Football Focus

[SimonM]

>>Isn't it a tautology? ;)<<

Oops yes of course...always get those 2 mixed up... :))

[SimonM]

>>Like others on here, I get a tad nostalgic about the "good old days" when the local lads played for the local team (and >>it still rings beautifully true when a liverpool player is interviewed on TV and he has a scouse accent) but then I >>wake up and realise that things have moved on.<<

Oh goodness yes....I was reminded a short while ago of watching Sheffield United from the Kop when nobbut a lad and later a young rake-hell and youth-about-town, because quite a few of the players were local and a couple had even attended my school. One in particular - Frank Barlow - had captained England Schoolboys and was only 3 years ahead of me. And only a week or two ago that same Frank Barlow was appointed caretaker-manager of Wigan...

Our most famous old boy though was Alan Sunderland, who even went to the same primary school as I did, and then went on to play for some London club or other...:(

[mockney piers]

Ooh you've just reminded me. I was a few years above Matt Oakley and was good pals with his sister. He was at southampton from schoolboys onward so always kept an eye out for them.

The passion for a club was exactly what I saw when he was interviewed the other day after he captained a Derby side that knocked Southampton out of the FA cup. He looked absolutely devastated!! It even brought something of a tear to F'nB's eye despite his team losing.

[Keef]

I was a few years above Scott Parker and Sean Wright-Phillips.

[Annasfield]

My Mum was a party in Liverpool in the seventies, when a bloke came running in to the room totally elated. As he legged it in to the next room she caught the tail end of "GERRIN!! Me berds oopstairs in bed with Ray Clemence!!!" Apparently he was over the moon.... >:D

[citizenED]

Lovin that one Anna, - it surely makes it into the premier league of urban myths....;-)

[Annasfield]

T'is not an urban myth though ::o

[citizenED]

Thought not - Liverpool just the home of all the best folklore...

[atila the gooner]

Dave Kitson ( a die hard Spiurs fan) hails the Arse as "the best football team on the planet". That couldn't have been easy for him to say. Still, fair play to the ginga!!And yes I am a smug gooner, and have every reason to be at present. I'm doing what most fans would do in my position, and I am realistic enough to know that this is not something that lasts forever. Make hay while the sun shines to coin an old cliche (or should that be clichy)

[SeanMacGabhann]

re: foreign players. Here's Mourinhio:

"Unlike Arsenal, we sought success and tried to build it through a concept of the game using English players," he says in his book Jose Mourinho a Born Winner.

"That was to have a positive effect, on the dressing room and on the press, in terms of the image that the club would project.

"

Here's me:

Does anyone seriously think Chelsea established a good relationship with the press?? Does any team have an easier ride from the press than Arsenal?? So that's his point banjaxed then...

[atila the gooner]

I always laughed at the view that Mourinho was "a breath of fresh air" for the prem. We have other managers who speak their mind regardless of consequences. Is that what made him a breath of fresh air? He was successful yes, but I maintain that CSKA Fulham bought the title with the russians mafioso's ill gotten gains. My late grandma could have won the title with all the resources at Chavskis disposal. His success at Porto was more creditable because he did it with limited resources.

[Keef]

Jose had a brilliant relationship with the press, and he was Chelsea!

[SeanMacGabhann]

His point tho Keef was that having English players helped the CLUB have a better relationship with the press.

I suspect the man himself could field 11 martians and charm the press into thinking it was a good idea, but no way have Chelsea the club endeared themselved to the press

[atila the gooner]

I despise everything about CSKA Fulham including Mourhino. They have no redeeming features.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I was about to have a pop at your one-dimensionality Atila.. and then realised I couldn't think of any redeeming features at Chelsea either

Then again we didn'thave many redeeming features back in George's day

[Jah Lush]

So you keep saying. Being a Gooner though, do you hate them more than Spurs?

[SeanMacGabhann]

I can honestly say I've never bought into the I'm Arsenal so must hate Spurs thing - and I get so embarrassed by the anti-Spurs songs I hear at Arsenal games

They wear white, used to be really exciting and provide a nice local challenge - what's not to like

[Jah Lush]

I couldn't stand Arsenal before Arsene Wenger came along and got them playing decent football. They would bore for England. I have an enduring image of the back four with their hands up appealing for offside. It pains me to say it but you can't sing "Boring boring Arsenal" anymore because they are anything but.

As I said to the lovely Ladygooner the other night. I'm a football fan first and a Spurs fan second. And, what I'm seeing when the Arse play these days is the beautiful game played the way it should be played, entertaining attacking football with a wonderful array of passing and movement, so I understand where Dave Kitson is coming from. I'm enjoying watching Man Utd this season though too (puts on tin helmet). Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo are playing some wonderful stuff together.

[atila the gooner]

As a fan who has travelled with his club, my view of rival clubs has been coloured by the experiences with other fans. I've had some fairly nasty experiences with Blackburn, Spurs, CSKA Fulham, Leeds, Millwall, Sheffield United, fans , amongst others and have a dislike for those fans and the club as a result. These experiences stretch back to 1968.

I try to maintain a positive attitude to other clubs but it is hard to say anything nice about these clubs. Like most fans, I'm happy to criticise my club, but won't let opposing fans do it. If any fan says diferent, they are lying.

Spurs fans hate the Arse and vice versa, it's only to be expected as we are local rivals, same as Villa & Brum, Liverpool & Toffees, Manure & City, and so on

[Keef]

Sean I agre, Chelsea are not popular, and quite rightly so, was just making a joke about Jose "Being Chelsea".

I've always said I hate Man U, and pity Everton (not worth hating), but I do like Man U's footy, if anything it's the manager that will make me hate a club, so I will never be a fan of their's until Sir Alex retires. Great manager, nasty bastartd!

Arsenal I like, they play great stuff, and with the exception of the fact he's never seen one of his players do a thing wrong, I like Wenger. As I've said before though, I know some insufferable supporters (present company excepted of course), and that makes me want them to come unstuck.

[SeanMacGabhann]

no offence taken Keef - I totally understand such footballing emotions :))

and I'm not even trying to big up Arsenal - but Jose's comments just struck a nerve with me at the mo

The whole foreign player thing does actually - it;s taken on a life of it's own - I just hard Steeeeeeve G being interviewed on the radio saying not enough English players are getting enough of a chance. I genuinely don't know what that means. I know the vocab, the syntax and the grammar but it doesn't compute into a real point. So I'll say it again:

English players get just as much of a chance, if not more than foreign players. To say otherwise is fantasy. But they cost more, whinge more, are more likely to end up on t'internet with some mates and a young girl and are just. not. as. good.

Foreign players and managers have raised the bar. So either train more or get with program guys. Justin Hoyte is another English player alleged to have not git enough time at Arsenal. But having watched him over recent seasons I can't agree - he is ok. That's all.

But this emotion which the media has seized on in prep for Saturday's possible elimination is borderline xenophobia (great word shame it's greek ;-) )

That's a comment on press speculation by the way - not an accusation against anyone on here!

[mockney piers]

"and are just. not. as. good."

yeah yeah, wenger and his shrewd signings.

There is an AWFUL lot of dross out there, foreign and british, believe me, Harry signed most of it.

[Annasfield]

"But this emotion which the media has seized on in prep for Saturday's possible elimination is borderline xenophobia (great word shame it's greek ) "

What's wrong with it being Greek?

[Annasfield]

Sir Alex is queuing in his local building society, when a gunman bursts in through the door demanding money. Ferguson attempts to tackle the raider, but gets knocked over...as he falls, his head smashes the counter and Sir Alex is out cold. The robber escapes and the cashier tries to revive Ferguson. After a few minutes he comes round and looks bewildered. His first words are "Where the hell am I?". The Cashier replies: "don't worry, its ok, you're in the Nationwide." Ferguson replies, "F**k me, is it May already?"

If only..................

[SeanMacGabhann]

The greek thing is a joke (stolen from Pub Landlord)

and Mockney of COURSE I would agree with your statement - I'm just countering the rather relentless "english players not getting a chance" mantra