'Even allowing for inflation, this thread is not worth 198 Terry Francises' - EPL 2017-18

Agree Suarez was something else but tbh he's probably the most exciting player I've ever seen for Liverpool. Salah's not as gifted as Suarez but his ability combined with his sheer relentless persistence are insane right now

Having mané and, in particular, firmino alongside doesn't hurt either

Matt u can't have 3 halves pls correct

Hoap these exciting attacking players have something to spare for the world cup, but who am i kidding, the star of the world cup will be some tunisian guy on loan at FC Sion from Southampton

think the exciting attacking players might struggle in front of a shit centre midfield and a worse back row

Do belgium have that? Remember they've not got the Wilmots Handicap no more. Idk much abt egypt but i'd guess they have the beating of saudis and russia.

Do hull city have a korean guy who hasn't quite nailed down a starting place in two seasons at the club? Golden boot imo

Hoap these exciting attacking players have something to spare for the world cup

If City manage to win the league at the earliest possible point, their players will be pretty much walking through the last few weeks of the season, Champions League notwithstanding. Nice long break ahead of the World Cup, probably allowed to bring their own toys and games to the training ground, that sort of thing.

Kinda hope this all happens before we play them tbh.

we've got them in the penultimate prem game/their last home game, so they might want to put on an exhibition, but hopefully we'll be facing a coked-up/pissed up hologram xi incapable of doing it by then.

Some great photos here: https://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2018/mar/20/the-game-football-through-the-lens-of-stuart-clarke-in-pictures

Those are great. And he captured our very own Calzino!

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/2c97225c522c947c51432a8f50192793caeedaaa/0_0_1200_916/master/1200.jpg?w=1010&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=5c076bbcac51730b722167d431e55d15

:)

Full kit pushing a pram is a look.

Man Utd to discuss ideas for improving Old Trafford atmosphere

Oh I have an idea...

Song sheets and continental-style 'cheerleaders' with megaphones are among the ideas being discussed in an effort to improve the atmosphere at Manchester United's home games.

Just give Mourinho the megaphone and let the apocalypse commence.

Full kit pushing a pram is a look.

― Bimlo Horsewagon became Wheelbarrow Horseflesh (aldo), Tuesday, 20 March 2018 19:04 (yesterday) Permalink

Full kit wankee

beating huddersfield = equivalent to week-long coke binge

Great photos in that collection, though I feel like the Guardian have run that, or an extremely similar gallery before.

how do i deal w a 9-y-o arsenal fan who is showing signs of liking tottenham

real q

(note: i have no dog in this fight)

Who cares? They're the same.

during the first season under moyes, one of my nephews went from wanting loads of man united stuff for his birthday to everything spurs by christmas :(

he's still tottenham btw, he's a lost cause now

City playing football of the gods in their first half, have to say

against a midfield of Rooney and Schneiderlin...

Nevertheless.

Be fair, they're only 44 points ahead of 9th best team in England, Everton.

This is unexpected.

Very unexpected.

I enjoyed the shot of the little Chelsea kid looking furious.

Bringing Kane on at 3-1 doesn't seem smart though.

I'm with my gf's Chelsea supporting family, this is glorious

Vertonghen's face after potentially destroying Hazard's World Cup.

Pards out

lol you smalltime wankers what is the fucking point lie down and shut up

it's funny how the effect of spending £45m in the summer was completely negated by the formidable dampener duo of Pulis/Megson. W Brom won about 4 in a row at the start of the season, before they could exert their influence.

“The Albion? That would piss a few people off wouldn’t it?" said McCarthy. "But you know me, I like pissing people off.”

Best bit about that story is Pards ringing Megson up to complain he'd done too well in his caretaker stint and had robbed Pardew of his new manager bounce.

The worst part of that is that one of the relative successes of Megson's stint, and WBA's season, was a 1-1 draw that I witnessed at Wembley.

If we reach the end of the season and are c.2 points short of something valuable like 3rd or 4th place, it won't be good to reflect that we couldn't get a home win against the most abject PL team in years.

Other than about £2m in prize money, there's no difference between finishing 3rd or 4th this season.

You'd *hope* we won't let Chelsea close an eight point gap on us in just seven games.

(They've only got eight points from their least eight league games)

Everyone at Chelsea appears to have given up, including Conte.

I have been told that if Arsenal win the EL then the 4th placed team don't go into CL. Is that not correct?

Even leaving AFC out of it, 4th place has always meant a qualifying round, and 3rd place hasn't - that's quite a big difference, if it still applies.

That didn't happen when United won it last year and I haven't seen anything suggesting the rule have changed.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/the-5001-shot-that-would-cost-tottenham-champions-league-football-even-if-arsenal-and-chelsea-finish-a3786196.html

Looks like it's if AFC win EL, AND CFC win CL -- then THFC don't go into CL.

Chelsea are already out.

This is a great and very welcome reminder.

Even leaving AFC out of it, 4th place has always meant a qualifying round, and 3rd place hasn't - that's quite a big difference, if it still applies.

It doesn't anymore. From next season's CL (i.e. based on this season's final places) all of the Top 4 from Spain, Germany, England and Italy go straight into the Group Stages.

https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2499801.html#/

Crikey, that's big news - the kind of thing that determines what goes in sport, but also goes under the radar.

O'er here it was reported quite a bit, through Dutch eyes: the big countries get more spots, the smaller ones less. The Dutch champions won't even enter the group phase any more, and need to qualify. Which will be nearly impossible. The gap's gotten too big.

I agree -- anything that is bad for equality and open competition, bad.

Real vs Juventus tie reminded me of their meeting in the 2nd round in 1986 -- when it was all knockout rounds and when two European Giants could randomly be drawn against each other at that stage. Eventual winner: Porto.