Not a bad shout. I did like Berba, and whatever he was like on the pitch, he was a cult figure and I'm glad he played for us! It stays for now!
I was just thinking the same thing, yesterday. For all the frustration we felt at his attitude and apparent lack of effort, he was almost certainly one of the top five players ever to lace up a pair of boots for Fulham, among the likes of The Maestro and George Best if you ask me. So while it wasn't the perfect marriage, more of a fling really, it was good for us to have him.
I've been going to Fulham since the '60's and Berbatov was the most technically skilled footballer I have ever seen at the Cottage. George Best is close, very close, but probably not quite there and The Maestro was playing in a different era with different technology. Even Berba wouldn't have been able to do some of those flicks with the boots and ball The Maestro used to have to make do with.
One of our 'old' boys got a goal in his debut game tonight - [video=youtube;1oy4sa2O22Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=1oy4sa2O22Q[/video]
Since Senderos joined Valencia, they have beaten Barca and won 5-0. Now Adel does this. We must be cursed.
They've both found their level, I think. Taraabt is slow and technical, so is Serie A. In La Liga you can afford to dither and pass nonchalantly out of defence, and so can Big Phil.
Took up your suggestion Captain, and sneaked into W H Smith's at the weekend for a naughty read. Very enjoyable and especially liked the section about the 'neutral end'. PS Remember you saying last year that things had been difficult work wise. However you mentioned in a post on 'Transfer Friday' that you were stuck on-line instead of going to Southampton as originally planned, and I hope that means things have changed for the better.
Interesting... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26120147 I'd like to draw your attention to one particular soundbite from ol' 'arry; Does 'arry play by different rules to everyone else?
The one thing I can't stand in football is double standards, and the game is rife with them. Did anybody see Yaya Toure's kick on Ricky van Wolfswinkel? The FA cleared him of any wrong-doing. However they did charge Craig Bellamy for a similar, if not less blatant collision with Jonathan de Guzman. I don't understand how you can charge one and not the other. The sad thing is if it was Bellamy that kicked the guy and Yaya Toure did what Bellamy did I feel the same result would happen.
I wonder if there is any value having the captains of each PL team play more of a role in disciplinary issues. Maybe they could set aside an hour on a Monday to review footage referred by the FA at their own clubs and then submit their opinion on a suitable punishment, if any is merited. Obviously the captain of the player involved would be exempt. The majority decision would then be applied. Would have to trust in the players being honest and not trying to screw rivals over though.
And there's the flaw in the plan! When you think about how some international captain's use their votes for World Player of the Year. John Terry voted for Michael Ballack on one occasion, long after Ballack was a contender in anyone else's (except, perhaps, his own) eyes. Given that that's a meaningless individual honour, how much more partisan would they be over something that actually had an impact on the outcome of the major trophies?
Yep it's a fairly massive flaw although I am inclined to argue that it's because the trophy is a meaningless honour, which most who vote on will not themselves be nominated for in the future, they don't give it the same respect and go tribal. If it was a case of the player having to explain the rationale behind their decision it might mitigate against bias - but having said all that it's a non-starter really and not something I imagine being brought in. Or! Maybe the players could be given an honesty card at the end of the season, if any decision they make proves to be based on bias then they lose the honesty card and have to take a 3 game ban and/or apologise to the fans of the other team over the sound system at half time.
I think you're right on this point, but Bellamy and others like him (Savage, Cattermole, Barton, etc.) have brought that on themselves through consistantly poor behavior. And the "kick", from my point of view, was a love tap compared to being punched in the ear from behind. I actually like Bellamy, but there's no excuse for what he did. In a similar vein, I'd like to see the refs convene a board each week to find, judge and sanction divers. Anyone caught diving should me made to wear a pink shower cap in the next game, plus a big red "X" on his back so players know who to target without reprocussions.
But has Yaya Toure got an excuse? Both were unnecessary and both warranted the same punishment regardless of who it was. If only it could be settled by a panel of people who knew the rules of the game and what is acceptable and what isn't, but hadn't a clue who the players were.
I'd also suggest the referee be given a handgun and any player rolling in agony is put out of their misery there and then. Should keep the divers on their feet.
If we thought it was tight at the bottom of the Premier League, have a look at La Segunda in Spain. 7 points separate the team in last place and the team in 5th.
