Snookie

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I'd generally agree with this but there is more to the Spanish media than just these two Madrid mouthpieces. They are perfect examples of what happens when a paper, or its journalists, become effectively spokespeople for a club and/or its supporters. There is nothing good to be ever gained by journalists becoming close to those they are writing about or for.

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I agree completely about the British game but I'm not certain that it is quite as dominant in the coverage of leagues in other countries. There is an intellectual element in the discussion of football in Spain, Germany and France. The Spanish coverage is the one I know best, and while some of the media would give the red tops and talksport a run for its money, there is not the same disdain for detailed discussion of tactics or attempts to see football as having real social, cultural and political significance. That doesn't mean that critical analysis is not available in the British game. The Blizzard, edited by Jonathan Wilson or Michael Cox's Zonal Marking are both excellent and you do get the sense that there are a number of journalists covering the English game that would like to offer alternative perspectives to the ones that dominate now.

The media gave Ferguson a hard time until he won his first league title. It was plainly not quite as vicious or small-minded as it is now but, like the managers who came before him, he suffered from not being Matt Busby. Winning the league on a regular basis gave him power over the media and to say or think that his ability to dictate the media agenda has anything to do with his disdain for it is naive. The media need him far more than he needs them.

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As someone else said, Villas-Boas would appear to be a good coach. He's just having to deal with a dressing room full of over the hill s***s and a media who are looking for another target to tear apart. It will also be interesting to see how Uncle Harry will deal with his nephew if he takes over as England coach. In a nightmarish world, Lampard will be captain and Jamie Rednapp plus David Beckham will act as coaches as Harry Rednapp leads England to a European Championship.

From what Tim Vickery's been saying his 'return to form' has been overstated. He had some good games when he went back to Brazil and got called up to the national side but he quickly got found out at that level and was dropped. Since they he's apparently lost interest and has hardly played. How much that has to do with not been properly paid for the last six months is difficult to say.

He got canned just before Christmas and is now doing some media stuff. He's terrible at that too.

He's got a get out of jail card for pretty much everything apart from ordering the slaughter of the first born. Mind you he's sixty, he and his wife are unlikely to be bringing another baby in to the world so I can see him being open to the idea of the snip, if it is for the greater good.

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Pretty much the latter it has to be said though at least three (and possibly all four) of those names could be accommodated under the Soprano's rule.... You've got a potential heroin addict, hitman and drug dealer in there. On a slightly different topic because you reminded me of it but I recently saw some footage of Margaret Thatcher surrounded by smiling Liverpool players as Emlyn Hughes gave her a kiss on the cheek. Any fondness I had for him as a player (and he was great) had been watered down by his time on a Question of Sport but I've now got difficulty thinking of him as anything other than a 'c***' because he didn't headbutt her. the lesson learned.

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