On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

Portsmouth 1 Man City 1

The FA Cup

Blackburn 1 Coventry 0

Sheff Utd 0 Hull 3

Swansea 0 Fulham 2

Watford 1 Chelsea 4

West Ham 2 Middlesbrough 1

France 21 Scotland 10

Wales 35 England 34

Italy 9 Ireland 28

[Atila Reincarnate]

Portsmouth 2 Man City 1

The FA Cup

Blackburn 1 Coventry 0

Sheff Utd 2 Hull 1

Swansea 1 Fulham 0

Watford 1 Chelsea 2

West Ham 2 Middlesbrough 1

Arsenal 2 - Cardiff 0

[Ladygooner]

Portsmouth 1 Man City 2

The FA Cup

Blackburn 2 Coventry 1

Sheff Utd 0 Hull 2

Swansea 0 Fulham 1

Watford 2 Chelsea 1

West Ham 2 Middlesbrough 1

Arsenal 2 - Cardiff 0

[Sandperson]

Are you all boycotting the Derby and Everton FA Cup ties?

[matthew123]

I'm boycotting the FA Cup all together.

[????]

Can I just add.....

Tottenham 0 assorted waiters/caddys/hookers from La Manga 8

[red devil]

Chelski have reported a ?65.7 million loss, and according to Obi-Wan Kenyon they have to sell before they can buy;

since they need a couple of ?20+ million forwards, I can't see how they will riase the cash without having a firesale...

[Jah Lush]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Can I just add.....

>

> Tottenham 0 assorted waiters/caddys/hookers from

> La Manga 8

Not this weekend you can't coz we ain't playing this week. Maybe next time.

[Jah Lush]

Portsmouth 2 Man City 3

The FA Cup

Blackburn 2 Coventry 0

Sheff Utd 2 Hull 2

Swansea 1 Fulham 2

Watford 1 Chelsea 3

West Ham 2 Middlesbrough 1

Arsenal 2 - Cardiff 0

[Atila Reincarnate]

red devil Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Chelski have reported a ?65.7 million loss, and

> according to Obi-Wan Kenyon they have to sell

> before they can buy;

> since they need a couple of ?20+ million forwards,

> I can't see how they will riase the cash without

> having a firesale...

FOOKIN SHAME, couldn't happen to a nicer club

[Sandperson]

Jah Lush Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ???? Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Can I just add.....

> >

> > Tottenham 0 assorted waiters/caddys/hookers

> from

> > La Manga 8

>

> Not this weekend you can't coz we ain't playing

> this week. Maybe next time.

Not to help perpetuate this feud :)) but isn't Quids saying that you'll be beaten by any Tom, Dick or Harriet in La Manga where, I am guessing, Spurs are having some "warm weather training"?

[Jah Lush]

Well it's news to me. Frankly I could give a flying fcuk.

[lard]

Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Barca would kill Liverpool over 2 legs, especially

> with a conservative style of play. If you sit back

> and invite them to come at you for 90 miniutes

> they will run you into the ground.

Just like last time eh?

There is a reason that Liverpool are seeded high in the Champions League and above Barcelone. It's cos actually, they are really quite good in European two leg ties.

[matthew123]

I think all 4 English teams have extremely tough Champions League matches in 2 weeks time. I have to admit that if Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea all get knocked out then I will be delighted.

If I had to put money one of the 4 reaching the QF, then it would be Chelsea beating Juventus.

[david_carnell]

I'm not at all sure Revie belongs in such august company! But Clough yes.

Yeah that's right Don Revie was a cheating bastard and was a runner-up more times than he was a winner and he was possibly the worst England manager we've ever had who buggered off to the United Arab Emirates when offered a fat cheque and the going got tough.

All right, I'll rise to the bait. Don guided Leeds to two Football League First Division titles, one FA Cup, one League Cup, two Inter-Cities Fairs Cup titles, one Football League Second Division title and one Charity Shield. He also guided them to three more FA Cup Finals, one more Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final and one Cup Winners' Cup Final.

He built the team of the era which went on to the European Cup final (under Jimmy Armfield) the season after he left despite Cloughie nearly ballsing the whole thing up. He was Manager of the Year in 1969, 1970, and 1972.

That Leeds team is as good as any to have graced English football. None of the bribery allegations have ever been proven and tbh, even if he was, it seems to have been fairly routine in those days. He deserves to be alongside the pantheon of footballing greats. He took an unfashionable, lower league team and moulded it into a European giant. Leeds were mediocre before Revie. He set the benchmark.

And Jah, there's no way he's the worst English manager ever. Ok, he didn't qualify for the 76 Euro Champs but he had a 48% win record. Taylor and McLaren (to name but two) were certainly worse. Venables and Keegan also had worse win stats. He just never replicated his success with England that he'd had with Leeds.

Pro-Leeds rant ends.

[red devil]

Home advantage in the second leg should mean that Utd and 'pool go thru barring a 1st leg disaster.

L'arse are capable of getting a good lead to defend in Rome, but can't see Chelski going thru over two legs, they got turned over the last time they were in Italy by Rome and Juve are a better team, revenge of the Tinkerman!...

[SimonM]

Sorry but, although agreeing Revie did an impressive job with Leeds, the fact is Liverpool at that time more deserve the "team of the era" accolade. Leeds never won the European Cup and had something of a reputation as "chokers". Clough on the other hand did it all twice with both Derby & Nottingham Forest.

[david_carnell]

So your dig at Revie was that he was too loyal by only achieving with one club? Pah.

Clough went wherever he thought they'd bend over for him.

I'd say 1970-5 Leeds were the team of the era (early 70s)....but I know 'pool fans might disagree.

[Keef]

I'd not be delighted to see any English team knocked out of Europe, unless by the pool. I was pleased that we were the top country in the champs league with an all English final last season!

[SimonM]

>So your dig at Revie was that he was too loyal by only achieving with one club? Pah.<

He did not achieve that much for Leeds though did he, in terms of major trophies won? Leeds did have this tendencey to fall at the final hurdle - hence their successes in the Fairs Cup - the Losers' competition. I'm the first to admit that if Revie was a failure I wish Sheffield United had failed like that during the same period! The thing with Clough is until he split with Taylor and went to Leeds he had a record of achievement with a whole string of clubs, from turning Hartlepool around to winning european trophies with two distinctly unfashionable sides.

[Annasfield]

Keef - I have decided that in fact you are too nice and therefore you are no longer my friend. ;-)

[matthew123]

During the 10 seasons Revie managed Leeds United in the top flight (1964 to 1974), Leeds United won 7 major trophies and were Runners-up 10 times. That is pretty hot stuff - no other Manager gets anywhere near that record. If only winning counts, then tell me another Manager during this period who won more major trophies than Revie during this time frame?

Don Revie was a great manager whether you liked his methods or not the record books are pretty convincing. This was at a time when money was more evenly spread as can be seen by the fact that during this 10 year period, 7 different clubs won the Championship.

[Atila Reincarnate]

lard Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Barca would kill Liverpool over 2 legs,

> especially

> > with a conservative style of play. If you sit

> back

> > and invite them to come at you for 90 miniutes

> > they will run you into the ground.

>

>

> Just like last time eh?

>

> There is a reason that Liverpool are seeded high

> in the Champions League and above Barcelone. It's

> cos actually, they are really quite good in

> European two leg ties.

Still not good enough to beat Barca at the moment, they would kill LIverpool at the moment. Just pray Liverpool don't get drawn against them, cos actually at the moment Barca are light years ahead of Liverpool.

[Jah Lush]

The thing is with Leeds United at that time is that they were universally loathed for the gamesmanship and over physical dirty play. There was Norman "Bites yer legs" Hunter, Billy Bremner who was a horrible little ginger-haired Scottish terrier and Jack Charlton who used to keep a little black book in which he would he note down players names that he would deliberately want to hurt or injure.

[matthew123]

All before my time but weren't all teams blessed with thugs during this era? Is this the same reason people have a dislike for Man United - as who'll ever forget the mid-nineties United team when you had likes of Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Eric Cantona physically confronting supporters in the crowd never mind leave stud marks all over the opposition - or Peter Schemichal with his less than cordial race relations with Ian Wright.

Anyway, another point about Revie, did he really bribe officials during his time at Leeds as some have suggested? I find that odd considering they lost more finals than they won, as surely that is the time to bribe a ref, no?