Hughesy

Same here - had been waiting to get home from work to watch it.

I wish he would just thump it when he cuts in on his right foot on the edge of the penalty area.

Bar johnson and sessegnon, he's right. And I'm not even sure who they would displace.

Lost all respect for Roberts when he said it was ok for a showboating player to be kicked and 'taken out'. But on this subject - he is right.

Sorry - where is Shola in that team?

Yeah - I always rated Vieira higher.

I always particularly enjoy the odd rendition of 'Sunderland's a massive club'. I remember it being sung at the 1-0 away at Arsenal after the 5-1 repeatedly. Doesn't get enough of an airing..

Again - I am not sure exactly what is being argued. Clearly Zidane played in a great French team (query whether the team was as good on an individual level as the Spain team of today? They did have Guivarch up front.. ). And he was incredibly successful in that team and was, indisputedly, the main driver for that French team's success. He played with great individuals at Real Madrid, but they were never a 'team', certainly not in the way the Barca team. Essentially a team with few egos, schooled from an early age in playing a particular way, a large number of homegrown players etc. That, I would argue, is why Zidane didn't win as much with Madrid as he perhaps should have. As I said earlier, put Zidane in that Barca team and think about how much he would have won. Alternatively, put one of Messi, Iniesta and Xavi in the 'galacticos' team. Would Madrid have won more than with Zidane? Extremely unlikely.

Yeah that France team was pretty s*** tbh. He did pretty well in that French team I seem to remember... The criticism being levelled at Zidane was that he didn't win enough with Madrid.

Iniesta's close control, dribbling, passing and link up play is better than Zidane's. He's also eclipsed him in terms of domestic and international tournaments. What I loved about Zidane though was his ability to hold off players with such ease whilst playing so gracefully, he did make football look like an art. The cliche about Zidane having an aura about him is true, but he just didn't do it consistently enough throughout a season. Although when he did show up in big games he looked a class above anyone else in the world. He only won La Liga once in his 5 years there during a galactico era. Only won the champions league once aswell. He didn't carry a great team onto greatness like Xavi, Iniesta or even Ronaldinho have. Zidane never played in a team as good as the Guardiola Barca team. Put a peak Zidane in that team and who knows. Seems like an excuse to me, Zidane played with a galaxy of great players at Madrid(arguably individually on Guardiola's Barca's level if not superior) because they couldn't come together as a team is no one's fault but their own. Not sure what you are getting at - Zidane didn't play in as good a team as Iniesta/Xavi. The fact that the Madrid team didn't play as a team or weren't as a cohesive unit as the Barca team of today can't be used as a stick to beat Zidane with. Zidane wasn't responsible for the team spirit at Madrid, in the same way that any one individual isn't responsible for the team spirit at Barca.

Iniesta's close control, dribbling, passing and link up play is better than Zidane's. He's also eclipsed him in terms of domestic and international tournaments. What I loved about Zidane though was his ability to hold off players with such ease whilst playing so gracefully, he did make football look like an art. The cliche about Zidane having an aura about him is true, but he just didn't do it consistently enough throughout a season. Although when he did show up in big games he looked a class above anyone else in the world. He only won La Liga once in his 5 years there during a galactico era. Only won the champions league once aswell. He didn't carry a great team onto greatness like Xavi, Iniesta or even Ronaldinho have. Zidane never played in a team as good as the Guardiola Barca team. Put a peak Zidane in that team and who knows.

Best player I have ever seen. Just exceptional - such grace, technique and vision.

It doesn't become financially viable because one of the centre halves is injured. It does, however, become sensible.

I appreciate this is massively off-topic and that many people on this board know each other - but I find it quite weird that at any given away match, you could quite easily find yourself standing next to a fellow forum dweller and not know it. That's my thought for the day.

nowt wrong with 4-4-2 if you have the personnel for it....we haven't. Exactly - the whole idea that, with the right players, 4-4-2 is now obsolete is ridiculous. Each formation has advantages and disadvantages. 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 isn't necessarily a better formation than 4-4-2.

We have had Virgin Money though and there was no Sharia law based uproar then.

I am not really having a go at Williamson - I just would have thought that going out that night wouldn't have been that sensible from a physiological point of view. Happy to leave it at that..

It isn't so much that I never expect them to go out - I just would have thought that the 3-4 hours after a game was a fairly sensible time to be resting. By all means go out the next day or something, especially if you have a 2 week break, but the initial recovery time must be quite important I would have thought.

I know it's a bit off topic - but why is a player, who has just completed 90 minutes of football, out the night of the game? Maybe I am being unrealistic about this, but surely recovering properly is pretty important? I do realise he may have been tucked up in bed by 9.00pm and not touched any alcohol, but still.. it annoys me.

I reckon Krul would have had a good chance with the first. Harper just looks so unconvincing. Rooney hit a freekick about mid height in the goal and Harper just about pushed it around the post. Limp wristed and no conviction. Can't be filling the back four with much confidence. And vice versa. Need Krul and our first choice CBs back ASAP if we want to take anything against the mackems. That dribble. f***ing hell. He did absolutely nothing wrong with the save from the free kick.

It's the calmness and organisation he brings to the defence more than anything. Well, that and him being an amazing defender. Without him, there is no leadership at the back.

I do think he needs to put on a bit of muscle - he really is incredibly small and weak. With the current sports science knowledge around, there must be a way for him to bulk up a bit without losing his agility and pace.

The ball should never have been played back to him in that position. There should also have been a full back for him to pass to.

Whilst I agree with some of what you say, 'relentless attacking football both home and away' clearly isn't the only way to play.

Think jonas pointed out that evra was free on the corner before as well.