The9

Maybe he was in charge of selling them for the last home game of the season ?

There's a League rule that means allocated numbers have to be consecutive, so we HAVE to fill up the gaps. I seriously doubt Wotton will release the number 10 shirt. Nice as it would be to have 1-11 on the pitch at some point, squad numbers are a phenomenon of the 1990s, and even shirt numbers only became compulsory in the FL in 1939 - we should play without numbers altogether next season . I'm still not sure what the deal is with Poolis, footballers usually sign contracts which terminate on July 1, no matter when they actually sign - so his "2 year deal" would have expired on July 1. I suspect the option for a 3rd year might have been his and taken up before he kicked a ball - because let's face it he won't have got one after he did.

Don't all rush at once...!

We made our first signings for this promotion campaign in July and August 2009, and January 2010, compared to 2008/9when we hardly had a first team at all in July (or for most of the previous season, when the reserves played in the CCC). Having already added about 8 starters to the core of Davis, Lallana and Schneiderlin, we need maybe 3 starters to compete with the other players who were Play-Off standard last season. We've lost at most 3 fringe players. We'll have already been in contact with any out-of-contract targets ensuring they consider us and don't sign for anyone until they've heard our offer, and we won't get some until the Prem and CCC sides have their squads and we know who's out of favour and worth a punt. Give it a rest, I'm not even going to think about it for another month. Even if we only sign a right back in that time we'll have plenty of capable players with experience of winning matches in this League.

Arf, you haven't been paying much attention to Blatter in the past 12 years have you ? 1) Say something that placates the immediate situation 2) Later, say something else that ignores 1) His policy is to maintain the human element of refereeing decisions, so give it a few weeks when the furore has died down and no-one is watching and he'll go back to saying exactly what he was saying before. Just like he did the last time.

You clearly haven't watched wrestling in a very long time.

The alternative in 2008 and 1994 (and 1996 if I'm splitting hairs) being "the only Englishman available" failing to qualify for the tournament altogether. I'm half expecting Dalek2003 to turn up on this thread, but then Hoddle only got to R2 as well. Sven looks like a God for getting to the QFs and losing to the winners, relatively speaking.

I'd say 1988 and 1992 were both worse than 2010, actual losing of matches to average and poor (Ireland) teams rather than drawing with them and then capitulating to a decent one. 1994 and 2008 weren't much of an effort either, arf. FWIW England only won one game in 90 minutes in 1990 as well.

Blimey, what a lame thread, I didn't even think the format had changed enough to bother commenting on it. However, the Blog aspect is frankly 67 kinds of awesome, so with that alone I'm really happy with the change. Shame no-one else bothers to use it !

Frankly if we're playing 4-4-2 we've got no chance.

Just checked and my flights were £65 (return), anyone want to make me an offer..?

Have to say overall, having seen all but 2 matches (when on a stag do) and 2 matches when stuck in a work thing all afternoon, that this World Cup has been decidedly below average. Very few moments of class, little spectacular stuff, defences on top for most matches, a load of dead rubbers at the end of the groups too. Can't think of 5 players who've stood out yet.

As they actually showed the Portugal thrashing LIVE in North Korea (first time ever), they haven't got much to lose...

Wellll, I got Mexico right... We'll see on the Dutch - they didn't lose to Denmark Less said about the £20 I put on "no goalscorer" the better. Ghana have. USA didn't - can't say England look like they will either. So, all in, the usual disaster. I was 15 mins away from the French getting no goals at 50/1 though...

All the Squad Numbers in the Football League have to be consecutive at the start of the season anyway, and given that the list has to be in before the transfer window closes they'll have to shunt whoever we've got in the squad than towards the lower numbers and pile any late signings in at the end...

I don't post on any other Forums. Just lurk.

Sounds fair enough to me. Don't want to risk getting done for it, don't do it. Easily avoided.

How are we doing so far then ?

Good fun but my two visits there so far are 1999 and 2009, and I'll happily wait another 10 years for another.

Well, last year it was me (and boy did people moan about the typos). Bit busier at work this year but should be able to get something sorted by the start of the season somehow...

Pretty much all football contracts terminate or start on July 1, which is the end of the close season. It's possible that flybe will have different dates, but it basically just makes the accounting more difficult. As for the seats, easily rectified and probably paid for in the terms of the contract.

ORLY. I used to get paid to play, as did Chris Coleman IIRC. And apparently everyone apart from you thinks it was a cross. Now I'm a free thinker, but I'd say that was fairly evident. I would laugh heartily if he said he tried to cross it in the post match interviews. In Portuguese, obviously.

I note Chris Coleman is also therefore "clueless", having noted that Maicon looked into the box before "trying to cross it"... Awaiting our apologies...

We'll see. You'll notice Juan just did exactly the same thing, sliced it onto the roof of the net...

Yep, he was just lamping it across the box, doing all he could to try and keep it in. Jammy, but they all count. There is an outside possibilty he meant it, but I'd have to see his eyes on a super-slo-mo.