OzzieMandias

We can give them all the money we want. It's about them endorsing the project and their logo being displayed on the shirt, which would be pivotal to "sell the idea" to anyone considering one. With their logo on there, it would basically look like they were manufacturing the things.

I'll be very surprised if the foundation go for it, and the more the product looks like a replica shirt, the more likely the project is to run into trouble.

Already my second team so yes. I'm definitely going to get to Hamburg for a game next season.

Just got home. Germany had no plan B. Tonight they were playing the first side that was as organized as they were, and without the element of surprise, Without an early goal, the whole plan falls to pieces. Und tschuss!

Less money for players, more money for cancer patients.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/06/footballs-debt-socialism-world-cup

Animals with really human names always makes me laugh Me too. Me too. Had a cat called John. I had a goldfish called Jonathan. That's not an animal, it's a dirty dirty fish. Fishes with human names are LAME. It was fucking lame. It only lived 10 days. Did you win it at the Hoppings? Them ones always seem to die about five minutes after you get them home.

Interestingly twattish article on Europe vs South America, and truly stupid panel discussion featuring Shaka Hislop: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/columns/story/_/id/5354167/ce/us/europe-dominant-once-again?cc=5739&ver=global

Animals with really human names always makes me laugh Me too. Me too. Had a cat called John. I had a goldfish called Jonathan. As long as his middle name wasn't Livingstone.

Animals with really human names always makes me laugh Me too. Me too. Had a cat called John.

It's useful for taking the piss out of German friends, though, tbh.

Good article on what needs to change and why it won't: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/england-inquest-where-did-it-all-go-wrong-2017834.html

I'm really looking forward to a time when "how do we fit Lampard and Gerrard into the same midfield" is no longer an issue -- either because they're both finally past it (if they're not already) or because someone has the courage to choose one or the other.

Erm, is there a European team like? I don't see why it's that hard to understand. I support Newcastle because I'm born there and have grown up to support that club and that it's the team I identify with. I support England because it's my country of birth and my nationality, and again it's the team I identify with. There is nothing to identify with in terms of Europe, there is no European team to support. Just a selection of other countries that are rivalrous to each other and to my country, lots of other countries that have different languages, cultures and governments. As far as I'm concerned these other countries are just as much as rivals as South American countries are. Really why should I (or anybody in Europe) feel the need to prioritise support because of geography or politics? I think this collective 'Europe' thing is a bit stupid tbh. Fair enough if you want to get behind your Eurobrothers though I guess... Nearly all of Europe absolutely hate the English. Exactly. So do the other parts of Britain. The parts of Africa, South America, Middle East & Oceania. I would say were safe with North America though. Nah, we're the evil colonialist power. Their national day celebrates independence from us. Hollywood villains are usually played by British actors. American conservatives boast that we're their "poodle".

There's plenty of kebab-making ones in Germany too.

Come on, you useless Argie bastards.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/jul/02/world-cup-2010-germany-flair

I wouldn't go that far. He was caught, sent off and the rest was up to Gyan... Ultimate sacrifice that paid off. Can't really have a problem with it. He'd be a cheating c*** if the ref never saw it. Man, looking at the Ghana fans. That "...It's over?" feeling you get when your team goes out. Christ it's the worst. When Ronaldo stepped up in 2006. That "this isn't happening" feeling. God it's horrible. Give me 1-4 hammering any day. That exact thought went through my head about 30 seconds after the final whistle last weekend -- possibly because, though feeble as fuck, it was the only consolation I could think of.

Eh?

When I was living in Budapest I tried out four different clubs (Újpest, Ferencváros, MTK and Vásás) and couldn't really relate to any of them. In Lisbon I decided I liked Sporting rather than Benfica -- partly because most foreigners seem to go for Benfica, and I have a contrary streak, but also because of an aversion to teams in red and white – but ended up not going to many of their games because all my friends were going to Benfica.

I tried going to Hertha matches. It was fun in that I liked the crowd I went with, but I found it impossible to care very much whether the team won or lost.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/turning-liverpool-around-from-here-would-rival-even-shanklys-achievements-2014988.html

After two years of mostly-beyond-his-control failure at Liverpool -- they'll basically, like midds says, be struggling to hold their seat at the top table -- he won't look such a good candidate for the England job and some other character will be flavour of the month. Pity, really.

Excellent article - it shows how a club funded academy can look long term (one big sale funds several years of production) and control the player development if they truely believe in the process and peak the players at older ages, compared to the US Pay-to-Play process where the parents and in control and demand short term results with each seasons results. We have a very similar, although less radical, setup. Which is to be expected given the Dutch influence in our club. It helps we are the absolute biggest fish in Catalonia so every boy dreams of playing for us and we don't have the competition of an Ajax, PSV etc... in the same area. Surely your lot could eventually do something similar in the northeast. You pretty much have that area for yourselves, although not being a local I might be wrong. Well, us and Sunderland. In the 1980s and early '90s our catchment area threw up some great footballers -- notably Beardsley, Waddle, Gascoigne, Shearer, Steve Bruce, Bryan Robson, but also many others scattered throughout the leagues. Most were developed not through NUFC, but by Wallsend Boys Club in the east of the city. It's an area which I think we'd all like to see the club taking more seriously.

It's something that has to be thought about. Eriksson got more out of them by being passive and indulgent than Capello has done by imposing discipline and screaming at them from the dugout. Maybe Capello needs to learn how to soften his approach a bit; maybe a younger generation of players who haven't started believing their own publicity will react better to his way of doing things. But England have been like Shepherd's Newcastle in terms of managerial appointments -- swinging from one extreme to another.