Friday 6 December 2013

The Hurt of Moyes

A very enjoyable midweek Match of the Day on Wednesday and one man outshone all others. The Biter, the Baiter, the Bugsy Bad Boy is in the sort of form that you only really ever see in your dreams. So successful is he at throttling Canaries that Sylvester must be up there somewhere in cartoon heaven praying that Luis finds Tweety Pie's address.

When I was growing up, hat-tricks got scored by nimble goal-scroungers who loitered around the six-yard box like itinerant workers hang around outside Wickes. Opportunists, they were - your Mullers and Linekers - not doing a scrap of work elsewhere and then popping up just when you'd forgotten that they were on the pitch.

These days your hat-trick heroes don't some much sniff out a chance as construct on from their own imaginations. You seriously get the impression that Messi, Ronaldo and Suarez could score at almost any time they fancied it.

Take Suarez's quartet on Wednesday night. Admittedly this was against Norwich City defence still shell-shocked from previous encounters with the Nibbler, and which therefore gave the Uruguayan the sort of room you might give an elephant with diarrhoea.

Nevertheless, each one was a work of art. The first a searing volleyed lob that left John Ruddy flailing so badly there was a bit of Seaman in the despairing lunge. Ahem. The second a bit more of a Gerd Muller, but a tricky finish made to look so simple. The third a ludicrous Gazzaesque lob and control followed by a beautifully controlled half-volley drive. The fourth just your run-of-the-mill 25-yard free kick.

And you have to be one helluva player to set up a chance that even Raheem Sterling can't miss.

It strikes me that despite the praise ladled in the direction of the Suarez-Sturridge combo, Luis is even better when he has to do more of the work himself. This is good and bad news for Rodgers. Yes I know the Reds coped well while Suarez spent the first few games licking his wounds (I think maybe he should've been licking Ivanovic's too). They weren't exactly tearing teams apart, mind you. Lots of George Grahamesque 1-0s if I remember rightly.

I make in 13 goals in 10 starts since his Nibs returned. I never thought I'd write this but it's a pleasure to have him around this season. You can't help wondering if the Something Stupid he might do is just around the corner. But till then, enjoy. He's utterly brilliant.

A blissful week all round for the city of Liverpool then, particularly the blue half of what was briefly known as Moyesyside. Bryan Oviedo's 86th winner against Manchester United finally rid Everton of 21 years of failure in the Theatre of Dreams. That it should happen while their manager of 11 years is in charge of the opposition is a deliciously cruel piece of irony.

It's easy to suggest that Moyes always treated this fixture too negatively when he was in charge of the Toffees and that's why Everton could never win. Easy cos by and large it's true. The Old Puce Glasgae Father Figure rather intimidated everyone, not least his heir apparent.

Martinez isn't walking around in anyone's shadow. Everton, with Lukaku roaming the front line like a great caged lion, and the likes of Barkley and Deulofeu being given their heads despite their youth, are playing fine and attractive football with not a backward step involved.

Mind you, Martinez has inherited a better team. Moyes is picking through the debris of Fergie's leftovers. I still don't have a clue how these lads lifted a trophy last season. Vidic and Ferdinand are done for. The likes of Nani and Young float around the fringes like tatty decorations that haven't been taken down after the Christmas party.

The midfield looked bare before Moyes arrived. Fellaini looks back to his stompingly clumsy worst. Giggs is looking more like Corporal Jones in there (Don't Panic!). Cleverly is neat and tidy and tepid. Anderson might never be anything and Carrick's calmness is actually being hugely missed. Kagawa could help if played in the right position. It's all very average.

I'd love to watch a United game whilst simultaneously watching a temperature gauge attached beneath Wayne Rooney's top-weave. The Toxteth Terror seems to be seething and steaming more and more these days as he wages a one-man campaign to get some uplift into United's season. As I have noted before, it might be good for England that Rooney is learning to play well in a pretty shite team right now.

But Wazza - good though he is - is not a Suarez, not even a Bale. He cannot keep saving a middling team with one moment of inspiration even if every time he strikes a dead ball at the moment you think there might be something in it for his team.

Van Persie's return will further paper over the cracks but Moyes has a transfer window of massive importance coming up. And I'm jiggered if I can see who might want to join a midtable outfit with little chance of making the Champions League this season. Even Leighton Baines might prefer to stay put - unless Oviedo keeps him out of the team of course.

Footnote: Australian readers might be disappointed at my lack of coverage of the Ashes cricket series. Well for the winter this will remain almost exclusively a football blog. Unless England get their shit together.

154 comments:

  1. Suarez is a high quality player,possibly the best in his position in the PL.You can see why Wenger wanted him,but......

    He's bound to do something daft this season.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Always been a big believer that Suarez is the missing piece in Wenger's system. We should have made a better offer last season,he is worth more than 40 mil in the current market. It was our best chance, now the likes of Madrid won't let us get a sniff. He is the third best player in the world and was undervalued last season, despite his streak of daftness.

    --BeeZee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suarez would be worth £60-70m if he wasn't Suarez (and therefore likely to be a massive tw*t at any given moment|). That knocks the value down by about £10-15m. Wonder what he'd be like if he ever got to play for a big club?


      Jedi

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  3. should have given martinez the united job

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  4. Hey Liverpool,
    so how about 40,000,002 then?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice one Robbo. On your last para, I can only say "keep watching the footie". An Ashes comeback would be up there with Lazarus.


    Jedi

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  6. Insightful as always, Robbo. Interesting that Everton have a better team than Man Utd. If van Persie were healthy and Lukaku with Chelsea, would that still hold?

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  7. His super power is he absorbs the talent of very player he bites.

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  8. Quick mention of the death of the greatest man of my lifetime ...who was a massive fan of Lucas Radebe >>

    http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/nelson-mandela-dead-football-shouldnt-2010650

    ReplyDelete
  9. That Mandela, eh?

    What an absolute giant among men.

    I'm afraid all we'll ever hear from now on is how his struggle was peacefull.
    Yes it was, once he knew peacefull means would actually work.

    Lets not forge that for a considerably long time, he has forced to use means and organisation that got him labelled a terrorist.

    Lets not forget that part, shall we. Let also not forget who stood opposite him. In South Africa and int he rest of the world.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and in particular lets not forget that that shiney polished talking mannequin Cameron belonged to a group in the 1980s which published a "Hang Mandela" poster. remember these obloquies when you see him stuntedly reading from a piece of paper his cliched eugoogly on the news

      Delete
    2. Remember, Cameron has made his own Mandelaesque journey - from rabid "Tory Boy" to "Blair with a blue rosette". He is basically a PR spiv who'll say anything if he thinks it will get him a few votes

      Spider

      Delete
  10. Good stuff Robbo. I coughed a bollock off at your "despairing lunge" line!

    ReplyDelete
  11. The bright shining light of a source of inspiration for countless millions has been sadly extinguished.

    RIP Nelson Mandela.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nelson Mandela? I hoped you were talking about Sepp Blatter!!

      Spider

      Delete
    2. if we know there's millions of 'em, how can they be countless?

      Delete
  12. Nice one RR/

    Big heh @ "his Nibs"

    There's no doubting the mans talent, he used to do the busines at Groningen, then Ajax and now for the 'pool. But unless he's finally grown up and matured, which i still doubt, he's a ticking timebomb.

    At this moment he's doing well. his team are doing well too, and with two of the six, so called title hopefulls not exactly firing on all cylinders, L'pool are looking for a top 4 finish and the CL footy he craves.

    But things change sharpish in footy, a dip in the teams form, or the attentions of one of the big boys, a la Real, could trigger him off, bye bye the amazing Dr Jekyll, hello the dispicable Mr Byte.

    I'm not saying it will happen this time around (remember I warned you all before), I just think that a leopard doesn't change it's spots so easily.

    ReplyDelete
  13. England in group D for death.. nice one Geoff cough

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  14. Ouch.

    Not an easy draw for England or NL

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  15. Uruguay, Costa Rica and Italy? Piece of cake. Bring it on.

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  16. Much respect for Mandela, but we shouldn't forget he wasn't perfect. No hero ever is.

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  17. So sad you won't be making it out of the groups stages. Never mind that we may not, either.

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  18. Maybe it's better that England have a tough group.

    None of that false hope bollox that an easy draw would generate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Quite right H2H - I think the Dutch are in a far tougher group/L16. They have to beat Spain to avoid Brazil - and even if they do beat Spain who is to say Brazil will somehow avoid winning their group and they end up playing them anyway. Also, has anyone noticed how that bunch of jammy cheese eating surrender-monkeys ended up in the "easiest" group?

      Spider

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    2. Here on the bar, my punters are not worried at all about the draw, they have the attitude that you have to beat everybody to win the thing,

      Crazy Dutch basterds, ;)

      Delete
  19. beat Costa Rica by 5 or 6 and draw the other two, limp through and on to glory!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Top blogging Robbo, and you hit the nail on the head in your last paragraph. Utd can no longer attract the quality of player that they need, and missing out on the Champions League will only make things worse. It's not that they didn't sign anyone in the summer (apart from Afroman), it's that they couldn't sign anyone. Three or four players said no. It's great, ain't it? I'm just hoping that it continues - loss of Champions League income, reduced plastic fan base leads to falls in revenue, interest payments can't be made, Glazers sell the club for 1 pound to Kim Jong-Un (who passes the FA's fit and proper owner's test with flying colours). And he burns the club to the ground as a protest against all that's wrong with the western world.

    Good draw for England at the World Cup. They'll have to play well to progress, which probably won't happen. So there won't be the chance for England to luckily sneak through to the last 16 by playing shite like they did last time, and therefore suggest that there are no problems with the quality in the team. England needs to get embarrassed on the World stage again and again until they make changes like Germany have done. Building St George's Park and employing Gareth Southgate doesn't fucking count.

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  21. Tsk. Don't think it's the opposition in Group D that is the problem. More the feckin' humidity. Can you play well and still be attached to a drip?

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    Replies
    1. "I'm an England footballer get me out of here?" "No worries son, you don't get out of the group"?

      Well, yes Robbo, but the only match we play in the jungle is against Italy (first game), and they're not exactly used to the jungle either. And Italy generally don't start well in world cups, so some hope, I suppose (or despair, depending on how you look at it).


      Jedi

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  22. The Ashes is starting to look like the group of death. Bell and carberry total capitulation to Mitchel Johnson

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  23. Except bell and carberry I meant to write. It is 5am.

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  24. What is a terrorist?... one man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter.

    Mandela lost 27 years of his freedom to bring freedom to SA... not just for black SA'ns but for white SA'ns too. The world has lost a great man.

    ReplyDelete
  25. The sleeping giants of Shorewood and Salisbury put to the sword

    Now for the smug bastardy of man Utd stoke or arsenal

    My preference stoke at stoke. Never a better chance to take our rightful ascendent place fated by the gods

    ReplyDelete
  26. A terrorist is a bloke trying to kill the legitimate government like Cromwell, the leader of the Stoats in wind in the willows, George Washington, the Scarlett pimpernel, Danton, von stauffenberg, Macbeth, robin hood, Lenin and Oedipus

    Bit strange that guy Fawkes has become a hero again because of comic book ain't it. Almost like we can't tell the difference between fact and fiction.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. you can add presidents carter, reagan and bush (gw) to that list too, not.forgetting mao tse-tung of course.

      SAVE DAVE

      Delete
  27. whatbacklashgatting: For the Ashes, what has Gatting and Bottle-ham got to say now?

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  28. hmmmm 530 run lead after day 3. Looks as if we might be in a spot of bother.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Woah, how poo were Man U?

    I think all us non Man U fans are going to have to start a new campaign.

    So, without futher a do;

    SAVE DAVE!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Mrs Jack would just like to say......

    HOWAY THE LADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ipswich, Stoke and Newcastle all won Jacks! Party at your house?

      Delete
    2. It doesn't happen very often Trotts,so we all felt pretty smug this weekend.

      Especially as the ladies of the house had put Un**ed and Chelsea to the sword.

      Delete
  31. I think we may have underestimated Pults.

    six points from two games for a team in the bottom 3 is quite impressive, but getting Chamakh to score in two consecutive games is the stuff of miracles.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I appreciate he isn't the favourite manager of many on here,but I'd certainly not be shocked to see Palace stay up.

      Delete
  32. Ok, a bit unlikely but if Aston Villa win by four today they go above ManU… into ninth. ManU are also, not too far from halfway into the season, closer to the relegation zone than the top spot. The are only one point closer to third than 17th.

    Think about that for a while.

    And then giggle for a bit.....

    ReplyDelete
  33. Ars v Eve was a top game.

    Respect to Martinez who has done a great job at Goodison park. that match could of went either way, a draw a fair result in the end.

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    Replies
    1. Have to agree about Martinez H2. Got them playing some great stuff, too.

      Nice to see Moyes finally getting to see Everton win at OT too. Save Dave.

      On another note, you will no doubt be looking forward to the FA Cup 3rd round?


      Jedi

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  34. World Cup, here we come!

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-25294484

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  35. Don't know if you guys would have seen it on the coverage over in the UK, but Piers Morgan was tweeting abuse at the England cricket team, and Alistair Cook in particular during this last test, for the way they were letting Mitchell Johnson scare them. Shane Warne, Michael Vaughan and some of the other commentators said that it was easy for him to speak from the comfort of his armchair, and suggested he may think differently if he was facing Johnson himself. Anyhow, to cut a long story short, Piers has agreed to face 90mph-bowling Brett Lee in the nets at the Melbourne Test match on Boxing Day. If he has the balls to turn up, I can't wait to see him get absolutely battered live on tv.

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    Replies
    1. cunt. Hope he takes one on the temple!

      Delete
    2. woah, did I really type that?

      Delete
    3. That's the effect that plonker has on people.

      Delete
    4. If Brett knocks his block off, he'll still have missed his brain by five feet. More likely to hit him in the mouth, he can't miss!

      Spider

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  36. Everton were excellent against us yesterday and got a well deserved point in a very entertaining game. Ross Barkley MOM IMHO and the little Catalan fella Delulifeluli looks a bit tasty. But I do think Howard Webb could have flashed a bit more yellow around early in the match - that would have maybe changed the game a bit but then if he didn't see the tackle on Alonso in the WC Final then it's not surprising. Not moaning, just find the lack of consistency with yellows very odd.
    Cricket? Can't wait to get my Spanish nationality sorted out so I can feign indifference.
    Rastafairy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. he (Webb) did indeed let too much slide, there were a few players who were lucky not to have escaped (earlier) cautions, but let's not take away anything from Everton, who I thought were the best PL team we have come up against so far this year. The MotD2 highlights really didn't do them justice, although the analysis did.

      Speaking of which, it was pretty amusing watching Hansen choke on his words while having to admit that the CB pairing of Kos and Mert aren't as bad as he has always said.....

      No shit Sherlock, the defence from the team with the leagues lowest goals against record, a team that only conceeded once in all competitions in the whole month of November, may have decent defenders!?

      Your research team must be tip top.

      Delete
  37. Moyes said after the game.... ‘I was due to take Robin off after 60 or 70 minutes, but I think if I’d taken him off everyone would have said: ‘What are you doing'

    And there you have his problem in a nutshell.can you imagine that hard nosed unpleasant twat /genius saf worrying about what everyone would have said?

    Having said that, the cupboards bare the effect of the money the glazers have taken out if finally plain to see

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Plus the short termism of Fergie has come back to bite them in the arse.

      I always said that that was a team far greater then the sum of its parts and that was due to SAF, he wanted to go out on a high, he knew that he had one more title in him after losing to Citen on GD, so he went out and got the best striker in the PL, an ageing and injury sensitive RvP.

      RvP got the goals, SAF got his title and he could step down on a high, legendary status secured. But he was only thinking about himself, like he always had, he is all about control, if you doubt that then read what his former captain had to say;

      http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25307471

      Moyes is not a bad manager, but not one who could possibly fill SAf's shoes, to be fair there are extreamly few that could and he knew it. The more Moyes suffers the better fergie looks, now that's power.

      Delete
    2. nah, Fergie had long term views on everything and knew he'd be too old to manage by the time this next crop is ready to win. He said as much when he asked their fans to be patient with the new manager. With half the team getting past it and the other half too young to be good enough it was perfect timing. Big mistake they made for me was signing Fellaini as a stop gap for Paul Scholes, stupid move. Carrick being injured has shown up a lot more problems. They'll be alright though, couple of years all you Gooners'll be starting another trophy drought, so win some now while the competition is easier!

      And taking Roy Keane's comments as relevant is like having Jack The Ripper testify against Hannibal Lechter.

      Delete
    3. I'm not counting on wining too much until the playing fields are leveled a bit, i.e, FFP, but I'm not gonna hold my breath on that one.

      Since our much publicised "trophy drought", apart from Fergie, who's won the league?

      Only the financialy doped City and Chelsea.

      Who has won the F.A cup?

      Again, only the same two oil fueled teams plus Wigan and Portsmouth. The price of cup "success" for the former was relegation, the latter almost oblivion.

      The fact that Arsenal have even managed to stay in the top four, through years of prudence is really quiet amazing. Liverpool fell from grace and it's taken them years to recover. What price Man U finishing fifth or below?

      Will they still be able to attract the big names without the promise of CL football?

      Will they even be able to afford all the stupid money that some of their players are on at the moment, Rooney and RvP are on 250k and 300k a week ffs. The latter is almost 31 and on a four year contract.

      Less success on the field ultimatly leads to diminished sponser money, a lot of which is currently being used to service extorionate interest payments on the ludicrous debt that the Glaziers placed on the club during their takeover.

      Maybe it won't be that easy to bounce back.........

      This is all ofcourse hypethetical, maybe they'll win the league this year, in the meantime.......

      SAVE DAVE!!!

      Delete
    4. And the biggest mistake imho was not the purchase of the wig, but Moyes getting rid of all the coaching staff.

      Delete
    5. oh no, I missed that line! I think the coaching changes are fantastic for their long term plans. Neville, Scholes, Giggs. Great set up for a couple of years down the road. They'll just have Bolton to beat for world domination.

      Delete
    6. Great players don't necessarily make great coaches.

      Winnebago and Airstream make good ones. ;)

      Delete
    7. they'll be fine, hand picked by Fergie, all part of his legacy and long term masterplan, you flatter Phil Neville!

      Delete
    8. If I had a Winnebago or an Airstream, I'd flatter them all.......

      Or is that flatten!?

      Delete
  38. Rvp was rebuilt by uniteds expert backroom animatronics engineers but now the glue has fallen out and he's back to what he always was a arsenal, brilliant but unreliable like an alfa Romeo.

    If Rooney leaves for Chelsea in January as I'm pretty sure he'd like to, united will have to break the bank to replace him + their shit defence and even shitter midfield.... all the great white hope/headless chicken Phil Jones has achieved is kick starting Wayne in the head. Rooney's been much better since that happened.

    What's that? Their banks already broken? That's a pity.

    ReplyDelete
  39. ITV4 10pm. That other sinister bastard Keane sticks the boot in with a few late tackles on a pensioner

    http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-united-icon-alex-fergusons-2909794

    ReplyDelete
  40. I can't tell if Moyes is any good as a manager as there's not much evidence either way. Everton achieved what could probably have been expected (Martinez is the one with the real talent), saf left a mess to clear up. But Moyes does stike me as a decent bloke. Gets you nowhere, you know.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Moyes is a decent manager but too cautious which was illustrated by the defeat by Newcastle. Under SAF they would have thrown everyone plus the kitchen sink and Stretford End furniture into teh Newcastle area to get a goal and didn't. The football has become functional rather than flowing and that is why United are losing so manuy games as the late onslaught simply doesn't arrive any more

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  42. As has been mentioned above,this isn't the fault of Moyes Adam.Your squad has been poor for 2/3 seasons.Fergie never bought a player like RVP before,it was always someone with potential.He needed RVP's goals to win the league and roll off into the sunset.All clubs fade away and I'm afraid it's Un**ed's turn now.

    ReplyDelete
  43. MUFC fans -at this present time would you take Mourinho?

    The current predicament is not surprising if you look back at last season's match report for Man. Utd you'll see a startling repetition of phrases like "won despite not playing well", "well below their best" and so on. The majority of people agree that SAF left behind a team that just wasn't good enough. Prior to Fellaini's arrival many were saying he was a top class DM (although I never saw it myself). Anderson, Nani, Young, Fabio and Rafael are simply not good enough, Rio and Giggs are past it, Jones, Smalling and Wellbeck may have great futures ahead but that doesn't help in the here and now.
    It's also very odd that just a couple of weeks ago, especially after beating Arsenal, and MUFC were on a good run unbeaten then everything looked rosy.
    Moyes just needs time. Without Mark Robbins SAF would've been out of a job many years ago. He wasn't always a legend (although he did have a much better track record that Moyes).
    I'm not going to say SAVE DAVE as I'm sure it'll come back to bite me in the butt in the next few years.
    Rastafairy.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Mourinho must feel like he dodged a bullet. Having said that, Ronaldo might have followed him to old Trafford and we would be taking about a very different side, one with the best attacking trio in the world ...it wouldn't matter so much that the defence and attack were shite

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  45. Breaking news….Ghandi's new book slags off Mother Theresa as a gutter whore.

    ReplyDelete
  46. The race is on;

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BbHiaMhIYAAHeDS.jpg:large

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  47. Just in.....reports from the Dead Sea are emerging detailing the discovery of a new Scroll in which Moses refers to Ezekiel as 'that wanker from Anathoth'

    ReplyDelete
  48. unconfirmed reports…..Frankel to sire Princess Anne's next foal.

    ReplyDelete
  49. all my wife's friends rubbed her belly and said "congratulations" when she was pregnant with our children. Why did none of them rub my dick and congratulate me?

    ReplyDelete
  50. sorry Trotts (and all respect to Mrs. Trotts), but that argument only makes sense if they were rubbing another body part of hers which was just as involved as your dick and therefore deserving the congrats, not the stomach where the baby was.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. what? Not even for a job well done?

      Delete
    2. Wait... your wife eats children?

      Delete
    3. yeah, I told her the gastric band surgery was a better option.

      Delete
  51. Good luck with promoting the innovational congratulatory after-fluff trot, let's hope it catches on!

    ReplyDelete
  52. That was some come back from Man City.

    ReplyDelete
  53. You may have read that the Chinese are suddenly better at educating their children than the west as measured by the Pisa tests. An English academic, who obviously knows Fuck all about football opined.....
    "While it would be nice if the UK were the Manchester United of maths, quality of education is not as easily measured as football prowess.

    we are the Manchester United of maths...mid table.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini seemed not to realise his team were one goal away from claiming top spot in Champions League Group D during their 3-2 win over Bayern Munich.

      We're already the Manchester City of Maths.

      Delete
    2. Idiot was probably listening to BBC 5Live. They got that wrong too.


      Jedi

      Delete
  54. Watched Manyoo last night, and OK they got the job done and finished top of the group. But, if I had the choice as a second placed team, I'd rather play them than, say, Barca, Real or Bayern. Nothing scary there.



    Jedi

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  55. All time world cup table.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-25233859

    Quarter finals,they're in the bag.

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  56. 3 of the last 4 games of the year for us against spurs, city and chelsea. Unfortunate to be without sturridge (2nd highest goals) and gerrard (most assists) but we shall soon see how realistic our top 4 hopes are. That's 12 points right there, with just 8 points separating us from 9th spot. Exciting times.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Think you have it tough? We've got Wigan, Charlton, Barnsley, Leicester and all without Nat Lofthouse and Frank Worthington.

    ReplyDelete
  58. You don't need either of them Trotts. You have Ngog and Spearing, you'll be just fine.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Arsenal and manu have a tough draw ahead of them in the next round of the cup.

    they could draw port vale.

    ReplyDelete
  60. It would appear that Brendan Rodgers has been caught playing away with a transsexual (ever the innovator). The weekend chanting should be interesting.



    Jedi

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    Replies
    1. personally, i don't believe any of these stories Jedi, unless you include a link to some trashy website that validates the allegation. Then the story has legs! Be even better her name Bernie.

      Delete
    2. Looks like "Anonymous" (not me) has provided the link below. Either Ms Harwood is telling pork(sword)ies (in which case LFC's lawyers will sue), or Brendan is in deep doo doo with Mrs Rodgers.


      Jedi

      Delete
  61. Fantastic, Soldado gets into form just before he plays us.

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  62. 2017: Tottenham 1-0 Anzhi Makhachkala
    Tottenham look in the mood for more. Kyle Naughton steams into the box and warms Evgeni Pomazan's gloves with a fierce cross cum-shot.
    =========================
    Ugh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lucky he had gloves on, and good news it didn't hit him in the face.

      Delete
    2. What'd you expect? Thousands of people pay to watch them play with balls.

      Delete
  63. limnk to trashy website provided as requested - anonymously so I can't get chased by irate scousers

    https://twitter.com/chelsey_harwood/status/411067748589252609

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. there it is in black and white and green. It must be true.

      Delete
    2. Thanks Anon (can I call you Anon?)



      Jedi

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    3. "not that there is anything wrong with that" :D

      --BeeZee

      Delete
  64. Manchester United striker Robin van Persie is set to miss eight games after injuring his thigh while taking a corner.
    -----------------------------------------------------------
    And so it begins. Man U are one Rooney red card away from being in serious trouble during this time.

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  65. First set to City 6-3. Frankly, Arsenal didn't do too much worng there, they were just etihad-ed.

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  66. Mertesacker wasn't happy with Ozil!

    https://vine.co/v/h2DXPO3LUWp

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  67. In from the pub to discover Steve Clarke has been dismissed? Wtf? How can I possibly understand this when I'm this pissed?

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  68. You type a lot better when you're pissed, bloggy.

    Just back from a few days down in Sydney where I went to watch Muse with the missus. Brilliant performance. But get back to find another managerial casualty has fallen. Who's next? Either of Moyes or Hughes for mine.

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  69. ....five minutes after rearranging my FFL team and taking an 8pt hit so I could work in Aguero...

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  70. WTF...we beat Spurs 5-0 at WHL??? As the one of the staunchest supporters of Liverpool since I was born, I still cannot believe this performance. Wow.

    Another amazing statistice from the "Liverpool keep Suarez, Spurs sell Bale" angle - Suarez has now scored more goals than the entire Spurs team in the PL. And this after he missed the first 6 games.

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  71. Also, never thought I'd say this as long as I lived, but Henderson absolutely bossed the midfield.

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  72. Spurs were poor, poor, poor.

    Suarez is shit hot at the moment.
    Henderson looked better without Stevie me demanding every ball in midfield.

    As for yesterday, great game, terrible officiating, Citeh ruthless on the attack.

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  73. You'd think that spending 100mil would at least get you a shot on target in a home game.....

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    Replies
    1. Surprisingly, the costliest buy on that list, Lamela, has probably never started a PL game. Between the PL and the Europa League and League Cup, they must have played at least 25 games so far, which should easily be enough to 'gel'. Gotta fear for AVB now. The only thing saving him right now is probably the lack of options for a replacement (they could have Jol back I guess).

      Delete
  74. Meggo for Spurs? Owen Coyle? Steve Clarke? Di Canio? De Matteo? Be a few more names after Christmas. Santa Claus even?

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  75. Well at least I have Suarez as my FFL captain. Every cloud....

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    Replies
    1. Fie on me, I took away the armband from him this week and gave it to Rooney. Me of little faith.

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    2. disgusted with both of you. No ethics these modern football managers. You'll both be bangin' a tranny soon.

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    3. I hope you have Elmander as your captain, Trott? The big man got an assist this week.

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    4. i'd forgotten he was even in the country!

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  76. Robbo can just repost his previous blog this week.

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  77. Who next, Noel? Well I'm just in from the pub to discover that AVB is toast .

    Happy Xmas to all football managers both real and fantasy

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    Replies
    1. You're just in from the pub? It's 11.30 on a Monday morning!

      Delete
  78. City and arsenal draw the two favourites in the champs.

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  79. damn, double bad news for Arsenal,
    drawing bayern and then sacking on AVB who was surely leading spurs in the direction that gooners want :/

    --BeeZee

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  80. AVB must hate London. No one there ever allows him to finish his projects.

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    Replies
    1. perhaps he'll show up on Merseyside when Trannygate blows up.

      Delete
  81. What's all this about Brendan Rodgers' radio?

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  82. ¿Glenn Hoddle?

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  83. Replies
    1. Good one H. Blog has something to do with it, every time he goes to the pub another one gets sacked. I think Blatter, Platini and Fergie are on Blog's dominies team. It's All Very Bewildering.

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  84. Funny you should say that trots because I went to the pub for two weeks once and got sacked myself

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  85. Apparently, in an attempt to return to playing free flowing, exciting football Levy is considering Fabio Capello. Pity Hodgson isn't available.

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  86. To be honest, I was expecting every time I went on BBC sport yesterday, to see that AVB had been sacked. Knowing how Levy operates, it was obvious after the City game that he was just one more loss away from the sack. It's a shame - I wanted AVB as soon as 'Arry started flirting with the FA, and I felt bad for him after the way Chelsea treated him. Statistically, he's been Spurs' best manager since 1899, but no-one will remember that - they'll just this lump his time with Spurs in with his time at Chelsea and call him a failure. I thought he was an improvement on 'Arry, certainly tactically, although I've had shits that are more tactically away than Redknapp. But at the end of the day, the brand of football was poor, the results weren't coming, and the Board want to see more from their investment.

    I also think that he wasn't supported in the transfer market. Right back to when he took over and Spurs sold Modric and VdV, AVB wanted Moutinho, but Levy bid a pitiful amount for him. Last summer, AVB wanted Hulk to replace Bale, but Baldini followed Spurs' policy of buying players that will have a higher sell-on value in a few years time, whilst bringing something to the team in the meantime. They were not AVB's targets.

    Levy will have been lining up a new manager for weeks now, so hopefully it's a sound appointment. He sees Tim Sherwood as the manager one day, but hopefully he doesn't give him the job fulltime now. He's not even remotely ready for it. Capello is the same type of manager as AVB, and will demand a huge salary.

    For mine, I'd like to see Michael Laudrup, whether or not he'd move from Swansea after turning down the chance to leave in the summer, or whether Swansea would let him leave, is another question. What's Hiddink up to? A bit optimistic maybe, but worth a try. Whoever it is will have a very good squad to work with. I think Laudrup would work wonders with the current squad.

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    Replies
    1. I'd like to see either Laudrup or Klopp. Unfortunately, they're both in 'not a chance' category

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    2. I'd like to see Dougie Freedman get the job.

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    3. Mr. Freeman has be offered the position of Director of Eyebrow Tweezing.

      Delete
  87. Genius from non-league fans.

    https://twitter.com/Dastardly_Pants/status/412558943722799104/photo/1

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  88. Good Lord, Wilshere and Zabaleta out for next gameweek. Curses.

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  89. New blog up gents (and Bells).

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