Alphas

I'm throwing in the Turtle Rap by Vanilla Ice.

Brazil will be the obvious choice I guess, Spain have a fantastic squad as well so if they gel then they'll be very difficult to beat. If the Dutch get going they have the attacking players to beat anyone, not too sure how their defence will cope with world class strikers though. They should just go on the "if you score three, we'll score four" basis. I also hope Italy and Australia get drawn together, that could be a tasty game after the last WC. I really think England have a fantastic chance this time, basically because of Capello. Looks like he is banning the WAGs from travelling and staying with the team and if he can shield his players from the media (which I reckon he will) then they have a great shout. They have a decent squad so have the quality to beat anyone on their day. The key in preperation for England will be metatarsals. Protect the player's metatarsals in the months leading up to the WC and there won't be any Beckham or Rooney like situations about whether to play anyone without any decent match practice...this managerial thing is a fucking lark!

Just watched an interview with Roy Keane where he is slagging off the FAI. Basically, he is accusing them of double standards about how they are speaking about honesty and integrity in the game when he got no support when he was sent home at the 2002 World Cup. Fuck me, get over it. He is complaining about how nobody had the decency to call him when he was kicked out...shouldn't have called the manager an English cunt I guess.

How are the seedings for the groups decided? Aren't Holland third or fourth ranked team in the world? Seems a bit odd that they are in pot 2 if that is the case. As for the seedings for the play-offs, what a total farce. A case of Sepp Blatter ensuring all the big guns get to the finals to improve the spectacle of the occasion. If they have struggled to qualify automatically then they should have to go to a luck of the draw rather than remove half the teams that have the best chance of knocking them out.

I liked this guys reaction just after he kicks the ball. Hands in pockets, shuffling around awkwardly, uncomfortable look on his face and then BANG...quarter of a million pounds! Good for him.

While we are on the subject... Just saw the back of the EE, its got an article with Gordon Smith saying that Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor may get back into the national set-up. The next manager has a free hand to pick whoever he wants. I reckon this is a fucking joke. While I'm all up for the best players representing Scotland, what message does this send out? "OK players, disrespect your manager and let everyone down but we'll let you back in after a while." Why can't any footballing authority stick to the punishments they hand out? The Eduardo debacle is a good example of that. McGregor is a decent keeper but I'm not even sure Ferguson is good enough to get back. However, the SFA should stand by their decision regardless of whether they'd get picked.

If Jimmy gets the job, do you think he'll give his son a game like he did with the Dons?!

Walter Smith gets my vote. Whilst his previous stint was a bit too shortlived, he did a good job last time. The players seemed to respect him (something Burley didn't have) and I the Rangers job was probably the only one that would have tempted him away last time and that wouldn't happen for a second time the state they are in just now. Craig Levein is really proving his worth at Utd but my concern would be how long he'd stay in the job. He is still a young manager and while I think he'd be a success, I reckon he'd miss the day to day management of a club and would look to get back to that. Jim Jefferies is a mystery to me. A steady enough club manager but he has lived off of a couple of decent seasons at Hearts about a decade ago. The two biggest "Why?!?" questions in football are the North Atlantic League and Jim Jefferies for Scotland. Really, just why?!

Not many people know this but Shaki used to be Angus the Bull, all of a sudden a man dressed as a cow seems a better option as manager after Saturday's display! Back to footballing matters, I'd actually go with McManus if he was paired with someone else at the back. He hasn't been too good of late but there really isn't many more players to turn to at centre half so I reckon him and Berra would be my first choice at the back. I reckon Kyle may be worth watching for more appearances. He was shite under Vogts but seems to have his career going in the right direction. Not a bad target man and he is scoring plenty of goals just now. Him and Faddy may complement each other up front.

Another thing that confuses me about Scottish football is that we don't play to the strengths we have. We're not a nation blessed with talent but if we do have any shining lights we never use them. Faddy got thrown out wide on Saturday and subbed early on in the 2nd half. He's our main attacking threat and a match winner on his day so I would have thought our attacking strategy would be to get him through the middle with the intention of supplying him the ball and running at the defenders. This isn't necessarily just a national team issue either. Kris Boyd is a prime example. His workrate is poor but he is a 30 a season striker and the best Scottish penalty box striker for a long time yet he struggles to hold down a first team place at Rangers and is often second to Kenny Miller. In times gone by he'd be the first name on the team sheet with the team playing to get the ball in the box for him to score off of. Instead, a natural goalscorer is sacrificed for a player who runs around a lot but controls the ball as far as I can kick it. Ach, what do I care...I hate the huns I do.

Totally agree. The SFA just seem like a shambles of an organisation. Burley mentioned himself suggested that he needs support from the men above him after he kept his job after the Holland game. Gordon Smith doesn't offer much to be confident about and George Peat having to issue apologies for things he says in the media is amateur stuff. Whoever is in charge I just hope there are changes within the team. Caldwell, Kenny Miller and McManus don't offer much and are liabilities at times. McManus and Caldwell have the turning circles of tankers in the North Sea and Miller has no eye for goal at all and a terrible first touch. I guess what may save the centre halves is, other than Berra, there aren't really any experienced defenders to come in.

Mike McCurry was refereeing the game.

I think what makes Cole such an attacking threat are his runs from deep areas of the pitch and overlapping the midfielders to get forward and give them options. Similar to Evra and Clichy in the EPL and how Cafu and Roberto Carlos used to play for Brazil. I'm not so sure he'd be as effective playing as a winger having to collect the ball and make his runs from the final third of the pitch to take on the full back. But all the points Carrots Gladstone made above are pretty close, in particular the moaning one...especially the moaning one in fact. I will always regard him as a twat for the Mike Riley incident when he wouldn't face the ref when he was getting booked.

Good point, that is true. I think the other clubs saw the pound signs and went with that rather than security that the other deals offered.

I think it is a different Sky box that they have that enables them to pick up foreign channels.

A few pubs around town do this. It's bloody brilliant sitting in a drinker with a different game on each TV. They seem to be on Turkish or middle east channels.

That would be like when the rest of the SPL teams handed in their resignations and were going to form a breakaway league without the Old Firm. Something to do with changing the SPL voting system as they fucked up a TV deal to start their own channels. Hopefully that will be the end of it now and they'll focus some effort into trying to improve the Scottish game. I dare say we haven't heard the end of a move away though.

Hadn't listened to Springsteen for freakin' ages but bought The Rising earlier this year, what an album. Waitin' On A Sunny Day is now probably one of my favourite songs of his. Fair to say I listen to him a hell of a lot more now.

I reckon they would have been on their best behaviour last night because the huns caused trouble so the bragging rights go to Celtic. That's what I'd do anyway!

Riceboy Sleeps, an album written and recorded by the Sigur Ros singer Jonsi. Sounds a bit like, erm, well, Sigur Ros really. However, this is a good thing. Very ambient and stripped back.

Not a pub but Wannaburger are the fucking nuts. The burgers are milkshakes are fantastic. There is one up on the Royal Mile, just opposite the Fringe shop, and there are plenty of good pubs close by for pints after.

Martin Bain has said the the organisation at the ground was poor the the police were over-zealous. A great reason to rip out seats and throw them.

I hope Lloyds follow Mike Ashley's lead and sell the naming rights to Ibrox, you could have a field day with that. Shower of Cunts @ Ibrox Stadium seems appropriate.

I thought the Murray challenge was an excellent tackle. What if he goes in half hearted because "ach, he's only 16" but doesn't take the ball and then Fyvie gets away from him as well. Does he really want John Hughes screaming him down for that?! Most good defenders will go for the ball but will take the player as well for extra measure, partly so they can't get away from you if the ball breaks their way and partly to remind them your still in the game. Watching the highlights, I thought the ref was way to quick to go for his cards. The second tackle by Ross was just clumsy rather than malicious and even the Hibs players were telling Maguire he was unlucky with his second foul. Maybe a more experienced ref might have recognised who had made the foul and had a word with them to say that they are treading a fine line now. Bebo's first challenge on Riordon was just stupid though. That said, the highlights maybe don't show the whole story as they could have both been on last warnings for persistent fouling. So to summarise, the Dons have over-reacted but the ref is still a cunt.

I reckon Maguire could turn into a decent player if he had a bit of determination and graft to him. He has a first touch and good technique but gives up way to easily. One of my pals hates him for the reason that "he runs like a fucking pansy", a bit harsh perhaps! Fortunately determination is something he can learn though but it is something he has got to realise himself and start getting stuck in.