Football 2010/11 part 2

I find people's desire to have a go at these young men pretty disappointing.  Anyone who finds it surprising that footballers swear should spend time in any all male working class environment. Extra semantic kinetics are part of the culture. Rooney is clearly the kind of guy who gets worked up about what he does, which is part of the reason he does it so well.

It really isn't the player's fault that they get paid such ridiculous amounts of money. We should all just get over that and accept that they're ordinary, inexperienced, human beings whose lives are subject to the kind of public scrutiny from which few could be confident of emerging unscathed.

Don't think it's a class thing; there is swearing in golf and tennis - usually punished by fine, and people tend to forget Rugby League when they mention rugby being an example football should follow. Those playing with the oval ball are just better trained monkeys; they've learnt that surrounding and/or swearing at the referee is pointless because the official will take action. Football referees are their own worst enemy; FA campaigns come and go, but the officials have had the power to deal with the matter from the start. Some time ago a caller to Radio 5 recounted how zero tolerance had been implemented at a youth tournament. Players got sent off in the first few games, but towards the end, the lesson had been learnt. Footballers would change their behaviour within ten games, and if along the way some games are abandoned, so be it - done and dusted.

If the FA felt Rooney couldn't escape free of charge, they could have been more constructive; fined him two weeks wages - one half to a football project in Manchester and the other half to one in London (MUvWHU) - required him to visit the schemes, and if they had to include a ban element - suspended two match ban.

Cheers,

OW

I do think it's a class thing to an extent. A lot of the language people use when slagging off footballers - oiks, chavs etc - are the same words middle class people would use when slagging off the working class in general. And of course people from every walk of life swear, but I'd have to say that some of the guys I've worked with on sites and in warehouses would definitely take the honours in that department!

Of course you're right when you say that a consistent approach by the FA could sort it out. Fat chance of that though. 

I was looking at those doing the swearing but as you mention, the slagging off does have a class bent with the media as cheerleader; you wouldn't know swearing goes on in other sport from the recent coverage - rugby union, golf and tennis ,generally seen as middle/upper class, are held as paragons of good behaviour, whilst rugby league, viewed as the working class code, is forgotten.

Cheers,

OW

QPR getting beaten by S****horpe! Again! 3-1!

Promotion won't be happening this week, then!

4!!!!!

A lucky day for the league as Crawley Town FC join League 2.

Stop swearing. 

I see they are giving away MUFC radios, the bass and middle are great but the treble is completely shot!

Yes, the project was canned; they didn't want to end up spending GBP 50 million on something that doesn't work.

Another Ferguson selection screw-up.

Cheers,

OW

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13174445.stm

Campione, campione, ole ole ole!

Ferguson deserved that - too negative. Also, he has to decide between his Hernandez obsession and the league title.

Cheers,

OW

Prophetic utterance I fear, though for a different reason.  On today's Today Programme, 10pt+ deduction predicted by former FA CEO for transfer irregularities earlier in the season.

We shall wait and see. The FA were distancing themselves last week from claims that a points deduction had already been decided upon.

Legal action by at least one team isn't out and may be why the FA buried it's head in the sand - yet again they have managed to create a mess.

Champions League:

The winner of the other tie better sacrifice some goats to get a referee with balls.

Cheers,

OW

They think it's all over.......it is now!

No points deduction for QPR. Confirmed as promoted to the Premier League and as champions!

Phew!

That seemed a lot of hot air over nothing. OK they were guilty but no punishment?

Are we sure it's not the Ferrari management in charge of QPR? It seems like the same sort of result!

If it works, it works, Howard!

I'll not complain, although I'm sure others will.

Arsenal added another embarrassment and Chelsea blew it today, ManU is walking away with the title.

I thought United looked unstoppable today. Chelsea were lucky it wasn't 4 or 5. They have been on a slow burn this season and are coming good at the right time, with Valencia coming back on fire and Rooney back to his best. Hernandez looks a bargain too. I still think that they will not have enough to beat Barcelona, though, but then again, who does? United have the attacking threat but will be overrun in midfield, I think.

Thought Hernandez was on too long; replacing him in the last half hour with someone better at holding and passing the ball - Berbatov/midfielder - would have helped.

Manchester United need at least four things in the Barcelona game:

1 Their legs not giving way like they did in 2009,

2 They get tight enough to the Barcelona players who don't have the ball; didn't against Arsenal recently and did a lot of running for nothing - by the time they closed down, the ball had moved on,

3 Take their chances, and

4 A referee who doesn't fall for Barcelona's antics.

Number four doesn't look likely.

Chelsea; revolving door and owner picked players - not sure how true this is - isn't a great choice.

Chillkram;  congratulations re the football. The other stuff? I don't know the true ins and outs, but the time taken seems to be another FA joke. Will the New Year's Day fixture be at Old Trafford?

Cheers,

OW

As my son said on FB:-

Sepp Blatter congratulates Sepp Blatter on beating Sepp Blatter to become president of FIFA in a close-run race against Sepp Blatter.

Yes congratulations to Sepp - he just had a bit of bad press, but he is a nice dude really and was quick to answer when asked about his favourite Qatar player - why Eric Clapton, he said. I think FIFA is in the best hands it could be ... he should have been in charge of the London 2012 tickets (or was he).