maxxi

Έλα σας φυσαλίδες! (Come on you Bubbles!)

Re a decent striker; apparently Big Sam is interested in Yannick Sagbo from Evian, and as Harry was also looking at him The Irons might stand a chance of getting him if they strike before Spurs get a new boss. Oh, and has Modric already gone to your home team EP? ETA quote

COME DINE WITH ME Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > CASTING ENDS 25TH OF JUNE SO PLEASE GET IN TOUCH > WITH US ASAP Stop fucking shouting.

I also found his 'climb down' apology and seeming bewilderment about what his accountants and advisers had been doing with his money (beyond him being told it was all legal) a disappointment and would have liked to see a robust 'sod you' defence of his actions. As it is he obviously accepts he has erred and, as it was all legal, erred in a moral manner. Though we all know that there is a correlation between his earning power and the public's opinion/perception of him. But surely this kind of thing (cf Take That etc.) has always been with us going back to Harold Wilson's 95% supertax and pop stars and film stars et al leaving the country to avoid it' (Rod Stewart, David Bowie and even the Two Ronnies are among those who have left the country for tax reasons). So some have now found a way of avoiding it without the air travel - maybe we should be debating whether this is a good thing?

Czech.... pens Greece....90 France....AET Italy.....90 ETA: Un b?tard du contraire ? Mois??

I think there is more chance of the Irons staying up for a full Frankie Valli than Spurs matching last season's 4th place without Harry. Andre VB seems to be getting tetchy already... cue the double dutch gags...

I think he'll be disappointed by the cosmopolitan sophistication of Chadwell Heath too - maybe someone will loan him an old video of the Hammerettes?

About time WH benefited from a free agent instead of waving so many goodbye. Will go missing for the African Nations Cup of course but so many players from other teams are too. Not sure footballing reasons are behind the move tho- 'The truth about life in Wigan is there is nothing to do', Diame told a French football magazine. 'It is a cr*ppy place. The town is tiny and there is no atmosphere. I go into training, I return home, and that is all I do.' Diame also hit out at the town's female population: 'It is rare to see truly beautiful girls when you go out during the day,' he added. Okay - now, any chance of a striker Sam?

Jah Lush Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > "All that I know most surely about morality and > obligations I owe to football." Albert Camus. Typical goalie.

A canal

sorry - I'm not going to be drawn into one of your usual "I know better than everyone else" games - after all I fancied the Dutch to win and had the Greeks as dark horses so I obviously fail in the "deeper understanding" dept. I'm okay with that though. I'm happy with a superficial understanding and feel that assuming the mantle of England Manager, and confidently expressing my insights and judgements as such, is part of my birthright (albeit one that should be accompanied by lager and the shaking of a collective group of heads) and that the shallower my 'understanding' the more important it becomes to express my pov. I will, therefore, shamelessly continue to express my opinions and observations re the England team, the Greek playmakers, the Czech's defensive frailties and always round them off with a nod to German efficiency. I am certainly not a footballer so cannot judge what/who a footballer's footballer may be but when I meet one I shall ask. I am merely a watcher. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-sport004.gif

Undisputedtruth Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > @maxxi > > Milner's workrate and battling qualities led to > Carroll's goal. Milner and Young are both capable > players so I'll keep them. I was really referring to his performance against Ukraine - he may be just knackered or have shot his bolt for this tournament but whatever the reason he is a spent force and, I think, a potential liability. > I was the first to say > Young didn't have a great opening game but in the > last game there were good signs of him linking up > well with Rooney and Welbeck. Young's defensive > qualities does leave a lot to be desired though. I think Young does work well playing behind the striker in a central position but not as a winger in this set-up so if included he would be better used behind Rooney instead of Wellbeck or Carroll.

Undisputedtruth Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'd like to see Milner retain his position for his > battling and workrate qualities. The Italians have > an abundance of guile and England needs to be on > their guard. I don't think Ox and Walcott are able > to maintain defensive duties concentration but > I'll put them on once the game has opened up. > His 'battling and workrate' were to no effect and sod the defensive duties - Young and Milner were baled out by Cole and Johnson all night - England have to attack early. If the Italians score they are well practised at bringing down the shutters and England's 'plan B' will spend itself in frustration and yellow cards. A faint hope may be if Balotelli plays - get Lescott and Carroll to rub him up a little and hope he explodes.

It's like a family of unruly children. If you cave in and give one of them extra pocket money because there was more washing-up than usual to be done, thanks to Auntie Greta's lot coming along on Sunday, then you will eventually have to give extra to your other brats too as they invent more and more spurious arguments along the lines of; "There was less room on the sofa so I should be compensated!" or "She had the lamb fat and that's usually MY treat!" In the end Boris is adopting the well known but bloody expensive "Anything for a quiet life" approach.

I would rather England were beaten by Italy after trying to be creative and imaginative (Oxlade-C, Walcott) than predictable and clunky (Milner, Young) and would even be tempted to play Rooney and Carroll together. The tournament so far has shown that none of the teams is happy with an attacker running at them and while we may not have an abundance of Ronaldos etc. we at least have a couple of young men who are willing to try it on.

Or even "Scotland win/lose but no one in England really gives a t*ss"

A taxi rank

Jah Lush Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I've not seen a bottle of Harvey's Bristol Cream > since the 70s. I had no idea it was still in > circulation. Probably because they started putting it in a blue glass bottle to make it look funky... more of a Tio Pepe man myself.

what a turnup - my dark horses scrape thru' after all (they must have been the trojan kind) and Russia out after that start. England should take note - go for the draw at your peril.

two fridges - it's the sensible solution.

I think Milner needs to be 'given a rest'.

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'd like to formally invite Maxxi to join the Ryan > Clearly thread. I don't recall him pissing me off, > but then there are limits to everything. > Oh, NOW I get an invite... too late for two reasons; First I had to google Ryan Clearly so I clearly (snork) have no idea what's going on in the world, and secondly I am far too fascinated by the dots/electrode sockets/pimples/staple marks on the lad's chin to be able to enter the debate at a serious enough level.

I haven't even been asked to make an appearance in the Ryan Clearly thread.

I did worry he was never going to bring Walcott or Ox-C on, even when the Swedes were running at the England defenders and showing how effective that could be, but all's well that ends.. etc, etc. And Hansen's 'new look' is surely down to an eyebrow upgrade...http://www.partydomain.co.uk/images/T/1453601.jpg... Oh, and isn't it nice to have a goalie who can really punch - like they did in all the Roy of the Rovers games I personally coached attended er, saw. ETA: Okay I only read the match reports but it was just like being there.

From what Gerrard is saying, re Ibrahimovic in partic., the English approach, it seems, may well be "They don't like it up 'em". Cue a rash of bookings and an England red card. And what's all this reactionary nonsense about 'wingers'!?