Dutch Eredivise Sparta Rotterdam 1 Groningen 0 Same division as yesterday, much lower quality game, but oddly better experience. Sparta play in a small 11,000 capacity stadium hemmed in by housing in the middle of Rotterdam, feels very urban, local and Loftus Road ish. But the seats have leg space, there is decent beer and very good meatball sandwiches available within sight of the pitch, no huge queues for the bogs (designed for the Dutch the tallest nation on earth, so could be a challenge for anyone under 5 foot 10) even in a sell out crowd and very open and friendly home fans. Sparta play in red striped shirts because one of their first ever games was against Sunderland and the visitors left their kit. They also don’t have squad numbers (doubtless the PL and EFL would ban this) and the team which takes the pitch wears numbers 1 to 11 and they play in roughly the right positions. This will confuse youngsters but was a delight for this old git. Saito played 47 games on loan here and scored 10 goals, they love him. They now have an even smaller Japanese winger but he isn’t very good. Highly recommended. Rotterdam is big, industrial and not at all pretty but has a funky vibe and fun locals.
How the mighty are fallen. City were embarrassingly bad. Guardiola's dreadfully dull backwards and sideways football has finally been found out. Shame Cifuentes still thinks it's how to play. 'They play properly' isn't a phrase that should be tolerated.
Man City were most effective when thet weren't just tapping it about the back, they played quite a few long balls to Haaland and up the wings. Any tapping around was with the view to go forward. Unfortunately a lot, including us, only bothered to read for first page of the manual.
Watching it in the pub, we were begging them to 'just ****ing cross it'. A bit like when Chair has the ball for us.
I find Premier League football - 'the best league in the World' - pretty much unwatchable now. It's no longer a product that I'm interested in. Boring football played by cheats, but the overriding doom factor being VAR.
I get what you mean. It's the least ****tiest team to win the League. I'm going for Arsenal but I don't really care, as long as it's not City..
As much as it grates, massive to run Coventry around tonight, Ipswich to do the same on Saturday to soften Fat Franks side up for next Tuesday, or is it just me….
Sounds like Coventry have a panic goalkeeper...... worth noting for next week and applying lots of pressure on him.....
