago ye were all lining up to post in this thread about Arsenal's great performance, cat got your collective tongues tonight....

If the 2 legs were a boxing match equivalent the ref would have stopped it well before the end

**Grenvile** Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:34 pm

I feel sorry for Arsenal, the sending off was a joke and came at a time when Arsenal led the tie. Left without their center forward there was no respite.. And Arsenal still could have stolen it at the death! Barca are a serious outfit and it will take a huge performance from someone to stop them, I think only Chelsea and maybe Real have the squads to do it.. In a way I'd like them to meet United, maybe a second shattering of their midfield would force a good purchase. Doubtful though..

But Barca get another very dodgy decision in Europe which ensures they go through.. How a player doesn't get the benefit of the doubt for not hearing a whistle in a 95,000 packed stadium when he's already on a yellow is a farce.

**The Puke** Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:41 pm

RVP was acting like a petulent child all night and should have gotten his second yellow a few minutes previous for a sly rake on Messi, considering Valdes had stopped he knew full well he was off, harsh it may have been but them the rules....Don't know how you can say Barca got the decisions when they were denied a stonewall penalty when Diaby tripped Messi just inside the box and was a far more straight forward decision that the RVP booking yet it wasn't given

**Thomas Clarke** Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:44 pm

Jonsmith wrote:
But Barca get another very dodgy decision in Europe which ensures they go through..

Or you could argue that they had just under 800 passes to Arsenal's 199. Or that they had 19 attempts on goal to Arsenal's zero.

The sending off was wrong, but does anyone really believe that the better side has gone out? Arsenal had loads of luck in the 1st leg, especially when Barca had a good goal and a blatant penalty denied. How Alex Song stayed on the field that night is a mystery. Arsenal also had luck tonight when Koscielny wasn't sent off for a 2nd yellow after the penalty.

Barca aren't actually playing that well at present. Their form has dipped over the last 6 weeks. But they were still a million miles ahead of the Gunners.

**mugsys_barber** Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:57 pm

Humans and Referees are supposed to have common sense. The ref simply had no common sense regarding RVP sending off and made a poor choice that ruined the game as a contest. Fabregas was injured and struggled this evening, I would rather have had Arshavin on earlier, don't know why Rosicky was on the pitch and would have preferred Walcott to be on the end of Bedtnars chance at the end if he had been fit but i suppose that is just wishful thinking.

In the first leg Barca dominated the first 70 minutes of the game but lost the game 2-1, RVP's sending off on 55 minutes meant that there was little hope of Arsenal putting any sustained pressure on Barca in the second half like they did at the emirates. Having said that Barca's football was sublime at times and Almunia more or less stopped about 7 goal chances.

I don't think any team will come as close to Barca as Arsenal did this year anyway in the champions league. Now Arsenal can concentrate on the Double Very Happy

**Grenvile** Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:51 pm

Thomas Clarke wrote:
Jonsmith wrote:
But Barca get another very dodgy decision in Europe which ensures they go through..

Or you could argue that they had just under 800 passes to Arsenal's 199. Or that they had 19 attempts on goal to Arsenal's zero.

The sending off was wrong, but does anyone really believe that the better side has gone out? Arsenal had loads of luck in the 1st leg, especially when Barca had a good goal and a blatant penalty denied. How Alex Song stayed on the field that night is a mystery. Arsenal also had luck tonight when Koscielny wasn't sent off for a 2nd yellow after the penalty.

Barca aren't actually playing that well at present. Their form has dipped over the last 6 weeks. But they were still a million miles ahead of the Gunners.

Ah to be honest I'm not suggesting Arsenal deserved to win, I was rooting for an Arsenal win and the sending off was sickening.. Koscielny could have gone too and Barca should have had a penalty.. But then again the Barca player who grabbed RVP by the throat should have got a red too. For such a quality team though Barca don't rise above the worst aspects of the game, diving and waving imaginary cards and surrounding the ref at every opportunity.

Barca are undoubtedly on a different planet to Arsenal, what was most impressive was what they do without the ball, 89th minute Messi was racing to close down the Arsenal keeper. They won't be impressed with their return from all their attacks. 19 shots at Almunia wouldn't have been any good to them if Bendtner had taken his chance.

Predicted 3-1 above and of course never backed it.. Evil or Very Mad

**Jayo Cluxton** Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:54 pm

Jonsmith wrote:Predicted 3-1 above and of course never backed it..

Good call nonetheless JS - fair play.

**Boxtyeater** Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:07 am

I was atin' a lock of pancakes around 8.20 and Nanny was channel hopping...Barcelona were passing it around like no ones business and after 5 minutes I said to her "turn that off, this will be 4-0".....No comparison in the levels of skill or speed of thought. The Spaniards were like matadors, probing and jabbing and making funny diagrams in fluent, sweeping forays. Arsenal resembled what may have occurred on the Titanic, emptying a large boat with buckets.....
Different class entirely.

But not a sport.

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:12 am

Arsenal were well in the game when Van Persie was sent-off. So in that respect, they were robbed as it had such an impact on the rest of the game.

Bendtner had the goal at his mercy in injury time too - and failed to even control the ball. Had a more seasoned Champions League talisman like VP got on the end of that Wilshere pass, Barcelona were history.

Whatever difference exists between the sides is a small one, but the sending-off certainly tipped the balance well in Barca's favour.

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