The Footy Blog - All Comments

re: Attakora-Gyan wins CSA award

alex — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:29:51 GMT

Nice that Carver paid him the complement.

Now if only we could find him some more playing time ....

BTW the draft will be on mlsnet.com if everything else fails

re: The Tuesday Table

Bill Reddick — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:34:31 GMT

I didn't know Sharman was starring in The Unborn. Looks like him on the home page after a bender.

Cheers.

re: The Tuesday Table

Bill Reddick — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:06:27 GMT

I really don't have any problem with your list, Kristian. Good thought process on all the above. One I would wonder about is Di Michele (spelling?) at West Ham. Here is another case of teams bringing in talent and then not playing them on a regular basis. I say throw them in there especially after paying big bucks for them. Cheers.

re: The Tuesday Table

Craig2419 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:36 GMT

I can see Eduardo making a comeback, Saha not so much. Eduardo's injury is a one off, while Saha it is a monthly occurrance, no matter how long he is out recovering.

Malouda, it is hard to recover from a severe lack of talent.

I agree with the comments on Nugent, but has he been out of significant first team action for too long to make an impact?

Alan Smith building something towards being a player who can make a consistent impact, but has never really made it back from that horrific injury he suffered. Perhaps it is too late now.

re: The Footy Show Podcast (Jan 5, 2009)

Pompey_Canuck — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:31:46 GMT

Enjoyed the first show of 2009. Welcome back guys.

I think that Bridge to City has a chance of working out. But I would be worried if I were him, he went to Chelsea and wasn't there very long before Cashley Cole was brought in. Also Scott Parker is being talked for City. These are both players that were bought early on in Chelski period and then deemed surplus and now they are lined up for the same treatment at City, at least they are paid well...

I am sad to see Defoe go after less than 12 months, but on the other hand I don't really want someone who doesn't want to be at the club, and I was very disappointed to see him ask for a transfer and in fans leaving threats on his phone, both are classless moves.

I should add that I understand a player asking for a transfer when they have signed a contract and are healthy and not getting any games, but when you are a first team regular, back in the england squad, I don't see what he is unhappy about, which is why I think that his transfer request is a shit move.

With all of the talk about Boro not being a massive club, I remember how it stung when Pompey sold Yakubu to Boro for £8M. I remember thinking that we are competing against Boro and shouldn't sell them our best player. I understand the point about Spurs, but I think that this is a very risky move for Downing, there are a lot of highly touted underachieving players at Spurs, and if they don't produce in the second half of the season... All of the Spurs players will be branded as overrated and will find it hard to get the same money that they are on now.

I think that professional athletes should spend some time meeting the fans, and talking with them. I always liked that when Curbs was at Charlton he made sure his players knew the history of the club. I would hope that if players understood a little of the fans mentality then they would handle themselves better.

With the footballers being workers there is no comparison they live in an alternate world. Perhaps that during the close season they should pair up a player and a fan, and have the player live with the fan and see where they work etc, and then they can stop whining about needing that extra 5k a week.

I was really hoping that Forest Green would hold on against Derby that was my cupset pick on KJ's blog.

I can understand free tickets when the players don't make a lot, I myself benefited from getting free Calgary Storm tickets from the players allocation, but they were a part time team, why on earth players that make 100,000 a week need free tickets is beyond me.

Dunlop seemed to crave for a TFC DP rumour so I am going to start one. - Samuel Eto'o he seemed interested in playing in Uzbekistan during the summer, so that tells me that if TFC offer an absolutely ridiculous sum of money he would have no problem suiting up for TFC.

Spot the ball questions - which lower division side would you like to see in the FA Cup final?

What are the odds of a Pompey - Cardiff rematch in the final?

Which Canadian is most likely to end up in the Premier League during this transfer window?

re: Attakora-Gyan wins CSA award

TFC Fanatic — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:08:28 GMT

Congrats to Attakora. Does anybody know if the superdraft will be on TV in Canada this year?

re: Attakora-Gyan wins CSA award

Greg — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:02:47 GMT

He's a good player, possibly an in-house solution to the inevitable Wynne departure.

re: The Tuesday Table

Greg — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:00:54 GMT

Not a lot to argue about here....

I think Saha is crap though, he spends too much time flopping around on the ground & staring down the officials.

Kieron Dyer? Wishfull thinking I think.

Of the players that you mentioned, I think next to a healthy Eduardo, Benny McCarthy will have the best 2nd half. He's not the best player on that list, but he'll be given the most chances to succeed.

re: The Tuesday Table

Anthony Derbish — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:54:40 GMT

the only thing morten gampst pederson is good for is cool hair styles

re: The David Beckham Game

Greg — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:52:38 GMT

The Premiership game has passed Beck's by in his absence. He was never a great defender, but in the last 5 years or so we've seen more and more fullbacks play more of a wingback role. Becks would be sadly exposed by any team that has a Clichy, Bosignwa etc. who regularly make over-lapping runs with their winger.

Having said that Beckham can still cross the ball like few others can. I sat 25 feet or so away from him while he warmed up in the MLS All-Star game. Becks stood by the side line and the various strikers stood around the just outside the 18 yard box calling for the ball - at their feet, on their heads etc. and Becks didn't miss a single cross. The accuracy was unbelieveable.

I don't think I have to defend his set-piece play either - he's at least as good as half the deadball specialists in the Premiership.

Beckham also has an undenial untangible ability to make things happen and have things happen around him.

In the Prem today, an in-shape Becks (he'd have to work on that) would be a 65 minute player for mid-table or lower team, or a 25 minute super-sub for a top team.

There's (roughly) 500 players in the Premier League, so a top 100 list is a list of the top 20% of the league's players. I'm not convinced that Beckham belongs among the top 20% of the league, but there's probably a dozen teams in the league who would take him based solely on his tallent.

I guess I'd put him at 100 on my list :o)

re: The Tuesday Table

Nick — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:35:22 GMT

Tuncay Sanli is too good for Boro, that guy is absolute class. He would be a star on any of the big teams in Europe and would be a fan favourite too.

re: The Tuesday Table

Nick — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:32:46 GMT

I'm just watching the Spurs game and some things are apparent to me. Modric plays well in a 4-4-2, playing centrally with Zokora. This is bad news for Jenas and Huddlestone. Pavlyuchenko excels with a strike partner that is quick and makes runs off him like Frazier Campbell, but Defoe is in the same mold. I think this is really bad for Bent. Who cares about Downing, he is crap, Spurs would be better off keeping Bentley and what about Dos Santos? That kid is more skillfull and quicker.

re: The Tuesday Table

Pompey_Canuck — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:20:10 GMT

I too hope that Nugent turns into the player that he can be. When we bought him, I was shocked that he never seemed to get a chance to play. It was the same with Mbesuma, at least in that case I knew there were some off field issues. Why teams pay big money for a player and don't play them astounds me.

With that in mind I would suggest that Darren Bent (#98 on the list) deserves an honourable mention. As it looks like he or Pavlyuchenko will be on the way out in the summer and Spurs certain to take a big loss on which ever is sold.

I would list the entire Blackburn strike force along with Benny, they all have a chance to step up and make a name for themselves before Diouf and Davies show up at Bol.. I mean Blackburn.

I would move Alves down the chart a ways, I think that if Tuncay departs along with Downing that both he and Mido could be starved for service which will make their job even more difficult. However the fact that Mido has had a bit of a turnaround season could be the inspiration Alfonso needs, if it were me I would tell him each week that it the last game of the season, as he was magic against City at the end of last season.

re: The David Beckham Game

Anthony Derbish — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:57:32 GMT

im sick of all this focus on david beckham.....hes terrible. he has no legs... hes at milan to sell shirts

re: Attakora-Gyan wins CSA award

Lucky Strike — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:29:28 GMT

I'm glad for him, he deserved it by putting in some fine performances last year, though they were few. Along with Abdus Ibrahim and Johann Smith, he's our best young player.