Village Idiot

Yes, I remember him. Van Gaal converted him to right back, although it was more like wing back since we played 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 back then. I remember him as a fast guy that was decent on the ball. Bad luck with injury. He was loaned out a few times, I remember, and never did much. Ironically, he started our Centennial game against Atlético, which means he's part of our history.

Christ, Chelsea's dressing room is a brothel.

Zolton needs a sig like mine.

Javier Saviola.

Atlético are clear favorites on this, even with their awful season a Racing win would be a big shock.

The Spanish league in the 1990s had some pretty great sides... Cruyff's "Dream Team" was considered the best Barça side of all time until this season, "Super-Depor" with Bebeto, Mauro Silva, Fran were also amazing... Atlético were unplayable in their double season, Real Madrid played some pretty good possession football in the mid-90s under Valdano... even if you don't want to go to famous sides, teams like Celta (with Mazinho, Makelele...) or Tenerife (Redondo), had some great stuff going.

Yeah, I was about to mention him, but he still won the CL and was excellent for PSG and Brazil before that. He was but I'd say he was only at his peak for two years at a maximum. Even when your lot won the Champions League he wasn't as good as the season when you signed Davids in January. He never ran at players even then, he just became very stationary and then used to lay the ball off with some nifty flick/through ball. Was still class but it's a shame he never had that desire to dominate the game for years. True, on his prime he is the most mouth-watering footballer I have ever seen playing for us. The things he was able to do, coupled with the mobility and directness he had back then... a big loss. You're getting confused with Ronaldo as he used to be called Ronaldinho too. Nah, Ronaldinho (Gaúcho) in his prime had more to his game. The league was better too, some of the teams Ronaldo was up against must have been pub teams judging by the clips. Judging by the clips? So that means you never really watched him play against some of those sides? Ronaldo was an absolute monster in his prime. He is all about what the modern game is now about, pace, power and absolutely clinical. You're bang on with that. But Ronaldinho was also a great athlete in his first years. He used power as much as technique back then, running at defenses, using his body to generate space, etc...

Oh we have no money, but we have no debt, thats real wealth in todays football world! Your finance director said that you were £7m in debt in December. What's happened since then to correct that? He has an interesting accounting style, for instance the sale of Robinson to Bolton £2.1 million and Greening to Fulham £5 million, will not show on this years acounts, he defers payment for tax reasons, this is an annual event for us, Cuntis Davis to Villa being another example,all loan deals which are permenant at the end of the season, no get out. Us fans hate his prudence but it probably means we are always going to exist, abeit in some sort of footballing twilight zone between Championship and Premiership. Aye, all my Bolton supporter friends are delighted with the Robinson transfer de-ligh-ted

Yeah, I was about to mention him, but he still won the CL and was excellent for PSG and Brazil before that. He was but I'd say he was only at his peak for two years at a maximum. Even when your lot won the Champions League he wasn't as good as the season when you signed Davids in January. He never ran at players even then, he just became very stationary and then used to lay the ball off with some nifty flick/through ball. Was still class but it's a shame he never had that desire to dominate the game for years. True, on his prime he is the most mouth-watering footballer I have ever seen playing for us. The things he was able to do, coupled with the mobility and directness he had back then... a big loss. You're getting confused with Ronaldo as he used to be called Ronaldinho too. Nah, Ronaldinho (Gaúcho) in his prime had more to his game.

Yeah, I was about to mention him, but he still won the CL and was excellent for PSG and Brazil before that. He was but I'd say he was only at his peak for two years at a maximum. Even when your lot won the Champions League he wasn't as good as the season when you signed Davids in January. He never ran at players even then, he just became very stationary and then used to lay the ball off with some nifty flick/through ball. Was still class but it's a shame he never had that desire to dominate the game for years. True, on his prime he is the most mouth-watering footballer I have ever seen playing for us. The things he was able to do, coupled with the mobility and directness he had back then... a big loss.

Yeah, I was about to mention him, but he still won the CL and was excellent for PSG and Brazil before that.

I could also add Julen Guerrero, too. He started his career with a flash, and he really was something special. But I think his lack of ambition (always refused to move from Athletic, and became a bit lazy by being the king of that place) prevented him from becoming the world class attacking midfielder everyone thought he could become

Aye, missed Portillo. But I think he was just not good enough. Same case as Pavón really. Overhyped. Soldado's doing fine I think, but he's not going to be a Torres, Raúl or Villa.

Mmmm... Spanish players: - Guti. Oozles of talent, zero work ethic. - Iván de la Peña. Epithome of the confidence player. Couldn't deal with the hype around him, but was a magnificient talent. Found his feet again at Espanyol. - Raúl Tamudo: world-class forward in his prime, should have gone to a better team instead of pissing off his career with a bottom club. - Alfonso: again couldn't deal with the pressure of playing at top clubs (flopped at both Real and Barça). Most naturally gifted forward to come out of Spain in the last 20 years, but he didn't have the mental strength to deliver. - Vicente: one of the best wingers we produced, crippled by injury. - Manuel Pablo: Deportivo's RB, did his knee in every imaginable way and was never the same after coming back (missed 18 months...) - Pavón: not his fault, he was never more than an average defender, but Florentino and the Real Madrid media machine hyped him up to an insane degree.

Both of them have designated players, no? Becks off in the summer then? Not necessarily, they can still trade an unused DP spot from another franchise. Of course, two DPs + Donovan would hurt their salary cap a lot and it's probably not feasible. Donovan might leave too, who knows.

The much fanfared signing of Canales by Real Madrid has yet to be completed with the window already closed, and the player has said that "there aren't any problems with me going to Madrid but for now I have put it aside". Rumour is that ManU or some other English club are making a last-ditch attempt to hijack the deal. Rubén Baraja has declared that he's going to leave Valencia on a free at the end of the season.

Ferdinand, Terry, Upson, Brown Ferdinand has been quite crap this season, but still think should be first choice if he can regain form. Upson's by all accounts has had a very good season. Terry is the captain and still a very good defender, and Brown is an utility player. I would have had Jagielka if fit,and of course Woodgate, but won't happen.

This, an often overlooked aspect of a team that get's "too many" penalties. Sides that manage to spend a lot of time in the opposition's boxes are more easily in the receiving end of dubious penalty calls.

Raúl linked to New York Red Bulls and LA Galaxy in the New York Post If he signs for NYRB I'm poofing off to Boston.

I'll ring Capello and tell him to call Cole up just to piss you off.

Interesting, I just read that Gudjohnsen isn't available for selection for the replay because he didn't play in the original tie. Do you need to use the same squad?

A bit of a short list, it feels like i'm rather voting who you should leave out instead of who you should take. But I admit there's not much else to realistically go for. Anyway, I'd go with Rooney as lone striker if you ask me. Then Crouch, Bent, Cole. I'm dubious about Defoe, he's a better natural footballer than the other 3 I listed, but seems to blow hot and cold too often.

One hour total. I think the matter is if the injury worsens (he already missed a month this season due to it) or prevent him from playing at his best.

Apparently Kaká's injury was detected after the last Barça - Madrid game. An op was discarded since apparently it's a pretty aggresive surgery. He will need 30min of therapy before and after training and games every day, the rest of his career. Again, as reported by Marca (who I don't think would do WUMing when Kaká is involved). Doesn't sound good to be honest. Maybe they are buying time for the end of the season and World Cup, and then he will undergo surgery. EDIT: Another update from the horse's mouth himself. Apparently he knew about it, and Real Madrid knew about it when signing him.

Maybe the reason Milan sold Kaká has been discovered? Marca reports today that Kaká suffers from a chronic groin injury, which shouldn't affect his performance but will require treatment during all his playing career.