Bombadil

Does Ian Harte still play for Levante?

Actually, I agree to an extent. Or at least I'm not sure he'd be a success in England. With Arsenal maybe, but probably not with us. People would be on his back from day one because he doesn't tackle like a madman.

Shepherd has to try and make money available. This bit from today's Journal says it all: Support and cover for Ameobi! It's Shola who should provide cover for at least ten other players ahead of him.

Saviola setting sights on Arsenal Argentina international Javier Saviola is weighing up a potential move from Barcelona to Arsenal. The 24-year-old striker's agent Alfredo Cabrera Brizuela said: "He will make his decision based on football and that points to the Gunners. "He will have no problem playing in England because he is world-class and will be successful in any country. "This week is very important because he wants to have a holiday knowing he has his future sorted out."

Whatever it is, it's won them the World Cup, and deservedly so.

so if a team has the Italian back four and Giorgis Georgadis, Fumaca, McClen, Maric, Andreas Andersson and Ameobi up front... that's a balanced side? fuck off. A "balanced" side is one where the defence is of the same quality as the attack and midfield. Italy won because they had the best defence in the world. Had nowt to do with them being balanced or artful or anything else, they were just the best at defending. 158154[/snapback] Comparing Georgiadis, Fumaca and McClen with Toni, Totti and Del Piero is absolutely ludicrous. Italy's strikers are, on paper at least, world class players. But even if they were shit, even if they did play with Fumaca and Ameobi - the fact is that they scored more than they conceded in every game they played, the US match excluded. What does that tell you? That the balance was right. And to answer your pointless hypothesis - a team that has the Italian back four and a few below-average players up front and still scores more than it concedes is a balanced side, yes. It doesn't matter whether a team is balanced on paper (like England), it's the results (and performances, because Italy played well most of the time) on the pitch that count.

I was just sent this, apparently it's The Hoff's latest music video - LEGEND! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3382491587979249836

I know you 'praised' the Italians for not resorting to cheating this time around, I read that correctly. What you seemingly fail to understand is that the World Cup is a knock-out competition. Your arguments are all ifs and buts. You can never say what might have happened if Italy had met Brazil or Argentina instead of someone else. For what it's worth, I think the Argies would have given them a hard time, but they would have comfortably beaten the Brazilians, who were the most disappointing team (after England). They did meet Germany though, who I think were the second-best team and the best team going forward, and they beat them deservedly. Hell, even the Germans agree that they were beaten by the better team. And per definitionem, the balance is right when you score more goals than you concede, simple as that. And Italy are the only team who managed that.

Am agreeing totally with the Fish here... I think overall the Germans, Argies and Brazil were 'better teams' than the Italians - I'd argue that had they come up against Portugal (particulary with Deco in the team), they'd have been out on their arsehole! They won tonight because they took 5 good penalties. Ever since half time of normal time they really didn't seem to want to know. 158022[/snapback] Portugal were not even average and Deco was awful against both France and Germany - why should Italy have worried? The fact that so many people don't like the fact that the best team won makes it even sweeter tbh.

That's the point, though - there wasn't more cheating from the Italians than from any other team this time around, and yet people hate them. The balance was perfect - they had the best defence and still created more than enough chances to win their games, which they did. They won the World Cup, and they won it convincingly - that's enough for me. As for their attack, Toni, Gilardino, Iaquinta and Del Piero are, pound for pound, better than everything England have got.

Italy are deserved winners and they are ten times the team England could ever hope to be. FACTISSIMO. Campioni!! 158010[/snapback] Absolute bollocks tbqfh! As has been said, defensively they've been good (not much better than England's defence though but up front they've been very ordinary... There's been far better teams this summer than Italy. And I agree England have NOT been one of them. 158016[/snapback] Bollocks, I just hate the fact that Italy are the team everyone loves to hate even when they do well - at the end of the day, they were brilliant defensively and they still tried to go forward as often as possible. The balance was perfect and it's what won them the World Cup. Who deserved it then? Germany? Deservedly beaten in the semis. France? Were absolutely awful in the group stages and not convincing against the Portuguese. Argentina? Deservedly beaten by the Germans. Brazil? They were downright shit.

awesome defense but pretty dire up front to be honest. 158013[/snapback] Best all-round team IMO.

Italy are deserved winners and they are ten times the team England could ever hope to be. FACTISSIMO. Campioni!!

Dull? It's not Federer's fault that he's the best player by far. If anyone is boring to watch, it's Nadal - all graft and no craft.

Deserved win for Federer and a victory for all-round play over Nadal's baseline tennis - although I had hoped to see Federer attack the net more. Nadal seems a nice lad off the court, but I can't stand his over-the-top celebrations and mind games. Tennis' version of Cristiano Ronaldo tbh.

Starts now. Looking forward to this one.

Faye and Butt will probably be gone before the the start of the season, and since Emre is unable to stay fit for more than three consecutive games, Vogel and Parker would be a good midfield duo.

I'd take Milan's Johann Vogel as well. He wouldn't be expensive, he has experience and he's a talented defensive midfielder with leadership qualities. Not the quickest player in the world, but could do a very good job.

Surely it can't be healthy to sleep on a massive magnetic field?

I don't like it at all, hopefully Adidas won't do anything like that anytime soon.

I've been to Sabatini's a few times and always liked it. Great food and the people were friendly as well.

Thank God for that. It would be criminally stupid to throw money at another 'big name' when we seem to be skint. It would be typical of Shepherd though.

Fat Fred making the decisions again, surely not!?

They're £45 in Switzerland. And they make you take between 20-30 lessons on average before you're even allowed to have a go at the first test.