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I can blame him. I didn't hear anyone singing about him being the elephant man or run over by a bus, either, and I never have. One thing he's done by last year and this year's massively over the top shenanigans is ensure that next time, he will get stick. Moaning about Laursen giving the crowd stick when you've got the one player who gives our crowd more stick than anyone else is a bit rich, really. It is either acceptable, or it isn't. So I'm making it up? Try the majority of 3,000 Villa fans in both games at our place this year chanting that stuff. A quick search brought up this opinion piece from the Echo, it's also mentioned in the match report: http://www.evertonbanter.co.uk/2009/02/everton-3-aston-villa-1-commen.html I think it's reasonable to distinguish between giving the crowd stick after provocation and doing it for no reason, which is why I don't blame Gerrard for doing it to our fans. Laursen however was totally out of order.

It's not always about money. actually, i think you'll find it is for people who don't have any dude I could understand if it was a prick like Ronaldo. It's Martin Laursen though, a top professional both on and off the pitch. Not sure about that. Conducted himself like an angry little ASBO chav at Goodison this season. I've disliked him since but I wouldn't wish a career ending injury on anybody. Good player as well. Kind of ironic. After Joleon Lescott had celebrated for so long like a true chav in front of our fans (similar to when he scored at our place last year, when he ran to the Holte End, turned his back on the crowd and pointed at the name on his shirt, before turning around and standing, arms outstretched in front of us), we get just enough time added on for Ashley Young to go and score at the other end. You can hardly blame him for celebrating like that. Fact is, had Lescott not done it AGAIN this year, we wouldn't have had the time to score, and he wouldn't have had the chance to celebrate "like a chav". I'm not talking about him celebrating goals. I can't remember if it was the cup or league game come to think of it either. What I'm referring to is him shouting abuse at the crowd and gesturing toward the Gwladys Street for no apparent reason after he'd got away with a foul and our fans were moaning at the ref. He was generally just being a dick most of the game. I don't think you can blame Lescott for over zealous celebrations either when he's getting songs sung about him being ran over by a bus or having Elephant Man chanted at him. Villa fans give him more stick than even the red shite do which is baffling. Laursen never got any of that kind of treatment to warrant a response.

It's not always about money. actually, i think you'll find it is for people who don't have any dude I could understand if it was a prick like Ronaldo. It's Martin Laursen though, a top professional both on and off the pitch. Not sure about that. Conducted himself like an angry little ASBO chav at Goodison this season. I've disliked him since but I wouldn't wish a career ending injury on anybody. Good player as well.

Supposedly asking for £60k. Seems like an arrogant wanker to me, see his non-celebration the other week when he scored for City? Just walked off with a right gob on him and none of the other players seemed interested.

Out just in time for summer holidays to Benidorm.

I think you're safe now, Hull don't look like they could win a raffle at the minute and Boro have been all but down for ages.

He's useless. The epitome of a lot of modern keepers who can pull out a great reflex save one minute and then completely fail to do the basics like come for crosses or command their box the next minute.

I always thought he seemed alright for a footballer, pretty quiet on the pitch and seems ok in interviews. I suppose that was naive though. 99% of footballers are wankers.

Given Beye Wheater Collins Bassong Jonas Malbranque Digard Downing Richardson Tuncay

If it's a club with a half decent following then it just becomes an extension of the away end apart from the occasional bemused foreigner. So I imagine you'll be sitting with a load of brummies tomorrow.

I don't really see a place for Gudjohnsen here with Cahill and Fellaini operating in the same area of the pitch. Unless we played him as an out and out striker, but then what do you do with Yakubu? Great player though.

I went there in pre-season. It's much the same as all the other new-build, one tier grounds that have sprung up in the last ten years with the exception of the snazzy floodlights. I suppose it's got the Football Museum as well if you want to make a day of it. It's not far from the town centre which is handy but Preston itself is rubbish.

Apparently defending doesn't count anymore. It's like a dirty word now. If you go all out attack and neglect the defence then that's true football but if you set up defensively at the expense of the attack then that is totally wrong and evil and must be stopped.

I don't like Chelsea but Drogba was right, that was a fucking disgrace. To not give 3 clear pens plus another good shout for one.... that ref is either a cheat or way out of his depth.

Gago, Guti, Mahamadou Diarra, Robben, Van Der Vaart, Sneijder, Raul, Higuain, V. Nistelrooy and Huntelaar aren't too shabby like.. Hardly need a new strikeforce and midfield. Definitely need a new defence though. Nothing short of pathetic at the back.

I didn't see why they brought that assault up. Nor the need to point out that he was an Evertonian after the tackle on Alonso? It's not like he even played for us. The commentators now are just idiots, trying to sensationalise any little thing, with Setanta probably being the worst of the lot.

Can't agree with you that he's ever been an average player. He's got bags of skill and works his socks off without fail in every game. The only difference today is that his final ball was spot on every time whereas sometimes it can be hit and miss. He also encourages us to keep it on the floor and pass it around more when he plays. We'd be a much poorer team without him imo Oh, and how s*** are Sunderland? I was expecting a battle and they just rolled over. Newcastle will stay up if they carry on like that. We are just as s*** as Sunderland, the only difference is that Sunderland i 4 points above us in a safe position. I think Newcastle are putting in more of an effort to stay up. Especially in the last couple of home games where you've made a fight of it. Sunderland just seem to be drifting through it, yesterday was like playing a mid-table side on the last day.

Can't agree with you that he's ever been an average player. He's got bags of skill and works his socks off without fail in every game. The only difference today is that his final ball was spot on every time whereas sometimes it can be hit and miss. He also encourages us to keep it on the floor and pass it around more when he plays. We'd be a much poorer team without him imo Oh, and how shit are Sunderland? I was expecting a battle and they just rolled over. Newcastle will stay up if they carry on like that.

Had a blinder at Goodison the other week. Would be a good signing for most teams in the league, I reckon.

That's exactly what he was like at Rangers. It's a total waste of time playing him on the wing, stick him up front and he'll bag a few goals for you.

Yeah, I've seen that. He plays in the American 4th division and for his college team Apparently he had a 10 day trial here and impressed against the first team in training though, so who knows. There's a little article about it here http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/apr/30/a-life-changing-trip/ We've also got two youngsters coming in the summer- Femi Orenuga, a winger from Southend that Man Utd also offered a contract to, was tied up a while ago. I was reading today we've also got a German U17 lad from Hamburg that yourselves and Man City also wanted. Some people are saying he's a centre half and some are saying he's a defensive midfielder. It's always good to see your club going for youngsters who can develop

I don't see how he could have ever been ahead of Senna anyway since he plays a totally different role to Fabregas. Iniesta is immense and I prefer Xavi to Fabregas. He's just not good enough to break into that midfield.

Heinze has had a shocker too. That's how they play every week. It baffles me how some of the biggest clubs in the world continually make do with past-it or downright shit defenders.

Pistone used to do it every week without fail, much to my Dad's disgust.

Arsenal's defence is absolutely pathetic.