new home...

if anyone is still around these parts, we've moved...


stephenhawkingsfootballboots.blogspot.com


enjoy the new site!

-DBUD

what 24 hour rule?

So I guess when your team dominates one of the"big four" you don't have to wait 24 hours to post. A great showing by Arsenal today. They got it done when they needed to. I would've liked to see a little more out of Henry, but a win is a win. I was just begining to questions the fact that Flamini was starting and not say, Walcott, when he popped up and scored the first goal. It was a fantastic move and a great goal. Toure's goal was even better, just because it was Toure running all the way up field and then Gallas' was the icing on the cake. Two games and two goals from set pieces. What is happening? I couldn't believe my eyes.

I think Fabregas was lucky to not get a straight red card for his scissor kick challenge from behind, but then again Carragher was lucky to not receive a second yellow late in the match. I thought the officiating was good. For every call that gets blown and blown up in the press, I think it should only be fair for the press to praise the officals when they get calls right (Van Persie's handball and the two disallowed goals). That's all i got. Good day, Spurs lose and Arsenal win. Liverpool going to win the league , are you having a laugh? is he having a laugh?

DBUD

I think i can, I think I can, I think I can......

well well well. The first part of the Carling Cup quaterfinals are complete and let me tell you, there were some great matches. Here is the round-up

Wycombe top Notts County

United succumbs to the power of the Shrimpers

The Addicks give Iain Dowie a little more job security

Ditto, Roedder and Newcastle

I don't really have much to say about the matches because I couldn't watch them. I was stuck at work, but I was glued to bbc.com and hitting F5 every 30 seconds to see if there were any updates on the scores. I love Cup football. It is fantastic. It gives the little guys a shot to punch above their weight. I love the NCAA College basketball tourney and the League and FA Cups are just like it. I always find myself rooting for the underdog. I was esstatic that Southend United beat Manchetser United, and not just because I dislike Man U, but because it was such a great upset. Southend United sit bottom of the Colaship, so hopefully this win can get them going. They were promoted twice in two years and have pretty much the same core group of players. If OOWK would post, you might here more about this match because he is watching it on DVR right now, but expect to wait 24 hours so he can clear his head. I was really hoping that Chesterfield would get the result, but it was not meant to be.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, their version of the League Cup was happening and Falkirk over came Celtic on penalties.

I was happy that Stokes got the goal to level the contest. Arsenal really need to hold on to this guy. Granted he is lighting up a 2nd division, but it is better to be lighting up that then the reserve league.

Finally, I came upon this article at the Booyah network's Page 2. The basic jist of it is that David Stern, the NBA Commissioner, decided that there was too much whining and complaining in the NBA so he gave referees a free hand to issue technical fouls. So far there have been 30 technical fouls issued in the first 17 games of the season, which has got to be a record. Anyways, it is a great idea. I think the FA tried something like this, but it never got off the ground. Case in point when Wazza called Poll (i think) a "see you next tuesday" a few times with some other curse words sprinkled in, nothing happened. I'm not singling out Waz (Wayne Rooney for anyone who cares) for this, it was just the example that popped into my head. It would be great to see in football because crowding, whining, and arguing all take away from the joy of watching football. If the players acted mature and like grownups and got on with the game, the game would be a better thing.


DBUD

Please queue for unemployment here.....

Glenn Roeder is being "backed" by the chairman of Newcastle. Interesting. One has to think tha the is on his way out if Newcastle can not get some results. Yes, they beat Palermo 1-0, in Italy (or Sicily as Doug said at the Globe. I think he thinks that Siciliy is independent). Anyways, Newcastle followed up this huge win, with a loss at home none-the-less to Sheffield United.

So, the Geordies sit second bottom in the table.

that is um, how do you say this, not good. Alan Pardew was the other manager on the hot seat, but he has gotten results the last two times out in the league for West Ham. The win against Arsenal will restore some hope and secure his job for at least a short while.

Meanwhile, Roeder is telling us that he feels the same pain the supporters do. Well, Glenn you can feel the same pain an anguish that a Newcastle supporter feels, but you actually have some say in how the team plays. If you want to keep your job it is time to get your shyte together and get some results. Who knows, if this keeps up we could be watching a Tyneside derby in the Colaship next year.


DBUD

Handbags and Gladrags

ok, well not really, but if there was no 4th offical who knows what Arsene would've done. My guess would've been a girlish slap or something like that. I can't see him swinging a roundhouse or anything like that.

anyways, onto the match. I was so ready to rip Arsenal apart yesterday, so I followed the 24 hour rule, so my thoughts would be clearer. I would like to thank Dr Lutze of Illinois Wesleyan University for implementing this rule. You see, when you got a paper back from Dr Lutze he would not let you come and talk to him about it for 24 hours. Most of them time the students would talk themselves out of going to see him and making a foul out themselves when they argued about their papers. It worked. and it works here.

so, Arsenal travel to Upton Park and get nothing. They deserved to get nothing. They played horribly and even though they had a valid appeal for a penalty, it didn't matter. A team of Arsenal's caliber should not have to rely on a penalty to score a goal. I thought, along with everyone at The Globe (west ham supporters too), that Kolo Toure had put Arsenal in front, but he missed by a hair. Arsenal had no width in this match. The midfield likes to attack on the middle, so it is up to the fullbacks to provide some width and strength up the sides. Clichy was ok at this, but Hoyte was not. Eboue did a better job when he was subbed on near the end of the match. Which brings me to the subs in general. They were awful. Adebayor for Van Persie? huh? Eboue for Hoyte? (ok, this one was ok) and finally Flamini for Hleb? (wait, are you trying to win this match Arsene?). Adebayor should've come on for Hleb and Van Persie should've moved to the wing.

A lot has been said that Arsenal have no Plan B. and you know what, they really don't. They are one dimensional and have to score the perfect goal. Yes they have been shooting more, but they have not been doing enough to get goals. You can say they were unlucky against CSKA, but unlucky is only so much. They need to get their heads out of their asses for Everton this week and Liverpool this weekend. Yes, they will be back at home, but Liverpool are deadly on set pieces, with Peter Crouch, and Arsenal are weak against set pieces. hmmm, methinks the Red Scousers will score at least one goal from a set piece on sunday. At least the match is on at 10 AM Chicago time so I get to sleep in.


DBUD

It's puts the ball in the goal or else it gets the hose again.....

good god. I didn't even get to watch the Arsenal match today and thankfully I was stuck at work. I think soccernet's final tally of shots was 25, with about 7 on target. How the F does a team get that many shots and not put one in, especially when at least two of them are WIDE OPEN and you probably have to try hard to have the keeper save them or to miss the shots. I'm kinda dreading watching the highlights, but if I remember to put on FSC tonight I'll try to catch them on the Report.

So Arsenal have made things difficult on themselves for yet another year in the CL. I told OOWK after the loss in Moscow that Arsenal would have to win the home matches and a draw in Portugal would be enough. Well, now that they drew at home, they need to win out in order to settle their own fate and not rely on results in the other matches. While I think a win against Hamburg at home shouldn't be too difficult, a win at Porto could be tough. The team really needs to be up for it. They really needed to have Adebayor or Baptista playing today, but they were both injured. Sounded like the team was a little one dimensional.

of course I didn't see it, but you can't beat analyzing something you haven't watched!

I won't get into the United match right now because OOWK is watching it as we speak on his DVR and I don't want to ruin anything for him on the off hand he checks the site. He' been busy with crap and I'm just lazy, which explains the no posting.

Moving on, Celtic had made things difficult with a stomping at the hands of Benifica. I don't really feel like getting into the other matches too much. Chelsea will go through, they only need 1 point from 2 matches and Liverpool have already secured passage and will now be duking it out with PSV for the right to win the group.

One thing I do want to say is that the Special One celebrated the last gasp equalizer by Drogba like he was William Dafoe in Platoon. He's got the best team money can buy and all he does is bitch a moan about things. He also has a serious case of Wengeritis when it comes to him complaining about Barca diving. I already don't like the man and this really is just making it worse. I don't think there is anything he could do to make me like him, except maybe getting fired for not winning the CL, but he has got one of the easiest jobs in football. The talent he has is second to none and he just has to make up the team sheet.

ok, i'm rambling. more tomorrow. maybe in the morning if I can get my butt out of bed.

Boring Boring Arsenal

so, the post-a-polooza kinda sputtered out before it even got started. oh well, what can you do. OOWK is trying to lose like 100 pounds in 6 weeks. let's all wish him good luck.

In other news, Arsenal traveled left on the M4 (thank you google maps), past the offices of Wernham-Hogg, and just straight up owned Reading. I was a little worried about this match, based on how well Reading had played against United (a draw) and Chelsea (unlucky really to lose). I'm sure Reading had a great game plan that just went to shyte when TH14 put Arsenal ahead 1-0 after 58 seconds. Reading looked like they were going to get back in the game, with Mad Jens being tested after he messed up clearing a corner. However, before Reading could draw level, the two Eastern Europeans played a nice little 1-2 and Hleb blasted the ball past a hapless Hahnemann.

After the break, RvP put Arsenal up 3-0 after a beautiful piece of football and TH14 rounded out the match with a penalty that hit the right post and went in. I was very happy for RvP to get a goal, because he was all over the place today. His crosses were poor and his shots were all over the place. At one point he should've shot the ball with his left foot, but chose to pass. It was great to see him get a goal.

So Arsenal win, and move up to 4th in the table. Things are seeming right in the world. If OOWK wants to talk about United or anything else he can.

Arsenal face West Bromich Albion this week in a 3rd Round Carling Cup tie. It is going to be interesting to see which youngsters get starts. I'm sure Theo will start and I would like to see O'Cearuill, Traore, and Merida to name a few.

DBUD

CLeague Preview

It's a CLeague so I figured we'd take a look at a couple of the bigger match-ups coming up over the next two days.

Celtic v. Benfica: A big match up north at Parkhead, and a Celtic win would put a nice little five point cushion over Benfica. If Celtic have hopes of making it to the knockout stage, this is an absolute must-win for the Bhoys,especially considering how hard it will be to get points when Celtic travels to Portugal later on in the season. United did Celtic a massive favor by winning AT Benfica last time out, and Celtic took care of half the equation on the same day against FC Copenhagen, now its up to them to complete the formula, and take that next step they always hope for in Glasgy. Benfica will be up for it, and seeing as it is a Portugese side, we know they'll spend a lot of time writhing in pain, so Celtic will have to stay composed, unlike they did in that Uefa cup final against Porto. I'd like to think Celti get the job done, but I think this one ends in a draw, not an utter dissapointment, but not the ideal result.

Bordeaux v. Liverpool: Coming off a disspointing draw at home to Blackburn, Liverpool make the short trip across the Channel (lovely trip by train by the way) to Wine Country to take on Bordeaux. The wrong result for Liverpool in this one really turns this group on its head, and a win by Galatassary at "The Hell" (not completely inconceivable) could see all four teams knotted at 4 points halfway through the group stage. Not exactly the position Reds supporters thought they would be in, when they saw the groups announced. I look for Bordeaux to sit back and defend, and Liverpool to have trouble breaking them down, both sides leave with a vital point.

THE BIG ONE: Some of the sting will be taken out of this one, as a point still does a job for both sides. It wil be interesting to see how the sides deal with having to play each other twice in a fortnight, and I would guess that by the time the 180 minutes is up, at least one person will be sent off. Chelsea are obviously in a bind in terms of their keeper situation and Barcelona will have a bunch of weapons with which to challenge Hilario with. I believe that Barcelona are without Eto'o for at least one of these matches, but I think they still have enough to get 4 points out of these 2 matches, a point here and 3 the next time out.

Enjoy the footy tomorrow, we'll be back to look at the results tomorrow night.

OOWK