Any REAL football fans here? (Page 48)

As long as rasta boy doesn't head butt anyone again. 

HA!  So did Zidane think the same thing and forget he was bald?

Diving?  Really? I've watched the vid of this play several times and there is clear contact but Luis did NOT stay down asking for the penalty, if you watch, he actually tries to get back up.  Pauly boy here needs to relook at the vid because it was a foul. 

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/977522/paul-scharner-accuses-luis-suarez-of-diving?cc=5901

Of more concern to me today is the deadline for DirectTV and FOX to come to terms on FOX channels...Tomorrow I will lose my FOX soccer channel etc since DirectTV wont pay the 40% hike in prices demanded by FOX.

i may be a Dish network customer shortly!....contrary to my wife's jubilation that she would finally not have to watch soccer 24 x 7 onthe weekends anymore!

I've heard about that too.  Not good.  Not good at all.

Dread head lives to head butt another day. 

BTW, classless move by Rafa Marquez at the end of the NY v LA match.  I've never liked him and this really makes my distaste for him all the more strong.

Best news of the day....DirectTV reached agreement with Fox...normal service uninterrupted!

My wife is crushed

HA!

AWESOME!

For you, not your wife.

Thanks. They sure did make it close last night. I was with you, figuring they were done after the weekend, but they made the second half very interesting. Still can't make it out of the first round, though

Alright y'all.  We are coming up on the mid way point in the EPL season.  What have you seen so far?  Suprises?  Thoughts?  Comments?

In no particular order...surprises in a good way...Norwich and Swansea playing good football and challenging the rest of the league to do likewise. Their managers should be applauded for not parking the bus and playing to win ever week....Mick McCarthy - Steve Bruce take note.

Surprised that Manure looks so tepid...definitely the weakest team in years for them...same for Chelsea..good lord AVB must be an undercover Manchester fan - he has destroyed their defensive capabilities in such a short time he should be applauded at Old Trafford just for that

Arse still need a central defender...wait...that is NO surprise still....

Newcastle need to buy lottery tickets...they also need to grab some cotton balls to stuff their noses because they will have nosebleeds when they free fall from third to 20th by the end of the season...

Are Spurs for real? How will 'arry manage from behind bars?

Man City will run away with the league...the other Champions league spots are up for grabs.

RIP Gary Speed....

Couldn't agree more with your first sentence.  It is nice to see these promoted teams really giving it a run for the money.  Stoke kind of set the trend a few years ago and now it seems that other teams coming up are doing the same.  Makes it fun, that's for certain.

Even with the tie on Sunday, Man City is the team to beat.  It is theirs to lose, at this point.

Chelsea looks old, just like I said they did at the beginning of the year.  And ManUre couldn't look more vulnerable.  Relatively. 

Not convinced 'Pool will break the CL barrier this year.  Still too inconsistent.  And if they don't, then it will be a VERY long time till they do because I feel they will lose players that will help them get there.

Still reading about Speed and it appears that he committed suicide.  So sad and tragic. 

So it really is coming out that it is suicide.  So incredibly sad.  It sounds as if he might have had undiagnosed depression.  I know I should count myself lucky but I just can't wrap my head around how someone can get to that level.  Maybe it isn't for this thread, but I just don't get it.  I mourn for the family he left behind. 

So I have a question for you footy fans.  Luis Suarez is in a bit of hot water.  Again.  This time for giving the middle finger to the Fulham fans.  He is being charged with making an obsence gesture.  But what about other players that have done the same thing and not been charged. 

Didn't Rooney give the V sign to Chelsea fans late last season? 

Didn't Neville flip off Tevez but escaped sanctions because they FA said there was no "conclusive evidence"? Even though there is at least one photograph showing he did.

Now I'm not thrilled with him doing it.  I thought it showed lack of class and judgement.  But there is also an apparent lack of consistency in the FA, is there not?

Oh, and just so it isn't all about Liverpool.

ManUre and ManC both bounced out of Champions League.

Some potential funny business going on in the Lyon match where they HAD to win by a huge margin and actually did. 

Tevez to AC Milan?

The midpoint is upon us and then the fun of the January transfer window.  Anyone think there will be any moves other than Tevez?

Been busy so will try to get to all the points....

Suarez - talented but nuts...remember he bit someone in the Dutch league last year!

Great to see the Manchester duo struggle...shows that you dont have to buy top talent to win..you can find it at better prices if you just look - scouts must be lazy or teams cut them due to budget

The fix has to be in...did you see the highlights of the Ajax game..legit goals disallowed...and the Lyon game was a farce...they scored 2 goals in less than a minute and the marking was comical...guess Zagreb needed the money...

Heard Tevez interest from Paris St Germain and Milan....but would have to be a purchase not loan...big money for a flaky player..still think he needs to go back to Argentina..he'd be a happier bunny there

Barca-Real this weekend...either a great game or like last years classico's..lots of diving, mobbing the ref, a sending off and a crap game....hoping Moaninho gets his a$$ handed to him

Different note - saw the U17 US kids beat Brazil on Fox the other day....was pretty good for the most part...Brazil looked less than inspiring....One kid stood out  -Jorge Lopez I think his name was..#10....very good....others very technical and athletic..however, this MUST be translated to the senior game somehow...

Yeah, I remember when we got him that he was a bit controversial because of that.  I'm not a huge fan of his because of all the controversy behind him, but my word he is one hell of a play maker.

I have not seen the highlights but now I'm going to have to check them out.  I'm not entirely convinced FIFA or UEFA will do anything to Lyon if it shows there was a fix.  I don't have a lot of faith in them to be honest.

Won't be able to catch the classico but hopefully will see the replay.  I hope it is NOT what it was last year, which was horrific to say the least.

I think your last paragraph is what we have been struggling with for a while though, right?  Will be interested to see what happens.  And that was just one game. 

BTW, you have a link to the disallowed goals, because EVERYTHING I'm pulling up does not show ANY of them.  Conspiracy? 

http://sportige.com/champions-league-winners-losers-and-suspicions/

 Both were a little unusual - deflections etc but both legal..

If the one the guy chested in was deliberate...which reply shows it may have been..it was goal of the year!

Wow...... just........ wow.  And both were the same line judge.  And if you watch the first one, you will see he doesn't raise his flag until well after it was put in the back of the net.  I really am not much of a conspiracy theorist but talk about fishy.  And now UEFA is saying that nothing was out of the ordinary.  Uh-huh. 

Wow.

Alright folks.  I need a sanity check.  Thoughts on Suarez's ban?  Too harsh?  Not harsh enough?  Reserving judgement to see how Terry is treated?

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/999477/luis-suarez-banned-for-eight-games-by-fa?cc=5901