leffe186

I know it's totally perverse of me but I'm that sick of the way the modern game is going a small part of me actually wants him to go...coupled with all the other bullshit, it'd be a great reason to quit. Or at least try to quit. Not that it'd be enough...would soon enough boomerang back. Thought similar things once or twice over the last couple of years.

Great save before that to set it up. I was sure Shea was going to miss, he looked really nervous on the break. For some reason, I was completely confident he'd bury it! Goalkeeper shouldn't have been on the pitch anyway. What I don't get is why he even put his hands on it.. It looked to me like it would have just hit him in the chest and never made it to the goal. Maybe he thought he was still in the box? Surely not, given that he'd just come miles out of the box and headed the ball in pretty much the same spot. It was presumably a bit of a reflex, but honestly, what on Earth was the ref thinking?

Not that I think you will be as bad as last year, but surely it wouldn't actually be silly to think you might be, given that you currently have the same players and manager.

Great save before that to set it up. I was sure Shea was going to miss, he looked really nervous on the break. For some reason, I was completely confident he'd bury it! Goalkeeper shouldn't have been on the pitch anyway.

Can't believe I'm the only one watching this. What a crazy goal that was!

That is one of the worst decisions I have ever seen.

Ach, hell, I'm in. My first FF for years (I did the NFL last season). I've not looked too closely at the scoring yet - does it favour 3-4-3? Seems a bit like cheating, that.

I get where you're coming from, but I've long since stopped caring about the title. Aside from not wanting Arsenal to get it, and that very brief moment the year before last (January?) when we were still there or thereabouts, I couldn't give a flying fuck who wins it. Can't even remember the last year I cared, unfortunately.

Me too. Too early to say for definite either way, and given a free choice between the two I would probably end up tossing a coin.

Spurs man ... always over price their players, and then want to buy other people's for nothing. Scumbags of the highest altitude. They should fork out for a more proven striker and all if they are really looking to keep Bale and push on. Dirty cheapskates. Yeah, the evil bastards.

Love how they make signing players look so easy. You'd think it was impossible the way our lot go on. I'd think that part of it, a big part, is that they're signing players in competition largely with other teams of Norwich's level, which makes it easier for them. The transfer market is becoming even more stratified. It's one reason why I'm still astonished that we got Paulinho, and before him, Lloris. It's also the reason why you guys picked up all those kids last year. I agree with you on Benteke. For me, the only conceivable scenario where we'd get him would be if there are a couple of fringe players on our books that Lambert fancies, who could sweeten the deal. I don't think he'd be interested in Defoe, sadly. We just don't have the spare cash available to spend the amount you seem to be asking for. I'm not sure what would constitute a "derisory" offer, mind you. We just spent "rising to" 17M on one of Brazil's better players (at 24), so Levy would no doubt argue that Benteke shouldn't cost as much. That's meaningless of course, as Benteke is contracted to you, and what matters is how much he's worth to you. Like us with Berba, and Modric. 25M is nuts to anyone except the fantasy football clubs.

Fucking what? I feel like I'm very rarely shocked by anything nowadays, but Jesus.

Aye, you can see that the quality is still all there, but since that horrific injury his fitness has taken a nasty dive. Still ahead of Torres for me, though. Yeah, can't pretend I'd be unhappy if we snag Villa and Paulinho from that game.

I can confirm. His brother, Ronnie I beleive?, used to play football in a five and six a side league my dad ran. He played for a team oddly called Archies Pork Rangers iiirc I used to watch them a fair bit and he was incredible. First touch and control of a god. Was a rotund chap even then (early 80s and mid 80s): His control of the ball was joy to watch. Another couple of lads i went on to work with also played in that league. One had trials with Spurs iirc, got p*ssed, wrought havoc upon london and was sent packing. later played in the same team as him (5 a side): Guy was awesome: but no discipline. I guess many will have similar tales. Andy Sinton was in my year and had the discipline and dedication to succeed. There were far more "skilful" players at the time, but you just knew Andy was gonna make it. Dedication, its what you need......a la Roy Castle.... I really liked that bit in Fever Pitch where Nick Hornby watched the infamous Cambridge United losing run in the mid-80s (wonder who ended the run? ). He talked about the huge number of players they used - including loads of kids - most of whom were never heard of again. Andy Sinton was a kid just starting out in that team, and Hornby said he always had added respect for him because of it - he had to have extraordinary character to come into that team as a kid and still make it as a pro.

I've deliberately avoided posting anything because it's not really been my place, but really, fuck me. The one saving grace is that there are still two months until the season starts, which means almost anything can happen. Even something good. Surely you're one (drunken, crazy) step nearer to a sale?

I really think so, for the first time in a while . I felt that Klinsmann was going to be a mistake, but this is beginning to look like a decent team. For the longest time (i mean, for years) they seemed to rely upon defending in numbers and hoping that Donovan and Dempsey would make something happen, but there's some good structure to the play. They're still crying out for a classy, creative midfielder/winger, mind.

I can't work out the US defence. They look extremely well-organized and in control for the most part, and then someone makes a naive error out of the blue. I can't quite bring myself to be totally confident in them.

Another nice move. I know Honduras haven't been great, but it can be really tough to break teams down in these games, and the US have been patient. Bradley brings so much to the team because his style and composure seems to rub off on those around him.

I love those finishes. I mean, because it's Jozy you know that there's an element of luck, but he just tucked it away, no fuss. Just placed it in at the perfect angle.

What a fucking classy goal that was.

Bollocks. Should have buried that.

Goalkeeper claims he injured his right shoulder. How does he clear the ball into touch? Throws it with his right arm. How very Kinnear. Pen would have been nice.

Someone has to be systematically trolling you guys this summer.

These signings could easily all flop, and I am still worried that we need more experience, so it could just as well turn into another season of toil. I genuinely think, though, that the McLeish year was like a kick in the arse to us - to remind us just how miserable football can be. I remember the Graham Turner dismantling of the European Cup side, the awful Billy McNeill season, 86-87 where we actually did get relegated, and I can honestly say, the McLeish year was more depressing than either of them. After that, it's much easier to enjoy things. And with that, we finally see Lerner's genius thinking behind the McLeish decision . It's the only reasonable explanation. (or that he's completely clueless).

There is someone who parks two cars down from me at work, who has the license plate "MACKEM 1". Now I hasten to add, I live in a relatively obscure city in Ohio. My accent (English with a hint of Strine) is considered wildly exotic, so it is distinctly possible this has nothing to do with Sunderland. I am tempted to leave a note on his/her car to enquire about it's provenance - what would you like me to put?