calum

Right up for this. Have I mentioned how much I like Mark van Bommel?

People just don't like tackling anymore. Gayz.

OK, so there was De Jong's "challenge", and Van Bommel's booking was a pretty heavy tackle (albeit not much worse than Puyol going through the back of Robben). Other than that, what seriously bad tackles were there? I can't think of anything out of the ordinary.

I'll be there.

Alan Hansen, you are a cunt. All the English pundits are. I've never heard so much disrespect towards beaten finalists.

He's also a gypsy who suffers from severe homesickness. Some boy.

Don't worry, Levein won't play 2 up front.

I think Lee Miller and Kenny Miller could be a very effective partnership. Lee Miller with the referees on his side would be unstoppable.

What is his job, exactly? As far as I can tell, his job consists of standing about while Alonso does both the ball-winning and the ball-playing, and being called "quietly effective" for it. Players like Busquets are a major pet hate of mine. Holding midfielders have become so fashionable these days that they get praise just for being holding midfielders, regardless of whether or not they're actually effective. He doesn't break up play particularly well (see Mascherano, Poulsen, etc.), he's not capable of dictating the play from deep (see Alonso), and he definitely can't do both those things at once (see De Rossi, Van Bommel, Schweinsteiger, Cambiasso). Holding midfielders have become so fashionable these days that they get praise just for being holding midfielders, regardless of whether or not they're actually effective. Anyway, back to my original point: Spain should play Marchena instead of Busquets - he's an absolute butcher when he plays in midfield. I enjoy that.

Disappointed that Germany are out. Can't complain about the result though; Spain were the better side on the night. What do you mean by 50%? Other than Torres, I don't think Spain have been out of sorts. They may be about 50% as exciting as they were at the Euros, but to my mind that's down to Del Bosque's tactics rather than players underperforming. It's very difficult for ball-players like Xavi and Alonso to show how good they are when the only movement in the team comes from Iniesta and Ramos. As a result, they've spent the majority of games slowly knocking the ball around the midfield with no real direction, and patiently waiting for the defence to panic and get sucked into the ball, or for Villa to do something special. For a team with so many star creative players, they've been unbelievably reliant on Villa. If Italy or Germany played the way Spain have - two holding players, crowded midfield, loads of possession for possession's sake - I reckon they would get slaughtered for being dull. I don't have a problem with Spain's style of play, but I don't think it's nearly as attractive or entertaining as people tend to make out.

If I was Del Bosque I would be tempted to find a way to drop Busquets. He contributes nothing, as far as I can tell. (Cue someone rushing in to explain to me that i just don't understand holding midfielders like Andy Gray does) This is true. When things go wrong it's invariably the fault of the nasty men who do things that aren't in the spirit of the game, like tackling. Anti-footballing bastards.

I find it funny listening to the English commentator whining about him. If England had an effective bastard like Van Bommel they would be a much, much better side.

I really like Considine. Unlike Diamond, he's actually learned from his mistakes and looks to have virtually eradicated the errors and poor decisions from his game. I struggle to think of a goal last season that he was badly at fault for. I actually disagree about him being strong in the air though. I think he should win a lot more headers than he does, considering his size, and I don't think he's ever going to be a dominant, ball-winning centre-back. What he has learned to be, though, is something that's much harder to find in Scottish football - a defender who uses his brain. He has the intelligence to hang back and make an over-aggressive idiot like Diamond look good, like he did for Ifil in the first half of last season.

I'm nae renewing until Magennis is gone. Fucking disgrace.

Sounds like it. I would've been doubtful anyway as I still have the ankles of an 80 year-old.

Why do good players never say outrageous things to people's mates?

Picture this... A Ghana player does exactly the same as Suarez did. Is anyone outraged?

I still think we've got the makings of a solid enough first XI: Langfield McArdle Diamond Considine Foster New signing New signing Fyvie Pawlett Aluko New signing Obviously those 3 new signings aren't going to be exciting, and they probably won't be of the supposed "calibre" of Mulgrew. We can't afford that, depressingly. Instead, McGhee should be looking to bring in players with a better mentality, who understand the way he wants the team to play. If he does that, while bringing on a few of the young guys, I think we'll see progress. Who knows, we might even achieve mediocrity.

Who could they sign that would persuade you to renew?

Well, I think it's a disgrace. I'm not sure why, but it's definitely a disgrace. I'm adding it to the "I'll Nae Be Back Until..." list.

Lucio wouldn't look much good if he didn't get to play alongside Samuel and Juan - players who live by the "crock of shit" adages in Gladstone's post.

Apologies for my non-performance tonight, lads. Both my ankles currently look like tits. Nef. C, your mate's chin/neck control was the funniest thing since Scorge's fall a couple of weeks back.

My ankles have flared up pretty badly since last week, but I should still be there. Might be even less mobile than usual though.

Vega's going to Ledley King it through the pain barrier. Champion.

I enjoyed that. Apologies for the hideously mistimed tackles.