Football Focus

[atila the gooner]

He shoots he scores.

[Keef]

Am I being dim, I don't get the "he shoots he scores" thing :-S

[atila the gooner]

Keef Wrote:

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> Am I being dim, I don't get the "he shoots he

> scores" thing :-S

It's something the plastic Manc used to repsond with, very irritating isn't it?

[Jah Lush]

All this vitriol on here is so bloody tiresome. Grow up.

I'm a football fan first and a Spurs fan second. Watching Ronaldo play at his best is a joy and he's been absolutely brilliant this season, watching Fabregas do his stuff is a joy too (except against Spurs obviously), and the same with Jole Cole at Chelsea and if Torres who has also been fantastic this season does the same against the Arsenal tonight I'll be more than happy as I have a very soft spot for Liverpool and have always enjoyed watching them. But I think it will be tight tonight and look to see Liverpool hit Arsenal on the break. It's only the first leg after all and I'm sure there will be plenty to play for in the second leg.

[Annasfield]

I reckon we'll be discussing Senor Torres quite a bit in the coming years, although I reckon we won't be knocking him for diving. What an amazing start to his first Premiership season. He's been hacked to bits, but just gets up and keeps on running.

[mockney piers]

He's from Atl?tico you know B)

[SimonM]

I am no great lover of Merde United but I have to say I always enjoy watching Ronaldo. He has immense skill and imagination and courage and keeps scoring amazing goals. The fact is many of his opponents do get away with a lot of fouls on him: last night two Roma players got yellow cards for fouling and it certainly could have been more. And yes the diving is somthing of a blemish on his record but the likes of Gerrard do it just as much. It is a feature of the modern game.

Both at the time and (especially) now I am amazed anyone still holds the World Cup business against him. The only player who got Rooney sent off was Rooney. Indeed, Ronaldo did the gentlemanly, British thing of gallantly informing Wayne before kick-off that he was going to get him sent off. Poor Wayne, having been told in advance of the trap and not being overburdened with the little grey cells, still walked into it. No wonder Ronaldo winked - it is to his credit he did not fall over laughing. The tabloids and commentators exploded with righteous wrath of course.

He may have unlikeable traits - but he is a young guy blessed with extraordinaty skills so it would be a miracle were he not arrogant beyond the point of obnoxiousness. I see some journalists are trying to draw comparisons between him and George Best. Best was magic on his day but his skills were never tested at a world cup final tournament: he could though be just as obnoxious as Christiano...

[Jah Lush]

Agreed Anna. He's been absolutely fantastico. Exceellent post SimonM. Couldn't agree more.

[Sandperson]

Interesting take Citizen. I am guessing it's not going to be popular.

[atila the gooner]

And yes the diving is somthing of a blemish on his record but the likes of Gerrard do it just as much. It is a feature of the modern game.

The fact that most teams are guilty of such acts dosen't make it right. It's a bit like saying the Sun sells millions of papers so it must be good.

[Keef]

The diving thing is part of the modern game, but some players do it more than others. In recent years Ronaldo and Drogba have been particularly guilty, but Simon is right to say that Gerrard is not above the occasional tumble (who could forget that glorious piece of play to win the penalty against Shefield United in the opening game of last season?!?!?).

Micheal Owen has admitted before that he will dive. As he said, it's not like he runs at someone with the intention of going down, but if someone sticks a foot out in the penalty box, and he has the choice of trying to stay on his feet and chasing a ball, or going down and being awarded a penalty, then it's a no brainer.

The diver who has made me laugh/cry over the years is Heskey! I have more time for him than most people seem to, but he's built like a brick out house (they don't call him Bruno for nothing), and so many times he'd go down like he'd been shot, when actually you were thinking why don't you just shrug the challenge off and keep going!

[Ladygooner]

Annasfield Wrote:

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> That's not particularly sportsman like Sandperson.

> :'(

>

> I've just been looking in to the CL final tickets

> ballot. Serves me right I guess for not reading

> the small stuff, but apparently:

>

> "You can, at any time during the sales process

> (until 19 March 2008 12:00 CET), access your

> personal application to cancel and/or change your

> order or the information you have given us.

> After 19 March 2008 12:00 CET you will only be

> able to view your order status but no changes will

> be accepted."

>

> Hmm, now I've yet to have confirmation that I

> have/haven't won - but if I can't go or don't want

> to go this reads as though I cannot do anything

> about it.

>

> In a worst case scenario, i.e. we don't qualify, I

> will have to find a wealthy person who wants to be

> there who is prepared to pay for me to go with

> them. According to the site - entry will only be

> granted to me (with my passport) and the person

> who has the other ticket has to be with me.

.

> Crazy!

>

> It's actually poor that UEFA allow for tickets to

> be allocated prior to knowing who the finalists

> will be. All this does is encourage touts.

Annasfield

I went to the final in Paris two years ago and no-one was checking passports so I wouldn't worry on that score - even though they said they were going to check them there too

[atila the gooner]

I saw Heskey challenged by Marc Overmars during a 4th round FA cup tie at Highbury, Heskey went down like a sack of poo and this after they both went up for header!!!

[Keef]

Bit of a trek to take the risk though!

[mockney piers]

Top 40 player wages in the world (click to enlarge --- and NO, that's not spam)

Most overpriced out of that lot, though frankly it's all a bit ridiculous?

Got to be Kewell or Bent for me.

[Ladygooner]

Good to see no Arsenal players on that list! Who knew Ronaldinho's last name was Gaucho? Can't quite picture him doing the tango!

[atila the gooner]

Le boss is no fool, unlike those at the helm of Lokomotiv Fulham.

[Annasfield]

Hmmm, I don't dispute that they are highly paid, but I do wonder where these lists come from?

[atila the gooner]

Probably the agents for the players. >:D

[bon3yard]

Darren Bent on nearly 100 grand a week???? I bet hes popular on the training ground.

[Jah Lush]

I can't see how Darren Bent is on nearly 100 grand a week. There is a wage cap at Spurs that is similar to the Arsenal's and the highest paid players there would be Ledley King, Robbie Keane and probably Dimitar Berbatov who are all on around ?65 grand a week. I'd like to be on that a year, let alone a week.! Jeez!

[Annasfield]

I am sooooo excited.

[citizenED]

Don't slip a disk, Anna.

[Annasfield]

Happy with that - I shall await "the ref this, the ref that" comments tomorrow.

Could hardly hear the Gooners singing under the travelling Kop. :)-D>:D:D<

[Sandperson]

I have to say Arsenal were robbed. Should have been a penalty. More hatred from both sides for me.