Village Idiot

Pet peeve of mine is players wearing stupid numbers. At least in Spain if you are in the senior squad you must wear 1-25

Anelka has just been hit with a 18-game ban for France. Didn't he already retire? Easy way to set an "example" then. Evra gets 5, Ribéry 3, Toulalan 1.

Can see them ones crossed out leaving. Mou seems to rate Gago, actually. Looks like he'll be staying.

Meh, feared that would happen. Like the guy (didn't think he was a signing for us too), and he goes and joints *them* That means Van der Vaart will probably be sold.

Under good management (will see who Villa ends up with), Ireland can be an outstanding player imho.

My friend that took a punt on Bellamy in our drafted FF league is fuming.

Blackburn are probably amongst the cheapest PL teams that are not in immediate danger of relegation. I can see why they would be a good target for acquisition.

Still can't see ManCity loaning Bellamy to a potential rival. Unless they don't consider Everton a rival.

He is hardly in Niall Quinns class as a target man. No, he's more of a goalscorer than a target man.

Zigic was quite fearsome in the air in his seasons at Racing. Never got a fair crack of the whip at Valencia, and he's less useless with the ball on the deck that you might think. Can see him grabbing around 10 goals easily once he settles.

That area is too crowded, can't see them expanding much beyond their turf with Manchester, Leeds, heck even Bolton and Wigan, close by. Even places like Blackpool, Preston, have pretty decently supported Championship clubs. There's no room.

Retired US officers can still use their ranks with their name.

16,000 STs so far? Man, can think of a few bottom half La Liga teams that do better. Milan are really dying.

OM have given up on Fabiano, according to your pal Dassier. He says that "there will be some surprises", though.

Atlético have made Eduardo Salvio available for loan. Rumoured that he'll end up at Fiorentina.

Madrid very close to sign Özil, according to the two Madrid rags. €14m is their last offer.

Well, had Carragher and Cesc in my FF team. Guess I got off lightly given the circumstances.

Maybe Reina wants that transfer to Arsenal.

How's Chamakh looking?

Cesc was at the same midweek Spanish friendly in Mexico I was whining about yesterday and played most of the game, Wegner has opted to rest him. That or they had a training ground bust and he'll be spotted in a blurry photo at the Barcelona airport.

They should have made it a single game in a neutral venue a la Community Shield ages ago, really.

About the Supah-Copa, I couldn't care less. The Spanish FA scheduling a Spain game a few thousand miles away 3 days before the tournament they themselves organize turned it into a joke. We put out our B team.

Everything I said a couple weeks ago that Wigan's defence wasn't that bad? Forget it.

And Zog not in the Wigan squad.

Milner starting for Villa.