Although I think Shorey matched Bridge for about a season when we first got promoted, maybe even surpassing him (I'd be surprised if Bridge ever set up four goals in one match) and that was why Shorey beat him to the England squad. I don't think Shorey ever beat Bridge into an England squad though....

tbf it's also the easiest way of working out how you get round the 'who doesn't play on the last round of fixtures' question as it'd surely be the lowest-ranked team

I am all for making the number of teams that qualify from around the world fairer...even if that means Europe loses a few spots..... To make it more representative of the 'better' teams as recorded by FIFA rankings, then you'd have more European spots, not less. If you wanted to remove European tea...

Beckham and Robson - he's not in their league either bit less manically box-to-box than Robson, bit less of a one-trick pony than Beckham, I don't think he suffers in comparison to either of them tbh. since I wouldn't put either of them in the 'elite international player' bracket - they were just t...

The Champions League is becoming less and less enjoyable as the potential winners are becoming almost exclusively polarised to the usual suspect 'Establishment' clubs. It's virtually akin to watching massive corporations battling it out for market share, the matches may as well be called BMW vs Tes...

you mean they'd waltz in with a display of one-touch passing beyond 99.9% of our players

lol, great review

the Belgians are following his every move too tbf

he'll choose Albania I reckon

meant to have fallen out with Wilmots as Wilmots has got fed up with it and basically told him "yeah I'll call you"

I can see why Belgium feel like they could do without him

and also, WTF - your Dad making the decision? grow some balls

I think a harder draw is possibly a good thing. I'd argue the 2010 EASY group, itself after an incredibly easy ride to finals, was not the best preparation for a second round match-up against Germany. Similarly in 2006, when we had a ludicrously easy route to the quarter finals, we came a cropper a...

and he certainly didn't spend the rest of his career hanging round the 6-yard box on one leg waiting for tap-ins

I like Milner really but there's only so much space for slow midfielders and Gerrard, Lampard and Carrick are all ahead of him; when he gets selected you know it's because he's there to cover the full back rather than hammer forward.

Wax Jacket FWIW I totally agree with JSB that the WC will be brilliant - it'll all be on in the evening and the stadiums will look massive, the crowds exotic and the pitches bright green

and no doubt we'll start our first group game against New Zealand with James Milner playing as a 3rd full-back

FWIW I totally agree with JSB that the WC will be brilliant - it'll all be on in the evening and the stadiums will look massive, the crowds exotic and the pitches bright green

soggy biscuit Ethiopia 1-2 Nigeria

Ethiopia were one up, injury time pen for Nigeria wins it

would be great to see Ethiopia in it, East African football gets so little success. never mind.

Terminal Boardom
Also got to meet the guy who runs the excellent http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.co.uk/ website. His collection of photos of non league grounds is impressive and well worth the look if you like that sort of thing.

well there goes any chance of me doing any work today

my Mum and Dad know Sam Vokes's Grandad

4-4

Maguire Defo to get Barca on the telly but it's still a shambles of a decision. Zero interest in watching Celtic.

even if they had any decent players that'd still be the case, but the current lot, LOL

Vision

No Fixed Abode I too, was a little perplexed to see ITV covering Celtic. A shambles considering they're a Scottish/Irish team.

oxf*rd all to do with Celtic but more an excuse to show Barcelona so the hapless ITV clots like Townsend can have players they know to talk shite about.

yeah it's this

buzzby Arsenal's last 22 matches:
WWWWWDWDWWWLWWWWWWWWWW.