CHOULO19

Welcome We have a lot of Belgian members here so I'm sure you'll fut right in. Stick around and please feel free to contact me or any other mod/admin if you need anything.

Need to keep the momentum of the previous match going. We need a couple of wins on the trot to restore the confidence to the lads.

How exactly did you infer that I was equating this with racism? I was just refuting your argument that this is okay since it has been going on for years. I said that racism has been going on for years and it's not okay. So if something has been going on for a long time, that does not make it okay. So that's no excuse for what Fergie says. And what JT, or any captain does, is completely different. Yes, it may put some pressure on the ref if he is inexperienced, but that does not compare to the amount of pressure red nose puts when he makes his statement in public and every media source in the world writes about it and gets the ref thinking that the millions of viewers will be thinking about what Fergie said while watching the match. And more importantly, when a ref crosses JT or any other captain, he does not go missing or "agrees to retire".

Well your idea of football is clearly different than mine. I like my football on the pitch with the skill and hard work of people who want to win with their own effort and because they deserve to. And I don't understand at all the notion that it has been for years in football therefor it's okay. Well, racism has been in football for over a century, does that make it okay?

But why should it be part of the game if it is sending 50-50 decisions one way? Isn't it cheating when the referee is pressured into being biased?

If a player dives he is a cheat and public enemy number one, and rightly so, but when red nose affects refereeing decisions like this it is "gamesmanship"? Well I think it should not be part of the game because he is basically cheating and bending the rules his way. And it is threat and blackmail, just ask Alain Wiley and Jeff Winter.

Yes but that point fades when you see who is making it. United have had at least 4-5 results tipped their way by refereeing decisions already this season. Besides, he's not saying this out of his concern for the game but only to scare and threaten the referee of tomorrow's match.

First time I have ever wished the Daily Mail was right. Klopp here would be an absolute dream. Argue with logic not insults or don't argue at all.

Can we get back on topic please? This is the match thread not the crazy conspiracy theories thread It's not about the Manchester derby imo; we are not genuine title contenders. It's a must win game because of Arsenal vs West Brom and Everton vs Tottenham this weekend. We must take advantage.

He usually writes it first in spanish, so he must be getting help translating it to English.

Full press conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRuLN1wn5Nk&feature=g-subs-u

This just sums it up:

^^ Can we please drop it. It's a crisis that has finally passed, do we have to relive it?

This is what red nose does before every big match, he goes out and blames referees and questions refereeing decisions; he puts pressure on referees using his image as one of the biggest names in the game and subsequently when the match starts decisions go his way. He did it before our match this season, and the match at the bridge last season and numerous other examples and it works every time. He is practically blackmailing referees. It is disgusting what he does. How this has been allowed to continue for so long is beyond belief.

He's up for selection but he will probably only get a sub appearance. Regarding the BBC rumor, it's not being reported anywhere else so I wouldn't take it seriously just yet..

Finally manged to break out of mental hospital?

Guys I think we need new articles, we haven't had proper ones in months. I remember when we used to have one or two new article every week from the likes of @Strike, @SeB, @, and @. There's lots to write about now. I'd write one my self but I really don't have any free time till the holidays.

^^ Cheers

lol 10m? maybe in 10 years..

No one deserves to lift tht CWC trophy more than JT, such a shame he's not going.

Any one got a link to the vid of the pres conference or at least some main points Rafa said?

Opposition Views Here

Our own JackredandWhite was kind enough to answer a few questions ahead of our game with Sunderland at the weekend: First, how long have you been a Sunderland fan? Went to my first game at the age of 7 in 1972, and been to nearly every home game since 78 (apart from when I lived in London in the mid-80's for 3 years - went to the awy games instead). Your season has been far from ideal so far despite the great start O’Neil had last season. Where have things gone wrong since and where do you think can you improve? Things have been awful for a while now - we had a terrible end to last season as well. This is the most dissapointed/depressed I've ever been as a fan. Yes I've obviously seen worse (we were in the third division once remember) and the Wilkinson years were something to behold, but I think it's because this time we actually thought we might have cracked it. It's the hope I can't stand.... What's gone wrong? - I think MON's famed motivational skills have desserted him, I just don't think this group of players want to play for him anymore. True, a lot of them are Bruces many mediocre signings but I at least expect them to give a s**t. To improve we need to start playing 2 up front because Sess is out of form so it isn't working with him behind Fletcher. And our "marquee" signing (Johnson) needs to drastically improve, although there have been some shoots of recovery lately. We desparately need to sign a creative mifielder in January. How much are you in danger of going down this season and do you believe Martin O’Neil can guide you to safety? We could easily go down - it's something like 2 wins in 21 games? A couple of months ago at least we wre hard to beat and picking up draws, those have now turned into defeats. If we get beat of Reading at home next week (and assuming you lot beat us) I expect O'Neil to walk. Who has been your stand out player so far this season and whom should we look out for? Stand-out player - Danny Rose, and he's on loan!! or the keeper Migs. Attacking-wise, you've got nothing to worry about unfortunately. Chelsea has had a terrible 2-3 weeks; do you think that will motivate Chelsea or Sunderland players more? Your recent poor form in the league will not help us one iota - everyone seems to break their duck against us What did you make of the sacking of RDM and appointment of Benitez? Looking from afar, I could actually understand (a little bit) of Abramavich's thinking when he sacked RDM, but that only lasted until he went and got Benitez. It'll end in tears. Yes, you change managers a lot - but they all seem to win something short-term, but this bloke won't. Sorry If you could have one Chelsea player at Sunderland who would it be? Mata. He's superb. What are the most likely formation and lineup that Martin will put out? He'll play 451 (again). Mig in goal, back four of Bardsley, Cuellar, Kilgallon, Rose. In the middle it will probably be Colback, either Vaughn or Larsson (the former I hope - Larsson offers nothing in the middle) and Gardner, with Sess and Johnson on the wings (hopefully). Fletcher will be all up front on his own . I would have liked him to give Wickham a game as he was canny last week (but crap in the U21 game against the mags - maybe he likes the big games). Kindly predict the result. At least 2-0 to you lot.

I get what you mean. I made that point earlier in the season in the Hazard thread and got slaughtered. I don't get what's the point of it when you can whip in a proper normal cross that is much more likely to hit it's target.

Yep. There's the FA for you, bunch of