not that I'm bothered too much but it seems folk haven't got better things to do with themselves on our UK sports desks.

A few months ago when we lost our 5th or 6th game there was near nationwide hysteria at our demise / collapse. We had a debate on the feckin' Nicky Campbell show (National radio) about it and numerous stories in the press and on the TV.

Now there are STILL TV and radio and press splashes about the game tonight and how we are gonna end up empty handed!! Shaggin' hell...we looked like relegation fodderat one time ;-)

I'll tell ya something...I'D LOVE IT IF WE BEAT THEM........... :-)

wink wink!!

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Answers

that seat not so comfy now?

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Go get 'em Lancy! After Wenger's smuggness over winning the treb...double it would be a joy to watch.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Y'know, after Arsen saying they were going to do it, I for one would love you to beat them tonight, and for them to lose at home Saturday and be pipped at the post.
Go for it LR, and enjoy the victory if you can. I was there the last time they lost, and bloody good it is to see them snarl and winge when the plan goes wrong!

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Best of luck LR. I'll be cheering you on from the sofa. :o))

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Hey L, or should I call you Mr R? Anyway, I was thinking about your bet with the Scousers the otherday. What was it again? That they would not finish in the top 3 for how many years?

Do you have to pay up this year?

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Another one with yer tonight LR - go beat the smug cockney b@rst@rds. Can't stand 'em, and would hate to see them do The Double - especially as they didn't even deserve to beat Chewsee in 't Cup.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

But aren't Man United Newcastles rivals?

That was the crack not many moons ago.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Man U were only our rivals when our more natural one were in a different division

surprised at you lot (sic) being such big Man U fans though, I personally can't wait to see the look on Fergie's face as the title is won on his home pitch by HIS arch rival, maybe not quite up there with the thought of losing the CL final in your home town but it'll have to do.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

laidler by name, stirrer by nature? :))

Man Utd are not yet our rivals....they were briefly for a year but we're miles behind them at the moment....closer than we were last year though! :)

I too will be hoping you do it tonight LR....whinger and his frogs annoy the hell out of me...

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Nice bit of (sic) there Macb.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

They're all shithouses....Manure, Anusnal, Bindippers and each season it rotates which one I loathe the most. This season its Anusnal based on their big gobs and bad attitude. And Thierry Henry. How could I forget that twat.

Come on Manure, shove it up the Manure-wannabie bastards.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

It's an appalling choice to have to make, but... Come on Manchester. Never thought I'd say that.

I really, really can't abide Wenger. I think he's gonna win it but it turns my stomach... At least Fergusson I still have some respect for.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Living in Stoke I'm surround by gloryhunting red kiddies who can't spell Old Trafford and have never been there in their lives. I can't bring myself to want anyone but the Arse to win tonight. Sorry!

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

I want them both to lose.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Have to go with the "Underdog" at least if Manure win it will prolong the championship...Can't see Everton undoing Arse though.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

I'm with Macbeth and Jacko. I only wish I could see this on telly. But text updates will have to suffice. Come on Arsenal!! :-)

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

The Ar$e for me too.

We've got it on TV, no need for a separate thread?

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Jeff Winter is in charge of this one?!! Oh lord. From the webcast, it sounds like he's losing control rapidly.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

It's Paul Durkin, Ciara.

3-0 to the Mancs so far, after 25 mins. - bookings that is ;-)

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

What should I expect from Jonathan Pierce? ;-))

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Liverpool 2 - 1 up against Blackburn.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Arsenal 1-0....

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Van Hemaroid on for Veron Who has been crap....Don't rate Silvestre very highly either..He gave the ball away which led to Arsenal Goal

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Liverpool 3 - Blackburn 3

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Manc 'fans' leaving in their droves now, with 10 mins. left, LOL

A long trip back to the Home counties ;-)

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Liverpool 4 - Blackburn 3

Shame looks like 3rd place won't be ours

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Just got out of an ill-timed meeting. Really have to train these people by the time next season starts! ;-) But back in time for the last few glorious minutes. :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Final score, 1-0 to the Arsenal, Liverpool have gone second.

The Mancs have won nowt! :-)

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

it's going to be strange having Manure play in the qualifying round. And this is after beckham said that they think they can go through the season unbeaten.....................WRONG.

boro must be laffing their arses off that they didn't get forlan

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Since greenspun isn't equipped to explain my feelings, I've posted it on EZboard. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-D

Running off home in hopes BBC World News will show some highlights. They usually do when Manu is concerned, but tonight I won't be throwing things at the tv and howling in protest. :-D

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Good. I don't like the Arse - but manure are worse. Taggart the Braggart.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Parked behind a car in North London today Registration C14RA.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Have to say, before today's game, I was leaning towards ManUre. But once in the field, I wasn't upset at all that @rse won. ManUre reverted to type, no doubt from the example set by Taggart. They niggled, they fouled and the just generally behaved like spoiled brats. As much as I rate OGS as a striker, I do not like his attitude, nor that of his pig-ugly strike partner RvN, who I thought was very fortunate to stay on the pitch. Oh please, God, please, let him score no goals on Saturday, let JFH be rested (or injured) and let Big Al bag a hat-trick.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

A lot of bad attitudes from Manure players - RvN, Scholes, Keane, Neville, Solskjaer the Gnome.

Arsenal seemed to have calmed down a bit since their match against us - they learned their lesson and despite not really liking their manager or players, they have deserved their title over the course of the season.

The FA Cup on the other hand...

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

I am still holding cort responsible for our not going to cardiff

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Arse were awesome defensively - ManU got stuck in with some incredibly stupid tackles but couldn't get them off their rhythm. In the 2nd half it took ManU 40 mins for a goal attempt.

I feel sorry for ManU I think. They looked very ordinary and I know they're not. Credit to the Arse I suppose.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

I've got a feeling Forlan is going to be a completely different player next season, just watch

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2002

Hate MANU. Glad they blew it.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Can't say I warmed to either team, but Arsenal were IMHO the best team over the season, and the championship therefore went to the right place. Arsenal coped with a spate of injuries, played an inventive attacking game, and held their nerve in key games. They're the benchmark now. Nice to know, although they got the better of us over all the games we played, we still managed to beat them once. The benchmark is within sight, if not touching distance.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

.......and at the setting of the sun........

Well it's over...done and dusted. A strange season for me and me mates. Talking to Sam last night on the way back to the Home Counties (cheers Bud) he passed me a big hoochie and reminded me that we've had more bad days this season than good. A weird feeling! Ya know....it's meant to be easy supporting Manchester United (well that's what we're told)..it's not meant to be a toil or heart- breaking. Guess what?

Just read some of the pre-match comments above and I wasn't surprised (much!) When it comes to understanding football you lot seem to be clued-up...most of ya. I'll have to have a little chat with Screacher about blood sweat and tears and what it means to FIGHT for your title. Ok..so there were one or two bookings and harsh tackles.....so?...what did U expect? We've had it in our faces non- stop how Arsenal 100% were gonna win the title AND do it at Old Trafford...no problem (I know know that the basas did but that ain't the point) Well..........if U want the title you're gonna have to take it and credit to Arsenal they took it. There was no dirtiness last night....no malice......just up-front heart. Even Juan Sebastian showed us that his veins can pump Premiership blood (hey bob!..crap?....get a grip mate. A lot of these latin players take time to adjust. They can be very highly strung and it shows. He ain't crap). The last time Arsenal won the Double we won nowt..and a certain Teddy Sherigham took a lot of flak for that. I don't need to remind you of what happened after that! Veron will be the key man next term (unless he's hounded out :-))

Our 1st defeat was against U lot. Not a bad game and a good result for U guys although at a cost.....you must have been brickin' it as we cam back into the game for 3:3!!!!!!!!don't feckin' lie!! :)

Bolton then did us at home. The start! Liverpool and Arsenal away were both pointless for us. Liverpool we did not compete and it was very annoying...oh for a Norman Whiteside...and at Arsenal we were mugged. Clearly the more attacking and flowing team looking like victors and then the Barthez show starts. Say no more.

A dicking by Chelsea at home was on the cards and boy did they provide. Funny thing about that game .......the loss was bad but the re-birth of The Stretford end started that day. Never to be forgotton....."Oh every single one of us, Loves Alex Ferguson.."

West Ham United next made it a bad few games for us. Relegation fodder?

Press mayhem.....media delight....bookies go nuts 10:1 United....Ciara has her 1st orgasm. Hold yer feckin'horses!!!!! A 21 game run...18 wins 2 defeats and 1 draw brought us to last night. Nicky Campbell and Dawn Neesom eat shit.

Seems to me that if Manchester United weren't so shit we'd have won the league...Now that might sound OBVIOUS but I'm looking at it from another point of view. In the past the league was meant to be boring with us winning it so easily. This season we NEARLY did win it again (had we won last night blah blah blah etc!) after losing 8 games. The idea of teams getting closer to us didn't happen....we just dropped a level by playing shit football when we lost and feck did we lose! There MUST have been an air of invincibility and other teams in the past MUST have been severely worried by us....not now. That's all that has happened. Is the era over?...Are we now in a 3 / 4 team dogfight? I hope not :-)

Highlights?.......Tottenham away..3 down....great sing-song and a greater fightback. 3:5 Deportivo....a fine fine footballing side. Taught a lesson when it counted. Chelsea at home....a defeat and a re-birth.

Lowpoints? Not jumping THAT final hurdle. Bayer L. When we needed to shine we were dul. When we needed the big boys to stand tall they shrank.

Anyway....some of U got your wish....some of you have no right to get your wish...others couldn't give a toss either way.

Now...what was that saying again?......"It'll be good for football if Manchester United don't win the league"??...I need help with that one.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Well LR - you`ve had an amazing few years, and set standards of football that most teams can only dream about. I, for one, was rooting for ManU last night. However, it has made it more interesting for everyone else, seeing that ManU are not unstoppable. Speaking from experience (football that is) it is more fun being the `chaser` than the `chased` - for a start, you`re not the team that everyone loves to hate. As for the press - no comment.....not any that is printable anyway!(;o)

Good hearing from you as well - why don`t you post as much now?

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Galaxy....I took a directional change in my work life. I'm not sat at a PC as much.

Cheers

Andy

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Which is defensive line up would people prefer? Silvestre, P Neville, Blanc and Brown? Or Hughes, Distin, O'Brien and Dabizas?

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

No one will match the domination that Huddersfield had in the 30s, Liverpool had in the late 70s/early 80s nor Man U have had in the 1990s.

Maybe it is time for a return to the late 60s early 70s when Man U, Man City, Everton, Leeds, Arsenal, Derby and Liverpool all won the league, although with NUFC included !!

Us in 4th are 21 points clear of 7th place side. We know we have been poor too often this season to be top 3 but there really is a big gulf between the top 6 and the rest.

Liverpool will be desperate to do better next year. We will be happy to be 4th again (I will anyway).

The hard bit to factor in is weariness in players returning from the World Cup. We may gain from only having three away compared to the teams above us losing whole squads. Next year is wor year :0)

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Oi you! I wasn't criticising your fighting for the Premiership. @rse were doing that too but they didn't lose their rags as some of your lot did. As I said, I thought Scholes' tackle deserved a booking but it was in the context of "fighting for the title". The first half was good old-fashioned "up and at 'em" type of footie. However, OGS and RvN were just narked that it wasn't going your way and put in a couple of disgraceful challenges (in the context of the modern game). IMHO, they played like spoilt brats but I thought Keane had a great attitude (committed and hard but fair). Impressed with Forlan's attitude (ran his b@lls off, even tho to no effect). Giggs was v quiet and didn't seem to know how to change things. Yes, Veron showed more attitude, but he really hasn't exhibitted much value for £27M, has he. A few nice passes early on in the season, but nowt much else. You could do with a younger Dennis Irwin. Sylvestre tried but isn't good enough. Blanc had a great game and Brown was OK in parts. Neville was his usual cr@pness. Baldie had little to do tho almost blew it anyway :-)

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

LR, I still want to know about that bet!

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

gus, I believe the bet was that 'pool wouldn't qualify for the Champions League. LR will have paid his debt after they won through this season's qualifying round.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

I was not doubting that he would not pay, but I thought it was something to do with league position rather than Europe. Also the length of the bet, I thought it was something like they would not finish in the top 3 over the next 3 years or something like that. Was this year the last year?

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Ok Screach..fair comment. Giggs had his head up his arse fact but the Veron and pice tag thing is just unfair. If you get a carrier bag from Harrods I bet you've paid for it.....'cept it's the same feckin' plassie as you would get from Tesco. It'll still break if U put 16 bottles of Lucozade in it. See what I mean?

Gus...the Thieves won their bet last season. After a while (a long while granted) I paid up a ton to a charity. They don't believe me but I car not a jot. They are filthy bastards. Did U see the Football Hooligan prog. on thelly over the last few weeks? If U did you'll understand about Scousers.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Cheers big ears,

Not being a betting person, I did think you were on a hiding to nothing though. They were always a chance to finish up there.

Not seen the telly show, my sat dish has trouble picking up the local stations never mind the uk ones. Mind you I do a fair trade in videos!

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Gus

In Summary:

A two part prog. about football hoolies. How it started...why...the key "players"...the police..the government...the big "offs" etc etc. It focused on "top lads" from "firms" across the county. In general you got the feeling of a certain amount of protocol within the violence. Hoolies only fighting other hoolies...no weapons.....when it's England all club aggro is forgotton etc etc. In my limited experience this is quite true but of course there will be times when this isn't true. Anyway....the Scouse hoolie...EXACTLY as you would imagine the bastard. Feckin' silly tash...twinkle in the eye.....daft haircut....openly admitting that they used Stanley Knives. We've ALWAYS known scousers to be the ones carrying blades en-masse. He then went on to describe what they used to do in Europe "on the rob". In the early to mid 80's when the football casual was born, again we all knew exactly where the idea of Fila, Tachiini, Lacoste, Pringle, Lyle &Scot etc came from. Scousers on the rob in Europe. They would "steam in"...in their tens and twentys and EMPTY a feckin' fashion store in seconds. These vermin could do a 7 day Euro trip on a fiver!!

His most amazing revelation came when he discussed Heysel. Instead of looking at it as a turning point in the Hoolie world as others did..he tried to blame other supporters from England and went on to talk about the death of 39 as an accident. Hardly any scouser was brought up in front of the authorities for the death of the 39. You show me ONE scouser now who will admit that Hillsbro' was "just an accident" and that they are not STILL looking for Justice. Don't try it mate...U won't find on. It's a scouse thing....believe me.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Thanks for the run down, its the sort of prog I normally watch, not for the footy connection or the chance to see me mug on the telly, bin there done that.

I am more interested in the psychology and the other factors involved, stereo typing or what, you manure supporters are all the same!

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Good match post LR - I felt for you last night. Seems to me that ManU have shown far more class in defeat than the cockney gits have in victory.

I do actually believe it is good for the health of the PL for another team to win the title, but like many people are unhappy with the whinging and paranoia that has enamated from Highbury this season. ManU have - since their bad spell mid-season that cost them the Championship - got on with the job quietly and very effectively and curiously, although for once they've won nowt, they have won over a lot of people.

Despite your problems, you've still finished in a CL place and got to the SF's of the CL. While I think he's a very good player, I feel the integration of JSV has been perhaps the major problem for you. He is a world-class central m/f player and if you keep him you really have to play him there. However, you also have Keane and Scholes who are also WC players. In truth, I don't think you really needed JSV and that it would probably be best if you sold him.

Like us, some rebuilding is needed defensively, and I'd be surprised if you didn't spend heavily in this area during the close season. There's not that much wrong, and I expect you to be highly competitive again next season. See yer.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Cheers Clarky..next season'll be interesting without doubt. Football?....naaaaaaaaa..I need a rest :-)

Regards LR

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002