Dr Spectrum

Lets cut to the important bit: http://1.im.cz/super/img/photo/01/32/31-article_v.jpg Shes no Mrs Zambrotta...

I couldn't agree more. I'm duty bound to point out, however, that Ron Saunders didn't actually win the European Cup, Tony Barton did, albeit with Saunders' team. However, he is known informally as Sir Ron Saunders round these parts, anyway ;-) (PS - do you ever wonder how Man City would have done in the 70s / 80s if Swales hadn't bowed to player power and sacked Saunders?) How Cloughie didn't get a knighthood but Ferguson did is surely the best indicator of how screwed up it is. Oh and before anyone dives in and says Cloughie didn't get one because he was too controversial, yes, yes, I know Hmm? I always thought it was Saunders....learn something every day. Well before my time that one. Re: Saunders/City - This is all before I was born but from what I gather the major fookup wasn't getting rid of him - He was replaced by Tony Book, who managed us to our last major honour (best keep quiet about that one round these parts ^-^)so its not all bad...I think the major fook up was replacing him with Malcolm Allison, who wasn't #1 material and made some rediculous transfer decisions. That was the beginning of the end I think. No idea how it would have been different, I just don't know enough about Saunders to guess.

I know most of the time when the subject of Manchester United comes up I post how shite they all are...most of the time I've got my tongue firmly planed in my cheek but seeing as tho is actually a serious(?) story rather than something rediculous like someone claiming Vidic is the best player in the history of world ever... I actually think Wes Brown is a really good defender. Old school no-nonsense puts his head in where it hurts type. Can't really tell how good he is in terms of orginastion and shite like that when he's in a (ahem) half decent side but you can tell he has balls. Question mark over his knees but I wouldn't say no if he's cheap as free...

David Nugent 1, Wayne Rooney 0. That how it works? It would work like that if the world and his wife had been saying that David Nugent's - and the team as a whole - performances had been suffering because of the presence of Rooney, and Nugents performance tonight - rescuing the team from another s**** result because he had been given a platform due to the absense of Rooney - had vindicated those opinions. As far as I am aware, unlike Lampard vs Gerrard, none of those things are true, so, no You're taking the piss right? You're saying that Gerrard actually performed because Lampard wasn't playing? Does it occur to you that maybe if both of them had played in the centre, which was the original plan, that the result would still have been the same? No need for Gerrard to sit deep, no need for him to play wide. Please tell me you're saying England won because Lampard didn't play. I'd love that If Lampard was in the team, Steven Gerrard wouldn't have been in the position to get those two goals because he'd be either (a) out wide right or (b) babysitting. You can say there is no need for it, but thats what happens when they play together, Gerrard is the one who suffers with the presence of Lampard because he is more versatile. Even against Andorra they wouldn't both play in an attacking midfield role, its not like every time we attacked it ended up in a chance, when they clear the ball someone needs to be there to mop up and keep it ticking or you won' t be able to attack anywhere near as frequently. Gerrard would have been deep, no doubt about it IMO. And yes, they would have won with Lampard too, Andorra are shite, but I don't think it would have been anywhere near as comfortable as it ultimately was. Gerrard's performance tonight - not in terms of ability to score goals, but in terms of character and leadership - was light years ahead of anything Lampard has ever produced in the same role. I think it would have been much tighter with Lampard playing there much like it was on Saturday but with us nicking it due to superior fitness/not playing against Ben Haim.

David Nugent 1, Wayne Rooney 0. That how it works? It would work like that if the world and his wife had been saying that David Nugent's - and the team as a whole - performances had been suffering because of the presence of Rooney, and Nugents performance tonight - rescuing the team from another shite result because he had been given a platform due to the absense of Rooney - had vindicated those opinions. As far as I am aware, unlike Lampard vs Gerrard, none of those things are true, so, no

Who? Thats what Redknapp kept calling him in the buildup

Bwahahaha 3-0 Nugent, nicked on the line, I'd chin the cunt if someone did that to me!

Kevin Nugent on, Jamie Redknapp will be pleased.

Steven Gerrard 2, Frank Lampard 0.

Just protecting him for saturday Glad Rooney's gone off. Shite again, acted like a dick again...hopefully someone will play well when he's banned

Wow, the fans are really hostile. They're getting booed loudly every time something goes wrong. "You're not fit to wear the shirt" rings around the stadium and. Theres also apparently only one David Beckham. Feel sorry for Richards being a part of this, he is a cut above most of that shite tonight.

The boos, the howls of disapproval for the backwards passing and "Steve McClaren, you're a wanker" chants are out already... Richards best player on the pitch btw. ^-^

He's better than most of the others. And always makes valid points that noone else seems to pick up. I like Ray whatshisname (bald one) when he's on aswell, seems down to earth and makes good points. I prefer pundits to be either (A) unashamedly biased (In the Frank McClintock mould, for entertainment value) or (B) totally unbiased. I don't like people who's opinions give more insight into their family tree and their circle of friends than their footballing experience.

Does anyone know why Jamie Redknapp is on TV? He most be the only person in the world who thinks that Lampard and Gerrard should be England's central midfield. You would never guess that one is his cousin and one is a former teammate. And he just called David Nugent "Kevin". Twice. Might as well have Jamie Carragher's mum in the studio.

Shearer...not much of a pundit is he In competitive England matches, no goals in 15. In the Champions League for Manure, no goals in 15. Both over the same time period (approx 2.5 years). You should be doubting his quality Alan...cos that record is fkn abysmal. And some people dont think he's overrated cos he produces the occasional flash of magic against some ordinary sides. I'm glad Lampard is out, he deserves it. The only problem being that is if it clicks tonight, it wont be becuase there is no Lampard, it'll be because "Its only Andorra" and McClaren (if he survives) will have him straight back in.

Carson/Foster (Undecided) Richards Ferdinand King A.Cole Lennon Gerrard Hargreaves J.Cole Rooney Owen

1 goal in 5, McClaren says he thinks the answer to all our problems is: Keep going! Just keep on doing the same things and we'll be alright. Ya, I'm sure Gerrard on the right, Lennon on the left, Lampard in the team will result in a bucketload of goals any time now. He is fkn awful.

Steven Gerrard is not a right midfielder. Frank Lampard is shite outside of the Chelsea system. The whole fucking world can see it. FFS. Also; Andy Johnson, a bit shit. Jamie Carragher, never a fullback. Aaron Lennon, actually right footed. Wayne Rooney, not that hot. That is all.

2003/04. edit: Well. 2003. Out in the 2nd round to Groclin.

Stuart Pearce. Please, for the love of all things holy, Stuart Pearce. Full-time. Please.

I don't get this viewpoint...why does a midfielder need to be purely attacking or purely defensive to be any good? I think Barton is a good (jeebus, great? have a word) player. I would describe him as a less extreme version of Cahill. Good at getting in the box and getting a goal (not as good as Cahill) but can use the ball and tackle people properly. He can actually use the ball (when Dunne isn't booting 20 yards over his head). Getting a load of stick from some people at the moment tho (Someone actually started a thread "Instead of a SP out campaign lets have a Barton out campaign" before the Boro game where he created 2 goals). I don't really get it as he is one of our few players with any outstanding ability but form hasn't been that great and goals have dried up. Feeling is that he tries to do too much. He does take all the set-pieces (badly) and but a lot of people (not me) think too many attacks go thru him and we suffer for it because he isn't really a creative player. I think he is missing Reyna, he was always at his best alongside him as Reyna would keep it simple, concentrate on keeping possesion rather than owt fancy or too direct and it really gave Barton a platform to get up there and nick something. With Ireland (too weak/inexperienced) and Hamann (too old/slow/s****) he's not really done that much. I think he could work well alongside Parker if he were to play in the same way Reyna did for us but he seems to be far too agressive for that, too busy chasing shadows and whatnot. Emre, maybe but I'm not a fan myself and Parker seems to be the #1 choice for whatever reason. So, no, I don't think it would work that well for yous and wouldn't be worth diverting moneys from the defender fund. I hope we don't get him. Manuel Fernandes looks top, top drawer. Hopefully we pull out the stops to get him instead of trying to do everything on the cheap as usual. He's got that extra bit of quality that could make him great rather than good. I agree with you about all this attacking midfielder and defensive midfielder bollocks. Whatever happened to the good ol' centre mid? I thought that Barton would end up there because Moyes was interested back in january but I believe Barton knocked it back, I didn't think he would do the same if we were in the championship and Moyes came calling again....but now you mention Fernades (hands up, totally forgot about him), maybe nos...I'm guessing. So who knows.

What's the answer though? A Super Euro League of sorts? Reduce the size of the CL? Revenue sharing? Something needs to be done, that's for sure. There is no answer. The G14 (and similar) clubs hold the threat of leaving UEFA/The FA and forming their own superleague if they ever them if they ever lose their magic beans. Thats the only way we'll ever win owt but the authorities will do everything in their power to prevent that happening as they do too well out of hosting these tournaments and using these players in Internationals to consider losing them. So basically, they've got it made and we're all fucked. Forever IMO.

100% true and its a real bugbear of mine (I'll happily go on and on about every time someone mentions the champions league - example). The champions league has killed football as a competition for all but 4. Niether City nor Newcastle nor anyone else from 5th downwards will ever win the league ever again. EVER. Nobody has the money to build a side good enough to challenge the sides who get their budgets subsidised - and if you threaten they'll sign your best player and spike your lasagne.

Footballing knighthoods have always been fucked up. How Taggart got his knighthood straight after winning the European Cup but Clough, Shankly, and Paisley died unrecognised pissed me the hell off (still time for Saunders?). Then there's the World Cup winning team, apart from Bobby Charlton, Geoff Hurst and Alf Ramsey most of them are sat on MBEs and OBEs. To give Shearer a knighthood before any of them would be a disgrace, and thats without the multitude of players who did more for England than him such as Lineker or Greaves. You can't give knighthoods out for service to NUFC, he's got his testemonial, his bar, his statue....knighthoods should be service to the country IMO and he's way down the list for me. Thankfully this isn't serious?

Those shorts are absolutely minging. Sorry but it looks like he's wearing a codpiece.