Echo this OMOH, I hope they have the internet in Canada.

In other news, Newcastle played a friendly against the Spuds in Melbourne overnight. To highlight their rampant obsession with just ruining our day (and rather low IQs) I saw this on the back of a Totts shirt.

Ha
8
Arsenal

My guess is Leverkusen were just tired. Their season is what I have heard about the old Division One where you played replays, 22 teams and so that's what makes the old doubles so difficult.

I watched the final and Leverkusen just weren't sharp. They looked what you guys call 'knackered'. Atalanta on the other hand got a boost from their big win over Liverpool they have gone on a big run with wins over Roma and Marseille. The only loss being a 1-0 cup final loss to Juventus. The run moved them up to 5th in Serie A.

Chelsea strikes me as a club that won't be patient with a young, progressive manager. I think they see themselves as a major global brand and will want immediate success to keep the shirt sales, sold out summer tours, ticket sales going.

Very rich history indeed a few of the ones you mentioned are part of the inaugural league as you know.
The best of luck in Canada. Be careful you don't end up with something similar to my accent in a few years. As for the politics, I have a general knowledge about it. Far more than most Americans but that bar is exceedingly low.

Speaking of which...

I'd trade politicians with you lot any day of the week, twice on Sundays. I will write in my own name for President. Down ballot (senator, governor, etc) there are some choices. But as I see it the choices are either 'Weekend at Bernie's' or Joffrey Baratheon. When Biden is lucid (I've heard its no more than 3-5 hours a day at most), he's making bad political decisions. He's lost large parts of his base. Trump really doesn't believe in the constitution. It's obvious. And the scariest thing is he's got 40% or more of the country okay with it.

The next president will likely bankrupt the country. The interest payments in the next couple years on our debt will eat up about 20% of the budget. That's just the interest. The debt is north of 30 trillion. We went from debt free around year 2000 from the '90s tech boom. Europe had the 30 years war and the 100 years war (at least that's what the American history books called them).

We have got to be up there in the 'rankings' now. Two 'forever wars' cost us maybe 20 trillion. We really have no idea. A lot of that is off the books 'black accounting', where we probably had the printing presses running 24 hours a day to make more 100 dollar bills.

I know I've been saying this forever, but I really do think a major crash that will dwarf the 2008 one will probably happen towards the end of this decade. Just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Great Depression. What a fitting tribute.

I recall seeing us linked to him before. Looks a decent fullback.

It’s not a problem. The system is the reason why we succeed and our defence is so good. Porto and Bayern were good teams. The real problem with Bayern was we got caught in the first half at home. It happens in knockout games. Chuck in some weak goalkeeping in both games too and it doesn’t help

In those big European games I feel we still lack the player who scores out of nothing, the individual moment which defies the brilliance of the system. We don’t score many individual goals in comparison with the best European teams.

That’s a fair enough comment but Bayern didn’t win the tie because they did. Their goals were a weak penalty in my opinion, we got caught on the break (keeper should have came) and kimmich got on the end of a ball chucked into the box. In my opinion the 2 goals we scored in the tie were actually more individual than theirs.

I don't think anything can happen before June 30th, is it? But the Isak to Arsenal rumors are picking up again.

Carragher: 'I would put Jurgen Klopp above Arsene Wenger. Klopp won the Champions League & got to another three finals in his career. Wenger got to one final. Wenger was a genius competing with Utd with less money, but when Chelsea came they couldn’t compete. Klopp has competed with City/United/Chelsea all spending a billion quid!!!'

“[Jurgen] Klopp unbelievable how he transformed Liverpool but Arsene’s [Wenger] legacy in the Premier League is second to none. Sorry Jamie but you are miles off it, please don’t be so biased and respect Arsene and what he done over a longer period, including leading the only team in the Premier League to be invincible.

“Everyone appreciates what Pep [Guardiola] has done and changed the way we see football in this country but don’t forget AW had a similar effect when he came in 96! You know that era better than me and witnessed it so let’s not forget that!” - Jack Wilshere

Pacqueta has been charged with spot fixing betting on himself to get yellow cards. His charge is far worse than Toney and Tonali who I think just bet on games, Pacqueta bet on things he directly influenced which is essentially match mixing. 4 separate occasions, if found guilty I’d be amazed if he didn’t get over a year in a ban

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/ ... re-improve

Well worth a read.

Why? Why? Why? It is not as if these guys are badly paid.

With modern wages in football what they are, if you are that reckless and need to gamble, I'd make going to Gamblers Anonymous mandatory before reinstatement.

I've been around bookies in Philly my whole life. One thing I learned about that business is that when the postman or truck driver has a punt, its not a big deal. When its a doctor or stockbroker, they worry. Its a same concept with the lottery. You will have far more truck drivers playing it than you will surgeons.

Just looked it up, he's on 150k a week. The bookies I knew were worried about the rich guys gambling for two reasons. The size of the bets. They can cover those by laying off, playing the other side as an insurance with another big book. Its collecting. Its not like the Gotti era. Far more unsafe to do gambling related violence in collecting. At least with the guys I knew. The entrants, Russians, Serbians, the would break your mother's arm. No code. Not much fear of American prisons compared to what they would face in Russia.

It's interesting that this is an issue about yellow cards. Players have a much higher degree of certainty and control over yellow cards than they might over match results. It's like cricketers bowling a no-ball. I think this case is the tip of a very large iceberg.

Pacqueta could have done it to enrich himself, though if he's stupid enough to get caught doing that, they will throw quite rightly the book at him. Alternatively, he could be enriching his mates - it's an easy way to dob money to family and friends. Tax free too! The more sinister reason is if he was pressured into 'creating' the yellow card for the benefit of others.

It's no real surprise that this sort of thing keeps happening because football is awash with gambling. It's encouraged at every level and it underpins the game. Look who are most teams' sponsors. Football is in thrall to the the world-wide gambling industry. See if you can listen to TalkShite for more than 5 minutes without a betting ad or a chat with a friendly bookmaker. 'Bet Responsibly'; 'Be Gambling Aware'; 'Keep the Fun in Betting' - but whatever you do bet, bet, bet, BET!!

Arsenal vs Millwall melee in 1988.

In many ways gambling is worse than substance abuse. It's appalling that it has fallen through the regulatory cracks.

Assuming City wins the FA cup we'll be playing preseason games against Man Utd, Liverpool and City in the Charity Shield. The only game I really care about is the CS. Those 3 games alone should have us start the season sharp.

Ferguson I read started the season slow I'd think because its a long arduous season and to save legs in the spring. Not sure I believe that reasoning.

So Joe Swift on TV walking us through the Chelsea Garden stuff.

Joe is a massive Gooner - and I take some credit (if that's the right word for introducing a virus) for that. Swifts were our next-door neighbours for some years in the 60's before they emigrated to Hampstead.

Surprised a wee bit City is as high as they are despite the last decade or so.

If City aren't able to stop the inevitable anytime soon, we are going to win titles. Liverpool's new manager may not get it right. Or he might but it will take a season or two. Man Utd seem at least a good manager and a few signings away from really challenging. Chelsea doesn't have a bad side. All sides could use a couple new signings but they are not title contenders yet. Top 4 for a couple seasons maybe. That leaves us a clear path.

If City gets a severe enough penalty it may see them a 2 or 3 seasons from full strength again. I'd like to see us get a few more titles before the decade is done while Liverpool and Man Utd get none .I want to see us get back to the most titles conversation. As well as another couple FA cups to maintain that lead.

Above all a CL win. The chants about us never winning one is tough to bear from the likes of Villa fans or Forest fans when we play them.

You can tell Pep is seething. LOL.

We waited 4 months for City to make a mistake in the league, 1 game was all we needed and they never slipped. Then in the cup final they give Man U the league with one of the worst mistakes you’ll see in a cup final.
Man U got the tactics spot on, clearly an inferior team man for man so sit in deep, and hit them on the break, your gk needs to make some big saves, and City need to have a big off day - it’s the complete recipe for a big cup upset and likely only happens 1 in 10 or worse.

Glad city lost but would prefer it was someone other than Man U

Hate this guy, so very pleased City lost

Oh well. Hammers not only club with gambling sponsors. Reports say Pacqueta could be banned 40 yrs if found guilty. May as well retire if that happens.

Make that a possible 10 yr ban. Really a 40 yr ban is a bit excessive.

Yep. It was their worst performance in months and it's really annoying that it came in the cup as opposed to one of the league games in the run-in. Foden, Silva and KDB were awful, not to mention Ortega. It's probably the worst I've ever seen KDB play. I'm happy they lost though.

Lucky United
Won the Cup on City's day off