Also wrt United and creative midfielders, don't think it's a coincidence that United have gone from awesome to workmanlike since Cleverly got injured, he looked an excellent player. Rooney's barren spell is going weirdly uncommented on in the media as well.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 4 December 2011 19:31 (twelve years ago) link
Kranjcar injured I think and it's looking like Pienaar is just not destined to happen for Spurs through no fault of his own, unless there's an injury.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 4 December 2011 19:33 (twelve years ago) link
a great manager has to find ways to keep squad players fresh and interested i think, it's alright picking yr best XI week in week out but sooner or later you're gonna need to bring other guys in who can hit the ground running
― Julie Lagger, Sunday, 4 December 2011 19:37 (twelve years ago) link
i've never liked mo'n. the guy is an above average guy who leaves before the shit hits the fan and everyone notices he spent way too much money to be above average.
xp
― big popppa hoy, Sunday, 4 December 2011 19:38 (twelve years ago) link
also did no-one else watch/have any problems w/ close-hd lawro and his tongue? or have you guys just got used to it by now?
you've described villa o'neill, but no other o'neill afaict
And villa sold a lot of o'neill buys for a lot of money, he was unlucky not to make cl with that group imo
― Sad Banter (p much resigned to deems), Sunday, 4 December 2011 19:44 (twelve years ago) link
What's the deal with his tongue?
xposts. Reckon Martinez could manage this Likeable XI? Seriously, I can't remember ever seeing an interview with him that didn't make me go "AWW!"
― Chris, Sunday, 4 December 2011 19:57 (twelve years ago) link
Half-time in Brazil and it's:
Corinthians 0-0 PalmeirasVasco da Gama 1-0 Flamengo
Makes it Vasco's title by a single goal if I've got my sums right. Ismaelinho's getting his bottle then I'll be settling down with that lot for the denouement.
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 19:58 (twelve years ago) link
He kept sticking it out, licking his lips, generally looking like he didn't have control of it. Was srs creepy.
― big popppa hoy, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:02 (twelve years ago) link
I also remember hating his Leicester team, if that means anything.
― big popppa hoy, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:04 (twelve years ago) link
not really.
Martinez is likeable and i know nobody serious who dislikes him.
― Julie Lagger, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:09 (twelve years ago) link
h8 that dude
― Sad Banter (p much resigned to deems), Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:14 (twelve years ago) link
na not really
Red card for Palmeiras' No.10, as if it wasn't poised enough. Looked like an insanely violent challenge at first, sadly replays reveal it was just a 50/50 with an extremely awkward coming-together after the ball had been nicked away.
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:16 (twelve years ago) link
vidic's mum commentary imo
― Sad Banter (p much resigned to deems), Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:19 (twelve years ago) link
Goal for Flamengo
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:19 (twelve years ago) link
Huge Socrates flag floating by in the Corinthians game, towed by a massive bunch of black-and-white balloons. Nice touch, soon to be seen at the Venky's.
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:22 (twelve years ago) link
take a lot of balloons to carry Steve Kean out of the ground i think
― Julie Lagger, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:23 (twelve years ago) link
10-man Palmeiras indulging in insane (but v skilful) showboating across the edge of their own box a moment ago. David Luiz phenomenon suddenly making a lot more sense.
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:25 (twelve years ago) link
Corinthians' winger just pulled the Mata-on-Albiol trick for real. I'd never been able to work it out until now.
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:31 (twelve years ago) link
(It's a shift-right, drag-back-left and stepover with the right foot, then flicked back right with right again behind the standing foot as it runs across the body btw)
Both Vasco & Corinthians have a man sent off and Palmeiras hit the post. It's Corinthians' league atm, Vasco need a goal.
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:41 (twelve years ago) link
Rooney's barren spell is going weirdly uncommented on in the media as well
Yeah, though it's not a simple case of him losing form again. Partly due to Cleverly getting injured (and the lack of fit / in form central midfield replacements) and party due to a post-City-mauling defence-first mentality, Ferguson's been playing Rooney either in midfield or as a 'striker' lying so deep he might as well be in midfield. He's actually been looking alright in that position and was spraying some Beckhamesque long passes around yesterday, but it does seem a waste of him (especially as goals are so scarce for United at the moment). Having said that, he fucked up Welbeck's 'goal' by delaying the pass for far, far too long so that Welbeck was eventuall offside. He's not looked so sharp in terms of getting goals recently, but that late volley yesterday would have been a great goal (if it had actually gone in instead of over).
― The Artist Formerly Known As Teh HoBB, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:55 (twelve years ago) link
Brawls in both games simultaneously now
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:55 (twelve years ago) link
Ha, channel 1 cut to channel 2 for the fight action in game B, only for channel 2 to cut immediately to channel 1 coverage to see the fight in game A
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 20:58 (twelve years ago) link
All over, Corinthians win the title
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 21:01 (twelve years ago) link
I never watch Brazilian Serie A except at the sharp end, but it's amazing whenever I have watched it. All being well economically (a big if), this'll be the league that bursts the EPL's bubble imo.
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 21:03 (twelve years ago) link
Rafa v.d. Vaart crying his guts out on Dutch telly tonight, confronted with video messages by his family and friends etc (amongst whom is Sneijder)
He also says he doesn't think, even though he is pleased right now, Spurs is the ceiling and he has dreams of bigger clubs.
Just reporting to my favorite sandbox board I Love Spurs
― lebateauivre, Sunday, 4 December 2011 21:11 (twelve years ago) link
Oh, and RIP 'Doctor' Socrates :-(
― lebateauivre, Sunday, 4 December 2011 21:12 (twelve years ago) link
lol i'd happily sell vdv for 20m or w/e, long may we be a stepping stone from madrid bench to milan bench or wherever if it works out as well as this one
― Sad Banter (p much resigned to deems), Sunday, 4 December 2011 21:17 (twelve years ago) link
What's he crying about?
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 21:18 (twelve years ago) link
He's touched by his grandparents from Valencia msg and a msg from his parents who escaped living in a trailer park where he grew up because of his money, and he's crying because his parents said summat about his wife's cancer episode.
So a lot of crying, yes. But sincere crying tbh
― lebateauivre, Sunday, 4 December 2011 21:20 (twelve years ago) link
Got a stream for that?
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 21:22 (twelve years ago) link
poor dude, man i'd hate to be a millionaire in a part time job doing something im passionate about at a p successful workplace i agreed to in one of the best cities in the world
xp ok forgot abt cancer etc
ik thanks for the liveblogging!
― big popppa hoy, Sunday, 4 December 2011 21:23 (twelve years ago) link
No worries, it was top entertainment tbh
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 4 December 2011 21:25 (twelve years ago) link
lol
i'll find a gif of those tears streaming down his face, i'm sure of it
― lebateauivre, Sunday, 4 December 2011 21:54 (twelve years ago) link
Future Ballon d'Or 2011 winner Lionel Messi joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi in the shortlist for the Fifa Ballon d'Or 2011.
― James, Monday, 5 December 2011 10:45 (twelve years ago) link
have a sneaky suspicion it'll go to xavi as a kind of lifetime achievement award
― big popppa hoy, Monday, 5 December 2011 10:49 (twelve years ago) link
bobby charlton fave for next year
― Sad Banter (p much resigned to deems), Monday, 5 December 2011 10:51 (twelve years ago) link
ok well he also was a p important player in a team winning the triple and destroying utd in the cl final, i dont mean it like when giggs won poty
― big popppa hoy, Monday, 5 December 2011 10:52 (twelve years ago) link
'an important player', sure, but messi
― Sad Banter (p much resigned to deems), Monday, 5 December 2011 10:55 (twelve years ago) link
But Barcelona are not a one man team, unlike some
― Tony Hart land (Deep in the Tony Hart land), Monday, 5 December 2011 11:01 (twelve years ago) link
why whatever d'you mean
― Sad Banter (p much resigned to deems), Monday, 5 December 2011 11:02 (twelve years ago) link
It's a voting award though iirc, which means tokenism is out
(James - am I right that the Emirates is ticket-free? How does it work? Do you swipe your card to gain entry?)
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 5 December 2011 11:06 (twelve years ago) link
you whisper 'arsene knows' to the gatekeeper
― Sad Banter (p much resigned to deems), Monday, 5 December 2011 11:34 (twelve years ago) link
RVP lets you in personally
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 5 December 2011 11:36 (twelve years ago) link
then Gervinho shows you five yards wide of your seat
― Julie Lagger, Monday, 5 December 2011 11:37 (twelve years ago) link
if Tony Adams tries to talk to you, you've gone too far and need to run back to the start
― big popppa hoy, Monday, 5 December 2011 11:39 (twelve years ago) link
The France striker and Brazil defender have been banned from using first-team facilities at the club’s training ground, with Anelka set to sign a £6.4million-a-year deal with Shanghai Shenhua in China.
Didn't Pandev and some other dudes in Italy sue the shit out of their clubs for doing something similar?
― big popppa hoy, Monday, 5 December 2011 11:43 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6DsNAJPlR-U
how much fog does it take to call off a game? because this carried on for 90 minutes.
― big popppa hoy, Monday, 5 December 2011 11:44 (twelve years ago) link
yeah i think it was some other lazio players too
it does seem really fucking classless and typical of that shower
― nakhchivan, Monday, 5 December 2011 11:45 (twelve years ago) link