Football 2010-2011

[TheGayTent]

Aguero has asked to leave Atletico Madrid.

[eFestivals]

Although you'd assume his missus has known about it for ages.

Yup - but if that was the case I can't understand why he'd have tried as hard as he did to get it hushed up, when the result was always going to be that it got far more publicity than it otherwise would have done.

[The Nal]

So Athletico got him to sign a new contract to guarantee a bigger transfer fee...?

[strummer77]

Could be yeah. Very poor from Atletico if thats the case. Thats a bit of a transfer no no. Although its done a lot of course.

[harderfaster]

anybody got a testimonial stream?

[pink_triangle]

So David Beckham the "top professional" misses a game for his club to play in a testimonial match the other side of the world!

[chappiepunk]

3-0 Barca, this is what I hope happens anyway.

[Kyelo]

3-0 Barca, this is what I hope happens anyway.

[eFestivals]

I've just been to the shop and saw that one of the papers has a front page saying something like "Giggs's wife ditches wedding ring".

Assuming that's true, I can't really believe she lives in such a bubble that the naming of Giggs in the House of Commons the other day was any surprise to her. So I guess her issue is the embarrassment factor and not the act itself, which I find a bit odd.

[jump]

I've just been to the shop and saw that one of the papers has a front page saying something like "Giggs's wife ditches wedding ring".

Assuming that's true, I can't really believe she lives in such a bubble that the naming of Giggs in the House of Commons the other day was any surprise to her. So I guess her issue is the embarrassment factor and not the act itself, which I find a bit odd.

[Banana Co]

I'm hoping that it will be 4-4, extra time= 5-5 and then united win on penalties.

[eFestivals]

Maybe she took it off a while ago and the papers have only just realised or allowed to report it now.

ahhh, could be. That hadn't occurred to me.

Anyway, his appearance last night gets to show that he's not going to let it effect his desire to play football, and while I didn't think it was too likely that it would, a part of me thought that it might.

[The Nal]

So David Beckham the "top professional" misses a game for his club to play in a testimonial match the other side of the world!

[eFestivals]

I'm hoping that it will be 4-4, extra time= 5-5 and then united win on penalties.

Do flying pigs make good bacon?

I reckon that Linekar has it about right - that a Utd win will need Barca to have an off-day or for Utd to get lucky.

[The Nal]

I reckon that Linekar has it about right - that a Utd win will need Barca to have an off-day or for Utd to get lucky.

[eFestivals]

I never had a doubt. Hes been playing all the way through it up to now anyway.

yeah, I realise that, as well as the fact that he's had far more of a spotlight on him (via 'football' [] interviews) during the time it was legally hushed up than's normally the case.

But things of course changed some with it all being fully public, and given the efforts he'd made to try and keep it hushed up it was clearly very important to him to try and keep it hushed up.

That, along with him missing training yesterday on what was (from Utd's point of view) one of the most important training sessions of the season, with it being an 'open day' and all those ex-Utd stars being present too, suggested that perhaps his attitude towards the game had changed along with the change in things being hushed up.

As I've said, I didn't think him hiding away was a huge possibility, but I did think it was possible (particularly after he missed training yesterday). I'm glad to see that he's not hiding.

[eFestivals]

Good start/early goal from Utd and its a different story.

my thoughts are just about the opposite of that - that Utd's best chance probably comes from a late goal and not an early one.

We all know how strong Utd are right thru the game, whereas Barca definitely seem to slow up towards the end. So as long as Barca aren't streets ahead by around 75 minutes then I reckon there's a half-decent chance of a game-changing end to the match.

And even if Barca were to go three nil up I wouldn't say it's over for Utd, purely because they have that "we refuse to accept we're beaten" mentality. But I would say that needing three goals in the last 15 minutes would probably be a step too far for them.

[The Nal]

yeah, I realise that, as well as the fact that he's had far more of a spotlight on him (via 'football' [] interviews) during the time it was legally hushed up than's normally the case.

But things of course changed some with it all being fully public, and given the efforts he'd made to try and keep it hushed up it was clearly very important to him to try and keep it hushed up.

That, along with him missing training yesterday on what was (from Utd's point of view) one of the most important training sessions of the season, with it being an 'open day' and all those ex-Utd stars being present too, suggested that perhaps his attitude towards the game had changed along with the change in things being hushed up.

As I've said, I didn't think him hiding away was a huge possibility, but I did think it was possible (particularly after he missed training yesterday). I'm glad to see that he's not hiding.

[harderfaster]

He didnt miss training yesterday. He only missed the bit the media were there for, a half hour or so. He turned up after that. He wouldnt have trained a full session anyway with the match last night.

[The Nal]

think the media were making a story out of nothing.

[jump]

Fergie has banned a journalist becuase he asked about Giggs. He'll end up banning all of the media if this carries on.

[pink_triangle]

Fergie has banned a journalist becuase he asked about Giggs. He'll end up banning all of the media if this carries on.

[jump]

I didnt think fergie had the authority to ban journalists from champions league press conferences?

[pink_triangle]

I think he means just their press conference.

To be honest it wasn't a nasty question aimed at Giggs' injuction, it just the guy saying Giggs in the most experienced CL player they have and how important he is for the match. It might of been an attempt to get some sought of soundbite from him about Giggs but it's pretty much the same standard boring questions that gets asked all the time.

[Ed209]

I may be wrong but I would think all man utd press conferences between now and saturday would be considered champions league press conferences and that man utd have no say about which journalist are allowed in.