Football

^ I saw a statistical analytics site had Sunderland's chances of relegation at 29%. On the positive side, that means 71% they stay up.

I hope they do stay up, I don't like when an historically successful club drops to the 3rd tier.

10 hours ago, Michael* said:

I didn't see a result like that coming if I'm honest, but we bounced back well from Boxing Day's rancid showing. Here’s hoping for a happier new year on the football front.

Seems like Coleman's change of shape has controlled the tide, for the most part. One wonders if he feels he can truly rely on McGeady in such a system every game given his rather fragmented wizardry but he's a cut above when he wants to be.

We were particularly diabolical at Brentford so the idea of showing up the maestro Pulis on his Boro debut seemed unfathomable. That it was a Snodgrass header that got the job done only makes it more barmy. Of course Bruce had to come out afterwards and have a tantrum. 

Any thoughts on Premier League/Championship promotion and relegation?

It looks like Wolverhampton will return to the Premier League barring a major collapse.

I thought the two Welsh clubs might switch leagues, but with Cardiff's recent struggles, maybe not.  

On 12/31/2017 at 4:40 AM, jkjk said:

I saw a statistical analytics site had Sunderland's chances of relegation at 29%. On the positive side, that means 71% they stay up.

 

I hope they do stay up, I don't like when an historically successful club drops to the 3rd tier.

Sadly, getting off to such a bad start meant that our only realistic goal for the season was survival, and I do believe that Coleman is up to the task of making sure that happens. In the long term, as awful as it makes me feel to say it, I think it could be a long time before we're seen again in the top flight.

13 minutes ago, Michael* said:

In the long term, as awful as it makes me feel to say it, I think it could be a long time before we're seen again in the top flight.

I know it's obvious, but relegation is a such a huge hit and hard to recover from, especially financially. It seems that if you don't return quickly, it's becomes harder to do so.

On 12/31/2017 at 11:58 AM, Frederick said:

Seems like Coleman's change of shape has controlled the tide, for the most part. One wonders if he feels he can truly rely on McGeady in such a system every game given his rather fragmented wizardry but he's a cut above when he wants to be.

McGeady has been a bit of conundrum all season really, even seemingly to Grayson who had previously gotten him motivated at Preston. The lad clearly has ability to burn and we don't have enough craft elsewhere in the squad to consider sidelining him for too long, but we also don't look capable of carrying anyone who fails to deliver consistently. Ultimately, I suppose you'd have to say it’s the reason he never played for one of the elite clubs during his peak years.

Well, that's one way to force Ryan Giggs to attend his first Wales friendly. Makes marginally more sense than Stoke's desperate roulette spin on Paul Lambert, mind you. Micky Adams too busy?

I've come to view most managerial appointments through the prism of "will he make more or less punditry appearances on TV?" these days, which is why I was secretly quite pleased when old Pontius Pardew went to West Brom. Giggs becoming a fully fledged international manager will probably see him sought out by both the BBC and ITV to give us the benefit of his analysis at the World Cup. Therefore I'm dead against it.

The goals are finally coming for Scotty Hogan and I'm delighted. He's looked hapless at times, unlucky at others but he's stuck at it and the fans have stayed with him, long may it continue. The Championship has a tendency to suddenly pull the rug from under you but there's no doubt the response after Brentford has been strong (minus the FA Cup debacle). 

This swap at Man U and Arsenal is going to be interesting. How will Sanchez fit into the squad? Hopefully well, he is a fantastic player

Disappointed in Atalanta fans. Awful.

Mathematically impossible to reach the play-offs now. Oh bother!

Over the moon for those poor, poor Arsenal fans, who have had such a tough time of it in recent years.

All aboarrrrrd the promotion train...IF Cardiff and Fulham stop being as good as us, that is. Whooping Wolves was incredibly satisfying and a genuine mark of progress, they've humiliated us thrice in the past year but we wore them out in the second half, by the end it was getting a bit silly. I begrudge Bruce too much of the credit because we're a pretty expensive outfit that staggered for far too long but get us to the holy land of 17th in the Premier League in August and we'll all be dancing a merry jig in his honour...for about a minute.  

On 3/7/2018 at 12:34 AM, Michael* said:

Mathematically impossible to reach the play-offs now. Oh bother!

Sorry about pinching Grabban, me old son. Coleman better go into the attic and find that voodoo doll that toppled Belgium a few summers ago because he's looking a hubristic goon for knowingly throwing himself into this inferno. 

Manchester United parking the fuck out of the bus tonight. Awful starting lineup

On 12/03/2018 at 4:21 PM, Frederick said:

All aboarrrrrd the promotion train...IF Cardiff and Fulham stop being as good as us, that is. Whooping Wolves was incredibly satisfying and a genuine mark of progress, they've humiliated us thrice in the past year but we wore them out in the second half, by the end it was getting a bit silly. I begrudge Bruce too much of the credit because we're a pretty expensive outfit that staggered for far too long but get us to the holy land of 17th in the Premier League in August and we'll all be dancing a merry jig in his honour...for about a minute.  

Funny how a six hour round trip to watch us get mauled by a team generally regarded as hopeless quickly beats the audacity of hope out of you!

On ‎12‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 4:35 PM, Frederick said:

Sorry about pinching Grabban, me old son. Coleman better go into the attic and find that voodoo doll that toppled Belgium a few summers ago because he's looking a hubristic goon for knowingly throwing himself into this inferno. 

Our fans seemed curiously apathetic towards Grabban when he was here, but he'll always weigh in with goals at this level. We certainly miss him, although the way we are at the back at the moment, we'd need to be scoring three or four every week just to be in with a chance of getting a draw.

As for Coleman, he probably thought he'd be able to walk in to the club, give the players a shake and coast into a mid table finish. If it was that simple, surely Grayson would have managed it.

13 hours ago, Top-modèle196 said:

Manchester United parking the fuck out of the bus tonight. Awful starting lineup

If there's one thing I've learned from watching European tournament football over the last few years, it's to never underestimate Sevilla.

Congratulations to vibrant young go getter Marky "the Sparky" Hughes for b(l)agging the Southampton job. May he continue his longstanding assault on insomnia before being replaced by Big Sam/Pulis/Pardew/Marco Silva/Roy/Moyes/Lambert/McLeish/Tim/Gary Megson/Claus Lundekvam/Paul Jewell/Felix Magath/the cameraman-father of the child Jamie Carragher spat on...Tony Adams.