Football: WORLD CUP 06 and close season/transfer discussion.

[Rev. Stuart Campbell]

I've got a funny feeling about this game. Dunno why... Maybe it's a bit of misguided Fowler romance.

[Sickboy]

I've got a funny feeling about this game. Dunno why... Maybe it's a bit of misguided Fowler romance.

[Sickboy]

Ah, bollocks. No Fowler...

[Mat T]

That set piece from Chelsea for the goal was superb. Watch it on the replay, two players peel from the pack and it ends up when the knockdown comes down, it could have gone to three players. I bet they have been practicing that all week, because it looked so well done.

[Rev. Stuart Campbell]

Ooh, that should have been two in a minute for Crespo. Well onside.

EDIT: Terrible sending-off decision, though. Firstly, nobody seemed to notice the incredibly blatant handball, and then Reina, while tackling from behind, clearly played the ball first. And finally, Robben's play-acting was shameful.

[GeeZa]

Norwich 1 - 2 Ipswich Town.

[Sickboy]

EDIT: Terrible sending-off decision, though. Firstly, nobody seemed to notice the incredibly blatant handball, and then Reina, while tackling from behind, clearly played the ball first. And finally, Robben's play-acting was shameful.

That was spectacularly cuntish, wasn't it?

We had a decent first half-hour but - again - it was all about missed chances. Scoring first is always crucial in a battle between miserly defences. If Carragher had taken that clear header...

And - shame Fowler didn't travel. That Gerrard low cross was aching for him.

Plenty of tight offsides in that game depressingly in favour of the defenders, too.


We really need to pick ourselves back up and regain some momentum. Two entirely winnable away games next, with a could-go-either-way against Arsenal at Anfield, and then two winnables again, at home... Fuck those games in hand. We've gotta get points on the board to keep at the Mancs.

[Rev. Stuart Campbell]

Kudos to Benitez for the after-match interview: "I don't know, can someone check for me if Robben is in hospital?"

[merman]

Norwich 1 - 2 Ipswich Town.

That was a bit nail-biting at the end there, wasn't it? Listening on Radio 5 Live through a Sky box (brother doesn't have Sky Sports )

Still, sounds like Darren Currie had a good game and Danny Haynes popped in with another goal.


EDIT: It was a bad tackle from Reina, but Robben then deliberately stood in his way and that collapse to the ground was disgusting. He should get a longer ban than the keeper.

[mac monkey]

Well if we have over 60% of possession and don't score a goal, well we might aswell of packed up and went home before the final whistle blew.

Why RF wasn't even on the bench and was fit (well as fit is can be at the moment) and not even played is beyond me

Its well documented that were strong at the back, great midfield (except Sissoko), but up front barn doors seem to spring to mind!!

Surely RF can't of been that un-fit not to feature for the last 20-30mins

[KevG]

Surely RF can't of been that un-fit not to feature for the last 20-30mins

Don't think he travelled - working on hist fitness, apparently

[GeeZa]

That was a bit nail-biting at the end there, wasn't it? Listening on Radio 5 Live through a Sky box (brother doesn't have Sky Sports )

I hate listening to football on the radio - too nerve wracking. Great to see ipswich playing decent football again, i think next season we should be in with a chance.. Only thing that worries me is that we have a brilliant young team that at the moment is a nicely kept secret. Sooner or later the bigger clubs might start waving the cheque books around.

[merman]

That was a bit nail-biting at the end there, wasn't it? Listening on Radio 5 Live through a Sky box (brother doesn't have Sky Sports )

I hate listening to football on the radio - too nerve wracking. Great to see ipswich playing decent football again, i think next season we should be in with a chance.. Only thing that worries me is that we have a brilliant young team that at the moment is a nicely kept secret. Sooner or later the bigger clubs might start waving the cheque books around.

Yeah, but at least Joe is giving the kids a decent chance to prove themselves (other than Dean Bowditch, who seems to have let one good game against Watford go to his head)

DH is the new DB, but Charlton can't have him! (Looks like he might be out for a while with ligament damage )

[Zen-Chan]

Entertaining looking six part documentary on Scotland's national side called "That Was The Team That Was" starts this Friday on BBC 1 (BBC Scotland, that is) at 11:05pm. The first episode is on the 1974 World Cup Team.

Presumably won't be shown in England, mind

In this new 6-part series John Gordon Sinclair tells the inside story of a different Scottish football team each week, tracing the progress of an extraordinary team on a memorable campaign. By interviewing only those
who were central to the story - the management and players – That Was The Team That Was… reveals the drama, the excitement, the joy and the despair experienced by the team.

First up, That Was The Team That Was… Scotland 1974. It was arguably the most talented group of Scottish footballers ever assembled. A Scottish international team considered genuine contenders for the World Cup. The players who represented Scotland in West Germany tell the inside story of that unforgettable summer of football thirty two years ago and relive the drama of their World Cup campaign.

David Hay, Willie Morgan, Sandy Jardine, Peter Lorimer, Joe Jordan, Gordon McQueen, John Blackley, Tommy Hutchison and David Harvey recall the camaraderie that built through the joy of qualification, how the fall-outs with the Scottish press and the football authorities affected the team, the impact of their farcical showdown with commercial sponsors, their security fears, and the emotional rollercoaster of the World Cup tournament itself. Finally they remember the pain and the pride of getting so close before returning home undefeated but unsuccessful.

[rockwaldo]

Absolutely shocking. (from the Spurs newsgroup).

I've not seen an article on it but I heard on the radio this morning that Lomana
Lua Lua's 18 month old son died a couple of weeks ago. It hit home because
as some of you will know I have a son who is not much younger.

A tragic story in itself, but what really stinks is that apparently this has
just come out now, and Lua Lua has only just been told that his son died,
because the football authorities did not want to jeopardise his
concentration during the Cup of African Nations where I understand he was
playing with Congo.

This absolutely disgusts me, and I don't say that often. Whatever Shankly
may have thought, football is not more important than life or death, and
when it's your child nothing comes close. No matter how much they thought
they needed this player, the Congo FA should pay for this.

A close uncle died when I was on my honeymoon, and no-one told us until we
came back. I kind of understand that, I suppose had my wife and I known
about it we wouldn't have enjoyed a once in a lifetime experience that we
did. But a small part of me would have liked to have known. An uncle is an
uncle though and if it was a child or parent I think everything else comes
second.