"When will you get it into your head? You're not Mr T!"

Thats Mario fucked then
Only thing keeping him at City is Mancini

yeh but who will have him? he's such a liability and prone to such stupid acts that i dont know who will be willing to pay for a player like that. although that said quite a lot of players have been stupid and unruly and matured to the point where they can play week after week without decking the manager. he's entertaining at least so i hope he stays.

he can come to palace and be back up for Glen Murray

we need a few more decent strikers, Jermaine Easter hasn't really set our world alight!

i keep reading rumors of milan though

Ah another classic FA cup day already.

The lovely mixture of some shocks and no surprise. It's not all over yet but Fulham struggling to get a draw at Blackpool? Chelsea gently but cruelly nailing Southampton aint no surprise, but the best one is clearly Newcastle getting nailed by..Brighton. Brilliant.

That 8 year contract for Pardew still never fails to astound.

AND we have the United-West Ham game is on normal telly! Great. And if Hernandez is reading this-



I'm watching you...

Will Joe Cole be able to play today?

Gutted for West Ham. Then again I don't know why I still get surprised by these last minute goals.

And yes I noticed the set up by Hernandez and yes I noticed it was a bloody good run by him

Ah, that was rough. We looked OK. Joe Cole seemed to fit in nicely but inside I knew MU would equalise once we went ahead. No less horrible when it happened, though.


Berlusconi has just said he's not interested anymore. He's blaming Balotelli's immaturity but the reality is they're in bad financial shape; having to sell more than buy to balance their books. I think Man City are stuck with him unless they do a loan deal where they'll still pay some of his wages, but it's hard to think of any manager risking it even on those terms. He's young enough to hopefully rebuild his career in the future but it'd take a complete turnaround in personality and for the time being his career looks effectively dead.

Following the Ballon d'or awards online. Some awards given out so far:

Coach of the Year: Del Bosque (other nominees, Mourinho and Guardiola)

World XI:

GK: Iker Casillas

DEF: Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo.

MID: Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta.

ATT: Messi, Falcao, Ronaldo.

Still yet to announce the best player. Nominees are Messi, Ronaldo and Iniesta. Can't see anything other than another Messi win.

[Edit 1] Franz Beckenbauer just got some kind of special 'presidential' award, whatever that is.

[Edit 2] I didn't know it involved so many awards. I just thought it was for the best player. Uzbekistan's FA have just won the 'Fair Play' award for least amount of bookings in a season. This is better than the Oscars!

[Edit 3] And the goal of the year? This, apparently.

Damn Spanish teams taking over our football.

Ok so hypothetical question. If Ronaldo, Messi and Falcao were all on the same team do you reckon they could work well together? Or would it just end being like the supergroups you get in music ie/too much ego going on?

Sooo, Messi wins player of the year. (41% of votes to Ronaldo's 29%)


Doesn't Falcao play more as an out and striker than either Messi or Ronaldo? The bigger problem might be in trying to find a way for Ronaldo and Iniesta to work together.

Just seen the FIFA TOP 11. What a crock of shit. You're honestly telling me that there's no other player outside of Real and Barca (Falcao withstanding) who deserve to be on that list?

Not Hummels? Neymar? Fellaini? (I jest on the last one...slightly..)

hot damn those are some fancy pajamas!

i don't see a lot of ego in messi, but ronaldo... we all know about him. yet if they split the wings w/ falcao in the middle it would be pure murder for the opposing defense...



the other day w/ demonyo we were talking about defenders yeah? he didn't like either pique or sergio ramos if i recall. i find ramos annoying as shit, but gotta admit he's really good. is he the best though? that list looks fucking inbred. i'd put hummels or lahm but lahm vs. dani alves... hm... i dont watch barca enough.

neymar is a pussy and he needs to be tested in big teams to see if he can perform under pressure. it's easy to dance when you face a 2nd rate defense.

it would be sad for the rest of the world if barcelona/ real madrid make the champions final (haven't yet examined fixtures to see if it's possible).

For champions league final I honestly think a german side will be one of them.

Yeah that's gonna be one of them suits where he'll look back, if not tomorrow then certainly in 7 years time and think "...what the frig was I wearing?"

I like Ramos, and Piquet. I just don't think either of them are especially outstanding. Very good, yes, obviously, but I'd be surprised if we end up looking back at them as being anything more than that. As we've chatted about, changes in rules and a general infatuation with Barca/Spain-style midfields have altered the defender's role massively, so my problem is trying to square new methods and approaches with more outdated ones. Although I do still think that too many of today's supposedly great defenders are falling down on some pretty fundamental stuff when they're required simply to defend (proven by a player like Marcello making the FIFA XI).


I suppose the argument is if they were that good, they'd be playing for either Real or Barcelona. I obviously don't agree with that but I suppose there is at least a grain of truth to it. I'm inclined to agree about Hummels, though. And Lahm should arguably be in there ahead of either Alves or Marcello, two players definitely riding on the coat tails of their teams' successes.

Meanwhile, let the hysteria and speculations begin ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...-pep-guardiola

Personally, despite the English press playing it down, I think he may well go to Bayern.

oh, guardiola at bayern could be awesome! heynckes is purportedly retiring at the end of this season so that would be great. how well could he adapt to language/culture is another story, but if he can--- awesome. and if a german team won the champions-- that would be such vindication of their league.

re: the ranks, i think the results from the euros play a big part on these choices. it's like "pirlo-- awesome. but he didn't win the euro!" so that plays a big part-- was watching some spaniard comment on it on tv yesterday and not sure why he was an authority on the subject but he kept bringing up the euros vs. say the champions.

oh, lots to do today and it's 9am! i wish i have more time to comment & reply to the defenders thing..... but quickly i'll ask-- so you think it's more than simply an environmental/change of tactics/offside rule and it's just a matter of individual talent? k gtg...

It makes sense. Bayern can afford him and I think Germany's less hysterical media (at least compared to England's) would appeal to him. He's not someone who seems to like the media spotlight so if he thought it was tough in Spain I can't see him liking it here. Plus, with the likelihood of Mourinho returning, I wonder if he'd be up for another prolonged dose of the kind of mind-games that contributed to his taking a sabbatical in the first place.


Chelsea made the CL impossible to base anything on this year - as happened to the Euros when Greece won it. The problem with Pirlo isn't with Pirlo, or Italy but the fact that he's likely competing with Xavi (not Xabi-Alonso, as some have claimed), surely one of the greatest central midfielders ever. I do think Marcello and Alves are there because of the teams they play for but in terms of midfield and forwards, and goalkeeper, I think the FIFA XI pretty much writes itself. A second XI would've almost been more interesting, with players like Zlatan, Ozil, Bale, Pirlo, Ribery, Yaya Toure, Van Persie, Aguero, etc all challenging in a much closer contest.


No, I've no reason to believe Ramos is less talented than some of the legendary defenders of the past, just that the way the game has gone means his purely defensive talents are no longer as strongly developed as they would've been in previous more defence-minded eras. Defenders now seem to be judged on different things, much of which aren't strictly defending. So it can be no coincidence that most of my very favourite defenders were products of the catenaccio system and that the current defenders I tend to like are those who still evoke that system to some degree, say Vidic or Chiellini. But that's just taste and I'd certainly say a player like Lahm far better reflects what's now expected of a defender and is certainly greater than either of those in the context of his (and their) time.

Edit: Sorry for the stupidly long reply. I'm doing all I can to avoid things I should be doing for work right now.

SYG, fuelling procrastination since 2006.

we were talking at work about this and picked our "other" team to play fifa's world11

it-went-a-little-something-like-this
Joe Hart
(couldn't pick a right back).Kompany.Vidic.Lahm
we argued about the midfield although we agreed on Pirlo and Yaya Toure and one other (someone said Gerrard)
then up front we had a three of David Silva.Zlatan.Aguero



we argued about whether Vidic could be in a world's best of 2012/13 when he hasn't played much, and we argued whether Tevez was better than Aguero. And we argued whether Yaya Toure would sit or push on. we argued alot and didn't really come up with anything. and they wouldn't let me have Nathaniel Clyne at right back

I can't say i've much of him aside from watching Germany but surely Laahm can fit in the right-back category?

And as much as I hate Gerrad he's always reliable and ACTUALLY I'd say tehre's a good case for Lampard.

I'd go with:
GK: Hart
DF: Chiellini; Kompany; Hummels; Lahm
MF: Pirlo; Busquets; De Rossi
FW: Zlatan; Di Natale; Van Persie

i'd put neuer as goalkeeper in the "vs." team. i mean, joe hart is a wall, but neuer doubles up as defender, haa haa ha. the fucker is crazy that way. plus he can shoot a mean penalty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ3-5eGH9PU

watch in "mute"!

Yeah, you're right. Neuer for Hart. Last season I'd have maybe even taken Hart over Casillas but he's having a bit of a dip at the moment (saying that, Casillas isn't even getting picked at Real - although clearly for non footballing reasons).

Anyway, FA Cup, great, but we'll only know it's really back when the songs return

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcy3gwwxat4

BREAKING: Suarez won't shake hands with any of Man United players this Sunday as he doesn't want to risk any injury to his goal scoring hand.

yes, you might hate him, but you gotta admit, he's always entertaining

I'm with Symbols. Suarez is great. And even entertainment aside, given the whole package, would you honestly not want him at Everton? I'd love him at West Ham. Especially today.

Aye I'm not gonna deny he's a great player. And he'd be an assest for any team he plays for.

Shame he's a cheat who-no matter what the usual columnist in the papers say (Ian Wright, Shearer et al.)-deserves all the flack he gets. No smoke without fire and all that.

I do wonder how much longer he'll be willing to go on not winning trophies at Liverpool.

Well even though Liverpool lost (punches the air) I'll say they wont have to worry too much about the second half of the season. After a shocking first half by Liverpool the second really showed some muscle. Already Sturridge and Suarez seem to be working incredibly well together.

:eek::eek::eek:

have to work today (just catching a break at the moment) so i won't be able to watch the games till tomorrow (maybe)-- but i caught the main action in the news shows. looks pretty good-- interesting in seeing that 2nd half when liverpool reportedly dominated.

Oh, and may I say, Kompany fucking rules. Pure class:

1. Vincent Kompany ‏@VincentKompany
   Ultimately I'm a defender: Appeal may work or not. I will never pull out of a challenge, as much as I will never intend to injury a player.
   
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2. 8h
   
    
   Vincent Kompany ‏@VincentKompany
   About the tackle: If the ball is overrun by the opponent and a 50/50 challenge occurs, collision is inevitable. pic.twitter.com/iOQTIY5J
   
   View photo
   
   </div>
3. 8h
   
    
   Vincent Kompany ‏@VincentKompany
   First. Massive congrats to our team and fans, great game! Also. No grudges against the referee, I understand the difficulty of the job. :-)
   
   Expand
   
   </div>

Yeah, love Kompany. The red card was absurd and has undoubtedly fueled calls to bring in replays. It was a perfect tackle. The same thing happened to him last year, against Man U. And if it isn't just a mistake by the referees and they're just following the rules, then the rules have become ridiculous.

So, it's Guardiola to Bayern.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...n-munich-coach

What now for Chelsea? Still can't see Mourinho going back there, or Roman giving it to Benitez permanently. Interesting times.

oooooooooooooooooooooohhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, it's a great move for both Bayern and Pep. I think he'll eventually go to Man Utd when Fergie retires and this keeps him 'clean' until then. And it'll be fascinating to see how he works outside of Barca. There's still a lot of question marks around him, I think.

Just heard a rumour that Chelsea might be after Klopp. Don't know if there's anything in it, though.

jeezus! and become abramovich's plaything? i sure hope not.

Awesome. There was not a cat-in-hells chance he was gonna come to England with our levels of press intrusion.

And like demonrail said it'll be interesting if he can do managing outside of Barca, which to be fair might as well have been "just go out there and 'oof the ball to Messi, right?"