WHAT A TOUGH WEEKEND. SPAIN PAID ITS RESPECTS TO A STRIKER WHO DIED ON THE PITCH, THERE WERE TRIBUTES TO AND TEARS FOR JESUS DE MIGUEL - A STRIKER WHO’D BEEN LIKED WHEREVER HE WENT BUT WHO THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY HADN’T PREVIOUSLY HEARD OF.
SPAIN IS A PLACE WHERE CEREMONY, TRADITION, CIVIL BEHAVIOUR, COMMUNITY AND FAMILY ARE ALL HELD TO BE VITAL AND SO - DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE MACHINE ROLLED ON AND BIG ISSUES WERE AT STAKE - THE FLOWERS, THE MINUTE’S SILENCE, THE GAMES PAUSED ON NINE MINUTES ALL OF THOSE MARKED A SADNESS AND A SHOCK AT ‘ONE OF OURS’ BEING TAKEN AWAY… AND YET….AND YET… WHAT I THINK I SAW IN THE FIRST LIGA MATCH WAS SOME PLAYERS AND SOME STAFF, SUBCONSCIOUSLY OR OTHERWISE, ALREADY TRYING TO PLAY ON THE FACT THAT THERE WAS HEIGHTENED FEARS AROUND CLASHES BETWEEN PLAYERS, HEAD KNOCKS….. THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT I SAW AT LEAST. FOOTBALL IS A MULTI-CHARACTER SPORT - LOVING AND GIVING - CYNICAL AND HARD - ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
ANYWAY - WAS THERE A CORROLATION BETWEN THE MOOD OF THE COUNTRY WHEN IT CAME TO FOOTBALL TIME AND THE FACT THAT SO FEW GOALS WERE SCORED. WHO CAN TELL.
BUT IF THERE WAS A PAUCITY OF SCORING THERE WAS SOME OF THE FINEST ASSIST GIVING THAT YOU COULD EVER WISH FOR OR IMAGINE.
BARCELONA BANG THEIR FIST ON THE TABLE, MADRID CONTINUE TO LOOK RESOLUTE AND BRUISING, THE YELLOW SUBMARINE DIDN’T LOSE THEIR ADMIRAL, RACING WERE FIRST TO THE TAPE AT THE ROSALEDA AND LA REAL GOT REAL.
BY THE WAY, THIS IS FREE CONTENT WHICH IS SHARED OUTSIDE THE REVISTA FAMILY WITH THE AIM OF CONVINCING SUBSCRIBERS THAT THEY UPGRADE TO BEING SOCIOS - PAID MEMBERS OF THE REVISTA CLAN.
PLEASE SUPPORT US, THE LINK FOR HOW TO DO SO IS AVAILABLE FOR YOU ON SCREEN.
PLEASE BECOME A SOCIO FOR THREE POUNT FIFTY A MONTH OR THIRTY QUID FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR - WE NEED YOU, WE DEPEND ON YOU AND….DO WE NOT ENTERTAIN YOU?
ANYWAY. ……..ON WITH THE SHOW!!
ATLETI 1-2 BARÇA
3RD FIRST
SIMEONE FERMIN 2
WELL, THERE’S NO ESCAPING IT. JUST LIKE CHOLO AND A HANDFUL OF HIS PLAYERS….I GOT THIS WRONG.
IT SEEMED TO ME THAT ATLETI WERE IN A STATE OF MUSCULAR, SELF-CONFIDENT PREPAREDNESS AND, BOTH IN PARIS AND THEN IN THE CLASICO, THE CHAMPIONS HAD LOOKED….DELICATE
IN THE END BARCELONA DID A ROPE-A-DOPE - TO PINCH MOHAMMED ALI’S FAMOUS TACTIC FROM THE 1974 RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE….. WHICH IS TO SAY THAT THEY WERE ON THE ROPES, THEY WERE LOOKING BEATEN UP, HANSI FLICK’S TEAM WERE CLOSE TO ‘CLINGING ON’ AND IT WAS REALLY ONLY LAMINE’S ABSOLUTE SPIKY COMPETITIVENESS AND WILLINGNESS TO TAKE THE BALL IN ANY SITUATION AND TRY TO TURN THE TIDE WHICH GAVE SIGNS OF LIFE FROM THE BLAUGRANA VISITORS WHO WERE DOWN 1-0 FROM THE TENTH MINUTE AND, BEFORE THEY EQUALISED, MIGHT EVEN HAVE BEEN TWO ……. OR THREE. BEHIND.
BUT, JUST LIKE THE GREATEST BOXER WHO EVER LIVED, PERHAPS THE GREATEST SPORTSMAN IN HISTORY, DEEP DOWN THEY WERE ONLY KIDDING, BIDING THEIR TIME UNTIL IT WAS THE APPOSITE MOMENT TO UNLEASH A HAIL OF BLOWS AND THEN WATCH THEIR OPPONENT WILT.
THAT REALLY IS WHAT ATLETI DID. ALL PISS AND VINEGAR FOR 40 MINUTES, BULLYING THE CHAMPIONS - BUT THEN, AFTER THE 1-1 GOAL, DROPPING THEIR WORK RATE, SITTING TOO DEEP, FAILING TO ROB BARCELONA OF POSSESSION OR EVEN NUDGE THEM INTO ERRORS.
ATLETI, SECOND HALF, WERE TAME ENOUGH FOR DE JONG TO PLAY A SPELL AT RIGHT BACK, FOR GAVI TO FINALLY BE TRUSTED WITH SOME GAME TIME…. TAME ENOUGH FOR THE FACT THAT RAPHINHA WAS A BIT OF A GHOST PRESENCE TO NOT MATTER.
FERMIN’S THE HERO - TWO SPLENDIDLY TAKEN GOALS ON TOP OF A NIGHT WHERE HE HARED AROUND CAUSING TROUBLE, HARASSING MEN IN RED AND WHITE SHIRTS UNTIL THEY WERE FKN SICK OF THE SIGHT OF HIM BUT IT’S WORTH COMMENTING ON, AS YOU COULD SEE FROM MY TWITTER FEED, THAT LAMINE CATCHES THE EYE AGAIN.
HE’S NOW RACKED UP FIVE MATCHES - MADRID, PARIS, ALAVES, VILLA AND ATLETI WHERE HIS INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES HAVE OSCILLATED BETWEN (USING HIS OWN STANDARDS AS THE YARD MARK) FROM C- TO B+ BUT HE’S PRODUCED FOUR GOALS AND TWO ASSISTS INCLUDING SETTING UP THE WINNER IN A STADIUM WHERE, A WEEK YESTERDAY, HE’LL HOPE TO LEAD SPAIN TO A WIN OVER ENGLAND.
THE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT ATLETI INCLUDE - LEARN TO FINISH. LEARN TO BE CLINICAL!!!!!
ALSO: WHERE HAS THE ENERGY DRAINED AWAY TO???
EVEN LLORENTE - MR PERPETUAL MOTION, WAS WADING THROUGH TREACLE HALF WAY THROUGH THE SECOND HALF.
AND, CHOLO, IT’S BEEN EVIDENT FOR WEEKS THAT YOU’VE COLD-SHOULDERED LOOKMAN, THAT’S HE’S LOST YOUR TRUST AND THAT HE’S BOTH FEELING, AND LOOKING, LIKE A LITTLE BOY LOST. WHAT THE FUCK CHOLO OLD BEAN.
NOT ONLY IS THE LONDON-BORN NIGERIAN AN ASSET WHICH MIGHT MAKE A TROPHY WINNING DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE LENGTH OF THIS SEASON HE WAS CATNIP AGAINST BARCELONA LAST SEASON - NOT A MINUTE’S PLAYING TIME HERE AGAINST A SIDE WHICH PLAYED FIVE DIFFERENT FULL-BACKS ACROSS THE COURSE OF THE MATCH AND WHERE DE JONG WAS A KEY PRESENCE IN THE SECOND HALF - STILL FINDING PACE AND SHARPNESS AFTER MONTHS OUT INJURED.
BUT NO SHOW FOR THE FLYING NIGERIAN - AND ONLY FOUR SUBS USED BECAUSE CHOLO STUFFED IT UP ABOUT WHEN, AND HOW MANY, REPLACEMENTS TO BRING ON.
THREE WAY TITLE RACE …..YEEEESSSS. PROBABLY. BUT THIS WASN’T THE WAY TO PROVE IT ATLETI!!!
VALENCIA 0-3 MADRID
19TH 2ND
ARDA, VALVERDE, MBAPPE
THE TOP LINES ARE:
I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE TO WATCH THIS FIXTURE SAY GOODBYE TO MESTALLA ———-WITH BAD GRACE, KICKING AND SCREAMING BUT NOT PRODUCING MUCH FOOTBALL ——— WITH A GUY WHO THE INTERCEPTOR AND I BOTH VOTED IN OUR ALL-TIME VALENCIA XI
IT’S HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS HOW EXASPERATED GAIZKA MENDIETA WAS WITH THE POVERTY OF IDEAS, TECHNICAL QUALITY AND FOOTBALL COMPETITIVENESS WHICH HIS FORMER TEAM SHOWED.
OKAY, VALENCIA HUFFED AND PUFFED AND KICKED AND SCRATCHED BUT TWO THINGS EMERGED: THE CHANGE OF COACH HASN’T CHANGED THE DYNAMIC OF PLAYERS DOING DAFT, VOLCANIC THINGS AND GETTING RED-CARDED, HASN’T CHANGED THE DYNAMIC OF GOOD FOOTBALL TEAMS MANAGING TO PLAY AROUND THEM AND HASN’T, AT LEAST YET, CHANGED THE THREAT OF RELEGATION.
I’M NOT GOING TO SURPRISE THOSE OF YOU WHO’VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION SINCE, IN AUGUST, ESPN ASKED ME AND COLLEAGUES TO TIP LA LIGA WINNERS AND I SAID: ‘MADRID’. AND THE LACK OF SURPRISE COMES WHEN I ARGUE THAT THIS WAS MORE STERN EVIDENCE OF THEIR TITLE CANDIDACY.
VALENCIA TRIED TO BARK AND BITE MADRID INTO SUBMISSION, OR AT LEAST ERRORS AND THE RESPONSE FROM ARDA, BELLINGHAM, CUCURELLA, MBAPPE AND HUIJSEN WAS TO PUNCH BACK WITH FORCE.
LOS BLANCOS MATCHED FIRE WITH FIRE AND THEN TAUGHT THE YOBBOS A LESSON - MARQUIS OF QUEENSBOROUGH STYLEE. VALVERDE SCORED YET ANOTHER FUCKING ROCKET - THE URUGUAYAN NEEDS TO BE SPONSORED BY NASA - ARDA PRODUCED A FOX-IN-THE-BOX FINISH TO ADD TO THEIR ‘FOX OFF’ MESSAGE TO LOS CHE….AND THE PASS THAT THE LITTLE TURK FOUGHT FOR THEN LAID ON INSTINCTIVELY FOR MBAPPE WAS JUST SEX ON LEGS. HONESTLY. THIS IS WHY WE PLAY AND WATCH FOOTBALL.
MILISECOND BRILLIANCE FROM THE MINIATURE MILLENIAL.
MOURINHO AND HIS STAFF HAVE SORTED THIS SQUAD OUT - THE UNGOVERNABLE, THE ANARCHIC SELF INTERESTED MILLIONAIRE ARSEHOLES HAVE BECOME PUGNACIOUS, ALL-FOR-ONE, I’VE GOT YOUR BACK, CENTURIONS WHO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO IMPOSE THEIR QUALITY
ALL THE VARIOUS PROBLEMS OF THE LATE- ANCELOTTI ERA, ALL THE DIVISIONS AND SELF-CENTREDNESS OF THE ALONSO-ARBELOA ERAS - IF THEY WERE LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE EARNED THAT TITLE - MAYBE AFTER ANCELOTTI-ALONSO-ARBELOA ALL THAT WAS NEEDED WAS TO SIGN A COACH WHO’S NAME BEGAN WITH A CONSONANT.
ANYWAY ALL THAT CRAPPY PAST SEEMS NOW TO BE NO MORE THAN A VOWEL MOVEMENT - WARTS HAVE BEEN LASERED OFF, THE EMPORERS ARE WEARING ERMINE NOT PRETEND NEW CLOTHES WHICH EXPOSE THEIR ARROGANT NUDITY.
AND, I’LL DARE TO SAY, ALTHOUGH THE BEST MADRID FOOTBALL RIGHT NOW DOESN’T HIT THE EXCELSIOR SISTINE CHAPEL GLORIES OF BARCELONA WHEN THEY SOAR…. IT’S MORE ROBUST, IT’S EQUALLY CHARACTERFUL, IT’S DANGEROUS FOR OPPONENTS AND…. IT SMELLS LIKE SOMETHINGS COOKING.
LA LIGA AND CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CANDIDATES. FACT.
OH WAIT A MINUTE….WHAT’S THAT I HEAR YOU CHANTING …… “CONTROVERSY … CONTROVERSY…WE WANT CONTROVERSY…..!”
WELL, THERE WAS A LOAD OF PISH TALKED IN SPAIN ABOUT THE FOUL/NO FOUL DEBATE ABOUT THE MOMENT THE PREVIOUSLY UNBLEMISHED REPUTATION, ANGLE-FACED, UN PEACE AMBASSADOR PABLO MAFFEO TRIED TO PUNCTURE MBAPPE’S SPINE WITH HIS ELBOW, COMMITTED A FOUL FROM WHICH, IN DUE COURSE, MADRID SCORED. MAFFEO WAS SO RABIDLY ANGRY AT HALF TIME THAT WHEN HIS UTTERLY INSANE CLUB PRESS OFFICER SELECTED HIM FOR THE DAZN FLASH INTERVIEW THE DEFENDER GROWLED AND FROTHED ABOUT ‘NOT HAVING TIME FOR A PIECE OF SHIT INTERVIEW LIKE THIS WHEN THE REFEREE’S BIASED AGAINST US’….
LET’S GET A COUPLE OF THINGS SORTED: IT WAS A CLEARCUT FOUL …..VALENCIA MANAGER JAVIER AGUIRRE ADMITTED THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RED CARD FOR HIS JUNKYARD DOG DEFENDER …AND MAFFEO APOLOGISED TO THE DAZN INTERVIEWER POST MATCH.
TALKING ABOUT POST-MATCH AGUIRRE AND MOURINHO HAD A FLIPPING LOVE-IN WHICH I CAN ONLY INTERPRET AS THE MEXICAN SUCKING UP TO THE SPECIAL …….ONE? IN AN EFFORT TO LAY THE GROUND FOR ASKING FOR MAYBE THIAGO PITARCH OR ENDRICK ON LOAN FROM THE NEXT MARKET UNTIL THE END OF THE SEASON. WATCH THIS SPACE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF NASTY NIGGLY AGGRESSIVE PUSHING, SHOVING, REF-BOTHERING THROUGHOUT……… BUT JOSE GAYA EVENTUALLY GOT TIRED OF EVERYONE PUSSYFOOTING ABOUT ……AND LAUNCHED INTO A BASEBALL SECOND BASE LUNGE WITH KIND OF KUNG-FU TRAJECTORY OF WHICH BRUCE LEE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AWE.
MBAPPE WAS THE RECIPIENT - HE WENT SPINNING LIKE A SKITTLE AS WRECKING BALL GAYA WENT THROUGH HIM - RED CARD, THE OXFORD DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF A RED CARD AND THE VALENCIA CAPTAIN………OUT OF CONTRACT AT THE END OF THE SEASON - AND THE SUBJECT OF MUCH HOO-HAA ABOUT WHETHER TO RENEW HIM AT HIS PRICE DEMANDS……….. WILL NOW BE WITHOUT FOOTBALL FOR THE TWO WEEK INTERNATIONAL BREAK AND THEN, I’D GUESS, ANOTHER THREE MATCHES - NOT EXACTLY WHAT BOTTOM THREE VALENCIA NEED IN THE RUN-UP TO CHRISTMAS AND THE RUN DOWN TO THE SECOND DIVISION.
VILLARREAL 1-0 GETAFE
8TH 15TH
BUCHANAN, CARLOS ROMERO
HOLIDAYS ARE COMING AND HOMEWORK DONE. INIGO IS SAFE, OR SAFER, BECAUSE HIS YELLOW SUBMARINERS FOUGHT LIKE FUCK FOR HIM.
THIS WASN’T A SPECIAL MATCH, OR A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE. BUT AFTER THE HORROR SHOWS - DEFEATS AT HOME TO ESPANYOL AND PSG PLUS THREE MATCHES AT THE MADRIGAL WITHOUT SCORING, AND A VISIT TO CAMP NOU COMING UP AFTER THE INTERNATIONAL BREAK…..BEATING GETAFE WAS AN ORDER, NOT A PREFERENCE.
BEYOND SIMPLY WINNING, AFTER SOME DISASTROUS NIGHTS, THE HIGHLIGHTS WERE…..
DAVID SORIA’S BRAVE, REMARKABLE SAVE AT THE FEET OF PAPE GUAYE….AND THE DECISIVE, SECOND, GOAL.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME WONDERFUL ASSISTS THIS WEEKEND - THE PODIUM OF GLORY INCLUDING ARDA, NIÑO AND BARENE FOR LA REAL’S WINNER… BUT AYOZE’S LITTLE DINK FOR CARLOS ‘DARTAGNAN’ ROMERO TO MAKE IT 2-0 WAS IMPISH AND INSPIRED.
THE UNDER-PRESSURE BOS SPOKE ABOUT THE FEELING OF WINNING AGAIN AND WHAT COMES NEXT…
“When I experience defeats, I suffer because the people who come here can’t go home happy or smiling; and when we secure victories, I’m happy for others. It’s not that it doesn’t hurt—I suffer a great deal in this profession—but I try to maintain a certain sense of EQUILIBRIUM.
“When we lose, I tend to be dramatic—though today, in the ninth minute, we had a moment IN REMEMBERING JESUS DE MIGUEL WHICH put this sport into its proper perspective—and when we win, I try to remain steady.
“So, while a victory is essential for us, losing our stability because of it would be a mistake. Most of the players are heading off to join their national teams, leaving only a few of us behind. I hope that when we return, we can maintain this focus”
“The players suffer; that’s only natural. Besides, this is a squad made up of honest individuals. After a week that has been difficult for everyone, scoring a goal brings a sense of relief—as you mentioned—and securing a win, given where we’ve come from, was long overdue. But that’s how elite-level football works. After the break, we have the match at the Camp Nou—a game for which the opposing coach already knows our intended approach.
It’s going to be a highly emotional encounter, which is why I emphasize the importance of staying balanced while remaining committed to a very clear philosophy. And today—I ACCEPT —even if the performance wasn’t brilliant, there was a different kind of energy from the players. That’s the foundation upon which we need to build everything else.”
ELCHE 0-2 BETIS
18TH 4th
RoRo Riquelme, Bartra
RECORD POINTS START TO A LIGA SEASON FROM BETIS: AND THE SHORT SUMMARY OF THIS IS THAT BOTH TEAMS ARE ELEGANT, AMBITIOUS, ENORMOUS FUN TO WATCH AND, WHILE BETIS WERE SHAKING OFF THEIR POST-DORTMUND SLUMBER ELCHE SCORNED ABOUT TWO AND A HALF THOUSAND GOOD GOAL CHANCES.
WHAT BETIS WENT ON TO GIVE US WAS A GLIMPSE OF HOW GOLDEN THEIR FUTURE MIGHT BE.
IN THE LAST 20, CEBALLOS, WHO’S PLAYED 700 MINUTES IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF - JUST SIX LIGA STARTS, AND THUS IS NOWHERE NEAR HIS COMPETITIVE BEST YET, LAID ON A MASTERCLASS OF CREATIVITY
- HE WAS THE MAIN FORCE BEHIND BOTH GOALS.
BUT TWO OTHER SUBS, RIQUELME, WHO’S PROGRESSING UNDER MANUEL PELLEGRINI’S TUTELAGE, AND MORANTE, WHO ONLY TURNED 19 LAST JUNE AND WHO’S AN AMBIDEXTROUS WINGER WITH A BULLFIGHTER DAD AND WHO LOOKS A DELICIOUS TALENT, SCORED ONE AND HIT THE POST.
BETIS TRULY HAVE A GOLDEN REPOSITORY OF WONDERFUL PLAYERS AND IF THEY CAN, ANY BLEEDIN WAY POSSIBLE, GET THROUGH THE LEAGUE STAGE IN EUROPE AND RAKE IN THE CASH THEN THESE PLAYERS CAN BE RETAINED AND STILL BETTER ONES BOUGHT TO IMPROVE THE POSITIONS, IN DEFENCE, AND AT CENTRE FORWARD, WHERE THERE ARE STILL SOME GAPS FOR A SIDE WHICH NOW WANTS TO MOVE INTO TROPHY-WINNING MODE.
SIDE NOTES: CALL UP FOR ALVARO VALLES - IN THE SPAIN SQUAD AND WHAT A REWARD HE’S REAPING FOR THE BASTARD WAY HE WAS TREATED BY LAS PALMAS - CHUCKED INTO THE MAIN STAND FOR A YEAR AND DEPRIVED OF BEING ALLOWED TO PLAY ——- UP IN LA LIGA’S ELITE, ENJOYING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL AND IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONS SQUAD NOW.
THE OTHER SIDE NOTE IS THAT LOS VERDIBLANCO’S LEADING SCORER, WITH THE SEVILLA DERBI PEEKING DEVILISHLY AT ALL OF US AROUND THE CORNER… IS SOON TO BE 36 YEAR OLD CENTRAL DEFENDER MARC BARTRA WITH FIVE - IN LEAGUE AND EUROPE. THE FIFTH OF WHICH CAME IN THE LAST GASP MINUTES COURTESY OF A KEEKER OF A HEADER FROM CEBALLOS’ CORNER.
REAL SOCIEDAD 1-0 RAYO
5TH 14TH
OSKARSSON
NOT THE BEST OF MATCHES BUT A WIN WHCIH MEANS A HUGE AMOUNT TO A TXURI-URDIN SQUAD ROBBED OF A RESULT BY COWARDLY REFS AND ROTTEN TECHNOLOGY LAST WEEK - AS PREVIOUSLY EXPLAINED.
OYARZABAL WAS SICK, APPARENTLY, AND, WITHOUT HIM AND WITH GUEDES RESERVED ON THE BENCH, LA REAL DIDN’T PLAY WITH THE VERVE WHICH THEIR FANS DESERVE.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND BASQUE BUT I’M BLOODY CERTAIN THAT I HEARD THEM CHANTING - ‘POZNAN, POZNAN, LET US DO THE POZNAN……” WHICH, IN DUE COURSE, OSKARSSON’S GOAL - HIS SIXTH OF THE SEASON FROM 14 APPEARANCES - ALLOWED THEM TO UNLEASH. BUT HE OWED A DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO BARRENETXEA WHO’S GOAL-PASS WAS ORGASMICALLY GOOD.
EVERYONE TURNED AWAY FROM THE PITCH, LINKED ARMS AROUND SHOULDERS AND BOUNCED AND BOUNCED AND BOUNCED. IT’S STILL A CRACKING SIGHT.
OKAY CLASS - HERE ARE THE FOOTNOTES. I’LL BE ASKING QUESTIONS AT THE END SO PAY ATTENTION!!!!!!
BARENE DEPARTED THE PITCH NOT LONG AFTER THE GOAL - HAMSTRUNG WENT PING AND HE MELTED INTO FLOODS OF TEARS.
DID YOU RECALL THAT HE’S STILL ONLY 24!!!! IT’S OVER EIGHT YEARS SINCE HIS DEBUT BUT HE’S ONLY AVERAGING 30 MATCHES A YEAR - BECAUSE OF HOW BRUTALLY INJURIES HAVE TREATED HIM.
HE’S OUT OF THE SPAIN SQUAD, AND, SALT IN WOUND FOR THE BASQUE, REPLACED BY JORGE DE FRUTOS WHO WAS ON THE LOSING SIDE HERE BUT WILL STROLL JAUNTILY INTO LAS ROZAS ON MONDAY AFTERNOON - WITH THE WORLD CHAMPIONS WILL BE THE CAPTION ON HIS PHOTO.
REMIRO MADE TWO WORLD CLASS SAVES BUT HE’LL NOT BE WITH SPAIN… AGAIN.
OYARZABAL - WELL HE WASNT’ WITH THE TXURI URDIN AND…. NOBODY RIGHTLY KNOWS WHETHER HE’LL BE WITH SPAIN. HE’S CHOSEN ALRIGHT BUT RINO MATERAZZO SAID POST MATCH THAT BIGFOOT HAD HAD A REALLY BAD VIRUS, THAT HE WAS IN BITS THAT HIS BACK WAS ALSO STILL TROUBLING HIM AND, THE NEW JERSEYAN HINTED, IT MIGHT BE BEST NOT TO SAUNTER OFF WITH SPAIN.
I SUSPECT OYARZABAL WILL NEED TO BE STRAIGHT-JACKETED NOT TO JOIN UP WITH LA ROJA. BUT…WE SHALL SEE.
THE FINAL PAINFUL SIGHT WAS WATCHING Jozhua Vertrouwd COME ON IN A CLUTCH OF RAYO SUBS ON MINUTE 79 AND THEN ASK TO BE TAKEN OFF EXACTLY TEN MINUTES LATER BECAUSE HE FELT A MUSCLE GIVE WAY. HORRIBLE FOR THE YOUNG DEFENDER.
.
OSASUNA 1-1 ATHLETIC
16TH 7TH
TALKING POINTS
IF YOU’RE ATHLETIC CLUB, THE REAL GIANTS OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY AND YOU’VE WON THE BIG DERBI AT HOME AGAINST LA REAL A WEEK EARLIER THEN TAKEN A POINT AT THE CLUB YOU TREAT AS A FEEDER OUTFIT, MUCH TO THE FURY AND RESENTMENT OF OSASUNA, THEN, FROM A DISTANCE, SOME PEOPLE WOULD ARGUE - GOOD WEEK AT THE OFFICE.
BUT THAT SHOULD FEATURE IN THE CATEGORY OF MARK TWAIN’S STINGING REMARK ABOUT LIES, DAMN LIES AND STATISTICS
LAST WEEK’S WIN WAS ACHIEVED SIMPLY BECAUSE SOME NITWIT OFFICIAL TRUSTED FAULTY TECHNOLOGY - THE CHIP IN THE FOOTBALL WENT ALL ROGUE - A LITTLE LIKE EVIL MEGA COMPUTER HAL 900 IN 2001 - A CHANCE FOR A GRATUITOUS QUOTE FROM THE STANLEY KUBRIK MOVIEW WHEN HAL TELLS THE CREW: “The 9000 series is the most reliable computer ever made. No 9000 computer has ever made a mistake or distorted information. We are all, by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error.”
WASN’T TRUE IN SPACE, WASN’T TRUE AT SAN MAMES AND THE WINNING PENALTY WAS A FARCE BECAUSE THE BALL-MICROCHIP TOLD THE VAR BOOTH THAT IT WAS NICO ……NOT ARAMBARRU…… WHO TOUCHED THE BALL BEFORE THE TWO PLAYERS CLASHED. SO THREE POINTS LAST WEEK WHICH WERE THANKS TO A GROSSLY UNFAIR ERROR AND THEN A TOOTHLESS PERFORMANCE HERE WHICH THEY NONETHELESS LED THANKS TO NICO’S 83TH MINUTE GOAL - THE SECOND IN TWO WEEKS WHEN IÑAKI WILLIAMS HAS PROVIDED A KILLER ASSIST FOR HIS WEE BROTHER.
NICO DISTRUSTS HIS LEFT FOOT SO FKN MUCH THAT HIS ATTEMPTED FINISH OFF HIS RIGHT WENT DIRECTLY BACK TOWARDS OSASUNA KEEPER AITOR FERNANDEZ (ARRASATE’S STILL BEHAVING LIKE A MANIAC AND ROTATING HIS KEEPERS) BUT THE SAVE BOUNCED BACK TO NICO AND INTO THE NET
THAT’S IT FOR HIM - HE PULLS UP LAME AND GETS SUBBED. REPLACED BY JOHANEKA
ONE MINUTE OF NORMAL TIME LEFT ATHLETIC STILL CONCEDE ….AND THIS IS HOW
THEY MISS FIVE, COUNT ‘EM FIVE! DUELS, CHALLENGES, TACKLES - CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT - JOHANEKA ALLOWS A FREE CROSS IN - UNAI SIMON PRODUCES A HOWLER OF AN ATTEMPTED CATCH OR PUNCH OR WHATEVER IT WAS - THE BALL RICOCHETS OFF AYME LAPORTE, ON TO YURI BERCHICHE AND BIG OLD LURCH CATENA - LOOKING LIKE A PANTOMIME VILLAIN AS USUAL, SLAPS THE EQUALISER HOME
AND AWFUL ATTEMPT TO CLOSE OUT THE MATCH AND AN AFTERNOON WHERE THE XG WAS
OSASUNA 0,6 xG ATHLETIC 2,6 - A VAST DIFFERENCE BUT A GOAL APIECE.
I DON’T YET KNOW THE BASQUE FOR ….. DOH!!!!……. BUT I’M GONNA GO OUT AND RESEARCH IT
INAKI WILLIAMS OBVIOUSLY SHARES MY VIEW - POST MATCH HE SAID: “In terms of OUR morale, THIS feels like a defeat; it’s a real shame. We deserved to win, but football has no concept of justice.
“When you leave a match open-ended, things like this can happen. It’s a pity—we created enough chances to head HOME to Bilbao with all three points. We conceded from a situation that could have been avoided, AND BY DOING THAT we threw away all the work we’d put in.”
TERZIC SAID: “everyone knows that if you only score one goal, the match isn’t over. You have to defend right up until the very last second. We played for about 95 minutes today, BUT, in the end, we couldn’t stop that cross. We weren’t able to clear the ball, and we didn’t win the contested duel 20 meters from our own goal. In football, that means you can end up conceding a goal in the final minutes. For me, it certainly feels like we dropped two points today.”
AS FAR AS INAKI’S WEE BROTHER IS CONCERNED I THOUGHT HIS BODY LANGUAGE MADE IT LOOK LIKE A SERIOUS THIGH OR HAMMY PROBLEM …..NICO HIMSELF DIAGNOSED IT AS NOTHING WORSE THAN CRAMPS.
LUIS DE LA FUENTE AND SPAIN WILL BE ON THIS LIKE ROTTWEILERS ON RED MEAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE CZECHIA AWAY AND THEN ENGLAND AT THE METROPOLITANO IN A WEEK IN ORDER TO WIN THEIR NATIONS LEAGUE GROUP. THAT ENGLAND MATCH LOOKS LIKE A CLASH OF THE TITANS AND NO MISTAKE.
CELTA 0-0 LEVANTE
11TH 17TH
CELTA PLAYED OUT A GOALLESS DRAW FOR THE FIFTH TIME THIS SEASON AND, FRANKLY, THEY HAVE A PROBLEM.
HOW MUCH DO THEY NEED BORJA IGLESIAS FIT, A PERMANENT FIXTURE IN THE TEAM AND SCORING GOALS???
SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH. THAT’S HOW MUCH.
THE FANS ARE RESTLESS AND, LITTLE WONDER.
ELEVENTH AT THE NOVEMBER BREAK SOUNDS OKAYISH….BUT THEY’RE ONLY THREE POINTS OFF THE DROP ZONE AND OH SO TOOTHLESS.
BY THE TIME LIGA FOOTBALL RE-COMMENCES IT’LL HAVE BEEN A MONTH SINCE CELTA FANS SAW THEIR TEAM SCORING A GOAL IN LA LIGA.
LEVANTE ARE A POINT OFF THE RELEGATION TRIO AND NEED TO THINK ABOUT THIS LIKE A CHANCE SPURNED.
ESPANYOL 0-0 DEPORTIVO A CORUÑA
13TH 9TH
MÁLAGA 1-2 RACING
20th 10TH
DOTOR ZABIRI, PEQUE
ZABIRI v NIÑO - THAT ASSIST!!!
NIÑO CHAT
PABLO GARCIA
OKAY, THIS WAS SUPER INTERESTING FOR THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE TWO BIG BEASTS WHO ARE STUCK IN DOMESTIC ANIMAL CLUBS.
YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT I MEAN 21 YEAR OLD WORLD CHAMPION YASSIR ZABIRI, ON LOAN FROM STADE RENNAIS AND ANTONIO NIÑO - MALAGA’S 22 YEAR OLD STRIKER THAT THEY ACQUIRED FROM ATLETICO BUT ONLY OWN HALF OF.
LUCKILY IT’S THE SCORING HALF. HE’S HIT THE NET FIVE TIMES AND MADE A GOAL ASSIST IN 460 MINUTES SINCE COMING BACK FROM A -CALF INJURY AND LET ME TELL YOU THAT ALTHOUGH IT WAS YASSIR WHO COULD SAY ….YESSIR WE WON - BY THE END, ADDING THAT 9TH GOAL OF THE SEASON, I CAME AWAY ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED THAT NIÑO’S THE REAL DEAL.
A COUPLE OF QUICK POINTS TO PREFACE MY LOVE-IN. GOOD THOUGH HIS GOAL TOTAL IS … THIS ISN’T A PAON OF PRAISE BASED ON THE ANDALUSIAN’S SCORING RATE. I SEE MUCH, MUCH MORE TO ADORE
SECONDLY, SOCIO PAUL HENAHAN HAS ALREADY USED HIS LAWYERS TO ISSUE A ‘CEASE AND DESIST’ ORDER SO THAT I KEEP QUIET ABOUT NIÑO THE KID AND STOP RAISING HIS PROFILE TO PREDATORIAL CLUBS WITH BIGGER BUDGETS
GIVEN THAT PAUL’S BRIEFS.. A PHRASE I GENUINELY NEVER THOUGHT I’D USE……GOT IN TOUCH VIA TWITTER I’M GONNA GO AHEAD AND RISK A CONJUNCTION…AND AN INJUNCTION AT THE SAME TIME
IT GOES LIKE THIS: NIÑO MAY NOT BE THE FINISHED ARTICLE YET BUT I’D SAY THAT’S ONLY DOWN TO EXPERIENCE.
HE’S VORACIOUS. ALWAYS TRYING TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. HE PRESSES, HE’S VERY CLEVER POSITIONALLY, HE’S GOT AN INNATE OR NINE, SENSE OF HOW TO SPLIT DEFENDERS AND PROFIT FROM THAT GAP. HE’S SMART, GENEROUS, NON-STOP AND THERE ARE BITS OF HIM, AND I’LL HAVE TO COME BACK TO THIS DESCRIPTION IN A FEW MONTHS, WHICH REMIND ME OF DAVID VILLA AT ZARAGOZA.
MALAGA TOOK HIM ON A 50/50 SPLIT RIGHTS FOUR YEAR DEAL FROM ATLETI MEANING THAT LOS ROJIBLANCOS HAVE THE RIGHT TO RE-BUY HIM FOR 1.2 MILLION IN THE SUMMER - RISING TO 4MILLION AS THE SEASONS PASS.
SO EVEN IF A MEGA CLUB CAME IN NOW ATLETI COULD INSIST ON EXERCISING THEIR RE-PURCHASE RIGHT WHETHER THEY THINK THEY NEED HIM OR NOT.
I’D SAY THAT THE HORSE-SENSE OF SELLING SORLOTH OR JULIAN AND REPATRIATING NIÑO IS A MOVE WHICH IS YELLING OUT FOR ATTENTION - SORRY PAUL. SORRY GUIRI ARMY.
NIÑO’S ASSIST ON SATURDAY - WON’T YOU PLEASE LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT NIÑO’S ASSIST ON SATURDAY!!!!!!!!
THE CROSS COMES IN, NINO IS HAVING TO PRODUCE A BIG LEAP TO GET IT, MOST STRIKERS WOULD HAVE POINTLESSLY AIMED AT GOAL AND RACING’S AGIRREZABALA WOULD HAVE GOBBLED UP A WEAK EFFORT.
INSTEAD THIS NEW FAVOURITE OF MINE PRODUCES A HEADER OF BRILLIANT IMAGINATION, VISION AND PRECISION SO THAT IT DROPS FOR DOTOR TO BE FIRST TO PROD IT HOME. IT WAS WORTHY OF A MEDAL, A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND DOUBLE PACHARANS ALL ROUND.
SEVILLA 0-0 ÁLAVES
6TH 12TH
RUBBISH GAME. BAD ATITTUDES. NO SKILL LIT UP ONLY BY A SUPER SIVERA PENALTY SAVE, JUST THE FOURTH OF HIS CAREER HAVING LET IN NEARLY 40. VARGAS HIT IT OKAY BUT IT DIDN’T GO IN AND SEVILLA MANAGER LUIS GARCIA …… WHO FUCKING LOVES A MOAN…. COMPLAINED - “I HAD THAT GUY FOR THREE YEARS AT ALAVES AND HE NEVER SAVED ONE!!! BUT HE HAD TO PRODUCE THAT TODAY!!!!!”
HA HA HA. DARK HUMOUR, DARK NIGHT. DARK WEEKEND.
UN ABRAZO FOR ALL YOU SOCIOS AND……SUBSCRIBERS…. PLEASE COUGH UP YOUR 3.50 EUROS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE NEED YOU.
AND DO WE NOT ENTERTAIN YOU……??
