Thought I'd start a football blog, we might keep this going until 2010.....England doing well....did not see the match or even the goals....I'd like Michael owen back in the squad though....and I think Peter Crouch would make a very good substitute...remember against Argentina in Geneva a few years ago....with Michael Owen and some very good movements on and off the ball...they caused havoc.....did see Scotland's missed chance....that could be very costly losing those 2 points !.

What I don't like is the "overcelebrating" that occurs after a goal is scored at times, example : when Beckham scored on penalty against Argentina in the world cup 2002 (he nearly missed it by the way); you would have thought that they had won the world cup never mind just a goal in the first round; the England players and come to that all the premiership must keep their feet on the ground with clear heads and keep concentration a priority, a pat on the back and back in defence ready for the opposition not : waves to the crowd (I hate that) and jumping over fences like deer on the loose !.

Good results last night in Europe, but Chelsea look like a misfiring 12 cylinder engined car, brilliant at times but flawed.....I would not want to bump into Liverpool in the draws, and there are some big boys in the second row !.

MU and Liverpool top of their groups, Chelsea and the Gunners second !, MU : 3 times winners, Liverpool : 5 times winners !, southern clubs lacking something ?.

Yes - luck in the final.

I think it was "Franz Beckenbauer", the great german defender that said whan asked about how lucky they were in various finals : "it's funny, that the more I train the luckier I seem to be !", (I think it was him) well !, based on that : let's hope that the Blues and the Gunners get some extra shooting practice in, as both missed some terrible chances in previous champions league finals !.

Portsmouth lost yesterday and guess who missed loads of chances ?, J. Defoe, he is sharp but misses the target everytime, to be a top forward : you have to net, needs shooting practice on the turn !, apart from that the top 4 drew !, lucky Arsenal !, they risk been left behind soon.

You may revise that opinion post this weekend, when hopefully Arsene's boys put a few past the scousers.

Manchester won their semi of the world club competition with ease you might say, but as much as they are wonderful in attack, the defense looks uneasy apart fom Van der Sar who is tremendous, the problem is that the midfielders go to sleep and the defenders then struggle to fend off fast forwards running at them, (Manu's weakness) so if they go behind in the final, they could struggle to get back on level terms if the Ecuadorans are able to defend, (remember Sao Paolo against Liverpool, though it has to be said the ref that night was a bad joke!)(Deportivo Liga must be good to be in the final, no doubt). The Red Devils, to my thinking must score first on sunday morning, then the cup could be theirs but they must not get cocky and slow up through the game otherwise it will be curtains !, and I hope Gary Neville does not have one of his days off and makes some blunders !, unfortunately his mistakes have been very costly in the past.

Well, we have the draws for the European club competitions coming up......should be some cracking games next year !.

One for old times sake Jose.

In the Champions league I'd like to think that the 2 northern clubs could qualify, Liverpool might get an away goal at the Bernabeu stadium (I think that it is spelt that way !) and Van Nistelroy is out for the season I guess !, MU have a really tough game, but the return is at Old Trafford, (might be a lot of goals in that double encounter) with the Red Devils just clinching it !; The Chelsea and Arsenal games are impossible to predict, with on current form the Blues having the better chance, so : 2 or 3 clubs to go through !, you never know what the Gunners might do.....if they play as well as they did last year, then who knows ?, the defenses for all our clubs will have to be in tip top form. In the Uefa cup I think Manchester City have a great chance of going a long way, the others ; I'm not so sure....I do not foresee an all English encounter in the next round of that cup, but then again it's possible !.

They were all lucky to miss Barca !, not so Lyon, so faites vos jeux ! Messi-eurs Dames !.

Well done Manutd, the new World club Champions....as I said, I thought that Liga Quito (is that their name ?, every time I see their name : it was spelt differently ....Liga quito, Deportivo liga,Ecuador sporto....), anyway, they were tricky...never underestimate the South Americans, there should be more games between us and those wonderful sides....once again bravo Manchester United, the goal was a jewel !, not forgetting a superb dave from Van der Sar !, talking of something else Arsenal have a heck of a lot of catching up, I doubt if they will be champions this year !.

Gerrard in jail.....if you are a famous footballer, drinking, and out late in clubs, it is only a matter of time before trouble comes along !.

Liverpool versus Everton, difficult match for the super reds,....Manu versus Spurs, with the league cup final a possibility as well....4 meetings at least this season ?, they will be sending each other Christmas cards next year !.

RFyou did scoff at me when I posted my views on Defoeit does rather look that my prediction is going to happen.my guesses are usually lucky?

tabasco - 07 Dec 2008 12:46 - 203 of 222
RF.I don't like singling out players, but what do people see in Defoe

I must disagree 100% with that viewI have followed Defoe for many years and believe he is the best goal scorer England have gotI include Rooney Walcott and Owenif you watch him play off the ball his movement wrong footing last defenders is unbelievable he turns quicker than anybodyand needs the minimum back lift to produce power and accuracy with his striking of the ballArguably Englands best ever under 21 strikerand working around players like Kanoute and Di Canio helped him to learn the mechanics of being a top strikerI can remember the impact he had at Bourmouth on loan at a very young ageand believe me West Ham new what they owned but could not keep himwhen he joined Spurs his first season produced 22goals.2006/07 he scored 18 times from 29 starts
Personally I believe the two best Managers in English football that understand a players ability in their role is Arsene Wenger and Harry Redknapp in that orderand as a West Ham supporter it hurts to admit thatboth managers along with Ferguson and Mourinho made approaches to sign Defoewith Redknapp succeeding
I will make a prediction.Redknapp will try and sign him once again.and only him from Portsmouthwe will see.
RF watch him for 90 minutesIMHO there is none better up front!!!

I think I would have gone with Fergie, we shall see what he achieves with Spurs, the bottom line is that he needs to score !.

RF.Spurs will end up paying 15mil..for Defoeas opposed to the 9mil they let him go for.Harry Redknapp was desperate to sign him but did not want to upset the pompey fansDefoe played the bad guythat commitment from Redknapp.who should have been the England managerconfirms to me what I already newDefoe is the best goalscorer England haveknock the ball forward into holes and Defoe will bend a run and beat the defendercut the ball back from wide positions and he drops offhe is a defenders nightmarepompey under Adams have slowed their style of playthey use the square ball or backwards and eventually when the opposition have gathered nine or ten players back and shut down they launch a long ball to Crouchsorry but that is no way to play with a Defoe in the teamcounter attack and pass forward at pace is Harrys gamein fact it works for Man Utd.ArsenalLiverpoolwho use to play the slow build up..Aston Villa.even Chelsea to a certain extent.so that would suggest being our top teamsthe correct method! Pity England dont try it?

I'm still doubting his killer instinct,....Ian Wright had it along with Gary Lineker, Ian Rush and a few others....we shall see !.

Tabasco

Your assertion that Defoe is a top scorer is not supported by fact, ie, how many goals he actually scores.

For the current season he has scored just 7 times, 2 of which have been penalties and lies in 18th palce in the Premiership top scorers list. Both Gerrard and Lampard have scored more from midfield.

2007-2008 Did not make the top 20
2006-2007 9th with 18 goals (behind Rooney and Lampard)
2005-2006 Did not make the top 20
2004-2005 3rd with 22 goals
2003-2004 Did not make the top 20
2002-2003 Did not make the top 20
2001-2002 19th with 14 goals (Beckham scored 16)
2000-2001 Did not make the top 20

Will have to wait and see if he can turn this poor record around during the remainder of this season, the stats seem to indicate he's not good enough and certainly not the best English forward of the current crop.