Balls!
Yesterday, I remember taking the mick out of Argentina because of their shocking behaviour after being knocked out of the world cup on penalties. (I have to say, I was disappointed too, I'd bet on Germany to win inside Ninety Minutes (I also bet on France to win after extra time).
So, I was wrong. As a gambler, I'm not good but as a manager, I'm pretty sure I'm better than Sven... most of us are... and now we have Steve McClaren. Do we have to? Is there no way the FA can say, "Sorry Steve, we've changed our minds and we're going to give the job to Jose Pekerman? (Or better still, Alcuin Edwards).
The match itself was ... well put it this way, enough to drive a man to drink (And I have a couple of litres of Jack Daniel in the house). Although I do remember saying...
"I hope we win on penalties. I hope we win 5-4 on penalties with Cristian Ronaldo the only one to miss a penalty. I want Robinson to look into his eyes, take his measure and break his spirit there and then for all time, so he loses his confidence and never scores again for anyone."
Sven says they PRACTICED penalties... well, it looked to me as though Hargreaves practiced penalties (maybe Rooney, Owen and Bekham as well) but nobody else did.)
Everyone say that Rooney's sending off was justified but it looked accidental to me. Two men were deliberately trying to knock him over, and he was trying to stay upright and accidentally trod on Carvalhao's balls. I noticed Carvalhao got booked for fouling a player when the ball was at the other end of the pitch... but it was the second time he'd done it. The first time, the referee awarded a free kick (bizarre because that's a sending off or booking offence and one the ref must have seen to award the free kick).
Two years now before Euro 2008 and McLaren will be making all the same old excuses. It isn't good enough. Saddam Hussein was a monster but he had the right idea for dealing with underperforming footballers... Bastinado. I'm half serious. These people, because they can kick a ball a bit, get paid more in a week than I get in ten years, the least they could do is win the World Cup.
Besides this... as far as I'm concerned, I don't want to see any Portuguese players in the Premiership. It's sickening that our teams pay good money training people to beat England.
I sincerely hope McClaren will try something different... what I'd love to see someone do is start training players to hit the bar or the post consistently from anywhere on the pitch and at such an angle that they know where the ball will bounce. I can't see him doing anything though. Same old same old, over and over again.
So, I was wrong. As a gambler, I'm not good but as a manager, I'm pretty sure I'm better than Sven... most of us are... and now we have Steve McClaren. Do we have to? Is there no way the FA can say, "Sorry Steve, we've changed our minds and we're going to give the job to Jose Pekerman? (Or better still, Alcuin Edwards).
The match itself was ... well put it this way, enough to drive a man to drink (And I have a couple of litres of Jack Daniel in the house). Although I do remember saying...
"I hope we win on penalties. I hope we win 5-4 on penalties with Cristian Ronaldo the only one to miss a penalty. I want Robinson to look into his eyes, take his measure and break his spirit there and then for all time, so he loses his confidence and never scores again for anyone."
Sven says they PRACTICED penalties... well, it looked to me as though Hargreaves practiced penalties (maybe Rooney, Owen and Bekham as well) but nobody else did.)
Everyone say that Rooney's sending off was justified but it looked accidental to me. Two men were deliberately trying to knock him over, and he was trying to stay upright and accidentally trod on Carvalhao's balls. I noticed Carvalhao got booked for fouling a player when the ball was at the other end of the pitch... but it was the second time he'd done it. The first time, the referee awarded a free kick (bizarre because that's a sending off or booking offence and one the ref must have seen to award the free kick).
Two years now before Euro 2008 and McLaren will be making all the same old excuses. It isn't good enough. Saddam Hussein was a monster but he had the right idea for dealing with underperforming footballers... Bastinado. I'm half serious. These people, because they can kick a ball a bit, get paid more in a week than I get in ten years, the least they could do is win the World Cup.
Besides this... as far as I'm concerned, I don't want to see any Portuguese players in the Premiership. It's sickening that our teams pay good money training people to beat England.
I sincerely hope McClaren will try something different... what I'd love to see someone do is start training players to hit the bar or the post consistently from anywhere on the pitch and at such an angle that they know where the ball will bounce. I can't see him doing anything though. Same old same old, over and over again.
posted by ur.alcuin@googlemail.com at 2:42 PM
6 Comments:
I think sven largely relinquished control over the WC. If you look at the amount of time McCalren spent instructing from the sideline. My worry is that McClaren is a decent coach but no man manager or tactician. Do you trust McClaren to implement a system that will win us things.
This is the man that adopted a 4-2-4 in the UEFA cup this year and was hailed as a genius for his adventure, bollocks, he got lucky in a second fiddle competition. Do you think Boro would have beaten Juve or Milan with a 4 2 4. NO. In actual fact Boro got trounce by VillaReal and came 14th in the leagure brilliant I'm really looking forward to Euro 2008
To be honest, I haven't followed Middlesborough in Europe last season, I know it's irrational but I've had a deep-seated loathing for Boro' ever since they were managed by Jack Charlton. I just don't trust McClaren because he's just not imaginative enough.
As for Sven... we paid him the equivalent of a thousand years' of my wages. He had experience, was well thought of and was expensive. Argentina got as far as we did and all they did was hire a taxi driver (Pekerman) and tell him you're the Argentina manager. England could do worse than giving me the job.... in fact I'd do it for a five hundredth of Sven's money and I'm pretty sure I could get England to the Quarter final of Euro 2008 myself.
By the way, Six, that picture... you're not Steve Griffiths are you?
Argie ref...Rooney was fouled twice abd I agree it was accidental...the ref tehn tried to back pedal re the red card etc bei ng nothing to do with the push...just watch the replays...it is so clear...expression changing, going for his pocket immediatly after the push...he had been calm and not even reached for his pocket before that.
FUCK!
Also agree re the penalties...incredible
No. I'm not steve Griffiths. I'm also not Sasha, which is who is actually in the picture.
oh and a correction on my part Boro lost to sevilla not Villareal.
I know I said I didn't want to see any Portuguese players in the Premiership but I have to confess that I'd be happy to see Maniche and Ricardo at Villa Park. Maniche because he just gets on and does the job even when the rest of his team appear to be competing for an Olympic diving gold. Ricardo because the way he rushed up to the french end just now was absolutely magnificent (stupid but magnificent... hmm, on second thoughts, maybe I'd prefer to see him at Middlesborough).
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