Village Idiot

I really dislike Stoke, but would love ManCity win fuck all this season.

Well, if they get a replay and even go to advance in the thing, I think it's good for you.

Surely Jesús Gil would take the prize, though. He even had his own TV show, with him bathing in a jacuzzi and a dancing band of stripper girls. Crook (sentenced several times to prison) and cunt of the highest order. Hilarious though.

Regarding the Rob Lee incident, I'm of the opinion that a foul denying a clear goalscoring opportunity should be always a pen even if it's outside the box.

You won't get a look playing outside Spain if you aren't in a top team, that's a fact. Arteta had a chance in the months leading up to the Confed Cup, but sadly he got injuried. He's unlikely to get a nod before the WC.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=740695&sec=global&cc=5901 I'm not too sure about this. On one hand, I think the penalty+sending off is too harsh and kills games pretty often. However, I can see how this can lead to an increase of these fouls inside the box, which is not a desireable outcome.

Here it goes: I was working in Madrid during the 2006 CL final. Since it was the first final since 1994, I just couldn't not be in Barcelona when it happened in case we won. Absolutely not. So I told my boss (who also was a close friend of Florentino and of course die-hard Real fan) that my grandma was very ill (a semi-lie, she had a chronic condition and visited her anyway), and went to Barcelona midweek. Greatest thing is that we had a work conference while the final was being played, and I had to pretend I was paying attention while talking through the phone. Fucking Sol Campbell scored and I had to bite my tongue. Fortunately we finished before Barça's goals.

I just spotted Co Adriaanse on that list, you should sign him just for his mental training sessions

Some people are starting to ask for Cuéllar to get the Spain callup, but it's unlikely to happen.

More stereotyping! http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/feb/11/john-terry-sepp-blatter-affair

Llambias is Managing Director only, isn't he? And I'm not sure Ashley has done the pintoresque antics people in the list have, only the beer-drinking thing made some noise.

Ridiculous statements! Sven was brilliant at club level, and led England to one of its more successful periods in its history. In 2002, they gave Brazil its hardest test, and they went out on penalties in 2006. Mexico was disasterous, but he's done well everywhere else. I expressly said "international" level. Always thought he's a great club manager (or rather, DoF). I don't think he does anything special for an international side.

Sven's such an overrated international manager. It reminds me of Javi Clemente, broke all the records in qualification coasting against poor opposition, did fuck all when the real thing came around.

As said, if we don't go for Cesc this season he could very well go to Real Madrid if he really wants out of Arsenal, which I can see if they end trophyless yet again. All said, Cesc is probably a square peg for both us and Real. Xavi's going to be 31 next season though.

Silva is much better playing through the middle as AMC/second striker than on the left wing too. But he's a cracking winger of course. I'd have Silva this season, Cesc the next. It would be hard to get both though (both are in Madrid's crosshairs too).

It was a cracking match, very entertaining, pity that there wasn't much in play (Atlético were as good as qualified with 4-0 in the first leg) so it felt a bit "sandbox". Xisco is doing pretty decently when he's played. Atlético has now a shot for their first title in 14 years I think.

Who are they going to play there instead of Cole? Ferreira or Zhirkov?

Several times I think yank soccer football commentators are retired wrestling commentators or something.

Haven't really noticed it. Have in mind, however, that American sports culture is characterized by their love of stats, numbers, etc... so football commentary is naturally going to be affected by it. Sit around people discussing baseball or a gridiron game and you'll see that they talk sports in a very different way than us do. I.e. when Mark Sanchez drops a bollock and throws the pigskin into the opposition loving hands, commentators will start talking about this being his X interception that season, and comparing it to other QBs, and estimate how much f***ing yardage has been potentially given the opposition every game... they just love their numbers. When Busquets loses the ball in our own half I have no f***ing idea how many time he's done it, I just curse the guy

They are taking some time off for the WC this year, only for the group phase I think. Apart from the US team, there aren't that many players in the MLS that will be part of WC squads.

There are work-arounds for the DP rule... you can trade a slot from another franchise that's not using it in exchange for players or allocation money. Still, every DP counts for 400,000$ against the salary cap IIRC (which is a mere 2,5m I think), which means if they got 3 they would have very little cap space to pay the rest of the squad (which would then be crap).

Sheringham was an interesting type. Not technically gifted, but one of the smartest forwards I have ever seen on a pitch. His movement and ability to find space and goalscoring positions was uncanny.

Well, as a car-less New Yorker it's much more convenient to go there than the Giants stadium, so I'm planning to give the NYRB another go the next season. But I'm boycotting them the second Raúl puts on that (horrible, horrible) NYRB shirt.

The failed transfer of Bergkamp to Barça is second in my list of "historic Barça transfer fuckups" after losing Ronaldo to Inter. Cruyff wanted him as Laudrup's replacement when Bergkamp was struggling at Inter but our president (there was a growing rift between them at the time), failed to meet their asking price. Interesting that you cite Ashton as an "arty forward" kind of guy, when I saw him play he always looked like the quintessential Shearer-type forward to me.

They won actual silverware during their Maradona period, but it's a good call, particularly given the regional pride that Napolitans have, and the "us vs them" mentality regarding the northerners, a bit like Geordies and south England?