- 04:03 PM
- 11/05/24
Rio Ferdinand is calss through and through. Fergusin needs class through and through in his defence. For whatever reason he decided that he needed a UK (who costs more) player. Rio Ferdinand is the best defender in Englad that was free to move clubs. United have their man, again. I'm sure, after a month or so of settling in he'll be stunning.
posted by nedrichards at 05:52 AM on July 24, 2002
This is one of those things where, despite myself I think that it's a good plan to move. The fans are happy. They've got their hardcore obscurity back. The Management and players are happy, they've got a decent stadium and a chance to bring professional football to an area that is woefully underprovided. Or maybe that it's just that I like Milton Keynes and want there to be a team near there.
posted by nedrichards at 07:46 PM on July 15, 2002
Isn't Jamie Redknapp plying his trade down White Hart Lane way these days? But yes Liverpool will (hopefully) rule triumphant next year.
posted by nedrichards at 10:33 AM on June 29, 2002
I'm up for the Germans winning it, becuase then I can hark back to the spirit of Munich and say that a fair result for England in the QF would have been: Germany's Score+5 - Brazil's score +1. Excellent.
posted by nedrichards at 11:24 AM on June 26, 2002
And conversely, how do you get out of a spiraling circle of underachievement and unhappiness. My team, Saracens, has been in that for two years new leading to us almost being relegated last year. Yet a new CEO, new coach, a few new players (and getting rid of some troublemakers) and all seems rosy again in the camp. Is it that simple? If so why are football managers so bad at buying their way out of trouble.
posted by nedrichards at 05:51 AM on June 26, 2002
Italy weren't lucky. to have 4 perfectly good goals disallowed throughout the group stage is exceedingly unlucky.
posted by nedrichards at 09:49 AM on June 14, 2002
Miguel: I wouldn't say that old style European football is necessarily on the way out just yet. AFAIK this is the first world cup in the far east and I would say that European teams probably don't travel too well. I'd still put money on a European team lifting the Cup. Brazil won't win, their defence is as bad as Germany's. Oh and I feel ever so sorry for Sergio Concecao (apologies to him I just can't spell his name) he's a classy player and deserved better from his teammates. He seems to have been the only one trying for the past three games and to both be quite responsible for conceding the goal (he's definatly not a defender) and to hit the post like that. He was shattered afterwards. p.s. I'd put early money on Portugal for the 2004 Euro Championship if they can get some sort of team spirit together they've got class in abundance.
posted by nedrichards at 09:48 AM on June 14, 2002
Mossy: Forlan's already scored for united hasn't he? I thought he got a penalty. I'd be happy to be corrected though. I can see England in the world cup final. Between the ages of six and ten I saw them in the world cup final almost every night. Losing 2-1 in the style made popular by Bayern Munich against Man U in the European cup final a few years back. In many ways I don't want to see them in it again in case the same thing happens in real life.
posted by nedrichards at 07:04 AM on June 11, 2002
Rugby's Zurich Championship final in the UK. Sarries aren't in it but I'd love Gloucester to win something for all the beautiful rugby they've played this season. It's the last game of the season I have to watch otherwise I'll kick myself in those long rugbyless summer months. Oh and the world cup, but I'm not sure if I can take anything more after England yesterday.
posted by nedrichards at 08:01 PM on June 07, 2002
Crossposted from my weblog, but what the heck. Luis Borges! General Galtieri! Maradona! Carlos Menem! Alberto Ginastera! Che Guevara! Eduardo Duhalde!!! Eva Peron - can you hear me, Eva Peron?!? Your boys took one hell of a beating! Your boys took one hell of a beating!
posted by nedrichards at 05:46 PM on June 07, 2002
Fat Buddha: Did you see Lineker before he went on his acting course a couple of years back? He was almost as bad. I'm pciking Gazza to be the new El Tel in 20 years time. It's a brave call but it might just pay off.
posted by nedrichards at 04:12 PM on June 05, 2002
Hakan Unsal is the new David Beckham in France 98. Petty, petty man.
posted by nedrichards at 07:49 PM on June 04, 2002
Ufez Jones: sadly you've got it the wrong way round. The Turk was sent off not Rivaldo (who blatently faked it). They should really have a post match citation panel (like in rugby) that can hand out bans for this sort of thing.
posted by nedrichards at 07:19 PM on June 03, 2002
I'm glad becks will be fit. With Gerrard out he's crucial to Englands chances. The South Korean/Japanese police's paranoia is particularly entertaining from 4,000 miles distance although I'm sure very scary up close.
posted by nedrichards at 01:28 PM on May 31, 2002
It was a pretty decent game of rugby. A pitty that the welsh public din't come out for it in the same way the english did at the weekend. I'm going to put the Baa-baa's secons half turnarond entirely down to some qulaity Saracens players. :-) As for the best comeback, it's got to be the Australia, New Zealand game a couple of years back the John Eales, the kicking second row captain won in the last seconds.
posted by nedrichards at 06:15 PM on May 29, 2002
Hey Gazza had fitness back when he was the old JC with attitude, or something. We seem a bit light up front and may have a problem scoring goals, there'll be a big responsability on midfiled (and gerrard, beckham and scholes this means you) to push forward and support the boy genius Owen.
posted by nedrichards at 07:21 AM on May 09, 2002
I thought Mean Machine was great fun, but I'm obviously a proletarian philistine unable to appreciate higher culture.
posted by nedrichards at 06:41 PM on March 26, 2002
I was there (thanks to the generosity of my wonderful aunt, public shout outs to you) it was a ticketstubs moment certainly. Having seen Wilkinson a fair ammount in the Premiership and Internationally he is a class above everyone else I've ever seen and that includes God himself (or Michael Lynagh to all you non Sarries fans). His all round excellence in every field of the game is just astonishing. For an American metaphor imagine him as a Quarterback, Running back, Wide Reciever and Linebacker all rolled into one. A serious talent. As for the England team all over? Yes they're the best in the world, man for man and collectively as a team. Nobody else is close to the way that they can play. That fourty minutes around half time was just awesome in every way. They're redifining the whole way that the game of rugby is and will be played. If they can keep this up then we should win the world cup but even if they don't it's a psychologically crucial blow that the centre of rugby innovation isn't in the Southern Hemisphere anymore. And salmacis I fully support our combined effort to categorise rugby under 'football' nice one!
posted by nedrichards at 08:42 PM on February 21, 2002
Update: Pienaar will step down at thend of the current season. He left the club in a better situation than he found it and gave us some truly magical days along the way. Thanks Francois.
posted by nedrichards at 06:31 PM on February 15, 2002
Sorry I couldn't get the properly vitriolic 'pienaar must go' links but it's all BBS stuff on this messageboard and not permalinked (scroll to bottom). The Rivals site (where I take most of the links from) is a haven for sane fans. We haven't been too lucky with out opponents beating us up either. Oh, the old experienced coach thing? Since Rugby Union went professional seven years or so ago the game has changed so much that older coaches just don't have a chance tactically. But we definatly lack something. Can a team be sparked by a new coach or are more deep seated reforms needed?
posted by nedrichards at 05:53 PM on February 11, 2002
jeremias, funny, in the UK we say that the need to snipe at our hereo's that we've built up beyond all expectation is a partuclairly British phenomenon.
posted by nedrichards at 05:25 PM on February 11, 2002
You can get match audio for free from most UK teams websites. I know my team (rugy) Sracens have a pretty decent package in association with BBC local radio, video I would deffinatly pay maybe even up to £5 a month for. And this is from someone who olny pays £50 a year for his season ticket! Being a Liverpool fan myself I would definatly pay if i was in another country/didn't have cable. But my parents pay for the cable anyway so I get most of the coverqage for 'free'.
posted by nedrichards at 06:38 AM on February 03, 2002
National Stadiums? Who needs 'em?
<troll>but bigcalm, it was in birmingham...</troll>