lanky316

People for a while have been talking him up as our saviour again. Ever since he was dropped practically you've had the people trying to talk about him coming back in. We know the English by now, and I'm almost certain, he scores a freekick or creates a goal and it'll be the same old thing from people of "That's why he shuld've been in the team" same as it always is with players like Gerrard and Rooney. They do the good deed and will get the same response "that silenced the critics" despite the one good out of the things they do wrong for them. It's always been like that with Beckham and I don't believe for a second this'll be different.

That's the problem with the American sports system though, it's not about the teams, or the entertainment for the people involved it's about the money for the organisers. With European sports, although you'd be an idiot to suggest people aren't in it for money, whether a team is making a big profit or not isn't the problem. Look in the Premiership, there are teams there with half full stadiums every week in the top flight and have been for a while, this is partly due to TV hand outs but if the level is good enough, people will still watch it. If the MLB is so big, the armchair fans aren't going to mind (unless their team aren't involved) too much, if they can still watch good sport. Yeah the big boys help with drawing in punters but there'll still be people happy to watch good sports and if the big boys are low enough to get relegated then someone will take their place. Look at Blackburn and Chelsea, 12 years ago one of them were up there as a top team, it wasn't the one who are now, who historcially are a fairly small side. I think the fact that the US has it's system (which to a large extent DOES work) makes it near impossible for this style to work. I still think had it been more about clubs then the league it would do but they can't possibly rework everything without a huge overhaul.

Behind Beckham, Lennon and Bentley apparently... Interesting to note how he appears to be going for the same team who failed us again, and again, and again, ad nauseum

There were a couple of bitter looking posts after the game but I guess that's more down to immediate reactions (poor refereeing and the usual strawman excuses) I think then noral analysis. I do think you hit the nail on the head with Crouch there though, trying to swing in crosses he'd have been the ideal target man. I do think more prolific strikers may have helped them but long range pot shots, it takes a special one to go in and maybe one of the efforts from distance last night was a real chance.

I don't really get that. Milan didn't fix any games and they didn't pay anyone off to win anything. They had one of their officials approach an official for Serie A and ask to drop two referees that had been selected for their games (which is actually legal in Spain, England and France). I'm not even sure the changes actually occurred, but this is why they were fined. I personally think their points suspension is a more than worthy punishment for their actions. Juventus, Lazio and Fiorentina though, they got off more than lightly. As for the game, Milan weren't any good, but Liverpool couldn't score so they didn't deserve to win.

Yup, but it'd take an idiot to not see us as the threat while talking up your own chances.

Meh we're only 10 points behind Gooners and Liverpool, we're closer to them then they are the Championship

Also again we find ourselves with the constant flashbacks to Earth during every episode. The one BIG downer in the new series' and it's back for this one too. The idea of the living lifeforms and suns is one they could reuse but it's just "Alien" can't use it in another scenario really.

I must have missed something, Is Scholes is retiring or something? Unless he or Carrick is leaving which would be a surprise, I can't believe that Fergie would pay that money for a reserve and neither of the starters have done enough wrong to warrant being dropped.

So out of two cup finals at the new wembley who'd have thought Stevenage/Kidderminster would blast the top two out of the water? It's been shit.

Thanks for the picture of Ace. Oh my joy when my brother was watching kids stuff on Living years ago and she was doing all the link bits in between... She was also the first assistant to really have the spark they try to give the new assistants wasn't she?

Giving 1,750,000. Now a team of 11 on just £100 a week would cost 57200 and that budget's hugely unlikely even at the low levels you'ree aiming at. Now you need to look at all the other costs associated with the club and that money is again gone very quickly. Staff cost money, then you have everything else associated, yes, sponsorship and tickets (should) help towards balancing the books but that's still not enough to look after the club realistically.

There are just too many people with a supposedy equal share for things to work well. You get boasrd room disagreements with top clubs whereby there will usually be a majority shareholder and maybe ten others elected to the board. With this scenario you've got this problem on a much larger scale. Then you throw in the extra factors like... well... money... Buyying the club is one thing, being able to run it is another entirely. Theoretically if people with their shares were to support the club you'll get full houses every week which will help with some of it but there are the financial aspect that the oney put up to buy won't cover. Don't get me wrong, if something like this did work it'd be great but there are a lot of aspects that leadme tothink it's more fantasy thn realistic in the long run.

You do realise this is a complete no-hoper and won't possibly work right? Yes you may get a club but if people think they're going to be getting a say in the club they're living in a more fictional world thab the writers of Dream Team...

The problem I have now is that every two or three episodes we'll be back with her family *sigh* I'd hoped we'd lost that element.

People still argue they shouldn't have been docked points? Why the hell does every other example of inelligible players end up in points deductions and/or kicked out of cup competitions the question marked player was involved in yet this is different? I think the FA put it best with "it's not fair on those players and fans who tried so hard".

As much as I hate to, I agree with Paul Jewell. Wigan aren't in the relegation zone because West Ham "cheated" (because they didn't cheat, for a start).

Bury field an ineligible player in the FA Cup by mistake, realise, tell the FA. What happens? They are kicked out of the FA Cup, as per the rules West Ham field two ineligible players in the Premiership on purpose and don't tell the FA. What happens? A fine of a few million, which is nothing compared to what they would have lost if they'd been given the points deduction they deserved and relegated to the Championship. We're worse than Serie A. And now the FA have set themselves a precedent, I'd like to see them dock points off anyone ever again. If Wigan go down as a result, I can see Dave Whelan suing the FA.