Village Idiot

Jesus, Aouate making me look bad again. Good strike by Dragutinovic though. 1-2 to Sevilla.

Teixeira Vitienes is the same ref that sent off Piqué and Márquez two weeks ago. Need to see if I can find his card stats somewhere...

Cesc will surely start more than one game at the world cup, and he'll be first choice by the time of the next EC. Man, can't believe all of a sudden we have so many world class players from midfield onwards. I'm watching Mallorca - Sevilla and thinking that Valero is having a very good season too and in years past he would surely be in the running for the squad. Yet he has not a chance.

In Spain tackles from behind are almost always a red. Although there wasn't that much contact here. I call orange card. I love La Liga but it's like a non-contact sport at times. They've even stopped Zlatan from doing his karate passes Ah yes, he's got a couple yellows for those. Pity since they are awesome.

In Spain tackles from behind are almost always a red. Although there wasn't that much contact here. I call orange card.

Massive mistake there. Mine or Sevilla's? The gk. Handed Sevilla a goal. Ah yes, I probably jinxed him. Still Mallorca's best performer this season (Valero has been brilliant too)

Massive mistake there. Mine or Sevilla's?

Incidentally, the Spanish commentator has just mentioned Tsartas, former Sevilla's #10 in the mid-late 90s. Man, that guy was immense. Such a shot and a cultured left foot. They'd kill for having someone like him in their team nowadays.

Jímenez again with some puzzling selection policies with Luís Fabiano and Perotti on the bench (although Capel was good against Osasuna), and a silky midfield made up by Zokora and uber-donkey Aldo Düscher. To be honest Sevilla are the better side, but were shambolic at the back for Mallorca's goal. And remove Aouate from goal and Mallorca would have 10 less points at the very least. He's immense this season.

There are some true donkeys in that list, like

Thiago gets his first senior goal. 4-0, which looks like a decent scoreline after going to sleep during the second half. If he ends up being as good as his dad, he will be a cool player to have.

Xisco's so thick, if he hadn't touched the ball if would have been a goal surely

Henry bags one from a FK after some woeful wall formation. Will do wonders for his confidence since he's been under fire this week. 2-0

Well, Iniesta put us one up after some shaky Racing defending.

Xisco starting against us tonight, it will be funny/will piss me off if he scores.

You got a game in hand over them plus they have to come to SJP. It's in your hands really.

Hey, we are in the market for a left winger!

thats what people are implying. He is a known Newcastle fan anyway. Lovely, saw that gesture dozens hundreds of times when watching the English football highlights show back in the 90s.

Enlighten a foreigner... is it because he is raising his hand a la Shearer after scoring a goal or is there something else I'm missing?

I just made contact again with a Pompey fan I knew that told me he went to a fans forum in Portsmouth yesterday. Apparently nobody blames Redknapp for what's happening, they think he stretched the wages a lot but has been "loyal to the club" buying back players at good prices to take them out of the ditch. Mandaric is who they blame for it all. Apparently the loans he took to bankroll the squad in the early 2000s were crippling and have been biting them in the ass (forcing refinancing after refinancing) until they have caught up on them. One of the things they are looking at is selling Fratton Park and having it leased back. Nobody at the forum thought they were making it out of this, but would rebuild the club in the non-leagues if necessary. Oh, they have 3 new rumoured owners. A local consortium and two overseas.

We have been linked with Belhadj for this particular reason, the fact we could sign him outside the window on the cheap to cover for our current defense woes (although it's probably bollocks since we don't really need a leftback).

Even if you sign a bunch of players, you won't be signing nobody to replace what's perceived as one of your best performers, 6 months after signing him. Routledge will be starting the first game next season (bar injury).

Marca reporting today that Real Madrid has informally contacted Mourinho to gauge his interest in managing them. Same reports says Mourinho has reacted "favourably". Barcelona papers - bless'em - are carrying the rumour that the chosen replacement for Pellegrini is... Rafa Benítez

http://www.eskimo.com/~nickz/seaman/seaman.jpg Not far from where I live in Manhattan...

Is Rennie holding a round red card in that photo?