Football Focus

[Ladygooner]

The relief! 2-1 to the Arsenal!

[Mick Mac]

Ladygooner Wrote:

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> The relief! 2-1 to the Arsenal!

Watched the last 20 mins and thought that if hey were potential champions they would score a late goal.......

[Sandperson]

Looks like Becks is out of the World Cup with an achilles tear. I'm a bit gutted for him tbh.

[SimonM]

I am not sure Beckham would have gone anyway.....But we should all pray that Rooney remains uninjured!

[matthew123]

Shame about Beckham as he'd have been an important player at World Cup for England

[Sandperson]

Simon, I'm positive he would have gone. I'm also positive he would have had a lot to offer off the bench.

[ruffers]

Can he go anyway as a non playing member of the party? His influence might still be useful.

[SimonM]

I'd be surprised if he does not go as a TV pundit at least

[Sandperson]

This will make at least one person on here happy.

[????]

...gardening leave! Not sure if that person is on here anymore...

I'm praying for Hull and Burnley as us cocking up against Bolton has made us vunerable again...Arsenal on Saturday though, 3 easy points

[matthew123]

Beckham TV pundit? Hmmm but would he remember to chuckle along when those jackasses Linekar and Hanson ply us with their 1001 worst jokes atop table top mountain

[????]

3000

[????]

matthew123 Wrote:

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> Beckham TV pundit? Hmmm but would he remember to

> chuckle along when those jackasses Linekar and

> Hanson ply us with their 1001 worst jokes atop

> table top mountain

Couldn't agree more Matthew. They are far too close and cosy

with the England team and management. The last world cup the whole nation was thinking WTF is going on and they just bantered with the players and gave Erickson almost no criticism whatsoever until after England were out. I think they're well past their sell date.

Incidentally, anyone here Garth Crooks' insightful analysis on Saturday - "The title race is a 3 horse race - Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal"...Well, No Shite Shirlock!! Not sure what he's doing on there at all...BBC PCness I think

[SimonM]

Someone is sure to sign him - if not the BBC or Sky, then either Italian or US television. He may not be terribly articulate on showbizzy/Parkinson type stuff but I think we can agree hw knows his football.

[matthew123]

Well he knows how to kick a football.. and maybe they could have him on the red button as part of alternative pundit team, that includes Garth Crooks and Gaby Logan, for the dumbed down audience that you tend to draw during a world cup

[SeanMacGabhann]

Phil Brown has been tangoed I see

[ruffers]

matthew123 Wrote:

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> Well he knows how to kick a football.. and maybe

> they could have him on the red button as part of

> alternative pundit team, that includes Garth

> Crooks and Gaby Logan, for the dumbed down

> audience that you tend to draw during a world cup

Crooks. At a World Cup in Africa. I'm looking forward to (the end of) his hard hitting questions.

[Ladymuck]

Just for you Narnia

*winks knowingly/cheekily at Declan*

[matthew123]

Gerrard off the hook after smashing elbow into Michael Brown last night - means he will be available for United game on Sunday. Hopefully the Reds can come through with no injuries Thursday night versus Lille. Although last night was against a very poor Pompey it will still have boosted confidence for the players to know they can still knock it about at high tempo.

[Narnia]

What a ridiculous decision given Ferdinand was banned for something similar.

[ruffers]

The Ferdinand thing was worse I thought, but still unbelievable Gerrard got off. Amazing how much cheating he does, especially with his inner ear problem that gets worse toward the end of games Liverpool are struggling in (thank you Dara O Brian I think).

While I'm here Inter are looking pretty good, 0-0 but Chelsea aren't looking too likely to me.

[matthew123]

The main difference was that the Ferdinand assault was off the ball.

Apart from 5 mins before HT the Italians were always in control at Chelsea last night. Apparently if Inter had not made QF last night they'd have lost a CL spot to the Germans (I think from 2011/12 season). I guess the UEFA co-efficients take into account UEFA Cup / Europa League which the Bundesliga Clubs seem to do quite well in each season whereas the Italians sides rarely make a footprint.

[ruffers]

Some similarities between Chelsea's recent home defeats, City and Inter. Italian manager (City) and mentality (Inter), defend like no ones business and switch to attack rapid. Chelsea get frustrated and less effective.

[Ladygooner]

Good point Ruffers - but isn't Ancelotti Italian too?

[ruffers]

Part of my point I think.