Football Focus

[Otta]

Well said.

[StraferJack]

agreed Mick

read a good point yesterday about why we don't see leaders as much these days - back in the days of Carling, Tony Adams etc, your average sportman wasn't living as cosseted a life from such a young age. Leaders evolved

these days, if you are talented you are probably cocooned from a very young age

[red devil]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Radio 5 says Brian Robson and many others suggest

> Rooney should be captain, "because he's England's

> best player and he has the experience". Tosh.

>

> England need to choose a natural leader and look

> around for types like Butcher, Adams, Robson,

> Terry.

But these type of players aren't around to choose from. Rooney is the best of a bad bunch when it comes to leadership qualities. Here's the full quote... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28413295

[El Pibe]

I'd happily see Mark Noble bossing them around.

[titch juicy]

It's a funny one- there's no obvious leader, so should we just pick a player that's likely to always be picked and has a bit of experience?

To be honest, i'm struggling to care.

[maxxi]

What TJ said. Couldn't give a monkeys. We've got a plank for a manager so why not keep the theme and give it to Cahill.

[Parkdrive]

Rooney as captain of England? Is this the same selfish twat that throws a strop when things don't go his way? Yeah, brilliant leadership qualities. FFS. No wonder England are no better than a pub side on the international scence.

[Mick Mac]

Now is the time to care, when the decision is being made. Not in two years time when it ends in failure.

Completely agree on the manager. I derided Liverpool's decision to appoint him on here and England's decision too. Jesus wept.

[titch juicy]

Struggling to care if it ends in failure in 2 years time. I'll happily admit i'm a fair-weather England fan. It's much easier to get behind Germany (the other half's country).

[Jah Lush]

titch juicy Wrote:

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> Struggling to care if it ends in failure in 2

> years time. I'll happily admit i'm a fair-weather

> England fan. It's much easier to get behind

> Germany (the other half's country).

Ha! A Bob Dylan lyric springs to mind here - "You only want to be on the side that's winning."

[StraferJack]

So what do people make of Vieira calling his Man City U21 team off the pitch after the alleged racis abuse in Croatia?

[red devil]

All 20 PL clubs have now released their new kits for the upcoming season, can't say one stands out in the style stakes...http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/picturegalleries/10827377/Premier-League-kits-2014-15-in-pictures.html

Quite like this offering from Roma though, very Mod...

http://cdn.nikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/New-AS-Roma-Kits-Home-for-2014-15-2.jpg

[Parkdrive]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> So what do people make of Vieira calling his Man

> City U21 team off the pitch after the alleged

> racis abuse in Croatia?

It they were being racially abused, then more power to his elbow. It's about time somebody stood up to that sort of crap.

[maxxi]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> So what do people make of Vieira calling his Man

> City U21 team off the pitch after the alleged

> racis abuse in Croatia?

Different to crowd abuse this was an opposing player and should surely have been dealt with by the ref?.

From what I've read Fofana was sent off for off-the-ball incident after he was (allegedly) racially abused by a Croatian player and Viera called team off after talking to the ref.

Presumably if the ref had taken action against the player who abused Fofana they wouldn't have walked - but if ref didn't see/hear it he couldn't do anything. Is there any proof it happened other than one player's word against another? Presume there must be for Viera to have acted but dangerous precedent if not.

[StraferJack]

"It they were being racially abused, then more power to his elbow. It's about time somebody stood up to that sort of crap."

Yup - I'm inclined to agree. Noy sure if it was a more prestigous game under more pressure he would have done the same, but good to see it happen all the same

[StraferJack]

dangerous precedent argument I can totally see

But the penalty for abusing such a strong course of action (taking team off) would surely prove too much for it to be a problem

[maxxi]

red devil Wrote:

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> All 20 PL clubs have now released their new kits

> for the upcoming season, can't say one stands out

> in the style

> stakes...

We've got the Cottee/McAvennie 80s pin-stripe look back, the other kits are pretty fecking shocking - like something out of the NASL

ETA: By 'other kits' I mean the WH away kits.

[maxxi]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> dangerous precedent argument I can totally see

>

> But the penalty for abusing such a strong course

> of action (taking team off) would surely prove too

> much for it to be a problem

My point was only if there's no corroboration/evidence. We've already had lip readers and conflicting statements with the Terry fiasco - what if a team losing 2-0 got a player to claim such abuse (with no proof) and decide to walk? Forfeit the game? Can't do that or racism could win as he might be telling the truth.

Without evidence (and I don't know yet whether there was any or not) it's not a wise act, if there is sufficient evidence then I think Viera was right - must be a zero-tolerance thing.

[StraferJack]

yup - all good points, well made

[Jah Lush]

Andy Carroll ruled out of West Ham's pre-season tour in New Zealand with a "sore ankle." Oh, the poor dear. Does it hurty Andy?

Anyone want to start a book on how many games he actually plays next season?

[maxxi]

Nope, not gonna rise to it. I am Mr Optimistic this season. Carroll is going to stay fit and score a shed load of goals. Fact.*

*Takes medication and lies down.

[Alan Medic]

Sort of ironic that West Ham lost to Wellington.

[????]

That's attacking football for you - BFS IN

[red devil]

maxxi Wrote:

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> We've got the Cottee/McAvennie 80s pin-stripe look

> back, the other kits are pretty fecking shocking -

> like something out of the NASL

>

> ETA: By 'other kits' I mean the WH away kits.

Here are some shockers...http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/worst-kits-in-sport-spanish-side-release-tuxedostyle-home-kit-9623670.html

[maxxi]

I quite like the beer & octopus strip.