:-D
I have no real complaints on the officiating – I saw the first half on a ropey internet stream where all the players were in an acid-flashback 'negative Yellow/Magenta/Cyan/Black' colour filter/error - so it was difficult to judge what the fuck was going on... nice purple pitch though. West Ham, fair play to them, had a reasonable plan – defend hard and counter attack... they even tried to play a bit of footie and it proved for a very frustrating match where, despite a few good chances, we just couldn't seem to score. West Ham were pretty good on the break and there were some very worrying moments where we had, in a bid to get the three points, almost overcommitted in the attack. West Ham, however, despite Zola's proclamations on wanting to emulate the Arsenal approach to his style of management, slowly reverted to shit-kicking form (even more so after the deadlock was broken with the own goal) and proceeded to give us a bit of a hoofing... bit of advice Zola - you can't unsettle a team like that deep in the second half when they are playing you off the park – you just look bit desperate, unfit and unsporting. Wenger's answer was classic – you want to kick us off the ball, ok – then we'll stick on Ade to run at you and play in a few long-balls... despite the fact it was an own goal – the first goal was all down to Adebayor and then, not long after that we saw the quite unfamiliar move of one blinding over the top pass from Bentner in his own half followed by an almost sexually arousing first touch from Ade to set himself up for the shot and defy the brave keeping from the stretching Green. Adebayor made no mistake in killing the game dead.
Where are all the Adebayor haters now? Whatsat you say? Lazy..? Greedy..? Or just fucking excellent!?
I love it when we change styles and try something new – we saw it experimentally last season as an answer to teams that try to rough us up and get a point... 'total football' is nice (and glorious to watch when it's clicking) but if it's not happening on the ground then we have got to have the skills in the air... it's that kind of flexibility in attack (and the ability to flip it) that will eventually win us trophies. Wenger isn't running short on ideas and there is a lot more to come from this team in terms of changing the way the English game is played and 'leading the way' in the quest for proper football...
The rest of the 'Big 4' showed their class in two of the most dodgy games I ever did see.
"if you had offered me a draw before the match I would have taken it" - David Moyes
Ahem... well, no comment – nice one Wiley; good shooting Ronaldo – you go get that 'player of the year' award with a straight face, you earned it! And as for Liverpool/Chelsea... all I can say that if I were a betting man then I would put money on there being a fat stack of oily roubles on the reds.
Luckily I am (or have now become) a betting man and that's where my cash was also... although I was a bit timid and only put six quid on it – still, a fair return! In fact – I couldn't give my money away this weekend and I was forced to withdraw another £100 from my account – that's the second time this week!
Maybe I'm learning, this w/e was a milestone for me as I am officially in the black (P&L) for my entire gambling history – in the last 3 months I have erased 2 years of 'leisure punter' activity and got into the profit zone. I've worked hard for it, and now the cash that I have spent has been withdrawn with interest - I'm going to try and build up a profit stack and take this more seriously... I've also noticed that I don't get excited about betting any more, to be honest it's a relief as I never liked that 'risk' feeling in the pit of my stomach anyway – now it's just business win or loose, a means to an end. I will understand the dark side of this game one day and this dark path is the only way to tread... and with every win will I take another step forwards.
The Joker, before he left this plane of existence, used to tell me that the perfect crime always left traces... and it does – in a way. Let's look at the media run up to this weekend's games. Chelsea were being painted as being undefeatable at the bridge and even emulating Arsenal's unbeaten run (Scolari you have no shame) – Liverpool were kept off the back pages and expectations played down – I was even noticing that the little Paddy-Power and Ladbrokes logos where being placed in-picture in certain newspapers – usually with a shot of a John Terry goal celebration with a 'I've just hit the vinegar-strokes' look on his face... Laying Chelsea was the obvious bet – but I backed Liverpool simply because with these games (that usually end in a draw) the bookies will want cash on both teams... I wouldn't have spotted it if it weren't for my oldest friend, Stinky who – to my concern, opened a BetFair account on Friday and put on the following:
Everton V Man Utd – Draw
Chelsea V Liverpool – Liverpool
Arsenal V West Ham – Arsenal
Talk about 'beginners luck' - I told him he was mad... but it got me thinking and, after reading the back pages, I got on the Liverpool bet too. FYI - My bets for the w/e were:
Chelsea V Liverpool – Liverpool
Arsenal V West Ham – Arsenal (I went LARGE on this)
Portsmouth V Fulham – In game lay-bet on Pompey immediately after they scored.
Real Madrid V Some losers I hadn't heard of – Real Madrid
So 4 for 4, result, I got on Arsenal as we too were absent from the back pages... the media spotlight seems to fall on the mug money while the smart money lurks in the shadows. This cannot be a coincidence. If you take your positions based on the fact that the game is bent, a gambling sport and the media are complicit then you can't go far wrong... but you have to spot the signs and detect the traces; the silken threads, quantum entanglements of reality that cannot be comletely removed from the slight of hand and fantasy. I was also tempted to get on Tottenham to win – but couldn't quite bring myself to do it.
Talking of Tottenham... Harry Redknapp? Are you sure? That's the funniest thing in the world ever – all the deluded fucking spuds will now start crowing about how they have a 'proper manager'... when will they learn – still, it gives me another good reason (as if I needed it) to hate Spurs; it's a match made in heaven if you ask me... in the dodgy stakes; Spurs are now our perfect 'yin' - what are the odds he brings in a keeper/clown 'he can trust' like James to replace that hapless free-agent liability Gomez? The main thing that pisses me off though is that through a sustained internet troll campaign of undercover gooners on Tottenham discussion boards and groups to whip the Spuds up into a protest on Sunday; it all came to nowt... damn – I was really looking forward to seeing them with all their home made, badly spelled banners, laughing my arse off to the chants demanding that the board and manager gets sacked and replaced with the likes of Terry Venables, Teddy Sheringham, Gazza and Glen Hoddle right before the 'make or break' game of their season... it was worth a try and we had fun doing it.
Ce-la-vie.
Bring on Wednesday!
[27/10/2008 09:16:41] DogFace says: geeezer
[27/10/2008 09:19:04] Stinky says: ello
[27/10/2008 09:19:45] DogFace says: so come on then - how did you make £45 on £2 minimum bets!?
[27/10/2008 09:20:58] Stinky says: no they were £3.50 bets but I figured it out wrong. I deposited £10 and they gave me £10 win or lose so that was £20 right of the bat.Then made the rest on the bets
[27/10/2008 09:21:18] DogFace says: cool!
[27/10/2008 09:21:49] DogFace says: so - it was £10 back if you bet £10... result - have you withdrawn your original tenner?
[27/10/2008 09:22:58] DogFace says: I withdrew £100 yesterday - and £100 the week before... I still have £23 left in my account :D I got all 4 bets correct yesterday, I couldn't give it away!
[27/10/2008 09:23:25] Stinky says: I have withdrawn my tenner and the tenner they gave me coz I still have £28 to bet with ;)
[27/10/2008 09:23:52] DogFace says: I was on Liverpool to win, Arsenal to win, Portsmouth (lay) after they went a goal up and Real Madrid win.
[27/10/2008 09:24:49] Stinky says: cool
[27/10/2008 09:25:28] DogFace says: I wish I had gone on Manu/Everton draw too! I don't know how you picked those results man but - good call!
[27/10/2008 09:25:59] Stinky says: Like I said I just had this feeling about the results
[27/10/2008 09:26:33] DogFace says: The Manure game was so obviously an agreed draw...
[27/10/2008 09:27:14] DogFace says: So - what about Wednesday then?
[27/10/2008 09:34:51] Stinky says: just a couple of minimum bets as nothing seems clear cut to me. I have gone for a Hull win although I think it may be a draw. I think that was about it
[27/10/2008 09:38:53] DogFace says: Hull are getting fucked. Here's the schedule: Tuesday, 28 October 2008
19:45 - Newcastle v West Brom
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
19:45 - Aston Villa v Blackburn
19:45 - Fulham v Wigan
19:45 - Hull v Chelsea
19:45 - Stoke v Sunderland
20:00 - Arsenal v Tottenham
20:00 - Bolton v Everton
20:00 - Liverpool v Portsmouth
20:00 - Man Utd v West Ham
20:00 - Middlesbrough v Man City
[27/10/2008 09:39:01] DogFace says: Hmmm....
[27/10/2008 09:39:12] DogFace says: Well - West ham are also getting fucked.
[27/10/2008 09:40:06] Stinky says: not so sure
[27/10/2008 09:40:06] DogFace says: Really?
[27/10/2008 09:40:14] DogFace says: I would say that's a nailed on win for Manure.
[27/10/2008 09:40:31] DogFace says: I would also say that Tottenham will loose.
[27/10/2008 09:40:38] Stinky says: yeah ... again just a feeling they might pull of a 0 - 0 draw
[27/10/2008 09:40:52] DogFace says: Well - they have a good keeper...
[27/10/2008 09:41:00] Stinky says: or is that a deep down hope that they do!
[27/10/2008 09:41:08] DogFace says: ...but - Manure will 'get a penalty' if needs be. [27/10/2008 09:42:55] DogFace says: I reckon that Villa should win.
[27/10/2008 09:43:18] Stinky says: yeah I think that I have bet them to win .. not much return but should be a win!
[27/10/2008 09:43:36] DogFace says: Liverpool... hmmm - that might be worth getting on the draw.
[27/10/2008 09:44:05] Stinky says: nah got Liverpool on the win!
[27/10/2008 09:44:14] DogFace says: It's goint to attract a lot of mug money I reckon...
[27/10/2008 09:45:46] Stinky says: yeah but I still think that Liverpool are just looking too strong at the moment even without Torres who should be back for the pompey match. Plus Pompey don't have a manager not that that mug rednapp has joined spurs for some obscure reason!
[27/10/2008 09:45:58] Stinky says: nah think Hull will do the business!
[27/10/2008 09:46:37] Stinky says: they are playing really well at the moment and Chelsea did not play at all well yesterday!
[27/10/2008 09:47:50] DogFace says: I reckon Chelsea lost on purporse! OK - off the top of my head: Tuesday, 28 October 2008
19:45 - Newcastle v West Brom - West Brom
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
19:45 - Aston Villa v Blackburn - Villa
19:45 - Fulham v Wigan - Fulham
19:45 - Hull v Chelsea - Chelsea
19:45 - Stoke v Sunderland - Stoke
20:00 - Arsenal v Tottenham - Arsenal
20:00 - Bolton v Everton - Draw
20:00 - Liverpool v Portsmouth -Draw
20:00 - Man Utd v West Ham - Man Utd
20:00 - Middlesbrough v Man City - Draw
[27/10/2008 09:48:06] DogFace says: I'm not sure what I'll get on though... there must be some bankers in there. Villa, Chelsea, Manu and Arsenal maybe?
[27/10/2008 09:49:19] DogFace says: It looked like ManUre threw it down the bog too... which makes me think that they'll be looking for a win on Wednesday.
[27/10/2008 09:50:29] DogFace says: And the only other one of the big 4 would be Liverpool/Pompey which could be iffy... or us - but us not beating Tottenham is too horrible to think about... besides - we are the earlier kickoff.
[27/10/2008 09:51:27] Stinky says: you going to the game?
[27/10/2008 09:52:09] DogFace says: Ha!
[27/10/2008 09:52:21] DogFace says: Did you seriously ask me that question?
[27/10/2008 09:52:30] Stinky says: is PieFace?
[27/10/2008 09:53:09] DogFace says: I would have said so... why - you in the market for a ticket?
[27/10/2008 09:53:27] Stinky says: it would be a great game to go to!
[27/10/2008 09:53:40] DogFace says: Oh yeah - as long as we smash them!
[27/10/2008 09:54:10] Stinky says: I am off on Thursday too so don't need an early start!
[27/10/2008 09:54:43] DogFace says: Nice 1 - get the beers in :D
[27/10/2008 09:54:56] Stinky says: only if I can get a ticket!
[27/10/2008 09:56:21] DogFace says: I'll email PieFace and see if he can make it... [27/10/2008 09:56:33] DogFace says: ...I can't see him missing it though.
[27/10/2008 09:56:49] Stinky says: let me know
[27/10/2008 09:57:17] DogFace says: (y)
[27/10/2008 11:20:27] DogFace says: PieFace is going Wednesday; 100,000,000,000 % going apparently....
[27/10/2008 11:25:25] Stinky says: doh ... oh well will just have to watch it on the TV
