The Beautiful Game Thread 10/11

[davet010]

Wco

You're right, but we're currently in a transition from a time when that was affordable every second week, to a time when it is an occasional treat, like a middle class trip to the theatre. The 38 game season sort of sits halfway between an NFL style and the NBA/NHL/MLB model, and fans are used to going to every home game at an affordable cost. The hard core are also used to going to most, if not all, away games as well.

Going to La Liga games is an experience...I've been to the Camp Nou a couple of times to see them, and it is relatively expensive as a one-off (my ticket was €92, and that was in 2006). Most noticeable is the relative lack of atmosphere unless they are thrashing the opposition, and partly because Spain's poorer transport infrastructure means that away fans are a rarity.

[wco81]

I was in Malaga, walking around and there was a crowd gathered around this hotel. Figured it was some actor or something.

But the Barca bus pulled up and they were playing at Malaga that night. I waited around a bit but nobody came out of that bus.

Seemed to be locals there, not Barcelona fans traveling to that venue but could be wrong. Figured the glamorous team was more of a draw to some local fans than the local team.

Spain doesn't have good transport? AVE is running between Madrid and Barcelona now, in addition to Seville. Took the bus from Madrid to Salamanca and that seemed pretty affordable. They also had bus service as far as Valencia.

They also supposedly have a lot of cheap flights between cities, though I haven't taken any.

[davet010]

Well away crowds in most stadia there are a between 300 and 700...though you may get some locals going who are displaced supporters of the away side. In most countries in Europe you'd be looking at 5 to 10 times that, depending on the size of the home ground.

[davet010]

Question - what's the difference between a sports journo and a weather vane.

Answer - A weather vane is usually made of metal.

For the entirety of the season thus far, City have been getting slaughtered on Sky Sports Sunday morning show, where fat-arsed sports journos sit round talking shite, you know, like ESPN's 'The Sports Reporters', with added croissants.

And now ? Now City are second, and have beaten Chelsea. The wind is changing, and my encouragement is slightly tempered by the realisation that they are trimming their sales to the wind. But I was sitting there, mouth slightly agape, as the usual mong-fest fails to materialise.

I shall expose you only to a small snippet...it's usually toxic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxlqeOZP ... r_embedded

[rhymes450]

Question - what's the difference between a sports journo and a weather vane.

Answer - A weather vane is usually made of metal.

For the entirety of the season thus far, City have been getting slaughtered on Sky Sports Sunday morning show, where fat-arsed sports journos sit round talking shite, you know, like ESPN's 'The Sports Reporters', with added croissants.

And now ? Now City are second, and have beaten Chelsea. The wind is changing, and my encouragement is slightly tempered by the realisation that they are trimming their sales to the wind. But I was sitting there, mouth slightly agape, as the usual mong-fest fails to materialise.

I shall expose you only to a small snippet...it's usually toxic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxlqeOZP ... r_embedded

TBH those journos (tho Ray Wilkins hardly qualifies as a journalist) seem infinitely more digestible than their Spanish counterparts. I say that whilst sitting with today's copy of Marca alongside me on the sofa (at a safe distance...you wanna talk about toxicity!) and in the knowledge that a bit later on I'm going to spend some time watching a group of "experts" all shouting at the same time about whether Mourinho is the right manager for RM. I can't help admiring Mourinho, if only for his ability to put football journalists in their place. Mind you, if he doesn't come up with the goods, they'll eat him alive (not that he'll be too worried about that).

As regards the content of what they were saying, I haven't seen City play this season, apart from a bit of the pre-season friendly with Valencia. What do you think? Does Tevez have a point? Should they be more offensive? And lastly, in what I guess is a related question, do you think David Silva's got a future at City under Mancini?

[davet010]

As one of the fat pastry munchers actually said, Mancini is fitting the formation to the personnel. Balotelli and both new full backs are injured, and he clearly doesn't rate Adebayor (who isn't exactly doing a lot to make him change his mind, tbf), so it's 1 up top and a Holding Midfield of Death, with Adam Johnson used as an impact sub. Lot of work for Tevez though, and ioque can look a little defensive.

Silva is getting up to speed, but he's definitely in the plans, Mancini is just cleaning out some of Hughes' crap (yes, Roque, yes SWP, that's you two for a start). So expect some changes once everyone's fit, but they won't be going Barca-stylee.

Oh, and the bald bloke in the clip...that wasn't Wilkins, that was Times journo Patrick Barclay. Easy mistake to make though

[rhymes450]

Having studied the clip again, I can confirm that it is in fact Ray Wilkins masquerading as a well known Times journalist. The man will do anything to get on television.

They all seem to be very sure that this "creative tension" between Mancini and Tevez is very positive..."the head and the heart of Manchester City...blah blah". I think that might be a load of horse sh*t. Call me cynical if you wish, but if the situation were to come to a head and Tevez got axed, I'm not convinced that the same guys wouldn't be trotting out something along the lines of, "well of course we all knew that the relationship between Mancini and Tevez was unsustainable..."

It's either him or me. Either me or the guy in the blue shirt (the guy who looks like he's been out on the tiles all night and has just popped into the studio for a free breakfast on the way home) doesn't know the meaning of the word "pragmatic". I'm gonna check that in the dictionary.

Back to David Silva (yes my interest in City could be slightly more universal but I think this guy is a hell of a player). According to Marca (so it must be true) on being questioned after the Lithuania match (where he scored with a bullet header from the edge of the box!!! and played an important part in the build-up to the first goal) about his time in England, he said, "I've only been there a short time, tbh. It's a very competitive league and I hope to learn a lot. I'm very happy and the team is beginning to gel". Nothing earth-shattering there, but it does seem to confirm that he's a guy with a reasonable ego, who won't be kicking down Mancini's door if he's not picked. Hopefully, he'll do well.

[davet010]

There's 'creative tension' in all sides, just an issue for the press coz it's 'big spending City', who's squad 'won't gel'.

Obviously completely different when Roy Keane was slinging tea cups at people at half time, or when the Scots Drunk 'accidentally' kicked a boot that hit Beckham smack in the face.

"(the guy who looks like he's been out on the tiles all night and has just popped into the studio for a free breakfast on the way home)"...you'll need to be more specific than that - these are tabloid sports 'journalists' you are on about, apart from Ray Wilkins body double.

Spot on with Silva, coming to terms with the pace and a new country, so Mancini has been rotating him to get him up to speed. Well regarded by the City fans, just not sure whether he's best as a LW or sat just behind the striker(s).

[Rodster]

One of the BEST corners you'll ever see.

[RobVarak]

Following the LFC court arguments live @ http://www.thisisanfield.com/2010/10/li ... ourt-live/

Nothing earth shattering, but there are enough issues in play that I can't conceive of the court rendering a meaningful opinion before the RBS deadline. I have no experience with the English courts, so maybe I'm wrong. Hopefully, in fact. Looks like the next fight is going to be whether RBS and the Board can creatively avoid administration. RBS has a lot of options, so I'm reasonably confident they'll be able to avoid administration. They have no incentive to damage the value of the asset when there are already multiple bids.

I have to believe that NESV will remain interested as long as there's no points deduction. That's the only thing that materially changes the value of the club in the short-term.

[JRod]

Hahahaha ha!

England! Though maybe not as hilarious as Faroe Islands v N. Ireland as a sky sports "watcher" looked as if he was going to cry when Faroe went a goal up.

[wco81]

The Serbs were quite the guests in Italy.

[RobVarak]

The Serbs were quite the guests in Italy.

Shockingly out of character.

[Macca00]

The Serbs were quite the guests in Italy.

Shockingly out of character.

LOL

[dougb]

Hahahaha ha!

England! Though maybe not as hilarious as Faroe Islands v N. Ireland as a sky sports "watcher" looked as if he was going to cry when Faroe went a goal up.

I cried when Northern Ireland levelled the game - would have loved to see the Faroe Islands pull off the offset!

Best wishes,

Doug

[fsquid]

The Serbs were quite the guests in Italy.

usual worthless c*** from Eastern Europe.

[wco81]

606 callers seem to think Cappello hasn't learned enough English to make the national team play better than it has.

[10spro]

606 callers seem to think Cappello hasn't learned enough English to make the national team play better than it has.

I am pretty sure that even his players have been complaining about that, but I don't think that language is England's main issue right now.

[davet010]

I'd be surprised if they were moaning about that - most of them play for foreign managers already.

You know the game's up though, when you bring on Kevin Davies.

[RobVarak]

Short summary of the LFC court case: Good guys win. Next for H&G? How about this?

[davet010]

Short summary of the LFC court case: Good guys win. Next for H&G? How about this?

Good guys my arse - RBS are the biggest load of scum bankers since the temple moneylenders. Still, it'll save the Scousers from having to arrange another grief fest..if Liverpool FC had been docked points, there'd have been so many tears shed that you'd mistake Liverpool for Venice, as opposed to a radioactive waste disposal site complete with mutants.

[RobVarak]

Good guys my arse - RBS are the biggest load of scum bankers since the temple moneylenders. Still, it'll save the Scousers from having to arrange another grief fest..if Liverpool FC had been docked points, there'd have been so many tears shed that you'd mistake Liverpool for Venice, as opposed to a radioactive waste disposal site complete with mutants.

Gosh, Dave, you don't have to get all sentimental on us. We're all excited that we'll still be around the Premiership to tangle with your beloved City, but you don't need to go all soft and sweet.

[davet010]

I've been to Liverpool. Worse than that, I've had to work there - thus instantly marking me out as not one of them. I was spotted by one, whilst carrying my briefcase.



Every time I got the train back to Manchester, I felt like them blokes who escaped from Colditz.



I should spread the love though, here's an amusing Man U story (no, not their accounts, they're hilarious..)

On the 30th of October, the sussed hedz of the United Against Glazer campaign are staging a protest march...to the ground. At which point, no doubt, they will enter the ground after browsing the mega store, thus adding to Glazer's robbery pot.

Chance of any of the Glazers being there - NIL
Chance of those UAGs not actually going to the game being allowed to mill around outside the ground without getting a slapping from the GM Police - NIL.
Impact on attendance - NIL
Amount of TV facetime they'll get from any network which ever wants to film inside OT again - MINIMAL

You couldn't make it up. Long Live the Glazers !!

[wco81]

Well to us Americans, any part of the UK outside of London is strange.

[davet010]

Not so fast, jubilant Liverpool fans. I understand that in some way, the Texas courts have granted a temporary injunction blocking the sale. Not quite sure what their jurisdiction is, but there you go.

Love the way that the cheering Scousers were mobbing that greasy sneak Broughton outside the High Court. He's a full on Arsenal fan and was grinning like a goon because he was on a £1m bonus if he could stop the RBS levying another £60m of penalties, due on Friday. Hope he ain't spent any of it yet.