The Round Ball Game - II

[jayne lee wilson]

Of course all the word coming out of Ibrox up here is that Stevie is not interested, jayne...I mean, he's Mr Popular supreme with the Govan half of the Old Firm. He picked up a poison chalice and has made a good fist of it...would he want another one?

He's a future Liverpool Manager-in-Waiting.... the only possible successor to The God Klopp...(I hope not for a very long time...)...I suspect he'd go back to the Reds as Coach/Assistant before anything else...

(Jurgen's reaction to Simeone's rushing past him without a handshake after last night's tempestuous events, as the analysts were all moralising about it, was perfect:
"Oh, he was upset, angry, its nothing.... we'll be fine next time, for sure.."

That put them all in their place didn't it? What a man.

[Stanfordian]

He's a future Liverpool Manager-in-Waiting.... the only possible successor to The God Klopp...(I hope not for a very long time...)...I suspect he'd go back to the Reds as Coach/Assistant before anything else...

(Jurgen's reaction to Simeone's rushing past him without a handshake after last night's tempestuous events, as the analysts were all moralising about it, was perfect:
"Oh, he was upset, angry, its nothing.... we'll be fine next time, for sure.."

That put them all in their place didn't it? What a man.

When hearing Klopp I couldn't help thinking that it is easy to be sanguine and magnanimous after the team have won.

If Liverpool could just improve the creativity of its midfield (two players needed) the team would be near invincible.

Simeone is probably regarded as being too volatile to manage in England or he would have been recruited by now. But in football you never know.

[jayne lee wilson]

When hearing Klopp I couldn't help thinking that it is easy to be sanguine and magnanimous after the team have won.

If Liverpool could just improve the creativity of its midfield (two players needed) the team would be near invincible.

Simeone is probably regarded as being too volatile to manage in England or he would have been recruited by now. But in football you never know.

That is rather unfair to Jurgen. As the spontaneous tone of his remarks showed, he is very self-aware, emotionally literate, and always speaks from the heart - and was thinking of the return match in a fortnight. He likes to spread good feeling around if he can.

As for midfield, bear in mind we do have the squad....but injuries to Thiago, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott (all excellent this season) have reduced our choices.
We've been heroic in coping without them. Ox-Chambs is doing his best, but Milner is like a Marvel Superhero! His knowing grin at the ref last night when he was substituted (after being booked when an Atletico player dived) was priceless. But the Ref did very well for most of an impossibly challenging game, so fair play to him.

As for England: Gentleman Gareth for me!

[cloughie]

Has Jurgen ditched his specs - I always thought they added to his character - but maybe he’s decided they are a real pain when wearing a mask!

I think Gerrard would take up the Toon challenge if offered - his managerial apprenticeship has been served over the border and I guess the Prem is where he wants to be.

[jayne lee wilson]

Has Jurgen ditched his specs - I always thought they added to his character - but maybe he’s decided they are a real pain when wearing a mask!

I think Gerrard would take up the Toon challenge if offered - his managerial apprenticeship has been served over the border and I guess the Prem is where he wants to be.

Klopp had "a minor corrective procedure" carried out on his eyesight so doesn't need glasses now.... it was strange given those iconic specs, but I think I'm used to it now! Still a very good-looking guy...

[johncorrigan]

4 goals from Zambia's Patson Daka for Alison's Foxes in Moscow today. Apparently the first Leicester player to score four goals in a game since 1958. Wonder how long it's been since a Buddy scored four in a game.

[jayne lee wilson]

4 goals from Zambia's Patson Daka for Alison's Foxes in Moscow today. Apparently the first Leicester player to score four goals in a game since 1958. Wonder how long it's been since a Buddy scored four in a game.

So much for boring European Group Games....... amazing drama at Old Trafford tonight as well...... goodness...

[johncorrigan]

So much for boring European Group Games......

I don't find European footie boring, jayne; I just don't have a mechanism to watch it, as not even the highlights seem to be available on terrestrial TV.

[jayne lee wilson]

I don't find European footie boring, jayne; I just don't have a mechanism to watch it, as not even the highlights seem to be available on terrestrial TV.

Oh, no John, my point was that it nearly always was a few years ago! I'd always sit through them, but there were any number of barely-watchable 1-1s and 0-0s in the autumn as you ground out qualification for the knockout stages... only the final matches ever got exciting.
But most of the teams just go for it now, its so competitive and with better coaching and players and tactical fluidity, any mistake might lead to a goal, and the football is often lively and open with fortunes changing in a few minutes!

The BT CL/EL Highlights are all free on YouTube......
Atleti v Liverpool...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMvTzHJfgSE

Spartak v Leicester....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZpaWoJli3s

[johncorrigan]

Oh, no John, my point was that it nearly always was a few years ago! I'd always sit through them, but there were any number of barely-watchable 1-1s and 0-0s in the autumn as you ground out qualification for the knockout stages... only the final matches ever got exciting.
But most of the teams just go for it now, its so competitive and with better coaching and players and tactical fluidity, any mistake might lead to a goal, and the football is often lively and open with fortunes changing in a few minutes!

The BT CL/EL Highlights are all free on YouTube......
Atleti v Liverpool...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMvTzHJfgSE

Spartak v Leicester....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZpaWoJli3s

Thanks, jayne. I'll have a look in on that.

[johncorrigan]

Thanks, jayne. I'll have a look in on that.

Watched them both, and Man U and Bayern - very entertaining accompaniment to Petroc this morning, jayne. Salah's a blinkin' genius.

[Zucchini]

Salah's a blinkin' genius.

Like the little girl with pigtails when he's good he's very very good and when he's bad he's horrid

[jayne lee wilson]

Like the little girl with pigtails when he's good he's very very good and when he's bad he's horrid

Unnecessarily unpleasant comment about a man so faithful to his team (he does far more than simply score), and his beliefs...
He Loves Us, and We Love Him...

Mo Salah, la, la, la, la,
La, la, la, la, la, la,

If he's good enough for you,
He's good enough for me,
If he scores another few then I'll be Muslim too,
If he's good enough for you,
He's good enough for me,
Then sitting in a mosque is where I wanna be...

....With chances, most strikers miss more than they score. And get over it fast.

Part of the Art
(Lewandowski apart)

[antongould]

George Kinnell …

… cousin to Jim Baxter and the inspiration for the famous Sunderland soccer chant …

“Oh we paid twenty thousand for Kinnell, for Kinnell ….”

[Mario]

Mario