I'm not a native English speaker, but isn't conjecture "an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information"? If I say Seedorf will be fired because he didn’t have good relations with the players, that’s conjecture because we don’t know exactly what’s happened there except for a few rumors we’ve read. But if I say Milan is the most successful club in football history, I’m basing my opinion on facts, i.e history, trophies, players etc. This doesn’t mean my opinion is absolute, because we can’t say for sure what constitutes the basis for “most successful club in football history”, but nevertheless, depending on how you look at it, that doesn't make it wrong either.



It’s not about one specific comment, it’s about how you’ve been reacting to my posts in general.



That was just one example! But then again, isn’t you saying Inter crumbled because they lost Mourinho conjecture as well? How does that make your argument stronger than mine?



Yes, after calling my arguments weak, and that I apparently ignore what you say when I reply to your posts.

If you say Milan is the most successful club in football history, it's a misleading statement. Domestic trophies wise it's Rangers, Europe-wise it's Milan.

However, saying Rangers or Milan are the most succesfull club in football history, in those respective areas, is not an opinion any more than saying the sun is yellow.

I accept you're not a native English speaker though, and this may account for some of the misunderstandings in this thread.



You're seeing something which isn't there. We may have had an axe to grind once upon a time but I have not been deliberately 'reacting' to your posts in any incendiary way. If you can show me where you feel I have, this instance aside, I'll gladly try to reassure you I'm not dismissing you.



Yes, I explained that all opinion is conjecture. Including my own. But to ignore Mourinho's departure as a cause of Inter's decline from 2010 onwards just seems baseless. I mean you probably are right that these players weren't motivated. But that's because players will run through walls for Mourinho but give far less respect to Benitez.



One post X, let's not go plural. And as I say, I'd rather we clarify where you feel I've offended you because I'm otherwise in the dark. I have no desire to fall out over misunderstandings.

PS: calling someone's arguments weak is not an insult, it's an observation/opinion. Mine are not always watertight either. Nothing to be offended about.

Like I said, first you claim that I apparently ignore what you say when I reply to your posts, then you call my arguments weak and conjecture and not worth arguing over, and then you make a smug remark when I tried making my initial claims more factual.

But whatever, let's just move on cos this is getting silly.

Currently watching the England friendly.

Have to say, not impressed. Some nice combos in attack between Lallana, Sturridge and Rooney. But some of the defending and back passing going on atm is shocking imo.

It seems like they're trying SO HARD to continually try to pass the ball around at a quick pace but they're mostly getting themselves in trouble

My prediction? It's really hard. Obviously Costa Rica is the outsider, but you never know. England, Italy and Uruguay are all very unpredictable: good teams but all of them lack something. Uruguay is getting a bit old and predictable, I think their cohesion got lost as well. England and Italy have potential to become good or even make a surprise, but no true quality other then 3-4 max. players. So my prediction would be goal difference will decide between England and Uruguay about 2nd, first goes to Italy.

Think you took me a little too sensitively, but I apologise for any offence caused. Comments online can come across as w*nkier (as us Brits say) than they're really meant.

It's really a sad state when somebody as awful as Glenn Johnson has to play because there's literally no other right bac in the squad.

Last night I'm just happy we got out of it injury free. Our opponents went out to hurt our players IMO.

Yeah, Honduras were appalling imo

With regards to the defence, I wasn't just talking about Johnson. Yes he was bad, but so were Cahill and Jagielka. Some of the errors they made were just amateurish, especially in terms of the back passes, they were constantly putting Hart under pressure. I think I counted 4 or 5 times just in that first half that Hart had to kick the ball directly into touch because the pass back was dangerous.

Also, which other player would you have called up aside from Johnson for that position?

I'd have taken Ashley Cole and started Luke Shaw on the right. The difference between right back and left back is massively overstated IMO. In attack, yeah, the difference is big. Defensively? Not so much.

Luxembourg throw-in

Who the F is Jagielka? Granted I don't follow the PL, but at least you'd think I should have heard or read his name before. Is he gonna be England's starting CB?

Yes, plays for Everton. With Terry out of favour at national level he partners Cahill instead. And he's not exactly Terry, frankly.

I personally think it makes a bit of difference, especially if the player is not really used to it

Anyway, I once heard the BBC pundits after the S. Africa exit to Germany trying to make a case for Terry and the other CB who started that day (was it Upson?) because Terry had to switch to a side he wasn't used to. I mean, for a FB you can make a case, but for a CB. I think that's stretching the excuse a bit too far.


Imo, the only really good player in that England backline is Cahill. Baines and Johnson are good attacking FBs but seem to forget that their roles entail more than just attacking.

Jagielka, when I've watching him with England so far hasn't impressed me. I'm not going to pretend I watch him every week at Everton, because frankly, I've probably only watched one Everton game this season, so I can't say what his true quality is, or if he's just not yet gelled in the England set-up as of yet.

For me England made a mistake in leaving Cole and Terry out. First off, you have that familiarity of having 3/4 of the Chelsea back-line in there, a very solid one imo. It's like if Prandelli would leave out the Juve CBs, just doesn't make any sense.

I agree with you on johnson his defence is really not as good as his attack , Baines on the other hand i disagree.

Terry was left out as well? Wow, Hodgson deserves a good kick in the balls.

I haven't seen anything from him as of yet that would indicate otherwise tbh. He's pretty great going forward, but in terms of defending I'm not completely sold on him


Yep. You know, the English players and Hodgson continually point out that this new bunch of players are better than the group he had in 2012.

I agree to an extent that they have more talent upfront, but in terms of the defence, I think they took about 5 steps back without Terry and Cole

Terry and the FA are enemies in light of various rows over the years. Rodgson just buckled to them.

I don't think I've ever said this before, but Immobile... WOW! I'm guilty of writing him off a bit, but he's ice cold in front of goal. I think he'll be a first choice in this WC. Just chuck him in there with Balo in front of that midfield of creators and let them have at it.

The defending from Italy was atrocious. But then again, Palletta and Ranocchia started. While Perin made his very own howler

Terry retired from International football and rightfully so. He was found innocent at court, then the FA held their own inquiry and found him guilty, quite literally taking the law into their own hands. After this witch hunt, Terry refused to play again. A Cahill-Terry CB combo would've been amazing too.

Baines is a very good defender, maybe not Ashley Cole level but still very good. He and Cahill don't worry me, Johnson and to n extent Jagielka do.

John Oliver on FIFA

This is really great.

Fantastic piece. John Oliver has been on fire with his new show.

That was really great indeed.

That really was rather good.

People from Birmingham know their stuff.

I understand why Terry decided to retire after this but how do you know the civil court was right and FA was wrong?


I just watched that and came here to post it. I didn't know of this guy before this show but I'm glad I do now, it's great!

I think it's pretty irrelevant in a way. When you go to court and have experts try you on something, if they find you innocent, that's the law. If some other organisation decides to then try you on the same thing and finds you guilty on something you are, officially, innocent of then it looks like they were just out to get you from the start.

thanks for posting kurt

It doesn't matter. The double jeopardy thing should protect him.

I don't think it is irrelevant. It's like with Sterling. It's an entirely different issue of course I'm just referring to the fact that every company has its own rules and should be able to look at everything internally. Sterling didn't do anything illegal yet he was forced out of the league. Or let's say you're an NFL player in Denver. State laws allow you to smoke weed freely but the NFL doesn't.


That doesn't have anything to do there, he wasn't tried by another civil court, he was tried by the governing body to which his company belongs and could only have been punished within its boundaries, the FA can't sent him to jail or anything.

I really don't get this. I don't know of any England supporter who wouldn't want John Terry in there instead of Jagielka. Yet the FA are conspiring against him to keep him out of the team?

You know, going by Terry's history I wouldn't be surprised if he's dead guilty.

There's no Rio anymore on the England team so that's not an angle that can be played really. I've heard that the other England players don't really like him though, especially after the ego-fest in S. Africa about the captaincy.

And I personally believe the FA as an organization would have preferred to have Terry in there as he increases England's chances of success, and that is what they ultimately want for their nation.

Terry was found not guilty by a tribunal/court regarding that alleged racism of Ashley Cole. That court was set up by the FA.

The FA have the axe to grind with Terry - he'd gladly play for England again. But he can't with the current climate.

With this example you're missing the point. John Terry was found innocent for something that he was then found guilty for. It wasn't a case of there being different rules in public and in the Premier League. Your point is an example where the rules are different within each, but that's not the case here.

What would be a better comparison is being an NFL player in a state were smoking weed is illegal, that player being found innocent by the courts and then the NFL holding their own inquiry and finding said player guilty and stopping him from player. It is taking the law into their own hands.

To me what the court says, goes. What next? Say Aaron Hernandez gets off his murder charge, are the NFL going to try him, find him guilty and sentence him to death? What happens at the courts is final and that should always be the case.

According to Mediaset, this is how Italy will play against England (brace yourself, Han):

Buffon; Darmian, Barzagli, Chiellini, De Sciglio; Pirlo, De Rossi, Verratti, Marchisio, Candreva; Balotelli.

So, he brings five forwards and only plays one. Makes sense. And seriously, Darmian?

I personally don't believe for a second that he will drop Abate. Darmian was a bit catastrophic the other night against Fluminense.

Candreva though... I do believe - with massive foreboding - the he will start. For some reason only known to Prandelli, he likes this guy. Pepe was f@cking better than him FFS!

Still, I think from now till Saturday the journalists are just pulling cr@p out of their @sses big time.

I think it will be:

Buffon; Abate, Barzagli, Chiellini, De Sciglio; Pirlo, De Rossi, Verratti, Marchisio, Candreva/Cassano; Balotelli.

The only real question mark is Cassano or Candreva. I'll tear some hair out if it's the latter.

That lineup is a list of random players, there's no system at all.

I kind of agree, but it boils down to midfield. Playing with five midfielders, you either need two of them to be wingers, or AMs. Except for Candreva, who sucks balls, everyone else is pretty much a CM.

That's exactly what it is. What the court thought was not enough to give a guilty verdict, the FA did. Sterling did nothing punishable in a civil court, he can't be guilty of anything but he is still racist and for that reason he'll soon be out of the league.

What the court said did go. Terry was then charged internally. What if you were in charge and Terry was your employee? Yes he was cleared in court but wouldn't you want to have your own investigation? I personally would. Obviously you (or the FA in this case) have no such power to sentence someone to death, you can only punish him within the boundaries of the league.

Manaus pitch just days before the Italy England game


Well the Italian players won't find it that much of a stretch, they play in stadiums like the Bentegodi which always looks like a potato field.

Sterling isn't being punished though. The NBA can force owners out whenever they please. Sterling was found guilty of something that is "punishable" by NBA laws and will be receiving a massive amount of money. Terry was found innocent of something that he was then later punished for. It's not a case of the FA and courts having different laws on this, it's the same. Racism is racism, it is punishable by both the courts and the FA. So for the courts to find him innocent and the FA to then find him guilty just proves the witch hunt they were on with him.

This World Cup is already one of the worst ever and it hasn't even started. What a mess.

Prandelli has recommended to give timeouts during games for water breaks, because non-SA teams are not accustomed to the heat? Heard that on the radio today.

What you recon?

I'm not sure. Football is a game of momentum. Stopping every now and then would affect the game and a rhythm of a team.

Yes. And this would be a break in tradition.

The heat thing confounds me tbh.

And I feel like they're making a huge deal out of it when there are bigger concerns in this world cup. Mainly - will there even be a stadium to play in? - (Sao Paolo stadium apparently still not finished and this is the stadium that is supposed to host the opening game).

Just yesterday over here in Malta the temperature was 29 degrees Celsius with 75% humidity. And this is only just the start of summer. We're looking at 43+ degrees and higher humidity when we near August. Don't know what the weather is like where you guys are but today in Manaus it's 29 degrees Celsius with 80% humidity. Not that much difference

Yes, it's hot, especially when you're doing something laborious, and especially if it's during the afternoon.

But these games are going to be played in the evening and these guys aren't just you and me, they are trained, professional athletes.

I think there's just too much focus on the heat. Some of these Italian players play Serie A games in late August/early September and it's still sh!t hot in the south of Italy. I'm sure they've experienced similar conditions. I think if these teams focus too much on the heat and not on much else it will become a hindrance on that team

Maybe. 29 degrees with 85% humidity is still an awful big difference to the UK though and I'm guessing Russia and Germany too. Maybe for the countries in the South of Europe, Africa, South America and the North American nations it won't be a huge difference, but it will certainly affect us IMO, we just about get into the 20s for summer and the humidity is certainly way off 80%.

I always get the impression that the English crave that. I see tourists here in the middle of the summer, in the afternoon sun, literally baking their @sses off in the heat either walking around going to tourist spots or sun bathing. Maybe it's an impression I get because they do things in the summer that I wouldn't even dream of doing, basically doing anything during the mid-day. The English seem to relish it

Can't wait for this. South Africa was the worst football tournament I've ever seen. Don't let us down Brazil.

Of course Sterling is being punished. He would have kept ownership of his team if it wasn't for this because it's gonna be worth even more in a few years. He's not really making money off of this, he already owned the team and could sell it any time he wanted to.

Well, we have to make the most of the sun when we actually see it.

Yeah but the English actually look like they enjoy getting roasted like a tomato. I can count on one hand the amount of British people I see who come here and remain sunburn free.

I hope there is not a SA version of the Vuvu zela...my ears are still ringing.