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The England Thread


Pilko

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I think we really only need to cover those two central midfield positions well to be able to field a good team. The front four look pretty good together and can play counter attacking football, the back four with forward minded full backs seems to suit our new 4231 formation. The big worry for me is who partners gerrard in the middle for that holding, more defensive role? Carrick doesn't do it on a defensive level for me and Gerrard needs better cover for when he spurts forward a lot of the time. gareth barry is looking good for Everton at this role but he isn't exactly the best fluid ball mover... Wiltshire is again of too similar an illk to Gerrard (who i'd like to see him displace). if only we had a Xavi Alonso, Khedira or Yaya to play in that position for us...

Any offers?

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As for England, we are actually looking like a team these days. We might not have lots of so-called world-class players but we have good options it seems and I'm liking some of the younger players coming through. I'd be concerned about central midfield mind, we lack legs and energy in there. As good as Gerrard and Lampard are and have been for England at times (although rarely together) we need some younger legs in that area. We also need to find a place for Wilshire in the team.

 

As for the World Cup itself, I think getting to the quarters would be great going, providing we play some decent football and get at teams. I think most would be very happy with that.

 

Well that is true, this team is a lot more balanced than the "golden generation" was even if it lacks the individuals in certain areas.

 

I agree on the midfield though, it looks good on the ball as you would expect but without it fails to cover the back 4 very well and the back 4 doesn't have the quality of years gone by.

 

Actually looking at the players coming through and ones who are not old, i'm quite confident about the future from the midfield and in front of them.

 

My worry going forward is the lack of defenders being produced, don't see many capable ones in comparison to further up the pitch.

 

Its not surprising as always kids don't want to be a defender but i would be concerned about it.

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Honestly, I f***ing love me a World Cup and will watch as many games as humanly possible, but for the most part the football in itself is pretty crap. Sides are usually *very* conservative given the competition format (concede a goal and you could be already out), and international sides aren't as fluid as club sides due to the lack of playing time throughout the season.

 

This isn't going to aid games in the tropics where it'll be ridiculous temps/humidity either. Going to be slow games.

 

Have to think that benefits the defensive-minded squads.

 

And unfavourable to sides whose game isn't based on possession football. [/ = England will be slowly simmered into submission]

 

You'd imagine so, be a lot of get the first goal and pack up shop types. Who knows, it'll all be class though because it's World f***ing Cup.

 

---

 

Be good if some of the ridiculous teams draw each other: Holland, Chile, Bosnia, Ghana and the likes. All out attack regardless of who/what the prize is.

Will it really be that warm? I've never been to South America and don't know much of their climate, but it was funny in 2010 to hear commentators talking about how much effect the heat would have when June/July are the coolest time are year for most of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa is cold to begin with. Brazil is in the southern hemisphere as well.

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Guest Howaythetoon

bitter dipper is bitter.

 

Hope he manages your lot after the WC, and I look forward to see your opinion on him after a couple of months.

 

Yous didn't really give him a chance. He is a proven manager, not a great manager, but he has something about him.

 

We can only dream of getting someone as good as Roy :lol:

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Regarding Roy, he's dour and some of his selections baffle and frustrate but he's getting results. I'm delighted for him because he's a good manager, a good guy and furthermore his achievements are two fingers up to the media who have been nothing but embarrassing at times and very insulting, and of course, those deluded Liverpool fans who practically hounded the man out of Anfield.

 

He is doing a decent job and is a decent manager at his level, but he is not a good guy.

 

Imagine him coming out saying "Mike Ashley is a terrific owner, and away wins in PL are rare, and it's the level of performance that's important"

 

or after you lose a derby in SOL playing abject he says with a grin on his face: "I thought that was our best performance of the season"

 

Not to mention he is so full of himself, banging on his 38 years of experience all the time. If people call rodgers Brenton for being self-loving, then Roy is on the same level if not higher.

 

Shit managers don't win 8 league titles and get to European final...but he certainly isn't the friendly lovely uncle people think he is.

 

Err... :lol:

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bitter dipper is bitter.

 

Hope he manages your lot after the WC, and I look forward to see your opinion on him after a couple of months.

 

Yous didn't really give him a chance. He is a proven manager, not a great manager, but he has something about him.

 

We can only dream of getting someone as good as Roy :lol:

 

What do you reckon Roy's ceiling as Liverpool manager would have been?

 

I really dislike the portion of our fan base who still hold grudge against him and use anything to bash him with...but this didn't give a chance thing is wrong IMO.

 

Roy replaced a man of Rafa Benitez' calibre because the latter didn't get top 4 for one season, so Roy was expected to steady the ship and guide us high. Yet from the moment he arrived, he started with lowering the expectations, instilling the small-club mentality, and looking defeatist in every press confrence.

 

After winning at Trabzonspor away from home:

"This is a historic win"

 

After losing at Goodison playing abjectly:

"I thought it was our best performance of the season"

 

On fan protests against Hicks/Gillete in September, where the club was near Administration

"Those distraction really don't help"

 

After his first away win @ Bolton:

"It's very hard to get an away win in the Premier League. I mean, you may get a couple here and there like today, but in the end it's the level of performance that counts"

 

On Liverpool's chances of beating United at Old Trafford:

"A win there will be an utopia"

 

On critics when the team was hovering around the relegation zone:

"I have 36 years of experience, and my methods have translated from Hamstede, to Malmo, to Xermes, to Switzerland national team, to UAE, etc...so I won't change after all. My record is up there for everyone to see" In that interview, he put himself in the same calibre as SAF.  :kasper:

 

On league cup home defeat to Northampton town:

"Northampton are a very solid and formidable opponent. The younger players were a wee bit disappointed and need to take the blame. I'll make 11 changes to the side for the next game"

 

Not to mention his first and priority signings were Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen and Paul Konchesky (giving away Kacalicnic to Fulham plus 5M in this one).

 

----------

I don't think you can blame our fan base for not liking the man. He replaced a club legend to "steady the ship" but his lack of ambition was Pardew-esque. As I said before, I don't hate the guy, he is a very decent manager for mid-table club level if all you want to do is to stay in PL, with the occasional top half finish and cup run. Then Hodgson is your man !! I wish him well for the WC. But he really isn't a nice guy.

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Guest Howaythetoon

bitter dipper is bitter.

 

Hope he manages your lot after the WC, and I look forward to see your opinion on him after a couple of months.

 

Yous didn't really give him a chance. He is a proven manager, not a great manager, but he has something about him.

 

We can only dream of getting someone as good as Roy :lol:

 

What do you reckon Roy's ceiling as Liverpool manager would have been?

 

I really dislike the portion of our fan base who still hold grudge against him and use anything to bash him with...but this didn't give a chance thing is wrong IMO.

 

Roy replaced a man of Rafa Benitez' calibre because the latter didn't get top 4 for one season, so Roy was expected to steady the ship and guide us high. Yet from the moment he arrived, he started with lowering the expectations, instilling the small-club mentality, and looking defeatist in every press confrence.

 

After winning at Trabzonspor away from home:

"This is a historic win"

 

After losing at Goodison playing abjectly:

"I thought it was our best performance of the season"

 

On fan protests against Hicks/Gillete in September, where the club was near Administration

"Those distraction really don't help"

 

After his first away win @ Bolton:

"It's very hard to get an away win in the Premier League. I mean, you may get a couple here and there like today, but in the end it's the level of performance that counts"

 

On Liverpool's chances of beating United at Old Trafford:

"A win there will be an utopia"

 

On critics when the team was hovering around the relegation zone:

"I have 36 years of experience, and my methods have translated from Hamstede, to Malmo, to Xermes, to Switzerland national team, to UAE, etc...so I won't change after all. My record is up there for everyone to see" In that interview, he put himself in the same calibre as SAF.  :kasper:

 

On league cup home defeat to Northampton town:

"Northampton are a very solid and formidable opponent. The younger players were a wee bit disappointed and need to take the blame. I'll make 11 changes to the side for the next game"

 

Not to mention his first and priority signings were Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen and Paul Konchesky (giving away Kacalicnic to Fulham plus 5M in this one).

 

----------

I don't think you can blame our fan base for not liking the man. He replaced a club legend to "steady the ship" but his lack of ambition was Pardew-esque. As I said before, I don't hate the guy, he is a very decent manager for mid-table club level if all you want to do is to stay in PL, with the occasional top half finish and cup run. Then Hodgson is your man !! I wish him well for the WC. But he really isn't a nice guy.

 

His ceiling is probably top 6. As for his comments. Honestly, as an outsider, none of that compares to the stuff Dalglish used to spout, especially around the whole Suarez racism saga. Even Rafa spouted some bat crazy s*** man.

 

Regardless, LFC fans didn't give the man a chance and wanted him out from the off. This from a set of fans who pride themselves on giving managers, players, owners etc. their 100% backing, even if one of those players racially abused someone. Or rather they like to portray the image that they do.

 

Unless you're Roy Hodgson of course. Or Hicks and Gillett!

 

Ironically, many a LFC fan has accused us Toon fans of hounding out managers.

 

If you had Pardew as your manager, there would be f***ing hell on in the streets of the red half of Liverpool. Come back to me when your manager says "thank god we won't be in Europe next season" or that we should all turn up for the final home game of the season in fancy dress for staying up. Come back to me when your owner renames Anfield, plasters it with s*** and regards cups as an inconvenience. Come back to me when you've had Dennis Wise as your DOF and Kinnear your manager.

 

Your problem, as fans, is you're all spoiled. if Hodgson was replacing Shankly or Paisley and taking over the all conquering Liverpool then fair enough but he was replacing someone who underachieved in the main, someone who spent a s*** load on players and a club that last looked capable of winning a title 20 years ago. A club whose ceiling is more the top 6 than the top 4 given City's money and how well ran Spurs are. Forget the title. You have as much chance of that as we do.

 

Sorry but I have little time for the bleeding heart stuff.

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bitter dipper is bitter.

 

Hope he manages your lot after the WC, and I look forward to see your opinion on him after a couple of months.

 

Yous didn't really give him a chance. He is a proven manager, not a great manager, but he has something about him.

 

We can only dream of getting someone as good as Roy :lol:

 

What do you reckon Roy's ceiling as Liverpool manager would have been?

 

I really dislike the portion of our fan base who still hold grudge against him and use anything to bash him with...but this didn't give a chance thing is wrong IMO.

 

Roy replaced a man of Rafa Benitez' calibre because the latter didn't get top 4 for one season, so Roy was expected to steady the ship and guide us high. Yet from the moment he arrived, he started with lowering the expectations, instilling the small-club mentality, and looking defeatist in every press confrence.

 

After winning at Trabzonspor away from home:

"This is a historic win"

 

After losing at Goodison playing abjectly:

"I thought it was our best performance of the season"

 

On fan protests against Hicks/Gillete in September, where the club was near Administration

"Those distraction really don't help"

 

After his first away win @ Bolton:

"It's very hard to get an away win in the Premier League. I mean, you may get a couple here and there like today, but in the end it's the level of performance that counts"

 

On Liverpool's chances of beating United at Old Trafford:

"A win there will be an utopia"

 

On critics when the team was hovering around the relegation zone:

"I have 36 years of experience, and my methods have translated from Hamstede, to Malmo, to Xermes, to Switzerland national team, to UAE, etc...so I won't change after all. My record is up there for everyone to see" In that interview, he put himself in the same calibre as SAF.  :kasper:

 

On league cup home defeat to Northampton town:

"Northampton are a very solid and formidable opponent. The younger players were a wee bit disappointed and need to take the blame. I'll make 11 changes to the side for the next game"

 

Not to mention his first and priority signings were Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen and Paul Konchesky (giving away Kacalicnic to Fulham plus 5M in this one).

 

----------

I don't think you can blame our fan base for not liking the man. He replaced a club legend to "steady the ship" but his lack of ambition was Pardew-esque. As I said before, I don't hate the guy, he is a very decent manager for mid-table club level if all you want to do is to stay in PL, with the occasional top half finish and cup run. Then Hodgson is your man !! I wish him well for the WC. But he really isn't a nice guy.

 

His ceiling is probably top 6. As for his comments. Honestly, as an outsider, none of that compares to the stuff Dalglish used to spout, especially around the whole Suarez racism saga. Even Rafa spouted some bat crazy s*** man.

 

Regardless, LFC fans didn't give the man a chance and wanted him out from the off. This from a set of fans who pride themselves on giving managers, players, owners etc. their 100% backing, even if one of those players racially abused someone. Or rather they like to portray the image that they do.

 

Unless you're Roy Hodgson of course. Or Hicks and Gillett!

 

Ironically, many a LFC fan has accused us Toon fans of hounding out managers.

 

If you had Pardew as your manager, there would be f***ing hell on in the streets of the red half of Liverpool. Come back to me when your manager says "thank god we won't be in Europe next season" or that we should all turn up for the final home game of the season in fancy dress for staying up. Come back to me when your owner renames Anfield, plasters it with s*** and regards cups as an inconvenience. Come back to me when you've had Dennis Wise as your DOF and Kinnear your manager.

 

Your problem, as fans, is you're all spoiled. if Hodgson was replacing Shankly or Paisley and taking over the all conquering Liverpool then fair enough but he was replacing someone who underachieved in the main, someone who spent a s*** load on players and a club that last looked capable of winning a title 20 years ago. A club whose ceiling is more the top 6 than the top 4 given City's money and how well ran Spurs are. Forget the title. You have as much chance of that as we do.

 

Sorry but I have little time for the bleeding heart stuff.

 

Fetch the popcorn Pards...

 

http://mrwgifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Anderson-Cooper-Popcorn-Gif-While-Live-On-CNN.gif

 

 

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bitter dipper is bitter.

 

Hope he manages your lot after the WC, and I look forward to see your opinion on him after a couple of months.

 

Yous didn't really give him a chance. He is a proven manager, not a great manager, but he has something about him.

 

We can only dream of getting someone as good as Roy :lol:

 

What do you reckon Roy's ceiling as Liverpool manager would have been?

 

I really dislike the portion of our fan base who still hold grudge against him and use anything to bash him with...but this didn't give a chance thing is wrong IMO.

 

Roy replaced a man of Rafa Benitez' calibre because the latter didn't get top 4 for one season, so Roy was expected to steady the ship and guide us high. Yet from the moment he arrived, he started with lowering the expectations, instilling the small-club mentality, and looking defeatist in every press confrence.

 

After winning at Trabzonspor away from home:

"This is a historic win"

 

After losing at Goodison playing abjectly:

"I thought it was our best performance of the season"

 

On fan protests against Hicks/Gillete in September, where the club was near Administration

"Those distraction really don't help"

 

After his first away win @ Bolton:

"It's very hard to get an away win in the Premier League. I mean, you may get a couple here and there like today, but in the end it's the level of performance that counts"

 

On Liverpool's chances of beating United at Old Trafford:

"A win there will be an utopia"

 

On critics when the team was hovering around the relegation zone:

"I have 36 years of experience, and my methods have translated from Hamstede, to Malmo, to Xermes, to Switzerland national team, to UAE, etc...so I won't change after all. My record is up there for everyone to see" In that interview, he put himself in the same calibre as SAF.  :kasper:

 

On league cup home defeat to Northampton town:

"Northampton are a very solid and formidable opponent. The younger players were a wee bit disappointed and need to take the blame. I'll make 11 changes to the side for the next game"

 

Not to mention his first and priority signings were Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen and Paul Konchesky (giving away Kacalicnic to Fulham plus 5M in this one).

 

----------

I don't think you can blame our fan base for not liking the man. He replaced a club legend to "steady the ship" but his lack of ambition was Pardew-esque. As I said before, I don't hate the guy, he is a very decent manager for mid-table club level if all you want to do is to stay in PL, with the occasional top half finish and cup run. Then Hodgson is your man !! I wish him well for the WC. But he really isn't a nice guy.

 

His ceiling is probably top 6. As for his comments. Honestly, as an outsider, none of that compares to the stuff Dalglish used to spout, especially around the whole Suarez racism saga. Even Rafa spouted some bat crazy s*** man.

 

Regardless, LFC fans didn't give the man a chance and wanted him out from the off. This from a set of fans who pride themselves on giving managers, players, owners etc. their 100% backing, even if one of those players racially abused someone. Or rather they like to portray the image that they do.

 

Unless you're Roy Hodgson of course. Or Hicks and Gillett!

 

Ironically, many a LFC fan has accused us Toon fans of hounding out managers.

 

If you had Pardew as your manager, there would be f***ing hell on in the streets of the red half of Liverpool. Come back to me when your manager says "thank god we won't be in Europe next season" or that we should all turn up for the final home game of the season in fancy dress for staying up. Come back to me when your owner renames Anfield, plasters it with s*** and regards cups as an inconvenience. Come back to me when you've had Dennis Wise as your DOF and Kinnear your manager.

 

Your problem, as fans, is you're all spoiled. if Hodgson was replacing Shankly or Paisley and taking over the all conquering Liverpool then fair enough but he was replacing someone who underachieved in the main, someone who spent a s*** load on players and a club that last looked capable of winning a title 20 years ago. A club whose ceiling is more the top 6 than the top 4 given City's money and how well ran Spurs are. Forget the title. You have as much chance of that as we do.

 

Sorry but I have little time for the bleeding heart stuff.

 

Bollocks. Hodgson was our manager in 2010. 1 year after we came second in the league with 86 points  (point tally that would have won 7 titles since formation of Premier League in 1992) and were first in UEFA coefficient rankings. City weren't even a top 4 side then, and Spurs had just managed their first top 4 finish in god knows how long. The gap was minimal. It's so easy to re-write history.

 

Hodgson replaced a CL winner, FA Cup winner, UEFA Cup winner and 2 times La Liga winner. It was an abject appointment because of his Fulham time. No one in English football even bothered with Hodgson when the entire of 2000 decade he was all over the place in the world, last managing Finland national team in 2007.

 

And no. I don't want to compare ourselves with you. With no disrespect, It's always better to compare yourself with those better than you than ones below you. That's when you get to grow and improve. Despite our abjectness in the last  2 decades, we've still won 1 CL, 1 Uefa Cup, 3 FA cups, and 4 League Cups in our "misery days" since the 90s. It's in a completely different league than 95% of the teams in the football division in the same time period.

 

Benitez was sacked because he failed to get the team in Top 4. Hodgson replaced him to do better. Did he fuck ?! Not to mention he played some of the worst football I've ever seen from a Liverpool side, consistently bashed the fans and players and laid blame on anyone but himself.

 

And yea, I am glad that our "internet terrorist" fans acted against our shitty owners and hounded them out, or else we'd be in championship or league 1 now, after going into Administration pulling a Rangers with 400M debt. RBS was 2 days away from giving up on receiving payments and putting the club in administration when John Henry bought the club despite Hicks' claims (and the law suit that followed and was rejected).

 

As for the comments, (Solely speaking about football), a manager's mentality translates into his players. Rafa's first interview when becoming manager in 2004 was : "I have come here to win. I want to win a lot of matches, and make history in this football club." Sorry for having some ambition.

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Honestly, I f***ing love me a World Cup and will watch as many games as humanly possible, but for the most part the football in itself is pretty crap. Sides are usually *very* conservative given the competition format (concede a goal and you could be already out), and international sides aren't as fluid as club sides due to the lack of playing time throughout the season.

 

This isn't going to aid games in the tropics where it'll be ridiculous temps/humidity either. Going to be slow games.

 

Have to think that benefits the defensive-minded squads.

 

And unfavourable to sides whose game isn't based on possession football. [/ = England will be slowly simmered into submission]

 

You'd imagine so, be a lot of get the first goal and pack up shop types. Who knows, it'll all be class though because it's World f***ing Cup.

 

---

 

Be good if some of the ridiculous teams draw each other: Holland, Chile, Bosnia, Ghana and the likes. All out attack regardless of who/what the prize is.

Will it really be that warm? I've never been to South America and don't know much of their climate, but it was funny in 2010 to hear commentators talking about how much effect the heat would have when June/July are the coolest time are year for most of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa is cold to begin with. Brazil is in the southern hemisphere as well.

 

The games in the southern cities should have perfect weather (high teens, low 20s). Should be a lot hotter up north. I can't imagine Manaus will be pleasant, right in the middle of the jungle and almost on the equator).

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On the whole weather thing..... English people would find African weather exceedingly hot and on the other side i imagine people from South Africa would find our weather very cold.

 

I could use other examples, i'm half Spanish and my dad's side of my family all live in Rojales ( for those who don't know its a village in province of Alicante) and i have seen many people wearing jumpers in 20 degree weather.

 

Its about what your mind and body is accustomed to, some people might find it laughable but when you are not used to such heat its not a laughing matter.

 

I'm sure the weather in Brazil will be quite normal for some, but not for us and other countries in the surrounding areas of ourselves.

 

With that said i wouldn't use it as an excuse if we go out early for what ever reason but at the end of the day heat is down to what you are used to.

 

 

 

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:lol: So true.

 

I remember seeing my mate's photos of his holiday on Martinique. It was "winter" there, and all the photos have him running around in shorts and a t-shirt while all the locals are wrapped up in puffer jackets, hunching their shoulders against the cold.

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Was a nice, open enough game yesterday. The amount of space that was given to Poland on the counter attack was worrying mind, any good team would have punished England for that (reminded me of NUFC).

 

Job done though and now it's the case of properly turning up next year. No more shit tournaments.

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bitter dipper is bitter.

 

Hope he manages your lot after the WC, and I look forward to see your opinion on him after a couple of months.

 

Hodgson isn't the most dynamic personality, but his sides have always played passing football and been fairly well organised. I think he suffered badly following Rafa at Liverpool, because Rafa's formation and playing style were very European and most of the Liverpool team  had a hard time adjusting to Roy's very English 4-4-2.

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L'pool was too big for Hodgson. He signed Konchesky ffs.

 

SAF has signed worse players than Konchesky, to be fair. Hodgson's better than Liverpool.

 

keeping my fingers crossed he gets England to semis in Brazil, and hopefully takes over from Moyes in Manchester in summer.

 

Utopia

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bitter dipper is bitter.

 

Hope he manages your lot after the WC, and I look forward to see your opinion on him after a couple of months.

 

Hodgson isn't the most dynamic personality, but his sides have always played passing football and been fairly well organised. I think he suffered badly following Rafa at Liverpool, because Rafa's formation and playing style were very European and most of the Liverpool team  had a hard time adjusting to Roy's very English 4-4-2.

 

 

Haven't followed his 36 year managerial career, but his stint with us was anything but.

 

Ordering Reina to kick the ball upfield instead of rolling it to defenders, using Carragher as RB to accomodate Kyrgiakos-Skrtel CB partnership. Playing Meireles as a traditional Right winger, and Ngog as a battering ram  :lol: centre forward.

 

The home loss vs. Wolves on Boxing day of '10 was one of the worst Liverpool performance I've seen. On par with 2-0 loss at Fratton Park in Rafa's final season and 2-0 loss at SJP under Dalglish.

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2009/10  Benitez  (sold Xabi Alonso)    7th

2010/11  Hodgson (sold Mascherano)  7th (Aug - Jan)

2010/11  Dogleash                                6th (Jan - May)

2011/12  Dogleash                                8th

2012/13  Rodgers                                  7th

 

Yet Woy is hated there and the other three are idolised. I don't get it.

 

 

 

PS/ That story in 'The Sun' is ridiculous. What a horrible paper.

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