Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Aidan11 wrote:

budgetmeansbudget wrote:Alot of Arsenal fans appear to want to finish fifth to hasten Wenger's departure.

Trouble is he's more stubborn than a red wine stain, and you can't see the board ever sacking him.

He has a year left on his contract and I reckon next season will be his last at Arsenal.

There were rumours last two months that the board already offered him a 2/3 year extension, and were keen for him to sign. It seems that Wenger will leave on his own terms, and that even he has been slow to take up the offer so far.

Reading the Arsenal blogs, it seems the board in recent years have shifted composition to remove a lot of the old "football" heads for businessmen. So the club as a whole are currently favouring the status quo, as Wenger takes on the role of being the only sport savvy cog in the whole organisation. Removing him, and they dont have the administrative setup in place to cope without him, as a new manager would no doubt want to focus on the playing staff only, not the high level involvement.

Aidan11 wrote:The title has been won many a time at Old Trafford but it's a first if it's Leicester that do it.

I think they'll win as well.

United are playing well at present.

The Leicester celebrations might be on hold for a little while longer.

Newcastle have 2 very winable games ahead. How likely is it that Spurs will need 3 points on the last day day of the season to secure Ch Lge footy? I'm kind of hoping that Spurs won't give a toss by then... rest all their good players... a few celebratory hangovers being suffered by the starting XI... that sort of thing

I also think I may be clutching at straws

Sunderland to stay up, I reckon

Dele Alli banned for the remainder of the season.

I guess it's good news for England!

budgetmeansbudget wrote:

budgetmeansbudget wrote:4-0, over to Spurs.

Can't see them not picking up 3 points against WBA, but you never know, and if they were to drop points....

...and they did, massive.

Tottenham choked...and Leicester did not.

Newcastle winning and Sunderland are losing.

I still think Rafa is going to Newcastle from the drop.

Aidan11 wrote:I still think Rafa is going to Newcastle from the drop.

Save?

If Arsenal hang on to their lead, we are officially safe from the drop, even after 3 successive defeats.

Bad day for Sunderland. Failed to take advantage of Norwich's expected defeat, and failed to match Newcastle's expected victory.

Their injury time equaliser might feel like a win now, but the reality is they've failed to beat a Stoke side who have been awful recently, have nothing to play for, and have a long injury list.

Advantage Newcastle, especially with them playing Villa next.

Newcastle will do it, and may not even need a result on the last day against Tottenham with Villa to play coming up and expecting three points. Sunderland and Norwich need two wins a piece from 3 matches to challenge, and thats probably a minimum.

Sunderland were awful yesterday but got a point. Norwich put in a spirited effort against Arsenal away and were probably the slightly better team with the chances they created, but they didnt take the chances they had..... and Arsenal had one shot on target and scored.

At the end of the year when Norwich go down, they only need to look at the fact that at points Cameron Jerome was up top playing in a relegation deciding game in the Premier League, and that answers why they were relegated. To get 31 points was a success with this awful team.

Leicester now just over a couple of hours away from being potential PL champions.


Whatever happens they've ruined it for future bets at the bookies. No way will anyone offer odds of 5000/1 for even the most rank outsider. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I wish I had put a couple of quid on each of the long shots in the hope of a shock. Win or runners-up Leicester have shown the PL is not a closed shop among 5 or 6 teams.

Liverpool were awful today....

I haven't seen anything this season to tell me that Klopp is a significant improvement on Brendan Rodgers. I think Rodgers got a raw deal...he did well to get Liverpool into the Champions League, and had a bad season following that because of it. Well, let's see if Klopp does any better next season....

It seems that he's given up on the idea of a Europa League place. Instead, he's trying for Champions League or bust.

And he's undermined the confidence of Daniel Sturridge, who had a pretty good goal-scoring record before Klopp came in as manager. In the summer, I think Sturridge would be better served to leave Liverpool. Maybe Man Utd can pursue him, to replace Danny Welbeck. LVG's never really replaced Welbeck...I mean, the thought that Memphis Depay would be better than Welbeck!

Ball hardly been out the Leicester half in the first five minutes.

Yes. Not often I celebrate a Utd goal.

sussexpob wrote:Newcastle will do it, and may not even need a result on the last day against Tottenham with Villa to play coming up and expecting three points. Sunderland and Norwich need two wins a piece from 3 matches to challenge, and thats probably a minimum.

Sunderland were awful yesterday but got a point. Norwich put in a spirited effort against Arsenal away and were probably the slightly better team with the chances they created, but they didnt take the chances they had..... and Arsenal had one shot on target and scored.

At the end of the year when Norwich go down, they only need to look at the fact that at points Cameron Jerome was up top playing in a relegation deciding game in the Premier League, and that answers why they were relegated. To get 31 points was a success with this awful team.

But it was obvious from day one that they badly lacked a goalscorer. With the money that swirls around the PL these days, I'm amazed that Norwich didn't go shopping (most likely abroad, but alternatively looking at the best there is to offer in the Championship) for a proper striker.