Football and Music

[Aug 16th] Derek finally scored which will get all the haters off his back. Good news for England too knowing that the one-trick pony is back on his feet. But with Gerrard and Lamps also on form how is Ste McL going to fit all of them into the midfield ?

Busy Wednesday (Aug 15th) with quite a few EPL games and some qualifiers for the Champions League. Rafa is rotating (his squad) again. Celtic have a hard task away in Russia. The Arse have a couple of injury worries.

Trubble for….

Curbs and the Hammers, who didn’t even trubble a new Man Citeh team who’s back four have been playing together for less than a week. It was Kasper chip off the old block Schmeichel’s debut Premier League match too !
The West Ham players were booed off the pitch at half time and at full time. I bet the bookies have shortened Curbishley’s odds for the chop.

Carlisle Utd sacked Neil McDonald… E i e i…oh.
Got the boot after the first match (which was a 1-all draw with Walsall) I don’t think it’s a new record. I remember reading about some other boss getting his cards even earlier than that.
What is going on with the sheep shaggers Cumbrians up there ? They’ve just been promoted up to the old Division 2 and this is how they start their campaign ?

Worrysome times for the Engurland too. With a report the other day that bumbling idiot Ste McL hasn’t got enough choices to fill in at the back, including the goal and is thinking about recalling Sol Campbell and Calamity James !
If we are that desperate how about giving Michael Duberry a shout too. He (might have) put the kybosh on our Euro qualifier by taking out Dwayne Looney before half-time last Sunday, why not shove him in attack ?

Hey don’t laugh, Lord Ferg had to shove O’Shea up front for the rest of the match, which begs the question of why did he spend that much on a defensive midfielder and another forward who like Rooney likes to play outside the box. Where are their goals going to come from ?

Meanwhile over in La la land Derek continued his tour of the benches and sat out of another game. But the respective owners of the away teams (Toronto & Boston) must be happy because each venue was sold out with people coming to watch Beckham watch a football match.

Talking of ankles… (We wern’t ? Well we are now.) Amazingly even with Becks collecting the splinters he still says that he’ll be ready for the England friendly v Germany on August 22nd ! You think this is not going to happen, but it did with England’s last outing when Derek was just getting back into the Madrid team, still lacking match fitness and as we saw against Estonia last June he was needed.

Over at the swamp Roo is out with My Left Foot, up at the Barcodes little SuperOwen wasn’t named in the squad for their opening game. Neither was the BeanCrouch at Lidipool, who looking at all the new signings looks like he’s down to third choice now.

So as with Man USA I have to ask again - Where are our (England) goals going to come from ? Who is going to be up front on August 22nd ?
Well actually that doesn’t matter that much… alright it’s Germany but the more important dates are on September 8th and 12th with the Euro 2008 Qualifiers which we have to win…

Edit/Update: Martin Jol - Played 2. Lost 2. Predicts player Nelkna has uttered his first “bollocks!” already.
It’s not all that bad. Yet. Yes it is a bad start but if they can get a good performance (and obviously a win) under their belt against the Prem’s new whipping boys Derby County on Saturday…

- - -

…And with all that foreboding of doom sounded I’ll leave you with links to a couple of footie podcasts where all the chaps talk about the opening day of the new season.

Have a listen to:

» Guardian Unlimited Football Weekly.
(Lighthearted banter with James Richardson, Sid Lowe, Barry Glendenning and co.)

» The Times Online footie podcast.
(Bit more of a serious discussion with Gab Marcotti, Martin Samuel, Mark Chapman and co.)

Both worth a listen if you’ve got an hour to kill.

Anthony H. Wilson Esq - 20th Feb 1950 - 10th August 2007
Tributes to the twat here and here and here and here.

[YouTube] ‘That Tony Wilson’ Granada TV, 2002

The build up to the start of the EPL (and the lower minnow leagues) starts here.

The First Post’s In Off The Post has an Prem League preview:

OVER AT THE BEEB:

» Lawro Predicts: Draw, Home, Away, Home, Draw, Home, Away, Home, Home, Home.

» Also the Preston born ex-Irish international has his own premiership guide.

» Another link of interest: The managerial sack race. My shiny shillings are on Hutchings at Wigan, Billy Davis at Derby or Sanchez at Fulham.

IN THE GUARDIAN:

» James Richardson and chums are back with the Guardian Football Podcast. They’ve expanded the ‘casts and will be on twice weekly from now on. There is a preview pod on Thursday and then a post game one the following Monday. Crikey.

» Plus James gave a plug in the first podcast for a prediction league that The Guardian is running. How dare they !
If you can’t wait for our Prediction League on Sept 1st and want to get predicting now, then join up:

A note though - the Guardian’s version doesn’t have a prize for winning, whereas (when the players donate) ours will. But there is an interesting bit on theirs: You will be up against the Guardian’s football correspondent and other sports writers. An interesting challenge.
I’ve signed up for curiosity purposes. Don’t know if I’ll keep doing it (got enough to do over here !) but I want to see what the SP is there. You can find me under the usual username of Webbie.