Football

Cautious optimism the order of the day. The last two performances have been quite encouraging, and Big Sam must take a lot of the credit for energising a seemingly uncoachable group and giving them self belief. If we're still outside the bottom three when 2016 hits, we might even be able to attract a couple of additions who can help move us away from the drop zone.

Bloody English. Going over there, taking all their coaching jobs. What about all the homegrown Spanish coaches who never get the opportunity?

Well, we didn't lose. But then Newcastle won and our scabby draw suddenly feels immaterial. We can't find a defensive combination that doesn't inflict calamity and the old days of 'at least Guzan knows what's what' are long over. We should have been 10-0 down after five minutes and scored a hilariously rubbish goal so all in all, better than a kick in the spuds but not quite as good as wearing wet socks.  

A game United had to win so, obviously, they went for it. The problem was that in doing so, they also proved that their defence is, in fact, a bit crap. Although in all honesty, qualification was probably lost to them after the draw with PSV.

For me, the other ten really let down Nick Powell. He can't do it all on his own!

Gent through to the last 16 on a shoe-string budget.

On 10/12/2015 at 0:37 PM, SympathysSilhouette said:

Gent through to the last 16 on a shoe-string budget.

It may not be the biggest sell, but Gent are without doubt one of the stories of the season so far.

Big Sam called the Watford game a six-pointer in midweek, although I can't honestly say I've heard of a six-pointer where the opposition are 13 points and 12 league positions clear of you. Oddly though, I didn't feel entirely disheartened afterwards. A desperately disappointing result, but a lot of the players put in a hard shift, and goals should come if they maintain this work ethic.

Champions League last 16 draw

Gent vs Wolfsburg
Roma vs Real Madrid
PSG vs Chelsea
Arsenal vs Barcelona
Juventus vs Bayern Munich
PSV vs Atletico Madrid
Benfica vs Zenit
Dynamo Kiev vs Manchester City

That great week for Arsenal shows no signs of abating.

Europa League last 32 draw

Valencia vs Rapid Vienna
Fiorentina vs Tottenham
Dortmund vs Porto
Fenerbahce vs Lokomotiv Moscow
Anderlecht vs Olympiakos
FC Midtjylland vs Manchester United
Augsburg vs Liverpool
Sparta Prague vs Krasnodar
Galatasaray vs Lazio
Sion vs Braga
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Schalke
Marseille vs Athletic Bilbao
Sevilla vs Molde
Sporting Lisbon vs Bayer Leverkusen
Villarreal vs Napoli
St Etienne vs Basel

Divock Origi finally scored his first league goal for LFC!

Kloppo is a miracle worker!

It looked like Klopp was going to turn into the Incredible Hulk towards the end of the game, although in fairness, I doubt I could spend two hours in the company of Tony Pulis without losing it at least once either.

Klopp went potty a few times last season at times when it was felt Dortmund might have 'turned a corner', I certainly recall a bit of a cruise ship style rah rah after beating Gladbach but things stayed rocky for a good while after that. Of course Hummels and Weidenfeller infamously had a spontaneous frank exchange of views with fans after that utterly harrowing defeat to, ironically enough, Augsburg, when things really did look dire.  Then we finished 7th. What was my point? Oh yeah, David O'Leary running across St. Andrews to salute Doug Ellis is one of the most pitiful sights I've ever witnessed in all my life. I still dislike you, David, wherever you are!

It's always good fun, whenever there's a job available in the Premier League, to take a look at the bookies' favourite candidates and see how far down the list David O'Leary and Alan Curbishley are. I'm beginning to think that they're still included just to be polite, like someone invited to a party that nobody actually wants to see turn up, but it would be rude not to have asked them.

On Monday, December 14, 2015 at 6:07 PM, Michael* said:

It's always good fun, whenever there's a job available in the Premier League, to take a look at the bookies' favourite candidates and see how far down the list David O'Leary and Alan Curbishley are. I'm beginning to think that they're still included just to be polite, like someone invited to a party that nobody actually wants to see turn up, but it would be rude not to have asked them.

There was a time when you couldn't walk into any post office in the country without at least the possibility of overhearing some chatter about 'Curbs' or the Charlton revolution but I doubt any university student in 2015 would believe it if you told them. My dad, to this day, insists that Curby, despite having played for us and against over many decades, has never correctly pronounced 'Birmingham' in any publicly available recording ever made. I believe him. 

Bielsa to Swansea! Please let this happen!

Jose mutually consented by Chelsea. I wouldn't want to be their next opponents... d'oh!

Bad news for aged housewives of the home counties who, as we all know, are bound by the terms of their wedding vows to make one 'cheeky' reference per year involving Mourinho being 'dishy' to their pudgy, baldy former insuranceman husbands. 

Perhaps needless to say, I was hoping that Jose wouldn't get the boot until after we played Chelsea, but when you make a start as woeful as that, you can't realistically expect to get a result against anyone. With Norwich and Bournemouth both winning, it was an easy decision to skip Match of the Day for about the 15th time this season.

Nice to see the Chelsea fans wheeling out their famously excellent sign making skills once again, though.

So, how exactly will Arsenal mess this one up?