news and gossip
Chatter from the sidelines
- Liverpool's Martin Skrtel charged over 'stamp' on David De Gea If it's good enough for Diego Costa... fair is fair
- FA's Greg Dyke announces plans to restrict non-EU players h/t to chrysa for this. I do agree with the homegrown rule because how it stands now is pretty lax (eighteen years old? Really?). The non EU players bracket is a bit harsh in terms of them playing for their national team and have to cost over £10 million to be considered for an English club- because you're penalising the smaller clubs, and overlooking talent. They are true about one thing: there's a lot of bog standard foreign players in the PL as well - Anderson comes to mind. He spent most of his time eating than playing. That being said, if they're doing this, they're going to have to invest a LOT of money at the grassroots level. Because it's not there. Anyway! The vote will go to the clubs, and it will need 2/3s of the clubs' agreement to go through. Since Wenger wants to abolish the EU work permits for non European players (which jajajaja no), and Mourinho doesn't use academy talent but imports talent instead- it might not pass.
- Update: @Ryan_Mason13 has been called into the senior @england squad for the first time I'm happy for you, and I'ma make you finish but... really? Not a slight against Mason, but there are better players from the none Sky Six teams. I wish English coaches would be a bit more adventurous and look at the lesser fancied clubs, like Southampton, Stoke or West Ham.
- Emmanuel Emenike: Fenerbahce striker 'subs himself' after fan abuse Oy
- Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon praises winning mentality going for a treble
- Rafa Benitez: Napoli boss 'cannot explain' first red you can red card managers too? Didn't know that
- Chelsea’s Diego Costa to undergo tests in Spain on hamstring injury Costa has to present himself to the NT's physicians. Not that they don't trust Mourinho but... they don't trust Mourinho
- Gareth Bale’s car reportedly attacked by Real Madrid fans after Barcelona loss the guy has been identified and suspended
- Liverpool fan who grabbed Mario Balotelli admits: ''I was worried he'd get sent off'' you and me lad, you and me
- Vecchi livid with Casillas over Suárez strike He's the trainer for the goalies at Real Madrid, a real legend for those in the know. Trained Buffon and Didi, and was brought over to Real specifically by Ancelotti. Rumour has it that he thought Diego Lopez was the better goalie than Casillas and was mad when he got sold. He thinks Navas has better reflexes than Casillas and mad that he can't start. So he seems to spend most of his time being mad
- Did Ronaldo tell the ref to suck on it (but in a nice way)? referees getting miked up cannot come fast enough
- Luis Suárez embodies Barcelona’s evolution in victory against Real Madrid He adds a bit of character to the Barcelona side, makes them colder, crueler, more Real Madrid than Barcelona. Football keeps shifting
- Rummenigge bullish about Guardiola future They like Guardiola so they're going to put a ring on him - again
- Iraqi player killed in explosion The player of the Iraqi Football Team U-23 and Kahraba' FC (Mahdi Abdul Zahra) has been killed in the explosion of the car bomb that took place on Monday in Habibiya area of eastern Baghdad.
- UEFA wants extra World Cup spot hmmm
- Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone set to sign deal at the club until 2020
in news that should surprise no-one.
Simeone did promise Atléti that if he got Torres, he'd stay an extra year. They've now upped his fee so he's the highest paid (higher than football talent), have given him the promise that he can decide on which players to buy and sell (considering that most clubs in Europe work with a Director of Football this is a BFD) and Simeone is assured that with Chinese investment in the club he can build without having to sell on players. Exciting times. Cry moar, Man City.
Pictures
Juan Mata's excellent stats - does this mean that LvG will trust him enough to play more games?
Balotelli gives a shoutout to the fans who held him back - saving him from a red card
With Rogers due to change his formation soon (please? You done got rumbled, Brodge) we might see Manquillo again, but his contract is one of the more confusing ones I've read
the memes, they keep on coming
LOL, oh man
Really hate the LFC ties
Can has the best hair in the business, hands down
Pele told the world that Messi is better than Ronaldo. Cue Real Madrid fans popping the fcuk awf- dude, it's PELE. Really? I'm just glad that they didn't go there with the race thing
Oh, behave
Guess who? Reply with a picture of the footballer (as he is NOW) in your post! First person to do this gets bragging rights!
The World Cup 2015 will be soon upon us? Are we excited?
OP: done! Any cheers, jeers or pushback against commentary leave in the post. I will be away most of the day, so if I have to change anything, it will have to be later, k? Oh, a question? Are we covering matches played over the international break or nah? Again, leave comment and I'll act appropriately. Later