2011-12 EPL Thread

[chef]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

Couldn't find the current numbers but as at the end of the 2009-10 season Lampard had scored 26 penalties for Chelsea in the EPL & many more in the various Cup competitions.

He's currently got about 148 goals for Chelsea in the EPL(180 in all comps) of which 34 were penalties.

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

Wenger is an idiot. Time after time he plays a weakened side against lower teams and time after time we look second rate and drop points. NFI.

[Remi Moses]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

After the Shawcross/Ramsey incident you'd forgive him for being wary of Stoke City.

Incredible turn of events, Swansea who were a decade ago last in the bottom tier beat Arsenal who were top of the pile a decade ago! Swansea and Norwich are good to watch, although it's disappointing we don't get a Welsh derby.

[Mantis]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

He's currently got about 148 goals for Chelsea in the EPL(180 in all comps) of which 34 were penalties.

Where are you getting your numbers from?

The stats I found showed he had scored 37 penalties as at his 500th club appearance.

[chef]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

Where are you getting your numbers from?The stats I found showed he had scored 37 penalties as at his 500th club appearance.

The club's website.

[Missing Dog]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

Terry Henry is a cheat.

I don't know how you can label someone based on a split second decision in the heat of a game. Players will make mistakes, it's up to the referee to officiate the game and rules within it.

I think Henry himself summed up the situation best “I will be honest, it was a handball. But I’m not the ref. I played it, the ref allowed it. That’s a question you should ask him.”

Let's not forget this happened in 2009, hold a grudge much?

[westdog54]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

I don't know how you can label someone based on a split second decision in the heat of a game. Players will make mistakes, it's up to the referee to officiate the game and rules within it.

I think Henry himself summed up the situation best “I will be honest, it was a handball. But I’m not the ref. I played it, the ref allowed it. That’s a question you should ask him.”

Let's not forget this happened in 2009, hold a grudge much?

Spot on. He made a terrible split second decision that will probably follow him for the rest of his career, there were others who had the opportunity to put it right and did not do so.

Worth remembering that Maradona has never owned up to his handball.

[Remi Moses]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

I don't know how you can label someone based on a split second decision in the heat of a game. Players will make mistakes, it's up to the referee to officiate the game and rules within it.

I think Henry himself summed up the situation best “I will be honest, it was a handball. But I’m not the ref. I played it, the ref allowed it. That’s a question you should ask him.”

Let's not forget this happened in 2009, hold a grudge much?

Personally, don't hold a grudge. Possibly cost a country a world cup spot.
BTW Diego Maradona cheated as well.
Would be nice if some sportsmanship was exercised.

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

Worth remembering that Maradona has never owned up to his handball.

It's interesting, but he actually has. He always did in a roundabout way calling it 'the Hand of God', but in an interview for a documentary on his life last year, he spoke candidly about the game vs. England, how they (the Argentinian team) never hated the individual England players but understood the significance of the game for his country after the Falklands war, and then spoke at length about the handball, how it was a split second decision, and that it was a mistake, and he should never have been so gleeful about it in subsequent years. He also describes how he did it, with actions and everything, and talks about how weird it was that the ref thought that he had outjumped the giant Shilton. He also mentioned that the English players were telling him to own up, but he said that he would have been crazy to, in a World Cup quarterfinal!

Quite an amazing interview. He used to be a huge d*ck (and still is in many ways), but in the interview he also talks about how he had to have a good look at himself after the time he nearly died from a cocaine overdose, and really had to clean up his act and challenge himself about the person he used to be. He's since hosted a TV show, and even though he was a crap coach from a tactical perspective, coaching Argentina was a big step back to respectability for him.

Seemed genuinely different and happy to own up to his mistakes as a footballer and a human being.

[westdog54]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

It's interesting, but he actually has. He always did in a roundabout way calling it 'the Hand of God', but in an interview for a documentary on his life last year, he spoke candidly about the game vs. England, how they (the Argentinian team) never hated the individual England players but understood the significance of the game for his country after the Falklands war, and then spoke at length about the handball, how it was a split second decision, and that it was a mistake, and he should never have been so gleeful about it in subsequent years. He also describes how he did it, with actions and everything, and talks about how weird it was that the ref thought that he had outjumped the giant Shilton. He also mentioned that the English players were telling him to own up, but he said that he would have been crazy to, in a World Cup quarterfinal!

Quite an amazing interview. He used to be a huge d*ck (and still is in many ways), but in the interview he also talks about how he had to have a good look at himself after the time he nearly died from a cocaine overdose, and really had to clean up his act and challenge himself about the person he used to be. He's since hosted a TV show, and even though he was a crap coach from a tactical perspective, coaching Argentina was a big step back to respectability for him.

Seemed genuinely different and happy to own up to his mistakes as a footballer and a human being.

Interesting.

I happily stand corrected.

Can see where he was coming fromre not owning up. If he owns up he'd be a hero everywhere in the world, except Argentina. He would never, ever be able to return home. There are those in Australia (not many, thankfully), who hated Gilchrist for walking.

[Missing Dog]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

It's funny how at the time there were Irish politicians demanding a re-match yet when they were the beneficiaries of a dubious decision a few years later that helped them towards qualifying for Euro 2012 none were seen or heard from.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/republic-of-ireland/8821927/Republic-of-Ireland-given-a-helping-hand-to-Euro-2012-play-offs-with-Thierry-Henry-forgotten-if-not-forgiven.html

I don't personally follow Arsenal but I have always marveled at Henry the player he was and the way they played at their peak, that's how I will always remember him.

[chef]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

God I hope the Eden Hazard rumours are correct.

[Topdog]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

It's funny how at the time there were Irish politicians demanding a re-match yet when they were the beneficiaries of a dubious decision a few years later that helped them towards qualifying for Euro 2012 none were seen or heard from.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/republic-of-ireland/8821927/Republic-of-Ireland-given-a-helping-hand-to-Euro-2012-play-offs-with-Thierry-Henry-forgotten-if-not-forgiven.html

I don't personally follow Arsenal but I have always marveled at Henry the player he was and the way they played at their peak, that's how I will always remember him.

Seriously how are the 2 comparable.

1 was a blatant act of cheating (split 2nd decision yes but it was cheating)

The other was a ref stuff up which really had nothing to do with a player. It didn't affect the play off ramifications with Armenia needed to win to qualify.

[chef]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

.

I don't consider any of Chelsea's titles post-Abramovich legitimate, nor Man City's FA Cup last year -- Man U's, Arsenal's and Liverpool's reputation and money come through basically being well-managed clubs with strong internal policies around player contracts etc. and being incredibly popular internationally due to carefully preserved traditions -- these clubs actually turn profits regularly. Chelsea and Man City are essentially oil magnate playthings with tiny local fanbases, lots of bandwagoners who don't really care about the club or its history (the same people who supported Newcastle back in the '90s) and multimilliondollar balance sheet deficits. Their new personas don't even have any links to their pre-oil versions, so in a sense they are no longer the same clubs that Zola or Revie played for (respectively). For all intents and purposes, the original Chelsea and Man City are dead and they are GC17 and GWS, just with old club names.

They represent everything that is wrong with modern professional sport.

Aren't Man U the Glazer families play thing?

Liverpool have NESV, Arsenal have Stan Kroenke.

[Topdog]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

All of them have been there for < 10 years and all were rich before those bought out the clubs.

Chelsea were about to go into administration.
City were useless.