Village Idiot

In Spain: - I'd get the Cup back to a single game tie format instead of two legs (to protect the bigger clubs) like it is now. It just made it much more interesting. I'd also qualify the winner for the CL, and remove one of the CL spots from the league. - Bring back the relegation playoffs, they were cracking (we still have playoffs in other tiers). In England: - Drop the games in hand malarkey. It's annoying and if other leagues can keep all their teams in the same schedule and have all them in cups and Europe, you should too. Overall: - Implement a meaningful homegrown rule. Doesn't happen so much in Barça but I want to see Spanish players when I play Spanish teams, English players when I play English teams... we have reached a point where the city the team represents seems merely accessory. - Goal line technology and refs.

Is France not getting seeded some pathetic attempt from FIFA to save face? I mean, 1998 champions, 2006 finalists... I thought seeds were based on past WC performance.

Never actually met one Chelsea fan who is a stuck up c*** unable to discuss football on a normal basis. In return, I've yet to meet a Man U fan who isn't a stuck up c*** unable to dicsuss football on a normal basis. In my experience, true Manchester United fans (i.e. those not born in Singapore, London, Maryland or Trondheim) are quite decent football fans, and pretty talkable. The plastics they attract, though, are absolutely insufferable. Have to add that all true Manchester United fans I have met are all ex-pats (I have never been to Manchester myself...), so might not be a true reflection of the collective.

I shall call Michael Turner Tina Turner then. (Luís Enrique )

Does the Bale curse apply to the cup too? Or was only a league thing?

Good to get all your four midfielders in the scoresheet too! I like Downing, he's much more a player than the usual speed merchants bandied about for England. I think he can flourish at a decent club.

Love the side-by-side photos of them both complaining to refs. Spitting image indeed.

Read that Downing started and scored for you. Did you play Milner in the centre? (all of Young, Downing and him were on the pitch at the same time).

Cronaldo, too. I don't follow this kind of celeb crap, so I really don't know how ridiculous/credible her statements are. She really isn't that hot, so I assume if you're Beckham and what to cheat on posh spice, you could choose way better. Same with Cronaldo.

The infamous Núria Bermúdez, current wife of Dani Güiza. She claims to have fucked from Guti to Beckham, yes. She was sort of a trash celeb in Spain a few years ago (now she's a football agent, with FIFA license and all).

It has surfaced that the Spanish FA is investigating several footballers for betting in games they were involved in. No names or games have been revealed yet.

Real Madrid has announced today the release of a lingerie line. http://www.marca.com/2009/12/01/futbol/equipos/real_madrid/1259695269.html If I can get that bird, I'll pretend that I'm Real for life.

Ok, that didn't last.

Kanu pulls one back, pity it's a bit late.

Ferguson prefers to give experience to his young forwards I guess.

Do you mean Manish or the Football League Show? Please Toon fans, tell me you don't have some idiot mascot like those. And please not a fat guy dressed as a magpie.

I don't dislike Chelsea, I actually sort of dug them in the pre-Abramovich times (Zola is one of my favorite players), and we have a story of fierce ties with them in the Champion's League, and always look forward to meeting them again. Plus some of their players (Drogba, Lampard, Essien, Joe Cole...) are just too brilliant. I have got over the whole them buying the league, I guess that's the way things work nowadays.

You aren't that good!

Anything can happen in a knockout competition, but yes, whoever emerges from the Barça/Sevilla/Valencia corner of the bracket will be big favorite to win the whole thing.

The Cup draw has been quite mental, Barça and Sevilla is going to be a cracking tie. The winner has then to play either Valencia or Depor. That's two of the big favorites out by quarter finals. http://www.marca.com/2009/12/01/futbol/copa_rey/1259670063.html

Newcastle signing somebody who was great two seasons ago, will probably want high wages, and is now pushing his late 20s... where have I seen that before? It would be mint if he recaptured a part of his old form, but every time I see him for Blackburn he doesn't seem to completely care at all.

Got 75,000 points by clicking around the midlands for most of the time (only knew SJP and Cardiff...)

Kaká got hype points for his transfer, I guess. Same with Zlatan, although he still was instrumental in a team that swept the Serie A. Villa and Forlán were probably hurt by so many Spanish-based players dominating the table (Spanish journalists were more likely to vote for them).

As said, if your team doesn't do well in the Champion's League (or the EC/WC), or you can coast on your previous fame, you have no chance to shoot up the table. And I rate Villa greatly myself, but that's how those awards go.

Reach the later stages of the Champion's League. That's all there is to the Ballon d'Or lately, really.