Angry Fans
God bless those enthusiastic little muppets from Celtic. If it wasn't for their unquenchable lust for the game, this Euro-group would have been a total snooze-fest.
It might suit our purpose better to start playing when the game begins and not just when our backs are firmly against the wall. We were complacent and Wigan deserved their lead.
Frank Lampard made it into the top 10 of all time Chelsea appearances with 380, equal with Peter Osgood. He also made it to the top 10 in the Premiership.
Despite having the better of the chances, the gods dictated that it wasn’t to be. The world saw a first in football as Richardson managed to hit the post three times from one free kick and then we were treated to the familiar sight of refereeing incompetency. ....’’
COME here to me Liam, it's that time of year again. The Dublin media, after
its fruitless fellating of the flaccid league of Ireland ends in failure, turn
to swamping us with hype about English soccer.
I mean, what does hard-pressed
Joe Sixpack think when he sees some of his federal taxes being used to buy bling
and wag bags around Manchester.
Meanwhile up in the corporate box, a man who
ran this countrys economy like a pyramid scheme is counting the coppers
from his latest dig out. With the whole rotten edifice of international capitalism
collapsing down around us, the gaudy bauble at the top that is English soccer
will fall the furthest and shatter the most. It is a bubble like the South Sea
bubble and the tulip bubble, run by greedy, venal, corrupt spivs, who are going
to get their come-uppance real soon. And then what will the hype merchants in
the dublin media do?
Oh I nearly forget, there is always The Dubs
Not to worry, I always forget
the Dubs too. By the way, hasn't Joe Sixpack given way to Joe the Plumber in the
squad rotation system? Not to worry, you've cheered me up immensely with your
apocalyptic vision. I mean, it sounds like things can only get better. Roll on
the compromise rules yoke, eh? And do write again soon, Stanley, I like your style.
LIAM re the coin-throwing incident at Villa Park at the weekend when the
refs assistant was hit. If that had been a European game then the ground
would certainly be closed as a punishment. Perhaps the same rules should be applied
to the Premier League. I can guarantee that this would stamp out moronic behaviour
because the crowds would become more self-policing.
IT seems that someone tried seriously to injure Harry
Redknapp at the weekend as he was marking his 25 years in football as a manager.
Probably the same type of people who he complained about for talking filth
when he was at Villa Park last season. Aston Villa fans must know who threw that
coin. If the club gets away with simply handing out a life ban then
a chance will be missed to send out an important message about crowd behaviour
and proper standards.
Ground closure? I have a problem with the many being punished for the sins of
the few or, indeed, in this case, the one. Find him and ban him.
LIAM
-- are you enjoying the delicious irony in the fact that the club which introduced
the benighted position of Director of Football to league football now seems to
be heading for relegation because of that very reason. As far as I understand
it, it was Alan Sugar who thought this would be a good idea at Tottenham (ok,
he also thought that Christian Gross would be a good manager), and look how that
has ended up. Perhaps Spurs should borrow his famous catchphrase and direct it
towards the board: Youre fired.
Dublin Lilywhite, by email
IF Spurs are looking for heads to roll after their dismal start they should look
to no other than Daniel Levy. He's the one that got them into this mess. PS Modric
wouldn't get his game in a League of Ireland side. He's too weak.
SO, the curse of Robbie Keane seems to be working then .
. . Coventry, Wolves, Leeds all relegated after he left them, and Spurs well on
the way. Better keep him chained in the boot room at Liverpool so.
No so much One Day Ramos as
One Season Ramos, perhaps. Call me mad but I think Spurs will actually turn this
around. (Readership: "Okay then, you're mad").
CARLO Cudicini
clocked up his 100th clean sheet for Chelsea at the weekend in the Massacre of
Middlesbrough. Difficult to think of a better second string in top grade football
over the past five years. I used to think that Given and Harper were a very strong
pairing before they became shell-shocked playing behind the likes of Titus Bramble
and Boumsong.
Any day now, Scolari will do his impersonation of a deep Scottish burr and declare:
the best two teams in London - Chelsea and Chelsea reserves.
LIAM, did
we not see a good example at the weekend of why theres a problem with the
Respect campaign, the terrible inconsistency of refereeing at the
highest level in the Premier League.
Im talking about the different
policies applied to the role of the defending wall at free-kicks. At Craven Cottage,
where Sunderland were unlucky not to win, we saw all sorts of underhand tricks
going on in the wall -- pushing, shoving, line-breaking, even a Vinnie Jones
squeeze on Pascal Chimbonda by Jimmy Bullard.
At Anfield Wigan, defending
a dubiously-awarded free-kick, broke the line and a yellow card was awarded against
Valencia who was subsequently sent off for a second yellow, changing the course
of the game in Liverpools favour.
One of these decisions was just plain
wrong. Either someone should have been booked at Fulham, or the yellow card should
not have been awarded at Anfield. Referees are not enthusiastic amateurs. The
Elite Group are highly-rewarded, full-time, members of the game with
a highly-vocal representative organisation. As we live in an era with a high risk
of litigation from discontented clubs, is it too much to ask that the officials
can at least apply a common set of rules.
We've been here many times before, Anthony,
but for putting it well have out Letter of the Week prize
WHAT sort of
odds do you think you might have got for a free kick striking the woodwork three
times before nestling safely in the goalkeepers arms? I have never seen
anything as unlucky (from an attacking point of view) as Kieran Richardsons
free kick on Saturday. What about you, Liam?
What's luck got to do with it? If he'd
done it right, it would have gone in. Good lord, I'm beginning to turn into Keano.
Speaking of whom...
LIAM did we see the opening shots last week
in the Great War of Roy Keanes Contract 2008/2009. What are your thoughts
of Keano being at the Stadium of Light at the start of next season?
Bearing in mind that
it was the mother of all shocks that he ended up in Sunderland in the first place,
who could dare to confidently predict if he'll stay or if he'll go?
GIVEN
all the focus on the spending power of clubs, particularly with the elevation
of Manchester City into the ranks of the rich, its really good to see that
its still possible for clubs, with intelligent scouting, to pick up players
at bargain prices who can make a real impact on the Premier League.
Who would
have said at the start of the season that the terror of EPL defences would be
an Egyptian centre-forward called Zaki out on loan at Wigan. Or that one of the
stand-out midfielders would be an ageing, converted, Brazilian right-back called
Juliano Belletti who was picked up for a song last season?
There are plenty
of big names, but plenty of scope for others too. Thats why I think Manchester
City may find it far more difficult to break through than Chelsea did. The bar
has been raised, but so have standards. Money wont necessarily lower it.
Ah, but what about
lack of money? Have a red card for failing for striking an optimistic note in
these Armageddon times. (See where we came in...).
