Village Idiot

What's happened to David Villa man?! Wish I knew. I would chalk it to confidence but he's a player that's carried relegation-threatened teams on his back when he was a kid. Alexis, conversely, has been improving considerably as of late, 6 goals and 6 assists in 6 games. Was even clapped off the pitch. Anyway, Villa will be sold this summer (that was always going to be the case, given his age and that he has 12 months on his contract). We'll see who we buy to replace him, we are incessantly linked with Neymar. We'll see.

Felt good yesterday after the last 10 days of s***. Surreal how easily everything clicks when Messi is in the pitch, although we were quite good in the first half and were unlucky to be behind. Anyway, this is done and dusted. If Madrid draw or lose this Wednesday against Málaga we'd clinch the title without even playing... and given how things are imploding over there it isn't too far fetched.

Madrid media have been selling Bale to Real since January. Deafening, like. Think he'll end up there, it's election year and after a failed season Pérez will need a bone for the fans.

To be expected, WBA's season is already over and Wigan are playing for their lives.

Fucking hell, admittedly biting my nails here. Why didn't I adopt ManU as my English team FFS.

The way he says "we need to play" sounds like he expects somebody else to come up with the way of doing it.

After staying for so long would be odd for him to leave in a World Cup year, would have thought personally he'd wait for the world cup then leave He'd benefit from playing against actual defences instead of Brazilian league jokers before the WC imho. I don't disagree about Brazil, but why would he go to Spain then? Dunno, maybe because most of the current world champions play there

After staying for so long would be odd for him to leave in a World Cup year, would have thought personally he'd wait for the world cup then leave He'd benefit from playing against actual defences instead of Brazilian league jokers before the WC imho.

We have next to no chance, but I hope we'll give it all. I'm more worried about the "not conceding" part than the "score 4+" one, actually.

Does it matter if it's cover by ordinary law if they're breaking the rules of the governing sports body? Athletes get banned for taking over the counter supplements which have substances which are banned for competition even though they aren't illegal as such. The governing sports bodies can do as they seem fit; the rationale behind our lenient old law was that it was up to sports bodies' to set the rules and police their privately-organised competitions.

A pretty nonsensical claim to make by him given that he was arrested and the ring busted in 2006, two years before the first Euros we won.

At the time the facts before the court happened, doping wasnt punishable by ordinary law in Spain, only if athletes' health was put at risk because of it (something which is tricky to prove). The law has been changed since then, but you cant do that retroactively, so there's always little that could be done in this case in particular. It isn't a coverup, just a product of a law that was behind the times.

They had somebody from the Santos board on a Catalan radio station last night, saying that Neymar was refusing to sign a new contract and they were listening to offers. So my guess is that he'll finally leave Brazil this summer.

Just saw this after coming home today. My condolences. Surely your manager has to be out in the summer after this?

Sebastian Rode to Bayern. Confirmed by Frankfurt's president apparently, although not clear if it will in the summer or 2014.

Isco won't go for less than €30m, and he's got bigger suitors than you. Wouldn't surprise me if he ended up at Real Madrid once Mou goes, for example. As I said on the manager thread, though, you should absolutely go for Pellegrini.

Still puzzled you aren't looking at La Liga given the financial condition of a lot of clubs over here.

Has Ivanovic turned into a zombie yet?

The Andalusian regional government will withdraw Sheik Al-Thani's (Málaga owner) concession over the Marbella harbor (one of the biggest recreation ports in Spain). Málaga's purchase was always a part of his investments in the region, so this will probably hasten the sale of the club.

That's because he is. His physique isn't there anymore; he can still produce some magic games, but can't last the pace of a season anymore. Hope Thiago plays a bigger role next season.

Pellegrini won't last the season, imho, given how things are at Málaga financial-wise. Now that would be some appointment.

Ok, ok. You have the pity championship sewn up, but Tuesday still sucked.

You really can't understand my pain, can you?

Ok,finished my mourning today. Still get lapses of going into a fetal position and crying uncontrollably when I remember it, but seems the worst is over.

To be frank, if Bayern end up winning a treble it'll be a hard act to follow to. Something tells me either us or RM will beat them, though.