La Liga this weekend

[Figaro]

Crunch weekend if there ever was one.

 

Valencia V Barcelona

 

Will Eto'o play or won't he. If he does will Ronaldinho pass the ball to him. All the hugs and smiles still haven't papered over the fact that more than half the squad can't stand Samuel. Rijkaard won't be rushed. Will Puyol finally find his form this season just before the tie with LFC?

Messi will be given a ten minute run around if the result is favourable.

 

Sevilla V Atletico Madrid

 

When these two teams met in Madrid at the beginning of the season Sevilla totally played the home side off the pitch and were walking away with the game until the referee decided to send two visiting players off before the 50th minute (the first player walked after 25) and then award every dodgy free-kick in the book to Aguirres' team until they scored. Sevilla's president, Del Nido, not one of the world's most discrete people, surprisingly decided to keep his mouth shut and did not complain to the Spanish FA after what was a blatantly fixed performance from the referee and assistants.

 

Limiting his nationally aired sound bite to "Everything eventually comes round. The right people in the right places have noticed what happened here today..." therefore expect a dodgy penalty or sending offs to go in favour of Sevilla CF. If there aren't any and Sevilla lose then take it for granted that Barcelona's president, Joan Laporta has given a bigger backhander to Angel Villar at the Spanish FA.

 

Sevilla may be without Adriano their Brazilian wing wizard who pulled up with a thigh strain tonight in Rumania. Alfaro or the increasingly erratic Puerta should be free to step in. The Liga's top scorer, Kanoute, he who couldn't hit a barn door at two metres in the Premier (much like Forlan, remember him?), is struggling to shake off a niggling knee injury but should be fit for Sunday. A cameo performance of 25 minutes tonight was rewarded with a sublime penalty goal.

 

Madrid V betis

Dilemna for betis manager Luis Fernandez, he of Tarifa and the Sons of the Desert Fame - yes he really isn't French and he is a fully paid up member of the Laurel and Hardy fan club. Do you tell your team to go out hell bent to beat a struggling Madrid (how many other teams would like to be labelled 'struggling' and be in Madrid's current position) and help their fiercest inner city rivals, Sevilla CF? Or do you tell the lads to lie down like lame sheep and wait the sacrificial priest to come along, do his job and inspect their innards?

 

"Madrid are not our real rivals," the Spanish-Frenchman said on Wednesday morning. "We are looking at Levante, Bilbao, Celta and Mallorca..." In other words three points to Madrid. Beckham will start unless Capello pulls a strop. Yet again.

 

Expect a match report of Sevilla's game on Sunday night

[Rusty Shackleford]

Who gives a f***

 

.....

[Guest Anders Honoré]

Who gives a f***

 

.....

 

I do, I'm sure others. now feck off.

[Guest]

Poon Tang Clan is still mad at me for calling him a right thick schite a couple of years ago

[Rusty Shackleford]

Poon Tang Clan is still mad at me for calling him a right thick schite a couple of years ago

 

Of course you did.

 

What's happening 'inside Can Barca' this week eh? Make sure you put a few ....... at the end to build the suspense.

[Guest]

You'll be able to see for yourself if you actually go to the match on Wednesday, you thick schite...

Edited February 16, 2007 by Figaro

[Rusty Shackleford]

No, won't be going. Just as most on here won't be. But I do go to the home games mind you, which is something I'm sure you fail to do whilst sipping fantasy wine with some fantasy famous friends.

 

Remember to tuck Del Nido in won't you.

[stressederic]

It's nice to see that corruption has been driven out of the Spanish game

[Guest]

No, won't be going. Just as most on here won't be. But I do go to the home games mind you, which is something I'm sure you fail to do whilst sipping fantasy wine with some fantasy famous friends.

 

Remember to tuck Del Nido in won't you.

 

Still jealous and sore Poon Tang Clang? How long has it been? Missed me, did you? For someone who doesn't give a f*** you're making an effort, aren't you? What's the matter? Lost your dummy?

 

 

 

It's nice to see that corruption has been driven out of the Spanish game

 

Goes all the way to the top - Angel Villar, the Spanish FA president is under investigation for years of claiming dodgy expenses and giving free holidays to family and friends.

Edited February 17, 2007 by Figaro

[stressederic]

Goes all the way to the top - Angel Villar, the Spanish FA president is under investigation for years of claiming dodgy expenses and giving free holidays to family and friends.

 

Well I didn't get a free holiday.

[Nebraska Red]

i'll be watching a few as the FA Cup games on offer are pretty dire.

 

hopefully, the Barca game will go to 3 extra times and they will pick up a few crucial injuries, nothing too drastic, just a few hamstring pulls and knee strains.

[Guest]

i'll be watching a few as the FA Cup games on offer are pretty dire.

 

hopefully, the Barca game will go to 3 extra times and they will pick up a few crucial injuries, nothing too drastic, just a few hamstring pulls and knee strains.

 

Most of the Sevillianos I've spoken to this week really want both Valencia and LFC to turn over Barca. Churn on the mini-crisis.

[Rusty Shackleford]

 

Fiercely jealous of a man that has become an internet caricature of himself? Not sore, but f***, you grate on me like nails on a chalkboard. There are some downright offensive f*****s on this board, but not even they come close to your level of saccharine nothingness.

 

Let's put this one to bed anyway (a little company for Del Nido). You might make me look thick otherwise.

Edited February 17, 2007 by Rusty Shackleford

[Guest]

You are.

[Ronnie Whelan]

[Kahnee]

 

Fiercely jealous of a man that has become an internet caricature of himself? Not sore, but f***, you grate on me like nails on a chalkboard. There are some downright offensive f*****s on this board, but not even they come close to your level of saccharine nothingness.

 

Let's put this one to bed anyway (a little company for Del Nido). You might make me look thick otherwise.

 

On a serious note, if Fig's posts annoy you, why do you go near them?

[Romario]

 

Fiercely jealous of a man that has become an internet caricature of himself? Not sore, but f***, you grate on me like nails on a chalkboard. There are some downright offensive f*****s on this board, but not even they come close to your level of saccharine nothingness.

 

Let's put this one to bed anyway (a little company for Del Nido). You might make me look thick otherwise.

 

What IS your problem?

[Koogan]

What IS your problem?

 

Probably unable to learn how to use the ignore feature?

[Guest]

More weirdness inside Can Barca: Eto'o personally asked Laporta to tell Rijkaard that he wasn't up to being in the squad for the game against Valencia - Laporta told Rijkaard and Rijkaard said that he thought it was the best that could happen given current circumstances.

 

The 'official' reason is that Samuel is still not fully recovered and fit - journos asked Rijkaard if that this was the case then why was he on the bench last weekend. Rijkaard just cooly changed subject.

 

Samuel has been told to use the weekend to cool off.

[smithdown]

What do you reckon to that then, Rusty?

[Kahnee]

More weirdness inside Can Barca: Eto'o personally asked Laporta to tell Rijkaard that he wasn't up to being in the squad for the game against Valencia - Laporta told Rijkaard and Rijkaard said that he thought it was the best that could happen given current circumstances.

 

The 'official' reason is that Samuel is still not fully recovered and fit - journos asked Rijkaard if that this was the case then why was he on the bench last weekend. Rijkaard just cooly changed subject.

 

Samuel has been told to use the weekend to cool off.

 

Who's at fault here Fig? Bad man-management or spoilt-child syndrome?

[Guest]

Who's at fault here Fig? Bad man-management or spoilt-child syndrome?

 

Spoilt brat totally - he was the same at Mallorca and Madrid before that.

 

He has always been tolerated inside the dressing room rather than liked. Most of the other players treat him like a child inside an adult body. He has never been really close to any of them whereas he still keepsin close touch with his old mates from Mallorca.

 

He's never helped himself either - he made it clear to all the other players in the team that it was their fault that he didn't win the golden boot - he accused Deco and Ronaldinho of deliberately not giving him the ball - this was after the final game of the season against Villareal when Forlan outscored him - he also told Rijkaard to his face that he should stop licking Ronaldinho's a***.

 

But he's Laporta's spoilt brat and Laporta has never been 100% behind Rijkaard. Rijkaard is a Rosell man.

 

Everytime he puts his foot in it - it has always been put down to the fact that he is just mouthing off. He has overstepped himself before this season but this time he has really stirred up a hornets nest despite all the public declarations of brotherly love and fixed photo sessions on the training pitch. He should never have named the names when linking certain players with Rosell in public.

 

Rijkaard has always treated Samuel as a big kid - he was usually prepared to turn a blind eye, but when Deco started causing problems, Javi was injured and Ronaldinho lost his form (at the same time his brother started searching for a new club) Rijkaard got serious with all the players.

 

Rijkaard told the club doctors that he wanted Eto'o back asap but only if they were certain that Samuel would not put himself in danger by returning too soon. Eto'o took that as though Rijkaard had made it a personal challenge for him to recover and get fit quick. That he did. Surprising everyopne in the process.

 

The club's doctors had forecasted another month before he would be able to train, never mind play - Eto'o thought Rijkaard would have him back and on the pitch in a jiffy and he was dumbfounded when Rijkaard told him that he thought he wasn't ready. Hence his reaction against Racing when Rijkaard ask him to play for the last five minutes. "I didn't come back just to play five minutes".

 

Laporta has said that everything will just be put on hold until the end of the season.

Edited February 17, 2007 by Figaro

[Snookie]

Spoilt brat totally - he was the same at Mallorca and Madrid before that.

 

He has always been tolerated inside the dressing room rather than liked. Most of the other players treat him like a child inside an adult body. He has never been really close to any of them whereas he still keepsin close touch with his old mates from Mallorca.

 

Did he get sent off for Mallorca when they played Barca a few years ago? I've a memory of him launching a two-footed challenge on a Barca player and then just walking before the ref had a chance to give him a red card. Kluivert scored a hat-trick and celebrated one of the goals by giving a black-power salute in the same game. Or am i just imagining it all!!!

[Ste M]

Absolutely brilliant news for us with all this apparent in-fighting. I wonder if we could get Stevie to tell Ronaldinho half way through that Eto'o's sleeping with his bird or something

[Guest]

I remember something similar. Mallorca - Barca matches are noted for a surpisingly high number of sendings off.

 

I do remember Kluivert getting a massive fine for the symbol. A week later he was in the doghouse again when he got caught trying to sneak a call-girl back into the hotel.

 

Eto'os numbers in Mallorca are fantastic: 54 goals in 133 games. He is the club's top scorer in Liga history.

 

Rijkaard, extremely fed up with all this, has called a press conference for tomorrow afternoon.

Edited February 17, 2007 by Figaro