On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[Annasfield]

Quite liked Moyes comments about Riley. Mind games at their finest.

[Keef]

I quite like and respect Moyes, but either last season, or season before, he became "boy who cried wold". He had a couple of genuine reasons to moan about refs, but then as his team went on a bad run of form, he started ref bashing EVERY week after matches, to the point where you thought "what are you on about", and basically lost all sympathy for him.

Good manager though. Wish he'd leave Everton, so they could go back to flirting with regation every season like they used to >:D<

[Keef]

I quite like and respect Moyes, but either last season, or season before, he became "boy who cried wold". He had a couple of genuine reasons to moan about refs, but then as his team went on a bad run of form, he started ref bashing EVERY week after matches, to the point where you thought "what are you on about", and basically lost all sympathy for him.

Good manager though. Wish he'd leave Everton, so they could go back to flirting with regation every season like they used to >:D<

[SeanMacGabhann]

I chuckled loudly yesterday when I read this from Marina Hyde about her encounter with Big Sam

"That said, there was a Football Writers' one a couple of years back at which I was treated to a lively Sam Allardyce explaining why a woman could know precisely nothing about cricket ? and with his good self not merely unable to recall the name of Muttiah Muralitharan in the course of one peroration, but apparently under the impression that Shane Warne bowled off-spin. As I filled in some of the gaps for him, I noticed that Sam's dinner jacket had leather lapels. It was a magical night.

"

[SeanMacGabhann]

I chuckled loudly yesterday when I read this from Marina Hyde about her encounter with Big Sam

"That said, there was a Football Writers' one a couple of years back at which I was treated to a lively Sam Allardyce explaining why a woman could know precisely nothing about cricket ? and with his good self not merely unable to recall the name of Muttiah Muralitharan in the course of one peroration, but apparently under the impression that Shane Warne bowled off-spin. As I filled in some of the gaps for him, I noticed that Sam's dinner jacket had leather lapels. It was a magical night.

"

[matthew123]

LOL

This made me chuckle from Harry Redknapp about Spurs Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko : "Not speaking English is a problem. You've always got his interpreter running around the training ground. Sometimes you pass the ball through the middle and he chases it. And the interpreter is running alongside him and he gets in there and heads into the net."

[matthew123]

LOL

This made me chuckle from Harry Redknapp about Spurs Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko : "Not speaking English is a problem. You've always got his interpreter running around the training ground. Sometimes you pass the ball through the middle and he chases it. And the interpreter is running alongside him and he gets in there and heads into the net."

[SimonM]

That's another ?5 million for us then! >:D

[SimonM]

That's another ?5 million for us then! >:D

[Keef]

Harry will probably have the interpreter in next years squad!

[Keef]

Harry will probably have the interpreter in next years squad!

[matthew123]

It seems the co-ordinated personal attack on Rafa Benitez by Ferguson and Big Sam has left both with egg on their face as it has emerged Rafa's gesture was directed at his Liverpool players, Insua and Alonso. The players had ignored Rafa's instructions prior to Liverpool scoring from a free kick, the gesture and smile was to "show the pair that perhaps the manager doesn?t always know best, and the players were right."

The question now is whether either Big Sam or Fergie will apologise. It is one thing having a go another club, but an unprovoked personal attack on another Manager is below the belt. It was a cheap shot from mud slingers and quite frankly the FA should charge Ferguson and Big Sam with bringing the game into disrepute.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Allardyce always was and will always be a cooont, what the fcuk is Fergie thinking by commenting on games other than those involving his club. Come on boys play nicely in the playground.

[Annasfield]

Arsenal are my second team at the moment (;-)) and I hope they do the business this afternoon and in Europe. A slight dip in form on Tuesday night would be preferential and then back to winning ways from then on in. Crazy really, Arsenal are one of the only teams that can block United from going on to win in every remaining competition.

[matthew123]

Arsenal have to play Chelsea (2) / United (3) / Liverpool (1) in 6 of their remaining 9 fixtures this season (or possibly 8 of last 11)! What a run in! Naturally I want this evening's semi final to reach Extra Time just enough for Adebayor and Fabregas to get a niggle to put them out of Tuesday's clash at Anfield.

Steven Gerrard, it has been announced, is out injured for the Arsenal game.

[Atila Reincarnate]

matthew123 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

It was a cheap

> shot from mud slingers and quite frankly the FA

> should charge Ferguson and Big Sam with bringing

> the game into disrepute.

You've got about as much chance of this happening as I have of becoming pope!!!!

[Keef]

Fergie shouldn't be commmenting on other games, and he was being naughty, but Rafa has been no saint in this stupid "war of words", and some might say he started it... I wish they'd just get on with the bloody football!

Big Sam is just a cnut.

[Annasfield]

Don't know why I'm putting myself through it, but I'm just watching the match again. I am incensed now as I was then with Drogba's histrionics. When he was tackled and fell and was not on the pitch and rolled back on. grrrrrr (6)

[Mick Mac]

Atila for Pope.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Drogba is doing it again right now. . What a knob

[Annasfield]

Not watching it but come on Arsenal!!

[Keef]

Suspect it'll be Chelsea V United in FA and Champs League final. Hope Arsenal prove me wrong...

[Mick Mac]

Not a Drogba fan at all - but he took the goal really well - good initial control to take him past the keeper and solid finish considering bouncing ball on dodgy pitch (and I had backed Chelsea on Betfair and doubled up when they went behind - so now I am a Drogba fan:))

Think Chelsea Barca euro games could be worth watching - in fact all four semi final games should be good. Arsenal I'm afraid look the poor relation at the moment but they can always raise their game against MU.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Mick Mac Wrote:

(and I had backed

> Chelsea on Betfair and doubled up when they went

> behind - so now I am a Drogba fan:))

Wasn't "5.2" by any chance? Probably me that laid you.:))....laid Arsenal (small) at the same time but "got out" by laying the draw at "2.02" and at "1.52" so was lucky as I didn't fancy Chelsea b4 the match, at particularly at 0/1...(!)

[Annasfield]

What's Big Sam going on about?

http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t358/elnino9tornado/rafa-1.gif?t=1239479347

Think thats the first time I've ever seen Rafa smile during a match. Maybe that's what pissed Sam off.