2011-2012 European Football Thread.

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More like battle for 3/4 and battle for 5/6. There is a 10 point gap there between 6th and 7th. Chelsea or Newcastle are gonna be hard pressed to make up 5 points with 7 games to play on either Tottenham or Arsenal, and with the goal difference it is essentially a 6 point gap for Newcastle, unless they tonk somebody 8-0 between now and the end of the season.

Also good bye Wolves. So 2 teams going down out of Wigan, Blackburn, QPR, Bolton and possibly Villa as they are on a horrid run and if results go against them this weekend could well and truly be in it come next weekend.

So much for a title race......thanks alot City.

[gallden]

Really hoping Chavski are out of the CL spot, and I hope Wigan avoid the drop, I quite like Roberto Martinez.

[Basketeer]

The relegation race is more intriguing than the race at the top. Though I'm still holding out for Newcastle to jump Chelsea and take 5th.

Wolves are definitely finished. I'm pulling hard for Bolton and Wigan to stay up, as I have loads of respect for Owen Coyle and Roberto Martinez. And Bolton has the two Yanks in Holden and Ream. I'd hate to see Holden have to come back from injury to play in the Championship.

Villa is most deserving of a drop. They play the most boring football and McLeish is an awful manager. I think they have just enough money and just enough talent on the roster to stay afloat however.

QPR can go right back down the Championship for all I care. Unlike Swansea and Norwich, they've brought nothing to the league. Still, Hughes knows how to keep teams up. But they have a brutal schedule coming up, with games away against ManU, City, and Chelsea and a home fixture with Spurs.

I think the three to drop will be QPR, Wigan, and Wolves. Blackburn does just enough to stay afloat, despite complete ineptitude from Steve Kean and Venky's, the worst ownership in the Prem. Poor Roberto Martinez and Wigan have had a damn good run the past few seasons. Martinez deserves a promotion to a better club, but I doubt he leaves Wigan anytime soon. He loves it there.

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Agreed about Villa.

Call me a stupidly optimistic Toon Fan, but if they can somehow pull out a win on Friday away to the Swans, I really could see them tearing off some wins and making a go at it. Two really tough games remaining: away to Chelsea and City at home. City at home could become a whole lot easier if they are out of the title race by the time we play. Other games are pretty winnable: Bolton, Wigan, Stoke, and Everton.

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Toon Toon Black-n-White Army.

A friend of mine was in the Toon last weekend for the Liverpool game. Some pictures if you wanted to take a peak.

[Scrat1]

Real Madrid against Bayern Munich is going to be so awesome.

[Basketeer]

Real Madrid against Bayern Munich is going to be so awesome.

That's a battle of titans no doubt. Though I'm intrigued by the Barca-Chelsea match-up. On the surface I don't think anyone expects Barca not to completely destroy the Blues. But there's something about this match-up that really intrigues me. I could see Chelsea playing like absolute crap but still frustrating the hell out of Barca.

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Hatem Ben Arfa

[Basketeer]

Hatem Ben Arfa

Don't look now, Toon Army is level on points with a struggling Spurs team for 4th place.

Could use a HUGE result from Fulham against Chelsea later, Newcastle would be alone in 5th, tied for 4th.

[Basketeer]

There it is. My boy Deuce with ANOTHER strike to spoil Chelsea's day. Newcastle sits alone in 5th, two up on the Blues!

[Scrat1]

Dempsey is on another level. Tied for fourth higher scorer. Third is within reach.

Liverpool and Fulham have the same point total, though Liverpool has a game in hand.

[DuffMan]

Dempsey is on another level. Tied for fourth higher scorer. Third is within reach.

Liverpool and Fulham have the same point total, though Liverpool has a game in hand.

Do you guys think that Dempsey will move onto another team after this season? Seems to me he's earned an opportunity with a better club.

[Basketeer]

Do you guys think that Dempsey will move onto another team after this season? Seems to me he's earned an opportunity with a better club.

I'm torn. I want to see the vindication that would come with playing for a better team. But I'd also like to see him stay loyal to Fulham and become a club legend. If he wants Champions League football, I'd prefer to see him go to Spain or France and hook-up with one of those squads. I don't see him as a fit at ManU or City, Liverpool and their clueless manager would completely misuse and abuse him (despite needing a player EXACTLY like him), and Chelsea have "bigger" fish to fry (Cavani, Hazard). Arsenal is the one big team in England that he might be a good fit for. And he'd get to stay in London with his young family. The scrutiny of big club soccer in England is intense and he's a pretty quiet guy though. They'd destroy him for one bad outing.

Teams like PSG/Lyon in France or Valencia/Atletico in Spain would probably be best. I could also see a move to AS Roma in Serie A with their new American owners. Though I don't know how much he wants to leave England. I just don't want to see him move and then not get playing time or fail in the wrong situation.

[Scrat1]

Do you guys think that Dempsey will move onto another team after this season? Seems to me he's earned an opportunity with a better club.

I'd put it at 50/50. As a Fulham fan, I definitely hope he stays.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Wow, Man U lost to Wigan? Ever slightly leaving the door open for City to win the EPL.