HERE WE GO AGAIN!
YET again, just as things start getting interesting on the domestic footie front, we have another week of internationals to not look forward to. But with this being for obvious reasons the most hectic, congested, season any of us can remember should pointless international friendlies and the Nations League even be a thing? Case in point England’s Nations League fixture with Iceland on Wednesday; this should have been a routine fixture but with Denmark currently having a bit of a mare with Covid the game at Wembley is in serious jeopardy. Why? What does Covid in Denmark have to do with England playing Iceland in London? Denmark’s recent Covid upsurge has led to the country being put on the UK government’s naughty step and so travel from there to the UK is currently banned, and which team is playing in Copenhagen on Sunday? You got it in one, Iceland. So unless Boris and co relent then England have to find an acceptable neutral country to host the fixture or forfeit the game. The current favourites to host that game? Germany and would you believe Albania! If England vs Iceland in Tirana isn’t the very definition of madness I don’t know what is. What I do know is that a few Premier League managers aren’t going to be too impressed and I wouldn’t be too surprised if there a few withdrawals from the squad with “injury” problems.
The end is nigh! Mark Lawrenson was a terrific player with Preston, Brighton and Liverpool, where in tandem with Alan Hansen his back line play powered the Reds to umpteen honours in both England and Europe, but a great player does not necessarily become a great pundit and Lawrenson certainly doesn’t qualify as one. Lawrenson has become noted for rarely, if ever, predicting on the BBC that Liverpool would lose a league game and indeed the last time he did so, prior to last week, was on the final day of the 2015-16 campaign when they were away to West Brom. (They drew 1-1.) Fast forward 159 league matches since that day and he predicted that Manchester City would turn over his old club 2-0 last weekend (it was a 1-1 draw). I mean, come on, as if this year hasn’t already been weird enough Lawrenson predicts his beloved Reds to actually lose a game! Whatever next? ‘e’s avin’ a laugh! Sometimes you’ve just got to admire the brass neck of some people and one in particular is that horrid little scrote Jack Wilshere who had this to say about West Ham last week: “With my experience now I’d be silly to sign for a club who, like West Ham were, are fighting relegation. I want to sign for a club that plays football and want to be on the pitch 25 to 30 times a season.” Let’s see, when Arsenal turfed him out he went to Bournemouth where over 27 games, mostly from the bench, he contributed a massive zero goals and zero assists. After Bournemouth the Hammers paid him 100 grand a week to record one assist over 16 games, again mainly from the bench, while at Arsenal he accumulated a mere 125 league starts over eight years, and this clown wants to play for a top team where he can expect 25 to 30 appearances per season? Apparently he’s interested in playing in Italy or Spain but for some strange reason no club from those countries has shown any interest in the player, but it is rumoured that The Rangers FC may be about to take a chance on him. If that is indeed the case then the likes of Scott Brown will be salivating at the prospect of greeting the famously fragile 28year-old with a good old-fashioned reducer or two. Interestingly this week he expressed his admiration for Jose Mourinho but admitted that he couldn’t possibly play for Spurs because of his love for the south London Nomads. I think I speak for all Spurs fans when I say that I’m absolutely devastated at the prospect of never seeing him sporting the famous shirt but I probably got over the disappointment in about five seconds.
Stat of the week Eight in eight: Leicester have had eight penalties awarded to them in eight league games this season. For comparison a certain team in Manchester didn’t get their eighth spot kick until the 16th game of last season.
Best moments of the week The respect shown by our football clubs towards Remembrance Day. It was just a pity that at most games the one minute silence was immediately followed by the ridiculous and, under the circumstances, disrespectful taking the knee gesture. Somehow I don’t think our veterans would be too impressed.
Speaking of which With even black players now questioning its effectiveness, isn’t it time that football kicked the BLM stuff into touch? I’m of the opinion that by and large English football fans are not, barring a few
Neanderthals, inherently racist, but I’m pretty sure that if this stunt was being performed to full houses week in week out the crowd’s reaction would put the kybosh on the whole thing sharpish.
Team of the week Alphonse Areola Fulham, Conor Townsend West Brom, Wesley Fofana Leicester, Eric Dier Spurs, Luke Shaw United, James Ward-Prowse Southampton, Eberechi Eze Palace, Bruno Fernandes United, Ross Barkley Villa, Hakim Ziyech Chelsea, Ollie Watkins Villa. Manager: Dean Smith Villa.
This week’s games UEFA Nations League tomorrow 4pm; Slovakia vs Scotland. 7pm; Wales vs Republic of Ireland. 9:45; Austria vs Northern Ireland, Belgium vs England. Wednesday 9:45; England vs Iceland, Israel vs Scotland, Northern Ireland vs Romania, Republic of Ireland vs Bulgaria, Wales vs Finland.
F1 Turkish Grand Prix tomorrow 1:10; a win for Lewis Hamilton will confirm his seventh world title as will a loss to Valteri Bottas by no more than seven race points. Istanbul Park is one of the better Hermann Tilke circuits and unusually it runs anti-clockwise so hopefully petrol heads will get to see a decent race.
And finally Last week’s question: one player has won the Champions League four times with three different clubs, who is he and which teams did he win the CL with? The player is Clarence Seedorf who won the CL with Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and twice with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007. This week, a bit of fun: ExManchester United player and Fergie saviour Mark Robins once scored for Bristol City against Swindon. Why does this goal in particular stand out?
News just in: the US Supreme Court has ruled on the Presidential election . . . and awarded a penalty to Manchester United/Liverpool/Leicester (delete where appropriate).
Having just bought a new stir fry pan, who would have the sense to not plonk it on a full on gas ring and then walk away? Obviously not me. The first inkling of a problem came when Mrs Walker yelled “Turn the b***** gas off”. End result? A brand new stir fry pan with no handles apart, that is, from the two that were now congealing nicely on the hob. In my defence I lost my sense of smell a few years back and have coped with the loss pretty well, though hopefully there isn’t a house fire anywhere in my future.