BG

That is absolute genius.

Yeah, agreed, but he's clearly very talented and if he even vaguely holds it together most of the time he'll be well worth it. I read recently that after a car crash last year the police asked him why he was carrying £5k in cash. His reply: "Because I am very rich." Wrong in so many ways, but also quite funny.

I like him - massive ego and prepared to be amusing with it. Also starting to look a very, very good player.

Ridiculous Iniesta goal, Messi almost scoring about 3 or 4 incredible goals in the midweek CL game.

Anyone see what happened in the Barca game yesterday: I see Sevilla had two men sent off - one four minutes into stoppage time, the other seven minutes into stoppage time. They also had five others booked and the keeper saved a Messi penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Still, 0-0 at Barca isn't too bad. Ronaldo got a first half 15 minute hatrick at Malaga too. Madrid top by a point.

After the game: "Sir Alex is entitled to any opinion he wants to have but I'm not going to come here and say I agree or disagree." Days later: "For me, it was one of Alex's inflammatory little digs to make their comeback even sweeter and our losing the lead even harder and that's part of the game."

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Hmm, bad typo that on my part.

Yes, that's because their allegation can be demonstrably proven to be untrue in some way or under pressure in court they admit it is. Whether Suarez said something nasty to Evra on Saturday, or vice versa, is something only they know unless something turns up positively proving the claim. As I say, in practice to negatively prove that claim would be nigh on impossible without a close up camera on Suarez's face the entire game and even then it would probably still be inconclusive.

It's just not that simple. Even if there was a close up camera on Suarez's mouth for the entire game there'd probably still be room for doubt. Only two people know what or wasn't said - Evra and Suarez. The bottom line is that there is not chance in hell Evra is getting banned for alleging racism as it's impossible to improve a negative (i.e that Suarez didn't say it).

Never really get how anyone who loves our club can dislike that man. Especially after watching the Hillsborough memorial thing.

I've always really liked him there but thought that boat had sailed to be honest. He's very, very hard to track from there. Be interesting to see if KD uses him there a lot. My inclination is he might well given how much he seems to like Adam and I think a two of Gerrard and Adam will not be a common occurrence.

The video of him meeting the squad is amusing, especially when Spearing shakes his hand. He's giving out headphones, Spearing is clearly thinking ebay. He makes Pepe look pretty small.

Guardian saying Sky have found nothing.

Think Romario is the best I've seen personally, by quite a long way too.

Yes absolutely 'negro' just means black but repeatedly referring to a black player in commentary as 'the black' is the kind of thing that even Ron Atkinson 10 years would have shied away from. It was literally just used instead of the player's name.

Can't speak for Uruguay particularly as have barely been there but certainly the case that in some Spanish speaking countries there are things which would be seen as unacceptable here which are relatively normal: for example I was watching a game on TV a few years ago in Argentina IIRC in which the commentator kept referring to a black player as "El negro." [To state the blindingly obvious this does not, in any way, shape or form (copyright KD), mean that Suarez is racist or has said something racist.]

So true. To be fair I wondered if that Indy interview had been Hari'd. Those quotes don't have the normal Hodgsonian sentence structure of endless subclauses, double negatives, use of conditional verb forms etc.

Like "con-o" and "con-yo".

The bloodzeed stream is excellent other than there is no technology to autosilence Ray Wilkins.

Yes agree on Thiago and Javi Martinez though the former is still very young. I didn't realise until I just looked it up that he was Mazinho's son. He's got a major battle just to start games at his club given the four he's competing with.

Phil Neal? Alan Kennedy?

Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Busquets, Alonso is just a ridiculously good selection of midfielders. Don't think a rest of world squad would have 5 that good.

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Not saying Suarez is a particular culprit but personally I find it pretty annoying when any player exaggerates the extent of any pain/injury. Sometimes I cringe watching players do it TBH (eg Rivaldo, Bilic, Barton). Drogba does it all the time.