chicago_shearer

Fucking hell.  Van Der Sar saves 3 in a row.

Penalties.

On a separate note - about the diving - saw someone mention Sporting Lisbon as the worst divers we've had over here. Certainly a good shout - but i can remember nothing like those Deportivo wankers in the Intertoto a couple years back. Definitely, for me, the most pitiful display of play-acting (for the entire match) that i've seen at St James'.

What do you expect when their manager is an Oscar winner?

SWP didn't give a damn about that injury.

He must have thought that collapsing onto the floor and grabbing your thigh was some sort of celebration.

Injures himself in the process.

He's looked like a really good player though.

0-0, Man U in control at the moment.

If Roz & Taylor are fit, I would field the following XI and probably the same again against Bolton next weekend depending on the fitness of new signings.  I would guess that Smith is probably not too far behind if he had a pre-season with Man U.

                Given

Carr Rozenhal Taylor N'Zogbia

Milner  Geremi  Butt  Luque

          Viduka Martins

I really do hope we get in a left-back before next weekend though.  Bolton have bought a pair of highly rated wingers in Braaten & Wilhelmsson.  I'd rather not have Zoggy or Huntington out of position.

If Dyer stays, he will stay as a first team player and will feature very regularly.

You'd have him ahead of Barton and Geremi in the middle or Milner on the right?

Well, I don't mind rotting him in reserves, and probably ban him from all the trainings so to make him unable to play in top level matches anymore.

 

 

You don't mind him getting paid insane money for that?

 

Getting arm twisted into accepting a cut price bid is just as bad.  If West Ham or Tottenham or whoever want him for the price Ashley quoted, fair enough. 

Curbishley has said the move is definetly off.

 

Did he say why?

 

He said we pulled out of the deal, Dyer had agreed terms and passed a medical.

 

Off to Spurs then I reckon.

 

Part exchange for Zokora back on.

I can't believe they would go for that. 

If this deal to West Ham is really off, I think we should do him a favour and send him on loan to Ipswich or Colchester or Cambridge for the year.  I'm sure he won't mind dropping down a division or two since family is, after all, his number one priority.   He'll no doubt be delighted to relocate so close to home.  And it's the least we could do for such a loyal club servant.

It isn't his fault, but it isn't worth worrying about in the first place.  Our striking options make him a luxury.  It will be nice if and when he plays, but his absence just isn't the headache it was last season.  Martins & Viduka are top drawer international strikers, Smith & Ameobi are more than adequate cover, and who knows if we might even get some goals out of Luque this summer.

                                Given(Harper)

 

Geremi(Carr) - ?Dragutinovic?(Taylor) - Cacapa - ?Enrique?(Babayaro)

 

           Alan Smith(solano) - Barton(Butt) - N'zogbia(Duff)

 

       Owen(Milner)                                   Martins(Luque)

 

                             Viduka(Ameobi)

 

 

Rozenhal?

Owen misery, while Dyer deal stalls

 

By COLIN YOUNG and MATT BARLOW

 

Last updated at 20:53pm on 3rd August 2007

 

Allardyce had hoped to see Owen return at Hull in midweek but he is refusing to risk him for the first game of the season at Bolton next Saturday.

 

Allardyce said: 'It doesn't look as encouraging as we first thought. The tear in the muscle hasn't healed as quickly as we would like, so there's no point in making any rash decisions just to get him fit for the start of the season.

 

'It's about getting him 100 per cent for playing matches on a regular basis. That's why it has been more disappointing for him and for me that he's missed pre-season games more than training. He's done enough training to last him a lifetime.'

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=473042&in_page_id=1779&ct=5&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=picbox&ct=5

"It doesn't look as encouraging with Michael as we first thought. He's strained the muscle and it's not healing as quick as we'd like," explained Sam Allardyce, Newcastle's manager, who completed the signing of the former Brazil international defender Claudio Cacapa on a free transfer from Lyon last night and is now pursuing Manchester United's Mikael Silvestre and Wigan's Leighton Baines. "There's no point in making any rash decisions about getting him ready for the start of the season. It's about getting him 100% fit for the continuation of playing football matches on a regular basis. That's what we want."

 

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2141459,00.html

 

f*** me, journalism in the UK is appalling.  Someone has altered a direct quote.

Honestly, I don't really care.  I know it isn't his fault, but I'm just not having a good day spoiled by Michael the Permacrock.

I wish he would just hurry up and fuck off.  I just can't believe we have the cheek to demand 8 million.  If West Ham pay it, they will become my second club. 

This signing would just confirm what I've been beggining to suspect since this morning:  we're gonna win the leeeeeaaagggue.  

So, can anyone confirm whether it's pronounced 'Kasper' or 'Cash-pa'?  I can't wait to hear the match commentators attempt this one. 

If I were a Leeds supporter I would give up at this point.  Just form a new club like those Man Utd wankers.  They won't be far off the Rymans League at this rate anyway.

The club has massive debts because of wasted money under the previous regime.  Since we didn't have a billionaire owner to stake the cash up front at the time, I imagine we are still paying for the 50 million in loans that Souness spent with zero return.  A little financial prudence is in order, billionaire or not.

We have signed good players to say we aren't in Europe.  We look like signing more.  It's Friday.  Cheer up.

I can't believe MON spent a combined 12 million on Reo-Coker & Harewood.

European football of any kind is important.  I don't think it's unrealistic to expect that the players we've got can at least secure an Intertoto place (which is essentially UEFA Cup 1st Round).

I've always wondered why Britain doesn't have a dedicated sports paper.

 

Italy has the Gazetto dello Sport

France has L'Equipe

Spain has Marca.

 

Why dont we have one?

Because if they had a full time sports paper it would be less easy for them to make up stories on the spot.  They might actually have to do research and inteviews....journalism and stuff.  Who can be bothered with that?

Is Setanta Broadband the same line up as regular Setanta?  If they are doing their full Premiership coverage online, then that will be what I go with this season.  But I'm not paying a monthly fee for French Ligue 1 and Australian rules football.

I've been looking into ITVN (www.itvn.com).  I don't have DirectTV, so its the best way to get Setanta who get first pick on the weekend fixtures.  FSC only have second choice. 

It's a free 30 day trial, then $14 a month after that.