Sheffield United

[lighty]

Sorry Lighty only trying to wind you up.........................but it worked.

No worries, XB - I ain't bovvered!

I can't get upset over sport rivalry - it's all in good fun, anyway.  Yeah, I moan and groan when my team does poorly and leap and cavort about when they do well . . . but the rest of it is just for chuckles, so feel free to wind me up and I'll give you a bit in return!

*I'm a girl, anyway - I don't think we're allowed to get too serious about it, are we?  I mean, really, I'm not sure I'm supposed to let on that I really do understand the offsides rule . . .*
 

[Myowyn]

Thanks for the planning, Lighty! Unfortunately from Belgium I won't be able to listen to the radio, so I will come here and hope you will tell us the news, will you?

[lighty]

Certainly I will, Myowyn - I listen on Internet radio, by the way.  It is a subscription service, but worth it to me!

[Myowyn]

how is it working?

[Sylvene]

Lighty - the next step in the obsession is the Fantasy Football League.  :D

[lighty]

Fantasy Football League - ewwh.  Not even. *potential petard hoisting in that statement . . .*

Myowyn, the radio service is something you can subscribe to through the Blades website (or any other club).  It's called "BladesWorld" and includes both video highlights of the games and - more importantly - a subscription to access MatchLive.  That's the Internet radio that allows you to listen to the matches with live commentary.

It's not just the Blades - you can access any match that has radio commentary - sometimes even the International matches . . . it depends.   The direct way to subscribe is through here:
http://www.matchlive.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Home/0,,10202,00.html


By the way - Sheffield United won their match against Port Vale - 3-1 - so they will advance to the second round of the Carling Cup.  They have drawn Huddersfield Town for that match (Huddersfield is a Division 1 team - that's one division below the Championship League).  Match will be sometime in the last week of August.

[Myowyn]

I don't think I can do that from Belgium?

thanks for the results i'm glad they won! Great job

[lighty]

A 3-0 win over QPR on Saturday.  Absolutely BRILLIANT game.  Billy Sharp scored the hat trick.  QPR should have stayed home.

And Wednesday lost.  oops. 

[Soulmate]

*I'm a girl, anyway - I don't think we're allowed to get too serious about it, are we?  I mean, really, I'm not sure I'm supposed to let on that I really do understand the offsides rule . . .*

 :rotfl1:
Youīve learned a lot about men I see :-))))
Great news - both - SUFC and Wednesday 
I was fighting for months with myself to sign up for the Blades World - everytime I get their newsletter I am fighting - lol. But then again -itīs mostly radio commentary - and I wouldnt understand a word anyway :-) So I put the burden on your shoulders and hope they are broad !!! Thanks for the report!

[lighty]

No problem, SM, I do have broad shoulders.  It's not the same, I know, but you can see photos of the matches on the club website.  If you sign up for BladesWorld you can access their video highlights of the games, also (the goals, usually) - but for the price, it's hardly worth it just for those, imo.

*it was rather disappointing to discover that the offside rule isn't that difficult to grasp - guys make out like it's the holy grail or something!  Now, the more technical stuff, like strategy and understanding why a player works better on the left than the right (or whatever) - for that I need help!*

[galamb]

I do that but with Liverpool, as you know Fernando Torres plays there

[exbill]

Lighty you are right.The offside rule was concocted to try and baffle the female fans and make men look knowledgeable.As for which wing a player is on depends on whether he can kick better with his left or right foot.      So simple.............just like most of the players.............If they could read and write they could get proper jobs.(But not so well paid )

[lighty]

HAH!  I knew it, XB!  I admit the first time offside was explained I didn't get it, but I think that's because the players were empty pint glasses, ashtrays, cigarette packets, and condiment containers . . .

Now, as to that inside/outside/right/left:
So first you have to know which foot they prefer kicking with - is this an obvious thing from observation or can you look it up?  What if they kick well with both?  Can they play both sides?  And why does it seem like the managers never play them in the right place (based on fan complaints)?

Can they change their place during a match or do they have to stay on the left/right for the duration?

Is "footedness" why they choose different players for corners?  Depending on whether it's the left or the right corner?

And inside/outside?  What about that?

*pulls up chair and pulls out pencil and pad for notes . . . nods head at commentary about general intellect, but likes the game enough not to care if they don't have two brain cells to rub together . . . *

[Soulmate]

Can they change their place during a match or do they have to stay on the left/right for the duration?

There are a few players who can do both sides - and mostly they are the players that are most expensive, or captains of the team. I have heard that during Eurocup quite often. Mario Gomes (Germany) or Christinao Ronaldo (Portugal) for example. And although the coach sets the players on a certain place, they give those "vip players" the freedom to change places - or maybe they give them little secret signs during the game. And often the captain of a team is having an influence and change players from midfield to storm and vice versa. Germanyīs Captain Michael Ballack for example took several times influence on it during a game, and I heard interviews where they said a captain and a coach must rely on each other reg. those decisions. So I think itīs not the manager who decides it.
And nowadays not all footie players are stupid, lots of them have studied. Hamid Altintop (Turkey, but plays for Bayern Muenchen) ist highly intelligent (has studied various things, philosophy and such).
Maybe itīs not only their feet - maybe itīs about how their brains are working?
Will make sure to discuss that when I talk next time with an expert.

[exbill]

Very well put SM...............Lighty although the players are designated left or right wing once play commences they are all ,all over the field irrespective of position.
  The managers /coaches always get it wrong because at any football match there are 10 to 20,000 fans watching who all could do a better job ( surprisingly their expert opinions change from match to match and even from minute to minute some times.)
  Someone has to take the blame for a teams poor performance and it must be part of the managers job description  to accept this role.
 The coach watches the players in practice so it becomes obvious to them which is the players stronger side.

  When I worked in a bar at the gates to the Nottingham Forest Football Ground there were 200+ thirsty experts on the game before a match.Working behind the bar and listening their opinions changed every time they joined a new groups conversation.Football fans are very fickle.after a defeat they come out of the ground mumbling and moaning and declaring that they will never go to a match again..............But sure enough they are there at the next match.

   

[Sylvene]

Football fans are very fickle.after a defeat they come out of the ground mumbling and moaning and declaring that they will never go to a match again..............But sure enough they are there at the next match.

Sounds just like my Grandpa.  Then he would be asking me and my sis if we wanted to go with him to the next away match.  :D  Mum wouldn't let him go by himself, so he always took one or more of the grandkids

[lighty]

Thank you SM and XB - my footie knowledge increases exponentially! 

Not surprised about the supporters; I get the biggest chuckle out of reading the Blades supporters forum.  I've learned a great deal about humour and the Yorkshire male, passion and the football fan, and a little about the game!

[Sylvene]

Go, Man United!

*ducks and runs from lighty*

[norskmom]

Sylvene, you better look out. I'm right there next to Lighty :footie:

Up The Blades!

Don't worry girlfriend, their is no rivalry between us girls :rocketwhore:

[Soulmate]

Btw. Lighty - ever seen the footie-movie The Game Of Their Lives? Love it much - and I guess it must be a feast for every US-footie fan - donīt want to write spoilers - just watch it if you havenīt ! And there is this black guy who explains how footie is like dancing - brilliant!