大象传媒

(I hope I'm still) First...

Great insight Dan,

I can't see Keown having been used if we'd done the Argies - surely surviving that you wouldn't want to break up the team, and I can't see him having replaced Becks either.

Right - home for tea, tuna pasta bake.. Huzzah

Ian Walker

(Oh and come on Wednesday)

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Make that tackling... rather than the sailing term!

Hi Dan..really interesting stuff about the Press Day (something Joe Public get's to hear about). I bet all those interviews were a bit of a Busman's holiday for you though..speaking of which...

That 大象传媒 Bus sounds like THE ONLY WAY TO TRAVEL to a top soccer tourni'(..football, culture and history 24hrs a day for a solid month!) If England do well it will be a truley unforgetable journey! All you really need is for the wife and kids to follow along in a camper van packed with your favourite food supplies and it'd be perfect or are they banned along with the players' WAGS ;( ?

One question..do journo's get match tickets in advance and do know which games you are going to cover or is it all be last minute suprises - Press free for alls - arguements on the bus etc?

Apparently not allowed to mention an incident in last nights match which to me was one of the worst incidents in the season - on a par with C Ronaldo and Rivaldo in past International competitions in many ways. Its a shame that for me it tarnished the great play that Barcelona normally display. Hopefully this doesn't breach any rules and reg's.

Boss Hogg

Mottie Dan!
Another great blogg, other than Rick Mayall; I'm sure that if he ever met me his opinion of me would be as low as mine of him .

Worst moment of the season, wondering if CCFC would be wound up at the high court and wondering how they will manage next week at court. After that Ryan Shawcross taking out Ramsey... don't think it was deliberate but it was still bad.
My 23 are somewhat depeleted since I cannot keep tabs on the EPL from the USA
Keepers:
Green, Hart, and I'd love to see Henesey in the World Cup but he is Welsh
Defenders:
Baines, Cole (against my gut instincts) King, Sol Campbell, Terry Brown and some other right back.
Midfielders:
Downing, Carrick, R. Shawcross (developmental)Gerrard, Lampard, Walcott and Peter Whittingham (class player also developmental).
Attackers:
Rooney, Bent, Heskey and Michael Chopra.
Press on!

At last! You're broadcasting from somewhere outside the Premier League. Nice one.

Ruel Fox

The guy who commented first, get a life. Small victory or what?!

Blaenorynycwlyd, that world cup squad is amazing! Although no room for David Nugent and Stuart Parnaby? I suggest a rethink.

Quality blog as usual dan although really didn't enjoy Rik Mayall but hey, other than that have been quality blogs all season!

Yours sincerely




















Pele

Jagielka has to go. I'd start him ahead of Terry.

Adrian Heath

Worst part of the season for me has to be Blackpool in the FA Cup against Ipswich. Not for Blackpool's performance, we outplayed Ipswich with only 9 men, but for the referee's poor showing after he had obviously had bad outings to Blackpool as a child and saw this as revenge. Add the fact that I was home for Christmas/New Year and it was one of the few home matches I saw this season, since I live in Ipswich...

Loved Rik Mayall and all your work this season, KUTGW Dan :)

(First time replying to this I think)

Hi Dan,

In 2006 Focus carried on through to the world cup, covering the cup final, European Cup final, play-offs and the build up. Why isn't it doing so this year? Is it because of F1?

Rickie Lambert

Must be the first time I agree with Janet Street Porter!

Perhaps they should make footballers wear skin tight top's like the England Rugby Union team have started doing, then they wouldn't be able to do that shirt pulling which seems endemic these days.

Pootle

Ok my 23. Starters in capitals (based purely on form)

HART, Green, James

JOHNSON, KING, DAWSON, A.COLE, Ferdinand, Terry, Brown, Baines

MILNER, BARRY, LAMPARD, GERRARD, Lennon, Walcott, Joe Cole, A.Johnson

ROONEY, CROUCH, Defoe, Bent.

No place for Carrick. As a United fan his form has been awful and his confidence will be at an all time low. Ferdinand has struggled with injuries and hasn't played, and Terry hasn't been the same since Bridge-gate. Brown in as he can play CB or RB. Baines is the best alternative to Cole even if Bridge made himself available (don't rate Bridge at all. How a player can get paid what he does and not be able to use his right foot one jot is beyond me).

Backups for midfield are essentially made up of 3 or 4 wingers. This is because Milner can play central, as can Joe Cole. Walcott and Gerrard can play off Rooney. Adam Johnson has been in great form and just edges out Downing and Young for me. A natural left footer who can play on either wing is a great asset to have.

Only 4 strikers for the reason I mentioned above with 2 midfielders being able to play mroe advanced. Also no Heskey as his form has again been terrible and I don't care how unselfish he is, a strikers' job is to score goals. Crouch can do the same job and he has an amazing goal scoring record at international level. And Bent has been on fire this season, scoring half of Sunderland's league goals!
If Lennon gets back to full fitness in the last 3 games and shows good form I would put him in over Milner as his pace would scare the opposition. Also if Hargreaves was fit and had a few games under his belt I would take him in a heart beat. England need a player with his strength and determination.

p.s Crouch in more for his international form than his club form, as he hasn't been getting much game time at Spurs.

dan i regularly watch football focus and think you do a good job presenting it and have a good rapport with all the bbc pundits on it i was wondering was you interested in or considered for the match of the day 2 presenting gig? i was hoping you would get it

thanks

So Jurgen Klinsman is joining the 大象传媒. This would be the Jurgen Klinsman who got the first man ever sent off in a World Cup (an Argentinian, forgotten his name) with the most disgraceful piece of play acting seen on a football field?

He'll go well with Alan - he made it into a penalty - Shearer, Alan - never comment on a Rooney or Gerrard dive - Hansen et al. At one time the MOTD pundits disapproved of and tried to prevent cheating -a long time ago. Nowadays cheating is accepted as long as it's the right players doing it.

History depends on who is writing it. A Maradona handball becomes a reason for never ending national indignation. Two Linekar dives against the Cameroons is consigned to oblivion.

How about Ronaldo getting Rooney sent off again? It's what it's all about you know - winning.

Excellent blog once again Dan. I know Motty has stopped covering live games but will he be involved with the World Cup coverage in any way?

People will argue until the drunken loner at the bar falls asleep about which strikers England should take to the World Cup. I'd like the strikers to be Rooney, Defoe, Crouch, Bent and Agbonlahor. Unfortunately, I think Mr Capello will opt for Heskey rather that Bent and Agbonlahor, but i've got a feeling he's probably a little bit more aware than me of what it takes to win a World Cup! I'd be disappionted if Zamora gets the nod (8 league goals in a supposedly exceptional season, compared with 24 for Bent, in a supposedly average one).

If you were boss, and had to pick one player from outside the Premiership to take, who would it be? I think Steve Bull was the last player outside the top flight to make the squad? Mine would be Lee Camp.

As a Sheff Wed fan, i've not had clean underwear for the past week and the C Palace vs WBA match was the least i've ever enjoyed 90 mins of football in my life! What is your gut feeling about Sundays showdown, affectively an early League 1 play-off final?

Guylain Ndumbu Nsungu

21. At 02:42am on 30 Apr 2010, Grzegorz Kucharczyk wrote:

History depends on who is writing it. A Maradona handball becomes a reason for never ending national indignation. Two Linekar dives against the Cameroons is consigned to oblivion.

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Some strange vitriolic points made here. I'll ignore the pundit comments as Shearer was some player but falls quite short as a man in my eyes, plus his robotic style of punditry doesn't grab me.

Lineker diving? The same Gary Lineker who was neer booked or sent off during his career?? If you watch the 2 penalty incidents, one nearly borders on a double clothes-line assault by keeper and defender, and the other one is where he has turned on the famous Lineker after burners and a clumsy challenge has brought him down. No complaints from the Cameroon players in either circumstance, and an assertive but excentric performance from the ref, who I recall refereed the final? Klinsmann, yes he had a reputation of being a diver. What he also was: A world cup and european championship winner. A phenomenal striker and somebody who the english public warmed to due to his surprising sense of charisma...compunded with driving a battered VW Beetle around north london. Glad to have him on board.

Adebayor is a suprise Dan. Is he in there due to his ability to say more words per minute than anybody else in the world...he talks quickly, and directly.

Worst moment of the season? Henry handball, i'm a bit bored of not having some of the home nations at the major tournaments.

Were the weird chicken skewers a Satay skewer Dan? I hope so. Only bettered by Salt & Pepper Chicken.

Uwe Rosler

Impspromotion 2012 (#10)
I'm not quite sure how Nugent and Parnaby have been playing this season. From New England my interest in EPL & Championship is quite parochial; and those players fall outside of the orbit of my attention. SORRY. Remind me who are the IMPS?

Dan, (#15) That Owen Glyndwr was a poor jibe! Misspelled too! And you with Welsh ancestry, as you pointed out two bloggs ago. It would be great to see you broadcasting from the half empty stadiums of RSAS. (I just love their national anthem)IF ENGLAND REACH THE QUARTER FINALS I WILL FIND A PUB BROADCASTING JUST TO SEE YOU ON TV! Having said that the wife gives birth in July so I might have to sit down and work out my priorities;is it going to be Dan on the tele or my wife's big belly? The final is on July 11th isn't it?
Also I think your comments to Bendtner for sale (#25) might give a full answer to all the bloggers who have written in saying "I want to be the next F.F. presenter- how did you do it?"
Just goes to show that even in 'vacation jobs' principles still count. (vacation jobs being those jobs that are vacations to the rest of us like sitting watching footie all day every day.) LOL



Marshall Zukhov & Tito

I think #18 has a pretty decent selection. However, my starting line-up would be slightly different. I think Joe Hart's age doesn't matter. He has has an awesome season and look at him - he's brimming with confidence, let him start. Also, i've never been a fan of Barry's, and Lampard and Gerrard I think just don't mix. So here is is:

HART, Green, James

JOHNSON, KING, FERDINAND, A.COLE, Dawson, Terry, Brown, Baines

LENNON, MILNER, LAMPARD, J.COLE, Barry, Walcott, Gerrard, A.Johnson

ROONEY, BENT, Defoe, Crouch

By the way, can I point you in the direction of a world cup song that I think is far better than Rik Mayall's? It has been played all over the radio in the Midlands and is airing at Wolves and Birmingham grounds before matches.


or type ENGLAND FOREVER - STEVE HEATHCOCK into YOUTUBE

please listen!

Agree with WC2010GROUPC (Post 18) in squad terms.

Would be very happy if Capello took that squad. Maybe Richards for Brown.

Disagree with your starting line up but otherwise some good calls in there.

Dan i commend the not working on a Sunday ethic. Congratulations on the season so far.

Prior football focus' at this stage of the season have 'focus'sed on the relgation battles and various permutations for places, how are you going to fill the programme with all but the top spot and 4th wrapped up??

Murray on MOTD2? Is he the first to make the Channel5 to 大象传媒 transition? who next Barnes and Collymore? Although thinking about it the chap from robot wars (Jonathan Pearce) went the other way before returning to join MOTD... Is it like some sort of feeder club system? i.e. Chappers has to prove himself on a Thursday night before he can make the step up to the Prem like Murray.. or do you get threatened with being dropped if you don't perform? Ha. I hope not.

Worst moments of the season really depends on your allegiences, i personally loved the Beachball incident, and loved the whole Fergie time Owen winner.

Worst bit for me, being a Macclesfield native living in Nottingham, was the untimely passing of big Keith Alexander after the Notts County game.

I also wanted to sign off Ali Dia (Not to be confused with Ali Daei) But got post comment trigger finger.

Ken Monkou

Pleasing to read about your respect for Sundays. I'm not religious but I do wish more shops were closed. Ice cream vans are essential through the summer though.

We once had a goalkeeper at Swindon Town in the early 80s, Jimmy Allan, who wouldn't play on Sundays due to his religious beliefs. I don't think he missed many games though as Sunday fixtures were few and far between back then. His career was sadly cut short due to an arm injury sustained in a home match against Rochdale on a Saturday. Make of that what you will.

Dan, do you have any interest in the main Match of the Day presenting job? I find Lineker, well... dull.

My 23:

Keepers: Hart, James, Green

Defenders: Terry, Ferdinand, Upson, Dawson, Johnson, G.Neville, Cole, Baines

Mid: Lampard, Gerrard, Barry, A. Young, Milner, Lennon, Carrick

Strikers: Rooney, Crouch, Defoe, Heskey, Bent

25. At 10:16am on 30 Apr 2010, Dan Walker wrote:
I don't think I was considered for the MOTD2 job because - as a Christian - I have always made a commitment not to work on a Sunday. Some people think I am an idiot because of that - and the fact that I rule myself out of jobs - but I am very happy and thankful to be doing what I am doing. I hope that makes sense.
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Excellent point Dan, a moral decision and a very important one too. Luckily I don't have to rule out sunday work as I have weekends off, but this reminds me of a time when I was invited to an "all you can eat" chinese buffet for a friends birthday that fell unfortunately on good friday. Having paid my 拢12 I gladly tucked into a plate full of egg fried rice, soft noodles and sweet and sour sauce as the rest of the group feasted on ribs, wings, duck...you name it.

Can't wait for the Cahill feature being a blue.

On the Murray issue, I am suprised he has been chosen...maybe thought he was a little low brow for the beeb. However i'll wait and see. He met me just after my 21st a couple of years back and was friendly and polite.

My England squad inclusion? Gary Neville. There's no accounting for experience and class, We can have our pace in other areas of the team.

Bob Dowie

Dan, what do you think of the idea of selecting Sol Campbell and G.Neville instead of the likes of Brown, Dawson or Baines in defence. The experience alone the two veterans have would be immensely valuable especially in the dressing room as both their club manager's testify, and if they are 'back-ups' - chances of too many minutes on the pitch are slim anyway but throwing either on wouldn't be a gamble?

Motty seems an inspired choice on the highlights show, Adebayor definately wont be universally popular as he goes in for too much self promotion. Hope you get to see some great games out there..you sure do clock up the miles!

Dodgy Cheese Sarnies............ niceness

My version of the squad 鈥� more 鈥渘early, but not quite鈥�, as in, at some point of this season, each of these characters were quite genuinely talked up as having a chance to make the trip to South Africa!

Keepers: Manuel Almunia, Ben Foster, Joe Lewis

Defence: G Neville, P Neville, Titus Bramble, Michael Mancienne, Sol Campbell, Paul Konchesky, Nicky Shorey

Midfield: Paul Scholes, David Bentley, Owen Hargreaves, Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Kevin Nolan, Matthew Etherington, Jermaine Pennant

Strikers: Dean Ashton, Michael Owen, Dave Kitson, James Beattie, Emile Heskey (you mean鈥�..)

Manager: Hope Powell


Petar Barota

Dan & anyone else..
When does Capello announce his 23 member squad?

Colin Murray has been doing Fighting Talk on Radio 5 for ages so its not really a complete defection to the 大象传媒 as he is already with them. I think he is a fair choice for the job and as usual, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.

England 23:

GK: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green
DEF: J Terry, A Cole, L Baines, G Neville, P Neville, R Ferdinand, M Upson, M Dawson
MID: J Cole, A Lennon, F Lampard, S Gerrard, A Young, J Milner, G Barry
ATT: P Crouch, W Rooney, E Heskey, T Walcott, B Zamora

Dogtanian

Worst event(s) of the season has to be clubs going into administration (Chester City, Portsmouth et al, and the worrying thing is who will be next?) However, for sheer comedy value you can't beat Phil Brown's dressing down of his team at halftime out on the pitch. According to Boateng this was the turning point for their season - I'm not so sure.
Think Colin Murray is a great choice for the WC by the way, I like his banter on the UEFA Super League matches televised on Five. However, Adrian Chiles he is not - such a shame he went to ITV.
My suggested England team would be:
GK: Hart, James, P.Robinson
DF: Terry, Ferdinand, A.Cole, G.Johnson, Baines, M.Richards, Craddock, Jagielka
MF: Etherington, Lampard, Gerrard, A.Young, Lennon, Milner, Barry, Downing (Parker, Bentley, Joe Cole & Carrick are near-misses)
ST: Walcott, Rooney, Bent, Crouch plus 1 from Defoe, K.Davies, Heskey, C.Cole & Agbonlahor
Would be great if Cappello could tempt Scholes and Carragher out of international retirement. However, I'd also like to see him blood some young talent like Adam Johnson, Mark Noble, Chris Eagles, Tom Huddlestone and Dean Sturridge and give them a chance to shine as they do in the league week in week out.
One last thing - RIP all those who passed away in the tragic Bradford fire. I studied there for 4 years and it was such a sad day in the city's history and emotions are still raw about it today. At least the game has improved safety-wise and that sort of thing will hopefully never ever happen again.

#40 Phil Brown did that last season rather than this one, however, it did have plenty of comedy value.

Uncle Tobermory

gotta love Rik Mayall. check out his call to war titled "World Cup Anthem 2010" on Youtube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqGlY9XGb8

there's also another good song on Youtube for World Cup 2010 written by Roni Francois who used to play bass giutar for Lene Lovich

www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7VXV17Z_LY

enjoy.............

Another good song on youtube. Lace Up Your Boots a demo song for England World Cup 2010. Listen to it here:

Great blog as usual Dan. Telling indeed that all the top pundits walked away from the table in about 5 seconds after the killer question. But their selection will mirror Capello's pretty closely, I feel, barring injuries.

Orko