Another Drive4show 'Anything goes' thread

[dynamark]

First topic message reminder :

Hi folks not been around much lately due to new job and no access at work.
Digs I would avoid franchises and any long term property commitments connected to the business.
I very nearly bought into a coffee shop /café a few years ago and in the end it was the hours and time involved which put me off but the lad who bought it is flying .He will be open this morning and doing good business.Anything like that is all about position of course.One of the best businesses I have seen is a café bar in Bristol on the hill up to the Clifton area .opens at seven in the morning and closes at two in the morning.Change of menu and prices late afternoon and lighting /music for the evening trade.
Seen a few things in my new job with a large housing association providing social housing for the unwashed,unemployed,unfit,mentally ill,etc.One surprise is that they have properties and areas where only set religious groups are allowed to live.They call it 'creating communities'?
Hope all are well.

[pedro]

...or the England team..

[Diggers]

To be honest Im never worried we won't dig up some decent defenders. England rarely leak goals, lets face it we very rarely lose in open play. The problem is the creative side, not the defensive side.

[mystiroakey]

It boils down to one thing doesn't it. This is all about Hodgson getting the lads together to help him with a plan for the up and coming qualifiers..

It is the only way we should view friendlies. Its all well and good enjoying it when we beat spain , brazil and argentina in friendlies -Which we have done over the last few years- But tbh we need to forget about that and only take it with a pinch of salt- aS they were as meaningless to those teams as this game was as meaningless to us!!

[McLaren]

I knew Gordon Strachan was an idiot. But really?

It could have been a result that we would have been talking about in 40 years. That's where the players have missed out.

[super_realist]

Sums up Scottish Football, always wanting to look to the past, even before the "history" has even been written.

[mystiroakey]

I knew Gordon Strachan was an idiot. But really?

It could have been a result that we would have been talking about in 40 years. That's where the players have missed out.

 

[Diggers]

To be fair to Strachan, who I've always had a soft spot for..and he was a superb player....what he does bring to the table is a bit of passion.

[mystiroakey]

He is shredding the scots though. That is a moronic statement. And I hope to god the majority of scots have there sights higher than beating a disinterested england team in a friendly

[MustPuttBetter]

I HATE Gordon Strachan and thought he was massively overrated as a player. All about opinions hey!

[Diggers]

It is all about opinions...and that's a dreadful one....on the playing side anyway...but I respect your right to have it.

[JAS]

I HATE Gordon Strachan and thought he was massively overrated as a player. All about opinions hey!

He was one of them players...never had the sublime skills or stood out but he was a wee irritant, like a wasp and you'd rather have had him in your 11 than the oppositions. SAF wouldn't have signed him twice if he didn't have something of value to contribute.

Oops scrub that..Atkinson signed him for Man U. Fergie still hung onto him when he came to old Trafford though

[MustPuttBetter]

Yeah JAS, like he did Clayton Blackmore and Mike Phelan. Strachan may have been an ok squad player but was nothing special and very very dislikeable

It is all about opinions...and that's a dreadful one....on the playing side anyway...but I respect your right to have it.

  Sunderland fans eh.........

[MustPuttBetter]

Oh and Billy McNeill signed Strachan for Aberdeen

So, to look at it another way, Ferguson actually got rid of him twice, and he wouldn't have done that if he had had something of value to contribute

[Diggers]

An OK squad player ? He wasn't a squad player anywhere he played, every team that had him in the side did well and he bonded the Leeds side that won the title.
Seriously comparing Gordon Strachan to Clayton Blackmore, you are having a laugh. I withdraw my respect about your right to have an opinion.(not really)
Why do you think he's dislikeable by the way, most people I know like him, least he doesn't roll out clone answers all the time.

[MustPuttBetter]

I couldn't really explain why i don't like him, he just has always rubbed me up the wrong way. I don't like the way he is in interviews, always either attempting funny or just plain rude

I genuinely thought he was an average player. Yes, he played a lot of games but not everyone in the team is a star. I actually quite liked Clayton Blackmore as a player and would take him over Strachan easily (honestly).
Bear in mind that in that Leeds side was Lee Chapman, Rod Wallace, Mel Sterland and others who contributed more than Strachan so to say he fitted in ok there hardly makes him a star. In my opinion

[Diggers]

Fair enough. I watched a lot of football back in the 80's and I remember him as a lot, lot better than average. The stars of that Leeds team were the midfield of Strachan, MacAllister, Batty and Speed. Worked brilliantly together and Strachan played a massive part...though my faves were Batty and MacAllister.

[raycastleunited]

I loved the interview where the reporter asked Strachan for a quick word. Response: "velocity"

Legend.

[MustPuttBetter]

Strachan played a part, i'll give you that bit. I just always saw him as that annoying little sh*t who bit people's ankles to get the ball, and gave it to Speed and MacAllister. That's fine, a necessary role, but not anything special. Kind of like Nicky Butt but smaller and more ginger

Batty was a very good player. Actually a bit ahead of his time i think. Played a similar game to Scholes (not quite as expansive) but never got much credit

[hend085]

David Batty played the "Makelele role" that pundits became obsessed with about 12 years before Makelele came along. 100% agree that he was ahead of his time.

[MustPuttBetter]

Yes that's a better comparison. Absolutely right Hend

[Diggers]

Total agree re Batty, had a lot of arguments with my mates about him, most of them about me believing he was a much better player than Ince and way more suited to international football.

[Davie]

Batty's true character was shown after he missed a penalty for England that got us knocked out of some championship or other (WC or EC can't remember)

Where others who had high profile misses went into hiding for months, needed counselling or made money out of pizza adverts, Batty was out facing the cameras less than an hour after final whistle in a jacket and tie being incredibly honest, apologizing to fans, but ultimately saying "no one died out there".

I always liked him but my respect for him doubled after that

[MustPuttBetter]

Batty played his fair share for England a bit later on once he'd gone to Blackburn. But in the early 90s we seemed to prefer Carlton Palmer.....
Good old Graham Taylor

[MustPuttBetter]

98 World Cup v Argentina, Davie

it was saved to be fair, rather than missed

[Diggers]

Much as I rated him, he wouldn't have been high on my list to take a penalty. Funnily enough Ince was the other guy who didn't score.

[super_realist]

Ince was in the same bracket as Cole, Terry, Gerrard etc for being a player people love to hate and generally unpleasant people.

[navyblueshorts]

Talking of football, what is it about Man U that turns people into an arse?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23710359

[Diggers]

I know you hate Gerrard Super, but seriously you are in the minority on that one. Most people accept he is a decent bloke who has had a fantastic career. He's had one fracas in a club to sully his reputation, I've had a couple of those myself as I'm sure most blokes have.
You are the only person I know who puts him in the hated player bracket, and I know a few Everton fans and even they speak highly of him.

[super_realist]

I don't dislike him for his ability, but for generally being an unpleasant thick oik, much like Cole and Terry. Ince was the same.

[Diggers]

He really isn't thick or indeed an oik. You wont find a single football journalist who will say he's thick, or an oik, or unlikeable. Every article I've ever read about the guy has been positive.

[MustPuttBetter]

Navy, Villa's first 3 games are Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool. I don't know what Moyes is moaning about. We'll be relegated after 3 games!

[navyblueshorts]

Probably been told by SAF to get his moan in early.

[Diggers]

I've no idea what Sunderland are gonna do. Mentalist manager, completely new squad, most of whom I've never heard of. Anything could happen. I'll expect the worst and hope to be pleasantly surprised.

[kwinigolfer]

Seeing as I mentioned Rolf Harris the other day on this thread, a mate from Oz just sent me this beauty:
I was shopping the other day when I bumped in to legendary entertainer Rolf Harris. I was so excited I said to him:
"I remember you doing 'Two Little Boys' in 1970."
He said: "F off, that was Gary Glitter."

Probably an oldie but I hadn't heard it.

[MustPuttBetter]

I think Sunderland might do alright this year Digs. They've made a lot of signings but some of them will def improve the side

[Davie]

Super isn't the only one who has dislikes for Gerrard. Gerrard also has very good lawyers

[incontinentia]

Seeing as I mentioned Rolf Harris the other day on this thread, a mate from Oz just sent me this beauty:
I was shopping the other day when I bumped in to legendary entertainer Rolf Harris. I was so excited I said to him:
"I remember you doing 'Two Little Boys' in 1970."
He said: "F off, that was Gary Glitter."

Probably an oldie but I hadn't heard it.

I'm sure most people wouldn't find that sort of joke funny

[McLaren]

Very funny kwini. Thanks  

[mystiroakey]

Well I haven't heard that exact one before but plenty similar!

[raycastleunited]

Batty's true character ability was shown after he missed a penalty for England that got us knocked out of some championship or other (WC or EC can't remember)

Corrected it for you Davie! No doubts that Batty was an uncompromising hardworking player who would put a shift in for his team. However, not much imagination or composure on the ball. As he walked from the half way line to take that penalty he looked like a condemned man on his way to the gallows... I remember thinking there was absolutely no way he was going to score.

[raycastleunited]

He really isn't thick or indeed an oik. You wont find a single football journalist who will say he's thick, or an oik, or unlikeable. Every article I've ever read about the guy has been positive.

Diggers - that's because he has very effective lawyers.

[raycastleunited]

He really isn't thick or indeed an oik. You wont find a single football journalist who will say he's thick, or an oik, or unlikeable. Every article I've ever read about the guy has been positive.

Diggers - that's because he has very effective lawyers.

Ah - just seen Davie beat me to this point.

[Bob_the_Job]

Very funny kwini.  Thanks  

Seconded.

[MustPuttBetter]

Corrected it for you Davie! No doubts that Batty was an uncompromising hardworking player who would put a shift in for his team. However, not much imagination or composure on the ball. As he walked from the half way line to take that penalty he looked like a condemned man on his way to the gallows... I remember thinking there was absolutely no way he was going to score.

Not much imagination maybe, but he was very very composed on the ball. Used to pass, move, get it back and pass again long before Xavi and Iniesta were doing it.

Ok he wasn't that good but I wouldn't say lacking composure

[Diggers]

He really isn't thick or indeed an oik. You wont find a single football journalist who will say he's thick, or an oik, or unlikeable. Every article I've ever read about the guy has been positive.

Diggers - that's because he has very effective lawyers.

That would stop them writing negative press...possibly...but it doesn't explain why they would go out of their way to describe him as friendly and articulate. You can tell from the press whether a player is unpopular or unpleasant, clearly they don't have much time for Cole or Terry who Im sure also have very good lawyers.
I know a few people in sports PR who usually know the skinny on most scandal and I've never heard any mention of Gerrard from them. He may well put it about a bit, most players do from what I gather, but I can't say Im really too bothered by that.

[raycastleunited]

I think comparing Xavi and Iniesta with Batty is like comparing Monet and Manet with the bloke who painted my fence.

[Diggers]

Corrected it for you Davie! No doubts that Batty was an uncompromising hardworking player who would put a shift in for his team. However, not much imagination or composure on the ball. As he walked from the half way line to take that penalty he looked like a condemned man on his way to the gallows... I remember thinking there was absolutely no way he was going to score.

Not much imagination maybe, but he was very very composed on the ball. Used to pass, move, get it back and pass again long before Xavi and Iniesta were doing it.

Ok he wasn't that good but I wouldn't say lacking composure

I remember a champions league match Leeds were losing and I think Gary Mac was injured so Batty cut lose and started playing. He looked fantastic, it was like Gazza on a good day. He could play when he wanted to.
But he clearly was to not to that very often which is maybe a shame though he obviously had an excellent career.

[Diggers]

I think comparing Xavi and Iniesta with Batty is like comparing Monet and Manet with the bloke who painted my fence.

Did he do a really good job then Ray ?

[MustPuttBetter]

I think comparing Xavi and Iniesta with Batty is like comparing Monet and Manet with the bloke who painted my fence.

Monet and Manet never both painted in the same team. We don't know how good they would have been together so your comparison is massively flawed

[beninho]

Batty just seemed like a midfield clogger. Typical English player lauded fir his ability to get stuck in rather then actual skill. But he may have been at his best before I took such an interest in actual ability and control of the ball. But Barcelona and Spain have changed the way you look at football and possession so hard to look back at the 90s.

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