tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484626660177622626.post5486891806373151090..comments2024-03-27T19:54:34.479+00:00Comments on Falling On A Bruise: E is for ... European Champions LeagueFalling on a bruisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05518409624331248084noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484626660177622626.post-11108190902425470452009-02-24T17:29:00.000+00:002009-02-24T17:29:00.000+00:00I think Spurs will be the most popular team in the...I think Spurs will be the most popular team in the country for 90 mins at the weekend. I also hope Villa nick the European spot, nice to see the big four being made to fight and Arsenal look like the team to miss out. <BR/><BR/>'don't ronaldo to me you lazy fucking ronaldo, just get it done or you'll get my toe up your ronaldo-hole'." Great stuff.Falling on a bruisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05518409624331248084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484626660177622626.post-79381633885749979812009-02-24T06:56:00.000+00:002009-02-24T06:56:00.000+00:00PS: Scum-haters might get a good laugh out of this...PS: Scum-haters might get a good laugh out of this! <BR/><BR/>http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/oed-accepts-ronaldo-as-synonym-for-'despicable-shit'-200902231598/Cheezyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10176170186766506070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484626660177622626.post-55231158878339329182009-02-24T06:53:00.000+00:002009-02-24T06:53:00.000+00:00"Being in the company of a better calibre of playe...<I>"Being in the company of a better calibre of player has to improve a persons game hasn't it?"</I><BR/><BR/>Well, even though England's two best results in World Cups - in 66 and 90 - came from a situation in which the personnel played their club football in a league mainly filled with their compatriots - I generally agree with this point. That's why I wouldn't support going back to a limit of 2 foreign players per team. I think the best compromise would come from a scenario of approximately half and half. In the absence of this happening though, as it surely can't because of the tyranny of EU regulations, I enjoy seeing Premiership teams with a decent number of English players... e.g. Go on the Villa for that Champions League spot! Oh, and come on Spurs on Sunday! :)Cheezyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10176170186766506070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484626660177622626.post-54905970658579533332009-02-23T22:57:00.000+00:002009-02-23T22:57:00.000+00:00Many people see it as the fans either wanting succ...Many people see it as the fans either wanting success with their club or success with their country.<BR/>Would i be happy to let Pompey sink down the leagues if it meant England winning a European Cup or World Cup? No.<BR/>Would i prefer to see Pompey filled with foreigners and stay in the Premier League even if it meant England failed in the Quarter Finals of competitions every few years. I'm afraid i would. <BR/>My guess would be that Theo Walcott's game has improved since being at Arsenal and training and playing with better players than <BR/>if he had stayed at Southampton and been playing every week. Being in the company of a better calibre of player has to improve a persons game hasn't it?Falling on a bruisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05518409624331248084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484626660177622626.post-18662337006184609462009-02-23T07:49:00.000+00:002009-02-23T07:49:00.000+00:00Sorry, I didn't complete a thought in the above po...Sorry, I didn't complete a thought in the above post. Meant to say: <BR/><BR/>All of this is quite apart from the issue of how a large number of youngsters growing up near their local team can't have a realistic aspiration of ever actually <I>playing</I> for that team (particularly so if the team is Arsenal or Chelsea or Manyoo or Liverpool etc, etc.Cheezyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10176170186766506070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484626660177622626.post-38314038884014004322009-02-23T07:45:00.000+00:002009-02-23T07:45:00.000+00:00I guess I'm a typical English football fan too... ...I guess I'm a typical English football fan too... I agree with you about the scum, I'd hate it if Manyoo or Chelski or Arsenal (who are about as English at the Job Centre in Stepney Green) won the Champions League. Liverpool I don't mind so much, but that's mainly because I've got some good mates who are scousers and it's fun to watch them in the CL... (always down the pub). <BR/><BR/>I disagree about the damage unrestricted foreigners are doing to the English national team though. I think it's considerable. <BR/><BR/>I would be inclined to agree with you, but then I find myself asking a number of pertinent questions... e.g. Why, after everyone unites in the thought that David James (who is tres dodgy anyway) is the best English goalkeeper at the moment, are we scratching our heads wondering who the other keepers in the squad should be? Some of the best goalkeepers in the world used to be English, right? Why do we have to play the utterly useless Glen Johnson at right-back? Or Wes Brown, who is really a centre-back? And Stewart Downing at left midfield? (who's just slow and rubbish). And why, if both Rooney and Owen are out, do we have very few English strikers used to scoring regular goals for their club sides? <BR/><BR/>It's surely because there are very few English players filling these positions at the top Premiership clubs, yes? It seems to me that we're doing the national teams of countries like France, Italy, Spain, and countless African countries a massive favour by letting them play in what is (along with La Liga) the most competitive football league in the world, but our own national team is getting nothing in return. Less than nothing actually, as it's actually handicapping us. <BR/><BR/>All of this is quite apart from the issue of how the number of youngsters growing up. It's easy to blithely say that 'the cream will always rise' but I don't believe this is so. Like many other parts of life, it's really a numbers game, and the more you get through playing at a high level, the more will continue to progress.<BR/><BR/>The (admittedly sometimes flaky) Sepp Blatter makes some good points about the issue here. <BR/><BR/>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2594726.eceCheezyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10176170186766506070noreply@blogger.com