You Don't Say.....Part 4

* "I like the food, it has been excellent. I especially enjoy fish and chips" - Carlos Tevez

* "There were chants of 'England's number one' and 'England's number two' all game. But after the goal, there were a few chants of 'England's number four'" - Ben Foster concedes a goal...to Paul Robinson

* "Of course, the money is fantastic but when I was a youngster coming through I played for nothing and my attitude hasn't changed since then. Take the money away and I would still be the first player into training the following morning" - John Terry. And for your information, his contract talk with Chelsea has stalled.....

* "Can Lampard and Gerrard play together? They can. They can. They can" - Well, Steve McClaren, if you say it three times it must be true.

* "Gentlemen, if you want to write whatever you want to write, you can write it because that is all I am going to say. Thank you" - Steve McClaren

* "Nobody can stop him. Probably the only way to do it is to kill him" - Patrice Evra

* "What happened before doesn't matter. What matters is the history we make now" - Frank Lampard

* "I'm not superstitious, but every time she comes we lose" - Steve Coppell welcomes his mum to Reading games

* "I've got this thing about a fat, lazy nation" - Sam Allardyce has been looking in the mirror

* "I'm very confident I'll be here next year, because I honestly don't think there's a better man for my job" - Stuart Pearce

* "Sam is massive in every sense" - Bolton boss Sammy Lee has a right pop at his predecessor

* "I guess when you've invested £500million, it's a fantastic season to win the League Cup" - Liverpool's Rick Parry rises above the petty banter with the Special One

* "A kid had some statements not showing maturity. Maybe a difficult childhood, no education, maybe the consequence of that" - Jose Mourinho turns nasty in his spat with Cristiano Ronaldo

* "Liverpool are favourites because in the year 2007 we've played 27 matches and Liverpool have played three or four" - Jose Mourinho

* "Football is made up of subjective feeling, of suggestion and, in that, Anfield is unbeatable. Put a s**t hanging from a stick in the middle of this passionate, crazy stadium and there are people who will tell you it's a work of art. It's not - it's a s**t hanging from a stick" - A whole planet, bar the ones in red from Liverpool, unite behind Real Madrid legend Jorge Valdano

* "I am a Libran, and we like to procrastinate. That's what we do. We don't sit on the fence as such, but we like to chill and see how things pan out" - Mark Viduka

* "My fondest memory of him is his passport picture - it was a Panini sticker of himself. He was a legend" - Michael Duberry reminisces about the days he used to play with Mark Hughes in a moment of nostalgia fit to end any season

18: Peter Crouch vs West Ham (Away)

The Crouchie monster strikes West Ham again. The goal has 'team work' written all over it and it's often labeled 'that team goal' because of the way it started from the back to the front with 4 different players involved and Crouch finishing the job off.

UEFA Team Ranking For 2007

1. AC Milan (ITA)

2. FC Barcelona (ESP)

3. Liverpool (ENG)

4.Internazionale (ITA)

5. Arsenal (ENG)

6. Real Madrid (ESP)

7. Chelsea (ENG)

8. Manchester Utd (ENG)

9. Valencia CF (ESP)

10. Olympique Lyon (FRA)

Not bad eh? It is calculated by adding up the points gain for the past 5 seasons and AC Milan topped the table after getting into 3 finals in 6 seasons. Barcelona's exploit in Europe earn them second place while the team that knocked them out of last season's Champions League, Liverpool, came third after their 2nd final in 6 years.

Inter Milan of Italy is close behind while Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd's inclusion means all the English Top 4' are amongst the elite.

LINK

19: Luis Garcia vs Fulham

Dirk Kuyt's goal was set up by Sami Hyypia and this fantastic header goal from Luis Garcia was set up by Daniel Agger, with his right foot. We know he's not the biggest man on the pitch but his heading skill never fails to amaze me. Let's get his head down and put it on Peter Crouch's body.

It would be a walking machine..

20: Dirk Kuyt vs Aston Villa

Well, need I say more? Direct football. Is it any wonder why Sami Hyypia was all the way up top to head the ball back for Kuyt?

Nevermind, it was a calm and composed finish. A good goal all round.

Hicks Endears Himself To The Fans

Like a step-parents to a kid, it takes awhile for the child to get used to living with another stranger at home and to learn to call the new parent either pa or ma. Translate it this way, it is never easy for us as fans, to love some outlanders to buy over the club, in a short period of time.

But I applaud the two new owners for taking a step forward and doing whatever they could to try and get along with the fans, the lifeline and the soul of the club.

Although they might just be putting up an act and doing all these to please us and make fans like me to write something good about them, we can only look in the positive way and to dream about what these two men can do to our club.

What particularly impresses me is the way Tom Hicks, came out and defended the Liverpool fans from being scrutinised and perhaps, stereotypically attacked by UEFA. Whether he really meant it or not is up for discussion but it does certainly inspire a great deal of confidence for us, as fans.

"I thought the guy from Uefa was a clown for saying that," Hicks said. "Uefa did not handle this right at all.

As a Texan himself, just like a scouser from Liverpool. Outspoken and right to the point without being 'undiplomatic'.

Once again, I'm not condoning the act of some so called 'Liverpool fans' whom ran round the streets of Athens, robbing fellow fans off their tickets or those who are involved in violence. But to launch the stinging attack on the club itself after what UEFA President, Michele Platini, said a fortnight ago, you just got to wonder about the credibility of William Gaillard's comment.

It's always easy to push the blame around and is UEFA really cleared of any of these fracas and farce? I think they do, but as often as humans are, we tend to look to things which we could easily put blame on and not looking into ourselves.

UEFA does need to thoroughly check itself and in need of an internal investigation surrounding the ill-planned Champions League final. Liverpool issued warnings about forge tickets and our over-zealous fans but they didn't cope with it, particularly well.

And saying all these, it doesn't lift the blame off Liverpool's shoulder as well. We're known for having over-passionate fans and when it comes to things we love, sanity usually doesn't mean anything.

Every club has it's black sheep, as we've always said but once again I must say branding us as the worst fans isn't fair. Looking back at those incidents of Italian fans killing the innocent police or the Milan Ultras throwing unwanted stuff like flairs onto the ground, we're certainly up and around their standards but never worst.

And Hicks, thanks for the words.

You Don't Say....Part 3

* "I'm busy but if I wasn't I would be there digging the pitch up" - Jose Mourinho pays tribute to the Stamford Bridge mudpatch.

* "I feel like a badger at the start of the mating season. I don't know if you know anything about badgers, but they have to wait a very long time for the season to start and then they get two weeks to do all their mating. You can imagine what a badger feels like then - even the females can't wait for it! That's how I feel now. I'm absolutely chuffed to bits" - Plymouth boss Ian Holloway puts qualification for the sixth round of the FA Cup in context.

* "It is obviously not our dream to have to go to Blackburn. It's hardly the most fantastic place touristically" - Arsene Wenger

* "Did you used to play for Barcelona? Because that's not Barcelona football" - Cesc Fabregas endears himself to Mark Hughes

* "Cristiano is the only one to have his personal mirror in the dressing room. He spends hours doing his hair and putting on his gel" - Patrice Evra

* "Managers need to cool down, they're all getting stressed for no reason, it's just a game of football. It's not difficult to do, I'm quite a cool dude really" - Roy 'Lebowski' Keane

* "I missed out on signing a Chinese striker in January. You know the guy - Win One Soon" - Paul Jewell

* "Arsenal have great boys. But I wouldn't be sad if a club gives me three, four, five years and tells me, 'You don't need to win. You can lose Premiership after Premiership, and you have three, four, five seasons to build'. I wouldn't be sad" - Jose Mourinho


* "I think Jose should button his lip until the end of the season because he is the last person to start talking about referees. His football club have been involved in so many things with referees over the last couple of years. It seems to me if you contest against Chelsea and they don't get their own way, then something happens either with referees or players threatened or things like that. There is plenty to talk about with Jose and referees and Chelsea and referees. We have a big file" - Sir Alex Ferguson


* "Why should I shut up? He was allowed to talk about referees for the last 20 years of his career? What's the difference between me and him? I don't understand. Why should I shut up? I'm not allowed to talk about referees, but he was allowed to do it for the last 20 years of his career. What would he say if Chelsea win a match with a penalty, like they did at Middlesbrough and Tottenham, or the penalty they got in the first minute against Portsmouth?" - Motormouth Jose

* "You do get stick if you do not win enough games. It is important I shield the players. One thing for sure I have got to go in and pick up 36 players to get ready for Chelsea" - Stuart Pearce, who could have put a team of 36 players out against Chelski and still not won.

* "I don't feel integrated into English life at all. We cannot speak English, we don't know the culture and we are scared of appearing rude. My two children are in nursery and I didn't realise we should take a cake for the rest of the class on their birthday. In China, we don't do things like that" - Sun Jihai

* "Mutu, like a good gypsy, has tried to be slick. Then again, all Romanians are slick, they have it on their DNA" - Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini

* "I don't know why they carry on like that. Maybe some people don't like me. Maybe it is because I am too good for them" - Cristiano Ronaldo

21: Peter Crouch vs West Ham (Home)

Another goal from some exceptional movements and teamwork. Luis Garcia's intricate pass was something that Liverpool missed so much after the Spanish midfielder was declared out for the whole season.

Crouch's finish wasn't that bad as well. But his movement off the ball was immense and he deserves the goal.

Now You Know Why Beckham Moves To The MLS

Because the players there are so sh*t at taking free kick that it's laughable.



Oh, the coach is former Liverpool player, Steve Nicol. And the player's name is Khano Smith. Remember the name please!

Everything Is Liverpool's Fault And We Have The Worst Set Of Fans, Ever

That has to be the longest title I've typed but whatever, just read this. If your blood don't boil, then you might need to watch some other sports.

UEFA report severely reprimands Liverpool fans

LONDON, June 3 (Reuters) - Liverpool supporters have been identified as the worst behaved at European matches in a report to be handed by UEFA to the British Government in Brussels on Tuesday.

The report, which has been compiled by undercover police agents from a neutral European force over the last four years, will be given by UEFA president Michel Platini to British sports minister Richard Caborn.

UEFA spokesman William Gaillard told Reuters: "The incidents involving Liverpool fans have been well known to us before the trouble at the Champions League final which involved Liverpool fans last week.

"That was just the latest example. What other set of fans steal tickets from their fellow supporters or out of the hands of children? We know what happened in Athens, and Liverpool fans were the cause of most of the trouble there.

"There have been 25 incidents involving Liverpool fans away from home since 2003 and these are in the report -- most teams' supporters do not cause any trouble at all."
Problems occurred at the Champions League final when fans with forged tickets and even without any ticket gained entry to the Olympic Stadium for the match against AC Milan, while dozens of fans with genuine tickets were refused entry.

When Liverpool fans did try to gain entry the situation threatened to escalate out of control and the Greek police fired tear gas and used batons.
Liverpool have submitted their own report to UEFA which criticises the security arrangements for the final.

Gaillard added: "You must ask yourself why at the same match, with the same conditions, there was no trouble with the Milan fans -- only the Liverpool fans."

Liverpool fans were held responsible for the disaster at the 1985 European Cup final at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels when 39 mainly Italian fans died after a wall collapsed following a charge by Liverpool fans before the match against Juventus.

The tragedy led to English clubs being banned from European competition for five years.

I know the club has had a bad past with Heysel and Hillsbrough coming to mind. But why should we be named the 'worst set of fans' just because of one bad incident?Isn't it a case of jumping to conclusions.

I mean, I'm so pissed and tired of it all that I don't think I should continue to spill forth explicit languages here. Time heal all wounds, my ar*e. 15 years down the road we'll still be named the worst set of fans for whatever the reason is.

So with some research, I looked up this blog post from The Guardian and the writer actually chatted up with a UEFA official. Look what the official said, without knowing he's a reporter:

On the day after the Champions League final, I had a fortuitous meeting. In the mayhem of Athens' perpetual rush hour and teeming acid rain, a taxi from hotel to airport was looking unlikely. Then I saw a smooth, young go-getter grab one and I asked where he was going. "Airport." A problem shared is a fare halved.

We chatted about the final and it emerged he was a Uefa big nob on the way back to Geneva. "Did you see the three wise men giving away the trophy?" he asked with an impressive sneer. "Berlusconi, Blatter and Platini? My God, what a collection. Platini? We call him Platter at HQ. Says it all. Blatter would never have been welcome when Johansson was in charge. They loathed each other and Blatter hates the whole Champions League anyway."

I asked him about the ticketing problems and Uefa spokesman William Gaillard's assertion that it was all the fault of the Liverpool fans. "Gaillard? We'll see how long he survives. What an embarrassment. Not a clue." Then he added: "Let me tell you something else. Our promotions company had 46 tickets stolen the night before the game and when some were found we sent a secretary down to identify them and she was held in custody for 10 hours.

"The Greek police are useless. With the fans, they see behaviour they don't understand and they completely over-react." I suggested the corporate world got too many tickets.

"No, they don't get enough. When you consider the money the sponsors put in, they should get a lot more".

Now you know.

22. Steven Gerrard vs PSV Eindhoven

From back to front, quick, swift and effective. Reina's distribution isn't something that has been talked about for quite a lot but his goalkicks and throws are sometimes, unbelievably good that it sets the team in motion right away.

Anyway it was a good movement from Dirk Kuyt and it was his vision that saw Gerrard making that late run into the box. A trademark goal from the skipper, how many times have we seen that?

You Don't Say....Part Two

* "Paddy was in the wrong place at the wrong time. By the look of the photographs he was also with someone who was hungrier than he was" - Neil Warnock responds after Sheffield United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny had his eyebrow bitten off in a Halifax curry house.

* "His head has gone, he's going to miss this" - ManYoo captain Gary Neville to Neil Lennon, according to Lennon, just before Louis Saha missed a penalty in the Champions League.

* "It's Jose, he's panicking already" - Sir Alex Ferguson's response to his phone ringing in a press conference. In December.

* "Football's a difficult business, and aren't they prima donnas?" - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II knows her stuff.

* "The ever-smiling Steve "Magnificent" McClaren is without doubt the most two-faced and false person that I have ever had the misfortune to meet in football, who should first spend his time actually trying to understand his own players' mentality instead of wasting so much time trying to understand the English press. I was absolutely shocked and totally disgusted by the way he treated me. Only in England could such a man with such obvious and limited abilities be made national coach" - Massimo Maccarone

* "It's a load of nonsense. We were all gutted to lose at Arsenal and all disappointed. But to criticise our stamina is absolute nonsense. I am not sure what he is doing or why he has done it. I think he is just trying to make himself look great again, you know. It is all 'Look at me, I am the great Arsene Wenger'" - Sir Alex Ferguson

* "It's alright, I'm not going to steal your breakfast, you fat prick" - What Joey Barton said to a certain tubby midfielder...

* "I have disconnected myself from West Ham and signed a contract with Liverpool. I can consider myself a Red Devil" - Javier Mascherano

* "I watched a bit of the England game then turned over and watched a Victoria Beckham documentary instead" - Reading's Steve Coppell.

23: Dirk Kuyt's 2nd vs Wigan

A fluid move from back to front, it involves the defenders, midfielders and strikers. And Dirk Kuyt was on hand to turn and finish clinically.