Such beauty…I want it!
That there, on the left, is one of the most desirable, coveted, stunning, important trophies in the whole of World football. That my friends is the Johnstone’s Paint trophy, known commonly as the ‘Paint Pot’. Of course, my tongue is firmly in my cheek.
Why am I sharing the beauty of such a wonderful trophy? Because my beloved Norwich City are playing away to Southampton in the regional semi-final today. Ninety minutes and then penalties if needed. However, we will likely be missing 19 goal hit-man Grant Holt and number one CB Jens Askou among others. Manager Paul Lambert does not relish a trip to Wembley as much as I do and has said his focus is on the league. BUT, I really, really, really, really, really, REALLY want to go to Wembley this season.
So, best team or not, keep your fingers crossed for me today as I listen to my super yellas at St Mary’s. I’ve been pacing my way through this competition for months and a win puts us in the regional two-legged final with either Hereford or Milton Keynes. Yeah, I KNOW, that would be extremely tasty!!!! Kick off at 2.45 EST.
There are also some Premier League games on today so let’s look at those.
Birmingham play host to Blackburn, Bolton are at home to the woeful and road weary West Ham. Wolves prepare for a thumping at Old Trafford as Villa’s win last Saturday is sure to fuel a beat-down, and Old Trafford conquerors, Aston Villa visit Sunderland. Kick off at the Stadium of Light is at 2.45 and the rest go at 3pm.
Elsewhere, Stockport and Torquay play their FA Cup second round fixture and the other 3 Paint Pot games will see Carlisle V Bradford, Hereford V MK Dons and Leeds v Accrington Stanley. There are a few games in Scotland and a bunch of non-leaguers play in the FA Trophy. Oh and also today some thing called the ‘FIFA World Club Championship’ saw a semi-final between the Pohang Steelers (no idea) v Club Estudiantes de La Plata (Argentina). The latter of the two have the wonderful nickname “Los Pincharratas” (if Wikipedia is to be believed) meaning ‘the rat stabbers’. And the final was Steelers 1 Rat Stabbers 2.
So come on in for banter, goals, rat stabbing and plenty of the jibber-jaber. It may be ’broke ass Tuesday’ but we are all rich when the football is on. GET IN!
Today’s fixtures in full…
FIFA Club World Cup
Pohang Steelers v Club Estudiantes de La Plata, SF, 16:00
Barclays Premier League
Birmingham v Blackburn, 20:00
Bolton v West Ham, 20:00
Man Utd v Wolverhampton, 20:00
Sunderland v Aston Villa, 19:45
The FA Cup
Stockport v Torquay, R2, 19:45
Johnstone’s Paint Trophy
Carlisle v Bradford, SFN, 19:30
Hereford v MK Dons, SFS, 19:00
Leeds United v Accrington Stanley, SFN, 19:45
Southampton v Norwich, SFS, 19:45
Clydesdale Bank Premier League
Dundee Utd v Rangers, 19:45
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Championship First Division
Raith v Airdrie Utd, 19:45
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Championship Second Division
Brechin v Peterhead, 19:45
Cowdenbeath v Stenhousemuir, 19:45
Stirling v Dumbarton, 19:30
The FA Carlsberg Trophy
Altrincham v Wrexham, R1R, 19:45
Chippenham v Arlesey, R1R, 19:45
Gainsborough v Southport, R1R, 19:45
Harrogate Town v Gateshead, R1R, 19:45
Maidstone Utd OFF Histon, R1, 19:45
Northwood v Carshalton, R1R, 19:45
Truro City v Chelmsford, R1R, 19:45
York v Hinckley Utd, R1R, 19:45
Discuss…
Team News:
Bolton (19th): Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Lee, Muamba, Cohen, Taylor, Kevin Davies, Klasnic.
Subs: Al Habsi, Samuel, Elmander, Gardner, Ricketts, Basham, Andrew O’Brien.
West Ham (18th): Green, Faubert, Gabbidon, Tomkins, Ilunga, Dyer, Parker, Kovac, Collison, Franco, Diamanti.
Subs: Kurucz, Spector, Da Costa, Nouble, Daprela, Payne, Stanislas.
Man Utd (2nd): Kuszczak, De Laet, Carrick, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Scholes, Gibson, Obertan, Berbatov, Rooney.
Subs: Foster, Owen, Anderson, Park, Welbeck, Fabio Da Silva, Fletcher.
Wolves (17th): Hahnemann, Zubar, Mancienne, Elokobi, Hill, Halford, Foley, Castillo, Friend, Surman, Maierhofer.
Subs: Hennessey, Henry, Ebanks-Blake, Jones, Berra, Jarvis, Iwelumo.
Sunderland (10th): Fulop, Nosworthy, Turner, Da Silva, McCartney, Henderson, Cana, Richardson, Reid, Bent, Jones.
Subs: Carson, Bardsley, Malbranque, Campbell, Mensah, Healy, Cattermole.
Aston Villa (3rd): Friedel, Luke Young, Cuellar, Dunne, Warnock, Ashley Young, Petrov, Milner, Downing, Heskey, Agbonlahor.
Subs: Guzan, Sidwell, Carew, Delph, Reo-Coker, Beye, Collins.
and MK Dons is up 1-0 with 35 mins gone.
We just called a bluff, love it. Askou and Smith the only absentees. Camon City!!!!!
Weren’t both Norwich and Southampton in the Prem like four years ago?
You guys are my updates for this afternoon’s action. Try not to let me down.
We’ll do our best, EF. Might even have a nice liveblog for tomorrow afternoon.
Excellent, JT. I’m tivo’ing the Arsenal-Burnley match but I know I’m gonna be weak and check the score before I get home.
EF: every time I’ve tried to avoid hearing the score of an LFC game, I’ve failed miserably. I just have to know ahead of time.
@PR Didn’t Precious Roy used to be funny?
That wasn’t a joke Ned. I was trying to remember how recent that both were up in the Prem without bothering to use wikipedia. Pretty sure they went down together. Was that 04-05 or 05-06?
Because I, too, am lazy, I’ll guess 04-05.
Also… anyone taking umbrage with Wolves gaffer Mick McCarthy tonight? He’s kinda phoning it in at Old Trafford by making 10 changes to the side that won this past weekend.
And in addition, he will be slobbing Fergie’s knob after the match.
@PR sod off, Glory chasing Gooner! :)
I swear the Spanish commentator of the Sunderland-Villa match just said that Sunderland, Everton, & Wolves are “chintzy.”
Yes, may I never know the pain of relegation.
Ok, I swear that I pretended that’s what I heard, b/c I heard those names and the word “chintzy.”
Shite. One down, bugger. Stay calm Ned, stay calm Ned. Icy calm Ned.
Aaaand, Ashley Young acts like a t**t.
Emile Heskey, professional pussy.
And of course Heskey scores.
A scoring pussy.
Of course, to miss that, he would have ot have been a huge ass.
Wow Mick drops all but the keeper from the team that beat Spurs. Way to roll over, dick.
Didn’t you mean bend over, Georger?
Birmingham go up 1-0 at home to Blackburn, and Damarcus Beasley scores for Rangers at Dundee United. 1-0 there also
Is it just me, or does Kieran Richardson not look a little bit like jermaine Pennant?
WWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTT
GARY DOC DOHERTY!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO F’N HOOOOOOOOOOOO
GET IN CITY
1-1
Ginger Pele strikes!
What a save by Friedel.
Ned, you said this is the regional semi-final – does a win get them to Wembley or to they go to a regional final and other national games (national quarters, semis) first? Afraid I don’t know about about the JPT.
Ah I see you said they’d get into the regional final, do they go to Wembley if they win that?
@Steve,
Yes, win this, play MK Dons or Hereford and Wembley awaits and maybe even Leeds. WOOOOO HOOOOO!!!! Camon!!!!!
@Georger: I made this comment via text on Saturday, but Friedel is our number two, right? And by that I don’t mean he’s s**t, so there goes your poop joke.
No he retired from international duty five years ago actually.
Dammit… Rooney scores from the spot to give United a 1-0 lead over Wolves’ Reserves
Rooney scores a penalty. Media likely to describe it as eighty yard backheel.
@Georger: Oh. Yeah. Right. Of course.
Right, right, robot. Yeah I had to look it up, they’re all interchangeable. For all I know, Keller is still there.
is it Neckbeard Guzan as #2, then?
Guzan is 2 I believe.
Vidic w/ the 2nd.
This Wolves team is an absolute f**king joke.
Kaycee Keller? K.C. Keller?
I tried to forget everyone from our WC98 selection, but Friedel keeps making me remember him.
Nikola Kalinic looks for a PK against Brum, but is turned down. If he’d stayed on his feet, he could have scored with ease. It’s irritating enough when players dive to get cheap PKs, but even more frustrating/confusing when they do it in situations where they have a clear goal-scoring chance. Just f**king shoot, dammit!
How sweet. Niall Quinn had his arm around the referee at halftime of the Sunderland-Villa match, after the Sunderland crowd booed the ref off the pitch at half.
Jesus F**king Christ, Andy Reid. Score that f**ker.
Aww. Heskey got a widdle booboo.
why does everyone hate Marcus Hahnemann?
Heskey just Zamora’d it. I swear, he always looks about to burst into tears.
@NYK: I’d say it’s his disastrous facial hair decisions.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
CAMON!!!!!! MARTIN!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT 2-1 CITY! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
This Wolves team is an absolute f**king joke.
Roy Keane knows why.
Come on, Sunderland, you feline f**ks.
Holy s**t, what a strike by Milner.
Wow. Hell of a goal. Villa 2-0.
Why do I suddenly get the feeling that the Arse are going to regret not having played Villa early when they were sucking.
Not who you play, it’s when you play them.
@PR: Villa may be thinking the same thing.
We all agree, right? James Milner absolutely has to be in England’s World Cup squad.
Dammit, Jerome, go back to The Time and quit screwing up our attempt to get into the top half of the table!
If that’s normal for him, hell yes.
@JT: I’d assume he would have to be, if for no other reason than the flexibility he provides.
Birmingham are this season’s Hull, clearly, though something tells me they have the organization and squad to actually maintain this decent form.
@jjf3: and stunning goals like that one can’t hurt his case, either
Won’t get to see it until tonight, but I’ll take your word for it…
Byebye, Cana. Sunderland down to 10.
For a second yellow, studs-up two-footer challenge on Milner.
What are the EPL Europa League spots?
C’mon, Rovers, let’s follow up the captain’s goal with another!
AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. 20 secs left and they score!!! God Damn IT
Penalties coming.
@dmvdc 5th for sure, 6th and 7th depending on Carling and FA Cups.
and the Hammers are in trouble once more…. Green’s gaffe gifts Bolton a 2-1 lead
Holt scores!
1-0
Lambert. Scores. 1-1
Russell Martin for Norwich. 2-1 nice.
Papa John for Saints. Scores 2-2
So is Zola in danger now? West Ham in 19th place assuming nothing changes. It really isn’t Zola’s fault that the team is strapped financially, but I can see him taking the fall.
Chris Martin for City. Scores. 3-2
Lloyd James for Saints. SAVED WOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTT
Fraser I LOVE YOU!!!!!
Nelson for City……..Camon big man… SHIT Saved!
C’mon you yellow canaries!
Llanna 3-3. poo
Russell for Norwich…..Scores. 4-3
Camon Fraser!!!!!
Watson….Scores. 4-4
C’mon, Tweedy Birds.
Come on Canaries!
Otsemobor…I have a bad feeling…..Scores 5-4…
Camon Canaries!
that Klasnic fellow has been pumping in the goals lately. five in last six league matches he has appeared.
Hammond for Saints…Camon big Fraser!!!!
Scores…5-5
Camon Canaries!
Gill. I am scared!
Pacing now….Camon son….
Oh no….saved oh no..NOOOOOOOO
NOOOOOOOOOOO.
Wooooooowwwwww
a LIFELINE
FORSTER SAVES ANTONIO. 5-5
McDonald, saved!! AGGGGGRRRRRRRRR
whew
oh damn
Spectator: don’t know how much direct danger Zola is in, but something has to give at Upton Park. The club just rejected the buyout offer from Gold and Sullivan, formerly from Birmingham City as well…
and Thomas scores. we are done. Wembley dream is over…I am off to jump out of the window. Cruel, cruel, cruel. 20 god damn seconds to go.
@Ned: Of course the former Grecian didn’t score!
@TFA: Same with Gary Cahill. I feel like Bolton may need to have “Stupid F**king” retired… They’ve been scoring goals like mad this season. Maybe the tag should just attach to whichever team Sam Allardyce is managing.
Sorry, Ned. Tough tough break.
:( Sorry Ned. Maybe you’ll have a trip to Wembley in your future soon for the League One playoffs.