Early again

Did miro get a name check?

nice and early. thats how i like it

In an alternate dimension, United fans are complain about how Chelsea rarely entertain...

It's four o'clock and it's football weekly.

Does anyone else really like how Rafa Honigstein says Champions League?

Top stuff.

Liverpool finishing fourth after all would feel like the punch line to some horrible practical joke we have unwittingly fallen for.

Fantastic to hear a Scouse accent on the pod. Like Manc and Geordie, it's one of those accents that indicate a people who love to talk.

haven't listened to the pod yet. but chelsea will win it. inter will edge barca.

No students this week means a Football Weekly listen-to that's at a decent time!

Oh, and a comment out of the relegation zone by me for once?

AC Jimbo

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,13320_6113521,00.html and article for you.

Just wondering how much u paid Nick Miller? Only joking! lol.

So did AC Jimbo apply for the MOTD2 job? if he did, then i think it's widely accepted that it's an utter disgrace that Colin Murray got the job. Then again it is the BBC...

The construction of the Emirates Stadium meant that for many years we could not spend a lot of money,' said Wenger.

'Our financial situation has greatly improved. We are finally able to buy the players we think we need.'

Does this mean he has actually done a very good job to keep competiting for trophies?

I think it does.

this is how liverpool will squeak into fourth. undeserved and equally as unlikely - but maybe, just maybe. spurs and citteh do have form when it comes to ballsing it up...

Will listen to the pod later but to get a few things off my chest:

1) Rooney deserved his award, though I would personally have given it to Drogba who despite missing a month of football with Chelsea, has still been firing in the goals and has been one of our best "defenders" since he's been back (think he has won more defensive headers than either Alex or Terry since his return from ANC). Rooney has carried United on his shoulders for the majority of the season both domestic and in Europe, so I have zero grudge against him winning it.

2) Lampard has had a bit of a mixed season but the fact that he is not on the PFA team of the year for the second year running is a disgrace. 25 goals from a CM, with 20 in the league. Are these players really going to tell us that Fletcher deserves to be in that team ahead of Lampard? Absolute nonsense. Apart from that, list looks fair to me.

3) If Man City are really asking to borrow a keeper for 3 games left in the season, they really are deluded. Arsenal, who are above them, have been playing with someone I regard to be no better than a second choice keeper for the entire season, and City can't play 3 games with their second choice? What is the point of having a second choice keeper then if he can't be trusted? This has no logical meaning whatsoever.

AC Jimbo jinxed Roma last week.

Of all the title races going on in Europe, which are the panel most excited about?

I want to lodge my protest concerning ACJimbo's treatment of Bambini in thursdays podcast:
When the question concerning diet pills arose he immediately turned to the puffy-faced pasta-boy as if he suspected inside knowledge by Paolo!

What part of "the voting is done early" do people not understand???
Lampard's early season form was hardly setting the world alight. If the team was done now then certainly the likes of Lampard would walk into the team.

I am surprised Bellamy wasn't in the team though.

producerben: I worked out the same scenario today myself. All four teams on 68, Liverpool's the best goal difference. Its plausible but it involves the small matter of them beating Chelsea.

"Die Angst des Tormanns der Schädigung"

I see the Guardian crew have bought into the "red card for Kalou" fantasy. How could Sorenson striking Kalou with his hand have caused a dislocation of the shoulder. Nobody at Stoke has made this accusation, especially Sorenson, so why is everyone not a Chelsea fan so insistent on making this invalid claim?

Ok, I tried posting this a few moments ago and it seems that it disappeared into oblivion, so:

It seems that the Guardian crew have bought into the "red card for Kalou" fantasy, as have many non-Chelsea and non-Stoke fans. Nobody at Stoke has complained, including Sorenson. The fact is, Kalou only contacted the ball. Sorenson contacted Kalou with his hand. That's it. If Sorenson had not dived in, Kalou would have come nowhere near him. It was not even close to a 50-50 ball. I believe Sorenson hurt his arm during the initial save.

So now I'm proved a liar. I refreshed like 20 times and the original posting didn't show up. Stupid Internet!!!

producerBen

That made me shudder. Please, Lord, no.

You were right the first time, cpeskett. Its ridiculous to suggest that Kalou should have been sent off for scoring a goal. If the ball is at an opponents feet, or in a goalkeeper's hands, then diving in two footed is dangerous and punishable. When the ball is away from the opponent, it is fine. Sorenson was injured, but the ball was already in the goal before the contact, of one foot, was made. Good goal, unfortunate injury, nothing to see here.

Milner the young player of the year, at 24? Seven years a Premiership player, still counts as young. And better than Cesc? Really?

Hey James. What is going on with Pazzini's cunnilingus type celebration after scoring against Roma. History?

Pazzini's cunnilingus type celebration

He's always doing it. The celebration that is.

The full list of results for the Liverpool 4th scenario:

Liverpool win at home to Chelsea and away to Hull.
Lets say Spurs draw with Man City and beat Burnley, finishing on 68 points. Probably inferior goal difference to Liverpool.
City draw with Spurs, beat West Ham and draw with Villa, 68 points, goal difference very close to Liverpool's.
Villa draw with City, beat Blackburn, 68 points, inferior goal difference.

Spot on Gregg about the Villa penalty.

I think City should be forced to play Mr Lah-de-Dah Gunnar Nielsen and good luck to him.

cpeskett:

You're confusing Sörensen (elbow) with Given (shoulder). I'm not sure it was a red card, but in my view Kalou's "tackle" was very reckless and classic dangerous play.

By going in like that against a keeper who's already on the ground and can't protect himself, you're endangering his safety. Sörensen's choice came down to a) staying away or b) getting hurt. There was also no need to go in two-footed.

All the best,

R

There was also no need to go in two-footed.

But only one foot made contact, which would likely have happened had he gone for it more conventionally.

FormicaAtomica

Is hanging around longer than any other also-ran "competing"? This season is the closest Arsenal have come to the Premiership since the Emirates was opened. Was it ever really a title challenge? I'm not too sure it was. It's not like they were ever top; just tantalisingly close enough to make some believe it was possible. It was a bit of a Liverpool-style title challenge.

And then, what finals have been reached? The League Cup?

RoyA1

But only one foot made contact, which would likely have happened had he gone for it more conventionally.

Whether there's contact or not is totally irrelevant when it comes to dangerous play.

Why is 'onest 'arry being judged as the saviour of Tottenham?
Jol did a much better job, the team was only in trouble for a few weeks after he was replaced.
Jol took them to 5th & one game away from the Champions league.
'arry seems to be claiming he's taken a relegation troubled team to the top.

Blue Legend,

25 goals from a CM, with 20 in the league. Are these players really going to tell us that Fletcher deserves to be in that team ahead of Lampard?

Lampard is Chelsea's penalty-taker, isn't he? How many of those goals are from open play?

He may have been close to Fletcher in the voting and he may not. But the players might think that Lampard isn't that difficult to play against, something that would matter greatly to me, if I were in what is clearly a jury of peers.

Why is 'onest 'arry being judged as the saviour of Tottenham?
Jol did a much better job, the team was only in trouble for a few weeks after he was replaced.
Jol took them to 5th & one game away from the Champions league.
'arry seems to be claiming he's taken a relegation troubled team to the top.

Kalou went for the ball, and Sorenson was nowhere near it at the time. Sorenson touched Kalou, with only his hand, not his arm, and not the other way around. Had the ball been within Sorenson's reach at the time Kalou got the ball, I would have said straight red for the 2-footed challenge, but there really was no challenge. Kalou got the ball cleanly and then Sorenson touched Kalou. No foul, no red card, clean goal. I have watched the goal many, many times now, and in none of the replays does Kalou come close to injuring Sorenson. Either Sorenson did it in the initial save, or his swipe at the ball which only succeeded in hitting Kalou's leg did the damage. Kalou's slide was not in any way dangerous.

Its a judgement call, dangerous play, and an unfortunate outcome does not necessarily mean something dangerous happened. But a player has to be in the way of a challenge if it is to be dangerous (otherwise, who's in danger?) and when Kalou launched himself at the loose ball, Sorensen wasn't very close.
I cannot imagine that challenge being called a foul.

Sörensen's choice came down to a) staying away or b) getting hurt.

A choice most keepers make several times a game.

Petrf, I think you will find that the majority of Lampard's goals come from open play. It has only been in this season that Chelsea have had a real number of penalty calls go for them. The average in previous seasons has been one of the lowest in the league.

Very good call from Roughley re a possible 19th United title. Could be the wake-up call needed!

Roya1 - Sean is at it again. "They've (Spurs) won none of their last 66 games away against the Big 4." How many of those 66 games are remotely relevant to this one? Games involving the same players can be relevant. Going back 18 years to make a case for a result this weekend is daft. What happened in the mid 90s is utterly irrelevant. You're probably right about Spurs folding faster than Superman on laundry day, but you're reasoning is, in my view, wrong.

Hi Roya1 - The stat is relevant because it shows that Spurs struggle away against the Big Four far more than they should considering they're regularly a top-10 side. No wins out of 67 is pretty damning.

It's also worth pointing out that when you speak to players, they sometimes tell you that they have 'lucky' grounds and teams they always struggle against. Therefore past perfomance can be an indicator of future perfomance.

Cheers, Sean

Nice to have a new pundit in the pod in the shape of Gregg Roughley. It's about time the pod adressed its anti-Liverpool sentiments. I'm joking about the latter but I thought it was worth leaving a positive comment after Seani mentioned all the negativity directed at Simon Hattenstone after he debuted in the pod.

As the PFA voting is done early, I'm surprised about Valenica when Lennon was unplayable until his injury.

I think the PFA team are a good bunch of players this season, but is it the worst PFA team ever?

Man UTD are a one man team.

PS. Premier League team of the year: Hart (Birmingham), Ivanovic (Chelsea), Vermaelen (Arsenal), Dunne (Aston Villa), Evra (Manchester United), Fábregas (Arsenal), Milner (Aston Villa), Fletcher, Valencia, Rooney (all United), Drogba (Chelsea)

Anyone confused?

Next to crisps, I would like to forward the suggestion that bringing in popcorn to a recording studio can also be a foolish idea. Especially when it's far more easily spill-able than a packet of crisps. Yes, it was something I did in only my second time in such an environment.

Just to jump in with a comment re: Kalou's 2nd goal - Sorensen was nowhere near the ball? He was only 2/3 yards away!

Sean, you were proved right, and as a betting man you know of what you speak. But I think a decent sports psychologist, heck, a decent manager would knock such idle chatter about lucky grounds and bogey teams right out of players heads.
Really, what happened 5 years ago, when probably none of the team were involved shouldn't matter one jot, let alone 18 years ago. I don't see how the stat (no wins in 67 games) is significant since it conflates the efforts of several different groups of players who happened to be representing the same clubs. However, pointing out that in the past three seasons Spurs have failed to win at any of the Big 4's grounds would be relevant, because its the same players and it will be in their heads and/or says something about their lack of belief as individuals or as a team.
Cheers.

Re: PFA Team of the Year

Can anyone explain how Florent Malouda is not in the team?

Easily one of the best two or three midfielders in the league this year. His best season so far at Chelsea, very dangerous player and has contributed plenty of goals.

Ronaldoz,

In the game of football, 2-3 yards is a long distance. There was no way that Kalou and Sorenson could both touch the ball at the same time. The ball was completely clear of both players, and Kalou struck the ball long enough before Sorenson touched him to demonstrate that that was never an equal chance for both players.

Please understand that, as a former goalkeeper with my fair share of busted up hands and kicks to the head, I feel bad for Sorenson, but I cannot see anything wrong with Kalou's goal.