In a group as tough as they have, there is little doubt the Swedes will be under siege.

This is, beyond resonable doubt, the tournament of the w@nker. You have labelled 2 here (loved the roller skating comments by Bendnter also – in case you missed them here is an excerpt of the 5 minutes he talked about his ‘other’ favourite sport “I am very good at roller skating. When I have got into my head that I want to do something then I do it. I don’t walk around with doubt in my head.”) and Brian has pointed out 2 others that are difficult to argue with. Although I must say Zlatan can be very funny and often says these cocky things very tongue in cheek – he can actually be self depreciating at times – but he is still a tool.

There are many others floating around different teams and then the referees are always bound to fit the category retrospectively

You could just about do a toolbag 11 (sure, 2 left backs & very attack heavy but guaranteed to request bigger mirrors in the change rooms and be the most hateable team in history

W@NKER 11
Zlatan – Ballotelli – Bendtner
Cassano – M’Vila – Ronnie
Evra – Mexes – Terry – Cole
– Neuer

Bench: Carroll, Hart, Hunt, Nasri, Robbie Keane, Nani

Top piece BTW – Loved the Dutch/Hollande/Hague confusion bit.

The only adage about a champions team beating a team of overpaid egomaniacs will ring true this summer. You heard it here first…
http://therestijustsquandered.com/2011/09/18/a-dream-teams-worst-nightmare/

Haha – Choad was living next door to Queensland’d answer to Walter White. My buddy Liam (Buckets of fun) saw this coming some time back and what he says here basically sums up how underrated the achievements of Gallop were (warning: he does rag on league quite a bit, but makes some valid points also).

http://therestijustsquandered.com/2011/09/19/gallop-should-quit-and-get-a-real-job/

And I move that, from here on out, rugby league be only referred to as ‘The beer and beefsteak bastion of blokedom’.

got his back against the rats and the filth trying to bring him down… hahaha. Just about wetting myself over that one. Poor craigy – it’s just a big conspiracy. Phone hacking/credit card fraud/Paid proz affidavits – it’s a set up i tells ya.

Sounds like your the one that been on the Chivas Johnno. Ramble on my good man.

Also agree with the sentiments of the piece, about the racism i mean, not about beckham getting knighted.

top read X. Heard back from Shaz yet? If you do give her my regards and tell her hi to the little one. And let her know i’ll be sure to remember to send christmas presents this year.

Hey Matt,

I take your point on board, but that’s not to say Torres didn’t squander many chances that fell his way for chelsea (particularly in the league). A lot of those misses were confidence based, but even still his first touch was particularly heavy much of the year.

You talk of his assists and creative influence, as I seem to recall AVB doing on many occasions when Torres wasn’t scoring. He made the shev comparison after Torres went almost 6 months without scoring. surely you canät blame the form of Torres on that quote when he hadn’t scored for 6 months! Up until then AVB was going into bat for him so often, he was doing more defending than John Terry.

Helping the team can help, assists can be of assistance, but a strikers currency is, and always will be, goals. Torres didn’t score many last year – just 7 in the league and 3 were in one game against an almost relegated QPR who Chelski beat 6-1. He struggled and AVB basically got the sack because of Torres’ rubbish form. He was slightly better in the CL and scored the winner against Barca, but it was hardly the stuff legends are made of. Barca poured so many men forward that Torres streaked away from half way in a manner that looked more like a ice hockey shootout. There wasn’t a defender in site, and all he had to do was Triple Deke his way around the keeper and put the Mighty Ducks in the final, which to his credit he managed. But it would have been the kind of goal a golfer would refer to as a ‘gimme’ had Torres not displayed such unequivocal incompetence from similar positions throughout the season.

Everyone is very excited about Hazard joining and the attacking threats on offer at the Bridge next year, but the question is who is going to get them the ball? Obi Mikel sprays passes like a kid playing under the garden hose, Lamps ain’t getting any younger and Essien not really looked anything like the midfield star he once was. Mata likes to play a very advanced position as does Hazard, there is talk of Hulk joining the fray – if I were roman i’d be seriously putting my time and energy into finding a link up man – Makelele Mac II.

We’ll wait and see what happens next year, but my guess is he’ll struggle to find the net again.

Can’t believe there is no mention of France. I think the only team they need to worry about is spain. Holland & Germany both in disarray in all the lead up matches. Will be tough for them to turn it around.

Cheers K – I’ve never had any beef with Torres and yes, he has a right to know where he stands? But less than an hour after becoming European Champion? I think only Cyclone Tracey had worse timing than that.

Like you said, he was good when he came on, particularly in the first 15 of extra time which I felt was the only time in the match Chelsea dominated. He did win the corner that lead to the Drogba goal as well. So what was he so miffed about? He was mad about getting bumped from the shootout but you would not see better pens than the two from Luis & Cashly so I guess Di Matteo’s selections were truly justified.

Also I think RDM was protecting his player. What if Torres had missed in the shootout. Many of t he Chelsea fans already think he is a waste of money so that would have forced the club into selling.

I’ve never really even considered it the best tournament on earth, but you make a compelling argument. Although I can’t say that’s sitting particularly well with the patriot in me (Go Pats!). Unfortunately it will be the last time (at least for a while) we get to see the Euros in all it’s pure, undiluted glory. The money grabbers at FIFA are expanding to 24 teams next time round so the all round quality you speak of will not be there and we’ll be reduced to watching Macedonia vs San Marina (well, perhaps not).

Must be the last time Euro takes preference over the world cup so we best enjoy it. France to win.

Agree with Aleks 100%. This so called ‘golden generation’ of English players have been hyped ad nauseam and every 4 years (well, 2 if you count the euros) it is exactly the same story – We’re going win the thing, we’re going to win the thing, capitulation! It’s largely been press hype to blame and if you build someone up enough they’re doomed to fail. Everyone seems resigned to the fact they will not win it this time round so will be interesting to see how they perform without that goriila on their shoulder.

Further to this many of these players talents have been fostered at club level by having the right players around them and are often made to look good. Even Gerrad who has been a demi-God at club level has looked like nothing but a piece of chumpcake ever since Xavi Alonso was removed from the mix. Sure, he’s had injuries but it’s been 2 seasons now & Gerrard is a shadow of the player he once was (yet somehow is England captain). Lampard can afford to go box to box with great knock downs from Drogba & the likes of Essien/Makalele sitting in behind him. Rooney’s been provided with great service from a host of big names over the years.

You say, why can’t they have the same philosophy at club & country level. That’s because all the good football being played at club level is the brainchild of foreign managers/coaches.

All the British managers – Allardyce, Hodgeson, Harry – all play with the bung it forward British philosophy. They trade on big personalities and that’s why they exceed expectations with mediocre teams. Even Harry who has some of the most skilled players in the world at his disposal will not play without a big man up front and Spurs lump it forward as much as anyone.

Nothings going to change, just here what Hodgson said in training the other day
Roy Hodgson: “You don’t have to use short passes, not if you use your big man up front.”

As Sydney was the first placed colonised by the Brits, then naturally we’re going to be more prone to a moan south of the tweed. I just think it has been misdirected. Don’t hate the whistle blowers – hate the game. As Jason Taylor so rightly pointed out, it’s the rules that need changing. I was actually listening to the radio for the Inglis try (I live OS & my feed from livetv.com dropped out so I was left with streaming the continuous call team). Unlike Gus & Co (which I later watched on Youtube), the ‘sperts on the wireless were all saying that if Farah has in any way been assesed to have played at the football then the try should stand. It is a poor rule, as is the grounding of the ball with any finger/forearm/apendage with downward pressure.

League has suffered from the ability to take tries ‘upstairs’. For one, you rarely hear the sweat sound of the long whistle blow to award a try, the frame by frame makes decisions less clear, creates more grey area and there seems to be more controversies regarding rulings than ever before. Just what was the point of bringing it in in the first place. And as sods law would have it, the one time a match the ref doesn’t send it upstairs it usually turns that someone was standing offside or there was a little fumble in grounding (not that that seems to matter)

I’ve strayed off topic here, but hey – what can you do?

One last thing Ryan. 0% of 3 50/50 calls? Please. I’m sure you’ve stuck enough cash in the circle on Anzac day to know that no one can expect to get half the 50/50 calls right (particularly when there are 3!!) and if you can head em up like jimbo then it’s not even unusual to put together 10 on the spin. Lets jhope he ain’t reffing Origin II.

It could only be a United fan… or maybe an Evertonian, but a safe bet on one of the two.You B#######!!

IF – that is baloney. The pistons beat the lakers in 5 not too long back and did it all through their backcourt/wingmen (Billups/Prince/Hamilton) and, of course, they put the D in Detriot which is so often the case with their sucessful teams. Ben Wallace had nothing with his back to the basket (although he was an animal & a huge piece of that championship puzzle) and Rasheed was a spot up guy more than a mover and shaker down on the block.

It matters not that OKC don’t have that offensively, cause they have a 6’10” scoring champ who can stroke it like a h0rny teen and who hits clutch shots. I can’t see Spurs defending Durant, because it is basically impossible. The important thing is OKC can match up defensively down on the block, and Perk can get that done.

These 2 teams are like night & day, so it will make for some compelling viewing. Spurs have an impressive points spread with a large number of contributors, OKC’s offensive goes almost exclusively through their backcourt & their 6th man getting into the lane. A few issues with your summation though Adrian.

I think Westbrook is taking it to the next level. This is his time to show the world, and although you point out he has, thus far, faced inferior opponents, I think he’ll have the measure of Parker. Westbrook’s numbers have been strong, he is playing great D and has, most importantly, managed to get that balance right of getting the ball to KD enough but also getting shits himself. He even hit a hell of a circus shot in game 5, so he might even have some luck on his side.

Spurs have been there before and done it many times, but I believe we are about to witness the changing of the guard in the West. OKC in 6.

You couldn’t attend public school with a name like Sterling or Elton. Just couldn’t happen.

ahhhh – Warrick Capper – that should have made the cut. He was a Warrick Capper if ever i’ve seen one. Probably popped out at birth with blonde glam rock hair and his pezzas said “yep – that there is a warrick”

Fuzzy Zoeller was considered, but it is just a nickname. But with a real name like Frank Urban, I’d be running fuzzy as well!

hahaha hadn’t considered that but that is priceless. I wonder if the USSR would have seen the humour back in the day?

The original Linsanity!! Except that bloke seems a genuine nutjob. Well, to take up badminton professionally you’d have to be. What, with all the cock knocking that goes on.

Sounds like you’re about ready to slip one down legside.

Think Barnes just automatically reverts to kicking after 5 phases. It’s in the blood.

You know Tele Reada, just a few weeks back I was genuinely flabbergasted at the unquestionable supremacy of ‘Lord Fergie’. It looked very much as though United were cruising to another title, despite the vast sums spent at City. Sure they have had the run of the mill in the transfer market over the last 15 years, but what amazes me most is that the likes of Catona, Ruud, Beckham, Ronnie, Keane have all been shipped the second they think they are bigger than the club, yet the pattern of success still remains. A lot of that is down to Sir Alex and the winning culture he instills at the club.

Lets not kid ourselves – United have spent big over the last few decades and shelled out in the past summer as well. Although a Jones and Young could have a profit turned on them tomorrow and the same will be said about De Gae in a season or two. All three were young and he bought smart. But if it wasn’t for the return of Scholes, City would have won the league 3 weeks ago. They needed a little general in midfield, Cleverly is not that man, at least not yet and not for a whole season that’s for damn sure. But to get back to the point I am trying to make, United have spent, but they have kept their perpetual success in recent times without spending like Chelsea & City (to a lesser extent spurs) and they deserve credit for that.

Much is being made of Fergie’s not so gracious comments following the ‘silver medal’. For the neutrals, he would have won a huge amount of respect if he had said “well, that’s the beauty of football – it’s never over until the final whistle. Well done City” and I think he might have said something like that if it was any team but the sky blues. But he was right – City should never have been in that position against a team like QPR, at home and against 10 men for half an hour. City got themselves into some kind of mess, but managed to get themselves out Houdini style and that’s why they deserved to win the league.

The question is now – how will united respond? Now where is that Glazer chequebook?

Oh – one more thing. Don’t go playing the ‘goal difference’ card. City took 6 points against United this year including the 6-1 thumping, they deserved to win in the event of a tie.

“Michael Jennings… Massive smokey” Ain’t that a bit racialist?

Thanks DTR. Finally figured out why I failed the HSC. Well, the English section at least.

It was a tough one to analyse. Just how do you dissect sheer bedlam? City some how mustered some courage and poise when staring in the face a defeat of the most humiliating proportions (against 10 men for half an hour, at home against a team on the brink of relegation) in front of their home supporters and a tv audience of god knows how many. At the end of the day, a pundit cannot explain how they rose to the occasion. It is just the beauty of sports.