LEN Teh Footy God's Footballodium

[naut]

Mali - Angola was fantastic!

Cote d'Ivoire's problems probably stem from having excellent forwards and good central midfielders, but somewhat average defenders and goalkeepers. Regardless, for B-Faso to even score a goal is surprising.

[InsaneApache]

When the manager shouted 'shoot', did they all duck?

[Craterus]

It was actually Ivory Coast 0-0 Burkina Faso.

Hopefully they will learn that pass-to-Drogba-and-hope-for-the best isn't really a workable tactic. Plus, they seem better suited to being the 'smaller' team in a contest (see their match against Germany). When being forced to run the game and attack, they're less confident.

[Ferret]

^ wise words, ever considered a management career Crate?

[naut]

^ wise words, ever considered a management career Crate?

960 hours of FM08 will do that!

Arsenal re-sign Sol Campbell. Very strange indeed, is he better than Senderos? He's 35/6? Strange if true.

[scotchedpommes]

Of course he's better than Senderos.

[In other news, my ability to check previous pages has abandoned me, so unsure if anyone's posted about that student betting £4400 on Angola to win whilst they were 4-0 up. With 12 minutes to go, no less. He'd miscalculated the odds, thinking he would get £440 instead of £44 - and to him it was seemingly worth it. Of course, we know the collapse / comeback started with 11 minutes to go. Can't post a link to the forum where I saw it, for reasons you might be able to guess.]

[Craterus]

Heard about that no such thing as a sure thing.

[L.C. SVLLA]

lets go miami dolphins!

[naut]

Tutorial on how to dive.

[drone]

Tutorial on how to dive.

Ronaldo 3 ftw!

[Louis VI the Fat]

Tutorial on how to dive.

Genius. I love the 'put in a bit extra' part, especially the 'Italian finger' and the 'You're wrong' finger.

Those lads are hysterical.

[naut]

Cameroon lose again. So they're out. Surprising, but good for Arsenal as Song comes home early.

ESPN put the score up wrong for a few minutes, so I thought it was Zambia 3 - 2 Cameroon. But, not to be.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Of course he's better than Senderos.

[In other news, my ability to check previous pages has abandoned me, so unsure if anyone's posted about that student betting £4400 on Angola to win whilst they were 4-0 up. With 12 minutes to go, no less. He'd miscalculated the odds, thinking he would get £440 instead of £44 - and to him it was seemingly worth it. Of course, we know the collapse / comeback started with 11 minutes to go. Can't post a link to the forum where I saw it, for reasons you might be able to guess.]

I looked that up, but it seems to have been a hoax.

There's a guy I know at Uni that puts 4-figure sums on matches involving the likes of San Marino, Andorra etc.. one day something like the above will happen to him.

[scotchedpommes]

I looked that up, but it seems to have been a hoax

Well, that's a depressing development. Obviously given the circumstances, I was open to the very real possibility that it was a hoax - nevertheless, it's such tales of soul-crushingly epic fail that tend to make my day.



[Also let me be the first to openly declare that Arsenal need to nick Marouane Fellaini before Chelsea - or anyone else - does.]

[Strike For The South]

Our players are dropping like Flies.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Lord knows I'm not a United supported (Go Arsenal!), but I am absolutely appalled, enraged even, by the continuing revelations about Man Utd.

In the end, Man Utd is a real club, with real fans and a history of great triumph and tragedy. An authentic football intitution, one of the greatest in Europe, one must respect that.

I can't believe a bunch of parasites managed to gain control and plunder this club for all it's worth.





http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...ce-the-glazers

[naut]

Well like Liverpool they're in deep water financially. They have a two main debts that require re-financing, a £518,695,008 bank loan at 7.5% interest and a £175,479,008 Payment-in-Kind at 14.5% interest. The issue is that the terms state that the loan interest must be paid off before the PIK can be cleared. And at 14.5% the PIK is growing at £25+ million a year, with the total interest bill at £41.9 million for the current financial year. And on top of it all the current revenue barely pays off the interest bill. In fact they would have made a £30+ million loss last season had it not been for the sale of Ronaldo. A bond issue and the sale, then re-leasing of the the training facilities would free up enough money to pay off a significant portion of the loan debt and clear the PIK. Thus putting them on much more balanced footing, as the bonds would be at a reasonable rate of 8.5% or so. This £130 million figure is misleading. What it actually is is the resulting cash from said bond issue and sale of training grounds used pay off a significant portion of the PIK debt, which is in the Glazer's name but secured over the assets of the club.

Liverpool similarly are in strife as they have three main debts, a £359,000,000 Bank loan at 10% interest, a second Bank loan of £58,200,000 at 5.5% and £2,400,000 at a Cayman Trust at 5%. The £359 million loan is largely a debt incurred as a result of the new stadium currently being planned. While the other two debts are more miscellaneous. Now the issue is that Liverpool currently does not produce enough revenue to cover its interest payments. Last financial year saw a £41 million loss, mainly due to interest payments totalling £36.5m, despite highest ever turnover at £161 million. As a result Liverpool have no money available for the purchasing of players, other than what can be raised through selling fringe members of the squad.

The main issue for both of the above clubs is the levels of interest, over huge debts.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Now compare with Arsenal's debts. A long-term bond of £244,900,000 at a fixed rate of 5.3% (secured over the stadium), a £47,000,000 bank loan at Libor + 2-2.5% and £26,400,000 loan debentures at 2.5%. These are all manageable debts at low rates, that will be cleared in the next decade or so. Additionally the Highbury Square project generated £88,287,000 last year and there are still some 75-100 apartments still to be sold which should potentially generate £40-60 million. And the board had the foresight to create a fund which the banks are not allowed to access for interest or other payments, into which goes 70% of the value of transfer fees from sold players. And this fund is to be used for future transfer fees and contracts of new/current players.

All in all it makes me glad to support the club I do. Lucky to have a money-wise board and manager, and have a share-price and debt level that makes a takeover very unlikely. (Each share trades for £8,500 avg. price, thus £528,844,500 in equity and the £318,300,000 in debt would mean that any potential buyer would need to raise at least £100 million and then saddle the club with another £400 million in debt, which simply is not feasible for almost anyone out there as they would likely be unable to clear £700 million in debt in the foreseeable future.)

[drone]

Lord knows I'm not a United supported (Go Arsenal!), but I am absolutely appalled, enraged even, by the continuing revelations about Man Utd.

In the end, Man Utd is a real club, with real fans and a history of great triumph and tragedy. An authentic football intitution, one of the greatest in Europe, one must respect that.

I can't believe a bunch of parasites managed to gain control and plunder this club for all it's worth.

Their kit has AIG on it, I don't know what else you could expect.

Go Gunners!

[naut]

We are top of the league, I say we are top of the league!

How's this for a scoreline: Aston Villa 6 - 4 Blackburn Rovers! Glad I recorded that one.

Hilarious snippet from the Guardian's official text commentary of Liverpool - Spurs:

88 min: Spurs might not be getting the result they're after tonight, but at least their fans can console themselves with the news that Arsenal came from 2-0 down against Bolton to win 4-2. It's not all doom and gloom in North London, eh? And it's always nice to see the neighbours do well.

Good old fashioned wind-up.

[Louis VI the Fat]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXVs...eature=related


Magical moment of goalkeeping calamity at the African Cup. wtfwtfwtf?

[naut]

Werder Bremen against Bayern tonight. Got me all excited. I'm predicting a 2 - 2 scoreline. Bremen are in a patch of poor form, but they'll be up for this. And Bayern's style isn't the most efficient way to break down Werder.

Juventus v. Roma also should be a good match, both don't have a good record this season of keeping out goals. It'll be tight, but the form team is Roma. 1 - 2 to Roma for me.

[InsaneApache]

I got this off a site I visit. Written by a disgruntled QPR fan...

I take more pleasure in seeing Chelsea lose than I do in seeing QPR win at the moment.

I sat through so many matches when we were absolute dog(swear) under the likes of Ray Harford and with people like Paul Bruce, Matthew Brazier and Mark Perry in the squad and I never felt like this.

The club isn't ours anymore but more so than that - football is just properly gash these days.

I mean really gash.

Football generally.

I hate nearly everything about it these days....

I hate the Prem and the myth that it is exciting this year. Man City breaking into the top four isn't exciting. They spent loads of money. It's no more exciting that Nameless (swear) getting to number 1 in the charts after winning the X-Factor.

I hate the myth of Arsene's kids. Buying some French kid when he's 17, playing him in the League Cup and then selling him when he's 20 after about 3 appearances in the league is NOTHING SPECIAL.

I hate hearing about Liverpool/Man Utd's debt but nothing ever happening about it. A club needs to go to the wall for the money thing to change but it doesn't happen. Why the (swear) are Charlton, Leeds and Southampton still in business?

I hate Frank Lampard's stupid (swear) face. I hate that Joe Cole's tongue is never in his mouth, the (swear, swear). I hate John Terry being England captain when he's CLEARLY AN OAF.

I hate the England team.

I hate young exciting wingers who have nothing but pace. Tony Scully had nothing but pace.

I hate the FA Cup. There may be little shocks like last night but for the most part you know who's going to win it. Unless a team throws away all their financial security to win it a la Pompey.

I hate Harry (swear) Redknapp. And Jamie Redknapp. And Louise Redknapp. And the Wii...and Thomas Cook

I hate James Nesbitt, Eammon Holmes and (swear) everyone.

I hate Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.

I hate Garth Crooks.

I hate Garth Brooks for that matter.

I hate Sky Sports.

I hate that when a lower league player beats 10 players and chips the keeper it doesn't matter but if Rooney scores from more than 20 yards it's amazing.

I hate that everything football related has to have 'Club Foot' playing behind it.

I hate that female sports journos are now mandatory.

I hate Mark Lawrensen for not coming out. 'I do like a big man at the back'. I bet you do.

I hate any advert that portrays football to be about anything other than pain and disappointment.

I hate any advert that mentions pies at football.

I hate Lee Hughes and the fact that he makes a living from the game. I hate Marlon King and any team that signs him when he gets out. I hate that it'll probably be us.

I hate Phil Brown.

I hate 'well the ball is a lot lighter now and will cause goalkeepers real problems this summer' before EVERY (SWEAR) TOURNAMENT.

I hate that Kieron Dyer earned more in the time I took to write this post than I'll earn this month.

I hate Adrian Durham, Ian Wright and Alan Brazil.

I hate Gazza. Either die or shut up. Stop (swear) lingering.

I hate hearing about Hillsborough more than I hear about Heysel or Bradford.

I hate that a comeback from 4-0 down at half time (TWICE) means nothing because we aren't (swear) scouse.

I hate Leeds.

I hate Roy Keane.

I hate grown men wearing football shirts of their team whilst shopping on a saturday when their team is playing at home.

I hate that I don't hate Roy Hodgson.

I hate Jermaine Beckford and any player who has neck tattoos.

I hate songs being inappropriately taken as club anthems and then sung in a manly way. 'I'm forever blowing bubbles....'. (swear).

I hate Danny Dyer and anyone he's ever interviewed.

I hate the book 'Cass' by Cass Pennant. It is honestly the stupidest thing I've ever read. Chapter 1: Millwall. 'Yeah we took 50 to Millwall. They had 1000 in their mob but we ran 'em up and down the street'. Chapter 2: Liverpool. 'Yeah we took 50 to Liverpool. They had 2000 in their mob but we ran 'em up and down the street'. (swear)me... Jade Goody's autobiography is probably better. Even her non-ghost written one.

I hate that all good youngsters end their careers at Spurs before they start.

Priceless.

[naut]

Why does Jermaine Defoe have a tattoo of a cock on his hand?

[Ronin]

Friendly Game last night in Lisbon to raise money for the Haiti relief fund.

Benfica All Stars 3 - 3 Zidane XI

Teams:

Benfica All Stars: Humberto Coelho, Dimas, Luisao, Paneira, Katsouranis, Rui Costa, Quim, Nuno Gomes, Miguel, Karagounis, Miccoli.

Benfica All Stars Bench: Moreira, Abel Xavier, Abel Silva, Pedro Valido, Mozer, Poborsky, Nené, Cardozo, Ramires, Rui Aguas, Valdo, Chalana, Schwarz, Quim, Miguel Vitor, Saviola, Éder Luís, Manuel Fernandes, Magnusson.

Zidane XI: Dani Alves, Fernando Couto, Figo, Kaká, Zidane, Henry, Márquez, Barthez, Pauleta, Jean Sony, Davids.

Zidane XI Bench: Lehman, Hierro, Popescu, Kluivert, Hagi, Le Saux, Pires, Cocu, Pauleta, Laudrup, Dugarry, Nedved, Akwá, Amer, Olic, Ricardo Pereira, Bhutia, Alfredo Esteves, Solveig, Obikwelu, Tymoshchuk


Match Highlights

Match Highlights 2

[scotchedpommes]

I got this off a site I visit. Written by a disgruntled QPR fan...



Priceless.

I hate that I don't hate Roy Hodgson.

There's no reason to hate not hating Woy. He's so often declared to be underrated it seems as though he may soon be rated... accordingly. The Scouse [or any other vaguely significant team, preferably with more backing] should sign him. They never will, because it would be the sensible thing to do. The man must have won more silverware in his exile than any of your lot in recent times - and yes, it would seem he is actually likeable.

[Craterus]

Nice to see Algeria exit the ACN gracefully...

[naut]

Wow. I never realised how much of a retard Martin O’Neill is. Wenger praises his tactical approach to the game, saying it's effective with good counter-attack moves. Then he goes nuts and reveals that he's a complete fool.

O’Neill’s protesting has the feeling about it of the teenager who feels the need to tell everyone he is not gay, because he is.

In fact let's compare. Wenger post-match:

“It was a very difficult game, because they stopped us from playing when we had the ball and when they had the ball, because they played a very long-ball game and closed us down.

“We didn't always find our passing game and we know when we come here what you get and we were not disappointed.

“They play a very efficient English game with long balls and are very physical and they did do that very well and they are a good side on the counter-attack.

“I hope they have a good run now against all the other teams because they are quality, are well organised, have a strong spirit, and are very strong physically.

“The midfield four of Milner, Young, Downing and Petrov don't stop running and all these players can score goals so I think they have a good chance.

“Although Villa were physical, it was not a dirty game. It was a committed game. It was a fair game but not dirty at all. For me, it was physical in a positive way.

They were committed, go for the balls and it is part of football.”

O'Neill's response:

It is interesting, the point he makes, that nobody can play football in the manner that they do. If he believes that, good luck to him.

What we are doing here, and I don’t care what anybody says, we have flair players picking the ball up, attacking.

He has an opinion on everything. There is not a subject in this world at this minute, political, religious, anything, that he does not have an opinion on. I really don’t mind, I just don’t want it shoved down my throat.

When he talks about this particular Arsenal side, and teams going out deliberately to kick them, nobody does that. Manchester United wouldn’t do that.

You can get carried away with your own importance, you really can. Sometimes he does. He has made a great contribution to the game here, but he is not on a different planet.

He is a very skilful manager – well done him, but he has another record, like he has had something like 99 sendings-off this year, and 98 of them weren’t his fault. That is the problem.

What he wants to do is try and point out to everyone who is under his spell that Arsenal are the only delightful team around. When you are looking for that, you can spot a weakness. You are trying to get an excuse ready if you cannot compete with Manchester United and Chelsea. That is the point.

Methinks O'Neill is trying to disguise the fact that Villa haven't won in four EPL games, and also haven't scored in four EPL games. And have yet again imploded at the turn of the year throwing away a golden opportunity to finish fourth.

[naut]

Louis. Uh. Care to explain how Bordeaux were held by Boulogne, 2nd last?

I haven't really been following the Bundesliga this season. But, how have Hertha Berlin ended up last? Last season they were doing well?

[johnhughthom]

Psycho. Uh. Care to explain how Arsenal have been so shambolically pathetic both times they have played a decent side at home this season?




Sorry, couldn't resist.

[naut]

A mix of injuries and poor form. Tonight with Diaby out there was a missing physical edge, similairly up front with no Bendtner or Van Persie. Also Almunia is one of the worst keepers in the EPL, if not the worst. And when you do not have a good keeper your defence doesn't have confidence and you concede sloppy goals (like Nani's first/Almunia's own goal). Man U weren't overly impressive tonight. What they were was tactically well organised, exploiting the weaknesses of Denilson and Clichy who are back from long injuries and look rusty and mentally slow. Additionally, Almunia has decided that goal kicks should be taken long to a 5'4" Arshavin, which gives possession to the other team and they can apply more pressure.

No it wasn't "shambolically pathetic", it was just not committed enough. There wasn't enough desire. United had the desire tonight, Park showed that with his pressing, Rooney showed that with his goal. Other than Cesc, Song and TV5 none of the Arsenal lads really looked up for it. Admitedly half of them are short of match fitness, but a game like that should bring out the best in a player. I also feel Chris Foy helped United a bucket load by carding Song in the early stages of the game. Refs love doing that to Arsenal, Song never makes overly malicious tackles, especially compared with other teams, but he always receives early yellows. This essentially takes him out of the game and allows the other team to play with more time in the middle of the park. It happened both tonight and in the reverse fixture, and yet when lads like Darren Fletcher do it it's fine, because he's British.

I ask you this john if United or Chelsea had had the sheer number of injuries that Arsenal have had over the season would they be doing anywhere near as well?

Also, you probably have mentioned it before, but I can't be bothered to search the thread, who do you follow?

Personally I feel I've grown up a lot over the past few years. I'm enjoying the ride so far, Wenger isn't going to be around for ever, so I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. Wengerball is awesome spectacle, and even in a loss you get a spectacular goal or piece of skill. Like Vermaelen's goal tonight! What other centre-back out there can place a volley like that!