Village Idiot

Vermaelen to debut for us tomorrow against Depor. That's got to be one of the easiest championship medals ever.

Ancelotti said today that he hasn't yet talked with the president about the issue, but that he feels he's gonna stay at Real Madrid.

Messi wasn't really Messi yet when Rijkaard managed us. Ronaldinho did carry us quite often in his first years though.

He's well regarded; he introduced most of the tactical innovations to our traditional system from which Guardiola later built upon (high pressure, doing away with the deep playmaker and moving him up the pitch, and playing a holding player to keep his back - aka the Busquets role and the Xavi role). Discipline and motivation declined in his late seasons; he wasn't a great man manager, and the team lost its drive. Guardiola's success has relegated him to a bit of a footnote, which is quite sad. People have really forgotten how monumentally s*** we were when he picked up the pieces. It's strange that he hasn't really succeeded anywhere else either.

Incidentally, Xavi finally announced he's leaving Barça today. It will hurt to not see him in a Barça shirt again, but time can't be stopped. I remember when he was just Guardiola's understudy (he's become so much more), how he saved Van Gaal's arse in one of his first games by scoring a header against Valladolid when we were in a terrible run... how Rijkaard moved him up the pitch when everybody thought he was a failed player, and unleashed his true potential... him and Iniesta running the show in so, so many games that I will never forget. So many amazing through balls, so many little turns... Easily the best Catalan player of all time; surely the best Spanish player of all time too (unless you count people like Di Stefano or Puskas as being Spanish). Truly an end of an era, the best of our history. He said he'll be back, and I'm pretty sure he will - I hope he's as good as the last Catalan playmaker turned manager.

Slavisa Jokanovic! Loved him as a player. How come Watford can't afford him with all the PL money pouring in?

I'm still unconvinced about all of these rumors, btw. Pérez's big plan and dream is having Zidane manage Real Madrid, best player in the world turned best manager in the world managing the best team in the world - it's the kind of hype narrative he thrives on. He wants him to be a bigger, white, Guardiola. And Zidane will probably leave if he's passed over when the seat becomes available.

As claiming they will open talks with Benítez next week. At least they'll rotate now

After a week where it looked like the club would give him one more season, all Madrid media are now claiming Ancelotti is going to get sacked. Gazzetta dello Sport claims Benítez is Florentino's choice. He's linked with them every time they are looking for a manager, though, so I would take that with a grain of salt.

` I miss it

Yeah, they have been there for three seasons already, but it's not looking good for them this year.

It's how it happened to Italy, won't be too long till it happens if the attitude doesn't change IMO. if juventus win the CL we already do, our co-efficient drops and from the year after next it'd be down to 3 CL places, surprised this hasnt been picked up yet, sky will be shitting themselves as the top 4 will no longer be, hope it's the beginning of the end for sky tbh We'll save England. For Saint George! (Although I think Serie A can't catch the PL until the next season at the earliest, regardless of what Juve do)

What kind of attendances do Barca B get? Pitiful, among the worst in the division. Quite often in regional derbies (against Sabadell, for example) the away fans outnumber the locals...

Barça B relegated to Segunda B. Boy, what a clusterfuck of a season for them. This was supposed to be a very promising crop of players, but seems they have believed their own hype way too early.

Makes no sense. Even if they go full pards (you never go full pards), they certainly can't be afraid of relegation. What's the point? Is it because of the PL prize money? Better stick the moneybags in the trophy cabinet and broadcast them to all fans in thursday nights then.

One of the things where Spanish media is very different is the fact that we have so few former footballers/managers acting as pundits compared to England. Interestingly, Spanish media is far more ruthless towards managers - foreign or local. I too think that former footballers tend to be very deferential to colleagues, maybe just simply out of empathy. They have been there.

Jémez says in an interview that talks with Rayo have hit a wall, and that he doesn't believe he's gonna stay there. Says he's got offers. Says he would like to manage in the premier league.

As long as Sterling keeps performing for Liverpool in case he's denied a move this summer, and doesn't go on strike or starts suffering mysterious injuries, I don't see what's wrong in him wanting a move to a bigger club. He's just a worker - and one with a really short career at that - we all want to move to bigger companies.

Guardiola - for all the claims that he doesn't adapt to the opposition - reportedly spent hours upon hours watching opposition vids in his time at Barça. It actually takes work to be the best, you know. I mean, I'm not saying Carver has to give up all his free time while he's employed as NUFC manager; but this is the game that will decide the future of the club FFS.

Wish he would just retire if he's not staying another year at Barcelona. He's going to Qatar. Wish he did like Puyol, but money is money, and that's probably going to be the last big cheque of his career - unless he makes it big as manager.

Hughton wasn't even appointed permanently until the season was already well underway IIRC.

Incidentally, if we manage to win one of the remaining two trophies in dispute, Xavi will become the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time.

Xavi will be holding a presser this Thursday. Most certainly he will announce he's leaving Barça at the end of the season.

f***ing hell, my head Had a great night. Thanks for the good wishes; you lot will get something to celebrate eventually, I'm sure.

The Polish stadium where the EL final is going to be played has a 56,000 capacity for UEFA games, according to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Stadium,_Warsaw Today, Sevilla announced they've been given only 7,500 tickets. UEFA