No Pain, No Gain...

It's always been fun having a poke at Cristiano. I mean there is no doubt that he's an above average footballer but he does set himself up for a few...

He posted this photo of himself on Instagram ahead of the Poland game, showing off his 'muscles' after a training session - with the title 'no pain, no gain' (original or what?).


Clench...relax...insert rubber hose..

Don't be a sad, needy, little man. Take one of those rubber tubes that are hanging around your neck and give yourself a colonoscopy - it might relieve you of some of your own bullshit.

Poland must be quaking in their boots..

England Out...

The effects of England leaving the European Union might be talked about for a year or two...the effects of England leaving the European Championships will be talked about for the next fifty years..


Next best thing if you can't stick your head in the sand..

It was of course inevitable not just because we are England and it's a big tournament but because anyone who watched Iceland play through the competition could see that they were a well a organised team, very hard to break down, with a cutting edge on the break. England by contrast showed little composure and little self belief.

I was cringing that afternoon as our pundits were already talking about England v France, which was a great contest on paper, but no doubt would have been even worse, as France would have fully exposed us.

I have to say I got the game wrong, I thought it would be a comfortable draw for Iceland after 90 minutes - that would have been a great result for them. In the end they went one better - fantastic really. They will all be heroes in Iceland.

Some Icelandic football facts:

1. Iceland don't have a professional football league as such.
2. Their manager, Heimir Hallgrímsson, is a practicing dentist.
3. Population of Iceland around 330,000.
4. Goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson, is a film director who directed the video for Iceland's entry in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest.

It's a beautiful story.

Euro 2016

Really looking forward to the next month or so. I have only had a few pre-tournament bets.

I have laid Spain quite heavily in Group D. Lay at 1.67.
I have also laid Spain in the 'Top 2 Finish' market in the group. Lay at 1.18.

Small liabilities so happy. I think Group D will be a lot tougher for Spain than the odds suggest.

I have also taken a few of the French in the 'Player of the Tournament' market - Matuidi (40/1) Griezmann (14/1) and Pogba (11/1). Not very original.

For 'Top Scorer' I took a big price on Romelu Lukaku (22/1) and have had a saver on Griezmann (11/1). Lukaku might do absolutely nothing but if the most expensive squad, in terms of transfer values, can finally put it together, Belgium might go far and you fancy him for a few goals along the way.

I'd like to fit Eden Hazard in somewhere - back to some kind of form at the end of the season but that would be betting with the heart! I think Belgium are really the value at 11/1 and Croatia would be the outside pick at 25/1.

Enjoy it!

Can They Do It?

Can England win Euro 2016? Or get anywhere close?

I think 'no' has to be the resounding answer to that. I thought the Turkey game was an absolute disaster and although I couldn't face watching the Australia game the scoreline doesn't suggest that we did much better.

England have some young talent - but we've had that before. We used to have the best midfield in the world on paper with Lampard, Gerrard, Cole, Scholes and so on - and we never got anywhere in the big tournaments.

Is Hodgson going to manage to pull it all together in the time remaining? I doubt it. In the end it will probably be nerves and pressure on young shoulders that will see us exit the competition prematurely.

Let's hope I'm wrong. I would hate to see, what might turn out to be, another 'golden generation' go to waste due to poor management or preparation.

Well look on the bright side, we certainly haven't peaked too soon!

Champions...

Party time for the Leicester boys

Well they've only gone and done it!

It wasn't really a surprise that it happened last night at Chelsea (see last post).

I forget the number of times Chelsea have looked down and out against Spurs at Stamford Bridge, only to rally and get a result. Spurs haven't managed to win at the Bridge since 1990.

Still, I think there is hope for Spurs, they are a young side with a good manager and he is changing the culture at White Hart Lane to a 'can do' one. One day soon they probably will win something meaningful. I just don't think they were ready to win the title this season - the last fifteen minutes of the match last night showed that more than anything. Spurs set out to have a go at Chelsea players instead of concentrating on winning the game. At least they showed a bit of spirit for once, sadly it was directed in the wrong area. To blow a 2-0 lead against a Chelsea side that aren't really playing like a Chelsea side, is not the stuff of Champions.


The last time Leicester won the Premiership

Leicester were 5000/1 to win the title. So that means they should win roughly 1 in 5000 seasons. If you imagine that Premiership football has been going on back through the ages, then 5000 seasons ago would take us back to around 3000 B.C. A long time ago. We're talking Hieroglyphic writing in Egypt, the building of the city of Troy, the constructing of Stone Henge.

In fact we know those odds are rubbish - bookmakers put them out after all. So the actual probability is probably greater. Odds of 25,000/1 might be more like it but my 'history' doesn't go back that far..

Congratulations to Leicester City.

Put The Statues On Hold...

Well it was always a big ask for Spurs to beat West Brom at home to really stay in the Premiership title race...what a bunch of plonkers. Spurs may still do it of course but only if Leicester implode spectacularly, which looks unlikely.


"The players will deserve statues...really?"

There is also the fact that Spurs have to go to Chelsea, which even with London derby status would have been a 'nothing' game for the Blues, but will probably mean something now because Chelsea can end Tottenham's hopes altogether, assuming of course that Leicester haven't wrapped it up at Man Utd.

I was at the Man City game and we played like a bunch of kids at a family picnic...not a care in the world. I don't think that will be the case next Monday. If Spurs are still in the race, then I expect Chelsea will take the game more seriously than any they have played this season...and would probably get some kind of a result.

If there was any doubt in Leicester fans minds, then there shouldn't be, because Chelsea face their team on the last day of the season. If the title is still up for grabs, then it won't be for long. Don't get me wrong, Chelsea are a professional outfit, you don't win things if you're not, but there have been lapses in professionalism this season - which is why we haven't won anything. There is 'trying' and then there is 'Trying' and I don't expect there to be much of the 'capital T' variety from Chelsea, if Leicester need a result to clinch the title from Spurs.

As for Pochettino's comments about his players deserving statues built in their honour if they win the title, how would that work? I mean at the end of the day they would have challenged for the title and beaten...Leicester City (no disrespect). Were Spurs fighting off sustained challenges from other clubs...not really. Did they overcome record points deficits...no. Sorry, but even if they win the league, the last thing that should happen is to have their players cast in stone and dotted around White Hart Lane. That honour should only go to Leicester City and only if they pull off the greatest shock in Premier League history.

It's not that I dislike Spurs, even if they are London rivals, I just hate their lack of grit. They always capitulate when the chips are down and it looks as if they have done so again.

What next then for The Foxes? Champions League glory of course!

At least they play in blue.

Can They Do It?

Zlatan...ready to destroy City?

A terrific game is in prospect on Tuesday as Man City take a great position into the 2nd leg of the Champions League. PSG might have goalkeeper Kevin Trapp back after a knee problem on Saturday, but they will be without Marco Verratti, who I think is a key player, as well as Pastore, Luiz and Matuidi, the latter two missing out due to suspension.

Kompany may be fit, Aguero and Silva should get over their 'knocks', so that only leaves City short of Raheem Sterling and he's crap anyway. City have a real chance of making their first ever Champions League semi-final.

Only that crazy dude Zlatan can upset the party!