# SDMB Footie Focus: december **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 2, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480 "2003-12-02T12:29:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/61 "2003-12-12T12:16:55Z")
UEFA Draw (and I don’t even care if I’ve misspelled some of these): Brondby v Barcelona Parma v Genclerbirligi Benfica v Rosenburg Marseilles v Dnipro **Celtic v Teplice** (I think they’re Czech) Perugia v PSV Groclin v Bordeaux Valencia v Besiktas part 2 when the UEFA page loads ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/62 "2003-12-12T12:29:11Z")
Galatasaray v Villareal Club Brugge v Debrecen Sochaux v Inter Milan **Liverpool v Levski** Spartak Moskva v Mallorca Gaziantepspor v Roma Auxerre v V Panathinaikos **Valerenga v Newcastle** ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/63 "2003-12-12T12:32:25Z")
I haven’t even heard of half that lot . . . ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/64 "2003-12-12T12:33:02Z")
my thoughts exactly - who the f\*ck are “Liverpool”?! ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/65 "2003-12-12T13:18:36Z")
It’s interesting to note that all the English teams in the Champs League drew teams that we played in the UEFA Cup last year. I for one will be very much looking forward to seeing Man U stuff those diving cheating time-wasting gits. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/66 "2003-12-12T13:32:06Z")
. . . a Henrik Larsson fan complaining about diving . . . there are those non-partisan observers who would find that a teeny-weeny tad ironic. **garius** - I looked it up in an Atlas. Apparently, they’re the next employer of someone called Martin O’Neill . . . Have a nice weekend, everyone ! ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/67 "2003-12-12T13:33:31Z")
Well LC, I don’t believe that Henrik Larsson is a diver. Stilian Petrov is a diver, but he’s shite anyway. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/68 "2003-12-12T13:39:00Z")
I don’t see Spurs listed there anywhere L\_C, could you help me out? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/69 "2003-12-12T13:59:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TwistofFate \* > \*\*I don’t see Spurs listed there anywhere L\_C, could you help me out? 😃 \*\* You could try looking on a list of winners - we’re on it twice. (we were the first British club to win a Europan cup you know) ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/70 "2003-12-12T14:20:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TwistofFate \* > \*\*I don’t see Spurs listed there anywhere L\_C, could you help me out? 😃 \*\* Check out next year’s inter-toto draw and you might have more luck 😉 ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/71 "2003-12-12T14:21:12Z")
I was there! Paxton Road end, to the left of Tony Parks for the penalties . . . _it was_ a very long time ago, though . . . ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/72 "2003-12-12T14:37:29Z")
Sorry . . . I forgot to whack **Twisty** round the ear: _thwack_ there, that always feels better ! ta ta ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/73 "2003-12-15T11:41:42Z")
There is an often printed photo of Graham Roberts being chaired by fans holding the cup. One of those fans is your’s truly with a truly regrettable mullet. At least I managed to avoid a Micky Hazzard perm. So very long ago…Especially after saturday’s showing. I couldn’t even bring myself to watch it on the telly. Which brings me to another of my theories… I beleive, with all of my little Norf Lahdahn heart that Spurs have a unique purpose in football. We are there to let people break records. Saturday was shearer’s 100th bar code goal. It seems to me that if a team/player needs to pass a particular mark, 100th goal, longest winning streak, break a losing streak etc etc they always do it against us. THe bastards. Still I am looking forward to Wednesday. Enfield won too. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/74 "2003-12-15T11:45:22Z")
Eight points clear and it’s not New Year, do da, do da … ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/75 "2003-12-15T11:59:41Z")
Romping. Why on earth would Hartson and God want to play for Birmingham? Such a step down. ---
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/76 "2003-12-15T12:10:57Z")
Good call on the Bolton result, **L\_C** but sticking a 10/1 shot into a double with Spurs would have been tempting fate a bit. Arsenal back on top and God is in his heaven. I should have taken the 100/1 when it was available for the Champions League. They won’t win it but I could have covered my bet home. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/77 "2003-12-15T12:13:04Z")
Larsson’s on his way in January apparently (to Newcastle). It said so in the Sunday papers (as reliable as DrunkenDuncan). I would hope that Spurs would move heaven and earth in a bid to get Nicky Butt, sending Carr (and if necessary Davies), both of whom fergie covets, in the other direction. He is exactly what we need, and I can’t believe that he can’t get a game at Man Utd. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/78 "2003-12-15T12:19:32Z")
Larsson is going nowhere this season. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/79 "2003-12-15T12:40:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manwithaplan \* > Good call on the Bolton result, **L\_C** but sticking a 10/1 shot into a double with Spurs would have been tempting fate a bit. I don’t gamble on Spurs . . . just don’t trust my judgement. Fwiw, if I do gamble, my default footie bet is two singles and the double. Alas, I didn’t this week. IIRC, both O’Neil and Larsson have publically said they’ll hang around until the end of this season. No reason to think they won’t keep to that public promise. And besides, they’ve got Motherwell (away) to gird their loins over this weekend . . . \ I am utterly distraught. Even before the (home) debacle against Bolton, I siad I never wanted to see the old, petestrian Guf Poyet and Sharon Anderton play in the same side again; It exposes the whole defence, it destroys tempo, it’s unbalanced, it’s utter shite. So Pleat did it. And then he did it again on Saturday. The combination isn’t good enough for the premiership and isn’t right for the balance of the team. It’s like going on the pitch carrying an anchor. Pleat, I understand a lot of what you’ve done and are continuing to do but, please, be bold enough to put this ‘partnership’ where it belongs. We cannot move forwartd without so doing. And then, how many times did you change things around on Saturday, two, three times in the second half ? Did the team actually know if it was coming or going in the last 15-20 minutes when three of the goals went in?? And you blame the defence! Wanker Pleat. \ ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480/80 "2003-12-15T14:05:27Z")
I feel your pain, **L\_C**. An utterly dismal display at Anfield on Saturday, I suspect engineered by wee GOrd cleverly realising Didi Hamann’s importance in defence and having him closed down accordingly. Still, to cheer you up somewhat, I hereby present this month’s [Straight Dope Fantasy League](http://bbcfootball.fantasyleague.co.uk/friends/friends.asp?pin=339411&refresh=120) Manager award to… **London\_Calling**. % ::applause followed by embarassedly curtailed chorus of _For he’s a jolly goo…oh, sorry_:: After a slow start you have managed your way to a whopping 60 points in one month. The three-month totals should be available soon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-footie-focus-december/216480.md?page=5)