spacemonkey

Highlights are up on the FA site incl. interview with Borrell and "the number 10" as he was called throughout by his manager. Note Tom Ince with the Rafa celebration after the 5th goal. Link

We're circumventing the broadcasting rules by using an elaborate sequence of mirrors instead. Couldn't have afforded that big telly anyway.

Found a couple of interviews with her and she seems eminently sensible to me. Couple of choice quotes: Business advice to share: I have found that if you do what you say you can do, you will succeed, especially in a place like Texas. Or, as Mr. Hicks likes to say: Under-promise and over-deliver. Mentors: Mother taught me that there is no mess too big to clean up. Link 1 Link 2

Except that he didn't. Not really particularly keen to defend the guy but in this instance, he's agreed to talk to the fella off TLW who then wrote up his recollection of that conversation which hardly looked like it was 100% word for word. That's fine because it was meant to be read in its entirety by fans on that forum and others but it's not really the sort of thing which the Guardian should be taking quotes from out of context. Because of that context, the passage in question hardly caused much reaction on here when the whole interview was linked. I, like most others I think, paid more attention to the fact that Gillett seemed awfully quick to put blame on his partner, including for the spade in the ground comments which I can only ever remember hearing from Gillett himself, and then also the strange reaction that he had to the question as to why the two of them didn't just fund the stadium themselves, sort of sending confused signals to the effect that on the one hand sensible investment isn't done that way but on the other hand his "I'm not going to get into that" suggests he'd be happy to do it but his partner... Ok sod it - he's not very classy, no.

This content is not viewable to guests.,This content is not viewable to guests.

So could our assembled economists explain to me how market value applies to a transaction which involves two parties who agree a price and then a third, the player, who unlike a bag of crisps actually has a pretty significant say in whether the transaction happens and with whom? Not very clearly, I would imagine.

Sylvie VDV has announced she's going ahead as judge on Germany's next superstar or whatever they call it so she seems to be taking a pretty positive attitude. VDV himself has said he does not want to go back to Holland yet and wants to play in England, Spain, Italy or Germany. He'd be interested in returning to Hamburg but he has other options. He doesn't expect a transfer imminently because the interested clubs are waiting for Real to lower the price. Hamburg, for their part, said they were interested in him earlier in the summer but they've spent all the money they had now so can't afford him - unless of course Real give him away for free as FIFPro are demanding. If they do that, I'd be interested. He may not be worth silly money but he's better than some are making out.

Or maybe he heard Christian Purslow.

This content is not viewable to guests.,This content is not viewable to guests.

Sorry, my mistake. I'm sure it had nothing to do with racism. Granted, you don't see it done to white players but I guess that's just because black folk have bad breath eh? All the while, you've got 22 blokes running around presumably stinking of sweat but this one guy has bad breath and Hughes figures he'll just let him know - how noble of him. And disappointed if one of ours has been doing this recently too but it wouldn't be a first. linky

Aquilani Stats 9 goals in 102 league appearances for Roma over 5 seasons. That's 2 a year if you're lucky. No more of a goal threat than Xabi (15 in 138) really is he? The real question for me though is who's going to get the oppo players sent off this season.

Watched the last half hour of last night's return leg. He didn't have a single shot to save. Until about four minutes into injury time when the Lisbon goalkeeper headed the ball into a Twente defender's back from which another Twente player proceeded to hook it into his own net to put them out of the competition. No chance for Mihaylov.

Just saw the highlights of the Notts County game last week. That bit where Hughes is waving his hand in front of his nose when Mavinga squared up to him - did I completely misinterpret that or do officials turn a blind eye to racism when it's a friendly? On a more positive note, good to see Ayala clatter him in the second half with that beautifully timed challenge. Saric also looked lively when he came on - be interesting to see more of him.

I nearly switched off it was that annoying. I bet he's rubbish at warm-ups too.

I'm not sure that Fabio's injury, if confirmed, would in itself put a stop to Dossena's departure. If Juve bid, he'll surely be off. If the Distin speculation is accurate, he could fill in at left-back as well as in the middle and wasn't Agger also mentioning a couple of weeks ago that he has played left-back in the past and could play there again? Add to that we've got the promising Buchtmann coming through behind Insua. Still only 17 but looks almost as good as Spearing already

How about: ---------------Sander Babbel----Agger--Hyypia----Riise Kuyt----Hamann--Molby----Babel ---------Litmanen--Riedle

In terms of the woodwork, Stevie hit the post today as well so I believe that makes it 30 for the season. More "fun facts": Sauce

This content is not viewable to guests.,This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.,This content is not viewable to guests.

An alternative view on it all: Mad article

Indifferent start but cranking it up nicely as the half wore on. More evidence of the league's corrupt officials with two offside decisions going the way of the team in red.

Should be a Geordie.

To be fair, I'd have felt hard done by if a pen had been given against us for a handball like that. Neither of them knew much about it, ball to hand for me. The Rooney one - could definitely have got a card for that.

This content is not viewable to guests.,This content is not viewable to guests.

Doesn't seem like Stevie himself would be too staggered: "We will have to wait and see about management but I certainly want to get my qualifications to enable me to coach and manage. Then I will have to decide what I want to do." "Whether I will be interested in the Gary Ablett (reserve coach) type role, the Sammy Lee (assistant manager) role or the Rafa Benitez role, I do not know." "I just want to get all my badges and then we will see” link