don't have any time to post listings like B9 used to and typically watch the games on DVR so won't contribute much to the thread but I thought I'd just get it started anyway if ppl want to share their thoughts... Premier League has some enticing games, from the Manchester derby, Everton/Tottenham and of course Di Canio's first one in charge. Bayern will look to clinch (again), and Paris goes to Rennes to try to add to their lead.

with a fantastic goal by Menez. Hopefully that´ll be enough to convince Carlo to start him at camp nou.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GmXvdZGGHI

dude seemed like a lock to be the next great french playmaker and then nothing.

this goal never gets old to me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y-Y56PQlNI

I don't think he ever was a lock to be the next great...he had this one great season with Bordeaux the year he was on loan from Milan, when nobody really expected anything of him, then he crumbled under pressure when put on the bigger stage (ie with France). To be fair, he got hurt a lot too. My inner conspiracy theorist says he came back to earth once the effects of the 'roids/EPO therapy the Milan doctors administer wore off.

people did greatly overreact to that very goal, though. Zinedine was scoring one of those every two weeks or so, just getting one doesn't make you the next.

where has he been? can he show up more frequently?
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It's only funny till someone gets mad. Then it's hilarious.

crazy thing is they only allowed 2 away goals ALL SEASON.

Once West Brom made a double sub which included Lukaku and shifted to 4-3-3....our defense and team started falling apart (as has been the case all season whenever we're forced out of our comfort zone). Mertesacker with a dreadful straight red card challenge and penalty (he was already walking off the pitch before Webb produced the card) which obviously only compounded matters as our already shaky team was now one man down. If not for a couple clear clear cut chances (Lukaku came literally inches away from equalizing) that somehow didn't find the net, we're coming out of this game with more points lost due to a lack of composure and organization defensively.

West Brom surely deserved an equalizer but as it stands, we escaped with 3. Now if only Sunderland and/or Everton can just somehow hold.

I just want two new CBs next year, lots on the wish list, but that defense is on some other shit.

Will take the 3 pts though

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/video?vid=d75f9a5f-5cbe-419c-84e9-daebbbe183bf&from=foxsports%2Ffoxsoccer%2Fvideomodule-home

That's the goal of the season, certainly for Villa at least. Wins in four of the last seven, a modicum of breathing space from the dropzone, and the last time the club beat Stoke, "Careless Whisper" was atop the charts.

only position i've never played seriously (loved it in practice though) so i can't relate.

like...if you ask me, i'm wondering wtf that keeper is doing.

Our season is, basically? Done. So, I am a Villian for the rest of the season, for all the mind numbing lapses of defense mentality and occasionally brilliant Austro-Belgian offensive moments that happen. Let's go Villa!

not sure he could have got to that had he been on his line anyway

this Villa kit is really nice too. It's always been one of my favorite club color schemes.

>this Villa kit is really nice too. It's always been one of my
>favorite club color schemes.

I'm a sucker for a collared footy kit though. And I even dig the electric lime green away kit.

corner had been cleared, and while, yeah, you might want more time to react to a blast, you also want to cut down the angle so if he did go for power over placement, you have a better chance to cover the goal.

that's the sure shot way to end up looking stupid like he did

to beat you from 30 yards +, somebody needs to hit the corners or the posts, in which case you tip their hat to them, but you won't get lobbed. As for anticipating penetrations, you're better off skipping a beat and staying on your feet anyway.

not to take anything away from the goal, because that shot was good enough to score even if the keeper had stayed in

Get your laces under a volley and let it rip.

at the end of the goal cats was ready to rush the field they had to call in the cops to hold em back


do or die

Villa have dropped the most points (i.e. wins/draws) in the last ten minutes of any team this season (and really, it's been a problem for the last FEW years). Stoke had just scored the tying goal 7 minutes before that. The quality of the goal was absolutely insane (my favorite reaction is the older guy in the blue coat who just points to the camera and shrugs with a shit-eating grin on his face when they cut to the crowd), but the goal itself was just such a relief compared to how the rest of the season's gone.

Hopefully that win was the turning of a corner.

Really, we can all find the game listings and the rest is just exposition after a weeks worth of paper reading and podcast listing. Let's keep this up, but not let all stah ever. Ever. Make this post.

Ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XtweyvzsJ4

i'd give a few points off this lead (we've got enough to spare) if we could play better in exchange.

Super nice.