All About The Beautiful Game

Houston Dynamo win MLS cup

2007-11-18T23:14:00.000-05:00

The Houston Dynamo won the MLS cup against New England Revolution 2-1.

I started watching the game in the 47th min and to be honest i didn't think it was that bad, shocking i know!

Both teams were attacking and both fought for it but in the end an equaliser from Dwane De Rosario won the game for Dynamo.

I'm trying to get into MLS, i really am but I've been spoiled, I've been spoiled because all my life I've been watching fantastic football, The Premiership, La Liga, Bundesliga, sometimes Serie A, the South American leagues, amazing World Cups and even the SPL.

So when its time to watch MLS i get bored very easily bored and i get pissed off looking at the American football lines on the pitch.

But what i hate the most is the fucking Western and Eastern Conference thing it drives me crazy.

Its not fair to Stevie Nicol and the New England Revolution who throughout the season have been the better team in MLS.

They have to change the rules because its not fair.

But congratulations to The Houston Dynamo 2 back to back MLS Cups.

Lets hope next season the Galaxy still suck!

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I'll be back later to discuss England NT

Scotland/Italy Euro 2008 my thoughts

2007-11-17T13:57:00.001-05:00

The game has just ended and i don't know what to say.

2-1 to Italy, this means that Italy and France go through.

Luca Toni scored the first goal, then Scotland equalized with a Barry Furgeson goal and made it 1-1 and then Christian Panucci scored in the 90th min.

Congratulations to Italy, you cheat, your league is filled with hooliganism and tragedies, you never get punished, you are the golden boys of football and this is your reward you go to Euro 2008 and take out the team that truly deserved to go.

Scotland, It breaks my heart to see them eliminated, they have played their qualifying games with class and dignity, they have played with heart, passion and class, they are always drawn in the hardest groups and this year they proved that they have talent, they deserved to go through and will all know it. I hope to see them in the 2010 World Cup but of course the will probably get the hardest group.

Scotland/Italy CRAZY!

2007-11-17T13:39:00.000-05:00

How crazy good has the Scotland Italy game been?
Full of emotions and chances by both teams!
So far its 1-1.
I'll be back later when the game is over with a review!
Enjoy the game!

UPDATE:2-1 to Italy in extra time.... my heart just broke.

Euro 2008 11-17-07 preview

2007-11-16T18:28:00.001-05:00

BIG FOOTBALL WEEK!!!!

I'm sorry that the blog has been down for so long, I've been very busy, but i have been watching my football and catching up in all of the footballing news!!

I am very excited about all the football this week.
I will be getting up early to watch the US/South Africa, Israel/Russia (a big one for England) and the biggest one Scotland/Italy.

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US vs South Africa in South Africa.

I am actually excited to watch this game, who would have thought?Me wanting to watch a US friendly?

I'm excited about this game because its overseas! The US barley plays its friendlies overseas, I know that South Africa is not quality opposition, but its in Africa, different weather, thousands of miles away from home, and probably little fan support, and its the country where the next World Cup might be played.

I am very excited about the squad that was chosen (i hear that Dandy Landy might not even start!) to go to South Africa, Jozy Altidore gets his first and well deserved call up to the squad, i expect this US to win this. I really do see US football to be going in the right direction and Bob Bradley is the man for the job.

US Squad:

GOALKEEPERS (2) – Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC)

DEFENDERS (7) –Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Dan Califf (Aalborg BK), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

MIDFIELDERS (6) – Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA)

FORWARDS (2) – Josmer Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC).

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Israel vs Russia in Israel.

When the qualifying schedule came out who would have thought that this game was interesting? I doubt that unless you were from Russia or Israel you were really going to watch this game, but now this game is going to be watched by millions because England's fate is in their hands.

I think that both are pretty goo teams and have talent on their squads but i think that Russia will in and England will be out.

And to be honest it will be the best thing that could happen to the England NT maybe the FA will be smart and let McClaren go.

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Scotland vs Italy in Scotland

I put both crests up because its a huge game for both countries.

In my opinion the biggest game of the Euro 2008 qualifiers and the most exciting.

-Scotland the Cinderella story, and Italy the World Champions, who will win? Its in Glasgow, there will be thousands of drunk Scotsmen and they have heart, they really do, they play like a team and they have had some amazing performances, they deserve to go through but will they?

-Italy have Italy's pride on their shoulders, match fixing scandal, cop killed, and a cop killing a fan, they are known as corrupt and they are losing credibility, they are the World Champions how can they not make it to Euro 2008?

Sadly i think Scotland will not qualify and it breaks my heart, they deserve it more than any other team in that group. I think Italy will win 2-1.

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I will post tomorrow after all the games with a review.

SCOTLAND FOR THE CUP! (i can hope)

What has Peter Crouch done wrong?

2007-11-06T00:47:00.000-05:00

What has Peter Crouch done to Rafa Benitez? Someone please tell me why Rafa hates Crouchy? Because to me it seems like Rafa just doesn't like Crouch.

Rafa,
I'm sorry that Crouch in your opinion has not done enough for the club, i guess being a constant goalscorer for the club is not enough, or maybe being a player that when he gets on the pitch changes the game and creates opportunities, or maybe being the top goalscorer in the champions league for Liverpool and constantly proving through his performances how good he is. I'm sorry that all of that is not good for you. You are going to lose him, if not in January than in the summer, your are and idiot for not using a fantastic player and if you let him go, you will push all the Liverpool fans who like me are still undecided on whether we still want you as a manager to finally say those words "We want Rafa gone". So Mr.Benitez please be smart and play Crouch.

----Yesterday i said that i recorded the Liverpool-Blackburn game and that i couldn't watch it, well today i went to my friend's house and he still had it on his DVR, I watched the game and when Crouch came one the game changed for Liverpool, they were more attacking and had more opportunities.
----I like Kuyt, he seems like a nice guy, but a nice guy wont win us games or the title, does he have to go? No, but he does have to bee benched more often and Crouch has to be played more.

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----The Liverpool fans, we love Crouch, we see that he is fantastic, when you look at him it doesn't seem like he works, he is so tall to be a forward, he looks clumsy, but he works, its ironic how tall he is and he is so good in the air, he changes games and even non-Liverpool fans love him, he is a hero to the Liverpool and England fans.
All i want is to see Peter Crouch play!
I want him to get the credit he deserves, he is a good player and deserves to be a starter.

----I'm curious to see what you all think about this.
Please leave comments, a lot of you read and instead of leaving me comments you e-mail me, which is cool but i would really appreciate some comments!

Hutchings Sacked!!!

2007-11-05T10:49:00.000-05:00

Wigan have axed Chris Hutchings. Hutchings was Paul Jewell's No2 and took over from Jewell when he resigned the last day of the season (06/07) after saving the club from relegation.

Wigan droped to 18th place after a 2-0 lost against Chelsea at home.

They have played 12, at home they have W-2, D-1, L-3. Away they have W-0, D-1, L-4.

Their GD is -9 and they are on 8 points.

Hutchings had been with the club for 6 years, but only in charge for 12 games with the lactics.

Wigan has to be a tough job, they have a small stadium and a small fan base, not a lot of money and in Wigan Rugby is bigger than football.

I'm not completely shocked but a little surprised, i thought that because of his history with the club he would have stayed a little longer, i would have thought that Billy Davies would have been sacked first considering Derby's shocking form this season,
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He seems like a nice guy and i wish him luck wherever he goes, he had a difficult job and he did bring in Titus Bramble (who in my opinion is one of the worst players out there) he tried but didn't get the job done. He put out a nice statement to read it go here: http://www.wiganlatics.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10429~1160251,00.html

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Graeme Souness has been rumored to take the job.

He is an average manager, who had managed some big clubs but has not been too successful, he is also constantly linked with Crystal Palace, but i think he would be good at Wigan, it would give him a chance to truly prove himself.

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I'll be back to talk about Peter Crouch's future at Liverpool.

Premiership Review 11/03-11/04

2007-11-04T21:13:00.000-05:00

----Arsenal vs Manchester United 2-2: It was the game of the weekend and could have been a title decider, it was a good game, both teams knew what was at risk. Gallas scored an own goal to give Man U the lead, that has to be horrible for a player. Man United were very lucky even though they had a good game, Gallas scored and own goal in the 45th min, then Fabregas scored in the 48th min, then Ronaldo scored in the 82nd min and then Gallas scored in the 90th min. As a Liverpool fan i wanted and needed a draw to maintain some hope. This draw gives teams who are in 3-7 spot hope.

----Aston Villa vs Derby County 2-0: Villa are a good team, Derby is not. Every team should be beat Derby 4-0. Derby have Benny Feilhaber who is a very good young talent and he has only had 2 appearances! we all know they are going down so give him a chance! he is the type a player who changes the flow of the game. Goals by Martin Laursen and Ashley Young.

----Wigan Athletic vs Chelsea 0-2: Wigan have some talent on that team but yet again they have Titus Bramble. To be honest i didn't watch this game but i heard it was not exciting. Goals by Frank Lampard and Juliano Belletti, but it was a good result for Chelsea because Arsenal and Man U drew.

----Newcastle vs Portsmouth 1-4: In my opinion Pompey are a very underrated team, there is a lot of quality on that team, they have a very good manager and they always make the top four struggle, they trashed Newcastle. Poor old Newcastle just don't seem to catch a break, i think that there are some decent players in Newcastle, they have a decent manager but just don't have an luck, they have constant injuries and they can't catch a break, they were lucky to get a goal, the funny thing is it was a Sol Campbell own goal. Goals by Sol Campbell (own goal), Noe Pamarot, Benjani Mwaruwari, John Utaka, and Niko Kranjcar.

----Middlesbrough vs Tottenham 1-1: Juande Ramos' first game in charge of Tottenham, i still think Juande is quality and give him one or two more weeks and you will see a change in the Tottenham squad. Tottenham scored first in the 35th min and them Middlesbrough equalized in the the 52nd min. Its ironic that Luke young former Spurs defender scored to get a draw against his old team. I don't think Spurs will go down, there is too much talent on that team, Middlesbrough on the other hand i can see going down. Goals by Darren Bent and Luke Young.

----Fulham vs Reading 3-1: I have a soft spot for both teams. Fulham have the Americans and i support any American overseas and I've always had a soft spot for Reading. To be honest i was surprised at this result because Reading can be a very defensive team so I'm surprised Fulham managed to put 3 pass them, i hope and i don't think either of these teams are going down this season, both teams have a couple of good players. I think that Reading have a good manager, i think that Fulham have to get rid of Lawrie Sanchez i just don't think he is up for the job. Goals by Simon Davies, Kevin Doyle, Clint Dempsey, and David Healy.

----Everton vs Birmingham City 3-1: Everton are starting to do better on the league i think they have a couple of good players but again they are another team that have constant injuries to their star players, i actually don't think Birmingham are that bad, i think that if they work hard for it they can stay up, there are teams worse than them and that will save them from relegation. Goals by Ayegbini, Kapo, Carsley and Vaughan.

----Blackburn Rovers vs Liverpool 0-0: To be honest i didn't watch this game, i recorded it on my DVR but while i was out i found out the score and as soon as i got home i erased it. I did hear that Kuyt missed three decent shots and that Stevie G missed two, and that Liverpool lacked force upfront and that it wasn't until Peter Crouch got substituted in that it seemed that Liverpool could do something. i couldn't watch this because as a Liverpool fan my heart is slowly breaking, and i couldn't watch my team throw away the opportunity to catch up a little. The Arsenal/Man U game gave me a little hope, but i don't understand what Peter Crouch has done to Rafa Benitez, but i will post on that later.

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Manchester City (the only team in Manchester) and Sunderland will play tomorrow at 3:00 pm ET.

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I will post later on Peter Couch's future at Liverpool and on Rafa.

What is wrong with Drogba?

2007-11-03T09:17:00.000-04:00

What is wrong with Drogba?

A couple of weeks ago he made some very unprofessional statements saying that he wanted to leave Chelsea, that the club was broken and that something was wrong, and now i read that he said that he "felt disgusted when he joined Chelsea".

Even though Drogba was a diver i had respect for him, I thought/think he is a good footballer who has played some amazing games, but I've lost respect for him.

What is he trying to do? He already made it clear that he wants to leave Chelsea at the end of the season, so why come out with that statement?

Drogba in my opinion has shown how unprofessional he is and disrespect to the fans.

He owes it to the fans that pay to go the games, to the fans around the world that get up at whatever time to watch the games, he owes them some hope.

Drogba,

learn from David Beckham and shut your mouth, just shut up be a professional and play they best you can play. Make the best out of your last days at Chelsea.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=478416&cc=5901

Juande Ramos; good or bad for Tottenham?

2007-11-01T22:41:00.000-04:00

I've been listening to 606 and a lot of Tottenham fans don't seem to be to happy with Juande Ramos being chosen as Martin Jol's replacement.

My question is this is he a good choice for Tottenham?

I think he is a great choice for Tottenham.

A lot of Spurs fans are disappointed that Jurgen Klinsman was not chosen as manager, but i think Junade Ramos is a better manager than Klinsman.

I'm not taking anything away from Klinsman, he is a good manager, but you can also argue that he didn't have to qualify Germany for The 2006 World Cup and that squad was just filled with talent, but Klinsman is not proven at club level and managing a club team and a national team is not the same its much harder to manage a club team, it takes more time and effort.

Juande Ramos is the type of manager that motivates players, he gets the best out of them, he can mold young talent, he is the type of manager that players respect, i know this because he did it with my spanish team Sevilla.

Give him two weeks in charge of Spurs and you will see a difference, don't expect them to win the title or finish 5th but do expect an improvement.

So in my opinion Ramos is a great choice for Tottenham and i am still devastated that he has left Sevilla.

So c'mon Spurs fans, give him a chance he is quality.

Football News In South America

2007-11-01T12:40:00.000-04:00

Sao Paulo beat America 3-0 to win their second straight and fith Brazilian national championship.
Hernanes, Miranda and Dagoberto scored.

Congratulations to Sao Paulo!

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Brazil won their bid for the 2014 World Cup, I'm very excited about this, Brazil is a Country that eats/breathes football and the atmosphere during the World Cup is amazing.

They have 18 grounds with more than 40,000 capacity, but four have to be built from scratch and the other 14 have to have some renovations.

The FA says that the Brazilian football federation have 1.1 billion US dollars (£550million ) for the project. I don't think that's enough, its 4 new stadiums and 14 that have to be renovated, its going to be a lot of work and a lot more money.

FIFA has also decided to change their continent rotation policy, meaning that any country can bid for the World Cup, and England have already submitted their bid for 2018.

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Yesterday it was announced that the semifinal games of the Copa Sudamericana will be played in the next two weeks, an exact date and time will soon be confirmed.

Millonarios (Colombia) and America (Mexico) will play their first game in Colombia and the second game in Mexico. They will play Wednesday Nov 7th in Bogota and Tuesday Nov 13 en Mexico City.

The Arsenal- River game is still to be confirmed the when and the time.

I know the Copa Sudamericana is somewhat ignored, but its a good competition, i got the chance to go to a game this summer and it was great, their was great atmosphere and the quality of the football was fantastic, there were fans screaming and chanting, it was great.

If you enjoy South American football, i recommend you watch the Sudamericana, the games are very exciting and their is always goal scoring.

I will try to post the video of the fans in the Sudamericana game.

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I'm sorry that the blog was down for a while, but i was very busy, i know that i missed some good stories and i apologize, i will be back later to post some more, if you want to e-mail me my e-mail is aatbgblog@hotmail.com

Football Depression

2007-10-28T15:06:00.000-04:00

Almost every year i go through a footballing depression, this year it started a lot earlier.
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Juande Ramos has left Sevilla, and has signed a four-year contract with Tottenham. Kill me now.

I don't know if you all know this but I'm a Sevilla fan. Don't get me wrong, Liverpool is my number 1 team, i bleed Liverpool red and no matter who they play i always support them, but my second team is Sevilla.

I have nothing but respect for Juande Ramos, i think he is one of the better managers out there, i think he has character and i think give him two weeks and you will see the change in Spurs. I am devastated that he has left Sevilla.Juande Ramos is now at Spurs, Liverpool lost in the Champions League and don't look like the will qualify, Liverpool drew with Arsenal in a game the deserved to win, and i think our season is over.

I think our season is over (Liverpool) because, Manchester United are just killing it in the premiership, Arsenal have a very good team with a great start to the season, Chelsea are starting to get back on track with a 5-0 win over Manchester City who i thought would get a win or even a draw against Chelsea.

And i have the feeling that something big is going on behind closed doors at Anfield, i think that Benitez is the wrong manager for us, i don't think that a lot of the players are very fond of him and that's because he has very little contact with the players, Pako Ayesteran (assistant manager) was the one who had contact with the players and i think a lot of the players are very upset that he is gone.

When I listen to Steven Gerrard talk about Rafa Benitez i can just tell that he is not too fond of him, i think that at the end of the season Rafa will go because it will come down to Benitez or Gerrard and the fans would never forgive Gillette and Hicks if Gerrard goes.

I'm depressed because after we lost the Champions League, we went out and fixed what caused us to lose the Champions League. We have a good team, we had a good start to the season and then the fucking rotation system began again and Pako Ayesteran left and its been down hill from there.

I don't understand why the job is not being done, i love Liverpool, i will always love Liverpool but they are breaking my heart.

Sevilla were also not doing too well, but i understand it, Antonio Puerta died, a good player for the team, a home grown player and a Sevilla boy at heart, the team started to struggle because of an emotional breakdown and, i understand their slump. There was also the whole Daniel Alves thing, him wanting to leave Sevilla in the summer and not being able to and not playing in the Champions League with Sevilla.

Sevilla are starting to do better, but i don't know what will happen now that Juande Ramos has left.
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I will post later to eview this weekends games.

The LA Galaxy not going to the playoffs!! and UEFA's lack of balls

2007-10-22T09:30:00.000-04:00

The La Galaxy played the Chicago Fire yesterday and lost 1-0, this means that the Galaxy did not obtain a playoff spot, and i could not be more happy.

I hate the LA Galaxy, i hate them because the create and believe their own hype, i support NY, Alexi Lalas is crazy, they have the most overrated player in US history and they insulted real football fans by the way they did the Beckham thing.

I have no problem with David Beckham, he is the ultimate professional, and its not his faul that he was injured.

A lot of people have asked me if i think Beckham came here for the football, if he came here to really better the game in this country. My answer is no, Beckham didn't come here for the football, if he came here for the football he would have not gone to the Galaxy, now that he is here he probably does want to better the game but the reason why he really came is because posh wants fame here (I'm not going to go into a bashing of posh, even though i did think it was very funny that on wikipedia they have her under celebrity supporters for the Galaxy and they label her as a singer).

When i look at Beckham on that bench i see a man that looks at the mess the LA Galaxy team is and regrets coming over so soon, i look at him and i think he is just depressed and i think he knows that he came too soon and that this takes a little credit away from his career.

How could the Galaxy not win? They have Landon Donovan! the best US player!

This proves my point on Landy Dandy. he never shows up when he has to and is the most overrated player in US history, he is a joke.

The more interesting thing is what happens at the start of next season? The Galaxy can't have two designated players on the team, so its obvious that unless the rules change Landy Dandy leaves he will most likely go to the new San Jose earthquakes, and this makes it very interesting but knowing MLS they will probably change the rules for Landycakes.

I'm glad that the Galaxy lost, because maybe now new football fans in the US that have been brainwashed into supporting the Galaxy will realize the joke that the Galaxy are.

Its not all about winning, but what i ask of fans is to take the time to pick a team that is more deserving than the Galaxy, and even though MLS is a Micky mouse league there is some pretty good teams in the league.

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UEFA have no fucking balls.

The two game ban Dida got for his amazing performance against Celtic in the Champions League got reduced to a one game ban.

Its ridiculous, UEFA always do this, every time you think they are on the right track, they do this, they take it back. Last season AC Milan were kicked out of the Champions League, which they deserved because of match fixing, and then of course UEFA were UEFA and took it back and they won.

Premiership Preview 10/20 and 10/21

2007-10-19T20:35:00.000-04:00

The Premiership is back! and oh how I've missed it!
If you want to e-mail and talk football my e-mail is aatbgblog@hotmail.com
I'm still looking for a contributor so if you are interested e-mail me about it.

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Everton vs Liverpool- The good old Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, Liverpool will be lucky to get a draw, both teams have injuries and its a derby, Torres, Kuyt, Alonso, and Aurelio are very doubtful for Liverpool and Everton have Johnson, Gravesen and Cahill are also doubtful for saturday's game, both teams have good goalkeepers so I'm going with a 1-1 draw.

Blackburn Rovers vs Reading-at Ewood Park. It breaks my heart, but Reading will lose, they don't have it this season and it breaks my heart. Santa Cruz is injured for Blackburn but they will be fine there is a lot of talent on that team I'm going with a 3-1 win for Blackburn.

Arsenal vs Bolton Wanders- at Emirate Stadium. zzzzzzzzzz we all know Arsenal will dominate this game, they will probably play their B team because a lot of players are coming back from international duty, Bolton have a new manager, its at home for Arsenal (still at home! they finally leave London next week) this game is an easy 3 points for Arsenal. 3-0 to the Arsenal!

Fulham vs Derby County- at Craven Cottage, There is talent on the Fulham squad and they have to stop with the draws! Derby is probably the worst team to ever play in the premiership, I hope to see Feilhaber play and i hope for a couple of Dempsey goals, 3-1 to Fulham.

Middlesbrough vs Chelsea- at The Riverside Stadium. Chelsea have a couple of injuries, Essien, Cole, Terry and Ballack but they have a deep squad, Middlesbrough, you know i like Gareth Southgate, he seems like a nice guy but i don't think he has the experience to manage a Premiership club, he should go to another club and learn from a bigger manager and then come back. Middlesbrough should take advantage of the fact that Chelsea have a couple of players coming back from international duty, they can get a draw if they want to, but this game will be a bore with a 1-0 win for Chelsea.

Manchester City vs Birmingham City- at The City of Manchester Stadium. The ONLY team in Manchester (lol) are playing fantastic football, a couple of their players are coming back from international duty but it wont matter they will win this game. a 3-1 win to the ONLY team in Manchester.

Aston Villa vs Manchester United- at Villa Park. This seems like a good game Villa are a good team when they are up for it, Man U have a lot of players coming back from international duty and they are the team with the most injuries, i can see this going either way. 2-1 to Villa or 1-1 draw.

West Ham United vs Sunderland- at Upton Park. I thought that Sunderland would be doing better than they are, i still think Roy Keane is a good manager, give him some money and you will see some improvement, West Ham have a crazy squad with some talent on there so i do expect them to score. 2-2 draw.

Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur- at St. James' Park. I am so excited about this game! Paul Robinson is injured so this is great news for Spurs (i am not being sarcastic), Newcaslte have talent on that team but they don't seem to get their act together, Tottenham have a shitload of good players and before this season what i considered to be a pretty good manager, i cannot explain whats going on at Tottenham. 2-2 draw or 3-2 win for Tottenham

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Enjoy the Premiership, and good luck to the England team in the Rugby World Cup final! i can't wait to see the game!

Even more problems for Chelsea

2007-10-19T10:58:00.000-04:00

The premiership is back this weekend! its seems like its been forever, I'm very excited for this weekend, the Rugby World Cup final is also this weekend and I'm very excited!

I'm still looking for a contributor, if you are interested e-mail me at aatbgblog@hotmail.com

_____________________________________________You know I'm kinda starting to feel bad for Chelsea, i felt that they were just getting over Jose Mourinho leaving and then shit starts again, this team is slowly falling apart and with rumors that Jose wants to and might take over the England NT job what will players like Drogba, Lampard, A.Cole, and Essien do now that they can't go were Jose is going? by the way i do think Jose would be a great manager for England, but more on that later.

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There have been reports allover the place that Drogba told a French Magazine that he wants to leave Chelsea... If this is true I've lost a lot of respect for Drogba.

If he wants to leave Chelsea, fine then leave, but he should shut up and tell the people at Chelsea, not go out there to the press and let everyone know that, there are severe problems at Chelsea here is what he said:

"I want to leave Chelsea, nothing can stop me from leaving now. Something is broken with Chelsea, the damage in the dressing room is big because we know now what happened and who caused Mourinho's departure,I've been so angry with what happened to Mourinho that I truly thought of leaving in this winter market, but I will do everything to defend my shirt loyally until the end of the season."

--Loyally? you are saying that you want to leave! and you are bashing people at the club secretly!

--I hate when players do things like this, i understand if they want a new challenge but the way he has come out and said this shows lack of professionalism, Drogba your shirt says Chelsea Football Club, not Jose Mourinho Football Club, you signed a contract for Chelsea and if you are unhappy there you shut your mouth and wait until you can leave.

--In an article with the Daily Mail he says he will win the title before leaving... give me a break.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=488480&in_page_id=1779&ct=5

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/7347562

--And of course Chelsea have already downplayed this. If he wants to go let him go why have a player who doesn't want to be there and will not play with his heart?

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/7348578

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-John Terry and Ashley Cole have suffered injuries while on England duty.

Oh oh more trouble for Chelsea! they always struggle when Terry is out, this can be proven by what happened to them last season.

Terry will undergo knee surgery and will be out for 3 weeks.

Cole will be out for at least a month with ankle ligament damage, but i think it will be more.

Can Scotland qualify?

2007-10-18T10:55:00.000-04:00

I went through every possible emotion watching the Scotland/Georgia game, i was excited at the beginning, mad in the middle (I almost broke my hand when Georgia scored the second goal), and then at the end i was heart broken.

Georgia were the better team on the pitch and Scotland weren't playing the way they have been playing, they should have gotten the 3-points they've just made qualifying for Euro 2008 harder for themselves.

They can still qualify, but i don't think it will happen, they play Italy at home, which is an advantage, they will have the home crowd, they know the pitch and they are use to the weather, but its a must win game and they can crumble under pressure.

France play Ukraine which can be tricky, if they lose and Scotland win, Scotland qualifies, Ukraine is unstable they can sometimes pull out wins, but they have nothing to play for so they probably wont care.
Italy have a game in hand against Faroe Islands so that's a guaranteed 3-points.

I still have a little faith that they will qualify but only a little, but i will say it for old times sake SCOTLAND FOR THE CUP! ... i can only dream.

GROUP B
France: P-11, W-8, D-1, L-2, Pts-25
Scotland: P-11, W-8, D-0, L-3, Pts-24
Italy: P-10, W-7, D-2, L1-, Pts-23
Ukraine: P-10, W-5, D-1, L-4, Pts-16
Lithuania: P-10, W-3, D-1, L-6, Pts-10
Georgia: P-11, W-3, D-1, L-7, Pts-10
Faroes Islands: P-11, W-0, D-0, L-11, Pts-0

Russia vs England 2-1 !!!!!

2007-10-17T12:58:00.000-04:00

I knew it! typical England! They lost having the advantage.
2-1 with one goal Wayne Rooney, and two goals by Roman Pavluchenko (the first goal by Russia was a penalty)

Paul Robinson was responsible for that second goal, what does he have to do to get dropped? i don't get it he is just crap and he is still on that team

England are screwed. Russia are now 3rd with 21-points and a game in hand against Israel and Andorra, which could be tricky so its a must win game for them and England's next game is against Croatia which is a tricky game, this group is getting interesting!
Both England and Russia's next games are must wins.

I can't wait to hear the excuses of the England team, main excuse: The Artificial Pitch.

Sammy Lee has left Bolton

2007-10-17T11:53:00.000-04:00

Sammy Lee has left Bolton.
I will post more later I'm currently watching Russia vs England on my computer, my broke ass couldn't go to Nevada Smiths.
The Rooney goal was a gimme, I feel that Russia have had a better game so far.

Preview of 10/17 Euro 2008 qualifiers

2007-10-16T17:47:00.000-04:00

I'm very excited about the games tomorrow, i usually hate international breaks but this one has been a pretty good one.
My broke ass will try to go to Nevada Smiths tomorrow if I'm not busy,to watch the England/Russia game and the Georgia/Scotland game, so I'm excited to go watch the games with football people.
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Georgia vs Scotland- at Lokomotivi Stadium in Georgia.
I do think Scotland can win, If they win they basically qualify, they won against France, semifinalist in The World Cup in Paris, you are going to tell me they can't win against Georgia? Anything can happen but i think Scotland can do it.

France vs Lithuania- at Stade de France in Paris.
Its at home and it is Lithuania but i don't think its as easy as people think, I think anything can happen in this game, but France will probably win because they know they have to.

Turkey vs Greece- at Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.
This is a very interesting game, Greece is top of the group with 22 points and Turkey is second with 18 points, Norway is third with 17 points so Turkey have to win.

Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Norway- at Olympic Stadium (I believe its in Norway).
If Norway win and Turkey lose, Norway will be second in the group, this is a must win for them to still be in it, i think they will win and they have to wait to see what happens in the Turkey/Greece game.

Ireland vs Cyprus- at Croke Park in Ireland.
This group is basically done, Germany has qualified and Ireland are 5 points behind Czech Republic, if Czech Republic lose against Germany and Ireland win its possible that Ireland could qualify (which i hope they do).

Germany vs Czech Republic- I don't know where its going to be played.
Germany have already qualified so they will probably played their reserve side and wont care is they win, If Czech Republic win and Ireland lose, the group is basically over.

Russia vs England- The game is in Russia.
Its England, anything can happen with them, Paul Robinson can have one of his games, John Terry is not in the squad, its in Russia, Its in cold weather and of course England are already talking about the artificial pitch, I could see this being a draw, and England will say its all because of the artificial pitch but that's not an excuse, Russia are a pretty good team, its going to be an interesting game, i can't wait to see the lineup for this game.

Sweden vs Northern Ireland- I believe its in Sweden.
Its sad because Northern Ireland started their Euro 2008 campaign pretty good with Lawrie Sanchez as their manager and then he left for Fulham and it all went down hill from their, a win would be good for Northern Ireland but i don't think it will happen, Still they should go for the win not the draw.

Netherlands vs Slovenia- I'm not sure where it is.
Netherlands have to win this game because they are second in the group with 20-points and Bulgaria are third with 18-points so this is a must win for Netherlands. I think they will win.

Luxembourg vs Romania- at Josy Barthel Stadium.
Romania win this and they qualify and i think they will win.
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Enjoy the Euro 2008 qualifiers!
The premiership is back this weekend and it comes back with good games!

The booing of Frank Lampard and news/rumors in England

2007-10-15T09:06:00.000-04:00

It has to stop. The booing of Frank Lampard just has to stop. I'm sorry England fans but, if you are one of the fans up there booing super Frank you should be ashamed of yourself.

I have never booed my national team and let me tell you there have been times when the U.S have deserved it, but i think its disgusting that you are booing a player who has in the past represented your country so well.

Yes Lampard didn't have a great World Cup, he did miss a penalty but so did Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard (i hate saying that because I'm a Liverpool fan), he had average games in The World Cup but it wasn't all his fault and he has been injured and i don't think he deserves a spot in that team , but there is no excuse for why you are booing Frank Lampard.

Are you booing him because you think he has played bad for England? Then don't you think that booing him you are taking away much needed confidence?

He was voted England's player of the year for two years in a row by the fans, so why the fuck are you booing him? He is human, yes he made a mistake in The World Cup, but he is human, and I consider Lampard one of the players who truly loves playing for his country.

And I'm not saying its all of you, i was listening to 606 and a couple of people agree with me saying that there is not reason to boo him.

But for those of you who have been booing him, cut the bullshit and support your, Country, team and the players that put themselves out there.

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News/Rumors in England

-The Sun is reporting that Sven-Goran Eriksson wants to bring Micky Owen to Manchester City, the problem? the fee for Owen would be around£15million and £110,000-a-week wages. For China Doll Owen? Sven its not worth it.If i was Sam Allardyce i would let him go.Its clear that Owen and Allardyce don't get along, Owen is injured most of the time, by selling him they would be making a profit, they should delighted that someone is even interested in a player that has constant long term injuries.

-The Sun ia also reporting that if Owen is sold to City, Allerdyce will go in for Bolton's Nicolas Anelka.DO IT ANYWAYS! Anelka is a fine player who just happens to play for a smaller club,And for the right amount of money Bolton would sell him and i don't think it would be that much money.

-Gary Wheelchair Neville's comeback is put on hold... again.Neville in his prime was a fantastic player for Manchester United and England but his injuries have gotten the best of him, he should just retire, he will never be the player he was and if he comes back he will be taking the spot of a younger, more deserving, more fit player.Neville United and England fans will always love you but i think its time to quit.http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article331118.ece

Jurgen Klinsman to Spurs?

2007-10-14T03:06:00.001-04:00

The Guardian Unlimited is reporting that Jurgen Klinsman is ready to take the job of Martin Jol at White Heart Lane.
Would he be good at Tottenham? a lot of people think he is fantastic and others think he didn't do much with Germany, he had a great squad, they were at home and didn't have to qualify.
What do you guys think? is he a good manager?
Its a good article, go check it out.
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2190883,00.html

Euro 2008 qualifiers 10/13

2007-10-13T14:15:00.000-04:00

Someone told me the red font is hard to read, i like to use different colors, if there is another color i use that's hard to read please tell me and i wont use it!
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It was a good game for English sport fans the English rugby team beat France and is now in the finals of The Rugby World Cup ! I love Rugby but i don't get to watch much of and i need someone to explain the little things of the game, but enough Rugby lets talk about the football!

England beat Estonia 3-0 with goals from Wayne Rooney, Shaun Wright-Phillips and an own goal by Taavi Rahn.

I was happy to see Micah Richards, and Gareth Barry on the squad.

And of course Paul Robinson was in the squad, which is insulting to Scott Carson.
Will England qualify? I think so, they have a tricky game against Russia coming up and its away on an artificial pitch, but they will qualify and things will remain the same.
I Still think Steve McClaren is not the man for the job.
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Scotland for the cup!!
Scotland beat Georgia 3-1!! with goals from Kenny Miller, Lee McCulloch and James McFadden.

I care more about the Scotland win than the England win because its a more interesting story, they are in a group with the World Cup winners and the runners up, and they are playing fantastic and to be honest in my opinion they have more passion than a lot of the English players.

Like I said before if Scotland make it to Euro 2008, i will do my best to go to Euro 2008.
Will they qualify? I think they can, but the group is just so tight, they beat the harder of the teams they have to play this week, i think they will beat Georgia but they HAVE to beat Italy, its difficult but possible.
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-Ireland and Germany drew 0-0 and Germany become the first team to qualify for Euro 2008.
-Poland beat Kazakhstan 3-0
-Croatia beat Israel 1-0
-Cyprus beat Wales 3-1, it was funny because i didn't see this game, but i checked on my computer and Wales were winning 1-0 and they were saying Wales was playing better, so i was surprised to see that after the second half Cyprus won.
-Romania beat Netherlands 1-0
-Belgium drew with Finland
-Italy beat Georgia 2-0, that group is just getting tighter! C'mon Scotland you can do it!!!!!
-Spain beat Denmark 3-1
-Portugal beat Azerbaijan 2-0
-France beat Faroe Islands 6-0
-Sweden beat Liechtenstein 3-0
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Group A
Poland: P-12, W-7, D-3, L-2, Pts- 24
Finland: P-12, W-5, D-3, L-2, Pts-20
Portugal: P-11, W-5, D-5, L-1, Pts-20
Serbia: P-11, W-4, D-5, L-2, Pts-17
Belgium: P-11, W-3, D-3, L-5, Pts-12
Armenia: P-9, W-2, D-3, L-4, Pts-9
Kazakhstan: P-11, W-1, D-4, L-6, Pts-7
Azerbaijan: P-9, W-1, D-2, L-6, Pts-5

Group B
Scotland: P-10, W-8, D-0, L-2, Pts-24. SCOTLAND FOR THE CUP!!!! lol
Italy: P-10, W-7, D-2, L-1, Pts-23
France: P-10, W-7, D-1, L-2, Pts-22
Ukraine: P-9, W-4, D-1, L-4, Pts-13
Lithuania: P-9, W-3, D-1, L-5, Pts-10
Georgia: P-10, W-2, D-1, L-7, Pts-7
Faroe Islands: P-10, W-0, D-0, L-10, Pts-0

Group C
Greece: P-9, W-7, D-1, L-1, Pts-22
Turkey: P-9, W-5, D-3, L-1, Pts-18
Norway: P-9, W-5, D-2, L-2, Pts-17
Bosnia-Herz: P-10, W-4 D-1, L-5, Pts-13
Hungary: P-10, W-4, D-0, L-6, Pts-12
Moldova: P-10, W-1, D-3, L-6, Pts-6
Malta: P-9, W-1, D-2, L-6, Pts-5

Group D
Germany: P-9, W-7, D-2, L-0, Pts-23. Already qualified
Czech Republic: P-9, W-6, D-2, L-1, Pts-20
Ireland: P-10, W-4, D-3, L-3, Pts-15
Slovakia: P-10, W-4, D-1, L-5, Pts-13
Cyprus: P-9, W-4, D-1, L-4, Pts-13
Wales: P-9, W-3, D-1, L-5, Pts-10
San Marino: P-10, W-0, D-0, L-10, Pts-0

Group E
Croatia: P-10, W-8, D-2, L-0, Pts-26
England: P-10, W-7, D-2, L-1, Pts-23
Russia: P-9, W-5, D-3, L-1, Pts-18
Israel: P-10, W-5, D-2, L-3, Pts-17
Macedonia- P-9, W-2, D-2, L-5, Pts-8
Estonia- P-11, W-1, D-1, L-9, Pts-4
Andorra- P-9, W-0, D-0, L-9, Pts-0

Group F
Sweden: P-9, W-7, D-1, L-1, Pts-22
Spain: P-10, W-7, D-1, L-2, Pts-22
Northern Ireland: P-9, W-5, D-1, L-3, Pts-16
Denmark: P-9, W-4, D-2, L-3, Pts-14
Latvia: P-9, W-3, D-0, L-6, Pts-9
Iceland: P-10, W-2, D-2, L-6, Pts-8
Liechtenstein: P-10, W-1, D-1, L-8, Pts-4

Group G
Romania: P-9, W-7, D-2, L-0, Pts-23
Netherlands: P-9, W-6, D-2, L-0, Pts-20
Bulgaria: P-9, W-5, D-3, L-1, Pts-18
Slovenia: P-10, W-3, D-2, L-5, Pts-11
Albania: P-9, W-2, D-4, L-3, Pts-10
Belarus: P-10, W-2, D-1, L-7, Pts-7
Luxembourg: P-10, W-1, D-0, L-9, Pts-3

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Group A

I think Poland and with struggle Portugal will qualify.

Group B

I'm going to say Scotland just cause i have faith in them, and Italy. I say Italy because France have to play Ukraine and they can be a little tricky when they want to.

This group is too tight, we wont know until the last day.

Group C

Greece and either Turkey or Norway, it will be between those two.

Group D

Germany is already qualified and the Czech Republic, even though i would love to see Ireland qualify but they are 8 points behind already qualified Germany.

Group E

Croatia will qualify and of course England will even though they don't deserve it and the only reason the will qualify its because they are England and for some reason they are considered to be a powerful team that should be feared, why i don't know.

I don't want people to think i hate the England NT, I've been supporting England since the first World Cup i saw, but i am tired of their crap, the way that team is run, and the fact that they believe their own hype.

Group F

Sweden and Spain will qualify.

I want to see want to see what Spain can do, they are constant under-achievers and i think they have a lot of young talent, i think they can do better than they have been doing.

Group G

Romania and Netherlands, Bulgaria are only 2 points behind Netherlands but i don't think they can do it.

England squad for Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia and Russia

2007-10-12T10:11:00.000-04:00

The England squad for Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia and Russia is as follows:

Goalkeepers:
Scott Carson- In my opinion should be the starter.
David James-I don't know why but i like James, he's a good goalkeeper but he also makes silly mistakes, but none of course as ridiculous as Paul Rubbish Robinson, My problem with James is that he's old.
Paul Robinson- You all know how i feel about him, its a joke that he is even on this squad and i almost hope he screws up yet again so people can see how bad he really is.

Defenders:
John Terry (Captain)-He will not be fit for the Estonia match. He's a good defender and the captain of the team, although as captain he has to be a little less hot headed.
Ashley Cole-I think he is a good player, i thought he was one of England's better players in The World Cup, he's not doing so good at Chelsea though, but he is always pretty good with England.
Rio Ferdinand- I've always thought he was overrated, but he's a decent player.
Sol Campbell- He's not the future, i think he's too old to be in the squad and i don't think he should start in the game against Estonia.
Joleon Lescott- He's decent.
Micah Richards- Fantastic player, and should start against Estonia, I'm glad that he got the call-up.
Nicky Shorey- I'm glad to see Shorey in this squad, as some of you know i have a huge soft spot for Reading, I think Shorey is a good player and has proven himself with the English NT.
Phil Neville- I like him, he's a decent player.

Midfielders:
Gareth Barry- Very deserving of this spot and should start instead of Lampard, he has proven to be a fantastic player with England and works well with the team, I'm happy to see him on the squad and I hope he will start.
David Bentley- Good player and i hope to see him on the pitch, he is the future and plays similar to David Beckham but with more skill. And England fans DON'T BOO HIM! STAND BY YOUR TEAM!
Ashley Young- Good to see him on the squad, its nice to see that McClaren is giving young players a chance.
Joe Cole- He's a good player and has a lot of skill.
Stewart Downing- He's a decent player but is getting the call-up because of McClaren's days and Middlesbrough, but he's young so I'll give him another chance.
Steven Gerrard( Vice Captain)- Quality player, he has not been playing too good with Liverpool but he is still quality, he is being picked on reputation, but he is the type of player that puts the team on his shoulders and get the job done, he has done it with Liverpool and England.
Shaun Wright Phillips- Good player, lets see what he can do now that he has the chance.
Frank Lampard- He should not been on this squad, he had been injured and has not played for Chelsea in a while and he is not fit. Gareth Barry should get the start because him and Gerrard can't play on the same team.

Forwards:
Peter Crouch- He is a very good player, he's the type of player that changes games, Its too bad he is not getting games at Liverpool. Let hope he is match fit.
Jermaine Defoe- Even thought he has not been getting that many games with Tottenham he is a good player and he has proven, Jol is just an idiot for not playing him. Give him a chance he's good.
Michael Owen- He should not and does not deserve this spot, he has barley played for Newcastle and he just came back from ANOTHER injury, he will probably get a hat-trick he's good at getting hat-tricks against poor opposition.
Wayne Rooney- In my opinion he is overrated, c'mon Rooney prove me wrong and like you have said it, its time to step it up.
Alan Smith- He is just not a good international player, but i wish him well.

Dida gets banned for two Champions League games

2007-10-11T18:02:00.001-04:00

Finally! UEFA does something, AC Milan's Dida has been banned for two matches after faking being injured by a Celtic fan who ran on the pitch and touched his neck, this is actually not that good for Celtic, Dida makes a lot of stupid mistakes.
Celtic got away with a £25,000 fine, insted of a couple of games behind closed doors like i thought.

Paul Rubbish Robinson

2007-10-10T20:23:00.000-04:00

I don't get it, i really don't get it. How is that the Paul Robinson has not been dropped from Spurs? and even worse how is it that he can be England's number 1?

What does this man have to do to get dropped from the England NT?

Someone please tell me!! Are Steve McClaren and Martin Jol blind? No I'm serious are they blind?, because you would have to be blind to think that Paul Robinson is the best English goalkeeper.

If you go back and look at my picks for the season (http://allaboutthebeautifulgame.blogspot.com/2007/08/epl-table-predictions.html) I had Arsenal dropping into 5th and Tottenham breaking into the top 4, its obvious that i was completely wrong, seeing as Arsenal look unbeatable and are first in the league and Tottenham are in 17th place and looking pathetic.

And in my opinion a lot of Tottenham's screw-ups this season has been because of Paul Robinson.

How important is a goalkeeper to a team? In my opinion extremely.

I don't care about Women's football, don't get me wrong i think that women can do anything men can do, but i just don't care for or enjoy women's football.

But this is a good example so I'll use it.

Look what happened in the Women's World Cup, Greg Ryan benched Hope Solo and played Briana Scurry and what happened? the US loses against Brazil 3-0 and essentially it was Scurry's fault.

The back four have to have confidence in the goalkeeper they have to think that if they make a mistake the goalkeeper will be able to clean it up.

But Paul Robinson is just utter rubbish, he is, there is a difference between making a mistake, i get it he's human, but c'mon the guy is a walking disaster, the mistakes he makes are simply ridiculous, he lets in goals that my seven year old cousin could stop.

The fact that Robert Green was not even chosen is just shocking to me, and in my opinion Scott Carson should start.

Steve McClaren you are an IDIOT not only is Paul Robinson crap for Tottenham but he is also crap for England, I don't see why you would pick him.

Please tell me that i'm not crazy and that you all also see the Paul Robinson is rubbish.

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-If you are interested in being a contributor to the blog e-mail me at hluwagc@hotmail.com

Scotish Football

2007-10-10T01:04:00.001-04:00

I'm still looking for a contributor so if you are intrested e-mail me at hluwagc@hotmail.com
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I'm loving what's going on in Scottish football lately, I've always had a soft spot for Scottish football but its harder to watch it herein the US, i think the reason i like Scottish football is because the fans have so much passion, not that fans of other leagues don't, its just that there is something about the passion in Scottish fans.
Celtic beating AC Milan is in my opinion a fantastic win for them of course it came with its controversy with that crazy fan attacking Dida and it got worse with Dida being extremely unprofessional about it and giving an oscar worthy performance for which he should get banned for being a cheater.But its still a fantastic win for them, winning against the Champions League winners! (even though Liverpool were the better team on that night and AC Milan were kicked out for cheating...but i wont get into that today) Some people are saying that Celtic will be kicked out of the Champions League, I Don't think so, they will probably just have to play a couple of games closed doors.

I myself have always had more of a soft spot for Rangers,so when they beat Lyon 3-0 i could not have been more happy, they dominated that game and are proving that they might have what it takes to get out of difficult group. I can see them getting a draw against Barcelona
The Scottish national team is in Group B for Euro 2008 with, France, Italy, Ukraine,Lithuania, Georgia, and the Faroe Island, tough group the world champions, and the runners up and a team that was in the world cup, who would have though that Scotland would be first in that group, they have W-7, D-0 and L-2 and they are at 21 points, the group is still very tight, Italy are at 20 points and France are at20 points so France, Scotland and Italy will have to fight it out.

Will they go through? i don't know its just soo tight but the players must have confidence going in and that always helps, they don't have any world class players but they have the heart. Scottland for the cup!

I can see Scotland winning against Ukraine.Scotland for the cup!!! i refuse to support England in this Euro campaign so I've adopted Scotland.If Scotland qualify for Euro 2008 I will try my best to go to Euro 2008.

So my question is this, Why has Scottish football been somewhat ignored for about the last 10 years? Is it because the National team has not had success?Is it because the usually there is only 2 teams competing for the title? I think so its somewhat boring to watch a league were you know who's going to win and also they have the Premiership right next door and world class players tend to go more to the Prem?In case you didn't know Rangers is the team with the most Trophies ever, throughout their history they have one more trophies than any other team in the world...

I was talking to my friend and he asked me if Celtic and Rangers should be let into the Premiership, I'm curious to see what people think of this because i don't think they should, not because i don't think they are good enough but because the SPL would collapse.
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Next post will be about every one's favorite disaster... Paul Robinson, you all know how i feel about him and get ready for one of my rants.