38330 replies to this topic

[TheTone]

Newsfeeds: [url="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/default.stm"]bbc.co.uk[/url]

[quote name='seb4' post='1931406' date='12/07/07 12:14 PM']Romario: 'damnit! who stole my anti-balding spray?'


'hey Fatnaldo, did you see it by chance? i caught your hungry eyes looking at my 5-liter bottle last time. you didn't eat it, did you?


Ronaldo: "i have no idea what you're talking about. hey, did something happen to the back of your head?"
Romario: "watch your words kid. it will take me another 41 years before i reach your 2002 coupe."

(2 weeks later)

Ronaldo: hey John, you think i should return that bottle now?
[/quote]

[quote=Euro 2008 groups][u]Group A[/u]
Switzerland
Czech Republic
Portugal
Turkey
[u]
Group B[/u]
Austria
Croatia
Germany
Poland

[u]Group C[/u]
Holland
Italy
Romania
France
[u]
Group D[/u]
Greece
Sweden
Spain
Russia [/quote]


[quote=bbc.co.uk]

[size=5]
FA 'makes approach' for Mourinho [/size]

The Football Association has contacted Jose Mourinho's agent about the former Chelsea boss taking over as England coach, BBC Sport understands.
Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes has been approached by the FA about the job, although reports that the Portuguese was already in London were incorrect.

It is thought the FA has drawn up a shortlist of five or six contenders.

Mourinho, 44, is on the list and he is considering whether he is prepared to meet FA bosses to talk about the job.

Some newspaper reports claimed Mourinho was either in London already or about to fly into England from Portugal for talks with the FA.

But BBC Sport football correspondent Jonathan Legard said Mourinho was still at home in Portugal on Friday, but that an approach had been made.

"My sources in Portugal told me that Mourinho has been approached about the England job through his agent," said Legard.

"He is said to be considering it, but it is not his first-choice opening. He still has very strong interest in what might develop at the top two Spanish clubs, particularly Real Madrid.

"I understand that the FA's consultation process is all but complete.

"Brian Barwick, the chief executive, and Trevor Brooking have taken their soundings from within the game and as a result we could know the identity of Steve McClaren's successor before Christmas."

The FA, meanwhile, has issued a forceful denial about one report that suggested Barwick and Brooking were at odds over the appointment.

It was claimed Brooking was pushing for West Ham boss Alan Curbishley to take over, while Barwick had set his sights on other "world class" candidates.

The FA's director of communications Adrian Bevington said: "There is no truth in any suggestion of a problem between Brian Barwick and Sir Trevor Brooking, or a conflict or difference of opinion of any sort in appointing the next England manager.

"It is totally without foundation. It is misleading to the public and grossly unfair on Brian and Sir Trevor, who are going about their work in a completely professional manner.

"This is not helpful at a time when we are doing all we can to ensure we get the right man and the best man for the England job, which is what the fans all want."[/quote]
[quote=totti takes crap penalties]<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J6LqnUlYgmw"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J6LqnUlYgmw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>[/quote]

[Xaro]

If i follow this thread and the one on the other OA, will I find myself more educated on football?

[TheTone]

you'll probably lose some brain cells if you do. Reirom and LOL Max argue in brazilian at times. lol

[akascream]

Why are you guys talking about soccer in a football thread?

[Annon]

I don't have much to contribute other than

Arsenal

[snagi]

flop

[akascream]

I wish I could make a thread and just decide to sticky it, regardless of interest.

[TheTone]

christ, stop with your bitching aka. i'm continueing the footy thread from the other OA so that when seb and indie decide to come we can reconvene here.

[akascream]

I can't express my opinion? Sorry, sir.

[Roon]

Hard to defend Cronaldo after a dive like that. Waved Tevez away on his hat-trick too.

[koala1]

Peter schmeichel, the best there ever was

Edited by koala, 08 December 2007 - 06:21 PM.

[TheTone]

lol @ arsenal. asene wenger can't do shit without fabregas.

lol @ liverpool and their braindead manager. benetiz inhereted that CL trophey off of Houlier. FACT. he's been throwing money at the team ever since in a n attempt to seem like a genuine contender to man utd and chelsea.

OH WELL.

Peter Schmeichel probably was the best ever keeper. so confident.

[Annon]

Just read jose has ruled himself out of the england job... Sucks for you guys, could have really brought something to the table.

[TheTone]

he used gullible England to get the AC Milan job. ac Milan's manager Ancelotti is a dead man walking.

[TheTone]

Quote

ENGLAND GOSSIP

Fabio Capello is set to be the new England boss after Jose Mourinho ruled himself out of the running. And the former Real Madrid manager could draft in ex-England stars Alan Shearer and Stuart Pearce as part of his backroom staff. (various)

Another Italian, Marcello Lippi, also remains in the frame to succeed Steve McClaren. (Daily Express)

TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is wanted by Juventus, according to Italian press reports. (The Times)

Manchester United's hopes of signing Miguel Veloso have been damaged by a row between the player's club Sporting Lisbon and Carlos Queiroz. (Guardian)

Portsmouth striker Benjani Mwaruwari is ready to snub a move to Juventus to stay at Fratton Park. (The Sun)

Bolton and Wigan are in competition for the signature of West Brom full-back Paul Robinson. (The Times)

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has been promised funds to bring in new blood and wants to sign players he has previously worked with. (The Times)

Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez is interested in signing Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. (The Times)

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has begged the club's owners not to sack manager Rafael Benitez. (Various)

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce is desperate to bring in new players in the January transfer window. (Daily Star)

But chairman Chris Mort is reluctant to release any cash, which means Allardyce is unlikely to do a deal for Manchester United defender Wes Brown. (Daily Mirror)

The Magpies are also set to release injured defender Celestine Babayaro, paying the remainder of his contract, which expires at the end of the season. (Daily Mirror)

Former United States coach Bruce Arena has revealed he is keen to become the new Scotland manager. (Daily Star)

Derby and Sheffield United are battling it out to sign Bolton's veteran midfielder Gary Speed. (Daily Star)

Celtic and Fulham are set to bid £4m for Burnley's Irish striker Kyle Lafferty. (Daily Star)

Ipswich are giving a second trial to FC Moscow's 28-year-old Poland international midfielder Damian Gorawski. (Daily Star)

Reading boss Steve Coppell is keen on £3m-rated French centre-back Sebastien Puygrenier. (Daily Star)

Crystal Palace are to send on-loan striker Besian Idrizaj back to Liverpool as boss Neil Warnock is unimpressed. (Daily Star)

Wigan manager Steve Bruce is interested in Hibernian left-back David Murphy but faces competition from Celtic and Rangers. (Daily Mirror)

Cardiff are lining up Billy Davies to replace boss Dave Jones. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp will give a trial to Paris St Germain forward Fabrice Pancrate. (Daily Mirror)

QPR are set to bid £1.2m for Wigan defender Fitz Hall and are expected to beat Norwich and Coventry to his signature. (Daily Mirror)

Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson is planning a shock raid on Hull to sign Jay-Jay Okocha. (Daily Mirror)

Derby County manager Paul Jewell has his eye on Manchester United defender Ryan Shawcross. (various)

AND FINALLY

Former England manager Steve McClaren has finally won a trophy - the Plain English Campaign's annual Foot in Mouth award. The prize is given for speaking a load of gibberish. (Daily Star)

[TheTone]

Quote

· Capello 'proud and honoured' to take job
· Barwick hails new man as 'a winner with a capital W'
· Italian intends to master English within a month


Capello and his translator fend off another question during his inaugural press conference as England coach. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

Veni. Vidi. Vici. Fabio Capello today made a strong impression at his first press conference since agreeing to become the new England manager. He expertly fended off loaded questions while providing a few tantalising hints of a bright future for the national team - even suggesting England could win the World Cup during his reign.
Capello began with a cursory address in hesitant English, saying he was "proud and honoured" to have been entrusted with a job "that I have wanted for a long time". From then on he spoke in Italian, replying to questions through an interpreter, but even then his confidence and authority was palpable, and so at odds with the earnest and brittle positivity of his predecessor, Steve McClaren. He even boldly declared that he will master English within one month, in time to address his new players in their native tongue when his first squad assembles ahead of his first match, against Switzerland at Wembley on February 6.

But perhaps his most audacious declaration was the next one. "This is a job that everybody wants," he said. "I know there are great expectations and I will work to achieve these - I am convinced England are a great team and can go to the top ... I would very much like to play Italy in the World Cup final in South Africa in 2010."
Though his 4½-year contract does not come into force until January 7, the Italian said that he effectively began yesterday, when he watched Arsenal beat Chelsea and Manchester United win at Liverpool. Those matches were high on speed and energy, but short on technique and tactical intelligence. When asked if a tendency to play with the heart rather than the brain has been one of the reasons for England's failure at recent tournaments, Capello smiled before breaking back into English to chirp: "Good question!" He then reverted back to Italian to say, "that is something I will work on."

Introduced as a "winner with a capital W" by the FA chief executive, Brian Barwick, Capello said he would start his tenure by reviewing all the matches of the botched Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. "I believe all previous England coaches though their team would play a pivotal role in international championships," he said. "I'm going to try to understand what happened in the past and want to make sure that all players play with the pride they show with their clubs."

Capello stressed he would not attempt to foist an alien style of system on the players, explaining: "The style of play will be determined by the players at my disposal. And while I think it is good to have a style, it is also important to be flexible and to be able to adapt."

Asked if he would adapt his famous disciplinarian man-management style, he replied. "I believe that being the manager of England is obviously different from club management. It's easier to be strict when you have the players every day. As I will only have them occasionally, my behaviour will have to change. As will theirs - because wearing the national jersey is very important. I believe that English people and footballers have a will to win and a love for their country. It's just a question of getting it out of them. I really hope to be the man who can do that."

He insisted that as far as he was concerned, the team sheet was blank, that no one is guaranteed a place. "Places will be earned by behaviour, attitude and play," he said simply. Capello also made it clear that he is eager for one or more English coaches to join his backroom staff, which so far only consists of four other Italians. "I've always asked, when talking with Sir Trevor Brooking, for an English coach to be integrated into the staff," he said. "I've always done that in every other place I've worked, as I believe it is vital to fully understand the local football and environment."

He dismissed questions about his salary, which is reported to be around £6m per year, simply saying "money is secondary".

At that point, Barwick chipped in. "What people need to realise is that the FA's gross income for next year could be £1bn," he explained. "Whatever figure you want to put on Fabio's salary is a very, very small percentage of that. If Fabio is the figure that turns English football around, that'll have been money well spent."

[Annon]

Wow, some fucking epic boxing day matches today.

I thought poor derby was going to pull it off. Gerrard wouldn't have it.

[TheTone]

lol anon. i can't wait till match of the day. the premiership was epic today. 5-1 spurs and 4-0 man utd.

i got a purs towel for xmas. i wub it :>

[Roon]

Nani.

I don't like him.

[Annon]

Don't forget the 4-4 chelsea match with 3 red cards

I didn't get to see that one but I'll have to see the replay.

Now I just wait for Arsenal to dominate Portsmouth.

[TheTone]

ah bchelseaare a boring wacth even if they score many.

adebayor's goal against spurs the other week was crazy. one of the goals of the season.

youtube will hopefully have most of the action up there. depending how well i fell (got a cold) i'll update the thread with them.

[Annon]

anthony, on Dec 26 2007, 11:34 AM, said:

ah bchelseaare a boring wacth even if they score many.

adebayor's goal against spurs the other week was crazy. one of the goals of the season.

youtube will hopefully have most of the action up there. depending how well i fell (got a cold) i'll update the thread with them.

Yeah, I usually don't enjoy watching chelsea. This sounds like one of their street thug matches though, like last years carling final.

[TheTone]

u guys are playing tonight? shit. i think its a live game!! wait. cause the commentator said man utd may only top the league until 10pm (GMT) tonight!

awesome. i missed the other games. arsenal should batter pompey.

[Annon]

Yeah, match is in like an hour and a half.

[TheTone]

you gonna able to catch it? i'm gonna have a bath and put my nephews to sleep before the game. its in an hour here. (i'm baby sitting. )

[Annon]

anthony, on Dec 26 2007, 12:18 PM, said:

you gonna able to catch it? i'm gonna have a bath and put my nephews to sleep before the game. its in an hour here. (i'm baby sitting. )

Oh yeah, fox soccer channel is carrying it live here in the states.

[TheTone]

hehe cool.

its a shame i can get rei or seb here. indie only follows seb around so she'll come when he does. this topic is an oppertunity to start a fresh. the other one has too much southamerican talk (so much so they post news in portugese in that thread now). i'm close to just leaving that thread to its own end.

oh and i forgot to post this here (from christmas eve's paper):

[Annon]

Capello is looking fit

I hope the rumors of a England/US friendly are true. I'd love to see england play over here.

[TheTone]

he could knock out fat frank lampard.

Egland need all the friendlies they can get. we're out of euro 2008. infact i bet USA could beat us in this state. lowest we've been since the late 80's/early 90's

[Tear]

Quote

indie only follows seb around so she'll come when he does.

you're insane