Neil

Looks pretty fucking low like. VI, what's the word in Spain on this? Mind if I just start calling you Sid Lowe?

Equatorial Guinea v Spain. Not at all weird. In fact:

Babatunde's lot are there.

It's more the 30-50 euro bets on really long-odds bets that get me. Not like it's 50 euros on a 2/1 shot for example. More like 8/1 + shots. Fair enough if you're getting really good value on the odds because in that case long-term you're bound to win. But it seems to be the same thing each week. Each to their own.

Got on Wolves in-play @ 13/10 with about 55 mins gone. Awaiting a last-minute equaliser.

What a load of absolute fucking shit. I can see the excuses already. It was an experimental side. It was a friendly. Guess what, it was a friendly for Chile too and they were missing arguably their 2 best players after Sanchez in Vidal and Valdivia. And they wiped the fucking floor with us, good and proper. Not that it was actually surprising, I guess. We know fine well Chile are going to be far superior on the ball - hell, 30 countries or more in the world are better on the ball than us. The sheer confusion and panic at coming up against a side who are like this is frightening. I'm actually wondering whether we'd have actually played better against someone like Brazil or Argentina, sat back knowing that the opposition are the ones who'll make most of the running. I'm thinking that's going to be our only hope next summer to get anywhere near the latter stages, because tonight against a side who will be nowhere near the favourites for the World Cup (and yes, I know they have talented players), we got shown up for what we are. A mediocre European country. Of course, nothing is going to change for the foreseeable future until actual grass-roots action is taken. Proper change for me is not building an expensive academy. Change for me is a change in attitudes, right down to school level where the biggest, the quickest, the strongest players will invariably be picked and given preferential treatment with little thought given to talented kids who are great with the ball but lack the immediate physically dominating appearance. Sometimes I wonder, until some actual change is achieved, if we're actually just best off playing the "English" way, 4-4-2, get into them, all the cliches. Because seeing us try to match sophisticated international outfits with some form of 4-2-3-1 crap is at times embarrassing. One slight positive is that at least we're seeing a few more players given a chance at this level (e.g. the Southampton players) but that will only get somewhere if they're given a chance beyond a friendly or 2. Picking them for one friendly then telling them to bugger off achieves absolutely nothing. Limping through qualification in a mediocre group is now seen as a real achievement which is indicative of the level we're at. Why haven't we taken a couple of tournaments as a "free hit", properly tried to resolve our deep-rooted problems and slowly rebuilt? Sheer arrogance perhaps? Whatever it is, we'll not be winning anything anytime soon unless we look at the wider problem. I'm not apathetic about the national team. I want us to win, I really do. The usual excuse given is "well, they don't represent us. What a bunch of wankers" (increasingly I find that to be an odd rationale, given top-level football is, seemingly, riddled with wankers, so I'm unsure how, say, Newcastle or Everton, would be separate from this criticism.) I also think there are also plenty of them playing for England who desperately want to succeed with England and contribute. What a mess.

Alfonso Riberio to do the Carlton Dance in I'm a Celebrity @ 2/5 - NAP!

I've had better bets. Greece @ evens was good, at least. Why? He didn't win anything and he was outscored and outplayed by the only other contender who isn't playing for Bayern, who also won the league title for his team. Wouldn't say he was outplayed at all in the past year by Messi. Ronaldo has improved more than Messi in the past year IMO and has shown a greater hunger on the pitch to improve. I think this should be his year, but it probably won't be.

England at over evens is too big IMO. I'm well aware of Chile's quality and the possibility of us trying a few new players, but I certainly don't think we should be above evens. Think 4/6 would've been about fair, maybe 8/11. Vidal and Valdivia both probably out too. Arguably their 2 best players, Sanchez aside. Those 2 play and it's a different story. Still think Chile will score, mind. 2-1 England I'd predict.

I firmly believe Ronaldo should get it btw, not that it means anything in this situation.

Because they're quite shit, I'd say.

It's not post-watershed over here yet. Watch your mouth.

Can't believe I passed up the 8/1 on Ronaldo for the Ballon d'Or a couple of weeks ago. Issue is, feels like I'm betting on not who should get it, but how they'll vote. And I have a feeling they'll vote for Ribery because of the 'story' of the treble. Ronaldo still at 4/1 though I think is far too long. It's surely either Ribery or Ronaldo. Issue is, didn't the vote take place a month ago or so?

Was thinking that. Coasting through their CL group, likely to "only" miss 4 league games. Certainly needs the break though, something's not been right with him since PSG last season.

No idea on the specifics of the injury (hamstring?) but he needs to sort himself out, even if it means missing a bit longer. A pivotal World Cup now only 7 months away and he's got big, recurring injury problems.

...are you me?

Now onto Spain. Atletico 1-0 up at Villarreal.

GWAN BENDTNER

Can see Man Utd nicking a 2nd on the break.

2-2 Swansea.

Swansea did a goal.

If they lost momentum last week, they ground to a halt today. 1-1 vs Sassuolo at home, 94th minute equaliser from Sassuolo.

If we're talking about this season, Ronaldo has been quite clearly superior. I have no idea how that is debatable tbh. That's not to say Messi hasn't still been phenomenal - just "quite good" by his standards. Ronaldo has excelled more, possibly because he feels like he has a point to prove whereas Messi doesn't. I just think a lot of people will refuse to accept anyone other than Messi is the best player in the world at any given time, and that's not taking anything away from his insane superiority over the past few years. We'll look back in 10-20 years and maybe then appreciate how lucky we are to have both of them playing like this at the same time.

Just knew Arsenal would choke, here.

KEEP HIM ON! KEEP HIM ON!