Football

[fowler9]

I thought van Dijk for £75m was too much, personally, but he repaid some of that with a solid debut and scored the winner, which put the icing on the proverbial cake. We've made a decent profit on Coutinho though, at least I can trust Klopp (unlike Hodgson and Rodgers who both made some awful signings) to use it wisely to find a suitable replacement and also strengthen in midfield and in goal. One thing is for certain in my view, we aren't a one man team anymore, and I think we can kick on without him.

Didn't realise that had gone through already! Ah well, so long and thanks for the memories. The price is incredible.

 

[Darandio]

Didn't realise that had gone through already! Ah well, so long and thanks for the memories. The price is incredible.

Not signed, sealed and delivered yet but fully expected either tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Evo Stik First Division North

Hyde United 5...Goole AFC 0

Hyde were well in control of this match and were 3-0 up at half-time. Five different goalscorers today.

 

[fowler9]

Not signed, sealed and delivered yet but fully expected either tonight or tomorrow.

Ah well. He is a good player but not one I will be that gutted to loose.

 

[familyguy99]

Charlton 1-0 Oldham

Not good week for Oldham as they lost for second time this week by odd goal. All of Latics loan player have gone back to parent clubs mean Oldham squad is quite thin. Hopefully on Monday/Tuesday the long awaited takeover will be completed and Oldham will come out of transfer embargo to allowed to sign more players something that need to happen as Latics are currently in 20th place and bottom 4 teams have all got game in hands over Latics.

 

[96tommy]

Darlington 1-2 York

A good away win for York today at fairly local Darlington. We played very poor first half and could have been 2/3 down but a good start to the second half to take us 2-1 up got us the 3 points.

From where I was stood it looked like our player Aidan Connolly dived for our penalty. If so the 2nd time he has done this in as many weeks which I don't like even if it won us the game

 

[507021]

Ah well. He is a good player but not one I will be that gutted to loose.

I'd be more upset if we lost Salah or Mané, personally. I think both have a better attitude and more respect for the club than Coutinho ever did.

Thing is, Coutinho won't be idolised as much as he was at Liverpool. While they are still playing, he will always be second to Messi and Suarez.

 

[fowler9]

I'd be more upset if we lost Salah or Mané, personally. I think both have a better attitude and more respect for the club than Coutinho ever did.

Thing is, Coutinho won't be idolised as much as he was at Liverpool. While they are still playing, he will always be second to Messi and Suarez.

Yeah true, Salah and Mane just came first and second in African footballer of the year.

 

[DarloRich]

Mark Hughes sacked say bbc

 

[507021]

Yeah true, Salah and Mane just came first and second in African footballer of the year.

I think Liverpool's future is still bright, we've still got Keita to arrive and I think van Dijk will improve once he's settled in. Apparently we're interested in Lemar and Mahrez, although I can't see Lemar being attainable unless we pay big, big money like we did to get van Dijk. Mahrez is alright and I think he may do well in a Klopp side, it's just a pity Coutinho couldn't show the same respect for his club like Mahrez did when he wanted to leave Leicester in the last window.

Mark Hughes sacked say bbc

Hardly surprising, unfortunately. I wonder where he'll end up next.

 

[Groningen]

Maybe Phil Taylor can do better at Stoke City.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Was hoping Hughes would hang on for a few weeks... the "new manager bounce" has already caught us out this season!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Was hoping Hughes would hang on for a few weeks... the "new manager bounce" has already caught us out this season!

To be honest, losing to a currently "lesser League 2 side" such as Coventry City in the FA Cup was obviously going to be the final club humiliation which led to the dismissal of Hughes.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

To be honest, losing to a currently "lesser League 2 side" such as Coventry City in the FA Cup was obviously going to be the final club humiliation which led to the dismissal of Hughes.

Though it is the League form that's got him his P45, not just the giant-killing. Remember that Arsene Wenger's Arsenal were knocked out of the League Cup by Bradford City, and the same side knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup a year or so later. Neither Wenger nor Mourinho were dismissed for those results.

It's Hughes' sheer incompetence and delusion that made me want him to stay though, at least until we've made our trip to The Potteries!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Though it is the League form that's got him his P45, not just the giant-killing. Remember that Arsene Wenger's Arsenal were knocked out of the League Cup by Bradford City, and the same side knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup a year or so later. Neither Wenger nor Mourinho were dismissed for those results. It's Hughes' sheer incompetence and delusion that made me want him to stay though, at least until we've made our trip to The Potteries!

I did refer to "the final club humiliation" in my posting.

 

[adrock1976]

Aston Villa 1 - 3 Peterborough Utd

This was not really surprising as Villa had an unrecognisable starting line up.

While it would have been good to have gone on a cup run, the main objective is the league business. By bowing out of the FA Cup tournament, this should allow us to concentrate on getting as many points on the board as possible between now and the end of the season.

I do not fancy the Villa to have too many consecutive seasons in the second tier - you only have to look at what has happened to near neighbours Coventry City in recent times i.e. a former top flight team that spent the most number of consecutive seasons from 2001 to 2012, and are now in the basement division.

 

[DarloRich]

Darlington 1-2 York

A good away win for York today at fairly local Darlington. We played very poor first half and could have been 2/3 down but a good start to the second half to take us 2-1 up got us the 3 points.

From where I was stood it looked like our player Aidan Connolly dived for our penalty. If so the 2nd time he has done this in as many weeks which I don't like even if it won us the game

Darlo should have had a point. Fought hard in the first half. One up at half time. Should have had more. Threw it away in the second half. Again. Poor individual errors. Again. We are going down.

 

[SS4]

Aston Villa 1 - 3 Peterborough Utd

This was not really surprising as Villa had an unrecognisable starting line up.

While it would have been good to have gone on a cup run, the main objective is the league business. By bowing out of the FA Cup tournament, this should allow us to concentrate on getting as many points on the board as possible between now and the end of the season.

I do not fancy the Villa to have too many consecutive seasons in the second tier - you only have to look at what has happened to near neighbours Coventry City in recent times i.e. a former top flight team that spent the most number of consecutive seasons from 2001 to 2012, and are now in the basement division.

Wasn't that because they spent a load of money on the Ricoh whilst struggling on the pitch? It's more likely we'll end up like Forest than Coventry. More troubling IMO is if Xia pulls the plug or lets the club rot like Lerner did trying to find a buyer.

As for the cup it's fine to go out so long as that sacrifice is taken advantage of in the league (and speaking of Forest...)

 

[Butts]

Wasn't that because they spent a load of money on the Ricoh whilst struggling on the pitch? It's more likely we'll end up like Forest than Coventry. More troubling IMO is if Xia pulls the plug or lets the club rot like Lerner did trying to find a buyer.

As for the cup it's fine to go out so long as that sacrifice is taken advantage of in the league (and speaking of Forest...)

Bring back Martin O'Neill !!

 

[Minilad]

Bring back Martin O'Neill !!

I wondered how long it would be before you made that suggestion!

 

[DarloRich]

he is off to Stoke

 

[Old Yard Dog]

The Daily Mail and BBC claim that Coventry was the first fourth tier team to knock Stoke City (when a top tier team) out of the FA Cup since Bradford (Park Avenue) in 1938.

Bradford was in fact a second division club in 1938 (and there wasn't a recognized fourth tier in those days as division three was regionalized). Bradford was still a second division club in 1946 when they beat Manchester City 8-2 at Maine Road in a fourth round second leg FA Cup tie having lost the first leg 3-1 at Park Avenue four days earlier. However this has never really registered as a giant killing as Manchester City was also a second division club as the time (although there was no league competition in 1945/46 which is why cup ties were played over two legs).

 

[Minilad]

he is off to Stoke

They deserve each other

 

[DarloRich]

Aitor Karanka in at Nottingham Forest say radio 5

 

[SS4]

Bring back Martin O'Neill !!

Yawn. Been over this before so not gonna bother again

 

[STKKK46]

Yawn. Been over this before so not gonna bother again

I echo your thoughts. It’s always amazed me that since what he did that even any Villa fans want him back. I know a lot more than most but can’t publicise it and trust me, that man will never be welcomed back at the Villa.

 

[Minilad]

I echo your thoughts. It’s always amazed me that since what he did that even any Villa fans want him back. I know a lot more than most but can’t publicise it and trust me, that man will never be welcomed back at the Villa.

Amen to that

 

[familyguy99]

Oldham 1-1 Rotherham

Good point for Oldham which sound like was fair result. Oldham stay in 20th but have same points as Northampton (21st) and point ahead of AFC Wimbledon who sit in 22nd places.

 

[Drogba11CFC]

Winchester City 3...Larkhall Athletic 1 (Barron 10, 47 pen, Bailey 63; Britton 23)

Winchester City picked up their first win of 2018 with a convincing victory over a useful Larkhall side despite missing three players due to illness. The hosts took the lead after ten minutes when Jamie Barron got on the end of a cross from Dan Williamson before the visitors equalised from a free kick. Winchester dominated the rest of the first half and got back in front almost immediately after the break when Ollie Bailey was brought down by the visiting keeper (who was lucky not to be red-carded) and Jamie Barron converted before Ollie Bailey drove a shot in to secure the points.

Other Results:
Barnstaple Town 1...Cinderford Town 2

Bishops Cleeve 4...Mangotsfield United 0

Bristol Manor Farm 1...K*dlington 0

Didcot Town 4...Cirencester Town 0

Evesham United 1...Paulton Rovers 0

Salisbury 2...North Leigh 0

Slimbridge 0...AFC Totton 2

Swindon Supermarine 0...Bideford 5

Taunton Town 3...Shortwood United 3

Yate Town 2...Wimborne Town 0

League Table:
1. Taunton Town 22/55
=======================
2. Salisbury 24/50
-----------------------------------------
3. Bristol Manor Farm 25/45
4. Evesham United 24/42
5. Didcot Town 25/42
6. Bideford 22/41
------------------------------------------
7. Winchester City 24/41
...
12. K*dlington 23/33
13. Larkhall Athletic 22/28
14. Cirencester Town 24/28
...
17. North Leigh 24/25
18. Shortwood United 24/23
19. Mangotsfield United 24/20
20. Slimbridge 23/20
21. Barnstaple Town 24/14
-------------------------------------------
22. Bishops Cleeve 23/8

Leading Scorers:
1. Ben Whitehead (CIR) 21
2. Ollie Bailey (WCC), Dean Stamp (BMF), Tobias Holmes (WIM) 18
3. Joshua Grace-Parsons (SWI), Felipe Barcelos (DID) 16
4. Ben Seymour (BID) 14
5. Anaclet Odihambo (KID), Stuart Green (SAL), Matthew Wright (TAU), Ben Brooks (YAT), Craig Feeney (TOT) 12

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Evo Stik First Division North

Brighouse Town 1...Hyde United 1

The visit to the Dual Seal Stadium saw Hyde still recovering from their Tuesday mid-week Cheshire Senior Cup 1st round 3-1 victory away at Witton Albion at the same time that Brighouse Town's new found resolve to move upwards in the league. Hyde took an early 5th minute lead, but a resolute Brighouse defence played well above their normal form. As is the case, a breakaway in the 85th minute saw Brighouse equalise. Hyde now drop one place to 5th and will need to actually win their games in hand to move upwards.