Mick Mac

I haven't a clue. Very sharp at the moment though. Really impressive. West Ham should try to sign him.

But I said best "Striker" - I'm talking goalscorers.

Declan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Right Mick. You're an expert with 20 years > experience. All I need from you is one dead cert > next week-end please. Now who else is out there? Not at all Declan - Not 20 years experience, quite the opposite - I decided very quickly that football accumulators are a bad bet. Have for 20 years only done single bets. The odds reflect the chances. If you have 4 teams and the odds stack up to 5/1 then guess what, you will only get that 1 week in 5 if you are lucky. Its tricky.

Tonight on MOTD I saw a Fernando Torres masterclass. (I know some lucky people saw it in person). I thought Alan Hansen was wrong in saying how easy it was for Torres - great players make things look easy and that is what Torres did today. He really is a class apart. I'm moving towards viewing Torres as the best striker ever to have played in the premiership. Although he has only been here a 2/3 years I now expect him, in time, to exceed the accomplishments of Henry, Ronaldo and Rooney etc. His first touch is excellent and he dummys defenders to make space in a tight penalty box, in a way that makes it look easy. He scores headed goals, in short he has everything. Great great player. People talk of Drogba being a class player, but Torres is a class apart when compared to Drogba, he is comfortbaly the best striker in the Premiership at the moment.

No, we do all sports Declan, but even though you might not want to post on the Footie thread, the predictions are interesting and worth reading. From a betting perspective however, I used to do 5 team accumulators with my mates in Ireland 20 odd years ago - all the talk the next day was of the one team that let them down - so your dilemma is not a new thing - the bookies depend/know that one team will probably mess up. I always think betting is about going with your own view, so trust yourself.

Might be better to be on the football thread Declan. Thats where you will get the football experts. They post their score predictions each Friday and you can make use of that info. There are a few footie fans on here though who might help, but personally I think picking footie results is quite tricky and your guess will be as good as anyone elses.

Was a bit hasty jumping in at 3/1 for the Breeders Classic - he has gone out to 3.6/1 already. The racing punters obviously were not that impressed with today's win. I however was, I think if it were 1 mile 2 furlomgs today he would have won by more.

They saved Criag - who he?

Is that a no to the trip to the IMAX with DM then BBW? I have always thought you two get on so well.

Who is brave enough to ask Roy Keane to resign?

Boring celebs and a tired concept reetpetite. Martina was quite a steal for the show, why on earth they ditched her?

You are playing amateur psychology with the wrong man Declan - BBW is a lost cause.

Got good odds of 2/1 antepost. He was never deserving of 8/13 that was too short. Rip has done my summers betting record a big favour. He now heads to the Bredeers Cup Classic and I have backed him at 3/1. He may come up against STS again there, who is also entered. Mile and a quarter gives Rip a chance to avenge his Eclipse defeat to STS ( Rip was a close second and also suffered a smack on the nose from Kinane's whip in the run in ).

Alex Ferguson. If he was a politician he would be Stalin. A real domineering bully. Oh and Garth Crooks. Has an I'm cleverer than you attitude.

Wigan 2 Chelsea 1 Good prediction Ladygooner - almost right. This opens the league up considerably, too many people raving about Chelsea. Come on you gooners, let the catch up begin.

Top horse. Really good front running performance.

Kells - Don't we already know that STS will say the mile and a half as he won the Derby? I backed Delegator in the Guineas, yet another horse I backed this summer to be beaten to the post by STS. Delagator is a good horse and Frankie might try to run it from the front, in which case I'll be worried, if he leads. Sorry to hear about the Ascot trip being cancelled RD, you must be gutted. Todays expectation reminds me of the best race I ever saw at Ascot when I went to see Galileo against Fantastic Light in the King George about 6/7 years ago I guess. Galileo with Mick Kinane was the the big favourite against FL and Frankie. Galileo hit the front at about the 3 furlong point and the grandstand roared. Frankie pegged him back though and as they passed us just inside the furlong post FL had headed Galileo, but over the last half furlong Galileo pulled out a bit more to just edge it. It was one of the great races. For my 40th birthday my wife bought me a print of the two horses battling against each other. I see todays race as possibly panning out in similar fashion, being a duel between Rip and Delegator with Rip hopefully holding Delegator off in the final furlong. Thats my hope anyway. Some are supporting Quids choice Aqlaam who is improving but Rips rating is 130 ish, and STS is 135 so Rip is very highly rated. Fingers crossed.

I'm beginning to think this thread is a bit of a monologue. (Feel free to comment, especially before 4.15 pm - as after that hindsight comments/I told you so, are of no interest....)

annaj Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Prettyflowers, I'm so sorry you've suffered the > double insult of firstly being leered at by drunk > men while on your own and secondly being told by > other women that you should be grateful. > Extraordinary. > > Whistling, jeering, shouting and any other form of > objectifying or intimidating is not flattering, > it's rude. > And if it upsets pretyflowers then it is, by > definition, not harmless, since harm has been > caused. Anna - this post is the voice of reason in this thread. If for any reason the "first 4 hours" grinds you down, then psychology could be your next field of expertise.

These ghost things are not real Woof. And as for dreams.... She is nice though.

Mastercraftsman a non runner. Not sure if thats good for Rip, but MC too good for a pacemaker role. Rip V Delagator for me. Johnny Murtagh does not fill me with confidence, he does not seem sure how to run the horse. He has a high cruising speed according to JM so I think he needs to be at the front, he does not seem to be a horse who overtakes other horses at speed so JMs tactics are key and I think he needs to get RVW into the lead earlyish and push ahead as he did at Goodwood. At Goodwood Paco Boy was much quicker over the last half furlong but RVW had too much of a lead, he needs to establish a similar lead today. If Murtagh was clearer about his tactics I'd be putting more money on but I'm not sure he is going to dictate the race to the horse - I feel if he is winning with 2f to go he will be a banker.

Its the break - can I speak now?

Switches to BBC2 - sees blonde lady in argumentative mood.

You are beginning to come across as all intellectual Woof - you had better watch that.

Where was it tonight? I was out (unusual for a Friday these days) but expected to come back to have missed lots of Dad/Stella/Grolsch banter. Nout.... Where were Keef, Quids and honourary Dads BBW and Annaj? I think I picked a good night to go out - v quiet on the forum. Unless of course you are all just staggering home and its about to get going?