Football Focus

[Jah Lush]

Less of the old PGC please.

[citizenED]

Much sympathy goes to Eduardo, though from what I've heard he's not blaming Taylor, simply saying that in football, these things happen. Even as an Arseanl fan I think Tayor was unlucky. It was mis-timed rather than vindictive and he must feel pretty rotten. Still he did go in studs up so probably cannot complain that he was sent off. I actually blame coaches rather than players for most of the nasty "kick-them-off-the-park" mentality that does creep in to the beautiful game from time to time. Rather than pitch their skill against a superior team, they'll issue the instruction to go in hard and knobble the bastards. Sad.

[Keef]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> it could have happened to any of the teams who rely on speed rather than muscle. I'm not saying it could only happen to Arsenal

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> but he was correct to say this has been coming the way people set out to hack Arsenal.

Hmmm??? ;-)

Have to say I'm pleased that Wenger retracted his initial comments about Taylor, it was good of him, and fair.

Thing is, for me Tayor didn't make the sort of challenge Sean talks about. I agree that it is there in the game, and it will end up with more broken legs. However, I think Taylor got mugged by a very fast, clever and skillful player, and on a luckier day he would have just missed all together and been left for dead. It was just plain bad luck.

atila the gooner Wrote:

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> the guy who may possibly be facing a career outside of football because some journeyman footballer is too slow to make a proper challenge

Next we'll be saying premiership teams shouldn't have to face lower division teams in cups in case a superstar player doesn't like getting roughed up by the confrence side. He's broken a leg, and I feel for him, but he'll come back, and in the mean time he'ss be getting paid a sh!t load of money, and living a pretty good life, so I'm sorry but I can't lose any sleep for him.

If I am managing a team that is full of hard working but not the most skilled players, and I know I am going to be played of the park unless I get at a team, then that is exactly what I will tell my team to do, because I want to win! Simple.

[SeanMacGabhann]

ok ok I did actually say it - but what I MEANT was......

[Jah Lush]

Just thought I'd add that I predicted the Spurs result and the Reading v Villa and Wigan v Derby correctly so I'm feeling suitably smug.

[atila the gooner]

Keef said

Next we'll be saying premiership teams shouldn't have to face lower division teams in cups in case a superstar player doesn't like getting roughed up by the confrence side. He's broken a leg, and I feel for him, but he'll come back, and in the mean time he'ss be getting paid a sh!t load of money, and living a pretty good life, so I'm sorry but I can't lose any sleep for him.

Well I'm sure he feels a whole lot better for the amount of money he's earnin!!!! GEEEEZZZ people, come on. I didn't want to say this but I'm going to. I wonder what the reaction would have been if it had been a foreign Arsenal player committing such a challenge on an English player. It wouldn't have left the back pages for weeks!!! Don't forget that it wasn't that long ago Diaby suffered an horrendous challenge at the hands of a Sunderland player , and his ankle was shattered as a result, meaning he missed a huge amount of games, and guess what, the Sunderland player wasn't even booked. I wouldn't wish this kind of injury on any player, but if such an occurrence comes along, It'll be interesting to see how other clubs fans react. As for that James Blunt, Terry Christian, let's hope something unspeakable befalls him!!! I see McLeish has excused the incident by saying Taylor isn't that sort of player, and feels it should have been a yellow card. Yeah, so why go in with studs up then?

[Keef]

Not sure I can agree about the foreign player thing.

[atila the gooner]

Given all the shite spouted about us and foreign players, bearing in mind an English player socred our goals on saturday, I know it's true.

[Keef]

That's actually reminded me of something that'll be a welcome change of subject. Hybr interested to see that the Inter team that started against Liverpool last week included only 1 italian. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Italy make the last world cup final? Sort of makes a mockery of the anti foreigner arguements. I don't feel we need less foreign playings, I feel we need more England playing abroad!

[citizenED]

Keep up with the predictive text Keef, if adds a whole new dimension to your posts.

[david_carnell]

Keef

Couldn't agee more mate. In recent years there has been a real dearth of Englishmen abroad. Yet at Italia 90 quite a few had overseas experience or went on to play overseas. If memory serves (and I was only 7 at the time!): Walker (Sampadoria), Linekar (Barcelona & Grampas8), Gazza (Lazio), Waddle (Marseille), Platt (Sampadoria), Beardsley (Vancouver).

Recent successful exports seem to have been few and far between. McManaman did ok at Real but Owen and Woodgate were largely unsuccessful. Becks was hit and miss. Hargreaves was excellent at Bayern but he's Canadian. Every other league seems to have representation in the Premiership yet we don't seem to have much of one in La Liga or Seria A. Why?

[Jah Lush]

Sorry to correct you David but they all played abroard after the '90 World Cup apart from Beardsley who spent an early part of his career at Vancouver Whitecaps.

[david_carnell]

Well actually, Jah, if we're being pedantic (despite my post saying "...or went on afterwards to play overseas") Chris waddle was at Marseille between 1989-92 which by my guess would make him a Marseille player during the 1990 World Cup. Edit: Oh, and Lineker was at Barca until 1989 - so he played overseas before as well.

My point was that they were of good enough quality to succeed wherever they played. I don't know whether many of the current England team would be able to do the same (a la Owen). Rooney perhaps and also Joe Cole. Good ball players. The rest I think would struggle with the continental game.

[Jah Lush]

OK I stand corrected on Waddle and I should have known that because I was gutted when he left Spurs and so was Lineker who thought he was going to be playing alongside him when he signed for Tottenham. Whoops! Lineker was signed from Barcelona...sheee...it. That's two then.

[atila the gooner]

lozzyloz Wrote:

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> Well done Spurs, although that was a very lucky

> deflection. I'm not bitter.

You must have been watching a different game to me, Chavski were outplayed and Spurs had the far better chances.

[Keef]

To be fair to Owen, he scored every time he started a game for Real, he just wasn't glam enough, and Woodgate was injured the whole time he was there.

You are spot on though David, we need more players abroad learning different styles of play, and new skills. I'd hate to lose players like Gerrard from the Premiership, but if we want England to be great, that's the sort of sacrifice we need!

[Incitatus]

david_carnel - "In recent years there has been a real dearth of Englishmen abroad. Yet at Italia 90 quite a few had overseas experience or went on to play overseas...?

As a small footnote, one Italia 90 England squad member had a terrible and rather apt finish to his time abroad.

Long after Italia 90 Tony Dorigo joined manager Souness on one of his many sojourns abroad in Seria B at Torino. In a penalty shoot out in the play off for promotion to Seria A, -all previous 9 penalties successfully converted- up steps the England player and he promptly rockets it wide and then quickly heads back home to Derby County.

However Trevor Steven did alright at Marseille, winning the league title.

[Keef]

Gutted Everton beat City tonight, could have done with it being a draw, or a city win... Can't be bothered looking at their run in now, but hopefully they have some hard games coming up!

I'm depressed that at this stage of the season we're looking at Everton, Villa and City instead of the top 3 :(

[Annasfield]

They have to come to Anfield yet Keef and I am determined to get tickets :))

[david_carnell]

Incitatus Wrote:

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> As a small footnote, one Italia 90 England squad

> member had a terrible and rather apt finish to his

> time abroad.

>

> Long after Italia 90 Tony Dorigo joined manager

> Souness on one of his many sojourns abroad in

> Seria B at Torino. In a penalty shoot out in the

> play off for promotion to Seria A, -all previous

> 9 penalties successfully converted- up steps the

> England player and he promptly rockets it wide and

> then quickly heads back home to Derby County.

As a Leeds fan, I won't have a bad word said against the man. The mulleted Aussie is a bit of a cult hero at Elland Road although weirdly I once met him as a child (me, not him) whislt he was still playing for CSKA Fulham. Nice bloke. Doesn't surprise me he was shit at penalties though.

[Keef]

I'm with you Anna!

[Annasfield]

Well the game is on 30 March. Utd and Everton games at home are big sellers so we'll need to have previous attendance recorded on a fan card. They normally select random games, so we might get lucky. If all else fails there's the ballot and hopefully they will go on general sale.

Damn, have just realised - I'm supposed to be away that weekend. Maybe I can sneek off early on the Sunday........

[Keef]

Damn I've realised I have a gig the next day and will most likely have to rehearse... Bollocks, if tickets come through, rehearsal can f**k off!

[atila the gooner]

The 4 match ban for Alliadiere on the basis that the appeal was frivolous is just typical of those idiots at the FA, Mascherano starts it by putting his hand to Alliadieres throat but thats ok. Fair enough it was not even handbags at 20 paces, but how does one get away with being a pillock and the other one doesn't? Answers on a postcard to.........

[david_carnell]

Couldn't agree more.