Thanks for that...it's little historical tidbits like that which we never hear about over here.

They serve a lot more purpose in the County Cricket game now in which long standing players have a testimonial season, many of the players that don't play internationally stay at the same county for 15-20 years and "only" earn a year what most top flight footballers do a week.

big respect to shearer.

mourinho might be bounced frim chelsea soon, abramovich not impressed with this shit, although back to back premierships is cool, that russina want the world and he wants it now, like freddie mercury. benitez is very annoying of late, he talking more smack than muhammad ali.

Back to back Premiership or not - Chelsea's season was a failure.

i'd agree with that nick. I was listeningto some phone ins and these chelsea fans are ready to bounce him. I think its a bit early for that i mean ony like 4 or 5 teams in history have done back to back, but we know how fans are, and this abramovich is ruthless, next seasion is critical. they need the champions league. realistically, triple premiership is a fucking amazing achievement, but with that money, they want it all and they want it played in style. mourinho is weird, why does he treat joe cole the way he does, dude was chelsea best for a while then all of a sudden he stops playing him, weird. still, his interviews are funny. lol at him talking about liverpools "back 11".

Yeah, while i'm sure the back to back Premiership titles is an achievment (as was breaking the Man Utd/Arsenal run last year) with the money available to them they haven't faired as well. The possibilty of Arsenal emulating Liverpool's CL win must hurt. Expect some big signings this summer.

I still think he's one of the best coaches in Europe right now - maybe top 3 or 4. I just think he has too much money. It takes time to build a "team." You can't just keep spending on the best players each year. They'll end up like Real Madrid. I mean, why the fuck do they need Ballack? He's 31 and going to get a 4 year deal? How many of those years is he going to be legit? Not to mention he has to adjust to the EPL. Look at Essien, he's stronger and younger than Ballack and is just starting to show some potential.

I don't know, Joe Cole for a while looked like the front runner for player of the year. Lampard has dropped a bit too. Terry is still amazing.

Next year's EPL is going to be great. I can see a real race next year.

Gerrard won PFA player of the year last night, deserved it was too.

yeah, gerrard deserved it.

nick how long do you see jose at chelsea for? he hates the press and too many people thinking he has an easy job.

will arsenal do it tonight. I hope so, have a funny feeling though. Senderos is out and Campbell is up to it had a lot going on. Riquelme will probably do his shit tonight on home ground. Go Arsenal.

Arsenal riding their luck so far, will be impressed if they make it to the end of the game without conceding.

Elsewhere Zidane to retire after World Cup

Slight push, massive dive. Justice served!

Through next season. He'll win the EPL for the 3rd straight year and move on. One more contract until he takes on the Portugal national team manager position.

What a finish in the Arsenal match. I'd actually like to see them win it all now, but Barca or Milan will take them apart.

Arsenal can win on two conditions 1) Arsenal fans stop mentioning it as soon as the World Cup starts 2) Spurs get into the Champion's League, they don't deserve to be shafted as it just so happened the same thing happened last year. Unlike Everton I expect them to be pushing for 4th/3rd next year.

what a performance by arsenal, not, apart from lehman and gilberto. they are lucky big time, they 'll probably go and win for some strange reason. shit, they played like England against portugal at the Euro's or any other top side after they score a goal and hang on for dear life. and only 1 brit in the side, so its not a british thing that philosophy of football.

BREAKING NEWS: FA offer England job to Scolari

Luiz Felipe Scolari has been offered the job of England manager and is discussing terms with the Football Assocation, the BBC has been told.

Scolari, 57, who guided Brazil to victory in the 2002 World Cup, is out of contract after the 2006 finals.

If he accepts the post, he will take over from Sven-Goran Eriksson after this summer's tournament in Germany.

Scolari is thought to have a gentleman's agreement with the Portuguese FA not to commit himself to another job until his current deal runs out in July.

It is understood part of the FA's talks in Lisbon are about waiving this arrangement.

The FA board are due to meet again next Thursday and had hoped to be in a position to finalise their selection by then.

Scolari's case has been championed at the highest level within the FA by Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein.

News that he has been offered the England job will come as a blow to fans who favour a British appointment.

The FA have also held talks with Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren, Bolton's Sam Allardyce, Charlton manager Alan Curbishley and former Celtic boss Martin O'Neill.

Last week the FA claimed it had completed its interview process, and McClaren - part of Eriksson's current England coaching team - was seen as favourite.

But Barwick's trip to Portugal seems to back claims that the FA board were unable to reach a decision.

Agreeing personal terms with Scolari should not be an issue as he is believed to earn less than the estimated £3m that the FA is expected to offer.

The FA's approach raises the prospect of him facing England in Germany this summer as manager-elect, possibly in the quarter-finals.

He has helped to knock England out of their past two major tournaments - with Brazil in the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals, and with Portugal at the same stage in Euro 2004.

-------------------------

If this is what happens I'm OK with it. My choice is still Martin O'Neil but the FA won't let him bring John Roberston with him. I didn't want McClaren to get it so it's at least better than that situation.

I'm curious to know what you think O'Neil would bring to the job that Scolari doesn't.

A greater knowledge of the English game. He's been a success at every club he's been at and taken them to the absolute height the club can realistically achieve. It's also the closest thing to having Brian Clough as England manager that could happen. I just think he commands respect from the players and a no nonsense attitiude. I also think he wouldn't be frightened to use subsitiutes properly.

Oh shit!



... and well done Boro.

Haha, I read about the Scolari item a little while ago. There were a couple interesting articles in the Guardian today taking a positive and a negative stance on signing Scolari.

England would be wise to throw some money at Bruce Arena. Not being biased here Mitchell, the man is a fucking genius.

Yeah they could do a lot worse then BA but I don't think an American would sit well with the press. It seems that it's the press that have put Big Phill off before he's even taken the job (20 photographer's sitting on his lawn overnight.)

It's Chelsea's. Of more concern is a possible injury to Rooney though.

The Rooney injury looked bad. He's not the type of player to stay down like that, and you could tell by the way he was wincing he knew something was wrong. Sven is shitting himself right now.

The Man Utd. forum on Big Soccer is saying the Rooney injury isn't that serious.

I also find it funny that they are keeping tabs on the team traveling back to Manchester.

Big Soccer really is the most fascinating message board on the internet.

of more concern is to Michael Own, not just a great finisher but a great tipper, as a mate of mine who works at Old Trafford can attest to after serving after match drinks and dinner to the lad. £100 tipper, on an other note, old taggart is stingier than Tiger Woods.

Firstly I didn't say congrats to Portsmout on staying up. 20 points from 27. Totally deserved, Harry does it again.

Of more concern is that Man. Utd. say that Rooney is out for at least 6 weeks. ENG VS. PAR is in 6 weeks. He's not going to be there. With him England have very little chance of wining. With him, they have a fantastic chance. If Ballack and Kahn can drag an awful Germany team to the final than Rooney could drag England that far even if the rest of the team are not on their game.

Depressing.

Depressing is right. I really was looking forward to seeing Rooney in the World Cup. Perhaps if England make it to the round of 16 we'll get to see him, but I doubt it.

A month and a half to go, and England is already in crisis. Seriously, how much bad luck do you folks have to endure?

Unbelievable. So disastrous, it's almost comical.

Lol, England have a great chance. Rooney has given England a greater chance cause at least now they can have a holding midfielder.


Owen up front and Gerrard just behind.

Cole, Lampard, BEckham

Carrick or King holding

Cole, Terry, FErdinand, Neville.

Robinson

The hope is that he would be fit for the last 16 onward I imagine that we could still qualify without him but it will be tough. The formation Jigga suggests is the one I discussed with people last night and I don't see why it would be that bad. It seems very likely that Rooney won't play and I'm already alive to the possibilty. Problem is when England lose in the quarters people will say "If Rooney was fit, we could have won the whole thing" for the next two years.

It was expected that England would likely struggle against Holland or Portugal in a Quarter final but with Rooney in the side I always felt that he could pull something from nothing a la Maradona in '86 and drag England further on in the tournament.

Gerrard's goal was fantastic, lets hope that he doesn't get any knocks.

That'd be very interesting to see Gerrard playing behind Owen. Cole looked outstanding yesterday.

I'm curious to know why Darius Vassel isn't getting mentioned as being a part of the squad. He'd give them speed on the left and I think is a better option than Bent.

Eventual Group E Winning Roster:

Goalkeepers
Marcus Hahnemann
Tim Howard
Kasey Keller

Defenders
Carlos Bocanegra
Steve Cherundolo
Jimmy Conrad
Cory Gibbs
Frankie Hejduk
Eddie Lewis
Oguchi Onyewu
Eddie Pope

Midfielders
DaMarcus Beasley
Bobby Convey
Clint Dempsey
Landon Donovan
Pablo Mastroeni
John O'Brien
Ben Olsen
Claudio Reyna

Forwards
Brian Ching
Eddie Johnson
Brian McBride
Josh Wolff

I hope you use an overseas bookies to lay money on that!

Meanwhile, as Chelsea lose and Blackburn clinch a UEFA cup pot

# Blackburn boss Mark Hughes:
"We're absolutely delighted. It's been a huge effort by a lot of people. Sometimes you don't get what you deserve in life - but we have.

"We need to keep moving forward. We came from a point last year where we were rock bottom of the Premier League and were in danger of going down.

"This year we have built on the qualities we had to show last season."

# Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho:
"Two penalties, that is 100% - for sure. Maybe a third.

"I've had a difficult ride in the season in relation to this. We have survived, but this was too much.

"Blackburn deserve to be in Europe - they have done fantastically well to be here. But they don't deserve to win like this."

Cocknobs

This guy is going to make Sven look like he was bursting with imagination.

they should have got harry rednapp.

I'm no soccer expert, but Joe Cole's dipsydoodle goal in that Chelsea-ManU match was unbelievable. I had to watch it 10 times on my friend's TiVO. What a cool fakeout.

Anyway, why couldn't he fill in for Rooney? This Peter Crouch gentleman has never impressed me. Although even with Rooney I can't help but think England's hopes have always been inflated. The idea that they're a frontrunner seems a bit wishful. I think both England and Germany fans (with their miconceptions about their 02 performance--which I read as a fluke--and misguided hangwringing over Jurgen K.'s California ways) are setting themselves up for a huge disappointment. As much as I've enjoyed the World Cup in the past. It almost makes me cringe to think how miserable people are setting themselves up to feel if it doesn't go perfectly.

Do you think this guy can still do it?

Donovan made him look like a geriatric a couple weeks ago when he stole the ball out from under him at the top of the box and then netted an easy one.

Well as much as the press in England over inflate England's chances they have the best squad since arguably 1970 and in my opinion 2 of the best midfields in the world (Gerrard and Lampard) as well as in Rooney a player who, even if the rest of the team was misfiring is in my eyes capbale of dragging the team to the last four in the style of Maradona in 1986. With Rooney fully fit I feel England had an excellent chance of winning, without him it's merely a good one. There's no reason why they can't do as well as any other European team. The problem is that they've probably already peaked as a squad in the win against Argentina last year.

This is how i'd like to see them line up for the early stages. Here

First, England have so much talent and so many options that to pin the hopes of winning soley on Rooney's shoulders is crazy. Yes, Cole can play with Owen up front or just behind. Although, I think Gerrard playing just behind Owen and keeping Cole on the wings will be most effective. Crouch isn't a starter. NO WAY. And I'm a Liverpool fan, but in a tournament like the WC, he comes off the bench and confuses opposing defenses for the final 20-30 minutes. I think Crouch could bag a few goals. They'll win the group.

Germany are a disaster. The US basically sent an MLS squad to play them and were even for the first half. Had we had a full squad I think it would have been a much different story.

Arena loves Eddie Pope. He's got experience. He's a leader on the team. But he also worries me.

In other news, I used a Fire season ticket holder password to secure 3rd row seats for the MLS All Stars vs. Chelsea match in August.

Those Spurs players looked fucked today. What a shitty way to end the season.

Ha, yea and I think that Defoe, Mido, Davids and Carrick will all be gone next year.

Scotland Yard are investigating events of last night.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4983338.stm

wayne rooney was walking around fine yesterday, i reckon he'll be fit.

(Daily Mirror)

Here you can send your get well messages to Wayne Rooney

shaun wright philips,darren bent and jermaine defoe left out. oh well. wright philips probably in the top 5 players in UK the season befor he went to chelsea, anyone who goes there now must be an idiot. jermaine defoe should have gone,. how you gonna take theo walcott and not defoe this guy is pretty weird. i dont care how many goals defoe aint scored. i seen him come close all this season with all the lack of opportunities dude score amazing goals.

Defoe not being named is a puzzler, he'd been in an out of the Spurs team due to Jol's selection method's with Mido and Keane but he has always done well when he's played. Walcott could become the unknown quality that England always discover in these big tournaments (He is lightning quick) but that's a big ask. Theo Walcott, then. 13 starts in the Championship, not played a senior game since he joined Arsenal in January - meaning he's never played in the Premiership or Champions League. Apparently about to be named as Rooney's potental replacement in the World Cup squad.

Inspired or insane? I'd have to go for the latter. OK, so the kid's got potential, but he's not played in 5 months. The last player from outside the top flight to play for England in a major championships was Steve Bull in Italia 1990, but the big difference was he'd knocked in over 125 goals in the previous three seasons, which included 4 goals for the senior England team in the year leading up to the World Cup finals themselves (check out his first goal against the Czechs and his goal against Scotland, by the way. You won't see better finishes anywhere else.). It's not a cast of Walcott not having top flight experience, it's the fact that he's got very little first team experience at any level. He's not played first team football since January.

Good to see Lennon in the squad, he has played as important role as Carrick in the Spurs side this season and gives Sven more options for altering the number of midfielders in the formation (as does Downing, a natural left winger) obviously a good thing with Rooney's injury. Thankfully Emile Heskey didn't get a late call up as was rumoured. Owne Hargreaves is the worst player to regularly play for England since Graham Taylor was manager, why bring him when you have Carrick in such good form (and will only play if the formation is tailored to include him.)

Taking Campbell would be as mistake right now too. I guess Defoe will go if Rooney doesn't make it. I'm slighly worried that Joe Cole is being considered the fifth striker but I guess if Owen got injured he would play Crouch with Cole just behind and Gerrard and Lampard in support and Downing on the left, Beckham on the right. No way that Walcott would start with Crouch. Unfortuantely this formation won't work with Owen up front on his own.

All in all some brave choices that i'm pleased to see although SWP I defintely would have had on stand by (or over Jenas) his lack of first team action can't be an issue for Sven as Walcott is going.

Squad: Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich), G Neville (Manchester United), R Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), A Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea), Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Totenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal).

Luke Young, Nigel Reo-Coker, Jermain Defoe, Andy Johnson and Scott Carson are stand-bys.

The boy Walcott.

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er, good prospect but he wont do shit at the world cup.