Official Premier League 2010/11 thread

[stokeriño]

Because every other game involves a team that is battling against relegation and/or in the Champions League hunt. Bolton v Sunderland is a whole bunch of meaningless nothing.

[IAceI]

Sigh. And once again, I'll say it. And hell, it was on Titus Bramble's twitter feed so let's use that one instead, we always are on last, regardless of how important our match is unless we're against a big 4 team or a media-darling southern team. I didn't expect us to be on first today, but all season we just get "5 minutes at the end."

Few months ago, Bramble's tweet: "Were 6th in the league but still last on motd. Are they taking the fucking piss???"

Etc. We'd be on last if we were pushing for Europe. End of story is I just wanted to know if we'd bloody been on yet, and lo-and-behold we had not.

PS. Bardsley should get goal of the month.

[stokeriño]

No, you're deluded. I know this because there are even some Chelsea fans who complain about being put on last on MOTD. It's a persecution complex.

Here is where Sunderland placed in the last couple of months' worth of MOTDs. I have only listed Saturday editions, as MOTD2 generally only has 2 or 3 matches anyway and therefore isn't comparable.

5th Feb - 8 matches, Stoke v Sunderland = 5th

12th Feb - 8 matches, Sunderland v Tottenham = 4th

19th Feb - no MOTD (FA Cup)

26th Feb - 5 matches, Everton v Sunderland = 4th

5th Mar - 7 matches, Arsenal v Sunderland = 1st

12th Mar - no MOTD (FA Cup)

19th Mar - Sunderland played on Sunday

26th Mar - no MOTD (internationals)

2nd Apr - Sunderland played on Sunday

9th Apr - 7 matches, Sunderland v West Brom = 2nd

16th Apr - 5 matches, Birmingham v Sunderland = 1st

23rd Apr - 8 matches, Sunderland v Wigan = 3rd

30th Apr - 6 matches, Sunderland v Fulham = 5th

So in 8 editions of MOTD over 3 months, Sunderland have been one of the last two matches...twice. They have also been in one of the first two matches on the billing against two non-Sky-Four sides (West Brom and Birmingham). Most typically they have been around the middle of the billing, i.e. 3rd-5th out of 8.

So hush.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Heskey is an absolute tit. How he gets away with that is seriously beyond me. Managers and players get in shit if they criticise a decision or the official after the game, yet Heskey loses the plot and fronts up to the referee and only gets a yellow fucking card?

Not to mention the fact that a guy as big as him went down like he'd been hit over the head with a frying pan, only to shoot straight back up after realizing he wasn't getting the freekick. What an utter moron.

[Liam]

I'd make the argument that Fulham seem more likely to be in the last two or so of MOTD than Sunderland. Whether that is true or not, I don't know, but it seems like it. Doesn't really bother me anyway, I get to see the goals and that, so yeah.

[Colly]

I'd say the same of Newcastle, and I'd say Bolton, Blackburn and all the other midtable unfashionable teams would too. Fact is, if you aren't in the top 4 extended highlights section you automatically remember it as last on...

Annoyingly we were first on goals on Sunday this morning so I missed our goals, can't win.

[Starvinho]

Wolves are already 2-0 against WBA after half hour. They're playing really well.

[Baddar]

Hey Ace - shut the fuck up. It'd be better if you were on the Football League show, anyway.

[Gazz]

It'd be better if they were absorbed into Newcastle and everyone associated with them was shot into the Tyne out of a giant cannon.

Absolutely woeful defending from West Brom in that half, it would be an insult to some schoolboys to compare them.

[9 to 5]

So glad I put Fletcher into my fantasy team this weekend.

[IAceI]

Fair enough Stoke, must just be the times I seem to watch it we seem to be on last. To be honest it's not always the worst, it spares us from Hansen and Lawro's irrelevant chatter since they don't really add much.

Altho Badders "shut the fuck up" way to be mature about it. Top play.

[Baddar]

Ssshhhh.

[IAceI]

Just sayin', I wouldn't say anything to anyone on here that I wouldn't say to their face. Stokerino made his point clearly and fair enough, I was wrong and admit that. Just seemed a little pointless and unnecessary if I'm honest but hey, who am I to complain?

[Baddar]

Exactly.

[Ben E.]

I think it always seems that way for the mid-table clubs. I know I always complain that I wait for ages to see the Newcastle highlights, but it's more a case of preferential treatment for the top teams.

It's brilliant when Sunderland are on last, though. That way I can turn it off early and avoid having to look at Steve Bruce for another week.

1-0 Stoke, Jones.

Edited May 8, 2011 by Ben E.

[Sam]

Where's viperlike? I miss his insightful analysis before matches. It looks so tight down the bottom now, I really want Wigan to stay up, West Ham can fuck off though.

[Ben E.]

2-0, Pennant with a deflection.

[Pesci]

viperlike got banned

Also, lol Arsenal. This was why I said the title race was over months ago (though I didn't foresee Chelsea's revival and thought Arsenal would be the main challengers). This is a completely different team with a completely different mentality to all the Arsenal teams Wenger had success with. They're bottlers and before kick-off today, I thought Stoke were a lot more likely to win than them. Same old story and Wenger is too stubborn to realise this isn't working.

[Starvinho]

Ahh so this is how you beat Arsenal...

[Colly]

Is it wrong that every time I see the likes of Wilshere make a strong but fair challenge, or a marginal foul, all I can think is 'look Arsene, you do it too!'? Football involves tackles.