Monday 30 January 2012

Footy gets the Tennis Elbow

After a weekend of FA Cup hoo-hah and a transfer deadline looming you might think a man who bleeds the letters F-O-O-T-Y when he cuts himself shaving would have plenty to talk about.

And speaking as a bloke who couldn't get a hit at our local tennis club cos I never could get that bluey-whiteness in my clothing that them hoity-toity bastards insisted on (I swear they'd have thrown me out cos my snot was the wrong colour) you wouldn't expect a ringing endorsement of the Australian Open tennis tournament.

Nevertheless, I don't think I've ever seen owt like that match. About 2 years ago we were wondering how many titles Nadal was going to rack up.

Federer couldn't beat him - and still can't when it matters - and everyone knew that the old smoothie was the greatest Swiss export since Ricola cough pastilles.

Nadal though was brutal. A terminator. If ever he looked down and out that Mallorcan light would blink on again and the beast would reassemble itself and give his opponent an almighty twatting.

I didn't warm to the bloke at first. He has none of the ease and grace of Federer. And it didn't help that the Mrs watched him with a nascent moistness about her, like Rafa was a sort of swarthy mystical gypsy who might drop off the back of his horse-drawn caravan and muscle her into the undergrowth for some Iberian love-making.

Trouble is, the man is just an utter gent. The way he conducts himself is even more faultless than his tennis. At times it seemed that the only thing that could stop him was a pair of knees that made Michael Owen's look robust.

Djokovic was just one of them also-rans. Talented but unfortunate enough to be playing in an era where the best were way too good.

And suddenly the guy is unbeatable. Again he's not one of them blokes who makes you purr. I don't think I've ever seen any sportsman get into the positions he achieves without summat snapping. In slow-mo it makes you wretch a bit. He's Dr. Octopus to Nadal's Sandman.

There's also his endurance. I note some posh explorer chappy (Olly, inevitably) has announced he wants to be the first man to row round the world. (Its always the toffs who do this, isn't it? Never the people who have to make a living.) Djokovic could do that and still have enough gas left to fend off a late Andy Murray revival.

But Novak's accomplishments seem all the greater when you look at who he's had to beat to get there.

The gluten-free diet seems to have helped him. I've looked into it and frankly you're cutting out a lot of important foodstuffs like bacon sandwiches, Dolmio pasta and possibly even lager. (If you're planning to row round the world then please translate that last sentence into 'proscuitto ciabatta, linguine arrabiata and ermm... lager.)

It'd be easy to major on the Serb's fitness and flexibility but we should remember that beyond that he's hitting the ball better than the others. That's why he's winning. He is the best player out there.

So we are in a quite exceptional time for men's tennis. As opposed to the women's game which continues to turn out Aryan Amazons from eastern Europe who play a form of tennis that would be entirely monotonous were it not for the variety of their ejaculations.

I'd like to gag the lot of them. Not cos it's unladylike - it's nowt compared to the eardrum-wrecking caterwauling you get in Stockton High Street of a Friday night - but cos it's unnecessary - and it's used to put your opponent off. You're hitting a tennis ball, love, not auditioning for Kill Bill 3.

Mercifully Azarenka made short work of Shriekapova and Melbourne's earplug vendors were left to rue the fact that women can't last 5 hrs 56 minutes.

And what of our lad? Andy Murray. Part of the Fab Four I'm told, but still playing Ringo. Occasionally allowed the lead vocal ('will you still need me, will you still seed me, when I'm 64?'... 'I get beat with a little help from my friend').

Well, let's face it he got close. Much closer. If Djokovic is the mountain-top then the boy's going to need some shit-hot crampons. But unless one of these heavyweights gets crocked for a Slam then you can't see him beating two of them to get to a title. He just can't sustain the level of brilliance that the top two achieved on Sunday. And it's probably unreasonable to expect it.

In the meantime, we will still get the odd bleat from a big time Charlie manager that his poorickle footballers are a bit tired out from playing 3 hours of football in a week! Pah! I think I used to think tennis was a game for refined genteel woofters. Not anymore. Given that you're not allowed to tackle anyone these days I think the jessies are very much the petulant, sulky ones in the pink and orange boots.

143 comments:

  1. Boah,

    your mentions of your dear missus, its getting a bit graphic, isnt it.

    Anyway, top blog as always.

    the Tennis match was epic, more a 6 hour heavy weight bout than a tennis match but here'S a thing, it lacked summat for me.

    a contrasting style.

    The both, Nadal and Djokovic are brilliant players no doubt but lik ethe hopeless romantic, I miss the classical, effortless style of Federer in a final.

    Djokovic, undisputed best player in the world right now.

    Game of tennis, has it ever had so many brilliant players at any give n time?

    got to think any of them, Federer, Nadal, Djoko.. left on their own would blow the competition away every time.

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  2. Top blog as ever. Have to agree Robbo (much as I hate tennis). Truly epic game. The end of the final even beat the Mackem v Boro match to my TV screen.

    I guess 6 hours is like playing 4 footie matches back to back, and the average manager won't be happy with that in 2 weeks.


    Jedi

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  3. If your wife wants to live out her sexual fantasies with a fireman, drop me a line Robbo and ill give her a good seeing to in the name of friendship.

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  4. If banal sorry naval is the sandman, federerererer must be the smooth and intrepid milk tray wierdo with henman as Walter the softie out the beano and Andy the Scot as Howard the Duck.

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  5. btw who the FUCK want to watch a 6 hour tennis match

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  6. btw2

    water.

    That's the sandmans weakness. Obvious really. Walter the softie could make a sandcastle out of him with a bucket of water

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  7. As opposed to the women's game which continues to turn out Aryan Amazons from eastern Europe who play a form of tennis that would be entirely monotonous were it not for the variety of their ejaculations.
    -------------------------
    Good stuff Robbo. Is this why the expression "chicks with dicks" came about?

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  8. Tennis is like golf to me... play it if you have to but who the fuck want's to watch it.

    "No maternity hospital shall recieve an infant without it's mother, except in cases of emergency." - Colorado state statute.

    Things taht make you go hmmmmm

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  9. Bo

    Other things that make you go hmmmm:

    Went past an "adult shop" recently. Sign in the window said "trade orders welcome".


    Jedi

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  10. The jan transfer window should really be just a day or two long. No one really does anything noteworthy till the last day anyway.

    Am currently in jolly old India enjoying the hospitality of me mates in Pune. No one here has obviously heard of the recession. Went to a newly opened mega-mall to get my kid some stuff, and it actually costs less in the US. Go figure. Also a colleague here bought an apartment for 1.r crore rupees (about USD 300k). I am in the process of buying a single family home in King of Prussia on a half acre plot for the same amount. What the hell is happening here? SS, i take it you drive to work in your custom made ferrari or something.

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  11. that's it. work is done and I've six hours to spare before going out tonight. Think I'll watch a replay of that tennis match.

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  12. Hmm. Good nights sleep or watch a re run of the girly tennis match.

    Can't decide.

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  13. What's to decide blog, 6 hours sleep or watching the rerun both result in 6 hours sleep.

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  14. Good point Bo. Tennis must have been banned by some yanky state legislature at some point since 1776, surely?

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  15. Google .....

    In the early years of the reign of Henry VIII a law was passed in 1512 that banned the ordinary person from a whole range of games such as tennis cards, dice, bowls and skittles.

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  16. just got time to watch the tennis again before work in the morning.

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  17. Google.....

    "In 1511 Henry VIII watched a six day long real tennis match which his wife had insisted on attending. It drove him mad, sparking his hatred of wives and the English Reformation."

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  18. haha Liverpool are on a roll...(promoting racism roll that is)
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16798167.stm

    --BeeZee

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  19. Great blog Robbo,
    Was thinking during the match about how dignified the top (Men's) tennis players act, was wishing footy players would learn a thing or two from them. And yes Women's tennis is shite, enough said,

    and to those complaining about the length of the match, the key to watching tennis is to join in on the 5th set!

    --BeeZee

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  20. There was once a great proud club called Liverpool FC.

    now its just a rotten, bitter dump where racist behaviour is cherished and defended for no other reason than to have been committed by one of their own.

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  21. Trott,

    a young striker heading your way.

    From Arsenal, with love.

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  22. I wouldn't get your hopes up Trott.

    We've had a young striker from Ar***al as well this season.

    Done naff all.

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  23. Jacks,

    buyer beware. Told you he's a talented lad with attitude problems.

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  24. eh up, what's happened, have you loaned us Thierry Henry after all that fuss?

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  25. you mentioned cherished and defended, but forgot 'promoted visa their website' Spits,

    and who is going on on loan? Can only count one striker on our books (Henry is himself on loan, so technically ye is on the Yanks books)? So did we loan out RVP? good on the lad, not that he would score any more or less goals with Bolton's midfield behind him, has to do everything himself these days anyways

    --BeeZee

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  26. why its the one and only Ryo Miyaichi who'll be gracing the Reebok.

    Dont know why you lot arent excited out of your skins.

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  27. and just for something a little bit different and highly unsualy for arsenal, the new signing Thomas Eisfeld is a bit injury prone.

    I wonder if the medical team will be able to handle, what is no doubt and unusual prospect.

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  28. no fuckin' way, are you fuckin' kiddin' me, Ryo fuckin' Miyachi? He's a fuckin' world beater! Fanfuckintastic. Happydaysarehereagain..

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  29. Spurs have signed Saha. Finally a top Striker of their own.

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  30. forgot to add LOL to the last post...

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  31. harry actually wrote to Levy to sign Zaha but being the illiterate git that he is, spelt it all wrong.

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  32. has that tennis match finished yet?

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  33. SpitfireJan 31, 2012 01:58 AM

    There was once a great proud club called Liverpool FC.

    now its just a rotten, bitter dump where racist behaviour is cherished and defended for no other reason than to have been committed by one of their own.
    ======================================================================

    Hmmm...not like you to to normally over exaggerate Spits, but seeing as its transfer deadline day, I wont hold it against you. Speaking of transfer day, where the devil are all the transfers ? And doesnt look like Saha to Spurs is a done deal as yet either (Seeing as its probably going to be the zenith of the TDD).

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  34. spit no sign of H2H, sadly, although i was doing one of them "wheres H2H?" puzzles and i thought i spotted him in the crowd; last time he disappeared like this into a upstairs room the germans were about to invade and H had to keep quiet for duration of the war. he then re emerged as a pub owner.

    perhaps he's plotting a takeover of FC annefrankhoven?

    or replacing arsene?

    or directing a film - Dungheap II : revenge of Owd Roger?

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  35. DEADLINE NEWS

    Messi signs for Port Vale!

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  36. Had been to a pub called Manchester United in Pune, India last noght. Was absolutely awesome to see folks in india getting drunk in a pub called Man U fighting over where they thought tevez should end up (incl a fine suggestion from one guy - Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Area).

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  37. last night even.

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  38. don't get too excited Blog, he must be overrated. Bolton gave him a trial but turned him down.

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  39. Ah,

    I'm sure there are plenty of well reasonable fans who support FC Liverpool but lately, the club, including but not limited to KD have covered themsleves in shite pulling no stos in defending what is rightly become teh indefensible, racist behaviour.

    The latest episode the invited my ire was the video highlights of the game vs. ManU including a racist gesture by one of their fans hosted on the club official website for over two days.

    Thought I was being rather reasonable.

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  40. Spits, agree that the video was something to be avoided given recent events, but surely not something done purposefully with racist intent. More to be ridiculed than censured surely. They did (eventually) pull it off and then apologize.

    Thankfully some PL games to look forward to, otherwise a boring, dull deadline day.

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  41. Funny. Someone handcuffed himself to the goal post at man city.

    It's not Wayne bridge is it.

    "i don wanna go to sunderland"

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  42. They didn't turn him down Trott, they realised they would have had to sell the club to pay for his first months wages.

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  43. The problem with being a struggling league one team is you have to sell your best players just to keep your head above water. Selling Stephen Dawson to Barnsley is not going to help us gain promotion but it will no doubt keep the creditors happy.

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  44. Tennis - it's shit.

    Transfer window - not happy.

    That is all.

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  45. FFL too close to call...a couple of points in it on both H2Hs with 2-3 players to go for all 3 of us. RvP to the rescue hopefully.

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  46. Never doubted that young lad we bought from Ar***al.

    5-1 up yours Fat,Bent Sam

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  47. have a read, its brilliant...

    http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/10/i-would-like-to-retain-fart-in-your.html

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  48. John Terry trial to be held after the Euros.

    Pity. That way he'll be eligible to lead England.


    Jedi.

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  49. as a Bolton fan I'd just like to say that it's a great pleasure to have Chris Foy playing for us tonight. Let's hope he performs as well in the second half!

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  50. Least he's been consistent Trott. Consistently shite.

    Chris Foy? Chris Fuck more like.

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  51. OK... it had been four games since I had seen the gunners and all I can say is they look a decent middle of the table club. Bolton defended well and for the last 5-10 minutes were the team looking most likely.

    Arsenal still need a few players before they will challenge the top teams... about 9 actually. So, I look forward to the summer transfer window although not confidently.

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  52. One ancient Olympic event called the Pankration was a mix of boxing and wrestling that virtually had no rules. During this event in 564 BC, Arrachion of Phigalia and his opponent had beat each other senseless and Arrachion was declared winner. But Arrachion refused to stand and claim victory - because he was dead. Since the bout had already been decided, Arrachion became the only dead person in history to win an Olympic event.

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  53. in the rival Isthmian Games of the same year, the title of panhellenic tediacratia (a primitive form of tennis played with a bills testacle) champion, was contested by nadalastios of messene and federererererocles of Athens over 8 days 12 hours and 23 minutes.

    At this point a passing slave girl discovered that all 37 people present at the contest, including the two players, had died of boredom.

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  54. and is that why we never hear of any Isthmians at Wimbledon?

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  55. Just watched the highlights from the Spurs-Wigan game the other night. Assou-Ekotto should have seen red for that challenge on Di Santo, but not even booked. And now the FA aren't taking retrospective action because the referee saw it and deemed it not worthy of a card. Crazy rules. It seems to be every week that people are being banned retrospectively, with Cabaye being banned this week. Get some fucking video technology in use, and all this could be dealt with during a match when the result can still be affected by the actions.

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  56. http://theballisround.co.uk/2012/01/30/millers-put-to-the-grind-stone/

    One for Tony.

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  57. Morning all.

    Nice blog Robbo. Djokovic is at top of his game at the moment. Respect for both Nadal and Djokovic.

    Arsenal - less said the better. Theo Walcott missed to score one on one chance against keeper and RvP hit the post once and header was cleared off the line by last defender… At end of Decemeber 4th place looked so comfortable but now disastrous January has seen us fall back to 7th place. So frustrating… all players should take the blame for the result.

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  58. AH,
    Welcome to Pune. How long is your stay?

    I certainly do not travel by Ferrari. Even if I had I wouldnt risk it in Mumbai's traffic snarls.

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  59. I think United are proving a lot of people wrong with their performance in the league so far. It might not be the best 11 United have ever had but I think its definitely the best squad United have ever had.

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  60. Rod, if you think this is the best squad Fergie has had at his disposal, you are wrong.

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  61. Hardly the best Un**ed have ever had Rod.They keep getting the reults,but it hardly compares with some of the great squads fergie has had,or indeed Busby.

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  62. nah Spits I agree with Rod there, the depth in the squad is amazing, 5 quite capable strikers, wingers aplenty, 5 decent central defenders, but yep the first 11 can really use some more quality, that said who are gunners to say anything about anybody else, Mike f***ing ashley has built a better squad with more depth than Wenger, now THAT is embarassing

    --BeeZee

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  63. Un**ed squads past and present.Compare goal keepers.

    That is all.

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  64. I think some of you are getting "first eleven" mixed up with "squad". United had 10 or 11 injuries to players in their 25 man squad for their last game yet they comfortably beat Stoke. No other team in the Premier League, except maybe Spurs, could do that.

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  65. I think De Gea gets way too much criticism. Hes a good keeper whos made a few mistakes and hes still only 20. In the Manchester Derby FA cup match I think Lindegard made a howler of a mistake allowing Citeh to score their second but nobody talked about it. I wonder why.

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  66. The squad is deep Rod,as you've pointed out.But there have been better squads.

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  67. It's all subjective of course,but I'd say 95/6.All the Scholes etc youth coming in plus Schmeichal and the older heads.

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  68. Its a decent shout Jacks but looking at this squad I don't think its as good as now.

    1 GK Peter Schmeichel
    13 GK Tony Coton
    25 GK Kevin Pilkington

    2 DF Paul Parker
    3 DF Denis Irwin
    4 DF Steve Bruce (c)
    6 DF Gary Pallister
    12 DF David May
    20 DF Gary Neville
    21 DF Pat McGibbon
    23 DF Phil Neville
    26 DF Chris Casper
    30 DF John O'Kane
    31 DF William Prunier

    5 MF Lee Sharpe
    9 MF Brian McClair
    11 MF Ryan Giggs
    16 MF Roy Keane
    18 MF Simon Davies
    19 MF Nicky Butt
    24 MF David Beckham
    27 MF Terry Cooke
    29 MF Ben Thornley

    7 FW Eric Cantona
    15 FW Graeme Tomlinson
    17 FW Andy Cole
    22 FW Paul Scholes

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  69. As I say Rod,all subjective.Personally I think there's more variety and depth there than now.

    However I should also mention the 73/4 squad that got relegated.A personal favourite ;-)

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  70. Rod, I think yuo're wrong about Spurs (bear in mind I'm a Spurs fan). There are 2-3 key players (Bale and Modric for example). Without them the team just doesn't work (see the Ropey League for details).

    At least some things don't change. New year, new Gooner implosion.


    Jedi

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  71. comiserations to all those poor folks that died in Egypt, it's fucking sick sometimes what happens in the name of football.

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  72. Good piece by Sam Wallace in the Indy, saying the FA should sack Terry as England captain for the Euros.

    Have to agree. If he's found guilty, what does that say about "English anti racism"? Sepp Blatter would be p155ing himself.


    Jedi

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  73. people are saying he should be deemed innocent until proven guilty. How about suspended while being investigated?

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  74. Even if we had a team which wasnt, or could be, predominantly black, I don't see how can a man plausibly suspected of racist behaviour can possibly remain capt. His reputation was already rank. He's got to be sacked.

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  75. A part of the blame falls on Capello's shoulders... After the WC debacle if only he had announced and persisted with playing youngsters in squad and developing a for long term i.e. 2014 Brazil... none of these media talks would have taken place. Looks like pre 2010 wc scenario all over again with ppl wanting Terry to step down.

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  76. Terry shouldn't be in the squad, let alone captain.

    As for the Un**ed squad, I am with Jack... the 73/74 squad is my favourite too.

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  77. and yet, a mere quarter of a century later in 98/99, they won the Prem, FA Cup and Champs League. This could be the Trotter destiny!

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  78. I hope I've got your support guys, I'm training to get myself into the Guinness book of record.

    I'm aiming to become the worlds longest lived man (ive had a couple of personal bests this week)

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  79. Further to my earlier call, which has resonated through the corridors of the FA, for terry to be given the fiddlers elbow, chelsea play utd this w/e and IF Rio doesn't shake terrys hand its probably curtains on terrys England career.

    If he does shake the terry hand, antons going to feel betrayed.

    JT's the author of his own misfortunes so fuck him.

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  80. Replies
    1. physically no but mentally yes, trot, or vice versa, alternatingly never the two at once, like a diode

      Delete
  81. I am closing in on that record Blog and that is without training.... shit, if i began to look after myself I reckon Methuselah would be in range.

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  82. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16866149

    It seems the FA have taken Blogs advice.

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  83. Alright lads? Long time listener, first time caller. Lifelong Spurs fan from the Antipodes who is in real danger of doing himself an injury if these giddy heights we've reached are to be maintained.

    I love watching tennis as much as the next bored guy but two things really pucker my date: Why are geezers like Nadal allowed to wear gear the same colour as the ball?? Haven't they heard of a sight screen? And is it just me or is every Federer / Nadal match referred to as the 'the greatest game ever' these days? Six hours is not great, it's repetitive.

    Re: Retrospective bans by the FA. Simple answer, feed the match footage through the big screen at the ground and whilst the chopped gets attended to on the ground the ref can watch the same 400 slow mo replays we see and decide on his actions then. It's not going to slow the game down cause geezers lying strewn around the ground after a two footed tackle slow the fucken game down. It's a win win situation.

    I should post more often.

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    Replies
    1. That's too sensible for the FA mate.

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  84. Welcome Club, we can use all the new posters we can get, even if they are Spurs fans, (I guess its as good a time as any for you to come out in the open, eh?)

    --BeeZee

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  85. Another "outed" Spurs fan here. Terry "stripped of the captaincy" eh? If the FA wants to avoid legal problems, the answer is "we excluded him from the squad because we thought his trial would distract him from the job". Simples.


    Jedi

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  86. Whos the blackest player for England? He should get the captaincy.

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  87. Come to think of it, what you really need is the blackest gay Muslim player to be your captain. Have all race and sexuality corners covered.

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  88. How about Chris Huhne's wife? Good at taking penalties too.


    Jedi

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  89. As someone interested in football, my opinion on John Terry is that he is utter shite, and should never have been given the captaincy the first time he was stripped of it -- in fact, I don't think he should ever have been captain.

    As someone who is also non-White, I think the FA should have immediately relieved him of the captaincy and suspended him from the squad if they were confident that Terry was NOT innocent of making racist remarks, and fuck what Capello thinks.

    In Italy and Spain, racism on the pitch and in the stadium is part and parcel of the game, and I for one can't understand black and ethnic minority players whoring themselves in these countries. Well, I can, it's all about Fame & Fortune. That is Capello's background too, and whilst he may not have any racist or fascist tendencies himself, and give the bloke his due, he has been very successful in these countries, he simply does not understand the sensitivities attached to being England manager, especially given the fact that a percentage of the squad happen to be non-White.

    Am I being racist in calling for an English manager for the England team?
    ___________________________________
    I am not Anonymous -- I am Profile

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    Replies
    1. the english aren't a race theyre a nation so no you aren't

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  90. RodTheFierce: "Come to think of it, what you really need is the blackest gay Muslim player to be your captain. Have all race and sexuality corners covered."

    You forget the religion angle..
    ___________________________________
    I am not Anonymous -- I am Profile

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  91. And I forgot to say "with the biggest chip ever known to man on their shoulder"....

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  92. I would say that the 93/94, 98/99 and 07/08 Man Utd squads were stronger than the current one.

    Hopefully we'll be able to win the title

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  93. Um dunno, the 93/94 team wasn't that big a squad really. I think the 98/99 squad was so successful because they got jammy in important games and had no major injuries all season. A pretty powerful combination. In reality it was a squad of 18 players or so - I remember Ronny playing in midfield in the Champions League final! The 07/08 squad doesn't really have the defensive or offensive strength in depth the current squad has. I'd have confidence in any player in the current 25-man squad to do their job well, which includes De Gea. No other United squad has offered this luxury. Not to my knowledge anyway.

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  94. Our planet, the Earth, is, as far as we know, unique, in the Universe. Rarest of all is a sighting of two lesser spotted glory hounds in the jungle undergrowth of robbo's blog. There they are calling to each other in the darkness. A mating ritual as old as time itself or older. You can hear them pretending to remember players, comparing non-existent traits and evaluating impossible evaluations in the isolated vacuum of shrink wrapped football fandom. See them preen and strut, rare birds only to be seen when a glimmer of victory is visible. Mythical beasts who like the chameleon feed on the air.

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  95. you sounded like Robbo AtEmBoro there Blog.

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  96. So JT loses his captaincy now we just need him to spit out his dummy and say he wont play

    Job done now fuck off

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  97. Agreed Tone, and if we could get Ferdinand, Gerrard and Lampard to follow him out the door we may have a chance in Europe.

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  98. This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

    Happy days at the BBC.

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  99. Looking forward to the Superbowl, Trott? Or are you looking forward to the Superbowl party a little bit more? Who's your money on this year? Normally I'd go with the Patriots, but the Giants seem to have their number after beating them earlier this season and of course in the Superbowl a few years back.

    NRL All-Stars game tonight. Can't fucking wait. The rugby league is back. Booya.

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  100. yeah Noel, gonna be a good one I reckon. I'm a rootin' for the G men but not so confidently, Bellichek always has a trick up his sleeve (even though he's cut the sleeves off his hoodie). G men defense needs to be clicking' and getting through to Brady. I like see in' him hit the dirt, gives me a bit more hope of havin' a shot at Gisele.

    I'll be in England on Wednesday, Super League on Friday night!

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  101. tone1947Feb 3, 2012 09:07 AM
    So JT loses his captaincy now we just need him to spit out his dummy and say he wont play

    Job done now fuck off

    ___________________________________________________________

    Today's Times has exactly that story.Woo-hoo.And I'm with Bo on who else should follow him.

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  102. Enjoy your stay in the Motherland, trott

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  103. Handshake (wikipedia)...

    "....In sports or other competitive activities, it is also done as a sign of good sportsmanship. Its purpose is to convey trust, balance, and equality"


    This JT business has been badly handled by the FA ain't it. There's no real principle involved, or they'd have demoted the twat, at least contingent upon his acquittal, 3 months ago when the incident happened.

    Two things have happened. The courts have booted this particular football into the long grass on the wrong side of the euros. And its become clear that he's widely considered to be a twat even amongst his fellow twats.

    So the FA decided they couldn't get away with doing nothing any longer. The heat was being turned up in the media with suggestions he was being cold shouldered by a small group of England players and particularly the embarrassing prospect of the truth leaking out if Rio refused to shake his hand this w/e. And we font want the fucking truth leaking out do we, FA?

    For me it highlights the omerta and bullshit of modern football.

    I guess that's why the HANDSHAKE has become such a media event. Wengers the pioneer here in the manifest snub of the handshake refused. But JT is the poster boy of snubbees. Wayne Bridge the sad sap will only be remembered for refusing to shake JTs hand. The FA didn't want a repeat with Rio.

    It would be the one moment where the contempt in which this low grade human bring and pretty average footballer could shine through all the bullshit and media speak and 160 vacuous twatter characters in search of a substance and PR coaching and pointless fucking post match interviews that no one but a cunt would bother to listen to any more (crib sheet for the managers - the refs blind we were cheated; crib sheet for players : the performance of the team is the most important thing to me ...they expect us to believe THAT!!!?) .... through all this blather and bollocks, a handshake is a public gesture of sportsmanship, an unambiguous expression of mutual respect made manifest.

    So, the handshake refused has become eagerly anticipated by the meja, and now diligently pre empted by officialdom as with Evra at Liverpool the other week. With a handshake refused the meeja get a dramatic vt clip of the inner workings if personal politics, a moment in which the truth shines forth through all the bollocks. And we don't want that do we, FA.

    Perhaps there's no room for displays of sportsmanship in modern football? Honour is soluble in money, always has been. England captain? JT? It's like a sick joke ain't it. Well not any more.

    Right result. Wrong reason.

    End of rant

    ReplyDelete
  104. Looks to me like England are eager to get home from Dubai ASAP

    ReplyDelete
  105. Well said blognauts.

    I would have preferred it if FA had simply suspended Terry from international duty, pending the outcome of the case.

    Why are other clubs talking to Chelsea to confirm if their players would shake terry's hands or not?

    Let it out there and every man worth his salt can decide if they want to shake Terry's hand or not. If the players around him had the cojones, he'd know clear and well that such behaviour is not to b tolerated.

    Same goes for Suarez. It would have been a bigger punishment if Johnson (the only coloured player at Liverpool) had refused to stand in line with Suarez.

    Or better still, wishfull thinking, I know that the rest of the team would have asked Suarez in no uncertain terms to go the fuck out there and appologize unequivocally.

    ReplyDelete
  106. woah! 7-1 :)
    Flattered. Good performance by Ox. RvP, Arteta and Henry as usual on target without much fuss...classy finishes. Mood is much better now and should serve good for upcoming games this month. Still a long way to go...

    ReplyDelete
  107. blogdignag (Feb 4, 2012 02:28 AM) Awesome post -- agree with what you wrote.

    Spitfire (Feb 4, 2012 02:43 AM) "It would have been a bigger punishment if Johnson (the only coloured player at Liverpool) had refused to stand in line with Suarez."

    Not to put too fine a point on this: "coloured" isn't the word used to describe members of the BME (Black & Minority Ethnic) communities anymore -- too many links with apartheid-era South Africa and the Souther states of the US.

    ReplyDelete
  108. Happy Winter Britain.

    Enjoy your 'cold' induced chaos and hope you are spared the slight chill we have had to deal with the last few days over in Germany and other parts of the continent.

    ReplyDelete
  109. Not to put too fine a point on this: "coloured" isn't the word used to describe members of the BME (Black & Minority Ethnic) communities anymore
    ==============================================================================

    Why the fuck is there a word to describe them. Surely man, woman or child is descriptive enough.

    Arsenal had a decent win against Blackburn, which of course I missed. The O's game against Oldham was postponed due to a frozen pitch... how lame is that... we used to play on frozen bitumen... fucking wimps.

    ReplyDelete
  110. Nottingham Forest owner Nigel Doughty has been found dead in the gym at his home in Skillington, Lincolnshire.
    ==================================================

    Yet another dead fitness fanatic.

    ReplyDelete
  111. John Terry planned to announced his international retirement after Euro 2012 even before the Football Association decided to remove the England captaincy from him.
    ==============================================================================

    Why wait until after Euro's, do us all a favour and fuck off now.

    ReplyDelete
  112. "We were in the bottom 3 when I came in" guess what Owen, ahhh nevermind, it'll be alright......come on ye Giants!

    ReplyDelete
  113. with the champions league coming soon, i thought I would watch Milan's match in Serie A in order to see whats in store for us, well can't say im too impressed by them,

    but the real advantage of watching the match was seeing Ibrahimovic get a red for the most childish and cheeky offense ever, he slaps the Napoli defender over a team-mates shoulder reminding me of the pranks you would play as kids, and the napoli guy buys that and hits the team-mate instead, unfortunately the ref wasnt to be fooled, i would have let him go just for cheekiness of it, you guys should catch the highlight of that, hilarious stuff!

    --BeeZee

    ReplyDelete
  114. there it is:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi8SSeuqTR0

    --BeeZee

    ReplyDelete
  115. Phewww, never before have i supported IOU so hard, coz lets face it, Chelsea is our best bet to drop out and make place for us in the top four.

    --BeeZee

    ReplyDelete
  116. Happy Winter Britain.

    Enjoy your 'cold' induced chaos and hope you are spared the slight chill we have had to deal with the last few days over in Germany and other parts of the continent.
    ==============================================================================

    In the not to distant future Spit, I shall be embarking on a new journey in my life which will take me to climes even warmer than Oz, where the average temps throughout the year range between 21 to 36 degrees celsius.

    ReplyDelete
  117. Hope you are happy Bo, wherever you may go.

    ReplyDelete
  118. Spit, I'm usually happy wherever I am, so I don't see any problems in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  119. Watched quite a bit of Bundesliga footy this weekend.Free ESPN.Very enjoyable,but I'm still not paying an extra tenner a month for it.

    ReplyDelete
  120. Morning Jacks and all

    ESPN, is it not part of the Freeview package, we have it, so it is good when I'm back, like now, to catch up with the DBL(& la liga).

    But now starting the trek back to D-land, where as Spit says its is bit cooler(F/c when I get back later -12)

    and, also, FAB after your comments, you can fuck off as well

    ReplyDelete
  121. Ahh..speaking of warmer climes, am back in the US now after a decent spell in 20C Pune. Enjoyed my time there as always, someone really needs to do something about Mumbai airport though. Makes heathrow look like schiphol.

    Hope the lads put up a good show against Spurs today. With Arsenal and Man U coming up,these are dangerous times.

    ReplyDelete
  122. AH,
    See Mumbai airport after 3 years... it will be the next best thing you've ever seen!!!

    ReplyDelete
  123. How was the hangover today, Trotts? Was a very good game for the neutral. I just wish Brady's Hail Mary at the end had found a Patriot hand.

    0-0 draw for Spurs tonight. Not a bad result given that Chelsea and Utd also drew. Suarez just can't help being a little bit of a cunt though can he? Had eyes firmly fixed on Parker when he kicked him in the gut.

    Jacks, you must be happy with Contador's ban? I think he wasn't trying to cheat, but the rules are the rules I guess and he has to be punished. The way it's been handled though would even make the FA look competent by comparison. Letting it rumble on for 18 months and letting him ride in the meantime, and win with clean blood tests, and then to strip him of the Giro win now is a shite way to do things. It's actually helped win him some support from within cycling too by the looks of it.

    ReplyDelete
  124. A career high 98 points in the FFL this week sees me sit in first place in both Robbo's and Jack's leagues. My weekly total is dwarfed by Spit's 110 pointer though. Well played sir.

    ReplyDelete
  125. Cheers Noel.

    should point out that a new blog'S been out for a while now.

    ReplyDelete
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