Park Life

The tragedy of Chelsea is that with the money available they really could have played fantasy football and ticked all the boxes. It will be said I fear in times to come that Mourinho was always too def minded to really do justice to the set-up he had available to him...The signs were there with his ultra-compact and drilled Porto side. Mourinho for me is one of the best coaches in the world but he will underestimate the 'soul' of a Russian at his peril. Deep down all Russians are poets and that is how they see life.

Given is the better keeper though so it can hardly be irrelevant. Harsh but true, if the better player is available then he should be back in the team. He is the better keeper. But football isn't played on paper. ....might to Shay some good a bit of competition.

As far as I'm concerned the man in posession keeps the jersey if he continues to do well. Everything else is irrelevant.

It is widely understood that there are three distinct camps at Chelsea, the Portugese camp (Jose and his boys), the Russian camp (inc Kenyon and the newly arrived DOF and PiniZhavi who lives near Roman in Antibes) and the Dutch camp inc Arnesen (various scouts and hangers onners and the Macbeth like ghost in the background of a prominent Dutch coach). Roman left his seat at the Villa game early, but he left in a particular way. He stood for a few seconds longer than needed and surveyed all before him and than scampered off double quick time....Perhaps he was looking for Schev, perhaps he was looking for the one of the last times at a Mourinho side. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/09/...ence_speak.html It has to be said that Roman of all doesn't like losing...To survive the Oligarchy wars and culls and money walls of the new Russia, he ain't about to swallow too many dissappointments for his Chelsea side. Russians and Portugese see the world in very different ways as will soon IMO become obvious.

I think that's bollocks and everyone's being paranoid tbh. She may be biased against Newcastle but it doesn't come across in that piece. It's not a complete non-story either, it dispells the myth of Ashley being a recluse which I think is quite positive. I think her language is pushing as much toward the negative (regularly drunk, football shirted, free spending [lager lout?] chairman in bikini bar) as she can get away with without being blatantly called biased, especially to a 3rd party reader. And it is a non-story for a national newspaper, not perhaps for a local one (which I agree on the positive for the fans, not only in his willingness to be at Newcastle, but that he seems to be enjoying owning the club too). Where does it say he was drunk, let alone regularly drunk? He was wearing a football shirt was he not? Is free spending a bad thing when you're a billionaire? More importantly, it's true isn't it? Was he not in a bikini bar? At the end of the day he's a high profile buissnessman and owner of one of the biggest clubs in the EPL. If he's going to go out on the piss, especially in places like Blu Bamboo and Buffalo Joes, it's going to raise eyebrows. But I could see nowt wrong with that report personally, it was factually correct and if you don't like it I suggest it's you that has the problem with Ashley and Mort's actions. I suggest you get Alex to explain subtext to you. I understand subtext, I just believe if it hadn't been Taylor who penned that piece you wouldn't be criticising it. There is a faintly critical sub-text at work here, but it isn't of the smash and grab ouevre. It is playing on two levels. Renton is right in the sense that it is factually correct and not particularly devisive, however for me it is a piece that is setting up various caveats in the sense of..'Look at this guy what is he upto'?! For us as Toon supporters we aren't really bothered that he is developing a dialogue with the locals in this manner infact it is on the whole welcomed. What she (Louise) is doing is setting Ashley up for inspection by the broader general public by not using netural or positive wordage ie.. ..'rubbing elbows, showing enthusiasm, jolly, (free spending could be replaced by generous) etc... As someone mentioned earlier, they are playing in the realms of caricature and are looking to start a narrative or settle a narrative with regard to Ashley one which may lay in wait for his first big mistake....On one of these nights out. So I'd settle on faintly critical, but factually correct...But you get the feeling she is waiting in the bushes for big Mike. Yep it's like she's setting the scene/getting in the groundwork for what is to come (one way or another). It is subtlety negative, but negative it certainly is. Oh yes. For me it's beautiful in another way. It looks like we're going to have our own Citizen Kane moment although Mike is desperately fighting the recluse tag, (probably under PR team orders) the time will surely come when he will revert to type. She also has to be careful because he is a true survivor unlike FS having come through the minefield that is 'the city' to obvious outsiders like him. I always remind myself that he used to go to those big meetings in London with all his papers in a plastic bag.

Barton will play this hunting and late arriving stuff when he gets back. What we are missing in mf is real creativity, not even the wingers we have (Zoggy has his moments but he's still learning) really understand how to change the patterns and tempo of a game.

I think that's bollocks and everyone's being paranoid tbh. She may be biased against Newcastle but it doesn't come across in that piece. It's not a complete non-story either, it dispells the myth of Ashley being a recluse which I think is quite positive. I think her language is pushing as much toward the negative (regularly drunk, football shirted, free spending [lager lout?] chairman in bikini bar) as she can get away with without being blatantly called biased, especially to a 3rd party reader. And it is a non-story for a national newspaper, not perhaps for a local one (which I agree on the positive for the fans, not only in his willingness to be at Newcastle, but that he seems to be enjoying owning the club too). Where does it say he was drunk, let alone regularly drunk? He was wearing a football shirt was he not? Is free spending a bad thing when you're a billionaire? More importantly, it's true isn't it? Was he not in a bikini bar? At the end of the day he's a high profile buissnessman and owner of one of the biggest clubs in the EPL. If he's going to go out on the piss, especially in places like Blu Bamboo and Buffalo Joes, it's going to raise eyebrows. But I could see nowt wrong with that report personally, it was factually correct and if you don't like it I suggest it's you that has the problem with Ashley and Mort's actions. I suggest you get Alex to explain subtext to you. I understand subtext, I just believe if it hadn't been Taylor who penned that piece you wouldn't be criticising it. There is a faintly critical sub-text at work here, but it isn't of the smash and grab ouevre. It is playing on two levels. Renton is right in the sense that it is factually correct and not particularly devisive, however for me it is a piece that is setting up various caveats in the sense of..'Look at this guy what is he upto'?! For us as Toon supporters we aren't really bothered that he is developing a dialogue with the locals in this manner infact it is on the whole welcomed. What she (Louise) is doing is setting Ashley up for inspection by the broader general public by not using netural or positive wordage ie.. ..'rubbing elbows, showing enthusiasm, jolly, (free spending could be replaced by generous) etc... As someone mentioned earlier, they are playing in the realms of caricature and are looking to start a narrative or settle a narrative with regard to Ashley one which may lay in wait for his first big mistake....On one of these nights out. So I'd settle on faintly critical, but factually correct...But you get the feeling she is waiting in the bushes for big Mike.

He might give 100% in whatever position he plays in, but he also looks ordinary in whatever position he plays in His strike rate even in his younger days never bettered 1 in 4 that is part of the issue here. A good back up striker and a solid but not inventive midfielder. I like him mainly due to his winning mentality and you need a few of those around. I wouln't like to think we were 'carrying' him in matches and I'm sure he has contributed to our unbeaten start.

Global warming?

What are we saying here niether Butt/Smith or Geremi are upto much?

He has been known to score the odd goal in the past as well.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtm...3/sfnnew103.xml Go to the bottom of the page and it is quite a revelation looking at how much Geremi was involved compared to the rest of the midfield.

Ideally I'd like to go 442 but I don't think apart from the odd game SA is going to do it. I'd prefer it as we have players more suited to the orthodox system. It doesn't bother me putting Taylor behind those two.

For me I think Geremi edges it over Butt. His passing and overall awareness is better with less stray passes and also he's not afraid of passing forward when the opp arises. Butt although good since last season is way too one dimensional for me and also prone to take random shots from anywhere (off target) giving up position. Geremi is more of a talker and leader as well. So.... ...................Geremi.. .......Barton..................Zoggy... Would be my three. With Zoggy interchanging with the left forward Milner/Duff in a classic 433.

It's clear you see her as competition Meenzah.

It's a massive film. Got some daft reviews but really worth a watch. Some truly beautiful sequences like the 'table tennis' scenes and the colourful poignant bleakness of the snack machine.

Not an expert but it looks like one of those deadly Australian ones...

Dave I am seeking refuge here to avoid your acid wit.

.....and to think Rodent nearly pushed him out of the club. If Roeder were still here then Zog and martins would both have walked and i bet Owen would have been right behidn them if anybody matched the release clause in his contract. And then of course to solve the defensive problems Roeder wouyld have bought a winger and a striker! ....or shit bald players the crowd fall in love with...

I'd force a pack of gnocchi down her throat while kicking her in the flaps and smearing her with garam masala. Does that count? No need to force dear boy.....

bread knife I hate spiders There's a big one that sleeps by my futon.

Poisoned chalice and all that....England players are just too stupid as a group to really do well...I mean they're not even 'cunning' like the Italians or readers of the game like the Argies... Just a bunch of overpaid, overlaid, overrated donkey's really. Even if you look at Rooney who is gifted, when the pressure is on he reverts to type.

I always thought white people were from space...

Is nice!!!

they did choose scolari didn't they? Yeah but Scolari chose life.