Angry Fans
YOU FEEL that performance against the Italians will set us up nicely for the two-legged play off next month and that Trap will be happy with a point from the game. The question is whether he rewards Andy Reid's good form of late with a recall to the squad for the play- offs. Not at all surprised that FIFA changed the goalposts again as regards the format for the play-offs. However we should remain upbeat and optimistic.
WHO was the joker who put Every1’s a Winner on the PA system at Croke Park before the kick-off on Saturday night? What’s he going to do for an encore? So, you win again?
TOP marks to Trap. Easily our best performances in competition for at least half-a-dozen years. Good blend of old and new. We held the World Champions (or did they hold us) without some of our very best players, and a great night at Croker. What’s not to like?
CAMORANESI. His name is longer than he is tall. Just who was meant to be marking him at Croke Park on Saturday night?
THE seeding decision made a fortnight ago is typical Sepp Blatter. Pretend that everything’s above board and then mark the deck. How much longer is world football going to put up with this joker? It’s all about giving the likes of France and Portugal an additional chance to go through when, let’s face it, none of them deserve to after the qualifying campaigns they’ve run. Here’s to us and Greece then. The dark stuff and the ouzo, that will sort them out in South Africa.
Um, well, yes. Except that we want Greece in the play-offs, don't we?
THE Limeys can’t have too much to moan about can they? The Shevchenko we all remember from the Premier League missed the penalty following Green’s sending off, and then they diverted the ball past the replacement. Can’t blame any of that on a few fireworks on the pitch.
STEVEN Gerrard taking another rest before returning to league action I see? Unlike our own, dear, Wayne Rooney who is, no doubt, genuinely injured.
WERE England a bit short of flare against the Ukraine?
Ouch. Red card.
SO Barcelona might be in for Robinho in January. It’s all worked out very well for him since he left Madrid for the City of Manchester Stadium hasn’t it. The best he can hope to be at the Nou Camp is understudy to Messi, and that will be ok as long as he only plays at home. He’s played three times for Mark Hughes this season and is way behind Craig Bellamy. What a waste of money. City will be lucky to get half what they paid for him.
Feel the need to point out that the words "waste" and "money" do not compute at Eastlands.
SURE thing, the internet is going to grind to a halt because people want to watch Ukraine play England in a meaningless World Cup game. This was no test for the “future of sports broadcasting” because many more people were watching a proper match in Ireland, or even 'Strictly Come Dancing', than Capello’s plodders go through their routine in Dniprop-whereever. Put a proper match on there if you want to test the service.
If and when they get it right, will the IT crowd be shouting 'back of the 'net!'? (Awards self red card).
EMILE Heskey planning to leave Aston Villa to protect his chances of a call-up to the World Cup? You couldn’t make it up could you? If he can only score two goals in 19 starts for Martin O’Neill what makes him think his goals/games ratio is going to be any better at, say, Hull or Fulham or back at Wigan, which are going to be the kind of teams which come in for him. He’s always going to be a make-weight, ever has been since he left Leicester.
Have to say, it was always a bit of a puzzle to me how Heskey got to be an international striker in the first place.
SO Cesc Fabregas has Barça “DNA” according to Xavi. They really know how to spin a line on the Avenida Diagonal don’t they?
Used to be that players' blood ran red, blue, saffron or whatever the hell the colour of the shirt was. Now, it's all about their DNA. Read more in my thrilling new pamphlet: "The Evolution Of The Football Cliche".
I SEE some part of God’s anatomy is still working its magic in favour of Diego Maradona then? On the brink of going out then someone who hasn’t kicked a ball for Argentina for about a decade and who looks to be carrying enough timber to restock the rain forest gets a winner in a storm in injury time. Just how many miracles is that? Not that I’m sorry. I want both Messi and Ronaldo to be in South Africa. The World Cup just wouldn’t feel right without them.
And I want Maradona there. Just for the sublime madness of it all. Letter of the week prize winner.
PHIL THOMPSON called it right last week when he said that Gillett and Hicks, whatever their original motives, should now do the proper thing and sell up. Liverpool is decaying under their ownership and that will only diminish the price they can actually get for the club. It’s time for those two to show some of that famous American “can do” mentality and cut a deal with each other. The only way is down if they don’t.
Is it just me or is anyone else bored stupid with this life-sapping saga?
IT’S a bit too late for Fergie to apologise to Alan Wiley isn’t it? Presumably he’s doing so just to escape the consequences of a touchline ban. I’ve got a better idea though. They should race each other, one lap round Old Trafford. If Fergie wins then it’s honours even. But if Wiley beats him then Ferguson gets twice the normal length of ban. Seems fair to me. I think you could even sell that one on pay TV for more than you’d get for an England game.
THANK goodness United seem to have woken up about strengthening their squad in January. I don’t know if Igor Akinfeev is the answer in goal but it’s pretty clear that we’ve got a major problem with Ben Foster which isn’t going to get better any time soon. And if we have to pay a lot of money to sign David Villa to do the job that Michael Owen should be doing then that is going to be annoying as well. What exactly was Fergie doing this summer, other than counting the Ronaldo money. And while you’re at it pal, get some strong centre-half cover in for Ferdinand and Vidic.
Always nice to hear from Alan Wiley.
IT'S NOT as if Alex Ferguson never apologises. As someone pointed out this weekend he said sorry as recently as 1983 after his Aberdeen team had beaten (that's right, beaten) Glasgow Rangers at Hampden Park. Funny old "apology" though, that doesn't actually address the main point at issue - the so-called unfitness of Alan Wiley.
: I thought that love was never having to say you were sorry. I don't know who made that one up by the way, but they must have been living on the Planet Zog.
A FINE or ban will have little if any effect on Fergie. The FA should introduce a point deduction system. That would shut him up immediately.
Do you know, somehow I don't think it would. But hope springs eternal.
