Gladstone

Ref was shit, keeper was a bit shit, Olic was shit, Neymar was a bit of a minky cheat, Oscar was fucking amazing.

Out of all the players that graced the pitch last night, Oscar is the only one who might get on the Belgium bench.

I was kind of rooting for Brazil early on, but as soon as Neymar stuck the elbow in, I wanted Croatia to win.  You saw the look in his eye just before he did it - should have seen red for that one, but then went on to score two goals.  The penalty shouldn't have been a penalty and the chopped off goal?  Well, Olic did put an arm on the keeper but if he'd challenged like that anywhere else on the pitch, it would have been a good leap and good win, but keepers get masses of protection as we know.  Olic should have watched the video of John Sutton to learn how to do it in a more subtle fashion...

Olic was frustrating the fuck out of me.  He just kept making the wrong choices and his crossing was terrible.

Oscar, by contrast was brilliant.  He was pulling crosses out of nowhere.  In the first half, I kept thinking he was being lazy by not going past the defender but almost every time the cross was dangerous as fuck.  Once he got going though, he was terrorising the full back.  I didn't watch for long enough after the final whistle, but I hope Oscar got man of the match and not Neymar.

Incredible acting.  A Hollywood career beckons for Beckham.

This season's Aberdeen top is a thing of beauty like. Might have to splash out on it this year, as the Newcastle top will inevitably be terrible.

Mainly because it will be filled with Newcastle players every week.

So - are you from out Mintlaw way?  Don't worry, I have zero connections to Saplin Brae, so you fucking them around makes no difference to my life.  I was just curious!

Saplin Brae?

ABERDEEN MUSIC WORLD CUP 2014 EPIC BATTLE FOR HONOUR AND SUPREMACY

GROUP A

Brazil [MILNER]

Croatia [CAMIE]

Mexico [SKACEL]

Cameroon [DELBOY1969]

GROUP B

Spain [KARMATSUNAMI]

Netherlands [MOOSE]

Chile [JODA SERK]

Australia [-MATTHEW-]

GROUP C

Colombia [MR OWL PHD]

Greece [GYPSYM_FANTASTIC]

Ivory Coast [GIVEMEASMILE]

Japan [LUCKY RATHEN]

GROUP D

Uruguay [ADAM EASY WISHES]

Costa Rica [OLD GOLD]

England [WOODSINHO]

Italy [MURR]

GROUP E

Switzerland [MATTJIMF]

Ecuador [ALKALINE]

France [CHRIS]

Honduras [WALTZ]

GROUP F

Argentina [PARANOID ANDROID]

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Iran [GHOST OF FUDGE]

Nigeria [SURFER_ROSA]

GROUP G

Germany [CAPTAIN AMERICA]

Portugal [CA_GERE]

Ghana [KSJ81]

USA [NEEPHEID]

GROUP H

Belgium [GLADSTONE]

Algeria

Russia [JAN]

Korea Republic [SCOTTYBOY]

Any last minute takers for Australia, Bosnia & Herzegovina or Algeria...?

I would only advise taking Algeria if you're well-equipped to deal with humiliation at the hands of the Belgians.

ABERDEEN MUSIC WORLD CUP 2014 EPIC BATTLE FOR HONOUR AND SUPREMACY

GROUP A

Brazil [MILNER]

Croatia [CAMIE]

Mexico [SKACEL]

Cameroon [DELBOY1969]

GROUP B

Spain [KARMATSUNAMI]

Netherlands [MOOSE]

Chile [JODA SERK]

Australia

GROUP C

Colombia [MR OWL PHD]

Greece [GYPSYM_FANTASTIC]

Ivory Coast [GIVEMEASMILE]

Japan [LUCKY RATHEN]

GROUP D

Uruguay [ADAM EASY WISHES]

Costa Rica [OLD GOLD]

England [WOODSINHO]

Italy [MURR]

GROUP E

Switzerland [MATTJIMF]

Ecuador [ALKALINE]

France [CHRIS]

Honduras [WALTZ]

GROUP F

Argentina [PARANOID ANDROID]

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Iran [GHOST OF FUDGE]

Nigeria [SURFER_ROSA]

GROUP G

Germany [CAPTAIN AMERICA]

Portugal [CA_GERE]

Ghana [KSJ81]

USA [NEEPHEID]

GROUP H

Belgium [GLADSTONE]

Algeria

Russia [JAN]

Korea Republic [SCOTTYBOY]

That goal for South Africa kicked off our singer's stag weekend.  I think we saw it in a train station.  It was glorious.

I distinctly remember watching the England vs USA match with the stag dressed as a baby.

I care even less now, I drew Italy in the work sweepstake today lol!

Guess I am sticking with the Aussies, not expecting too much of them mind so anything is a bonus!

I was only fucking with you in the hope you'd post a video of a Milla celebration...

Cameroon can be yours if you still want them?

These guys were behind a PERMANENT white line and look what happened:

Haha - fair enough.  I just imagined that it wouldn't get used properly.  I.e. just as the free-kick was being struck, players would step over the line etc. anyway.  I guess I imagined additional unnecessary fucking about, disrupting the game etc.

And this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27782669

Fucking hell.

Referees are going to be armed with a tin of vanishing spray to mark where the ball should be placed for free-kicks and to then mark a line where the defensive wall needs to stand behind.  Am I the only one who finds this mildly ridiculous?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27793494

Posting that, not for the article, which is just Phil Neville almost greetin' because some folk are slagging off his mate, but for the Pat Nevin video embedded within the article.  Quite an interesting insight.

I'm almost certain Rooney will start against Italy because Hodgson won't go into the opener without the biggest name in his squad, but Rooney really hasn't done it at a world cup yet.  I'd like to see Rooney live up to his early hype at a major tournament and rip it up.  Not sure if it will happen though.

...And that is why at the FIFA World Cup closing dinner they serve gherkins in replica Jules Rimet trophies.

All that tells me is you were using Google to aid your answers to the World Cup Quiz.

Same old Uruguay, always cheating.

9 out of 30.

Guess, guess, guess, guess, oh, I think I know this one, guess, guess, guess, etc.

I knew the 3rd placed one though.  And I knew the name of the dog that found the Jules Rimet.  Yas.

So...new kits for this season.

 

Celtic, have gone for this:

 

 

Whereas, Rangers have gone for this:

 

 

NOT POLITICAL AT ALL MATE.

 

The OF, as always, are laughable.

That is remarkable.

Just one day to go people, excited hell yeah!

 

England's opening game is on the BBC, historically England usually do better when on the beeb and yes am clutching at straws!  sadly the opening game and ceremony is on ITV, they really should never be allowed anywhere near football matches!

Why do you care what England do, Bruce?

It is, of course, all about the benjamins.

Ugh, it was horrible for running yesterday. Had to push myself for the last five minutes of my run. I went out after the rain thinking it would have cooled off but it was really stuffy. Probably swallowed about five midges as well. 

 

25 minute run tomorrow! Yay.

Extra nutrition to keep you going...

Good luck with the 25 minute run!  How many weeks are you into the C25k programme now?

Firstly - well done MM.  Keep at it.  Slow and steady is the way to go.

Fraserburgh 10k for me yesterday.  Was very confident of going sub 40 following on from the sub 40 track race the previous weekend.

It was very very hot though.  20 degrees at least and I ended up finishing in 40:22.  The conditions were pretty tough and it was reflected in others' finishing times.  At least 3 that I know of that are sub 40 runners normally finished behind me, so I know I managed a good run.  Finished 18th overall (out of 200+), which I'm also pleased with!  First top 20 10k finish.

Next race will be the Peterhead 5k on 29th June.  Probably trying to get the 5k time down to about 19 minutes I think.

Yeah I watched the England Honduras game the other night; also thought that England looked better after replacing Rooney/Gerrard with Wilshere/Barkley.

 

 

If Roy Hodgson is serious about challenging for the World Cup then he has to look at the players who will actually win matches, as opposed to manipulating his squad to accomodate the 'bigger' players. This Rooney playing on the left hand side is a load of pish, especially when Oxlaide Chamberlain, Sterling and Welbeck are all available. I know Barkley is still a bit raw at this level but I honestly think that he should get a start ahead of Rooney against Italy due to his level of energy. Maybe Sturridge should get dropped because of poor finishing and have Rooney play up top, but either way I think over the two friendlies Ross Barkley has done enough to show that he should be starting.

 

What I have suggested above will never happen though; even if Barkley was to make an impact as a substitute and essentially win the game himself he probably still wouldn't start the next match.

I fully expect the same old pish from England.

It's been the same since the Eriksson days.  Crowbar in all the big names, regardless of where they normally play / balance etc.  That's not how to win football matches.  The main problem that England have is that they have far too many "stars" due to the hype they receive from playing in the PL.  Most of them are just "stars" by name too and don't come anywhere near the hype that follows them.

Very good players, but barely anything like world class.  The managers then do their best to play all of the so-called "stars" which bollocks up any balance the team could have.  All to accommodate some very good players (but not absolutely amazing players).

I haven't seen the England friendlies, so my assessment is judged on the comments in this thread.  That's pretty failsafe, right?

I agree.

The worst thing about that is trying to be all 'lad' / macho or whatever but dropping in cider as an alternative to beer. When has cider ever been manly?

I just cant understand anyone expecting a treble every season ontop of getting out of the CL group stages. Especially for a club like Celtic, just getting to the groups is a huge achievement from their starting position. 

As a Dons fan, you understand that.

Some Celtic fans expect far more than they should.

I can remember my Dad (deluded as fuck when it comes to Celtic and Liverpool...) last year saying something along the lines of:

"Aye, they could definitely get second in the CL group.  All they need to do is beat Ajax home and away, beat Milan at home and anything from Barcelona at home or Milan away, and they'll be through."

He actually said that.  And meant it.  He was genuinely looking at Ajax as a given 6 points.  I tried to reason with him that they'd do well to beat Ajax at home and get anything at all from the rest of the games.  Guess who was right...

Celtic have done outstandingly well in recent years in Europe and recorded some incredible victories and that unbeaten run at home in Europe was ridiculous.  The problem with that is that an awful lot of Celtic fans still see all home games as 3 points.  My Dad probably said something like "We've beaten Milan and Barcelona at home before."  Sorry, Dad, you're right.  18 points awaits.