Village Idiot

Palace go one up against Wolves...

Almunia I voted Green, Hart and James. James shouldn't start, but his seniority and experience wold be helpful.

Heh, Keane starting for Celtic already. Wasn't he still training with Spurs yesterday?

Yes, to a degree, but it is all part of making home games all important, do they not do this in Spain? To be completely honest, I have no idea. I know that the Barça home dressing rooms have a jacuzzi and the away ones don't, though!

Fully expecting to somebody come up and go all Jimmy the Greek now.

All these "make opposition feel uncomfortable in our stadium" tricks are a bit unsporting, don't you think?

I think referees are more easily pressured by home fans, and they play a part in cementing the home advantage. Not that they do it intentionally, or that they will conjure penalties out of thin air for the home team. But maybe they will call less fouls for the home team, be hesitant the get the cards out, etc... that can mean a lot.

That's it for Frazier Campbell then? Now that's a forward I can see scoring loads at the CCC.

Awful news.

A friend sent me this article about how last year's Champion's League final overtook the Superbowl as the most viewed sports event of the year. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/elite-clubs-on-uefa-gravy-train-as-super-bowl-knocked-off-perch-1884429.html However, what raised my eyebrow is this table: How the fuck can the 100m men race have 33m viewers watching the entire event and 95m watching only part? The whole thing lasts less than 10 seconds!! How much of an ADD spaz do you need to be?

Our current schedule fits our climate and habits much better. Spanish nights are very mild so it's quite pleasant to attend a game, except maybe the coldest days of winter. Spanish people also tend to have lunch pretty late compared to the rest of Europeans, particularly on weekends, noon kickoffs would hurt attendances a lot. But the TV rights holders have been pressuring for early kickoffs to better compete in overseas markets. I also think our times fit nicely with the overall football scheduling: i.e., you can watch the PL game at noon and afternoon, mix it up with the Italians, and then move on La Liga during the evening.

Guardado's been great, he's said several times that he is hesitant to move to a non-Hispanic country though, since he believes he'd have problems adapting. Coloccini was good at Depor indeed, it was just the fee that raised eyebrows. He's never been a €12m defender.

Ignore me. Game is this Thursday, not today.

La Liga has finally bowed to the pressure of media rights holders, and has followed in the steps of the PL allowing for Primera División games to be played in Monday, and Segunda games to be played in Friday. This allows to have at least one broadcast game every day most weeks with Cup/European competitions. Another change being championed but not yet approved (and I hope it never comes to pass), is using a scheduling scheme similar to yours, with games being played from noon onwards, instead of the evening.

Today Racing plays Atlético de Madrid away for the first leg of the Copa del Rey's semifinals. I wonder if he'll start since Miguel Ángel Portugal (Racing's manager) benched him alongside a lot of first teamers this past Sunday. Racing have never reached the final of the competition during all their story. It is also Atlético's last chance to salvage the season. IF we assume Sevilla wins the other semifinal against Getafe, it's a free ticket to the Europa League.

I'm sincerely amazed by the issues you have with your footballers private lives. We have none of such crap in Spain (bar a few Real Madrid players and the odd Barcelona one being reported on). I don't assume Spanish footballers live decent Christian lives, it's just that your gossip press is just criminal. Or maybe we just don't give a damn what they do. Happens the same with our politicians. Wonder if it's an anglo-saxon thing? Americans are obsessed about their politicians private lives too.

Hindsight and all that, but I think that when it happened I don't think many people thought Owen was a bad signing. Me the first, I was fucking delighted he left Real, his strike rate there was out of this world.

:colo: :fwap: I'm a lonely man :-[

I just counted and Zaragoza has done 7 signings this window... Suazo, Contini, Jarosik, Roberto, Eliseu, Colunga and Edmílson. Pretty much a brand new starting XI, god knows they needed it.

The only guy who I can see taking the captaincy is Gerrard, who I think is a monumental t***, so as a Spaniard would make a good hate figure for the WC

Pompey, Burnley, Hull/Wolves That's it.

It's like they just post a new thread for whatever crosses their minds, instead of making it just a post under "match thread" or whatever. It has a tribalistic quality that almost seduces me.

I went once to SMB for pure FF research purposes, and I found it a complete chaos.

Delap coming in, looks like it's time for the silky attacking moves.

I know you hate the mackems more, but Stoke are like a vacuum of football, we could play them and look like fucking Hull, they should be banished to the third circle of hell.