Papa Lazaru

aye you're right, it's not like he's just made the senior holland squad...oh hang on he has. Wise up he's done well enough today, consistent games he'll be grand, and def a better option than harper. He's no Given yet like. Harper is the sort of keeper who is tied to his line and will never dominate his area, whereas Krul is an attacking keeper who looks to own the 18 yard box, so he potentially is better. With games and experience he'll hopefully get that extra bit of judgement so he cuts out these bad moments where he misses the cross or drops it. But if he can he'll easilly be the better keeper.

We've got to stop pissing away these freekicks, we're playing really well but the three subs they brought on are going to trouble us

This ref is just getting better and better, chelski fans sulking like little brats! Shola still playing like he couldn't give a fuck

A good effort first half, especially with the start we made, we've been lively on the break, just lacking the final ball. As has been said a bit shaky at the back and they will get a bollocking and probably bring some talent off the bench so it'll be a battle second half. I'd have Ranger or even Kuqi on up front just to shake things up a bit there as Shola was in his half asleep mode most of the time and Lovenkrands wasn't doing much damage either. And then later in the half bring another young lad on to get a run out, even if its Ferguson replaced if he's tiring, and he's done well so far.

This must be the most decisions a ref has ever given us against one of the top 4, a refreshing change from the usual twats who reside up the arse of the top 4 and unsurprisingly their fans aren't liking it!

About time we got a flukey deflected goal after the number we get against us, now if we could just have a dodgy pen given to us as well, that'd be great!

Strong supporter of UVF/LVF. He wore a black armband in 'honour' of Billy Wright in an Old Firm game a few days after his murder. He was probably in two minds about whether he should or not though.

Thought the first two episodes have been top quality, and prefer the chat with Iannucci too some of last series sketches with just the one big pay off sketch at the end. It won't change anything to who likes/dislikes it though, you either get him and go with his at times deliberately antagonistic style of delivery pushing it right to the point where people should be annoyed and then brining it back or you don't. Same with people who think he really is that arrogant and smug/superior when its all part of the act and how he crafts his material. I've always been a fan, but can see why he can put other people off and was surprised he got a second series, much as he was!

Good job they didn't do a Tony Adams/Steve Morrow on him at the end there when he's just returned to football! Think it was Steve Morrow anyway, was a long time ago!

If i was manager, i'd be taking Messi, Iniesta and Javi off right now, its over and they're likely to get a bit of a kicking off madrid players from now

Barca and Messi get praise no matter what state they're in is my point, it's non stop adulation deserved at the time or not. Ya know what messi did until those goals? fuck all squared, but for 70minutes you'd have thought he'd levitated over the stadium at some point with some of the comments about his game thus far. (not on here btw just in general between commentators and twitter etcetc) Affely for instance was decent when he came on, beat marcelo for pace and set up a goal, which was barely acknowledged. To be fair i think our commentators were obsessing over him because of what a joke the rest of the 90 mins and most of the other players had been! But i agree with you about Affelay, he helped turn the game and seemed to pass by without much mention.

Wise up would ya, ronaldo got fuck all service all night long, at one stage having 2 defensive mids and a centre back in midfield behind him. Messi did nothing until the game was ruined and madrid were a man down. Honestly the creaming of some people and commentators over barca and messi is embarrassing. And the second goal was laid up on a plate for him, aye? Stop creaming over him, all he's done is score over 50 goals in the season so far, with over 20 assists and scored a great 2nd goal to pretty much wrap up a place in the final, he's definitely overrated! He's not over rated but he's got a fantastic team around him that will go out of their way to make sure he gets those goals. If you can't see how over the top the praise is at times for messi/barca frankly your daft, he could've scratched his arse tonight and had people claiming it was a work of brilliance. You've just said he's not overrated, so you agree with all the praise then, which is people rating him, make your mind up! As for being daft, i'm responsible for my own praise of him not theirs, so if you think its embarassing thats your outlook, and mostly it isn't because he is an amazing player. And Barca play fantastic football, so funilly enough people praise them, don't see why you have such an issue with it to be honest, theres bigger and better things to get worked up about frankly.

Wise up would ya, ronaldo got fuck all service all night long, at one stage having 2 defensive mids and a centre back in midfield behind him. Messi did nothing until the game was ruined and madrid were a man down. Honestly the creaming of some people and commentators over barca and messi is embarrassing. And the second goal was laid up on a plate for him, aye? Yes you're right that one goal makes him better... <vice versa the header in the copa del ray the other night> pointless argument anyway that can't be settled, neither are as good as maradona let's leave it at that. Something everyone should agree on, nobody been better for me!

Wise up would ya, ronaldo got fuck all service all night long, at one stage having 2 defensive mids and a centre back in midfield behind him. Messi did nothing until the game was ruined and madrid were a man down. Honestly the creaming of some people and commentators over barca and messi is embarrassing. And the second goal was laid up on a plate for him, aye? Stop creaming over him, all he's done is score over 50 goals in the season so far, with over 20 assists and scored a great 2nd goal to pretty much wrap up a place in the final, he's definitely overrated!

Ronaldo is a great player and incredibly effective in terms of goals, but Messi is the best, he's the only one with that Maradonna like ability to go past 5 and 6 players for fun, like a little kid against his mates, the others just don't quite have his skill and flair for that.

In the midst of all the embarassing shite, Messi has shown why he's the best, absolotue class goal that!

British commentators talking their usual shit though, saying its embarassing and glad they dont get that every week over at home! It happens in nearly every game over here as well, so they shouldn't kid themselves otherwise. Footballs is by far the greatest sport in the world but its played by the biggest bunch of prick of any sport, never going to change!

Nobody can legislate for him picking up two new injuries in his time here after he got over the long term one we knew about so i don't think it was a bad decision to get him here as long as it was pay as you play. Whats a shame is we haven't now got any idea what form he's in and if it looks worth signing him as i imagine we could get him fairly cheap from Villa, IF Houllier stays on after his illness.

He's dug himself in too far now, he's going to stick it out and be stubborn in the face of everyone now telling him what is blatantly obvious, and he'll keep doing the oppositte and winning little or nothing. He's spent too long now telling everyone he knows best and everybody else is wrong to give in now. To win the big trophies you have to have a quality goalie, a top class and experienced centreback, preferably some semblance of steel in midfield to go with the skill and unless you have players scoring for fun then you need a reliable 20+ a season striker. And they're also such a bunch of fannies, trying to create the perfect goal and dicking about walking it into the nest instead of doign what manu do and just score, win the game and move on. Wish we were doing just as badly as they are under Wenger mind!

When u think of the amount they've spent since they first got in to the prem its shocking that they've essentially been involved in or close to a relegation battle every season. Sad that we havent come close to spending what they have though as who knows where we'd be.

Mackems have the easier run in, but they do have an injury crisis that matches even us at our worst over the years, and not many clubs have done that! I think it could be very tight as to who finishesd higher and it probably won't be by more than a point or two.

Chelsea may or may not sell him, could depend on who their manager is going to be! But if they do, he's a young english striker with some hype around him so he'll cost way more than we'd pay, which is a shame as we'd have a good chance of him coming here because they won't sell to a top 4/5 rival so if we had any ambition we could get him. Of course if we werent run by a bunch of fuckwitts he would at least have been here on loan so we'd have done better this season with him up top offering pace and goals.

Me mate just PM'ed me that on FB, I was howling at some of them mind Yeah, fair play to them, there was some crackers in that thread! I forgot to check if they put a link up to the forum they got it from orignally to see what the other lot had come up with, but based on the stokoeshop thread i reckon people on here will beat them all!

Anyone seen this thread on the mackems board: http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=586223 I'm sure the photoshop experts on here could come up with some great stuff!

I almost have as well because manu have got into that really annoying kind of run where regardless of playing well or shite they keep getting result after result and so you just know we'll actually turn up and play well only to be robbed, or as you say it could go really badly. But on the other hand they've just lost a game, they have alot on their plate with fa cup and CL, which we don't and our record at home against last seasons top 4 is to draw with them, so who knows. If we don't concede early then it could be a really good game.