DISQUS

Pah, i am no Chelsea fan but I sympathise with what Bosingwa did.
I hate intentional time wasting and Guardian Football weekly touched on this too. I reckon the ref just turned a blind eye to what was initially an act of poor sportsmanship. I think Arsenal must have started this as Kanu and then Henry were brilliant at holding that ball up near the flag and running off the clock. Its frustrating to watch when you need the ball back and Bosingwa did something that was a definite foul , and at least a yellow on any other part of the pitch but I think the ref (and other refs) tend to turn a blind
eye to the foul here.
Christ, its not like he kicked him hard, it was a shove with the boot - not the decapitation some people are making it out to be. It was a foul on a fella who was asking for it.

Bad bad bad call in my opinion -yellow? Maybe and even that may have been harsh. The other hilarious ref moment of the night was at Portsmouth where the ref made up a reason to send off Belhadj who he should have sent off in the first half.

Not a good week for you Richard, you have the City fans after you for your comedic piece and now the Arsenal fans after you for another piece.

The article slates Samir Nasri - in his first season he scored a brace to beat United so I assume thats the alternative universe he has a use in.

As for drawing with Cardiff away in the Cup - look around - Burnley/Derby/Nottingham Forest/Barnsley and Southend have all very recently provided a great deal of surprise results. Arsenal will be going back to the Emirates and will probably win that and the next game and suddenly find themselves in the 6th Round.

When Arsenal won the Cup in their double year (1998) they got by Port Vale on penalties in the 3rd round. i only hope (and I am sure there was) some hack there
was slaughtering Arsenal and some fella called Wenger only to eat a lot of humble pie in May.

I am not suggesting Arsenal are currently the greatest team in the world but drawing at Cardiff didnt phase me at all. Samir Nasri is a French international with some telling goals this year. I await your next comedic effort - go do one about Liverpool, i dare you.

Surely its been Fulham turfing out all the second rate Americans that has had the biggest effect.

Just kidding - the defense and the unlikely points against the big boys seem to make sense to me - Bullard will go if anyone comes in - I am surprised Newcastle havent had a bid yet and rumour of Arsenal sniffing about.
Hangeland has come from nowhere, he's 27 - where was he before? Arsenal were sniffing round him too I believe but that talk has died down a bit. Johnson has begun to find some form too up front.

They have a good and likable manager - one of the more likable teams in the league inspite of their bizarre chairman.

If anything i thin BB v Stoke just became less watchable. Its a dire fixture to start with. Rory Delaps arms have fallen off. I am now deprived the drama of Ince in a must in game. Instead I get Big Sam in a game where he deconstructs all football and it will just be brutal.
The Hammers game saves the day while the masses will be waiting for Sunday.

Terrific news Gaffer, i passed this on yesterday to my friend in Chicago who was delighted - early Christmas for him as he got to tape Liverpool.

no question, its Bramble by a mile. If you want an Arsenal fella, i'd have Bendther over Eboue.

I hadnt seen this yesterday, sheer class and this is why no matter how well James does week in , week out - that he cannot play for England - he has far too many of these in him....Great video.

The only thing I think he has done wrong is when he was linked with the Newcastle job at the time of Keegan's departure, he was far too slow to distance himself and I thought you sneaky sod - I suspect he'd have taken had the climate there been safer...

Beyond that - Pederson is declining year on year, bringing in Fowler was a gamble but at least it was a cheap one, other than that I cant see what he has been able to do in terms of reshaping the team, he has barely had a quarter of the transfer window and lost his best asset immediately.

Good Lord, football fans are getting dumber by the day or the media is and one generally fuels the other... No offence Gaffer I am not referencing you directly.

A few weeks ago the Bolton fans were chanting vile things at Gary Megson (Toby from The Office US Version) because Bolton on the BRING OF DISASTER - you know, in the bottom 3 in September. A few good results against equally mediocre (or equally well matched depending on your view) teams and they are charging towards Europe...

Arsenal CLUB in CRISIS... through in Champions League with game to spare and well within reach of top 4 where they currently reside.

CHELSEA - top of league and only need a result at home to relegated Romanian team to progress - yet another club in crisis this week.

LIVERPOOL - hours later go top of the league , through in Europe with game to spare... they are also another CRISIS RIDDEN CLUB as they went top on the back of 2 home goalless draws. I repeat - TOP.

This instant success is becoming a joke - all these crisis clubs. Only one can win, only 3 can go down and West Brom are most people's certainly to be one.
As for the other 2, who knows? ITs Blackburn today - its Wigan tomorrow, its Fulham in December, its newcastle in March....

When so few points separate 6th from 19th I'd say 3/4 of the league is relegation threatened right now. Sacking a man who is new , who lost Bentley, who will likely lose Santa Cruz and has been given virtually no financial backing and who is a few points off the top half seems crazy. The media sells us all this nonsense and fans buy it. I would be worried if it was March and Blackburn were adrift but this isnt the case and clearly an overreaction in a league lacking any common sense.

And so to Blackburn

Ronaldo is an idiot, on a yellow and you always play to the whistle... after his mocking earlier it was never in doubt. Hughes called it a soft red but a red nonethless.

Another Arsenal fan and i will admit it wasnt a goal either, even if it nicks Cole , Van persie was offside for the pass before it hit Cole so i cant see how it would be onside unless Cole was backpassing. Scolari has made it clear what he felt :) Nice to Arsenal get some luck for a change and take the few chances we got. Chelsea look strange this year, they can thrash teams but then in close games they seem to struggle much more so than I remember in recent years. Early days but I am beginning to think United will now catch them.

Knowing Wenger he may not sign even then - he is very stubborn and I think now blinded by his own vision. I hope I am wrong but Arsenal are the team they should have been last year but who last year overacheived.

This year we have been found out and need a proper defence, a midfield general (as said above) and possibly a striker who will fight for everything, Adebayor does not and wanted to leave anyway.

Spot on Gaffer and it isnt obvious whats a legal stream and what isnt as numerous companies for a small fee guarantee streaming footy but they are all illegal.
I have allegedly reportedly supposedly used Sopcast and other apps for games and sometimes their feed is clearer than Setanta's own online feed.
ESPN 360 is the best legal online feed I have used to date.
I often wonder why the Prem bothers shutting down these sites, its free exposure for them and ultimately their advertisers - surely their legal action will try cut off their nose to spite their face. This is what the EPL can learn from American Sports, internet rights.
I hope Justin.Tv comes back as Jason.Tv and it surely will.

I'd add Newcastle to the mix - Kinnear, Keegan, Ashley have made the Newcastle race entertaining already along with Spurs. It really has been an amazing start to the season but ultimately I expect Chelsea to win the Premiership early :(

Dont forget day games in the rain, i watched most of Pompey v Wigan and that was a cracker, even Heskeys late winner looked rain affected! Water everywhere, end to end and everyone looked soaked.

Interesting, i am fortunate to have ESPN 360 via Verizon and they do a good job on there. My question will be whats the coverage like? Who will provide it, will it be Tommy driving me crazy or will they simply air the international feeds you see on FSC and Setanta?

Also unless I missed it, when is this due to begin? Today, next season ?

I'd be curious to see how he does - he is a good player in the MLS, head and shoulders above most of them but in a big team where he is not the big fish i think he'd struggle. The obvious answer is Fulham because AJ is not working out. Can he go to a better club??? Maybe. Everton ? I really want to see this happen just to end this argument once and for all - he was cra* in Germany at Leverkusen.

Poyet? Newcastle?
Ramos - does it matter.
Redknapp took Saints down - no guarantee he will get them playing. But I admit the change was good - Fat Sam/Adams/Phil Brown/Curbishley will all be touted for Pompey. Fat Sam I am sure has already called them.

I think Spurs can break in... to the Championship top 4.

Have to admit this was pretty funny! A lot of these are dead on

Hmm, I agree with Stoke , Delaps arm cant save them.
I wish you are right on Tottenham (who I think you predicted as top 4 a few weeks ago).. but they are good to down and once January appears and they throw the wallet at Lassana Diarra I am sure they will get themselves together).
Fulham... fair guess really, they are underperforming considering I thought they bought so well but I am worried for them.

My three: Stoke / Bolton / West Brom.

Hmm sorry if this gets repeated - computer issues.
I dont think Lampard is entitled to be booed but the English seem to hate him outside of Chelsea and he has had his fair share of booing - had he pulled an Ashley this weekend I am sure he would have been booed - whereas Gerrard and Upson wouldnt have drew such a reaction. Its certainly not my sentiment that Lampard should have been booed, I dont see how booing any of them helps us get a team to the world cup.

I dont know Tony, i am not saying he should be but the English fans get on his case a lot and I suspec would have booed him had he made an Ashley type error whereas had say Upson or Gerrard made it I doubt the fans would have reacted quite so vociferously. I dont boo any of them, cant see any point in it unless they are all half assing it and playing like they dont want to be there. I dont think anyone really does that for England.

Fair comment Robbie - it was a loathesome effort - the comentantors chating over the opening minute was dire; my hope is it was genuine technical issues rather than a concerted effort becuase you'd think Webster and Barton would have learned some names, heck they often didnt call who was in possession for England because its not always obvious unless you do it for a living. Shambolic production values, never again I hope.