Village Idiot

Walcott has spent a lot of time injuried in a critical phase of his development. I never didn't think he was all that but certainly he can be better than what he's showing. Lennon for example was a speed merchant too, but has improved his final ball greatly these past two seasons. Hats off to him.

Just realized Liverpool is 5 points off Arsenal and are playing at the Emirates next week.

We have great goalkeepers playing at modest clubs in Spain. Almunia was never one of them. He spent most of his pre-Arsenal career being loaned out to second or even third flight clubs, until he finally had a decent season at Albacete, and then was bought by Arsenal.

By the way, was Zlatan's finishing so erratic for you? I love the guy mind, but he has a somewhat annoying tendence of getting himself on awesome scoring positions and then fluff a shot that my 6-year old niece would stop. It seems to me that he always wants to place the shot instead of just powering it in. I'll go and change his training in FM!

How Almunia, who wasn't even able to establish himself at bottom feeder teams in La Liga, ended up first choice at Arsenal is a complete enigma.

Does it really matter what happens in these games though? Chelsea dropped two points against Hull the other day. If Arsenal keep putting away the s*** teams they'll be right in there with a chance. It's about morale though, particularly when they seem to fail every time they face a strong team. I can see them just giving up.

If Drogba scores a hattrick we might be able to knock a couple million from Cesc's transfer fee. Would actually like Arsenal to do well in the league though, for all the accusations of La Liga being a two-horse race the PL hasn't been much better these past years.

Always thought that Eto'o would have a hard time adjusting to the Calcio. Defences are too deep.

Maybe at club level but he was totally uninspiring at international level as captain & main striker @ the Afrian Nations Who do you consider the best striker in the world at international level? Villa is the only one that I can think that pulls similar figures with his nation compared to his club: Ibrahimovic, Torres... all are way less effective at international level. Rooney? He plays well for England but it's not that a great goalscorer for you (yet). And until this ACN Drogba was brilliant for CIV.

Arsenal crumbling down in big games shocker. Hope there are some good anti-Terry chants though!

Piqué, Touré, Alves and Márquez all will be missing for our Atlético away game. Meh. We dropped 3 points there last year. I hate that fixture.

I have barely been at the Camp Nou the past 5-6 years since I moved out of Barcelona, but I can't think of a particular game I hate to have missed. I managed to catch the home leg of the CL semifinal against Milan in 2006, which was the biggest game for the club since the 1990s (even though it ended 0-0 it was huge as we qualified for the final for the first time in 12 years). I guess I just pity that I haven't been present during these times, which have been the most successful in our story (maybe I was jinxing the club?)

City still has a couple games in hand over L'pool, though. But it's pretty astonishing how they have managed to snatch 4th back.

Their best wins (away at Depor and Valencia) have been without Cronaldo on the pitch yes. I think that what happens is that when he's playing he tends to monopolize Real's attacking play, and that muddles the rest of the players somewhat.

Pellegrini has to juggle between him and Raúl and Benzema, but he's been playing a lot this season and arguably their best player after Cronaldo (and I think I saw an statistic somewhere that he actually has had more positive contributions - game winning goals and assists - than the Portuguese)

I'd bet on Everton to beat them. Meanie.

The good thing is that if Madrid puts something like 5 or 6 past them, it might break their morale and throw them on relegation form

I don't expect anything less than a w(h)ooping of Espanyol. They are exceptionally poor and have a tradition of rolling over Real, the cunts.

Fuck yeah. That had become an unnecessarily tough game!

Fuck.

Messi

Henry not in Barça's squad today. Iniesta on the left wing (would have preferred Pedro, but well)

And yes, it's a nice chant too.

Nicked for me phone and audio is now my text & email alert and also my wake up alarm Such a weird perspective, with the other stands so much lower than yours!

The two games I saw in the ACN Nigeria were fantastically poor. No organization, no team play whatsoever, just running and kicking the ball around too see what happens. Not sure if you have time to fix this so late in the game, however.