Football

thread spots this week. the old this season could be ours @mikec (good to see you dude) and the new this season could be ours @cornelius_blackfoot (you too dude). reminded both in the flesh that a small number of us off here will be supping at the lamb 8 days from today.

well done arsenal and chelsea last night.

Wow...it's a lottery winners bukakke in here.

Say what you want about the Uefa but I loved the 2001 win [....dat final]. The joke is most of the EPL teams that currently hold the CL places aren't very good, so what makes the chasers think they can do better with little to zero experience? Surely cutting your teeth on the second tier European competition is the way forward? Then again until the incumbent powers take their competition seriously and stop the ludicrous parachuting of CL failures no wonder no else really gives a fuck despite the CL place for winners.

dan
Imagine how (much more) fucked Chelsea would be this season without Will.I.Am

He's a shoo-in for their player of the season. Great attitude to the game. I'd love to see him under a manager that likes football.

really enjoyable first half from a Tottenham perspective. Looked really quick and sharp in attack, admittedly, Monaco look to have had the wind knocked out of them by the first goal being scored so quickly.
Lamela's looks eager to impress, and almost a perfect hat trick, keeper was poor for the 2nd though. Workrates been excellent so far, keep chasing Monaco and harrying them into mistakes. Onomah's showing why the Sheriff prefers him to Townsend, he's been a massive part of the flexibiluty of the front four, as all of them have interchanged positions well. And nice to see Tiny Tom get a chance to play.

7 days to go.

but the uefa cup draw is monday ... thats 4 days

Interesting stat for @Markyboy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35059847

Only once since 1993 has the team that was top after 15 games finished outside the top three.

Finished 1st - 11 times
Finished 2nd - 7 times
Finished 3rd - 4 times
Finished 6th - once (Villa)

Five out of the last six seasons the team top after 15 games wins the league.....

So Leicester will be the 2nd team to do this since 1993 then.

Top 3 finish odds from odds checker

Team	Decimal		Trad odds
MC		1.11		1/9
ARS		1.13		1/8
MU		1.50		1/2
LIV		3.20		11/5
TOT		4.20		16/5
LEI		12.00		11/1
CHE		21.00		20/1
EVE		21.00		20/1
SOT		51.00		50/1
CP		67.00		66/1
WH		151.00		150/1
STO		301.00		300/1
WAT		501.00		500/1

Liverpool? Not sure I agree with that!

I won't be putting my hard earned cash there that's for certain.

Looking back on it, still feel good about Spurs display last night, though that's tempered by not knowing if Monaco were truly that bad.
But the speed of our counter attacks had me hopeful about the depth we have up there if the Sheriff needs to rotate personnel.
Njie's pace and the workrate of Son and Lamela really unsettled Monaco and the interplay between them meant we looked as dangerous as I've seen us this season. Would like to see them unleashed over some of the coming months, we've got games against Watford, Norwich, Palace, and Sunderland (as well as Leicester in the League and FA Cup), before we get back into the Europa League, and if we're going to keep Kane fit we'll need to show we can score goals and win games without him..

Really looking forward to the Boxing Day game against Norwich now.

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

> CHE     21.00       20/1
> EVE     21.00       20/1

What do you reckon of the bookies thinking Everton has the same chance as Chelsea of a top 3 finish?

Has Lukaku won you over yet?

More chance of Dicki going to Anfield

Yea, but not so much that he had a shit season in comparison last year, more a case of we are now playing to his strengths. That's down to a little Spanish Magician

Delofeu is a joy to watch. Credit to Martinez for getting him back and setting to team up to play some nice football. Even defensively they look better this year. Weakest link must be Howard.

Yep, Stones has been ace as has Galloway who has filled some big boots while Baines has been out all season. Jags out 'til Feb too and Funes Mori slotted in nicely
Yep, Howard is horse shit, has been for at least 2 seasons. We need to go all out and spend £12/15m on a decent 'keeper cos he's costing us points.

Get rid of deadwood like Mirallas, Naismith, McGeady, Pienaar, Osman and we'll be sorted to bring in better personnel in Jan(hopefully)

howard made save of the season the other night

just after the palace keeper had an amazing save of his own.

was a great second half of football.

delofeu was electric. lukaku very dangerous. martinez looks buff - @clintsmoker

but it's all about Stoke now.

a wonderful city playing some wonderful football.

has anyone seen the video of the league match in uruguay where the goalie scores .... a cracker

http://gu.com/p/4f26e/stw

thought they'd sped the tape up at the start as he begins his run !

Dead wood Naismith was a bit of a hero against Chelsea, surely he's someone good to have in reserve if he's happy to be there. Same with Mirallas I would have thought?

Is Tony Hibbert still haunting the corridors as well?

I think Osman is good to have around just as a reminder of how far things have come since he was the creative force in midfield.

That's down to a little Spanish Magician

TRhe same little Spanish Magician you didn't want a bar of when he first got the job? #martinezout

I think he means delefeou.