[GraemeA]

I think he meant Ireland.

Obviously as Scotland never even get to the group stages 

[Big Dave]

http://newsthump.com/2012/06/18/alex-ferguson-unhappy-with-premier-league-fixture-list-as-man-united-handed-19-away-games/#ixzz1y9a02OO8

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

I think he meant Ireland.

Obviously as Scotland never even get to the group stages 

Au contraire mon brave…

World Cup:

 1954 Round 1 - 2 0 0 2 0 8
 1958 Round 1 - 3 0 1 2 4 6
 1974 Round 1 - 3 1 2 0 3 1
 1978 Round 1 - 3 1 1 1 5 6
 1982 Round 1 - 3 1 1 1 8 8
 1986 Round 1 - 3 0 1 2 1 3
 1990 Round 1 - 3 1 0 2 2 3
 1998 Round 1 - 3 0 1 2 2 6

Euro Championships

 1992 Round 1 - 3 1 0 2 3 3
 1996 Round 1 - 3 1 1 1 1 2

[Jaspersharpe]

http://newsthump.com/2012/06/18/alex-ferguson-unhappy-with-premier-league-fixture-list-as-man-united-handed-19-away-games/#ixzz1y9a02OO8

 

[slackline]

Diversion tactics were futile

[Grubes]

Twat Ball update

Grubers Loser (Luke) - score: 181

Roygues Gallery (Ian Thomas) - score: 173

Woys wankas (Richard Hession) - score: 169

Forge Albion (Brett Walder) - score: 162

Stoke wonna be's (Dave Holmes) - score: 162

Engerlorious bastards (Richard dickens) - score: 161

Bartons Bad Boys (Andrew Smith) - score: 118

Ellies Arse Holes (Ellie Boylan) - score: 77

Hope I don't blow it now ...

[rich d]

Nice update grubes, I was relying on Shrek to come charging back onto the pitch after his two match ban and get booked and sent off. (Unfortunately he was too shit and off the pace to even be able to do this)

[Richie Crouch]

Hopefully Pepe can live up to previous form and get sent off for something horrible whilst iniesta gets a hatrick! 

[GraemeA]

Great to see Ronaldo saving himself for the money shot in the penalties. Shame the Portuguese fluffers meant we didn't see him get to stroke his ego.

[moose]

Anyone else getting really pissed off with Lineker and co's relentless negativity and snideness? I thought the first half of  last night's match was great.  Portugal's relentless pressing had Spain properly rattled and it was fascinating to see them put under pressure, with a panicked edge to their play (admittedly the second half deteriorated somewhat but even so, it was very tense).  Yet, at half-time Hansen and the rest of the tight-trousered old-boys club were making dismissive remarks about how dull it was.  As though it was a dull but worthy spectacle and they'd prefer to be watching Stoke and Bolton hoofing it to the big man and kicking lumps out of one-another.  In fact, that's probably being generous.  They usually sound as though they would prefer not to be watching football at all, as though it is an onerous duty keeping from from attending to such vital matters as their golf handicap.  Alan Green and Mark Lawrenson are especially bad - often make watching football sound like a torture developed to personally punish them.

It does seem that standing as a player is no guarantee of "taste" or even basic knowledge of the game.  ITV and the BBC seem to have hand-picked ex-players who, despite being immersed in football their entire lives, do not know its laws.  The contrast with other sports is glaring; former cricketers and boxers in the media always seem very clued-up and adept at spotting subtleties I would never have noticed.  But with former footballers... Christ...  the number of times you hear such canards "he was the last man, it's gotta be a red card" or "you've got to give the benefit of the doubt to the attacker".  The pig-ignorance of anyone who doesn't play for a top club in the Premier League irks too.  Okay, there are a lot of good players to keep track of in Italy, Germany and Spain alone, but given that they are being played handsomely for their opinions, you would think they would make an effort.  Frankly, aside from maybe Neville and Souness, the TV companies would be best off getting rid of all the former players and replacing them with journalists - James Richardson (formally of Gazetta Italia), Sid Lowe, Tim Vickery and Andy Brassell would all provide a welcome blend of knowledge and enthusiasm. 

[Dolly]

Good post - completely agree with your second paragraph with the possible exception of Neville

[nai]

Good rant, moose
I'd hazard that Mark Langdon knows more about every team in this tournament than all bbc & itv pundits combined, lazy, cliche ridden gravy-trainers that they are.

[Snoops]

Good post. I'm with you on Sid Lowe. I'd make an exception for Dixon as well, he knows what he's talking about, makes Hansen look like the pony he is.

[Jaspersharpe]

 

It seems to be getting worse as now unless every game has at least 3 goals by half time it's deemed to be rubbish by Chiles, Lineker et al. The difference between the general standard of writing about the game (which seems to me to be high and getting better) and the crap spouted by the tv monkeys is enormous. As you say, there are enough intelligent, erudite people who could bring so much more to our tv coverage and yet we have Magic Al and Lawro earning millions and talking crap.

[lmarenzi]

+ 1

My favourite is when someone goes in with a blatant foul and the pundits say "well he got the ball ...". Well hopefully, if you foul the other guy and still don't get the ball it starts to look embarrassing, doesn't it

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

„ - Steh auf, wenn du für Deutschland bist!
- Steh auf, wenn du für Deutschland bist!
- Steh auf, wenn du für Deutschland bist!“

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Arschgebäcke!

[rich d]

Heard Strachan on Talk Sport today, he speaks sense (although I am biased). Don't know if he understands the rules of the game, but he spoke simply with common sense about football. I did think that last night's game was very dull, it was mostly the lack of intent to be positive from either side (as much the lack of fulfilment of potential) I thought it got more interesting when Portugal finally tired and  Spain started outpassing them. Penalties are always engrossing, especially when Ronaldo waits to be the hero and then doesn't even get the chance as an aside I as an England fan would love us to be able to play "boring" football and get to even three consecutive finals, as opposed to playing negative, dull, boring, frustrating and inept football due to the lack of composure of the players and not getting to any finals in my life.

[tommytwotone]

Shamelessly nicked off the Guardian's YouTube clips (which incidentally includes some serious Zinadine Zidane love) - Lee Dixon is somewhat irked by Shearer's interjection when he's answering a question.

[moose]

1982 - Italian match fixing scandal, Rossi banned - Italy win World Cup, Rossi wins Golden Boot
2006 - Calciopoli scandal - Italy win World Cup
2012 - Match fixing and illegal betting scandal reignites, Prandelli offers to withdraw team from Euro2012.....

If I was Spanish, I'd be feeling like the fates were against me....

[nai]

I did wonder about that before it all started.  ML did say they could be absolutely anything, also tipped Pirlo as longshot for player of the tournament at 100-1

[Doylo]

I can't believe they pay Hansen £40 000 for every MOTD

[Grubes]

Grubers Loser (Luke) - score: 205

Stoke wonna be's (Dave Holmes) - score: 204

Woys wankas (Richard Hession) - score: 196

Roygues Gallery (Ian Thomas) - score: 194

Forge Albion (Brett Walder) - score: 180

Engerlorious bastards (Richard dickens) - score: 179

Bartons Bad Boys (Andrew Smith) - score: 172

Ellies Arse Holes (Ellie Boylan) - score: 158

I thought ballotelli had let me down last night scoring twice but the legend pulled through in the end:
subbed off - 3 points
twatty card bonus - 9 points
yellow card - 12 points
scores goal - -6 points
scores goal - -6 points
team concedes goal - 3 points

One game left as much as I want to win the work sweep come on ballotelli get ya sen sent off. 

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Grubers Loser (Luke) - score: 205

Stoke wonna be's (Dave Holmes) - score: 204

Woys wankas (Richard Hession) - score: 196

Roygues Gallery (Ian Thomas) - score: 194

Forge Albion (Brett Walder) - score: 180

Engerlorious bastards (Richard dickens) - score: 179

Bartons Bad Boys (Andrew Smith) - score: 172

Ellies Arse Holes (Ellie Boylan) - score: 158

I thought ballotelli had let me down last night scoring twice but the legend pulled through in the end:
subbed off - 3 points
twatty card bonus - 9 points
yellow card - 12 points
scores goal - -6 points
scores goal - -6 points
team concedes goal - 3 points

One game left as much as I want to win the work sweep come on ballotelli get ya sen sent off. 

Balotelli, males no difference to this league.

But it's Iniesta [Grubes] vs  Ramos [Stokies] for the big finish.

The nation waits with bated breath:


   
           
   
           
   
           
   
           
   
           

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Michel Platini goes "Bonkers in the Nut"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18657633

Uefa president Michel Platini says the 2020 European Championship could be spread across various cities in Europe, rather than having a single host.