05 October 2006

News Roundup 10.5.06

Sorry about the light posting recently. Tough workweek, and we’ve stumbled headlong into another international break as well. So it’ll probably continue to be light posting for the next week or so; I’ll probably attempt to do a roundup of all the news that I actually have something to say about at least bi-daily.

Johnson injured; Bent called up

Old news by now, but I jinxed Andy Johnson I guess, who has picked up a hamstring knock. Turns out we won’t be seeing him paired with Rooney, we’ll get Crouch and Rooney with Bent called up from the under 21s. It’ll be interesting to see how they play together. Will their styles overlap too much? Who will drop deep and who will play higher up the field? Will Gerrard, Lampard, and Downing provide enough support in the penalty area from midfield? I’ll have more on this before the game against Macedonia, but I’m skeptical to say the least.

Dempsey named US Player of the Year

There are mountains of other bloggers more qualified than I that cover the ins and outs of the US players, but Dempsey was clearly the standout for me during the World Cup. In fact, I’d go so far as to say he was the only player who really impressed, or at least, lived up to his billing. There’s no other choice this award could have gone to. It’s a pity Dempsey couldn’t negotiate his release from MLS during the summer, he’ll do well in Europe and I really hope he ends up in England.

Stan Collymore thinks he can still play in the Prem

The funniest thing about this, besides Stan the Man’s comprehensive delusions of grandeur, is it has forced Martin O’Neill to come out and deny rumors he’s going to return to Villa. I’m positive the thought had never remotely crossed O’Neill’s mind until Sky Sports phoned him up asking for comment. Collymore hasn’t played since walking out on Real Oviedo in 2001. Another reason why international breaks are awful for the game, the tabloids are forced to make up even more news than usual. I’ll run naked through Goodison Park if Collymore lines up for a PL squad this season, I can’t even see any of the relegation candidates this desperate.

Joey Barton’s ass not going to jail, but will have to pay a visit to the FA

This probably deserved it’s own post, and I’m late to the party anyway, but I’m going to strike a different line than nearly every other commentary I’ve read. I found it funny at the time, and I still find it funny. Joey Barton is a psychopath, and most normal people wouldn’t display their buttocks in the middle of an arena, let alone poke a youth player in the eye with a cigar or punch a teenage Everton fan in Thailand. What Barton did certainly was unprofessional, but he’s getting stick, and he gave them stick back. It’s barely bringing the game into disrepute (the fact that Arjen Robben is allowed to play brings the game into more disrepute), and if Barton’s anything more than fined, it’s a travesty. I just cannot look at his face while he's dropping trousers and not laugh. Maybe it amuses me so because it reminds me of friends from college, which is probably a bad thing, but this is a mountain out of a molehill. Guaranteed, every supporter in that crowd has seen a naked ass before, whether they’re 7 or 79, anyhow.

I’m not the biggest fan of posting YouTube videos unless it’s something I want to remember or really want to be seen, because if someone wants to see the incident, I’m certain they know how, but this needs to be put up in as many places as possible for posterity.

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