Lets Talk Football

Tatty called it.

This is actually markus. I'm using sarah's MacBookPro.

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ach ITV HD cut to ads in error for a min, and we scored in in that minute dammit so we never saw that live. Just like ITV did in the Everton v Liverpool cup tie when EFC scored in so we never got to see that. Footie should be taken from ITV the divvies.

Feel sorry for Green , the bloody big dope but we really should've scored again.

Draw, like I said and, like I said, I'm happy with it, if not in the way it happened. We should win the next two, putting us through and I wouldn't be surprised of the USA did the same.

Messi looked good today, didn't he? If argentina make the last 4, he could end up top scorer.

Heskey isn't played as a striker, at least, not a scoring one anyway. He's there for Rooney to play off and to make space for others. Believe me, we've had this conversation over here for years.

I am loving me a 1:1 draw with England who in my opinion was heavily favored in that match. Now if the USA can beat up on Slovenia and Algeria which they are capable of and somehow win the goal differential over England they would take the top spot in Group C.

As I've seen elsewhere - Would Defoe or Crouch laid off that pass for Gerrard to score? Of course not.

Then again, would Defoe or Crouch have smacked it straight at the keeper when through in goal?

If I was an England fan I'd be mighty worried now, and not because of last night's result. If King can only last 45 minutes and Capello's intention is to pair John Terry's tugboat with Jamie Carragher's BP Supertanker in defence, any international striker who can sprint faster than Stephen Hawking after 8 pints will be rubbing their hands in glee.

The Milner gamble didn't pay off but why not bring on Joe Cole instead of SWP, who did his usual job of running the ball out for opposition throw-ins. At least you might have got a laugh out of Cole if he tried one of those comedy stepovers of his.

Lampard was as anonymous as he has always been when paired with Gerrard, and Green? There's one thing feeling sorry for the guy because England might well have scraped through without his howler but it was such a basic basic error. If he was an established #1 it would be a harder decision to make but surely Hart or James (and James is well capable of doing exactly the same thing) have to start for the remainder of the competition.

Maybe Fabio can play Hart and James? Instead of a sweeper keeper one of them could be a keeper sweeper?

EDIT - I think ITV are shading the coverage so far and it's solely down to Chiles and his lovely big ugly face. Southgate and Keggy Keegle weren't bad in Pundit's Corner last night but, of course, the horrors of Townsend, Beglin, Robbie Earle (who always looks like he's about to jump from his seat and run away) etc await. Far far too many adverts, though, but I've managed to avoid James Cordon through the magic of the 'off' switch.

The BBC's old pals act is just dull. Far too many reporters are out there, too - What on earth are those two earnest thin blokes doing on a bus? Gabby Logan seems to be there solely to flirt with the England squad (ah, if only Ray Stubbs had stayed ) and Garth Crooks is just there. This, dear reader, is bad enough on its own...

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

I wish!

Bloody hell the Algerian goalie just made a worse mistake than even Green did! terrible..

I wonder if they've been spooked by the (totally erroneous, apparently) claims that this new ball moves in flight? Flippin' awful match, by the way - Serbia v Ghana looks much better but I'm ducking out for the Grand Prix at 4. Hamilton's qualifying lap yesterday was one of the most fantastic I've ever seen. After James Hunt and Nigel Mansell, young Lewis has become one of my favourite drivers - he seems so much more chilled now that daddy isn't managing him.

Green (responsible for more mistakes leading to goals than anyone else in the Prem last season, I've just found out) made reference to the new ball's flight in training but, to be honest, it says more about his lack of confidence than what is actually happening with the ball itself.

really? hmmm. The new ball, rounder than any ball has ever been

I'll be sticking with the footie Tac, I can't stand motor racing. Catch up with you later

I'm not too worried about England, but that's probably because, as I always say, we're a quarter finals team. That's our level and we might not get there this time, if we meet Germany in the first knockout round. My worry so far has been (and I'm surprised to be saying this) Capello's team selection.

I was surprised to see Green start (thought it'd be James) and the decision to play Wright-Phillips (on the left) over Joe Cole was just staggering, IMO. Wright-Phillips is bad enough on the right, but at least he has a chance. On the left he's just hopeless.

Personally, I think the ball is having an effect (not with Green's blunder, though) and it does seem to be the Addidas payrole, I mean, players that have the best things to say about it (including that great bit with Kaka saying he and his teammates thought it was great, even though a few days earlier Julio Cesar had said it was awful and compared it to a supermarket football.)

Fabulous Grand Prix though, wasn't it Tacitus? I think that Hamilton is a brilliant driver and, possibly, the most talented driver on the grid, but I can't cheer him on as he drives for MacLaren and as long as Ron Dennis is affiliated with that team, I wish them nothing but ill will.

Some Sunday transfer news.

Robinho now saying that, maybe, he will go back to City and that he thinks Mancini will get them into the Champion's League positions next season. I would make comment about how Robinho may be starting to realise that he's not as hot as he thinks he is, but it's from The Star, so think of it as you will.

The News Of The World is running the Gareth Barry story of two years ago and are just replacing the name Gareth Barry with James Milner and Liverpool with Man City.

United are said to be thinking about offering cash + Berbatov for Dzeko.

Arsenal have released Gallas.

The Mail On Sunday says that Wenger is going to spend Ł30m this summer and that Phil Jagielka is one of his targets.

The Sunday Mirror has Martin Keown saying Fabregas "will definately leave" Arsenal this summer and that there's nothing Wenger can do about it.

Mouriniho is looking at Vidic for Ł30m.

City are looking at Phillipe Mexes at Roma for a fee of Ł15m.

NOTW say that Luis Suarez will only leave Ajax for the Premier League to go to Manchester United.

Milos Krasic has said he would prefer to go to Serie A over the Premier League.

Interesting story in the NOTW which says talks are set to begin between Tottenham and Aston Villa over a swap deal involving Robbie Keane heading to Villa Park, with Gabriel Agbonlahor going to the Spurs.

Birmingham are increasing their bid to Ł5m for Fabrizio Miccoli.

Sunderland are looking at Matthew Upson for Ł7m.

Alessandro Diamanti may be going back to Italy. A loan move from West Ham to Parma is being talked about in the NOTW.

Celtic want Bobby Zamora if Hodgeson leaves Fulham.

Lastly, there's talk that Rafa wants to take Aquilani back to Italy.

Fantastic GP. All we need for excitement in Formula 1 is crap tyres!

Hamilton's maturity this season is there for all to see - In the past he'd have been (literally) racing the tyres off that car and might not have finished at all, let alone won. As soon as it came over the team radio that Jenson was quick because Alonso was pushing him, Lewis sets a fastest lap on old tyres as if to say "Don't bother trying the same stunt as last week, pal".

Button has been just as impressive, for me. I was one of the many who thought he was a good but not great driver who somewhat lucked into the Championship last year because of a great car but seeing how close he is to his team mate this season indicates that he's a true top drawer racer. I thought Hamilton would thrash him as much as Alonso is doing to Massa...

It's great for the sport that McLaren and Ferrari (and even Renault as long as Kubica drives like a man possessed) are closing the gap on those charmless Red Bulls. New money, eh?

Aaanyway, back to the football.

What does everyone thing of the hot topic of this WC, the vuvuzela?

I only mention it because the tournament chief is said that banning the plastic horn is under consideration. I must admit that I find them a tiny bit wearisome but have largely succeeded in blocking the sound out mentally, much as I do with Jonathan Legard on the F1 coverage - and he's a worse commentator than Clive Tyldsley!

I'm sure I'll snap at some stage, though, just as I did at Legard last night for missing Button's overtake on Alonso completely...

hmm I did find it annoying in the first match but after a while you can easily zone it out. Must be bloody loud if you're actually there though. Feels kinda miserable to be moaning about it as it seems part of the exuberance and spirit of the fans.

Yeah, it's hard to criticise them without sounding like a complete killjoy, oppressing the whole of black South Africa with my Imperialist blustering.

However.

You can't hear any other crowd noise. No singing, nothing.

I find it hard to believe that there are many rank and file township folk who can afford tickets so it wouldn't really be silencing the authentic voice of the people, just a load of drunk foreign fans and corporate freebie-chasers thinking that this is what they should be doing.

I wonder if FIFA are getting a cut of the money from vuvuzela sales?

I don't like them at all, but if that's the culture of the football there, then let them be. If FIFA want to exploit another market, I mean, spread the love that is football, then they have to take the rough with the smooth. Of course, I think FIFA's big problem with them is that the casual football viewer (and even some more regular ones) aren't watching the games because of them and that'll hit advertisers and revenue and, if the figures are down it'll look less successful than previous tournaments.

Transfer Talk

Could Raul be turning up at United? That's what The Mail are suggesting.

The Mirror say it's down to Tottenham and Villa for Pienaar's signiture.

Cash and Stephen Ireland for Gerrard to City? Meanwhile Real are said to be put off by Liverpool's Ł30m price tag on Gerrard.

As no one knows where Ballack is going, the latest rumours are Hamburg and United.

The Mail say that Everton have been put on alert after hearing that striker Oscar Cardozo has been told by Benfica that he can leave. Though, at Ł20m, I doubt he'll be turning up at Everton.

Could Dani Alves be tempted by City's new money? The Mail think so.

With the rumours that Vidic is leaving United doing the rounds again, the papers are linking them with all of Europe's young and highly rated defenders. Today's is Neven Subotic, who's also been linked with Arsenal and Bayern Munich.

Nottingham Forrest want Nicky Storey for Ł2.5m.

Can I run this by you fan(atics)? When I hear some of the National radio guys say that our Goalie is our best player. That means our team kind of stinks yeah?

I'm not very savy when it comes to the footy but c'mooooon. Our goalie is our best player?

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We are both the source of the problem and the solution, yet we do not see ourselves in this light...

Not really, but I can understand why you'd think that.

I have a theory that, until you reach some breakthough moment/player, the goalkeeper is always going to be the best player in the USA team. The hand to eye coordination and athleticism needed to be a top keeper play nicely into the qualities used in the dominant US sports. Controlling a ball with your feet is very difficult in comparison. This gives an American playing in goal a bigger headstart than an American outfield player, who has to learn totally new and alien skills.

For example, Landon Donovan is your most talented outfield player, IMO, with Clint Dempsey after him. I'm pretty sure both are in their late 20's (though Donovan could be 30) and it's only now that they're really starting to look like good players. Before they were obviously talented, but unable to perform consistantly well at the higher league level (Donovan had a couple of spells in Germany, while Dempsey's been here for three years, but only started to come to the fore in the last year.) So it's taken them till their late 20's to start living up to their talent at this level.

On the other hand, the US keeper Tim Howard moved to Manchester United when he was 23 or 24 (not sure which) which, if I may be so bold as a United fan, is a whole new level to playing well at Fulham or on loan at Everton (which Donavon did this year). Likewise, your back up keeper, Brad Guzman, is the back up keeper at Aston Villa (where he's being kept out of the side by another American keeper, Brad Friedel, who is about 109 now but still good) and Guzman joined when he was 23.

It's not that being a goalkeeper is an 'easier' job, per se, it's just that, again IMO, it's one that more suited to someone who may not've started playing football until they were 8 or 10 or something, as they'll probably have the hand to eye co ordination needed, from playing American sports (Football, Baseball, Basketball.)

Also, while it's not the 'sexy' position in the team, a good goalkeeper will often take you further than a good forward will.

Lastly (and I'd have said this before the 1-1 draw on Saturday) the USA are a good team. They're not world beaters, they're not going to win the World Cup or anything, but they're a good, solid, well schooled team who, through time and experience, aren't as tatically naive as they once were. I also maintain that, with the population and current interest in football, over the next 20 years the USA will become a top 10 team and will start to be looked at as a contender for the World Cup one day.

Fair enough. I don't want the USA team to get good at soccer. We've got enough countries pissed off at us. That's all we need is to get good at the world's game and give a few more folks a reason.

Did anyone see the Australia - Germany game omg..... the aus coach pisses me off. But Germany were just great so smooth. Did anyone think Cahill's tackle was a red card?!?! shocked me a bit. Lastly those horns are getting on my nerves.

I don't get to watch everyday but I have to admit. I've always kinda liked those stupid horns. I used to have one when I was little.

My father took it away, can you imagine that?