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Print Story Slightly less grumpy now.
Diary
By Alice Pulley (Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 09:04:29 AM EST) (all tags)
Slightly.

---

Edinburgh in full.
Chilli Peppers (sorry ECU).
Birthday Gifts.
Football.
Clink.

Poll - Best world cup in memory?


So, the big 30. I don't think I'd really mind if I hadn't turned into a bit of a tubber over the last year. Time to get the rowing machine back out - plans are, 30 mins per day before work, 60 mins per day after work. Not worried about missing occasional days due to social life but will have an absolute minimum requirement of 4 days per week.

Edingburgh is a cool place, I really enjoyed it. Granted, there are some rather annoying bands of drunken (English) tourists but I guess thats a danger in any city. Maybe I'm getting old, but I loved the dramatic skyline, the mountains to the East, the castle in the middle of town on a big rock, the spires everywhere and the Firth visisble to the North. Socially, we were mainly content with wandering around various pubs/bars and finding nice places to eat. Pretty cool. Did not massively enjoy watching the footy, picked a touristy bar thinking that would be safer than a traditional pub but still was a bit of an edgy atmos - about 3 people cheering on England, everyone else cheering Portugal. Still, thats  history of dubious Foreign Policy for you. Will try to post some pics at some point.

Went to see the Chilli Peppers on Monday night. Enjoyed it very much, they put on a good show and since the last time I saw them (apr 10 years ago) Anthony Kiedis has certainly improved his singing voice a lot. Really pleased to see John Frusciante, brilliant guitarist and to have come through such adversity is admirable. Ben Harper played a great warm up set too, wouldn't have said it was my kind of thing but he was great - overdriven slide guitars rock.

Birthday Gifts

  1. Tattoo (Claire)
  2. Engraved Tankard (Claire)
  3. Books / CD's (various) - including the Raconteurs which I heartily recommend.
  4. Autobot T-Shirt (Sister)
  5. Money due to laziness (Father)
  6. Practice putting thing (Claires sister)
  7. Big kisses and hugs (Niece)
Football. Oh well. I think we went out correctly, we haven't been playing well (in fact, the best we played was after Rooney was sent off in this game). When you look at the quality of the Germany/Italy game last night, we wouldn't have beaten either of them anyway. Thank you Sven, for taking over the England job when we were utterly shit and for stabilising, getting the basics right etc etc. Glad to see you go though, too timid to ever win anything and some very questionable tactical decisions (eg strikers...). Don't think Steve 'The Quiff' McClaren is going to be any different (unless he's been doing a really good job of looking like he completely agrees with everything Sven does) I think its more of the same. Scholari looks and acts like a winner, clearly convinces his players the same. Klinnsman, the same despite his more laid back approach, Lippi the same. We need a winner to win things.

Things seem to be going really well with Claire. After the initial weirdness of getting back together after such a long time, we seem to have worked out how it all works. Am spending the right amount of time together, enjoying each others company but still doing our own things. This is where we went wrong before I think, living in a relatively small flat on top of each other and trying to spend all our time together. That may work for some people but not us, we both went stir crazy a bit, we both need other things in our lives. Anyway, all good and if all goes to plan, don't be surprised if you all get invited to be bridesmaids in the next year or so.

Thats it, you kids all have fun this afternoon.

< I Feel Free. | BBC White season: 'Rivers of Blood' >

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Poll
Best World Cup in Recent Memory?
- 2006 0%
- 2002 14%
- 1998 28%
- 1994 14%
- 1990 42%
- 1986 0%
- 1982 0%
- 1978 0%

Votes: 7
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Slightly less grumpy now. | 28 comments (28 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback
Best world cup? For me '98 by TPD (4.00 / 1) #1 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 09:37:29 AM EST
mainly because I went to the Marsielle for the England - Tunisia game (only time I've seen England abroad).

Of course Beckham getting sent off and getting beaten on Penalties by Argentina wasn't so great - but at least they'll always be "that goal".

Rock Hard Abs are just a sw-sw-swivel away!


That England - Argentina game... by Alice Pulley (4.00 / 1) #5 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 09:53:35 AM EST
...had me hopping around more than any I can remember.

--

'But they're adults and perfectly capable of working it out themselves. And if not, well, fuck em.' - Nebbish '06.

[ Parent ]

1990 for me by jump the ladder (4.00 / 2) #2 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 09:44:13 AM EST
World In Motion, Gazza's tears, England getting to the semis.



Mine too. by Alice Pulley (2.00 / 0) #6 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 09:54:16 AM EST
Thought it was a brilliant tournament.

--

'But they're adults and perfectly capable of working it out themselves. And if not, well, fuck em.' - Nebbish '06.

[ Parent ]

Also: by Alice Pulley (4.00 / 1) #7 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 09:54:48 AM EST
Nessun Dorma still makes me a bit teary.

--

'But they're adults and perfectly capable of working it out themselves. And if not, well, fuck em.' - Nebbish '06.

[ Parent ]

I don't think by yicky yacky (4.00 / 4) #3 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 09:50:27 AM EST

the striker selection was as much of an issue as the main problem which has bedevilled the team for the last three years: the (Lamp|Gerr)ard quandary. How do you get Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard to fit into the same team?

To my mind (as has been reiterated here ad nauseam), there was only ever one real answer: You don't. In the build-up to the tournament, another option raised its head, which was play Gerrard as a striker. Sven never tried either of these. His problems were exacerbated when both Carrick and Hargreaves made the 'holding defender' role work pretty well. If you're Sven, you've then got to get Gerrard, Lampard and a specialist 'guard' into the same line-up. The only solution his myopia delivered was to remove one of the strikers. The solution most likely to work has never really been tried: You play 4-4-2 with a holding midfielder and drop one of the two *ards to the bench. Some variation of ...

                 (Carrick|Hargreaves)
(Beckham|Lennon)                                        (Cole|Downing)
                                      (Lampard|Gerrard)
                       
                       Rooney
                                       
                                       Crouch

... would have murdered Portugal (and many other teams), but Sven has never had the balls to play it. When you're getting out-adventured and out-swashbuckled by Marcello Lippi, you've got serious issues. As our esteemed HuSer Metatone put it: "The reality is that Sven is a bit of a muppet".


----
26 days left ...


That team... by Alice Pulley (4.00 / 2) #4 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 09:52:54 AM EST
...in any of its iterations looks so much more balanced.

--

'But they're adults and perfectly capable of working it out themselves. And if not, well, fuck em.' - Nebbish '06.

[ Parent ]

It's hard to say by nebbish (4.00 / 2) #9 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 10:25:14 AM EST
Playing Paraguay I was screaming at Sven to abandon 4-4-2, then look at what happened. It comes down to experimenting in friendlies and not in tournaments. Your proposal looks good, but the fact is it's untested.

--------
It's political correctness gone mad!
[ Parent ]

What you say is all true by yicky yacky (4.00 / 1) #12 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 10:46:41 AM EST

but the problem against Paraguay was that the 4-4-2 was composed of Beckhamp-Lampard-Gerrard-Cole. The argument for having both Gerrard and Lampard in the same team is that you should always play your "best" players. You should also set your team up in such a way as to enable your best players to play to their strengths. The problem is that, by playing Gerrard and Lampard together, it's impossible to satisfy both conditions. As a coach, you're essentially saying, "You're both in the team because you're two of our best players but I want you both to play a somewhat different role to how you usually play". It's borderline pointless. Gerrard usually has Sissoko or Hamann doing the gritty work at Liverpool; likewise Carvalho / Makalele at Chelsea for Lampard. Even though they can both do aspects of the holding role superbly when they need to, that's not why they're there.

It's not entirely about formations; it's to do with the relationship between formations and the players available. As you rightly point out, my proposal's completely untested, but that's hardly my fault. With varying degrees of agreement, we have been saying roughly the same thing for nearly three years.


----
26 days left ...
[ Parent ]

Good point by nebbish (4.00 / 1) #13 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 10:58:26 AM EST
I'd like to see it put into action. But preferably in a friendly :-)

--------
It's political correctness gone mad!
[ Parent ]

Gerrard on the right? by Alice Pulley (4.00 / 1) #18 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 11:41:22 AM EST
Still playing him out of position admittedly but he can play that role, seen him do it very well for Liverpool and it is certainly better suited to his naturally attacking mindset than as a holding player. As a right winger he has more license to get forward without allowing teams to run onto your centrebacks and obviously allows you to play Lampard plus one of Carrick/Hargreaves.

Although on reflection, after Frank 'Barcelona don't want me anymore' Lampards world cup, just drop him, play Cole, Carrick, Gerrard and Beckham (for just another year or so whilst bringing Lennon through). I've never seen anyone take £10-£15 mil of their price tag so effectively.

Reading that back, it may be a bit harsh but he was certainly 'out of sorts'.

--

'But they're adults and perfectly capable of working it out themselves. And if not, well, fuck em.' - Nebbish '06.

[ Parent ]

And by TPD (4.00 / 3) #11 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 10:32:54 AM EST
Lampard was doing his best to make it really easy for Sven to pick this formation too ;)

Rock Hard Abs are just a sw-sw-swivel away!
[ Parent ]

Belated happy birthday by nebbish (4.00 / 1) #8 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 10:21:38 AM EST
Glad things are going well with you and Clare. I think living with a partner is a bad idea until you know each other really, really well, and you also need a room of your own each to retreat to (don't ask for much, do I?)

I'm not sure about Scolari. Just because Portugal beat us, doesn't mean they're good. They play dirty and ultimately boring football. Scolari did well with Brazil, but they're Brazil.

World Cup? 1990 without a doubt, happy memories, though I enjoyed 2002 as well.

--------
It's political correctness gone mad!


Ta. by Alice Pulley (4.00 / 1) #14 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 11:27:38 AM EST
Maybe for some people, things work out brilliantly immediately but my lifes always been just a bit more complicated than that.

1990 was excellent. Gazza playing brilliantly to the sound of Nessun Dorma - happy days.

--

'But they're adults and perfectly capable of working it out themselves. And if not, well, fuck em.' - Nebbish '06.

[ Parent ]

nick and i were dating for two years... by LilFlightTest (4.00 / 2) #24 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 08:05:14 PM EST
and best friends for the 3 before that before we even thought about living together. it didnt actually happen until i left school and needed a place to stay. we've been living togehter for over two years now, but our apartment hunting has always been influenced by possibility for alone time. lately i've been using it a lot, since i'm crabby and dont want to be bothered. we tend to spend most of our time together, but i'm going to guess its because we always have, even before we were dating.
---------
Dance On, Gir!
[ Parent ]

Tattoo by Evil Cloaked User (4.00 / 1) #10 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 10:29:24 AM EST
Got MDB a voucher for a tattoo for her 21st. What better gift than to scar her for life. It took her ages to come up with a design and the parlour refused to honour the voucher claiming it expired after 6 months. Wanker.


--
Still, I think most of the problem is just a mental hurdle to overcome, - Cloaked User


Tattoo gift: by Alice Pulley (2.00 / 0) #15 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 11:30:19 AM EST
As Claire put it 'Try and forget about me now you bastard.' So sweet.

Tattooist is an arse, if nothing else, does he not know the old 'people tell 3 people about good service and 10 about bad'. Hopefully you/she let them know you will tell all your friends about their attitude.

--

'But they're adults and perfectly capable of working it out themselves. And if not, well, fuck em.' - Nebbish '06.

[ Parent ]

In that case, by ambrosen (4.00 / 1) #17 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 11:38:41 AM EST
you certainly put it in one of the easiest to forget about places on your body.

[ Parent ]

Yeah... by Alice Pulley (4.00 / 1) #19 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 11:45:27 AM EST
...thats what I said, in a "jocular" aside. She pinched me. Women.

--

'But they're adults and perfectly capable of working it out themselves. And if not, well, fuck em.' - Nebbish '06.

[ Parent ]

Women, eh? by ambrosen (4.00 / 1) #23 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 01:31:30 PM EST
Damn them and their sensitivity, their perception, their sensuous curves, their kind eyes, their indulgent smiles, their coquettish tricks, their soothing voices, their...

Sorry, did I get carried away there? I meant to say that I'm sure it was friendly and in no way an indicator that you're doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooommmmed. (Seems DullTrev's neglected you because of an interview or something, so someone had to mention it.)

[ Parent ]

2002 by alprazolam (4.00 / 1) #16 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 11:37:05 AM EST
being as I only somewhat watched in 98 and never saw any of the older ones.

This one has it's highpoints but the lows are taking away too much. Too many cards, too much extracurricular activity, too many PKs, too many shootouts.



2002... by Alice Pulley (2.00 / 0) #20 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 11:48:06 AM EST
...was a good tournament, seemed to be played in a good spirit.

Yeah the amount of cards has been shit this year, too many sides seem happy to go to penalties (not Italy though, they obviously shit themselves having seen the ones the Germans took against Argentina and thought we better try and win this). Been some quality football though and some great goals. Plus kudos for the Germans laying on what looks like a brilliantly organised tournament.

--

'But they're adults and perfectly capable of working it out themselves. And if not, well, fuck em.' - Nebbish '06.

[ Parent ]

could go either way by alprazolam (4.00 / 1) #22 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 01:31:23 PM EST
a great final and this will go down as a classic for the "quality football" and "great goals". a forgettable match with a pk shootout and that's how the tourny will be remembered.

here's to two great matches.

[ Parent ]

Being a bridesmaid. by anonimouse (4.00 / 2) #21 Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 12:23:09 PM EST
I look damn good in a dress. Rogerborg looks even better from constant practice....
Girls come and go but a mortgage is for 25 years -- JtL


I do hope, good sir, by MohammedNiyalSayeed (4.00 / 1) #25 Thu Jul 06, 2006 at 12:22:52 AM EST

that the tattoo is of Waggy, with a t-shirt on that says "WAGGY LUVS CLAIRE". Don't tell me if it isn't, I want to remember it just the way I see it in my head.


-
You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.


Uh... by Alice Pulley (4.00 / 1) #26 Thu Jul 06, 2006 at 04:32:55 AM EST
...yeah, thats what it is. Just ignore the diary with a photo of the actual tattoo in it, all done with smoke and mirrors...

Hows the job, hope its going well.

--

'But they're adults and perfectly capable of working it out themselves. And if not, well, fuck em.' - Nebbish '06.

[ Parent ]

Oh, I saw that one, too by MohammedNiyalSayeed (4.00 / 1) #27 Thu Jul 06, 2006 at 03:44:39 PM EST

But it isn't in this diary, so my brain is enforcing a mandatory disconnect in order to continue believing in the Waggy tattoo.

The job ROX0RS! ROCKS, I SAY! In fact, it ROCKS THE FUCK OUT!

But not as much as WAGGY!, of course.


-
You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.
[ Parent ]

Favourite world cup? by Metatone (4.00 / 1) #28 Thu Jul 06, 2006 at 03:57:07 PM EST
1982...

Socrates! Dammit, he and Falcao remain the most telepathic understanding I've ever seen on the planet. And he smoked a packet of fags every day!

And, in the primary school (I was about 7!) we had to pick a team to go all the way and my Italian friend prevailed on me (pre-tournament, before I had seen Socrates) to pick Italy to win the whole thing.

And they beat the Germans!

But...

2002.

Germany. I can't even remember which game it was, but it must have been before the semis as it was only on the evil satellite channel (bastards!). Anyway, we didn't have the satellite so we went to the market in Bad Godesberg. (Me and the significant other of the time.) Shopping for vegetables. I notice that there's a cable running out of the bar near the market to couple of stalls. They've rigged up a feed! Germany scores! The market goes wild, everyone cheering and hugging. And that's why I would have loved Germany to win this World Cup once England were done for.

Alas, not to be.

Notes:

I fear Mclaren is a muppet too.

I'm glad Portugal lost to France.



Slightly less grumpy now. | 28 comments (28 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

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