On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[mockney piers]

No mention of Le Tissier?!?!

Just because he never went to a fashionable club....and was a lazy sod...doesn't mean he didn't rank among the best.

For my money Bergkamp was the best player in England of the last 20 years.

Prior to that McAvennie and Cottee, have to agree with RC B)

[????]

It's got to be McAvennie (I love that bloke) and Cottee B)

[lard]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> No mention of Le Tissier?!?!

>

One of my favourite players...So good should have had the England team built around him. Any other European side would have. We had David Batty instead.

It is like he was living our dream, ambling onto the pitch just playing for fun, a bit heavy not looking too professional, and then scoring a 30 yarder.

[mockney piers]

"We had David Batty instead."

Ha ha, brilliant and so true. But Le Tis had himself to blame a bit. He was never as committed to the game as he could have been, but that pragmatic streak was something else I admired about him.

He'd enjoy a few pints and the odd pie and still provide 7(ish) of the 10 goals of the season!!

[ratty]

I went to see this last night......... just to say goodbye!

Had a great evening, chatted to Pompey (and ex West ham) Chief Executive, Peter Storrie and got my hands on the cup at last!

[????]

I once wrote to him Ratty, complaining about our Bond Scheme '91ish....to be fair he did write back

[ratty]

He's a decent bloke. Told us a few truths about Redknapp last night too. I have the whole thing on video!

[matthew123]

What's happening with Chelsea - it just gets worse!

But what about Liverpool's line-up for this evening at Pompey - 6 defenders... and just one player upfront who scored the grand total of 1 goal last season in France. Looks like a highly speculative selection. Gulp!

[zephyr]

mockney piers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> No mention of Le Tissier?!?!

> Just because he never went to a fashionable

> club....and was a lazy sod...doesn't mean he

> didn't rank among the best.

> For my money Bergkamp was the best player in

> England of the last 20 years.

>

> Prior to that McAvennie and Cottee, have to agree

> with RC B)

One of the other problems was he was trying to get into the England squad when Hoddle was at the helm. He was (allegedly) told that if he had a good England B game then he would be in the team for sure. He scored a hatrick in the game but was then shunned. He only got 8 caps

Fantastic player and one of the top goal scorers in the premiership still bearing in mind he was a midfielder. He was the first midfielder to reach 101 goals. I think he may still be the most prolific midfielder bar Lampard who I think has just pipped him

[matthew123]

Haha - Craig Burley and Tim Sherwood visibly gutted with Liverpool win. They are using adjectives they don't even apply to relegation fodder. Thank god they've had the Premiership contract slashed - they nearly as bad as ITV. Bunch of jokers the pair of them!

[ratty]

Wrist slashing time. How did we lose that fookin game?? Sylvan Distin is a useless coont!

[Mick Mac]

Villa march on..

???? - you must be able to smell the money now? are you each way or have you laid it off on betfair at all? (it was you who had the Villa at 250/1 wasn't it?)

[????]

MM,I did, to win, on Betfair. I've laid of some of it but I'd still win a significant sum if they won it and not a bad profit on that bet if they don't...unfortunately I also had a big sum on Chelsea....I've started to hedge this by betting Man U to win in all their individual games so I'm nullyfying that slowly (crap odds but they keep winning and if they don't they should go out a bit and then I'll back them)...but today I couldn't force myself to bet against the Hammers. Basically, if Man U win the premiership (most likely)I'll make a small loss on my Premiership winner's bets if i don't do anything to hedge..if Villa win it I'm a happy, happy man, Chelsea reasonable profit. Liverpool a small profit as I bet them earlier too...still think it's United's....which with a bit of hedging will probably see me in the black, just. C'MON VILLA!

[????]

oh well, I thought we did ok but you need a player who can break down quality defenders, someone like....Giggs! (or Tevez...or Berbatov....or Ronaldo). United are going to win the premiership.

[Atila Reincarnate]

F**kin' Eboue, he's a liability. Still, Spurs couldn't beat us with only ten men, but that's small comfort. So much for the return of the prodigal son, Keane.

[Sandperson]

Quids, your lot had us under a LOT of pressure for good chunks of that game. It needed something special from Giggs to break them down. I'm impressed with Zola and WH. I also thought the treatment of Tevez by the crowd was outstanding. Props.

[matthew123]

I guess Tevez, apart from almost single handedly keeping the Hammers in the PL, also had the good grace not to pose in a Man United shirt whilst he was still a West Ham player.

[Sandperson]

I'm guessing you're referring to Ince? He's a twunt of the highest order, you won't meet many United fans that like him either.

[matthew123]

No I doubt they would since he burned his bridges joining Liverpool (incidently his son plays for the Liverpool youth team, after coming through the ranks, as a winger and played in the recent FA Youth Cup win over Chelsea).

[david_carnell]

Tony Adams to be sacked in the morning.

Ratty.... Curbishley already touted.... seems alright but Adams seemed to be doing ok, no?

[matthew123]

I'm surprised he got the job when you consider his diabolical record at Wycombe Wanderers. Portsmouth still got a strong team just lack of confidence from being all at sea under Adams - I'd get George Graham out of retirement for rest of season.

[zephyr]

The upcoming problem with Pompey (from what I was reading last week) is that they have 12 players out of contract at the end of the season

[ratty]

That's no problem when you look at who the players are - just a load of dross that Redknapp signed who have been sitting on their arses drawing ?60k a week. The lieks of Djimi Traore, Lauren, Richard Duffy, Martin Cranie etc etc.

The only first teamers are Sean Davis (who I hope will sign) and Sol Campbell (who is on ?110k per week and who we desparately need to leave the club)

Pompey's problem is cash.

I was with the Chief Executive of PFC on Friday night and he said that before the sale of Diarra, the club were heading for Administration. They had run at operating losses of ?14m and ?15m in the last two seasons resepctively. (Now breaking even) getting these wasters off the wage bill will be a god send!

I am slightly surprised that TA has been sacked today now that the window has closed. However, there could be a number of off the field reasons why this had to happen today.

Now, if Curbishley is appointed manager I would say we are in big trouble. Personally I would like to see Avram Grant come back, he is a friend of the owner. I guess we will find out today.

Adams record was appauling at Pompey. We have lost so many games in the last 10 minutes it's untrue. He refused to sub Basinas on Saturday even though he was dead on his feet and we had 2 subs left. Shame cos I love the guy but imo he will never make it as a premiership manager.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Somebody just sent me this

[Atila Reincarnate]

BBC website confirms "Mr Arsenal" has been sacked. Good luck for the future Big Tone. BBC also say Toad of Toad hall, sorry, Avram Grant is being lined up as a replacement. I'm surprised Tony took the job on. The jowly one pissed off to spurs and Jordan jumped like a rat from a sinking ship, they sell all their best players, and wonder why thay are struggling. As always the manager takes the blame, even if the board need shooting and the players play like c**nts.