Village Idiot

Adriano has stretches where he looks like a quality player, a Dani Alves-lite so to speak, but a lot of the time he's very suspect. Still an useful squad player given his versatility but I sweat when I see him against a top winger. Same with Maxwell really. I think Cesc is a top player myself. He doesn't look "world class" because of Arsenal winning owt since he established himself. He carries that lot most of the time.

These rumors started in the papers even before he put ink to paper to his Madrid deal. Wouldn't surprise me if he stayed there for 10 years just to screw them. I would.

Clichy's overrated, wouldn't have it over Abidal, but he's better than Maxwell. Funnily we had an LB and a DM as centrebacks and I'd still wouldn't touch Djourou and Koscielny with a bargepole. Van Persie is a very good player, he wouldn't start for us but I'd gladly have him in our squad. Same with Cesc, who I do want.

Arsenal need a real captain, imho, somebody who'll rouse the troops and push them forward. Cesc really isn't a leader, and Gallas was just a mentalist.

3 nil. A bit of a shocker indeed.

Interesting, wasn't that surprised about the Da Silvas getting a run out in the wings, but that center midfield looked suicidal. Props to Ferguson for getting it right I guess. Still, Arsenal FFS. Don't f*** up the league at least. Ah well, I'll amuse myself reading Arsenalmania devouring itself in despair while I have dinner (schadenfreude ftw).

Can't believe Arsenal lost this, I glanced at the lineups on the telly before leaving today and thought SAF was finally going senile. What was ManU's gameplan with that XI anyway?

He's been unsettled (and crap) for a while though, still a surprising move at this point of the season.

Adebayor's new look http://s5.as.com/recorte/20110311dasdaiftb_19/C280/Ies/veia_triunfando_Madrid_rastas.jpg

That's the Sánchez Pizjuán in the video, not the Villamarín.

They have been delivering the goods for the most part of this decade already. The danger is that they have had to put a stop to their spending in the past two seasons and are entirely dependent on CL football to keep the submarine going without sales. Still, it wasn't that long ago that I watched Villarreal play at the turf of the local Segunda B team I support. Madness.

The patronizing every time a team not playing in the Clásico makes it far in Europe. "Villarreal can't believe what they are doing" they have been a common fixture at the top for the good part of the last 10 years FFS. Is it the same in England?

Would they not value European football over trophies though? Especially given the comparative lack of value attached to the Copa Del Rey? I don't think they are risking anything, they have a healthy gap and - what's more important - no one in the chasing pack has shown signs of being able to put together the kind of form to really challenge them. As long as they don't truly collapse they will be fine. And trophies are important imho, in ten years they might be a lower midtable team, but the trophies would still be in the cabinet. Wasn't disagreeing with that. I guess in a way Europa League is there only chance of winning anything in the near future with the dominance of the Clasisico's in Spain at the moment. They really "shouldn't" be where they are to begin with. The town of Villarreal itself isn't big enough to fill up the Vicente Calderón or Mestalla.

Six months for a frivolous bid, fucking hell

Would they not value European football over trophies though? Especially given the comparative lack of value attached to the Copa Del Rey? I don't think they are risking anything, they have a healthy gap and - what's more important - no one in the chasing pack has shown signs of being able to put together the kind of form to really challenge them. As long as they don't truly collapse they will be fine. And trophies are important imho, in ten years they might be a lower midtable team, but the trophies would still be in the cabinet.

I don't know what's up with the non-Real Madrid clubs, all owned by massive crooks.

They will go bust. Hopefully they will be sold. I lived right by Vallecas during my times in Madrid and is a pretty decent, working class neighborhood, not as plastic as Madrid's turf in the upper town.

Pretty sure Villarreal see their CL spot as good as sewn up and are going all in in the EL. Despite their exploits this decade, they haven't had a piece of silverware to show for it (Sevilla, for example, has bagged a few trophies during their own 2000s bloom)

How many go up VI? Betis are 3rd and still look to be in with a shout. Secondly how good are your B team?! 4th in Segunda, that's mental. Same scheme as in the C'ship. Top two get automatic promotion, 3-6 compete in a playoff. Betis were in a commanding position until this January and have been crashing badly since then. I'm not confident, although I do want them up since the Sevilla derby is easily the best derby in Spain. Our B-team has some great players. The two Alcántara brothers, Edu Oriol and Muniesa, Bartra and Fontàs are our best prospects from the lot. 16-year old Deulofeu (hands off Arsenal) has started already to feature for them too. He's our homegrown Cronaldo, both in play and attitude. Obviously not all of them will make it (and on the other side, Pedro had absolutely no hype and see how he turned out), but we should get at least a 2-3 long term players from this lot.

rofl, arsenal winning against real madrid, and tottenham losing to bilbao ?Whatever ur smoking I want some I just can't back Real Madrid in fact or fiction. And Bilbao are a great team over two legs, Spurs would get kicked all over the park and get done at San Mamés.

Villarreal Fancy them going pretty far in this.

Barcelona vs Man Utd Real Madrid vs Arsenal Valencia vs Man City Villareal vs Chelsea Atheltic Bilbao vs Tottenham Espanyol vs Liverpool Sevilla vs Bolton Atletico Madrid vs Sunderland Real Sociedad vs Newcastle Mallorca vs Everton Getafe vs Fulham Levante vs Stoke Deportivo vs Aston Villa Racing vs Blackburn Osasuna vs Blackpool Sporting Gijon vs West Brom Real Zaragoza vs West Ham Hercules vs Birmingham Almeria vs Wolves Malaga vs Wigan 9-11 for the PL

The Sevilla derby is one of the biggest games in the world intensity-wise. Pity Betis seem to be fluffing their promotion *again*

A friend of mine recommended me this book the other day, it's a great read and a must if you really are into our football. The only "but" is that it was written in the mid 2000s and before the resurgence of Barça and our NT, which renders some points in the book outdated. It offers some great insight into our "minor" rivalries though. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Morbo-Spanish-Football-Phil-ball/dp/0954013468

Milan had never a chance to win it this season, not a really big disappointment.