Archives for “Football”
If England’s game against Algeria had been a Wimbledon tennis match, the two sides would still be at it today with the Dutch Master Johan Cruyff declaring it the greatest example of Total Crap Football ever played. Both sets of players would be awarded (honorary) knighthoods for their part in simulating Barnsley versus Grimsby Town [...]
Fabio Capello’s master plan to take England to the World Cup final is finally taking shape. On the evidence seen so far, truly it is something of a fantasy. The sorry bunch of posers (Wayne Rooney, our only hope and Sid Vicious-like talisman ready to self-destruct at any moment, excepted) that represent our once proud [...]
1. We don’t have any goalkeepers who are not proven to be accidents waiting to happen. James, Green, Foster, Robinson. OK, so there is the untested Joe Hart. 2. We don’t have any defenders who are fit or in form. Johnson, Ferdinand and Cole all injured. Terry playing like he has his pants down around [...]
Last season I was very pleased with my August predictions for the 2008-09 English Premier League. OK, I admit that I was a couple of points out with Liverpool’s lead at Xmas. But still, extremely satisfying. To give myself more chance of being right this time, I procrastinated long enough for almost half a season [...]
This is really a follow-up to my earlier Once A Red, Always A Red post from three and a half years ago. I was going to leave it as a comment to Andy’s reply to my original post, but figured it probably merited it’s own permalink! The only United match I’ve been to in recent [...]
Ok, so this would have been better if I’d posted it before the start of this season, but here goes! Back in August last year I made my predictions for the 2008-09 Premier League season, then at the half-way stage on Boxing Day I had a look to see how things were going. Now the [...]
Pompey Manager, Paul Hart: Chad: I really like Paul Hart as a football manager. He does great interviews, thoughtful with an understated, wry sense of humour and realism: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/8227381.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7889082.stm Posted via web from davidmarsden’s posterous
via mustbered.typepad.com Well, 755 self-assessed MUFC fans voted, including me. Having said that, I agree! I suppose I will have to do my own predictions for the season, soon…. Posted via web from davidmarsden’s posterous
I tried to Spot The Pie in last week’s edition of The Times in order to win a month’s supply of Brampton’s Pies. How many pies is that? I couldn’t find the damned thing anywhere, though. Who ate all the pies? Then I looked at The Times’ Football columnist Patrick Barclay.
Shocking news in the londonpaper tonight, which reveals Andy Murray’s new neighbours to be “Ashley and Cheryl Cole, John Terry and Didier Drogba”. Meanwhile, over the page, we were treated to the sight of JT apparently taking out his own son who then proceeds to dive in the manner of Didier Drogba!
Following Darren Fletcher’s unfair dismissal from the field of play due to a refereeing mistake, which will cost him a place in the final of the European Champions League, (along with plenty of others, no doubt) I wrote to UEFA, the competition’s organisers and self-appointed upholders of Fair Play to appeal. While I never really [...]
Dear M. Platini, Darren Fletcher’s dismissal from the field of play during last night’s UEFA Champion’s League semi-final second-leg against Arsenal is a travesty of justice and an insult to the great work that UEFA does in promoting fair play in its competitions. Fletcher was in fact mistaken for another player – a player who [...]
Back in August I made my predictions for the coming premier league season, so now at the half-way stage it’s a good time to see how things are going and to revise as necessary: 1. Man Utd – no reason to change anything here, although United do need to improve away from home in the [...]
This is my experience of Setanta Sports, posted here for amusement and catharsis. If it helps anyone else or contributes to their ultimate demise in any small way, then so much the better! I subscribed in November 2007 to watch occasional United games. Everything was pretty much ok and I got to see United play [...]
“Kaiserslautern were obviously missing bruised testicle victim – Youri Djorkaeff – and you feel one good ball from him could make all the difference.” From Nutshell – October 99 to November 99I was actually at this game (the first leg at White Hart Lane) and remember feeling quite deflated to discover during the pre-match announcement [...]
Ok, I’ve had a couple of glasses of Red. From tonight’s London Lite: Al Murray is Luiz Felipe Scolari’s new Assistant Coach. Mr Murray, 40, formerly known as Butch Peter, football blah blah blah. Now, how many Italian-speaking personnel are there at Chelsea? Cudicini? Mourinho? Shevchenko? Really, Ray’s skills would [...]
Is it just me or is Wayne’s so much bigger than Kanu’s? My predictions for the coming Premier League season: 1. Man Utd – SAF is confident, Ronaldo is still here, who can stop us?2. Chelsea – Maybe Cheslea can, but it will close again3. Liverpool – They will be 12 points clear in January, [...]
It’s often the case that what in one sense is an undeniable strength can at the same time also be a real or potential weakness. English football’s great history and tradition raises everyone’s expectations, yet the English football team must compete on an increasingly commercialised and sophisticated international playing field. We have more fans, more [...]
Sir Alex has apparently claimed that our current Manchester United squad is his strongest ever. Just looking at the size of it, you’d have to agree. Jonathan Stevenson at BBC Sport compares it to two of his previous squads – the Double Winners in 1994 and the Treble Champions in 1999 – and picks his [...]
gerrard as a toffee, originally uploaded by kendrak. So the Toffees got chewed over and thoughtfully played their number 3 and Scottish goalie to help us on our way to a vital three points and break Chelski hearts. Now, apparently, the Premier League will “probe Howard loan deal” to find out why United’s ex-’keeper didn’t [...]
I’m sure it’s only me, but I swear Jose must have enjoyed watching Columbo as a young boy growing up in Portugal…. It’s been a bit like that this season for United fans with Jose always on our tail even if at times appearing to stumble along before catching up with us right at the [...]
Frank Ribery? Gary Neville? Frank Ribery? Gary Neville?
Dudek Surprised to Be Off Polish Squad – New York Times: (also http://sports.bostonherald.com/soccer/view.bg?articleid=141199) Jerzy Dudek was the man in front of the net who helped Liverpool win last year’s Champions League final, saving two penalty kicks against AC Milan in the shootout to complete the comeback win.Robert Pires was a key player in Arsenal’s run [...]
Big Phil Scolari? Big Ron Hoddle? Reading Big Phil’s words of wisdom I think we got off lightly. Surely Scolari was an accident waiting to happen – an unfortunate cross between Glenn Hoddle and Ron Atkinson? But congratulations to the English media for bullying this guy out of the job before he even accepted it. [...]
“Is an all-foreign Arsenal bad for English football?“ But if all our top teams are made up of non-Englishmen….