Village Idiot

FWIW Barça's academy costs us €15m a year to run. It isn't that much for a club our size tbh.

Excellent article - it shows how a club funded academy can look long term (one big sale funds several years of production) and control the player development if they truely believe in the process and peak the players at older ages, compared to the US Pay-to-Play process where the parents and in control and demand short term results with each seasons results. We have a very similar, although less radical, setup. Which is to be expected given the Dutch influence in our club. It helps we are the absolute biggest fish in Catalonia so every boy dreams of playing for us and we don't have the competition of an Ajax, PSV etc... in the same area. Surely your lot could eventually do something similar in the northeast. You pretty much have that area for yourselves, although not being a local I might be wrong.

Wouldn't surprise me if he went to Madrid. They do lack a leftback, and Mou has worked with him before.

Messi plays deeper for Argentina than he does for Barça. He's been their most creative player since Verón has been quite shit and Pastore can't get a game either.

Surely that bridge is burnt? Such a waste of talent.

Is it me or are City close to have a better squad than ManU if they complete the Touré signing? Apart from that Mexican fella they have done fuck all in the transfer market and the lot of Giggs/Scholes/Rio are going to be yet another year older. Rooney doesn't repeat this year's performance and they are fucked. I'd put my dislike for City aside for a season if they were to finish above them next season. So fun.

The problem with Alonso is that even though he's quality he's always been a square peg in Spain's system. I'd rather take him out and put Silva/Cesc, putting Xavi in the middle of the park, or playing him in the Busquets position against weak opposition that will bunker down. Now he's usurped Xavi's spot which just doesn't make much sense.

Do you prefer him or Busquets as a player? Touré is way better going forward, Busquets is actually better defensively. So I'd want both and start Touré since most teams will play 10 behind ball against us.

The new Barça president is apparently making a last ditch effort to convince Touré of staying. Guardiola to meet with the player.

Spanish press says €30m rising to €35m. Meh, would have preferred him to go to any other English team. Hope he enjoys another season of the EL.

Ramos is held back by his decision-making. When he grows a brain he'll be one of the best in that position. Looks like Mou wants to move him to CB though. Really? The guy has all the attributes to be a great in that position. If your saying his decision making is poor then surely the worst place for that is CB? He's played well when put there. I personally think it's a waste of his attacking talent, but the reasoning is that he won't be caught out of place so often as he does when played as RB. He is a very good defender and a very good attacker, he just doesn't know when to do which.

Replay on my PC disagrees. Maybe im going insane then? Starting to doubt myself here, even though im almost certain that they mentioned it on TV, with replay and all. Sure it isn't just the video quality and lack of start/pause skills on your behalf that makes you think otherwise? He was off. Villa's left foot is offside. He looks offside to me, but by inches so I'll chalk it to the "in case of doubt benefit the attacking team" provision. Hardly a shambles to give that goal.

Spain has Adidas, so that's the reason there's not a single Spanish player in the pitch in that ad. Thanks Adidas

Well, the interests of club and country sometimes don't go together. E.g. Rooney being obviously knackered after carrying ManU this season, or how Xavi risked being at the WC by playing with a tear in his muscle during the last league games.

In Barça's case, an average of 2'7 goals per game these past two seasons beg to differ. But I can see why you'd prefer a more direct approach. I enjoy watching Germany.

Ramos is held back by his decision-making. When he grows a brain he'll be one of the best in that position. Looks like Mou wants to move him to CB though.

No it's not. But it's not like all Catalans are against it either. I support it because it's the team where Catalans play. Capdevila, Xavi, Piqué, Puyol, Cesc, Valdés, Busquets... we got quite the representation. It's not like I hate Spain either, even though I consider myself Catalan.

Ramos was rather shaky imho. He did the thing he always does where he never tracks back and exposes his side of the defense, most of Portugal's penetrations came from his side while he was away and Piqué had to cover his flank all the time. Llorente's sub made all the difference, Torres was like playing with 10-men. Utterly out of form.

Back from the pub, we were outnumbered by those portuguese c***s but we had the last laugh. Villa's goal Villa playing with Xavi and Iniesta for an entire season And to people dissing our passing, you have to understand that after scoring we just passed it around to keep possession and run the clock down, it's not our fault that Portugal didn't even press after being one down.

Ok, off to the pub to watch this. For some reason I suspect it's going to end in tears, hopefully Ronaldo's.

This is some utter shit, like.

Argentina's defence will be exposed by the first decent side they face, imho. Heinze, Jonas, Demichelis... that'll work aye.

http://www.urawa-reds.co.jp/english/images/m_tulio_t.jpg http://s.bebo.com/app-image/7926054278/5411656627/PROFILE/i.quizzaz.com/img/q/u/08/03/25/John_Terry.jpg

Roy Hodgson to leave liverpool in 2013 then.