Football thread

This thread is about the sport actually played with your feet. For various sports confusingly named "football" which are actually played with your hands, see gridiron football.

After watching one of the most nerve-wracking matches for a long time I figured this was the perfect place to share about my ever-strengthening relation to the game.

The match in question was Arsenal 1-0 Liverpool and the experience showed me how much I've come to care for the game, and my team Arsenal in particular. It hasn't always always been so and when I was younger (I'm 20 now) I thought caring strongly about competitive sports was rather silly.

But I picked a few teams to support as a boy should, so apart from Arsenal I guess I can call Barcelona (nice playing style, had a friend from there) "my" team. I'm not so sure why I picked Arsenal, maybe because Freddie Ljungberg played there, maybe because of something else. Still it has become the only team in any sport that I actually care about.

Only a few years I didn't even know they were in the Champions League final (in 2006) but after some time playing World of Warcraft with Manchester United-supporting guildmates I took interest in English (and European) football. Now it's something that can ruin a whole evening after a loss, but the exhilaration after winning big games makes it worth it.

Sadly I missed the time of Arsenal's Invincibles and most of this powerful football, but I'm hoping that the new generation of players can live up to that as soon as possible.



I'm sure there's others with the same kind of relation to the game here, so I figured a thread to discuss club football in general would be nice.

To begin with: Do you think Chelsea are still truly out of reach for Arsenal after losing at Everton tonight? Or will Manchester United defy their debt and Ronaldo-lessness and win a 4th consecutive title?

I've been wanting to create such a thread for a long time but I though was the only one interested since most of our regular members are from the US.
I'm a Chelsea fan and have been for quite a long time I also support a local Greek team called AEK Athens but it's pretty small now and there's not much to talk about.I also hate Liverpool with a passion and wish them relegation

I follow the English Premierleague closely watch almost all Chelsea's games.
Now on the topic at hand:
This has been a pretty strange year so making any predictions is most unwise.
Devastated as I am after our humiliation against Everton I won't say much about Chelsea,only that our away record this year is horrific (46% wins) and it's unacceptable for any top team.
Even before Arsenal lost to both ManU and us I did believe that they just don't have what it takes to compete with the top 2 teams.We won 0-3 at Emirates and Drogba scored another 2 at the Bridge,not to mention that Liverpool is the only top4 team that you beat this year.
ManU with Rooney are a much more 1man team than what they were with C.Ronaldo.While not spectacular they have a good team and if consistent they are the favourites to win the EPL.

Originally Posted by Kostaz
I've been wanting to create such a thread for a long time but I though was the only one interested since most of our regular members are from the US.

Actually, the membership is rather Euro-centric. There's a few of us imperialist pigdogs that tend to rattle on and that might skew appearances a bit.

Originally Posted by dteowner
Actually, the membership is rather Euro-centric. There's a few of us imperialist pigdogs that tend to rattle on and that might skew appearances a bit.

Yeah … we're the vocal minority

You're just lucky we don't know what the heck you're talking about or we'd hijack your thread to talk politics.

Swede here, and I do not watch football even when drunk.

I attend all home games of my favourite club and i also attend basketball games (clubs in Greece are not strictly football oriented) .

I like watching the big events, but I prefer playing. Too bad I haven't played once in six years, but not all of our team are here anymore, and then I don't really have the time I used to have for training and stuff, so perhaps it's better the way it is . I used to be a fan of one of the local clubs - still have my cap and scarf - , but nowadays I tend to keep an eye on the underdog clubs.
Now sonny has started to play in a club. The little ones are sooo cute when they play; it's fun to watch a bunch of squabbling kids - goalies included - chase after the ball .

@Kostaz: Chelsea-Liverpool isn't such a usual rivalry, do you have your reasons or did it just turn out that way?

And I agree about our record against Chelsea and ManU, over our last 10 games in all competitions we have a record of W0 D1 L9, F6 A22. Still, we beat United at home last season and that didn't stop them winning the title.

In truth none of the teams in the PL have looked consistently like champions this year compared to the winning teams after the last decade. Every time I think Chelsea are beginning to look unstoppable one of these results like Everton come along. I think the title will come down to details for Chelsea and United, and if the small things go against both teams Arsenal still has a teeny, tiny chance to succeed.

Also, AEK Athens, don't they have Swedish defender? And there's no need to call one of the better Greek teams small, they'd kick the butt of any Swedish club any day they wanted.

Originally Posted by magerette
You're just lucky we don't know what the heck you're talking about or we'd hijack your thread to talk politics.

Lucky indeed, lurking P&R is just about as much as I can take!

I used to watch the local team (Halmstad BK of the mediocre Swedish premier division) every week (lived two traffic lights from the stadium), which had it's glory days during my university years in the mid to late 90s (isolated European "successes" like 3-0 against Parma and knocking out Benfica of the UEFA cup, and two national championships in -97 and 2000). Unfortunately I've lost touch with the club after moving to the rear end of the country and nowadays I only watch them on TV.

With age it has become hard for me to enjoy games where I have no emotional attachment to either team, especially as football games can have a lot of dead time if you are unlucky. Thus I only watch my club team and the Swedish national team…

Originally Posted by Toaster
@Kostaz: Chelsea-Liverpool isn't such a usual rivalry, do you have your reasons or did it just turn out that way?

Our rivalry with Liverpool is fairly new but for me it's the strongest one.
Over the last 5 years we have met the 'pool in 4 Champions League Knockout ties.
Each team has progressed two times,although from my point of view Liverpool robbed us both times.
The first one was back when we had Mourinho,they advanced to the finals because of a "ghost" goal,the second time they beat us on effing penalties.
We advanced in the other two ties,with our last meeting being described by some as the best football match ever.

In truth none of the teams in the PL have looked consistently like champions this year compared to the winning teams after the last decade. Every time I think Chelsea are beginning to look unstoppable one of these results like Everton come along. I think the title will come down to details for Chelsea and United, and if the small things go against both teams Arsenal still has a teeny, tiny chance to succeed.

Mathematically even Liverpool have a chance of winning the league but if there's a football god out there it's not going to happen.
For me it's a 2 horse race but you've got far more easy fixtures than us remaining.If you can pull an incredible winning run until the end you'll be champions but I just don't think you have the quality to do it.
For me the most important match is our game against ManU at the Old Trafford which based on our away form we are going to lose.

Also, AEK Athens, don't they have Swedish defender?

Yeah we got Daniel Majstorovic who's actually one of our top names,he has been shit this year though
The other Swedish player in Greece is Olof Mellberg who plays for our rivals Olympiakos and is arguably the best defender in the Greek League.

And there's no need to call one of the better Greek teams small, they'd kick the butt of any Swedish club any day they wanted.

AEK is one of the biggest clubs in Greece but compared to giants like Arsenal or Chelsea they are tiny,that's why on international forums there's not much to say.

Lucky indeed, lurking P&R is just about as much as I can take!

Cosign.

Originally Posted by JemyM
Swede here, and I do not watch football even when drunk.

You're missing a terrible lot,some world-class players have played for Sweden, Zlatan Ibrahimović being the last example.

I attend all home games of my favourite club and i also attend basketball games (clubs in Greece are not strictly football oriented) .

And what club that might be ?

AEK have been approached by the most fun investors ever like the Swedish-Greek Bikini king and this guy

One thing about Greek clubs is that you never get bored and their entertainment value greatly surpasses everything on this galaxy


Kostaz I am OSFP fan

Originally Posted by Tragos
AEK have been approached by the most fun investors ever like the Swedish-Greek Bikini king and this guy

One thing about Greek clubs is that you never get bored and their entertainment value greatly surpasses everything on this galaxy


Kostaz I am OSFP fan

I would agree to this. I have been to watch a couple of games there and I must that it was a series of absolutely stunning moments during the game; on and off the field. I am looking forward for some games there. Just love to be there for some interesting games would double your fun factor.

Love to watch, prefer to play. Wasn't much of an option lately after I've moved to UK but dire supporter of our international squad (Slovenia) which made it to the World Cup beating the Russians.

I'm not a big personal fan of club football beside the local clubs of where I used to live both the underdogs (where I used to train football myself until life and knee injury kicked in) and the champion team which reside in same town. But still enjoy watching good matches in Champions' League or otherwise as long as players show active effort to play the game and enjoy while doing it. Really dislike matches where the teams play like they're going for a tie even though they both want to - or should want to win.

Sorry for abandoning my own thread for a little while, I've had an overwhelming period of course-work at uni.

It's been a crazy time for Arsenal as well: Aaron Ramsey's kicked-off leg (go to hell "he's not that kind of player" pundits), 4 victories in 4 games with a 13-3 score on aggregate including a Bendtner hattrick… I think the late, late winner today shows we've got what it takes to win the league this year.

The Champions League is wide open, but as much as I enjoy us beating Porto 5-0, seeing arrogant, over-spending Real Madrid crash out to Lyon (before the quarter-finals for the sixth year in a row!) was at least as fun! Especially with the final being played at the Bernabéu stadium.