Football

[Michael*]

Completely agree about David "we had [insert rubbish player here] at Tottenham for a brief while, lovely boy, good manners, from Malta, where the musician Shakespeare was born" Pleat. So much more appealing than Robbie Earle, with his polite thickness, unsettling smugness and vile jumpers.

I've gotten to the point in my Pleat hero-worship where I'll reference him without realising that no-one knows what I'm talking about. It's become second nature to call Dimitar Berbatov "Bervatob" or to throw out gems like "time for some samba action" when I see a game involving a Romanian team. Thank goodness Sheringham has retired, it lowers the risk of referring to him as "Terry Sheddingham".

[Frederick]

Good to see you posting Michael, I was worried that Sunderland's hijinx filled victory over Spurs may have been too much for your heart!

[Michael*]

It usually comes with the territory, since Sunderland do everything the hard way. That was probably our most bizarre game since the play-off final against Charlton all those years ago, but what a great way to (all but) ensure Premier League football next season. Lower mid-table mediocrity has never felt better!

[Frederick]

Didn't see the game last night but am pleased common sense prevailed. Will be watching United-Bayern with a mixture of fear, rage and Chinese food rumbling through my body. Really hope Bordeaux manage to turn 'round their tie as they give me a similar wistful feeling to the one Guus' last PSV side did.

Most importantly, let's all wish the Chelsea squad pick up food poisoning before Saturday! Except Hilario, of course.

[SympathysSilhouette]

Man U!

[Frederick]

I want you all to know that at 2-0 I turned to my friend and said "I'm not worried, Bayern will score just before half time, having created nothing, and go through on away goals". Then Nani promptly made it 3-0. At this point I remained loyal to my prediction and sure enough, the prophecy was fulfilled!

Shame about Bordeaux but tremendous that a French or German team is definitely going to be in the final.

[Michael*]

*On the "Michael Carrick is rubbish" bandwagon since day one*

[Frederick]

*On the "Michael Carrick is rubbish" bandwagon since day one*

Consider me ditto. If he goes to the World Cup, its a waste of a seat on the plane. By and large a tame shot, a nothing tackler and, as we saw again, absolutely hopeless under any sort of pressure, he really is the king of the "competently pass a ball three yards at the age of 19 and be mistaken for a good player" rule.

Watching a replay of the game on ITV4. Love it when Peter Brackley menacingly bellows "TRY STOPPING THEM NOW" when United go 2-0 up.

[Michael*]

Consider me ditto. If he goes to the World Cup, its a waste of a seat on the plane. By and large a tame shot, a nothing tackler and, as we saw again, absolutely hopeless under any sort of pressure, he really is the king of the "competently pass a ball three yards at the age of 19 and be mistaken for a good player" rule.

He's also slower than Neville, Giggs and Scholes, but at least those three have got the excuse of being 36.

[SympathysSilhouette]

Good luck vs. Chelsea later today Fred! I will not be seeing the game nor El Clásico due to having a date. She better be worth it!

[Frederick]

Thoroughly fed up. Not just with another Wembley defeat and the manner in which it happened (poor refereeing, lots of huff and puff, no end product) but also the hysteria that will now follow. Couldn't care less about the rest of the season, have no appetite for it, race for 4th, who cares? 20 million quid and you get to lose to Boavista in the middle of August, whoopdedoo.

[red_ed]

Haven't seen much of Carrick since last year, but I rate his ability and think he would do alright for England. He can be England's Pirlo, but of course that begs the question, 'who is England's Gattuso?' Carrick playing in midfield will allow Lampard and Gerrard to play higher up the pitch where they will ultimately fail and then they will have no excuse whatsoever On a serious note, I like Carrick but he has a tendency of showing up when he feels like it

Bad luck Freddy I think

[Frederick]

You're right, Ed, on multiple fronts. Regarding the squad, Delph will surely come good and hopefully Nathan D. also makes the grade, but we need more of a counterpunch for the here and now. That being said, a lot of Villa supporters' sentiments are beginning to remind me of the Spurs whinge brigade who felt Martin Jol had "taken them as far as he could" and that they needed someone else to "take them to the next level". Its utter nonsense. O'Neill's faults are also a large part of his success: stubbornness. Why he doesn't play a recognised right-back is inexplicable and why he bothers with Heskey at all is a mystery, but talk about forgetting history quickly. Four years ago we had Gavin McCann and Lee Hendrie et al in the worst Villa side I've ever seen, now we're a stable, if admittedly predictable top 7/8 club. Even to compare the side that got to FA Cup final in 2000 with the current crop is a joke of Roy Chubby Brown sized proportions. Did John Gregory's Villa ever win at Old Trafford? At Arsenal? Did O'feckin-Leary's side beat anyone who wasn't in the bottom half of the table? Not on your life, they used to lay down and die before kick-off. I'd rather lose 3-0 in a semi-final having had an honest go than re-live the feeble 4-5-1 Mark Kinsella days, thank you very much.

[SympathysSilhouette]

Haven't seen much of Carrick since last year, but I rate his ability and think he would do alright for England. He can be England's Pirlo, but of course that begs the question, 'who is England's Gattuso?' Carrick playing in midfield will allow Lampard and Gerrard to play higher up the pitch where they will ultimately fail and then they will have no excuse whatsoever On a serious note, I like Carrick but he has a tendency of showing up when he feels like it

Carrick cannot play that position at the highest level. United still needs the geriatric Scholes to hold his hand in big European games.

[SympathysSilhouette]

You're right, Ed, on multiple fronts. Regarding the squad, Delph will surely come good and hopefully Nathan D. also makes the grade, but we need more of a counterpunch for the here and now. That being said, a lot of Villa supporters' sentiments are beginning to remind me of the Spurs whinge brigade who felt Martin Jol had "taken them as far as he could" and that they needed someone else to "take them to the next level". Its utter nonsense. O'Neill's faults are also a large part of his success: stubbornness. Why he doesn't play a recognised right-back is inexplicable and why he bothers with Heskey at all is a mystery, but talk about forgetting history quickly. Four years ago we had Gavin McCann and Lee Hendrie et al in the worst Villa side I've ever seen, now we're a stable, if admittedly predictable top 7/8 club. Even to compare the side that got to FA Cup final in 2000 with the current crop is a joke of Roy Chubby Brown sized proportions. Did John Gregory's Villa ever win at Old Trafford? At Arsenal? Did O'feckin-Leary's side beat anyone who wasn't in the bottom half of the table? Not on your life, they used to lay down and die before kick-off. I'd rather lose 3-0 in a semi-final having had an honest go than re-live the feeble 4-5-1 Mark Kinsella days, thank you very much.

That tackle by Terry on Milner was a disgrace!

[Frederick]

So SS, was it a night to remember or were you left regretting missing more magic from Messi?!

[SympathysSilhouette]

So SS, was it a night to remember or were you left regretting missing more magic from Messi?!

I had my best date in eons and I took the girl to a - wait for it - fun fair! :|

[Michael*]

Haven't seen much of Carrick since last year, but I rate his ability and think he would do alright for England. He can be England's Pirlo, but of course that begs the question, 'who is England's Gattuso?' Carrick playing in midfield will allow Lampard and Gerrard to play higher up the pitch where they will ultimately fail and then they will have no excuse whatsoever On a serious note, I like Carrick but he has a tendency of showing up when he feels like it

Carrick cannot play that position at the highest level. United still needs the geriatric Scholes to hold his hand in big European games.

In a three-man midfield, Carrick could probably thrive as a spare man alongside, let's say, Gerrard and Hargreaves (an obscure reference I know, but he's probably the closest thing England have to a Gattuso type character). In that system he could sit fairly deep and pick off passes but a 4-4-2 would always be lacking something with him as a part of it. He's too weak to play the holding role and too pedestrian to join in with the attacks.

[Frederick]

I had my best date in eons and I took the girl to a - wait for it - fun fair! :|

Your patience has been rewarded, old friend.

[TheBaronOfFratton]

Yes, a 6-0 thrashing is a highly likely outcome for the final, relegation happened, and who knows what next season may hold..? But I was so glad to be here for this. :hell yea!: