daniel robert chapman wrote:Also from Scudamore:

I would refute this is a commercially driven exercise

Not only is he a bare-faced liar, but he doesn't know how to use the word refute.

re·fute /rɪˈfyut/
–verb (used with object), -fut·ed, -fut·ing.
1. to prove to be false or erroneous, as an opinion or charge.
2. to prove (a person) to be in error

I would love to see him refute that this is a commercially driven exercise. Prove your altruism, Peter!

He should "particularise" his refutation.

Quote of the year goes to Alexei Lalas:

Alexei Lalas wrote:"They can come over and play these games and people can come and check it out, but I think they are going to leave the stadium more often than not thinking: 'You know what? I can get much better value and more excitement by going to see my Galaxy play.' We do not have a monopoly on crap football - it's played all over the world."

simmo wrote:Quote of the year goes to Alexei Lalas:

Alexei Lalas wrote:"They can come over and play these games and people can come and check it out, but I think they are going to leave the stadium more often than not thinking: 'You know what? I can get much better value and more excitement by going to see my Galaxy play.' We do not have a monopoly on crap football - it's played all over the world."

Geez, the housing market in L.A. is already throught the roof. Wonder how much Lalas pays for rent in that dream world he's living in?

Hoo-fucking-ray! What a cracking day! Shame United didn't really turn up. A 2-1 win at the Swamp, beating United home and away in the Premier League, no major dicking around in the minute's silence, all very good reasons to be cheerful. If I had to choose, I'd take doing the double over MU over a UEFA cup place any day. That may be a sign of a crippling lack of ambition, but who cares - it's Derby day

I am glad Benjani scored. I had a feeling the messy transfer was going to impede an otherwise excellent season. He's a good footballer and he deserves to play.

tommydski wrote:I am glad Benjani scored. I had a feeling the messy transfer was going to impede an otherwise excellent season. He's a good footballer and he deserves to play.

And an impressive work-rate for a striker. In all the dumb and tedious will-they-won't-they horse trading of his transfer, all the talk about his ongoing knee injury situation was starting to make me worry, but he ran and ran and ran. And scoring on debut at Old Trafford in a derby must feel pretty good.

tommydski wrote:I am glad Benjani scored. I had a feeling the messy transfer was going to impede an otherwise excellent season. He's a good footballer and he deserves to play.

Fuck Benjani! I left him on the bench because I didn't think this transfer mess would get sorted out in time!

Other than that though, I took great pleasure in learning of Man City's victory.

Fuck I hope Arsenal win tonight, a 5 point lead at this stage in the season would be quite something...

simmo wrote:I left him on the bench because I didn't think this transfer mess would get sorted out in time!

I left him and Dunne on the bench because relying on City to do anything other than screw up has brought me years of misery in the past

simmo wrote: In fact, I think we should play something like a 4-1-3-1-1, if you get what I mean. Along these lines of (with squad at full fitness):

JAMES (I suppose)

RICHARDS - TERRY - FERDINAND - BRIDGE/COLE

HARGREAVES

BENTLEY - GERRARD - COLE

ROONEY

CROUCH

I've thought about this a bit since you made your post, and that's a solid line up. I'm now going to post something slightly controversial in the same formation just for the sake of injecting freshness into the England squad.


JAMES

RICHARDS - TERRY - FERDINAND - BRIDGE

HUDDLESTONE

LENNON/SWP - BULLARD - COLE

ROONEY

ASHTON


I have no idea how this would work out, given that three of them are relatively untried at international level. But I'd kind of like to just sidestep the whole Gerrard/Lampard controversy (Gerrard if it has to be one of the two) and see how a fully fit Jimmy Bullard would do (would improve team morale 100% probably) Even though he's a little light, with Huddlestone behind him and Rooney dropping deep into the middle of the pitch, there would be more than enough strength, and the attacking power through the center of the pitch would be tremendous. Ashton up front in a Shearer-esque role either attacking directly or holding up play for others. Given a few games I think a line up like this could work.

Just a thought.

Also, well done Man City.