Wisdom Body

Di Maria has been the worst player on the pitch He's shattered, been over-played. Especially after the season he had, he should have been spared in a couple of the group games. Sabella is clueless.

Don't think Portugal will be losing any sleep about qualifying from this group, despite the battering they took.

Ghana really wasting Asamoah at left back. Should be involved in the game a lot more than he is.

The quality of the signings has been variable, but I appreciate Liverpool's recent transfer market philosophy (for a club without the endless funds others seemingly have). Moreno is pretty much just pace at the moment, so I expect he'll be better off being used in midfield or on the outside left of the 3-5-2 they occasionally use. I don't think he can be relied on for his defensive fundamentals just yet.

Being a bit more realistic we could look at Sergi Darder from Málaga to provide some much needed quality in midfield. Relatively little hype for a very promising player.

Always thought it was a poor decision to recall Big Phil as national manager since I saw him badly relegate Palmeiras, with seemingly no motivation or ideas. Looked like someone whose time in top-flight management was well behind him. This team does little to temper my doubts about him... The Argies also have the problem of having a mediocre coach as well, if that's any consolation. Regarding the striker situation, with Diego Costa gone, Luis Fabiano is probably still the best Brazilian centre forward. I'm surprised he doesn't get called up anymore with the meagre options in that department.

Very satisfying this. They've played the best football in Europe this season. I hope they win it.

Man City better make sure they hammer Villa and Everton because if Liverpool need a 12-0 on the final day, they'll get it.

Have to say Jol (or whoever was signing players for him) really wrecked the Fulham squad, from what was a solid, if a bit unexciting, base built under Hodgson.

"We lacked creativity" is him trying to shunt blame to the Cabaye sale and non-replacement. A bit more concise than "We struggle to keep possession, there is little movement when we do have the ball, and any movement present is sporadic and uncoordinated. These have been constant problems under my management and that's why we struggle to create scoring chances. Oh, I've ostracised my most technically gifted player, just to make things worse." Or perhaps less self-damning... Notable how many factors he leaves to fate or chance. A trait that separates a good manager from a mediocre one like him. The least he could do is reintegrate the player who most masks his mediocrity.

The usual excuses, but even if these were the actual reasons we lost they would still be traceable to failures from the coaching staff. Why should a team that hasn't played in Europe and went out of the cups very early be tired? As to a lack of "determination and desire" (read "tracking back", "getting stuck in"), it's interesting how a player like Robben without these natural instincts tracks back under Heynckes or Guardiola; how players seemingly lacking a strong work ethic seem to find one under good coaches. It's the manager's job to motivate his players.

Aren't Hull vs. Sheff Utd. semi-finals what the "magic of the cup" is all about? I enjoyed Hull's small-timey pitch invasion.

No surprise Atlético look much more fluid without Diego on the pitch. The intensity today shows they might be coming back to form.

I saw the game since I like watching Athletic. Betis are going down. They were let down today by some poor refereeing and the stupidity of a couple of their players. Perquis was unlucky to concede a penalty after inadvertently tripping up Kike Sola outside the box, but was daft lunging into an opponent a few minutes later to get a second yellow. Reyes was similarly sent off for the verdiblancos in the second half. Sola then clearly handled the ball in his own box when Betis were already down to 9, but the refs somehow didn't see it. A pen would have pulled them level. I was impressed by the nearly 30, 000 in attendance for a club in the doldrums. They still have higher attendances than Sevilla. The ultras had turned their backs to the pitch by the end though.

Well, yes, but I think Guardiola has done a good job of balancing his possession-based play with more dynamism, making Bayern good to watch. There's so much technical ability in midfield; you have to wait a long time to see a misplaced pass or poor ball-control. The team also seems to be as well-conditioned as his Barça team. Hard to see who's going to stop them.

Much better game than yesterday's.

Lars Bender still going as if his team has a chance. One of my favourite players.

As these past pages have shown, these points that do "not absolutely hammer" Pardew are nothing more than hot air balloons supported by a mixture of hyperoptimism and contrarianism. This is why everyone gets agitated. I don't even see the point of this argument. Nothing beyond "Stop being so negative, you buggers!" People are dissatisfied with Pardew because Newcastle United plays bad football. The protagonist of this argument has admitted as much. If we were qualifying for the Champions' League with George Graham-style 1-0 wins few would complain. Mid table mediocrity would be tollerable if we were playing enjoyable football or going on cup runs. When your football is both ineffectual and unpleasant its pointless, as are consequentially all arguments in favour of the current manager.

I don't think it's a case of blaming the fans or city, but a reflection of how much he has bought into the (southern) media stereotype of Geordie fans: easily excitable, over-emotional, high expectations, get on the players'/managers'/club's back easily, etc. It's an easy out for any grumbling from the fans, to dismiss it as an overreaction; "You know how those Geordies are..." I try to avoid reading or hearing anything Pardew has to say but whenever I come across any of his interviews the patronising tone when referring to the fans or city tends to be a constant. It's the mindsent that I think is prevalent within the club in general.

Indifferent. His public persona is clearly a front, so I have no idea what he is as a person. As a manager his CV speaks for itself. Anybody who doubts him as a tactician should rewatch Chelsea vs. Inter and Inter vs. Barcelona from 2010. Two perfectly prepared matches, particularly the second one against the monstrous Barça of the time. I do dislike how eager the doe-eyed media is to lick his boots (due to his apparent "entertainment" value). Hate that. I also find this renewed fascination with him interesting, considering he's generally not as 'good' as he was pre-Madrid. In my estimation anyway.

http://s14.postimg.org/zag3d10i9/944414_10151926282388066_2045010181_n.jpg

The worst thing is that Chelsea have just gained ~65 million euros for two reserve players, making a profit on each. There seems to be no reason for them to stop buying young players for the sole purpose of owning them.

It should be said that the Rijkaard-early Guardiola days are ever more distant memories now. Martino's team has incredible talent playing average football. No dazzling Ronaldinho-Deco dynamism or crushing Xavi-Iniesta possession here.

The fee for Altidore is eye-watering. The Premier League, so much money, so little competence.

I think he's a manager who has suffered from a lack of playing experience and experience in general, and he's nowhere near charismatic enough to make up for it. Which makes it unsurprising that he was thrown under the bus by the players at Chelsea. He just doesn't seem to have any kind of relationship or connection with his players. Probably the only advantage Pardew has over him, but it's still a significant quality to have. He flourished at Porto, helped by the fact that the environment was tailor-made, with 100% confidence in him from the club, fans and players. Unfortunately it's a hard football world beyond the walls of home. He has shown precious little of his "revolutionary" football ideas, even when things were going his way in Portugal. I think he still has a good mind for the game though, would likely make a great pundit.