Football

Lukaku vs. the Chelsea forwards

After week one, the score reads:

Lukaku 1 - 0 Chelsea forwards

But the cab drivers told me Ramsey was rubbish!

Di Canio gone. We all knew this day would come and we all knew it would probably be in September. So, who next, Michael?!?

Sunderland should take Milan's Allegri, after he is hopefully fired 

Rafa Benitez has Napoli top of the league in Serie A.

Makes sense, in the real world he is a very good manager. In the premier league fantasy land, he is an out of his depth Spaniard with a slightly racist nickname.

Di Canio gone. We all knew this day would come and we all knew it would probably be in September. So, who next, Michael?!?

It's looking like Kevin Ball will be in charge for at least the Peterborough and Liverpool games. A big ask, but there's a lot of trust without much expectation. Long term, although I don't consider myself his biggest fan, I think Di Matteo is probably the closest thing we have to a safe option at the moment. Either that or we wait a couple of weeks until David Moyes is available.

Whoever it ends up being will be facing an uphill struggle though, that's for sure. Extreme short-sightedness is becoming the norm at the SoL and given that our next realistic chance of a home win is in December, I'd have to say it's questionable whether the new man will even see out 2013.

Bielsa is being linked to the job. That would be awesome.

Sunderland pressing Manure off the park at Old Trafford.

Bielsa is being linked to the job. That would be awesome.

Sunderland pressing Manure off the park at Old Trafford.

Now that's an appointment I could get excited about, although quite honestly it's difficult now to picture a manager worth his salt viewing the Sunderland job as anything other than a poisoned chalice. Whatever happens, I just hope a little more thought is put into the decision this time, rather than simply seeing who Roberto De Fanti is mates with.

Rafa Benitez has Napoli top of the league in Serie A.

 

Makes sense, in the real world he is a very good manager. In the premier league fantasy land, he is an out of his depth Spaniard with a slightly racist nickname.

I don't disagree but blimey, four games played, hardly a revolution of the mind to have a team as good as Napoli top of the table.

BACUNA MATATA, WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY

Weekly Premier League kneejerk update:

City are crap / City will win the title at a canter

Arsenal are rubbish / Özil will guide them to the Champions League

Chelsea in crisis / Chelsea back on top

Spurs to fail without Gareth Bale / New look Spurs can win the league

Luis Suarez is back and better than ever / Luis who?

Weekly Premier League kneejerk update:

 

City are crap / City will win the title at a canter

Arsenal are rubbish / Özil will guide them to the Champions League

Chelsea in crisis / Chelsea back on top

Spurs to fail without Gareth Bale / New look Spurs can win the league

Luis Suarez is back and better than ever / Luis who?

^

What a genius signing by Arsene Wenger - only £4.8m from Cardiff.

Bayern Munich last night was like watching Pep's Barça only if all the midfielders had grown a foot and been told to get the ball into the box/net within seven seconds of winning it!

What with our national team being a bit naff these days, the media seem to have taken solace in labelling certain English players as 'the best in the world' as a runner-up prize - hence the elevation of Joe Hart to virtual godlike status this past year. Just count how many times he's been badly at fault on goals conceded (especially in the Champions League) and escaped criticism. Then for extra effect, imagine if De Gea had done it.

 

Joe Hart is rather inexplicably painted as some kind of 'breath of fresh air' by our po faced press gang. I guess in the post-John Terry era the bar has to be lowered even further for what constitutes a 'character' in the England line-up but if chewing gum, calling a spade a spade and being mega lippy just before a penalty is the extent of it then what a sad bunch we are. I'm sure it was during the Real-City game that some ITV goblin remarked about how it was such a relief that England finally didn't have to worry about having a good keeper because they'll have Hart for the next ten years. I mean, that might turn out to be the case but the idea that its beyond question is frighteningly telling.

The rest of the country playing catch up with the prophets of BZ!

Can I just say that the Adam Johnson goal - once again - proves how absurd the whole "Joe Hart is the greatestest goalkeeper the world has ever seen!" rhetoric is?

If he wasn't English he would be deemed at the level of say, Mark Schwarzer.

You forgot to quote my post.

Though in retrospect, I truly owe Schwarzer an apology...

Wait a minute, Adam Johnson GOAL? 

Even now, those same Hart clangers are being described as 'uncharacteristic errors' by commentators nationwide.

Having said that, Bayern outclassed City to such a degree last night that it feels a tad churlish to criticise individuals. They essentially did to City what City did to United a few weeks back.

Wait a minute, Adam Johnson GOAL? 

It happened!

Even now, those same Hart clangers are being described as 'uncharacteristic errors' by commentators nationwide.

 

Having said that, Bayern outclassed City to such a degree last night that it feels a tad churlish to criticise individuals. They essentially did to City what City did to United a few weeks back.

True, but Harts early mistake turned a difficult task into a nigh impossible one.